Making Your Statement of Purpose Stand Out

Making Your Statement of Purpose Stand Out Whereas a good college entrance essay is typically filled with personal stories and lessons gleaned from your high school years, the statement of purpose lends itself to a heavier academic focus for those applying to advanced programs for masters and doctoral degrees, faculty positions and research posts. A standard, feel-good essay about your lifes greatest challenges wont do here. To make your statement of purpose stand out, it needs to be rife with interesting research, admirable extracurricular activities and volunteerism, and compelling reasons why you (like everyone else) would be good at teaching.Taking entrance essays to a new levelThe statement of purpose may sound intimidating to some, but it shouldnt be. If youve come this far that youre ready to apply to advanced education programs, youve undoubtedly earned your keep to get here. The trick is to transform all the work youve done and reasons why you want to pursue this path further into an engaging, yet succinct, essay tha t leaves an admissions committee member saying, This person will be a real asset to our department!Writing a great statement of purpose (SOP) is quite similar to selling yourself to an employer in a terrific cover letter that will accompany your resume (which, often times, youll submit with your SOP, too). You already know your skills and assets that make you sellable; the key is to find out what the university youre applying to is interested in buying.This is where a little research can come in handy. Chances are you may already know some about the courses, disciplines or research the university youre applying to is conducting, or you may even know someone on staff or already enrolled in the program. Whatever your sources, do your research and find out what kinds of projects you might be able to work on, or what new or unique talents you can bring to the department if accepted. This could mean reading up online or in journals on the colleges recent research, talking to professors o r students you may know about whats going on there, scheduling a meeting with the dean of the department or a professor you idolize (youd be surprised how willing they are to meet with potential students if you are gracious and admiring when asking), or even chatting with the department secretary by phone for a few minutes some quiet afternoon. Think of it like answering a job ad in the Sunday paper – youre feeling out your sources for the qualifications this college needs in a candidate, and once you find them, you can talk up your skills in an impressive SOP thats sure to get you noticed.Let the selling beginSelling yourself to a university is all in the phrasing. Once youve researched their needs, you begin by looking over your body of research, schooling, outside activities, and future aspirations and match them up to what they need. And while some of this may require a fair amount of straight-out telling in your writing (i.e., listing your dissertation(s), studies involv ed in, publications youve written, labs youve worked with and other special projects), there is still room for some brief background history (such as being born in China or growing up from a line of five engineers) or personal stories that can help you emotionally connect with the reader.For instance, among the text-heavy description of the research youve worked on for the last three years, a nice, humanizing touch might be to add something like:In late May of this year, the three-year study I had at first grudgingly joined came to a close. My emotions were mixed, as I had come to truly enjoy and look forward to my work in the lab, while at the same time I had been waiting for the day we would examine our results and hope for the outcome wed hypothesized. When that day came, I couldnt have been happier to realize that my repetitive and, at times, isolating work on the project had in some way helped to further the field of research into Alzheimers disease and put us that much closer to a cure.Just as with any essay, this method of showing the reader an experience you have had throughout your work goes a tremendous way in helping them relate to you. With just three to five sentences of honest emotion about your experiences, the reader gets so much more than from only a monotonous list of your projects and qualifications.Everyone wants to teachJust as in Hollywood, where every actor wants to direct, in academia, it seems every scholar wants to teach. While its only natural that the professional student should eventually want to become a teacher, suffice it to say that the reason because I want to help people has been used a bazillion times before.Therefore, finding some more compelling, unique reasons to bring education to the masses is in order. Perhaps you feel the worlds love of biochemistry is dually lacking and you could change that with your hands-on, science-is-fun approach. Or maybe you had a particularly life-altering professor that you now aspire to imi tate for a new generation of students – then tell the university why and how you would do so in your SOP. Whatever the reason you wish to teach, be genuine but steer clear of answers that are too general or overused.When I grow up†¦And finally, dont forget to dream big when detailing your future aspirations in your SOP. Perhaps your goal is to be a professor, or maybe youd just like to conduct advanced research in highway engineering projects for the rest of your days, but dont be afraid to think outside the box to the research that hasnt even been touched on yet. Perhaps youd like to be the first to pioneer research on freeways controlled completely by computer – then dont be afraid to say so. Maybe you dream of one day heading the department youre now applying to – then tell them that (in a subtle but admirable way, not Ill have your job one day, buddy!).Whatever your field, letting a university know that youd be a positive addition to their department wh ile still stroking the schools collective ego in a respectful (not kiss-up) way, is key in making your statement of purpose stand out from the rest. Let your achievements and work speak for themselves, but be sure to match them up with exactly what the school is looking for and cant do without, and in no time youll be sitting pretty in a research lab.

