Classical Style vs. the Renaissance

Classical Style vs.. The Renaissance One of the most influential artistic styles in western culture is the Classical Style. This term describes the art and architecture produced in Ancient Greece between the late sixth and early fourth centuries B. C. E. The harmonious order that governs almost all the aspects of Ancient Greek Civilization, including politics and philosophy, was the basis of this rich artistic period which has always had a strong influence on Western culture. Nevertheless, there have been some periods in history where the Classical influences were more prevalent.This influence could not be more evident than in the Renaissance, which refers to the rebirth of the Classical Style. The Renaissance which spread through Europe started in Italy around 1300 C. E. And lasted though the seventeenth century. In this period, the artisans did not Just copy the Greeks but also revived their principles of harmony, order, proportion, and realism. In this paper, I'm going to exam one sculpture and one building from each of these two periods to identify the similarities and differences between them.Hermes with the young Dionysus by Parallaxes vs.. David by Michelangelo Hermes with the nuns Dionysus was made by Parallaxes around 340 B. C. E. This marble statue represents Hermes, which was the messenger of the Greek Gods, holding the young Dionysus (Cambric). This freestanding Greek statue was made during the Golden Age of the Classical Style, and it features the key characteristics of this period (realism, harmony, and proportion). Hermes appears nude leaning against a tree trunk draped with material which is wrapped around his arm.He is leaning in a relaxed pose with most of his body positioned on the left side of the artwork. Parallaxes balances the overall composition by putting the young Dionysus on Hermes' arm which connects the figure to the supporting tree trunk on the right side. Like other sculptures from this period, Hermes with the young Dionysus is ve ry realistic. According to Gloria Firer, author of the book The Humanistic Tradition â€Å"the male nude of the High Classical Age seems to fulfill Aristotle idea of excellences as the exercise of human will dominated by reason†.Hermes' idealized body is perfectly symmetrical, and it absolutely fits into the Greek canon (set of rules for determining physical proportion). In addition, the almost tactile texture of the smooth marble exposes Hermes' well developed muscles and bones which seem to be alive and moving under his soft smooth skin. His facial features are symmetrical and proportionate, and his expression is relaxed while smiling as he looks upon the baby Dionysus. In this statue, Parallaxes reflects the Greek ideal of beauty.The realism and perfection of the Greek statues of the Classical period were the inspiration for sculpture of the Italian Renaissance. Michelangelo created David between 1501 and 1504. The work is a representation of the young shepherd who slays t he giant Goliath with his meager sling and who eater goes on to become the king of Israel (Firer). Like Hermes with the young Dionysus, David is a freestanding, statue of a nude male, created at the peak of its period, the Renaissance. Michelangelo created this sculpture in the early sixteen century, which is consider the high Renaissance.Similarly to Parallaxes' statue, David is very realistic, and the smooth marble shows the perfectly developed muscular structure beneath the skin. However, unlike Hermes, Davit's posture is not relaxed but rigid with his muscles tense and veins protruding from the surface. He appears leer and focused on his opponent, awaiting some action that is about to happen. In addition, while Hermes' scale and proportion are realistic, Davit's is oversized standing 14 Ft. 5 in. High, and his head hands, and feet are oversized and not proportionate to the rest of his body. Michelangelo deliberately violated classical proportions by making the head and hands of his figure to large for his trunk. The body of the fearless adolescent is tense and brooding, powerful rather than graceful† says Firer. Although both sculptures share common characteristics, David is different room Hermes in that Parallaxes' creation is Just a celebration of beauty and perfection while Michelangelo creates beauty and also enhances human accomplishment. Parthenon vs.. Saint Pewter's Basilica The Parthenon (448-432 B. C. E. ) is a Classical Greek temple that was designed by architects Stations and Calibrates.It is located in Athens, Greece, and it crowns the high plateau called the Acropolis. The temple is dedicated to the city's main Goddesses, Athena, and it is surrounded by other smaller temples (Firer). Like most of the buildings from this period, the architects used the post-and-lintel system, and hey did not use mortar. The Parthenon floor plan is rectangular and very simple. It only has two rooms surrounded by a colonnaded walkway. The order used for the columns is Doric, which has no base, and its capital is a simple cushion.The Greek principles of perfection such as order, harmony, and symmetry govern the whole construction. The ideal and concern with perfection of order and balance caused the architects to use wider columns on the corners of the structure to offset the visual reduction of their size due to the bright light of the sky behind them according to Firer. In addition, the Parathion's pediment was decorated symmetrically and balanced with relief carvings of the Greek Gods featuring the king of the gods, Zeus, directly in the center.Similar to the revival of the classical style in Renaissance sculpture, the principles of the Classical Greek architecture were the inspiration for building during the Renaissance. Saint Pewter's Basilica (1506-1612 C. E. ) is a catholic church constructed during the high Renaissance. Ten architects worked on its construction including Donate Aberrant, who started the project, and Michelangel o, who designed of the dome (The World Book Encyclopedia). Similarly to the Parthenon, it is intended for worshiping and is located in the middle of a religious area, Vatican City.It is dedicated to Saint Peter who is considered the fist pope of the Christian Church and whose remains lay beneath the building. Saint Pewter's Basilica has also some decorative features that resemble the Greek temple. The columns in the fade are inspired by the Classical Style although they are a different order, Corinthian, and above the columns there is a pediment. Crowning the fade are thirteen statues upon the balustrade, which although are not exactly the same, they mimic the ones in the Parthenon.The figure in the center is Jesus, king of heaven, and the rest are Saint John the Baptist and eleven apostles. The major differences between the two temples are the construction methods. Saint Pewter's Basilica uses mortar, and it has stone arches inside supporting the ceiling, which are construction tec hniques developed by the Romans. The floor plan is a Latin cross that is inspired by the medieval cathedrals. In addition, the building is crowned with a huge dome, which is an architectural feature and innovation from the Renaissance.Although the Renaissance architecture is more complex than the Classical, the architects included key classically styled features in their designs and the Classical ideal of proportion and order in their construction. After examining the sculpture and architecture from these two periods, it is clear that they have a direct relationship to each other. The renaissance borrowed the Classical principles of order, harmony, and proportion from the Greeks. This is clear in the comparison of the two statues. In the case of the architecture, the Renaissance took the Classical elements, but they utilized more advanced techniques.Although the Renaissance was a brilliant period in which innovation and creativity was rich, the use of the Classical examples and the honoring of them clearly confirm their timeless and lasting influence. Works Cited Firer, Gloria. The Humanistic Tradition Volume l. 5th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2005. Print. Cambric, E. H. The Story of Art. 15th edition. All Saints Street, London: Phaeton Press Limited, 1999. Print The World Book Encyclopedia. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago: Field Enterprises Educational Corporation. 1962. Print.