Should Same-Sex Marriages Be Made Legal

Should Same-Sex Marriages Be Made Legal Same-Sex Marriages Should Certainly Not Be Made Legal Our Changing World Calling something marriage does not make it marriage. Marriage has always been a covenant between a man and a woman which is by its nature ordered toward the procreation and education of children and the unity and wellbeing of the spouses. The promoters of same-sex â€Å"marriage† propose something entirely different. They propose the union between two men or two women. This denies the self-evident biological, physiological, and psychological differences between men and women which find their complementarity in marriage. It also denies the specific primary purpose of marriage: the perpetuation of the human race and the raising of children. Two entirely different things cannot be considered the same thing. Something is legal if it adheres to the law, and in America when the Supreme Court passes new federal legislation, then the states have the power to incorporate it into a state law. Despite the fact, that the world itself, as well as a lot of moral principles, is changing greatly these days same-sex marriage should not be made legal. In years past, it was an issue seldom discussed, but today homosexuality is a big problem. In a Christian society, marriage could exist only between man and woman, husband and wife. But, unfortunately, things are different today. Same-sex marriages could be made legal if the people vote to legalize it. In a democratic society, the people of a state or city or county votes to pass legislation usually once a federal institution like the Supreme Court of the United States of America deems something constitutional or not. If it becomes the will of the people, of the voting-friendly, democratic republic, then it becomes legal and should be strictly enforced.  Some people state that same-sex marriage should be made legal because everyone has the right to be happy, to marry the person who completes their lives, the person of their dreams, their lover, their life partner. But its a big lie. Same-sex relationship is nothing more than a sin. Healthy Family Healthy Society Our world really needs more people who are in love, who can start a family with the person they love. That makes for a better, safer, happier world with healthy, wealthy families. For that reason, men should marry women and women should marry men. Same-sex marriages destroy healthy mentality, moral principles, and peoples lives. Traditional marriage is usually so fecund that those who would frustrate its end must do violence to nature to prevent the birth of children by using contraception. It naturally tends to create families. On the contrary, same-sex â€Å"marriage† is intrinsically sterile. If the â€Å"spouses† want a child, they must circumvent nature by costly and artificial means or employ surrogates. The natural tendency of such a union is not to create families.Therefore, we cannot call a same-sex union marriage and give it the benefits of true marriage. Therefore, same-sex marriages should not be made legal, despite the fact that there are a number of same-sex couples in the world already. The world is and will be always changing, but it doesnt mean that its for better. Bible teaches how God punished Sodom and Gomorrah for the sin of homosexuality: â€Å"The Lord rained down sulfurous fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah. He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain, together with the inhabitants of the cities and the produce of the soil.†

Critical evaluation of 4 Ps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical evaluation of 4 Ps - Essay Example This greatness of Nokia is just for the reason that, it identifies the core of brand needs to be portrayed in everything that the company does, particularly those that influence the customers (Hooley & Graham, 2008). The product design is obviously judgmental to the accomplishment of the product, but the question arises that how the Nokia administers to insert qualities in product design? The response is that it provides their user a great deal of consideration to use their phones. The large display screen, for example, is the â€Å"appearance† of the phone. The delineation of phones is arched and easy to grasp. The mobile casing and other features such as colors and functionalities can be customized according to the user’s character, way of life, and frame of mind of the customer. The soft keypads also put in the great deal of compassion and comfort, articulating the brand nature. Product design emphasizes on the customer and their needs, and this can easily be summari zed in the catch phrase â€Å"human technology’’ (Kotler & Pfoertsch, 2006). But in the USA, Nokia status has started shaking. It led the 40% shares of the American market in 2008 with its Symbian OS in 2009, 33% Apple’s iPhone started taking market and some other companies such as Motorola, HTC, Samsung etc. now shares in almost 5% of the American market. Nokia’s big competitors are Samsung, Apple and HTC (Ewan, 2010). Marketing Mix 4P’s Nokia is utilizing successfully its 4P’s Price Place Promotion Product Price Price manipulates the brand price in two ways (1) look for the lowest price to keep away from financial risk or (2) seek the higher price to gain the product quality (Kotler & Pfoertsch, 2006). There is a specific category of customers for which the price is vital especially when considering items for everyday use. In this scenario, some customers may also choose the brand just because they are offered at lowest prices, whereas so me customers prefer to buy high price because they believe that higher price things are of high quality. The phones that Nokia is producing are frequently sold at high prices. The value of new technology starts reducing after two months of its launching time. Nokia phones are mostly sold at ?200+, if they carry the latest technology. The prices of such technology are mostly based on competitors and competition, but they always tried to be within the approach of their customers, they always take their customers under consideration (Gabrielssona & Gabrielsson, 2008). Places Nokia phones are available and generally sold all over the world. Some of the renowned dealers or retailers of this product are Advance telecom, United mobile, Mobile zone, The Find (Dubai), Dixon‘s and other Electrical suppliers. Promotions Advertising which can be done through the TV (series of Nokia Lumia Ad one with Priyanka chopra), Bill boards (all over the world they are using billboards to promote Nok ia), Radio and Newspaper, Posters Dummies and display stands. Nokia is also doing their promotion by providing product trainings for student for which they had arranged special training sessions in various institutions. Promotion is one of the vital aspects to focus upon in this technological industry. Hence every company is bound to use all weapons of marketing which includes front line

News Paper Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

News Paper Summary - Essay Example They further project the net U.S. farm income to fall by 27% to $95.8 billion. The article concentrates on investors who are selling jumble bonds resulting from fears of fresh interest rates and geopolitical turmoil. Borrowers have reacted by delaying debt sales and negating scheduled deals. Investors doubt adding to their holdings resulting from the Federal Reserve winding down the monthly stimulus. According to analysts, investors are not being compensated the risk in high-yield bonds effectively. They further state that investors sell the high-yield bonds because the look expensive and their performance have been weakening. Investors have responded by steering clear of high-yield exchange-traded funds because of rising worries about how they will fare in a slump. Financial firms are planning an exit strategy for Argentina, which is involved in a legal stalemate with some hedge-funds bondholders that intend to rug the country into default. Argentina, Wall Street best client for the past 10 years, is receiving several deals from banks, but none has won the approval of Argentine officials. Banks stand to benefit greatly at a time when revenue is under pressure from soft economic growth, stiffer rules, and regulatory review. Negotiations with banks are on a standstill following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that the country might be on the danger of breaking a clause in its bonds that capacities equal treatment to all bondholders. The officials refused to negotiate with the holdouts claiming they refused to accept the reformations that most bondholders had agreed to. The country faces $14.5 billion claim from bondholders, but the country project to raise billions of dollars through bonds to repay the holdouts. AbbVie seeks to expand its stock in a deal worth $54 billion by acquiring Shire PLC. The firm compares it