Cognitive Development May Progress Gradually or Through a Series of Stages Essay

Cognitive development can be defined as the growth of our knowledge in understanding the world around us. This growth can be developed gradually, in other words, it is seen as a continuous process by collecting more information. Another way of developing cognitively is through a series of stages which involves some sort of revolution from one period to another in one’s lifetime. Jean Piaget, a cognitive developmentalist believed that humans go through a series of stages in life in order to reach their full cognitive ability. In this essay, we would briefly talk about Piaget’s Stage Theory and its criticisms. Piaget divided his theory into four different stages of development. The first one is known as the sensorimotor stage which is applied to infants for approximately the first two years of their lives. At this stage, infants discover the world mainly by their senses and actions. One of the main concepts Piaget penned is object permanence. This is the knowledge of the existence of objects even when we cannot directly sense it. Piaget suggested that babies lack this concept through his study; A not B task. In this study, the experimenter hides a toy under Box A then the baby would search for it under Box A. This procedure was repeated and eventually in front of the baby, the experimenter hid the toy under Box B. The baby searched for it under Box A instead of B even though they saw the experimenter hid it under Box B. Therefore, this study shows that the baby lacked the concept of object permanence. They are known to be in a state of solipsism, also known as the failure to differentiate between themselves and the surroundings. Based on observation conducted on his own children (1952), Piaget divided this stage into six different sub stages. However, Piaget’s claims on object permanence have been criticized. Baillargeon et al. (1985) found in their research that infants as young as three-and-a-half months have developed the ability of object permanence. This was backed up by Bower & Wishart (1972) whereby they discovered that even after the lights were switched off, the babies continued to search for the object shown. Hence, they do possess the ability of object permanence. The second stage is the preoperational stage which occurs when the child is aged 2 to 7. On this stage, the child solves problems by using symbols and develops the skill for languages. According to Piaget, the child is egocentric which means he sees the world from his standpoint but not others. The solution to this is to apply operational intelligence. The process of solving problems by using logic. Another concept which Piaget is concerned with is conservation. It is the understanding that any quantity remains the same even if physical changes is made to the objects holding the medium. In addition to these concepts, centration, also defined as the focus on a single aspect of a problem at a time. Piaget states that at this stage, the child fails to decenter. Conversely, Borke and Hughes (1975) found contradicting evidence against Piaget’s on his study of the three mountains task. They used the same elements of the task and discovered that children had no problem with identifying the perspectives of the others when the task is shown in a meaningful context. Hence, from the result obtained, Hughes found that the children did not display any characteristics of being egocentric. Furthermore, Gelman (1979) found in his study that four year olds altered their explanations of things to get their message across clearer to a blindfolded listener. If Piaget’s concept of egocentrism was correct then, this shouldn’t have happened. In addition, Flavell suggested an alternative to this issue by coining the Level 1 and Level 2 perspective-taking abilities. In Level 1, one thinks about viewing objects but not the different perspectives that can be seen of the objects while in Level 2, one is able to imagine the views of the objects from different angles. Flavell concluded that it is not compulsory that children think others share the same perspective as themselves but they do struggle to imagine what others can see. Therefore, this shows that Piaget’s claim on egocentrism could be correct or wrong. Moreover, in Donaldson’s Children’s Minds (1978), she argued that children misunderstood the questions which Piaget asked while conducting the studies. This was the reason why Piaget obtained the results in his studies involving the concept of conservation especially. Donaldson stated that Piaget’s tasks had no meaningful context for the children to understand, hence they answered what they thought the experimenter expected of them. This claim was supported by Rose & Blank (1974) where they found children often succeeded in the conservation task. Further research was done by Samuel & Bryant (1978) who used conservation of number, liquid quantity and substance and obtained similar conclusion with Rose & Blank’s. Donaldson also stated that children were unintentionally forced to produce the wrong answer against their own logical judgment. One of the explanations is that the same question was asked repeatedly before and after transformations presented to them and this in turn caused the children to believe that their original answer was wrong. Thus, the idea of children assuming the fact that reality changes according to appearance could be incorrect. In addition, Piaget may have underestimated a child’s cognitive ability because based on Mitchell & Robinson’s (1992) study; they demonstrated that children from the age of 4 could locate the correct answer to a solution by canceling out the alternatives. This process is also known as inference by elimination. The children were presented with a set of cartoon characters, three of which were well-known. They were asked to identify a superhero which was unknown. The researchers discovered that majority of the children selected the unknown character without doubt. Another example of a child’s ability is their capability with syllogisms which consists of logical problems accompanied by a general rule that enables people to create a statement. Dias and Harris (1990) stated a general rule that all fish live in trees and Tiddles is a fish, then it is logical to assume that Tiddles live in trees. After presenting this to the children, they insisted that Tiddles lives in the water instead. However, after the experimenters presented them with another rule, they were ready to use the rule to make inferences. Therefore, these evidences show that Piaget may have underestimated the abilities of younger children. Subsequently is the stage of concrete operation which happens to children around the age of 7 to 12. Now the child is able to solve their problems in a logical manner but the problem has to be either real or concrete. The final stage; formal operations which takes place when the child turns 12 and continue into their adulthood. In this stage, one would be able to solve problems systematically and logically even if the problem is a hypothetical situation. Wason and Johnson-Laird showed that most intelligent adults do not fulfill Piaget’s ideal cognitively developed person through selection task. This claim is proved in Cheng and Holyoak’s (1985) study where the results strongly show that majority of the participants does not display the reasoning of an adult in the stage of formal operations. In other words, this experiment is a clear indication that the formal operations stage does not exist. One of the critics of Piaget’s Stage Theory in general is John Flavell (1982) who claimed that Piaget did not define the cognitive processes clearly. Furthermore, Braine and Rumain (1983) who conducted an analysis on the contents and the structure of the theory found that Piaget’s theory could be flawed. These are only the few critics of Piaget’s Stage Theory. Thus, the theory is constantly being questioned due to its impact in the field of cognitive psychology. After stating the basic facts of the theory as well as giving some examples of the critics of Piaget’s concepts and ideas, we are now able to get an overview of the debate. Overall, there are evidences which propose some of the concepts to be reviewed again and maybe even rejected. However, from the researches conducted on Piaget’s theory as well as the impact of it, alternative theories were penned down. For example, Vygotsky’s theory which takes on a more social based view of describing the cognitive development. In conclusion, Piaget’s theory have been applied in various institutions especially education but it is also being criticized by many in the field, therefore, it is only fair to conclude that Piaget’s theory may need to be modified in order to create a more accurate theory to explain the way we understand the world.

Achievements of the gupta empire

The Gupta Empire, which covered most parts of Northern India and parts of Pakistan, was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 280 to 550 C.E. The capital was called Paliputra which is presently known as Patna in the Indian state of Bihar.   The level of peace and prosperity that was created within the leadership of Guptas enabled scientific and artistic endeavors.According to Beye, Charles Rowan (1975), Greek culture had deep influence on the Empire of Rome. Civilization of the ancient Greeks has been greatly influential on politics, education systems, languages, philosophy, arts and science.Civilization, according to Mark Whitaker (1997), refers to contradictory relation between a ruling class and a class of producers. Egyptian civilization was brought about by different aspects. River Nile was one major contributor of the Egyptian civilization. There are various similarities in terms of achievements of the Gupta Empire to those of the Classical Greek or Egyptian civil izations.Gupta Empire and the Egyptian Empire made great achievement in artistry. Sculpture is one of the greatest artistic achievements in the Gupta Empire. The sculptors worked with wood, stone bronze and clay called terra cotta.Gupta sculptors were mainly concerned with indicating the human form gracefully and simply. Egyptians too achieved a fit in artistry in that they used the skills to construct pyramids and monuments for the pharaoh. The pyramids portrayed their true identity and rich cultural heritage.Education is one other aspect of achievement that characterized the achievement of both the Gupta Empire and the ancient Egypt. Literature of Gupta Empire is usually considered to be among the greatest achievements. Gupta writers created plays, fables, and poetry, as well as important legal and religious texts. One India classic poems called Mahabharata, reached the final form during the Gupta era MathematicsThe mathematicians of Gupta era made useful discoveries that have gre atly influenced human civilization because mathematics has become a fundamental in our day to day lifeOn the other hand, the Egyptians were very much practical in their approach to mathematics their trade required that they deal in fractions. Trade also required division and multiplication to be possible so they improvised remarkable methods to cub the situation in the number systems to help them work efficiently.Childhood education was also important in Ancient Egypt   Children would more and frequently be required to work elders in handling less onerous tasks and slowly acquiring practical skills and knowledge from their parents and guardians. By example, parents would teach them various educational principles, morals and views about life.The ancient Greeks too have made quite a number of influential contributions to western civilization. These contributions, which can also be referred as achievements of ancient Greece, include areas of philosophy, art, Agriculture, Mathematics and science. These great achievements, compared to other regions such as the Gupta Empire and the Ancient Egypt, these great achievements were being made while fighting two wars, that is, Peloponnesian and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Persian wars.One other area where the Gupta Empire made an achievement is in the area of astronomy. Gupta astronomers came up with many discoveries about the moon, the sun, the earth and other planets. Although they relied more on Greek astronomers, Gupta astronomers too made many discoveries on their own and in many cases arrived at conclusions that were more accurate and reliable than those of the Greeks.ReferencesBeye, Charles Rowan (1975), â€Å"Ancient Greek Literature and Society†, Garden City, World History Achieve (1997), â€Å"A dialog from the Philosophy of History and theoretical history list†. Retrieved November 1, 2008 from< http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/10/029.html>Mark Whitaker (1997), â€Å"Definition of State in Civilizationâ € . Retrieved November 1, 2008 fromMr. Mitchell (1990), â€Å"Writing a Journal to Commemorate Gupta Achievements. Retrieved November 1, 2008 from< http://www.mitchellteachers.org/WorldHistory>Michael G. (2007), Ancient Greek Achievements. Retrieved November 1, 2008 from

Role of Knowledge Management in enhancing mgt. decision making in Lab Report

Role of Knowledge Management in enhancing mgt. decision making in Toyota - Lab Report Example Corporate management is now handling a global-scale brand of management, requiring a different kind of strategy, much distinct from traditional management. Advancement in technology is fast; innovations are applied every minute. There is what we call Web 2.0, or web-enabled infrastructure allowing business-customer and business-to-business interaction. This spawns databasing or shared repositories. The internet has revolutionized business functions and introduced countless innovations in the globalized world. Toyota Motors is a knowledge-based, global firm, leading the world in the car manufacturing industry. It has been the world’s leading car manufacturer, with branches worldwide, but recently a controversy has hounded its worldwide operations and colorful past, probably putting its leadership in the car industry in question. Problems over the hybrid Prius’ quality lapses that included braking problems and sticking gas pedals forced a global recall of 8.5 million vehicles, 6 million of them from the United States. Questions have arisen: how will Toyota resurrect from the ashes of a tainted hybrid Prius? Will it ever become the once glorious company which started its humble beginnings from a troubled Japanese economy? This essay will delve on the company Toyota, as a whole, and the particular technical aspect of its success – the introduction of knowledge management. For all of its successes, knowledge management played a key role in Toyota’s rise to ‘stardom’. Toyota has been on the forefront of car making because of an effective strategic and operational management coupled with an efficient and competitive workforce. Their strategies involve innovations in production, marketing, sales and promotions, and branding. But to top it all, it has been able to handle knowledge management like it is a part of ordinary business. In the 1950s Toyota was only a