A Love After God’s Own Heart Essay Example for Free

A Love After God’s Own Heart Essay What is the foundation of Christianity? If the question being discussed is whether something is ideally Christian, then the motivation behind Christianity must be understood. The basic outline of Christianity is simple. Man exists in a fallen and depraved state. Christ died on the cross to conquer death and atone for all humanity. Those who acknowledge their need for a Savior and place their faith in this gift, shall have eternal life. That leads to the logical question of why. Why should Christ sacrifice himself for such undeserving people? Therein is found that basis, that motivation behind Christianity. Love. The Bible says, â€Å"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.† (NASB Jn. 3.16). Love is the heart of Christianity. God sent his Son to pay the ultimate cost for sinners because He loves them so much. Indeed, all truly Christian actions are committed out of out of love. Christ said while he was on the earth, â€Å"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.† (NASB Jn. 13.35) Christianity starts and ends with love. Love is the root of Christianity and it is also the outward manifestation of Christ in a life. God is love. Therefore, though Silas Marner is at first estranged from both God and man, the Christ-mirroring love he bestows upon Eppie is a clear reflection of God’s own nature and is ideally Christian. George Eliot’s Silas Marner details the life of a solitary linen weaver. Silas Marner lives a life of seclusion in the town of Raveloe for 15 years while dealing with deeply inflicted emotional wounds. He loses his faith in God and his fellow man. Marner’s lone refuge is the coins he earns. He treasures them not for their monetary value, but for their companionship. Meanwhile, there is an alternate storyline of Godfrey and Dunsey Cass; sons of a wealthy landowner. The latter is a slobbering drunk while the other is well thought of. However, the former has a secret wife and child, and the knowledge of this allows the drunk to blackmail his elder brother. One day the drunk chances upon the empty house of the linen weaver. He discovers the coins and steals them. When Silas Marner discovers his loss, he elicits the help of the villagers. They search extensively for the coins, but to no avail. No one knows who has taken the coins, but Godfrey is delighted by Dunsey’s absence. On New Year’s Eve, the Cass family throws a large party and Godfrey attempts to woo the respected Nancy Lammeter. Meanwhile, Godfrey’s wife tries to bring their child to the Cass home and proclaim Godfrey’s secret to the world. However, being under the influence of opium, she falls asleep on the snowy ground. The child wanders into the nearby house of Silas Marner. When Marner finds the child and eventually the mother, he rushes to the Cass house for the doctor. The woman is found to be dead and as no father comes forth for the child, Marner claims it as his own. He names the child Eppie and does his best to raise her. He is often given motherly advice by his friend Mrs. Winthrop. Sixteen years go by and Eppie is now 18. Godfrey is married to Nancy. Godfrey regrets not claiming Eppie and decides it is time for her to come live with them. He tells Silas and Eppie the truth and asks Eppie if she wants to come live with him and his wife. Eppie declines, saying Silas is the only father she has known. Later, while a pit is being drained near Silas’ house, the body of Dunsey is discovered and with it Silas’ money, which is returned to him. Silas uses the money to return to his old home for closure on his past wounds, but the entire place is gone. When Silas returns, Eppie gets married to Mrs. Winthrop’s son and the story concludes with Eppie and her husband living happily with Silas. The child Eppie does not have a father, so Silas Marner adopts her as his own. Eppie quite literally wanders into Silas’ life and though she should not have to be his responsibility, he takes it upon himself to be her father. â€Å"Till anybody shows they’ve a right to take her away from me,† said Marner. â€Å"The mother’s dead and I reckon it’s got no father: it’s a lone thing- and I’m a lone thing† (Eliot 679). Though he shows it in his own peculiar way, Silas takes great compassion on this homeless, parentless girl. This is the first way Silas Marner shows God’s love to Eppie. God is obviously not a â€Å"lone thing,† having existed for eternity past in perfect harmony with the Trinity. However, he does take compassion on poor, lost people. God is the Father to all who place their faith in Jesus Christ. â€Å"For you have not received a Spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father! The Spirit himself testifies with our Spirit that we are children of God† (NASB Ro. 8. 15-16). Silas Marner adopts Eppie and becomes her father who she can always rely on. God adopts sinners who come to him and becomes their Everlasting Father in whom they can rely. The clear correlation between the two is the first way Silas Marner reflects God’s nature and ultimately Christian ideals. As Silas has this Christ-like love for Eppie, he naturally wants to protect her and help her grow. This gives Silas a completely new outlook on his surroundings and his normal everyday life. â€Å"As some man who has a precious plant to which he would give a nurturing home†¦and asks industriously for all knowledge that will help him to satisfy the wants of the searching roots, or to guard leaf and bud from invading harm† (689). Silas’ new role is to do all he can to keep Eppie safe. Eppie is young and inexperienced and vulnerable. Silas watches out for her and keeps her away from trouble because he knows better. Jesus Christ does the same thing for believers. He protects Christians from the Devil’s schemes as well as from their own folly. The Bible often describes this relationship with the analogy of a shepherd and his flock. â€Å"Like a shepherd He will tend his flock, In his arm he will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead t he nursing ewes† (NASB Is. 40.11). Silas is gently leading his nursing ewe, Eppie. Silas, in protecting and shepherding Eppie, is portraying distinctly Christian ideals. Eppie does not do anything to gain Silas’ love and likewise she can do nothing to lose it. Before she does any of the things that Silas later comes to love, Silas loved Eppie. Silas loves her from the first night she toddled into his home. She does not earn his love, it is based on Silas’ goodness and not Eppie’s merit. That is why she cannot lose it. It does not depend on her performance. â€Å"Here was a clear case of aberration in a christened child which demanded severe treatment; but Silas, overcome with compulsive joy†¦could do nothing but snatch her up and cover her with half sobbing kisses† (687). This is such a beautiful picture of what Christ does for the believer. Eppie runs off and disobeys Silas. He tirelessly pursues her until he finally catches her. Christians likewise stray from the fold of God, but Christ pursues them and is overjoyed to find them and bring them back. â€Å"If any man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over 99 which have not gone astray† (NASB Mt. 18.12-13). This is how Silas feels for Eppie. Silas mirrors God with his unmerited and unconditional love for his daughter. Silas loves Eppie so much he is willing to sacrifice his happiness for her betterment.   Silas on the other hand, was again stricken in conscience and alarmed lest Godfrey’s accusation should be true- lest he should be raising his own will as an obstacle to Eppie’s good. For many movements he was mute, struggling for the self-conquest necessary to the uttering of the difficult words. They came out tremulously. â€Å"I’ll say no more. Let it be as you will. Speak to the child. I’ll hinder nothing. (714) Godfrey has now come and is asking Eppie to come live with him and his wife. Eppie is the absolute joy of Silas’ life. Even so, with those words, Silas is letting her go. He is relinquishing his daughter and his happiness that she might have a higher station in life. This is a truly sacrificial love. This again is in keeping with the Christian model Silas has been following all along. â€Å"But he was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon him and by his scourging we are healed† (NASB Is. 53.5). The greatest sacrifice of all is Jesus’ death on the cross. Obviously Silas Marner is not crucified for Eppie, but he is willing to sacrifice his entire happiness for her betterment. Silas’ small sacrifice is a shadow of the Lord’s great sacrificial love for his people and clearly Christian. Sometimes this story is thought to have too many coincidences or be too much like a fairy tale to have realistic Christian ideals, but the Bible clearly disproves this. God is in control and He has a plan for everything. There are no coincidences in His eyes. It is not a coincidence that Eppie comes to Silas’s door. Silas then honors God with love he shows Eppie and God rewards him with happiness and fulfillment. It is a lie of the Devil that happy endings are only for fairy tales. Christians know Jesus wins in the end over evil. That is the happiest ending of all. â€Å"For I know the plans that I have for you,† declares the Lord, â€Å"plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope† (NASB Jer. 29.11). When the Christian is trusting in God’s plan and honoring Him, he can see that Silas Marner is a great story about a man who honored God with his love. Silas Marner’s love for Eppie is adoptive, protective, unconditional, and sacrificial. This clearly reflects the Lord’s love for his own children and thus the ideals in this novel are Christian. Works Cited Eliot, George. â€Å"Silas Marner.† Adventures in Appreciation. Laurence Perrine. Ed. et al. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1973. 390-472. Print. NASB. Anaheim: Foundation Publications Inc., 1996. Print. Taylor

Big Fun in BookWorld: Jasper Fforde’s The Well of Lost Plots :: Essays Papers

Big Fun in BookWorld: Jasper Fforde’s The Well of Lost Plots The Well of Lost Plots is a highly entertaining romp through the strange, yet mostly familiar world from the imagination (and extensive reading list) of Jasper Fforde. This is the third book in a series that continues to grow. In the first two books, The Eyre Affair and Lost in a Good Book, our heroine Thursday Next is a literary detective for the Special Operations Network (or SpecOps) of the British Police Force. She verifies the authenticity of rare books and manuscripts, investigates thefts and other criminal behavior, and looks into anything out of the ordinary related to the literary world. Thursday Next’s world is our world – with a few twists. Due to the invention of time travel, and subsequent disruptions of the time line, things have turned out a little different in Thursday’s mid-1980’s England. For instance, when the series begins England is still fighting the Crimean War. This world is a strange mixture of high-tech and no-tech. The airplane was never invented, nor apparently needed. But mega-corporations such as the sinister and omnipresent Goliath Corporation engage in genetic experiments that, among other things, reintroduce from extinction both the Dodo bird and Neanderthal man. In The Eyre Affair Thursday discovers that she has an unexpected talent – she can read herself into books. She discovers BookWorld, the world behind the world of fiction, where characters from literature have lives beyond the pages of their books. In Lost in a Good Book Thursday becomes an agent for Jurisfiction, the agency that keeps order in BookWorld. She is recruited by Miss Havisham (yes, from Dickens’ Great Expectations) and, in addition to retrieving a former enemy from Poe’s The Raven, she manages to save all life on earth from turning into a gooey pink sludge. In The Well of Lost Plots, the third book of the series, Thursday is living in BookWorld hiding out from the Goliath Corporation and hoping to find some peace and quiet. What she finds instead is bureaucracy, politics, intrigue, and a messy underworld; all of which fuel the creative process of fiction writing. When Jurisfiction agents start dying in freak accidents, Thursday begins an investigation that leads her to uncover corruption at the highest levels in BookWorld. This series is the embodiment of metafiction, which The American Heritage Dictionary, 4th Edition (http://www.dictionary.com) defines as â€Å"fiction that deals, often playfully and self-referentially, with the writing of fiction or its conventions.

Global link for Australia than defence

The main reason why Australia provides aid is to reduce the amount of poverty around the world. We also provide aid to achieve a sustainable development. Defense is also one of Australia's regional and global links. We have ties with the US, UK, NZ and South-East nations such as Japan and South Korea. The major focus of defense in Australia is to provide military forces. For this to work, defenses must get ready for military operations and other tasks conducted by the government. Australia's aid program helps improve the lives of millions of people in countries that are still developing.We work with governments in these developing countries to deliver aid to where people need it most. Aid is very important to people around the world, not Just benefiting them but us too like improving our regional security. Our funding for 2012/13 reached up to 331 million dollars. Australia spends over 51 billion dollars Just on defense. This huge amount of money is used up all in a decade. We assist other nations to develop their military skills and it's a win for both them and us because we assist one another. But our defense links can result In conflicts with many militaries overseas.When we have conflicts with one another, there Is a high amount of financial cost to being Involved. We cannot agree with everything anyone says, there will definitely be disagreements which will result In financial costs. Certainly during military conflict, soldiers will be Injured and killed. Decisively, aid Is more beneficial and efficient than defense In terms of Interaction and the benefiting the country. Although defense has a huge Impact on us, It may cause greater threats. It's Important for us to think about what'd happen If things don't go our way, not Just what's good for the country.