Opportunity cost of corruption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Opportunity cost of corruption - Essay Example The research is aiming to find the impact of corruption on the economy of the country and the people as individuals. What are the sources and consequences of corruption. The results are based on the empirical study and search work available on the Internet.The results of the study and research leaded to outcome that corruption is a global problem that exists at all levels. Corruption can be defined as the abuse of public power for personal ends. Corruption can be defined as use of authority or power to meet personal ends. It has always existed in the world and now-a-days is being treated as global concern. In a corrupted society, personal enrichment considerations take preference over the establishment of rights for all, resulting in biased decision making. Corruption is not confined to a State or country but is prevalent at a global level. Let's have a look at state of corruption on a worldwide scale. The figures are indeed shocking. According to the Asian Development Bank, one East Asian country is estimated to have lost $48 billion over 20 years due to corruption, surpassing its entire foreign debt of $40.6 billion. It has been calculated that as much as $30 billion in aid for Africa has ended up not in Africa, but in foreign bank accounts. Thirty billion dollars is twice the annual gross domestic product of Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda combined. Corruption, it turns out, costs many governments as much as 50 percent of their tax revenues1. 2. Effects of Corruption When the effects of the corruption are considered they cannot be shown as a direct relation ship with the economic changes. The negative changes in the economy due to the corrupt ideas and deeds can be connected with each other to estimate cost of corruption. For example the subprime market is overloaded with bad loans that smashed the holes into a financial ship. This is due to the fact that the banks are giving loans to the borrowers without substantial proof of their income sources. The disbursal of loans without substantial proof or guarantee will result in bad loans. The loans that are given to the borrowers who have no source to pay are due to corruption. This resulted in 40 percent of sub prime market is made up of these loans. The appraisal will be fraudulent when the officers are corrupted and it costs the bank or any financial organization thousands and millions of dollars in the form of non profitable assets. This in turn will halt or slows down the growth of the economy i n the near future. When the loans are going bad the mortgage companies are making lot of money and the banks are at receiving end. These companies are spending few million dollars and are making money from billions of mortgage loans. As long as the artificial rise of the property continued the

Summarize and analyze the peer-reviewed article you selected, briefly Essay

Summarize and analyze the peer-reviewed article you selected, briefly noting how it differs from the nonpeer-reviewed resource you used - Essay Example ed article is also organized into sections like abstract, introduction, methodology, results and discussions unlike in the non peer reviewed where the article may or may not have subtitles. The peer reviewed article also gives the names of all the scholars who are involved in criticizing the article which is not the case with the non peer reviewed article. This article helps one understand the Restless Legs Syndrome which is a health problem and the medical costs of its treatment. The article explores Restless Legs Syndrome, it causes and how the syndrome was diagnosed in a group of people and this gives me insights on how to conduct a research on this healthcare problem and other problems (Calloway et.al, 2012). As a scholar and a practitioner in health care administration, this peer- reviewed article is quite beneficial as it helps in understanding the economic burden in the treatment of the syndrome. The peer reviewed articles gives a scholar-practitioner in health care adequate knowledge in research and health care plans which should be implemented to reduce all costs associated with the treatment of the

Socio-cultural Influences on Consumption Japan Speech or Presentation

Socio-cultural Influences on Consumption Japan - Speech or Presentation Example Shintoism and Buddhism are the major religions in Japan. Some people practice both, as the religions complement each other in many ways. Coming to the language, Japanese is official and widely used, even in case of business communication. Interpreters do the translation in case of language-handicap experienced with overseas business clientele. They expect their language to be valued, even while using it for business, promotional or packaging purposes. People are respected by age and the ancestors are worshipped in Japan. Extended families consisting of uncles, aunts and grandparents were of common occurrence until recent years, when the hike in real estate prices made nuclear families more feasible. However, all the relatives meet up during festivals. Thus, the consumption pattern of the consumers have changed based on the variations in the family structure. Food is an essential part of Japanese culture. The head or the eldest or the most important person is allowed to start the meal first. Soup is an accompaniment, rather than being a starter and slurping noodles even in formal meetings is usual. Japanese remain communicate less while eating, because mealtime is meant for enjoying food. Their food philosophy is of total well-being, termed as Shokuiku. Brief cereal breakfasts, packed or bought lunches and detailed dinners with family are common (International Markets Bureau, 2010). Japanese consumers hold certain taboos, which need consideration in understanding their behavior. Saying ‘no’ is not of common practice in Japan. Pointing anything with chopsticks; usage of number ‘4’; white shirt, black trousers and black suit; exchanging food with chopsticks, etc., remind them of death and funeral and thus, these gestures must be avoided (kwintessential, 2004). Harmony and cooperation are the values that are promot ed in Japan. Education, home and business settings revolve around working with others, being polite even in case of disagreement and learning to live in collaboration. Thus, the societal norms in Japan are community oriented. Diligence and empathy are part and parcel of their behavior, which places the thoughts and feelings of others, before one’s own (Kogler, 2006). People assist others who need their help, by putting aside their own job at hand and they feel embarrassed when they are not in a condition to do the needful. This again reflects the emphasis on consumer service orientation and apt response to command and authority of the employees in the nation (kwintessential, 2004). The code of conduct for businesses in Japan essentially emphasizes courtesy, compassion and consideration. Maintaining a business card in Japanese, exchanging it on important occasions and treasuring those extended by the others form a part of this protocol of reverence. While attending a business gathering, everyone is expected to look well-groomed, formal and be punctual (kwintessential, 2004). Establishing long-term business relations is preferred to immediate

Writing Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Writing Project - Research Paper Example The sport has received immense support globally and is popularly known in Europe as majority of the racings are done within the continent. However, over years, the scope of the sports has evolved as today racing is being held in different countries like United States and other continents. The sports has garnered support among different fans who in most occasions views the racings conducted by renowned sports men through such media devices like televisions which today is available at every corner of the world (Baer, 1995). This paper therefore, examines formula one racing as an aspect of motorsports. Formula one racing has led to major changes in the history of sports racing making the sports to be competitive globally. The idea behind formula one can be traced back to1946 where races concentrating on cars were first brought up and the idea to find the best drivers on the planet initiated. However, this did not come to be immediately until 1950 when the first motorsport race was held. However, after the first motorsports, there were several motorsports championship which were held but they were not given much consideration as there was nothing to be profited from the races conducted. In 1983, the sport was deemed to be unprofitable as drivers were not benefiting from the race leading to shortages on the people who were participating on the race (Baer, 1995). Likewise, most participants in the sports were using their own cars and they solely bore the costs related to the races like vehicle repair and the usual wear and tear. Interestingly, different cars models which were being u sed for racing purposes back then included Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Meserati and the Mercedes benz (Formula 1Â ®. (n.d.), 2015). Over the years the different car manufactures which were being used in formula one race made technological advancements on their cars. This included new engine and tire types which gave

Conclusion- Marketing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conclusion- Marketing research - Essay Example The company’s experience has gained it a competitive advantage, for instance Google is available in 88 languages unlike its competitors. The user-interface is easy-to –use and simple for the users thus preferable over others. Google’s advanced search engines are fast and accurate because they are in order of relevancy to the search topic (â€Å"Google inc., swot,† 2008). It will take the competitors a while to build advanced search engines that can challenge Google search. The company has a chance to better as there more opportunities; the number of people willing to spend on online presence and the internet is rapidly increasing. The company can develop a mass-market portal to compete with MSN/Yahoo, it also has a browser: Google chrome (â€Å"Google inc., swot,† 2008) .All of these increases business opportunities. The company should solve its internal weaknesses such as political issues, address the threats such as competitors companies, look for solutions to content piracy issues and move on. So far so good but the company has potential to bridge the gap between the current position and the desired

Research of the Company Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Of the Company - Research Paper Example Finally, this paper gives solutions on the company should overcome its current challenges as discussed below. Problem General Motors Company is an international automobile carmaker, which operates globally. Additionally, this company started its operations more than one hundred years ago. Currently, the company is facing stiff competition from other automobile car dealers all over the world. Notably, workers in all levels of management have demonstrated over the poor terms and conditions of work. Finally, this has resulted to conflicts between the top management level and the employees. As a result the company is recording low sales in most countries of its operations thus low profits attained. As a consultant have met all the stakeholders and thorough feasibility study have been contacted. Additionally, the top management has given me directives and guidelines to come up with a permanent solution to this problem. Problem statement Having analyzed the problem the top management has g iven me a taskforce which will collaborate in order to develop a new system. Agreeably, the new system will come up with a permanent solution to overcome the above mentioned problem. Notably, the new system will work within some certain budget which must get approval from the top management level. ... Additionally, the teamwork is working within certain guidelines provided by the top management level. Agreeably, this guideline relates to financial limits, and the technology that should make the project viable. Notably, this project involves other stakeholders whose work is to analyze the direction of the project as well measuring and submitting reports to the top management level. Additionally, this taskforce will work together within these guidelines which they must not go beyond. Initially, the feasibility study will undergo thorough cross-examination, and the current situation examined. Furthermore, the taskforce will also examine the market research already contacted and come up with new marketing strategies in order to make more sales in most of the affected countries of its operation. Agreeably, this will come true if the company will manufacture modern type of cars, which are affordable, and fuel efficient (Bentley & Whitten, 2007). Precisely, this will reduce stiff competi tion the company is currently facing hence boosting sales. System objective Evidently, this project will come up with a new system, which is cost effective and favorable to employees to avoid conflicts and financial constraints. Additionally, it will come up with a modern technology, which will monitor its progress with time. Precisely, the new technology will be user friendly to employees and the company in general. Notably, the old system will seize to exist so that it can pave the way for the new system. Additionally, the existing staff in the information technology department will have to attend short courses on how to use this new system. Moreover, the project will show estimates of the budget, and the period it will take for its full implementation take

Cults Essay Example for Free

Cults Essay The word cult is often thrown around in todays society as a derogatory term towards religions that are not well known or have aspects that are contrary to mainstream religions. According to mainstream media, cults have been responsible for massive pact suicides, and their followers are incestual and polygamous. The mass media shows the leader as a manipulative person who controls his/her believers as they blindly follow, not knowing the trouble that will certainly find them . cult has become little more than a convenient, if largely inaccurate and always pejorative, horthand for a religious group that must be presented as odd or dangerous for the purpose of an emerging news story. (3) Douglas Cowan and David Bromley show the harsh reality of the way the majority of the media likes to portray cults, probably for better ratings. There are several main cults that are often referenced when researching the topic. The first being The Peoples Temple, the founder Jim Jones had a following of 912, that all died (including him) by cyanide laced drinks in 1978. This was known as the Jonestown Massacre, controversy surrounds it as it is debated hether or not it was a mass suicide or murder. Another commonly referenced cult is Heavens Gate, a UFO doomsday religion that ended in a 39 member suicide in 1997 when the group was attempting to leave earth because they believed it was about to be recycled. To learn and understand what a cult is, I will be define a cult, what features make a cult and who the people are that Join them, as well as discuss the founders of these religions. What is the definition of a cult? Depending on the intent of the author defining the word cult proves a difficult task. The scholars on the ubject of cults seem to have two different approaches when studying this topic. There are those who are a part of the anticult movement and often use the word cult in a negative fashion towards any religion that has formed in recent history. Those apart of the anticult seem to skirt around the subject of defining a cult or explaining what a cult exactly consists of. We are given the feeling as though they do not want to define it as they may cast an umbrella over other mainstream religions that have a similar form. It is even often used to describe popular trends that will upposedly not last, veganism is a term that has been described as a cult fad. You can see how it is almost always used negatively, or as something that has no real substance and will not stand the test of time like other religions have. In contrast, there are those who do not use the word cult but prefer the term New Religious Movements. These scholars have a more objective opinion, and use New Religious Movements to represent fascinating glimpses into the way human beings construct religious meaning and organize their lives to give shape to religious experience. (Cowan, Bromley, 3). It is important to be subjective when using the word cult and for purposes of this paper I will define cult in my own words and state that there is a difference between cults and New Religious Movements. A cult is a form of religion that is deceitful towards its own members with the leader abusing their powers. Although there have been many mainstream religions that have had a leader abuse their powers, it is necessary to point out the ditterence, which is that in a cult the head of the religion is the source of all their religious knowledge and do not have other ways of getting to know the religion without them. In comparison, mass religions have many leaders, many forms of knowledge and you can attain religious beliefs through many forms, not only the one source. Keeping in mind that using the word cult subjectively is imperative to this process, it is still easy to find movements that can be categorized under my own definition of the word cult. These would include the previously mentioned religions of The Peoples Temple and Heavens Gate. When looking at these and other cults there are often many characteristics that they do have in common. It is typical for the cult to have only one leader, .. ho claims divinity or a special mission entrusted to him from Above. (Harrison, 19) A lot of cult leaders use the money from the followers for personal profit. There is a major sense of belonging that comes along with being a part of a cult. There are many religions that also share this but cults often want their members to have this feeling with them alone, and discourage involvement with others who are not in their religion. One author that I found that was willing to at least describe a cult relationship for the purposes of her book was Singer. SHe says there are three actors to cultic relationships, using that term better describes his viewings of interactions that go on in cults. The three factors are as follows: 1. The origin of the group and role of the leader 2. The power structure, or relationship between the leader (or leaders) and the followers 3. The use of coordinated program of persuasion (which is called thought reform, or, more commonly, brainwashing) (7) You can see from the quote that this cultic relationship isnt Just solely related to religion alone, Singer includes cults that are formed around doctrines, theories and pr actices, but states that other esearchers may not identify this exactly as she does. According to the scholars of new religious movements, .. roups that are labeled cults often closely resemble a variety of conventional organizations in which these same characteristics are accepted as legitimate or necessary: communes and intentional communities, convents, monasteries, and other high-commitment religious societies, multilevel marketing organizations and armed forces training and combat units (Bromley, Cowan, 5). There could be many reasons why a person would Join a cult, they could e the same reasons one Joins any faith based group; a person is looking to belong, or meet others with similar morals. A prime reason why a person would Join a cult is that they are not doing this knowing that what they are becoming apart of is in fact a cult. Cults often are established off of a Christian based structure with similar values, and practices. A person may attend a cult thinking it is another sect of Christianity. Members of a cult learn ways to recruit new members, a typical form of recruiting is called love-bombing, where members seek out non-members and shower them ith many forms of attention and affection. Basically, being extremely nice to others with the intent on conversion. Anticult members are quick to let the public know that recruiting for cults can happen anywhere, on campus, on buses and trains, or on the street, letting us know that we can be recruited literally everywhere. In actuality it looks as though most recruitment for cults is done through family members or close friends. When seeing that it is family and friends who do the majority of converting it is easy to see now people would Join. It is not as though the trusted group are trying o harm others by recruiting, they are trying to help and see that others are also going to find the truth in a sense. It is similar to the common practice of missions trips that many Christian religions take part in where they travel to underdeveloped parts of the world, converting people to Christianity and also helping the community in some way. The difference being, hopefully no abuse of power or deceitfulness by the religion. It isnt always understood why one does Join a cult but it is probable to say each individual has their own personal reasons why, and somehow in a way that eligion is giving them whatever it is they may be looking for. Friends? Belonging? Maybe they dont agree with morals of other religions and this cult matches up with the lifestyle that they lead. There is a lot of information pertaining to the large numbers of youth attending cults and New Religious Movements, particularly between the ages of 18 and 22. Lorne L. Dawson describes the demographic of youth as the typical All American boy or girl. A profile of the typical cult member reveals that he or she is white, middle or upper class, with at least some college education and nominally religious upbringing. 85) It might seem surprising that a lot of followers come from this kind of back round, but when looked at a little more in depth you see that often these young adults have either parental issues or have had some sort of middleclass failures. Those with problems in communicating with their parents often look to the leader of the cult for guidance and use them as a parental fgure. Those have failed according to middle class norms seem to be searching fo r validation. A lot of followers Join the cults in times of vulnerability and much needed support from others. While you can say that almost everyone has come from back ounds where they have felt vulnerable at points and needed the support of others, it seems imperative that cults cling on to those who have these types of issues going on as well as the added factor of age to convert potential members. The time of young adulthood is when most people are beginning the process of learning who they are and to have a supportive, flattering, group surround them can be very influential to their life. For most cults there is only one leader although this is not always true, using the examples from earlier, Heavens Gate had two leaders; Marshall Applewhite nd Bettie who liked to be called Ti and Do. Often the leader(s) starts this religion after some form of miraculous religious conversion where they may have had a near death experience or a vision, there are many different stories of leaders getting the call to prophecy. The leaders of cults are always charismatic, and seem to have all the answers. In a time in peoples lives when they are looking for affirmation it is easy to be drawn to someone who knows it all, and can give the yes and no answers. The leader forms very personal relationships with his followers, which sometimes turns sexual. As cults grow the leader is not always able to be so intimate with each member, and this can become problematic for the cult. In response when cults members become larger, the leader will start to segregate himself from the following, only allowing access to certain members who have earned that right. The leader becomes a sort of local celebrity in the eyes of the followers, and like celebrities, their fans stand by them even when arguments against their religious beliefs become even more valid. It is hard to say why a person may start a cult, money could be a huge contributing factor. Or the idea of a group of followers hanging onto every word d by the tounder may be exactly what a true narcissist is looking tor. Out ot all the New Age Religions it is hard to exactly pin point out which ones can be classified as a cult, in history, different Christian denominations have been labelled as cults and paid a price for it. In the nineteenth century The Salvation Army was labelled as a cult and its members were stoned, now it is viewed as a respected and legitimate faith base. So to stamp a religion that hasnt been researched to its full extent can be harmful, and not fair to its members. To be close minded to the idea of new religious movements could erase the idea of religion altogether, as many religions are stuck in the past and not embracing the progressiveness of the times. If a religion is not abusing their powers or being harmful to its members who is to say that it cannot be fulfilling for someone who is looking for more in their life and doesnt connect to mass religions? It is important to teach people to be able to question ideas and to critically think on new and old perspectives, hopefully by doing so people will not so easily be a part of such self-destructive religious groups. I work in the field of homeless and mental health and have met many clients who see themselves as closer to God than the rest of humankind so it is very plausible to me for cult leaders to truly believe that what they are doing is the right way to live, and the only way to live. All religions have outsiders who will say anything to bring that religion into a bad light, it is with great importance that we carefully and kindly dissect the true intent on all religions, not Just new age religions.

Film Report Essay Example for Free

Film Report Essay Children of a lesser God is a love story about a speech teacher who falls for a beautiful yet distant deaf girl in a small New England school for the deaf, and the obstacles that they face due to their differences. William Hurt plays James Leeds, a renegade teacher with an unconventional approach to education and a resume that includes stints as a bartender and a disk jockey. Upon his arrival, he is warned by school administrator Dr. Franklin (Philip Bosco)not to get creative with his instruction. Naturally, Leeds already has his mind set on his teaching plan and proceeds to play loud rock music in class in order to teach the students to feel the vibrations of the music and get them to try to speak phonetically. But a new element enters his life when he meets the attractive custodian, Sarah Marlee martin. An exceptionally intelligent yet extremely bitter young woman, Sarah is a graduate of the school who has decided to remain there, in the confines of her world of silence; its safer for her to be with her own people than to face what she perceives as a cruel and uncaring world. She hardly seems interested in James and will only communicate with him through signing, although she can read lips and even speak a little. James learns from Sarahs mother ( Piper Laurie) that Sarah was sexually molested as a teenager; this explains why she is so wary of his attempts to form a relationship with her and why she is so full of fear. Eventually, James does get through to Sarah and the two fall in love, although both have to learn new ways to communicate their feelings. Though it seldom resembles the Mark medoff play on which it was based, this directing debut from Randa Haines won an Best Actress Oscar for Matlin, for her first screen performance. In this movie a special education teacher named John goes to work at a school for the deaf. Throughout the movie John acts more as an Audiologist and tries to get all of the deaf students to start speaking. To help the students learn to speak John teaches them to count the beats of music using the feeling of vibrations. With the help of John almost every student learns to articulate at least some words. The relevance in communication disorder in this movie is speaking greatly improves the students’ social life and communication ability which improves the quality of their life. Giving them patience and chance to speak in their own language even their deaf.