A Flea in Her Ear Essay

‘A Flea In Her Ear’ is a play written by the French playwright Georges Feydeau. It tells the story of Victor Emmanuelle Chandebise, played by Nasri El-Sayeh, chairman of a large insurance company, and his wife Raymonde, played by Stephanie Reed. The play is an excellent farce about misinterpretations, confusion and humour, which captures the audience in style. Georges Feydeau was born in Paris in 1862 and lived until 1921. This play is regarded as his best. It was written in 1907, and was known as ‘Une Puce i l’Oreille. ‘ Although his plays were excellent, Feydeau started gambling in 1918 and contracted syphilis, slowly descending into madness, eventually dying and being buried in Paris. I am writing a review, analysing the mediums and elements of drama used in this production. The costumes had been chosen specifically from the National Theatre for this production. They were perfectly suited to the character’s roles and added a touch of eloquence. For example, Stuart Onslow, playing the part of Romain Tournel, a notorious womanizer, is so excellently portrayed from the beginning. His suit is smart, yet not formal, and he is displayed as a somewhat arrogant fellow. His excellent acting added to this and he played a key role in the play. The female roles were wearing flamboyant, evocative costumes. The audience spontaneously stared when they were first seen, as they were ‘over the top’ and stood out. The choice of music and sound, from technical director Ben Sehovic was superb. ‘A Flea In Her Ear’ is a piece of drama that does not require a lot of music or sound, if any. Yet the small sound effects, added at certain intervals, added a great deal of emphasis to the play. During the end of Act Two, a short piece of ‘jumpy,’ disjointed music was played. During this short period the cast moved about the stage, encapturing the moment, mimicking a ‘Charlie Chaplin’ sketch. The play was set at the same height as the audience. There was tiered seating, but the stage had not been raised. I personally felt that this was a fantastic idea, as it involved the audience more. To have actors performing in front of your eyes is much more momentous than to be staring up at them on a stage. There were many exits on this set; an archway, four different sets of doors and a flight of stairs. This was adamant for this farcical play, as the ludicrousness that is acted out is sharp and quick, thus needing many exits and entrances. As one of the actors, or indeed as a member of the audience, you have to be able to imagine that the outside space is real in order to perform or understand the play to the best of your ability. For instance, in Act Two, when in the Hotel Coq d’Or, The stage right exit door is a bathroom, as opposed to Act One, where it is a hallway. We need to believe that, in each scene, the space behind the door is what the actors say it is. This increases our knowledge of the play, makes the speed and identity tracking slightly less confusing. The set, hired from The Royal National Theatre, was fabulous. I particularly liked the revolving bed in the hotel scene, and the French windows. I felt it added a touch of glamour to the Chadebise’s home. There were not a huge number of props used in this play. However, small things, for instance; Doctor Finache (Nathan Ireland) continuously had a stethoscope around his neck. Without anyone speaking, you could immediately see that he was playing the role of some kind of doctor. Small details like this, added to the play so well presented, made it something which was extremely enjoyable to watch. The pace of the play was one of the aspects that everyone was amazed by and indulged in. The interactions of the characters were short, quick and snappy. The language used was extremely witty and all parts were spoken well, the accents used adding to the emotional performance. The actors were extremely confident in performing and this shone through. The only major criticism I have of this play is its length. I appreciate how hard it must’ve been to take anything out, as without one thing you cannot have another. The first two acts went past in a flash, and because there was no interval between the second and third acts, it was hard for many audience members; particularly young children and the elderly to keep focused and listen to each minute detail. The performance as a whole was superb. Nasri’s portrayal of Victor was excellent. His acting was top-notch. He had many quick and difficult costume changes, as well as having to remember when to use his posh voice and when not to. It was truly magnificent The social, cultural and historical content of the play very much relates to today. The farcical confusion, a mixture of people running in and out of the right and wrong rooms, and being in the wrong place at the wrong time is very much loved by people today. World famous television shows such as ‘Frasier,’ ‘Friends’ and ‘Only Fools and Horses’ are brilliant examples of this. One problem with the speed of the piece was that, not for me but others, it would have been a blunder of bewilderment and perplexity. The John Lyon School’s production of Feydeau’s ‘A Flea In Her Ear’ was an outstanding performance. It really helped my understanding of the medium of drama. I can relate the movement to my own work, picking up new ideas as well as improving what I currently know. I can see how a few small props can totally enhance a piece of theatre, also seeing that space and levels are entirely needed to show a piece’s full potential. Deborah Gibbs has created a masterful drama performance from a play which is complicated and complex.