Beer-Lambert’s Law Experiment

Beer-Lambert’s Law Experiment Design Project on  Beer- Lambert’s Law. Saswati Rakshit Aim: To learn and understand the basics and mathematical calculations of the following problem and write programs accordingly. Problem 1: Suppose an outdoor multispectral image is captured by a camera with a path length of 1-3 microns. A part of the intensity is attenuated by the absorption of small particles in the atmosphere for that spectral range and let the scattering by the small particles for that spectral range is 0. Find the total attenuation in the spectral range using Simpson 1/3  ­, trapezoidal and Euler integration methods and comment in your findings. Scope/Application: Beer Lambert’s law relates the attenuation of light to the properties of the material through which the light is passing. When light passes through a medium some amount of light is absorbed by the medium. For this absorption intensity of light reduces. Beer Lambert’s law states that the quantity of light absorbed is directly proportional to the concentration of the substance and the path length of the light through the transmission medium Beer Lambert’s law is used to find total attenuation of light when light passes through a medium(considering scattering is zero).It is also used to find the concentration of medium in chemical analysis, medium length in some application and absorbance of medium when necessary. Introduction of Beer Lambert Law: Lambert’s law is (Related to thickness/path length of medium) When light passes through an absorbing medium its intensity decreases exponentially as the path length of the absorbing medium increases. I = I0 e-k1 L †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.(i) (where L is the length of medium and k1 is molar extinction/absorption co-efficient for the absorbing material) Beer’s law is (Related to concentration of absorbing medium) When light passes through medium(absorbing) its intensity decreases exponentially as the concentration of the absorbing medium increases. I = I0e-k2C †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..(ii) (C concentration of medium and k2 is absorption co-efficient for the absorbing material) Combining both Beer’s and Lambert’s law we get I = I0 e-k3CL combining eqn (i) and (ii) Where I0 = Incident light intensity I = Transmitted Light intensity C=concentration / volume L= path length of medium We consider an outdoor multispectral image is captured by a camera with a spectral range of 1-3 microns. A part of the intensity is attenuated by the absorption of small particles in the medium.so image will be attenuated. Beer Lambert’s law find the attenuation caused by absorption for that spectral range and let the scattering by the small particles for that spectral range is 0. Objectives: In a given path length 1 to 3 micron, we have considered a constant value of molar extinction/absorption co-efficient.and now we need to find the absorbance total attenuation of the incident light using Beer’s Lambert Law. And then applying Simpson’s 1/3, Trapezoidal and Euler Integration in it compare the result. System flow: Implementation of the Beer Lambert’s law needs a proper mathematical understanding of the Beer Lambert’s law. Here I am showing how to set the equation using its mathematical basics First we apply Beer Lambert’s Law for a medium which absorbs light in spectral range 1-3 micron. Considering no scattering we assume I0 is the incident light to the medium Air of attenuation coefficient 1.64at temperature 20oC. Here path length travelled by light is 1 to 3 micron. According to Beer Lambert’s law light intensity is decreased if concentration path length increase. So we get the equation I=Io e-kcl = Io e- µl Now as we know the path length l and attenuation coefficient  µ, we calculate absorbance of the medium using eqn Log10 = kcl (Where l is constant) = e kcl But now for a spectral range 1 to 3 micron path length we need to formulate a new equation by integrating ranged from .001mm to .003 mm [Here x is path length and c is attenuation coefficient] Solving the above eqn we get total absorbance. Thus Beer Lambert’s law is successfully implemented in our problem. Now we apply Simpson 1/3 rd, trapezoidal rule on Beer’s Lambert Law to find total attenuation. Finally compare the result of Simpson’s 1/3 rd and Trapezoidal rule with the actual integration. Flow Diagram: Math: Beer-Lambert Law Concept Consider a light incident on a medium with area A and thickness dx and concentration of molecules C. Number of molecules illuminated by light of incident intensity Ix is CAdx. Total effective area ÏÆ'CAdx. Probability of light being absorbed in thickness dx is = dx [where dIx is the change in intensity across dx and ÏÆ' is scattering coefficient] So we can write, = dx †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (i) Now we integrate both sides of (i) ln (I) – ln(I0) = ln = ÏÆ'Cx I = I0e-ÏÆ'Cx = I0 e µx †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.(ii) The co-efficient  µ=ÏÆ' C is the linear attenuation co-efficient. Here C=Absorbing co-efficient ÏÆ' = Scattering co-efficient. The ibrightness of light decreases exponentially with depth in the medium. So we can tell Beer-Lambert Law is also a function of( ÃŽ »), i.e. I (ÃŽ ») = I0 (ÃŽ ») e- µ(ÃŽ »)x†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(iii) Calculation: (Here we considered linear attenuation) Given spectral range 0.001 mm to 0.003 mm Let we consider Absorbing coefficient(C) of Transmission Medium (Air) = 1.64 at 20o C. So total absorption (A) of light is calculated by integrating in the spectral range, [from eqn ii] = (1) = = 0.002006571 Now we can easily calculate attenuated intensity of light (I). Attenuation is the loss of light intensity over distance. The greater the distance, the lower is the intensity Where I=I0 -Attenuation Trapezoidal rule:- We know, in case of multiple application of Trapezoidal rule, the formula is: = [f(x0) + 2) + f(xn)] So, here applying the above formula for equation (1) we get: = 0.0005[[ 0.001 + 2 + [] 0.003] = 0.0005[1.001641346 + 2.00657077 + 1.004932123] = 0.0005[4.013144239] =0.002006572 (Ans.) Here, x0 = x0.001, xn = x0.003, b = 0.003, a = 0.001, n = 2, = 0.0005. Simpson’s rule: We know, composite Simpson’s rule formula is written as: = [f(x0) + 4) +2) + f(xn)] So, here applying the above formula for equation (1) we get: = 0.0003[[ 0.001 + 4 + [] 0.003] = 0.0003[1.001641346 + 4.01314154 + 1.004932123] = 0.001805914 (Ans.) Here, = 0.0003. Euler’s formula: Here, = y(0.001) = = 0 (assumption) y(0.003) = ≈ and we have to find the value of equation (1) using Euler’s formula which is, = + f (, ) h let us choose h = 0.001 Step-1 i=0, = 0.001, = 0, h = 0.001 = + f (, ) h = 0 + f (0.001, 0) 0.001 = 0.001001641 Step-2 i=1, = 0.002, = 0.001001641, h = 0.001 = + f (, ) h = 0.001001641 + f (0.001, 0.001001641) 0.001 = 0.0020049426 This is actually the value of the function at i.e. at (+h) or (0.002+0.001) or 0.003. So, = = 0.0020049426-0 = 0.0020049426 (Ans.) We find that the result of all above technique is almost same if we take approximation i.e.0.002. CODES and OUTPUT: Beer Lambert’s Law: #include #include #include int main() {float absorbtion,m,l,u; printf(nEnter spectral range); scanf(%f%f,l,u); printf(nnenter the value of absorption cofficient); scanf(%f,m); absorbtion=(1/m)*(pow(2.718,(m*u))-pow(2.718,(m*l))); printf(nnTotal absorption is %f: ,absorbtion); getch(); } Output: Simpson 1/3rd rule: #include #include #include void main() {float x[10],y[10],Total=0,h,t; int i,n,j,k=0; printf(nhow many values you will enter: ); scanf(%d,n); for(i=0; i { printf(nn x%d: ,i); scanf(%f,x[i]); printf(nn f(x%d): ,i); scanf(%f,y[i]); } h=x[1]-x[0]; n=n-1; Total = Total + y[0]; for(i=1;i { if(k==0) { Total = Total + 4 * y[i]; k=1 } else { Total = Total + 2 * y[i]; k=0; } } Total = Total + y[i]; Total = Total * (h/3); printf(nn I = %f , Total); getch();} Trapezoidal rule: #include #include #include int main(){ float x[10],y[10], Total =0,h; int i,n,j,k=0; float fact(int); printf(nhow many values of ranges you will be enter: ); scanf(%d,n); for(i=0; i {printf(nn x%d: ,i); scanf(%f,x[i]); printf(nn f(x%d): ,i); scanf(%f,y[i]); } h=x[1]-x[0]; n=n-1; for(i=0;i if(k==0) { Total = Total + y[i]; k=1; }else Total = Total + 2 * y[i];} Total = Total + y[i]; Total = Total * (h/2); printf(nn I = %f , Total); getch();} Future Work Scope: This Beer Lambert’s law can be used in image processing application where atmospheric condition is poor to find the attenuation of light and image by absorption of light. Implementing Euler Method. References: Weisstein, Eric W. Simpsons Rule. From MathWorldA Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SimpsonsRule.html. (Accessed on 26.04.2015) Basics of Trapezoidal and Simpson Rules, www.math.umd.edu/~jmr/141/Simpson.pdf. Lal, A. K., Simpsons Rule, 2007, http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu.(Accessed on 20.04.2015) http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu. (Accessed on 19.03.2015) Garrett, P., Absorption and Transmission of light and the Beer-Lambert Law, Lecture 21, 2006, www.physics.uoguelph.ca/~pgarrett/Teaching.html. (Accessed on 26.04.2015) Mudakavi, J. R., Modern Instrumental Methods of Analysis, Lecture – 07, Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrophotometry – 3 Theoretical Aspects, http://nptel.ac.in/courses/103108100/7  (Accessed on 26.04.2015). www.chemwiki.ucdavis.edu. (Accessed on 19.03.2015)