The Myths of the Founding of Rome

The Myths of the Founding of Rome By tradition, the city of Rome was founded in 753 B.C.* The stories  about the founding of Rome are conflicting, but there are two main founding figures to look out for: Romulus (after whom the city may have been named) and Aeneas. It is also possible that Evander of Arcadia founded Rome. Much of the information on the founding of Rome comes from the first book of Livys history of Rome. Aeneas as Founder of Rome The Trojan prince Aeneas, an important figure linking the Romans with the Trojans and the goddess Venus, is sometimes credited with the founding of Rome as the culmination of his post-Trojan War adventures, but the version of the Roman foundation myth that is most familiar is that of Romulus, the first king of Rome.   The Romulus and Remus Myth Romulus and Remus were twin brothers, the sons of a vestal virgin named Rhea Silvia (also called Ilia) and the god Mars, according to legend. Since vestal virgins could be buried alive if they violated their chastity vows, whoever forced Rhea Silvia to enter the equivalent of an ancient convent assumed that Rhea Silvia would remain childless. The grandfather and great-uncle of the twins were Numitor and Amulius, who between them divided the wealth and kingdom of Alba Longa (a city founded by Aeneas son Ascanius), but then Amulius seized Numitors share and became sole ruler. To prevent retaliation by the offspring of his brother, Amulius made his niece a vestal virgin. When Rhea became pregnant, her life was spared because of the special pleading of Amulius daughter Antho. Although she kept her life, Rhea was imprisoned. Contrary to plan, the virgin Rhea was impregnated by the god Mars. When the twin boys were born, Amulius wished to have them killed, and so bid someone, perhaps Faustulus, a swineherd, expose the boys. Faustulus left the twins on the river bank where a she-wolf nursed them, and a woodpecker fed and guarded them until Faustulus took them into his care again. The two boys were well educated by Faustulus and his wife, Acca Larentia. They grew up to be strong and attractive. They say that his name was Faustulus; and that they were carried by him to his homestead and given to his wife Larentia to be brought up. Some are of the opinion that Larentia was called Lupa among the shepherds from her being a common prostitute, and hence an opening was afforded for the marvellous story.- Livy Book I As adults, Remus found himself imprisoned, and in the presence of Numitor, who determined from his age that Remus and his twin brother could be his grandsons. Learning of Remus predicament, Faustulus told Romulus the truth of his birth and sent him off to rescue his brother. Amulius was despised, and so Romulus drew a crowd of supporters as he approached Alba Longa to kill the king. The twins re-installed their grandfather Numitor on the throne and freed their mother who had been imprisoned for her crime. The Establishment of Rome Since Numitor now ruled Alba Longa, the boys needed their own kingdom and settled in the area in which they had been raised, but the two young men couldnt decide on the exact site and started building separate sets of walls around different hills: Romulus, around the Palatine; Remus, around the Aventine. There they took auguries to see which area the gods favored. On the basis of conflicting omens, each twin claimed his was the site of the city. An angry Remus jumped over Romulus wall and Romulus killed him. Rome was therefore named after Romulus: A more common account is that Remus, in derision of his brother, leaped over the newly-erected walls, and was thereupon slain by Romulus in a fit of passion, who, mocking him, added words to this effect: So perish every one hereafter, who shall leap over my walls. Thus Romulus obtained possession of supreme power for himself alone. The city, when built, was called after the name of its founder.- Livy Book I Aeneas and Alba Longa Aeneas, son of the goddess Venus and the mortal Anchises, left the burning city of Troy at the end of the Trojan War, with his son Ascanius. After many adventures, which the Roman poet Vergil or Virgil describes in the Aeneid, Aeneas and his son arrived at the city of Laurentum on the west coast of Italy. Aeneas married Lavinia, the daughter of a local king, Latinus, and founded the town of Lavinium in honor of his wife. Ascanius, son of Aeneas, decided to build a new city, which he named Alba Longa, under the Alban mountain. Alba Longa was the hometown of Romulus and Remus, who were separated from Aeneas by about a dozen generations. Aeneas was hospitably entertained at the house of Latinus; there Latinus, in the presence of his household gods, cemented the public league by a family one, by giving Aeneas his daughter in marriage. This event fully confirmed the Trojans in the hope of at length terminating their wanderings by a lasting and permanent settlement. They built a town, which Aeneas called Lavinium after the name of his wife. Shortly afterward also, a son was the issue of the recently concluded marriage, to whom his parents gave the name of Ascanius.- Livy Book I Plutarch on Possible Founders of Rome ... Roma, from whom this city was so called, was the daughter of Italus and Leucaria; or, by another account, of Telephus, Herculess son, and that she was married to Aeneas, or ... to Ascanius, Aeneass son. Some tell us that Romanus, the son of Ulysses and Circe, built it; some, Romus the son of Emathion, Diomede having sent him from Troy; and others, Romus, king of the Latins, after driving out the Tyrrhenians, who had come from Thessaly into Lydia, and from thence into Italy.- Plutarch Isidore of Seville on Evander and the Founding of Rome There is a line (313) in the 8th book of the Aeneid that suggests Evander of Arcadia founded Rome. Isidore of Seville reports this as one of the stories told about the founding of Rome.   A banishd band,Drivn with Evander from th Arcadian land,Have planted here, and placd on high their walls;Their town the founder Pallanteum calls,Derivd from Pallas, his great-grandsires name:But the fierce Latians old possession claim,With war infesting the new colony.These make thy friends, and on their aid rely.- Dryden translation from Book 8 of the Aeneid. Points to Note About the Roman Founding Legend Rome was founded on 21 April 753 B.C., according to tradition. It was celebrated in Rome with the festival of Parilia.Because a woodpecker tended to the twins, the woodpecker was sacred to Rome.In some versions of the story, Rhea was drowned and then married the river god Tiber.When Faustulus first let the twins go, they floated into the river and then washed ashore at the base of a fig tree. This was the site where they built their city.In some versions, Acca Larentalia was a prostitute.The stories of the founding of Rome are just that, stories. The legends, as a whole, are not confirmed by tangible evidence although they can be used to help interpret some bits of archaeological data. * 753 B.C. is an important year to know since some Romans reckoned their years from this beginning time (ab urbe condita), although the names of the consuls were more commonly used to pinpoint a year. When viewing Roman dates you may see them listed as xyz year A.U.C., which means xyz years from (after) the founding of the city. You might write the year 44 B.C. as 710 A.U.C. and the year A.D. 2010 as 2763 A.U.C.; the latter, in other words, 2763 years from the founding of Rome.