Sylvias Use of Senses in Ariel :: English Literature Essays

Sylvia's Use of Senses in Ariel "Ariel" possesses power and importance, a certain element of orgasmic stress to the degree to which the horseback ride Plath once took becomes something more—a ride into the abyss of the unknown, a stare back into the eye of the sun, an odyssey to death, a stripping of personality and selfhood, a sort of blatant exposition. To treat "Ariel" as a confessional poem is to suggest that its actual importance lies in the horse- ride taken by its author, in the author's psychological problems, or in its position within the biographical development of the author. None of these issues is as significant as the imagistic and thematic developments rendered by the poem itself. Probably the finest single construction of Plath, "Ariel" has articulate precision and depth of its images. In its account of the ritual journey toward the center of life and death, Plath perfects her method of leaping from image to image in order to represent mental process. The sensuousness and concreteness of the poem—the "Black sweet blood mouthfuls" of the berries; the "glitter of seas"—is unmatched in contemporary American poetry. We see, hear, touch, and taste the process of disintegration: the horse emerging from the darkness of the morning, the sun beginning to rise as Ariel rushes uncontrollably across the countryside, the rider trying to catch the brown neck but instead "tasting" the blackberries on the side of the road. Then all the rider's perceptions are thrown together: the horse's body and the rider's merge. She hears her own cry as if it were that of a child and flies toward the burning sun that has now risen. To a reader who is unaware of Plath’s biography â€Å"ARIEL† would probably most immediately call to mind the "airy spirit" who in Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a servant to Prospero and symbolizes Prospero’s control of the upper elements of the universe, fire and air. And seen from a more intimate level, â€Å"ARIEL† was the name of her favorite horse, on whom she weekly went riding. The two reflections about the name â€Å"ARIEL† have often been noticed and pointed out, with the emphasis, from a critical perspective, being placed on the biographical referent. But there is another possible referent in the title of the poem, which no one has yet noted, although the poet, apparently, went out of her way to make reference, even obvious reference, to it.

In Support of Parenting Education Essay -- Child Development

In a perfect world, every child would be wanted and loved, and all parents would have the capacity and the desire to raise children who are healthy, mentally and physically strong, and displaying high moral integrity. Sadly, this is not the case. Some parents are, unfortunately, not much interested in what happens with their children. Other parents are not pleased with what is happening in the home with their children but do not know what to do to create effective change. Still other parents are unaware that there is another way, a better way, of parenting. Parent education could help in all of these scenarios. The literature demonstrates that parenting interventions improve the quality of the relationship parents have with the children as well as improving child social behavior (Scott, O’Connor, Furth, Mathias, Price, and Doolan 2010). Programs have been particularly effective when delivered to motivated, ethnic majority parents, but there has been little study of programs that serve as interventions aimed at preventing a wide range of poor outcomes associated with antisocial behavior, such as involvement in risky lifestyles, low school attainment, and a lack of satisfactory friendships (Scott et al.). There are, of course, problems associated with delivery of parenting programs; the greatest challenge is getting parents to participate when there is no mandate that they do so. Skilled personnel may be another issue; urban areas may have sufficient counselors and educators, but rural areas may not. A third issue is cost, although, as pointed out by Scott et al., â€Å"programs can i n theory be justified since in the long run they should reduce the high cost of antisocial behavior arising from increased use of services, higher levels... ...t effective when parents take an interactive part. Works Cited Brannon, Diana. â€Å"Character Education—a Joint Responsibility.† Education Digest 73.8 (2008): 56- 60. Parker, David C., Nelson, Jennifer S., and Burns, Matthew K. â€Å"Comparison of Correlates of Classroom behavior problems in schools with and without a school-wide character education program. Psychology in the Schools 47.8 (2010): 817-827. Reinberg, S. (2010). U.S. kids using media almost 8 hours a day. HealthDay News January 20, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday /635134.html Scott, Stephen; O’Connor, Thomas G.; Futh, Annabel; Mathias, Carla; Price, Jenny; and Doolan, Moira. â€Å"Impact of a Parenting Program in a High-Risk, Multi-Ethnic Community: the PALS Trial.† Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry 51.12 (2010): 1331-1341.

Essay --

Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience 1. What conclusion can be drawn regarding the quote, â€Å"Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient†? A. Government is the necessary evil that is merely convenient on the short run; however, a majority of governments are not beneficial toward the people and it fails to pertain to the service of the community. B. No individual should sacrifice their moral principles in return for unjust circumstances implemented amongst federal government. C. In a democracy, the most virtuous and thoughtful group are regarded their desires rather than the majority group. D. Thoreau illustrates the importance of asserting ethical principles, rather than government policy. 2. Which of the following would be the best example of a paradox? A. â€Å"He who gives himself entirely to his fellow-men appears to them useless and selfish; but he who gives himself partially to them is pronounced a benefactor and philanthropist.† B. "A drab of state, a cloth-o'-silver slut, To have her train borne up, and her soul trail in the dirt." C. â€Å"..to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men† D. "I am too high-born to be propertied, To be a secondary at control,† 3. What conclusion can be drawn on Thoreau’s perspective of soldiers? A. They are symbolic heroic figures that participate in ethical principles. B. They comply to government laws in order preserve the services we enjoy today. C. A product of the government that doesn’t exercise moral sense. D. The good citizens of our nation that are predominantly responsible for the freedom we are granted. 4. Which of the following would be a best example of ... ... with their bodies.† D. â€Å"In their practice, nations agree with Paley; but does anyone think that Massachusetts does exactly what is right at the present crisis?† 14. What statements support Thoreau’s interpretation of â€Å"Civil Disobedience†? A. He interprets â€Å"Civil Disobedience† as a willful resistance to disobey hypocritical laws implemented by the government. B. The Emancipation Proclamation of slaves in 1862 C. Making amends with former adversaries/rivalries D. Establishing the most desirable government with extreme regulations and laws intact. 15. What motive is there in Thoreau’s theories? A. To establish an idea of how individuals should generally behave within our society. B. To persuade the readers to rebel against the United States C. To inform readers about the injustices of the Mexican War. D. To inform readers about the injustices of slavery

Work-Related Project Analysis

Computer designing is a key effective of learning computers are a good educational design. The computer designing has related learning resources went it comes to guidelines. Computer designing guidelines which meet the learning for different types of groups and which are encourage to active and rich learning. The designing can effective the computer based of learning went it come to its environment. The computer has many branch of technology which has information that is security to the computers network. There are many objectives to the computer security that protects the information from any theft and natural disaster which allows information into the computer network. The computer technologies have become unwanted computer behavior and security strategies behavior. The computer technology which has security went it comes to logic. The security primary goals are the computer designing, applications programs with the type of security which most have restrictions to different types of program behaviors. The computer software has to be trusted and be able to security the software and be trustworthy for the database to run. There are some software’s that you cannot trust with a security computer systems software and hardware. Which different types of computer systems that can resulted in many possibility and use it very limited. Because ones approached with computer systems can always lead them to failure. Computer designing which often has hardware techniques are used to effective the security after they are design. The approach of the techniques and using the techniques security systems is having the effective of the design in the computer systems. The technique is to enforce the computer design principle and provide them with the function they need to attack and gain access to the program then need. Which breaking the computer systems up within smaller components can reduce individual components when using techniques that provide the software better access. With learning different types of knowledge and building strategies when it come to computer designing. The computer design should use and defense that way more than a subsystems needs the knowledge of information. The computer designing should become defense in the security which does not provide very many platforms in information. The computer security has many vulnerable that has few risk went it comes to computers and their connected to the network. With the computer network has the internet that computer security can expand gone it especially comes to the internet and using the network? The technical went it come to the computer security is that a represented by someone else has to get authentication or availability to use the network. In some computer system different types of areas can be confidentiality which mean very important file are there and you cannot be their unless you got the password to be there. There could be many confidentiality and privacy and secrecy files that company may not want other people to see. Computer designs to protect their information so hackers can get into personal information. With the computer security database and many other resources and all confidentiality so no one will have access to unauthorized party’s personal information. Many users want to have anything with the registering with the internet site because not very many users trust the internet because people taking their personal information and buying thing with their credit card and debit card. Many users want to feel safe went using the internet and protect their personal information and make sure that no one gets into their files. Some people will say that a person’s information is very important to them like an individual’s how like to collect things or someone wanting to find someone special. Many people don’t like the computer designing electronic format because you never really know if the information that you’re putting is going somewhere else and it already could be in the wrong hand to begin with. But there are many programs with the computer designing to where you can have a set password to where no one can access but you and the person you’re talking in person so that way no can get access to your personal information. There are many designing for computers which can be excellent to keep their servers and other computer protected and equipment which can improve their design on computer properly. The computer designing are responsibility is to making sure that all technology is confidence went it come to the projects. The computer out and input information can refer to communication went a machine or human error. Because the input information and signals which receives by the computer systems. The output which on the other hand can be data or an signal sent by the computer systems. Learning about computers in general encompasses a great deal of information. This information can relate to data input and output and how software and hardware play a specific role, but most can be derived when determining what components go into a computer. A few options exist for converting from a manual to a computer based. The lower end of computer automation would be the use of a general purpose software application package. One example would be Microsoft Office which is similar to the current package in place. This package includes word processing, spreadsheet, database management presentation graphics, and personal information management. The high end would be application specific programming. Computer information systems perform dynamic and significant roles. Whether the information for personal use, small business, or a conglomerate venue the execution and management of the computer information used must work effectively. Placing into operation an informational system allows for accuracy, convenience, and quality of input and output. Installing, maintaining, and upgrading hardware and software will ensure that the operational aspect of the system allows for an extensive radius of personnel and equipment necessities. Distinguishing the storage capabilities and speed of the computer system will further warrant the computers resilience and proficiencies. Data input must be accurate and reliable. Depending on the resource and outlet of the data also depends on the method used. People are living in the age of technology. Everything we do involves some sort of computer activity. Searching for jobs, going to school, communication, games, whatever a person desires they can use a computer to obtain it. Computers use several important components to operate. These components are input and output devices, and storage devices. An input device is a device that allows users to send data or interact with the computer. The most common input devices are keyboard, and mouse. However, in this age of technology other input devices can be game controllers, web and digital cameras, scanner, or a microphone. We use different input devices to conduct our daily lives.