The History of Facebook and How It Was Invented

The History of Facebook and How It Was Invented Mark Zuckerberg  was a  Harvard computer science student  when he, along with classmates Eduardo Saverin,  Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes  invented Facebook.  Amazingly, the idea for the website, now the worlds most popular social networking page, was inspired by a botched  effort to get internet users to rate each others photos.   Hot or Not?: The Origin of Facebook In 2003,  Zuckerberg, a second-year student at Harvard at the time,  wrote the software for a website called  Facemash. He put his computer science skills to questionable use by hacking into Harvards security network, where he copied the student ID images used by the dormitories and used them to populate his new website. Website visitors could use the site to compare two student photos side-by-side and decide who was hot and who was not.   Facemash opened on October 28, 2003, and closed a few days later, after it was shut down by Harvard execs. In the aftermath, Zuckerberg faced serious charges of breach of security, violating copyrights and violating individual privacy. Though he faced expulsion from Harvard University for his actions, all charges were eventually dropped. TheFacebook: An App for Harvard Students On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched a new website called TheFacebook. He  named the site after  the directories that were handed out to university students to aid them in getting to know one another better. Six days later, he again got into trouble when Harvard seniors Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra accused him of stealing their ideas for an intended social network website called HarvardConnection. The claimants later filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg, but the matter was eventually settled out of court. Membership to the website was at first restricted to Harvard  students. Over time, Zuckerberg enlisted a few of his fellow students to help grow the website. Eduardo Saverin, for example, worked on the business end while Dustin Moskovitz was brought on as a programmer. Andrew McCollum served as the sites graphic artist and Chris Hughes became the de facto spokesperson. Together the team expanded the site to additional universities and colleges. Facebook: The World's Most Popular Social Network In 2004, Napster founder and  angel investor  Sean Parker became the companys president. The company changed the sites name from TheFacebook to just Facebook after purchasing the domain name facebook.com in 2005 for $200,000. The following year, venture capital firm Accel Partners  invested $12.7 million in the company, which enabled the creation of a version of the network for high school students. Facebook would later expand to other networks such as employees of companies. In  September of  2006, Facebook announced that anyone who was at  least 13 years old and had a valid email address could join.  By 2009, it had become the worlds  most used social networking service, according to a report by the analytics site Compete.com. While Zuckerbergs antics and the sites profits eventually led to him becoming  the worlds youngest multi-billionaire, hes done his part to spread the wealth around. Hes donated $100 million dollars to the Newark, New Jersey public school system, which has long been underfunded. In 2010, he signed a pledge, along with other wealthy businessmen, to donate at least half of his wealth to charity.  Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have  donated $25 million toward fighting the Ebola virus and announced that they would  contribute 99% of their Facebook shares to the  Chan Zuckerberg Initiative  to improve lives through education, health, scientific research, and energy.

Health Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Health Policy - Essay Example According to the report  high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease are common health problems in the United States and other regions. High blood pressure is also a factor to cardiovascular disease and its prevention and management are therefore important. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, about 33 percent of adults in the United States suffer from high blood pressure, and only 47 percent of the fraction has manageable blood pressures. In addition, about 1000 people die daily in the United States because of high blood pressure.From this paper it is clear that  statistics by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention identifies severity of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. One in every three people suffers from hypertension and the number of deaths per day is high. In addition, having 67 million patients is a burden to the nation’s healthcare facilities as well as to the patients’ family and friends. The fact that the problem d oes not show symptoms and that it can damage other body organs also shows its severity. Similarly, high incidence rate and mortality rate of cardiovascular disease establishes its severity. The fact that one in every four deaths is attributable to the disease means that it is the most significant disease in the United States, and possible in the entire globe. High incidence and mortality due to cardiovascular disease also shows its significance.