Deception Point Page 98

Jesus Christ. The controller looked back at the deck. Delta-Two still hung in the Triton's claws, but now the sub was suspended over a gaping hole in the deck. His feet dangled over the void. All Tolland had to do was release the claws, and Delta-Two would be next. â€Å"Okay,† the controller barked into the CrypTalk. â€Å"Hold on. Just hold on!† Rachel stood below on the deck and stared up at the Kiowa. Even from this height the controller sensed the resolve in her eyes. Rachel raised the CrypTalk to her mouth. â€Å"You still think we're bluffing?† she said. â€Å"Call the main switchboard at the NRO. Ask for Jim Samiljan. He's in P A on the nightshift. I told him everything about the meteorite. He will confirm.† She's giving me a specific name? This did not bode well. Rachel Sexton was no fool, and this was a bluff the controller could check in a matter of seconds. Although the controller knew of no one at the NRO named Jim Samiljan, the organization was enormous. Rachel could quite possibly be telling the truth. Before ordering the final kill, the controller had to confirm if this was a bluff-or not. Delta-One looked over his shoulder. â€Å"You want me to deactivate the jammer so you can call and check it out?† The controller peered down at Rachel and Tolland, both in plain view. If either of them made a move for a cellphone or radio, the controller knew Delta-One could always reactivate and cut them off. The risk was minimal. â€Å"Kill the jammer,† the controller said, pulling out a cellphone. â€Å"I'll confirm Rachel's lying. Then we'll find a way to get Delta-Two and end this.† In Fairfax, the operator at the NRO's central switchboard was getting impatient. â€Å"As I just told you, I see no Jim Samiljan in the Plans and Analysis Division.† The caller was insistent. â€Å"Have you tried multiple spellings? Have you tried other departments?† The operator had already checked, but she checked again. After several seconds, she said, â€Å"Nowhere on staff do we have a Jim Samiljan. Under any spelling.† The caller sounded oddly pleased by this. â€Å"So you are certain the NRO employs no Jim Samil-â€Å" A sudden flurry of activity erupted on the line. Someone yelled. The caller cursed aloud and promptly hung up. Onboard the Kiowa, Delta-One was screaming with rage as he scrambled to reactivate the jamming system. He had made the realization too late. In the huge array of lighted controls in the cockpit, a tiny LED meter indicated that a SATCOM data signal was being transmitted from the Goya. But how? Nobody left the deck! Before Delta-One could engage the jammer, the connection from the Goya terminated on its own accord. Inside the hydrolab, the fax machine beeped contentedly. CARRIER FOUND†¦ FAX SENT 121 Kill or be killed. Rachel had discovered a part of herself she never knew existed. Survival mode-a savage fortitude fueled by fear. â€Å"What was in that outbound fax?† the voice on the CrypTalk demanded. Rachel was relieved to hear confirmation that the fax had gone out as planned. â€Å"Leave the area,† she demanded, speaking into the CrypTalk and glaring up at the hovering chopper. â€Å"It's over. Your secret is out.† Rachel informed their attackers of all the information she had just sent. A half dozen pages of images and text. Incontrovertible evidence that the meteorite was a fake. â€Å"Harming us will only make your situation worse.† There was a heavy pause. â€Å"Who did you send the fax to?† Rachel had no intention of answering that question. She and Tolland needed to buy as much time as possible. They had positioned themselves near the opening in the deck, on a direct line with the Triton, making it impossible for the chopper to shoot without hitting the soldier dangling in the sub's claws. â€Å"William Pickering,† the voice guessed, sounding oddly hopeful. â€Å"You faxed Pickering.† Wrong, Rachel thought. Pickering would have been her first choice, but she had been forced to choose someone else for fear her attackers had already eliminated Pickering-a move whose boldness would be a chilling testimony to her enemy's resolve. In a moment of desperate decision, Rachel had faxed the data to the only other fax number she knew by heart. Her father's office. Senator Sexton's office fax number had been painfully engraved into Rachel's memory after her mother's death when her father chose to work out many of the particulars of the estate without having to deal with Rachel in person. Rachel never imagined she would turn to her father in a time of need, but tonight the man possessed two critical qualities-all the correct political motivations to release the meteorite data without hesitation, and enough clout to call the White House and blackmail them into calling off this kill squad. Although her father was most certainly not in the office at this hour, Rachel knew he kept his office locked like a vault. Rachel had, in effect, faxed the data into a time-lock safe. Even if the attackers knew where she had sent it, chances were slim they could get through the tight federal security at the Philip A. Hart Senate Office Building and break into a senator's office without anyone noticing. â€Å"Wherever you sent the fax,† the voice from above said. â€Å"You've put that person in danger.† Rachel knew she had to speak from a position of power regardless of the fear she was feeling. She motioned to the soldier trapped in the Triton's claws. His legs dangled over the abyss, dripping blood thirty feet to the ocean. â€Å"The only person in danger here is your agent,† she said into the CrypTalk. â€Å"It's over. Back off. The data is gone. You've lost. Leave the area, or this man dies.† The voice on the CrypTalk fired back, â€Å"Ms. Sexton, you do not understand the importance-â€Å" â€Å"Understand?† Rachel exploded. â€Å"I understand that you killed innocent people! I understand that you lied about the meteorite! And I understand that you won't get away with this! Even if you kill us all, it's over!† There was a long pause. Finally the voice said, â€Å"I'm coming down.† Rachel felt her muscles tighten. Coming down? â€Å"I am unarmed,† the voice said. â€Å"Do not do anything rash. You and I need to talk face-to-face.† Before Rachel could react, the chopper dropped onto the Goya's deck. The passenger door on the fuselage opened and a figure stepped out. He was a plain-looking man in a black coat and tie. For an instant, Rachel's thoughts went totally blank. She was staring at William Pickering. William Pickering stood on the deck of the Goya and gazed with regret at Rachel Sexton. He had never imagined today would come to this. As he moved toward her, he could see the dangerous combination of emotions in his employee's eyes. Shock, betrayal, confusion, rage. All understandable, he thought. There is so much she does not understand. For a moment, Pickering flashed on his daughter, Diana, wondering what emotions she had felt before she died. Both Diana and Rachel were casualties of the same war, a war Pickering had vowed to fight forever. Sometimes the casualties could be so cruel. â€Å"Rachel,† Pickering said. â€Å"We can still work this out. There's a lot I need to explain.† Rachel Sexton looked aghast, nauseated almost. Tolland had the machine gun now and was aiming at Pickering's chest. He too looked bewildered. â€Å"Stay back!† Tolland yelled. Pickering stopped five yards away, focusing on Rachel. â€Å"Your father is taking bribes, Rachel. Payoffs from private space companies. He plans to dismantle NASA and open space to the private sector. He had to be stopped, as a matter of national security.† Rachel's expression was blank.

Children and food Essay

Being a first time mom can be scary, and worrying about your baby getting the right nutrients and developing â€Å"on time† is something many mothers worry about. When to start your baby trying out solids, is something that can vary from child to child however there are some clues that you can take from you babies actions to know when they are ready. A child watching the food being opened in anticipation to eat it is a clue that shows that they are interested in trying new things since there attention is gaged at the new food. Also reaching for a spoon shows readiness for feeding. Playing with food or a spoon, and also irritation when feeding too slow are indicators that your baby is ready to move on and try solid foods. Children typically start to exhibit these types of behaviors at around four to six months. Starting your child out eating a tablespoon or two of semisoft food on a spoon once or twice a day is a good way to begin, only start with small portions in the beginning then work up. Food offered from a spoon stimulates muscle development and also new experience in sensation, taste, and texture. When you are ready to start you child eating solid foods you want to make sure of a few things before you begin. First you want to make sure your infant is not overly tired or hungry, this could cause your baby to not corporate or be interested in trying new things. You want to use a small spoon and allow the infant to open their mouth and extend his/her tongue. Next you want to place the spoon on the tongue and avoid scraping the spoon on the infant’s gums. Scraping the food on your babies tongue does not teach them how to properly eat. Make sure to pace yourself to allow your infant to swallow. Mothers want to make sure that they are not feeding their child too quickly, first meals may be 5-6 spoonful’s over 10 minutes. The first food you should be spoon-feeding your child is iron fortified baby cereal. You will then want to move on to pureed vegetables and fruits. Most people recommend starting out feeding your infant pureed vegetables because fruit is sweet so normally if you start with fruit your baby will not like those peas or green beans because they will want the sweet pears or bananas. This is not for all babies however. Only try one new food at a time and offer for 2-3 days with 1 week in between introducing something new. You want to wait a week incase your baby has an allergy to that food, that way you can identify it and talk to your doctor. There are many unsafe food choices for infants starting out eating solids. Popcorn, peanuts, raisins, whole grapes, stringy meats, gum/gummy candy, jellybeans, hot dogs, and hard/raw fruits or vegetables; should be avoided. This time of trying new foods is an experience for both you and your baby. There is no need to rush your baby into eating solids, when they are ready they will act like it. Something’s to watch out for when feeding your child is to not force them to eat it. Place the spoon on their tongue and let them take the spoon in without you doing it for them. If your infant continues to spit the food out over and over again or don’t open their mouth then do not force it, they just might not be ready, put the spoon and baby food away and try again in a day or two.

Cultural Differences in Turkey

Social studies Cultural differences between the youth in Turkey and the Netherlands. penn Cibii 012013001 Inhoudsopgave Introduction This project is made for the cultural studies class and will contain the differences between the younger people in Turkey and in the Netherlands. It's common that people go abroad and face with a lot of cultural problems. This is because there are a lot of cultures and they all differ from each other. Sometimes its very difficult for people to understand cultural things that are not normal fort hem but instead normal for the people of that culture.To understand why thats so difficult we have to look at the differences of 2 cultures. I chose Turkey and the Netherlands because i am from the Netherlands but i have a Turkish identity and i see a lot of differences between the Turkish and the Dutch people. For example i am here with a classmate who is dutch and from Holland. She is dealing with cultural differences and sometimes she really doesnt understand that some things are normal here because in Holland that things wouldn't accepted. The differences will be measured with the study of Hofstede. Gerard Hendrick hofstede is a dutch social psychologist.His most notable work has been in developing cultural dimensions theory. The tlve dimensions are : Individualism, masculinity power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and long term orientation. He write the books ‘Culture's conseuenses' and ‘cultures and organizations'. The five dimensions will be discussed in this project to define the differences between the youth in Turkey and the Netherlands. After the five dimensions the mwthodology of study will be explained that includes the participants, methodology and materials. After that the findings will be explained with charts and despriction of data.After the findings comes the discussion with the analysis of data and what it means. At the end there wille be a conclusion which will include implications, limitations and further research and a statement. You can find the reference list and the appendices at the end of the project. Background In this paragraph I am going to explain the study of Hofstede and what all the dimensions mean. There are five dimensions which are seen as criteria to see the differences per culture. These are : Power distance, Individualism versus collectivism, Masculinitu versus femininity, uncertainty avoidance and the Long term rientation degree.Power Distance This dimension expresses the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. The fundamental issue here is how a society handles inequalities among people. People in societies exhibiting a large degree of power distance accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further Justification. In societies with low power distance, people strive to equalise the distribution ot power and demand justification for inequalities of power. Indiv idualism versus collectivismThe high side of this dimension, called Individualism, can be defined as a preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. Its opposite, Collectivism, represents a preference for a tightly-knit framework in society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. A society's position on this dimension is reflected in whether people's self-image is defined in terms of â€Å"l† or â€Å"we. Masculinity versus femininity The masculinity side of this dimension represents a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness and material reward for success. Society at large is more competitive. Its opposite, femininity, stands for a preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life. Society at large is more consensus-oriented. Unce rtainty avoidance The uncertainty avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity.The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should e try to control the future or Just let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong UAI maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. Weak I-JAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles. The long term orientation The long-term orientation dimension can be interpreted as dealing with societys search for virtue.Societies with a short-term orientation generally have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth. They are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the uture, and a focus on achieving quick results. In societies with a long-term orientatio n, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.Methodology of study participants, place (preserve anonymity) The participants for this study are the younger people between the ages 18 and 25 in the Netherlands and Turkey. I choose this as the target group because the younger people travel a lot and have to face the most and sometimes at first with cultural ifferences. They go abroad to go on vacation, to study or to live in another country. Place Because its limited to 2 countries the places of course are in the Netherlands and Turkey.The place where the interview is held is on my school in Holland ; Fontys economische hogeschool Tilburg and my school in Turkey; Fatih university in Istanbul. I choose the school because I could find here the best participants who are speaking English and belong to th e right target group. methodology (qualitative/quantitative; case study, ethnographic etc) In this study there is made qualitative and quantitative research. Quantitative research is made hrough deskresearch and qualitative research are the questions that you can't answer with deskresearch so you need the fieldresearch for.For the fieldresearch I made questionnaires. I decided to hold the questionnairies with 10 persons in each country. So 10 questionnaires in The Netherlands as 10 questionnairies in Turkey. The people who were asked for the questionnaires are all in the age group 18 till 25 and all speak English. I made the questions with multiple choice answers so it will be easy to process the data and make a conclusion. materials; data collection instruments (observation, questionnaires) The data ollection instruments are : internet, literature and questionnaires.

Parents, Make the Most Out of College Tours With Your Teen

The college admissions process isn’t just difficult for the teens who endure it themselves. It’s difficult for their parents, too, and some of us might even argue that we’re up at night just as often as they are, silently stressing about the process. If you’re like many parents going through the college admissions process, you might struggle to find the balance between supportive cheerleader and overbearing taskmaster. This can be particularly true during parts of the process that you undertake together, such as college visits. You may feel that you have a financial and personal interest in your child’s college search and as such, it can be difficult to take a backseat. Rest assured, though, that you can still support and encourage your child before, during, and after college visits without making the visit more about your interests than your child’s. In this post, we’ll discuss how you can help your teen to prepare for a college visit, how you can support your teen during a college tour, and how you can help your teen to process his or her impressions afterwards. To learn more about how to make the most of college tours with your teen, keep reading. Before the tour itself, make sure that your teen understands that college tours aren’t a passive process. He or she should be prepared to ask valuable, insightful questions to help guide his or her experience. Encourage your child to research the school in advance, learning about departments or programs that might be of interest and compiling a list of genuine questions, the answers to which might be valuable when it comes time to apply to colleges. Also help your teen to make a list of â€Å"not-to-be-missed† sites, both on and off campus. It’s impossible for a college tour to include every little place on campus, and most include very little or even nothing of the surrounding area. Your student might be interested in seeing all of the freshman housing options, the athletic fields, or the chemistry lab, but these may or may not be featured during the formal tour. Don’t be afraid to seek them out together after the tour finishes up. Similarly, there might be some off-campus spots of interest, too. Maybe there is a coffee shop around the corner, renowned for being a popular study spot, or a walking trail popular among locals. Maybe your teen is interested in pursuing a job off campus or finding volunteer opportunities. Check these places out now together so that your teen knows what to expect later. Doing some homework ahead of time can mean that college visits are more efficient and effective, leaving fewer questions open when the time comes to send commitment letters. Your teen is probably blushing in advance at the prospect of your overbearing excitement and excessive enthusiasm during a college tour. While it’s natural to be excited and to try to get your child excited too, the tour is the time to dial back your own reactions in order to allow your teen to take the lead and shine. One way to ensure that your student really takes ownership of the experience is by delegating yourself to the spectator role. Allow your teen the opportunity to be the one asking questions and guiding his or her own experience. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you need a gag and blindfold, though. You can take some casual notes and pictures without attracting too much attention. Try to record details that you think your student might find valuable later on. For example, if your child is into acting, taking a brief video of the tour as it passes by the theater might be of interest for your child to review later. This is a simple and unobtrusive way to lend a hand, while your student is busy watching and listening. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. Afterwards, while the college tour is still fresh in your minds, have a thoughtful conversation with your teen about it. Sit down over a cup of coffee or a snack and encourage your student to reflect on the pros and cons that he or she perceived. Be careful not to offer too much of your own perspective at first. It’s important to hear your teen’s unfiltered perspective first. If you feel there are important things that he or she is forgetting, casually mentioning them is one way to steer the conversation without providing too much of your own opinion. Remember, your teen needs to be at the helm for this experience. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t lend your insights. Once your teen has given some feedback, feel free to give yours, too. Try to frame things in a way that is productive for your student. For example, instead of telling your teen that you’re worried he or she won’t be able to get around without a car and limited public transportation options, ask your teen if he or she noticed any bus stations nearby. If your student doesn’t remember, you may suggest that he or she investigates transportation options more in the future. It can also be helpful to remind your student to write down his or her initial impressions along with a pro/con list as soon as possible after the tour. This will serve as a valuable record later in the college decision process. File it someplace accessible, preferably in the college files that your student has already started. Visiting colleges can sometimes be a stressful experience for parents and teens alike. Approach the visit as a team, allowing your child to guide the experience, and think of yourself as a sounding board. Lend your insights once you’ve heard your child’s, and remember that this visit can be a time to bond together for a successful and productive college tour. If you feel your teen could use some more insight from an outside source, consider the benefits of the Near Peer Mentorship Program , which provides access to practical advice on topics from college admissions to career aspirations, all from successful college students. To learn more about the parent’s role in the college admissions process, check out these posts: