Life of Oscar Wao analysis free essay sample

Why does society as a whole stand for everything it fights? In a world that criminalizes bullying and preaches about equality, do social crimes slip through the cracks unnoticed. It is true that things we are afraid of draw our attention, and we are dedicated to crushing our fears aren’t we? Did a kindergartener know what a terrorist was before September Eleventh? No, and he likely wouldn’t have been able to locate the Middle East anymore than his house on a map. The collapse of the Soviet Union ended the thought of an immediate end of the world by nuclear war. A war we thought we have swept under the rug is the war on social injustice. America is the land of the free, because of the great lengths we go to protect ourselves, but as a result we have ostracized our own people and abandoned our founding principals. We will write a custom essay sample on Life of Oscar Wao analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page America was formed by outcasts from every region in the world. Many sought religious freedom and others escaped from trouble at home. As a nation full of the unwanted we do a lot to make others feel ostracized. The Jim Crow laws, which were in place in the south for almost a century accomplished the sole goal of separating African Americans from the rest of society. During the onset of World War Two we incarcerated thousands of Japanese Americans, because of their heritage. We have a history of making every effort to prevent change and divide this nation. All of this is simply evidence that this problem has existed between races and communities, since this nation’s founding. Today, however, it is unacceptable to target other races and as a result we have turned our focus to within our communities. Our change of focus toward our communities is profound in the school systems. In The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao a Dominican boy living in the ghetto experiences both ends of what it means to be Dominican. Oscar has experienced two very different lives, one where people honor him and another where people walk over him. The ironic part is, which one he had first, how Oscar could go from the top to the bottom without changing himself shocks me. Oscar seems to be contempt with his lifestyle, only his family can’t seem to accept this fact. Oscar was meant to be the ladies man he was in his early years and not the big, sci-fi loving teen he turned into. The only people who push for a change in Oscar’s life are the ones who surround him. â€Å"Oscar, Lola warned repeatedly, you’re going to die a virgin unless you start changing Cut the hair, lose the glasses, exercise† family always knows best, right? Oscar’s family is willing to force an alternate lifestyle upon him and if they are willing to target family they’re likely target others. Oscar, to the surprise of others, accepts his position amongst his fellow dominicans, realizing he will never bat three hundred or date the prettiest girl in school. Oscar is contempt with his life and enjoys every second, which is what others should understand and appreciate. If they fail to do this our very own principals, which were based on freedoms of the individual are being threatened. This war being fought at home is largely one sided with the people who posses social power using it to suppress those like Oscar. While Oscar is an example of a victim, the Underground man is an example of a persecutor. He may not be the first person you think of when it comes to bullies, but think of The Underground man’s outlook on society. He seeks to change societies many faults, but within himself many of the same stereotypes he seeks to destroy exist. His rare dialogues with friends and Liza often leave the reader frustrated, because of his tendency to contradict himself. He finally meets a new face with Liza, and he allows himself to open up to her at first, but this quickly changes. His need to develop a profile for her drives her away from him. He does this to himself and in a sick way it almost satisfies him. The Underground man seems to enjoy being the martyr for the downtrodden. It is almost like he does not belong there, but he desires to be and as a result he continuously shoots himself in the foot during any social interaction. He continues to do this as he searches for purpose in the taverns of St. Petersburg and he does this hoping to get thrown out of the bar in a physical confrontation. He makes up reasons for being thrown out and when nobody satisfies his temporary addiction, he takes a forgettable event and turns it into the next great atrocity of man kind. The Underground man fights to belong, and when he can’t he targets others for no sensible reason. People who are quick to judge and persecute are often the most conflicted internally. This odd plight the Underground man suffers through resembles that of many americans, who seek a good for society, but instead drive society further apart. The media is perhaps the strongest weapon for change. The liberal and conservative media both have a tendency to blow things out of proportion, and people latch on to the hysteria that is caused. The West Memphis Three were victimized for their differences within the community. One of the boys wore black around town and listened to metal music, thus he was instantly paired with devil worshiping. An accusation of devil worshiping was enough to send him and his two friends two prison for about twenty-five years. This town was afraid of a new, said to be violent religion and quickly expelled those involved. Such drastic measures were so easily taken by innocent people who were overwhelmed in a time of racing emotions. By allowing the media to sway public opinion; we run the risk of allowing hysteria to take over our actions. We have found that people are quick to judge those who don’t fit in with the community for many reasons, but the sad part is that this is often a result of intense and quickly reseeding emotions. People have two types of persecution in them: they either hold deep grudges based on stereotypes or they over react for a short amount of time. The problem is the damage inflicted on the targets of the hazing. Kids are prone to the quickly fading hate and this often hurts kids the most who don’t understand, like me, the source of the hate. Isn’t it true that bullies in school are often letting out pent up aggression from home? This may be so, but what does it say about our parents. Adults tend to be the owners of grudges and these grudges show the true colors of stereotypes in every level of society. Stereotypes result from a lack of two things: knowledge and understanding. You can know everything about someone else, but if you are unwilling to understand the facts, not much progress can be made. The world is not all dark, and there are many people who do great things to bring awareness to this issue. Our teachers do a great deal to prevent bullying in school and they create programs to break down barriers that exist. Rapper Machine Gun Kelly stands for those who feel betrayed and outcasted by society. Many of his songs speak about the trials he passed and essentially crawled through. His fans relate to him and feed his drive to give back through music. In his song See My Tears his verse â€Å"Look man, I been through it all, and Im a damned if I got this far, And I let them strip me of this message, let these haters take my heart. This for the ones that had it hard, the ones like me, the underdogs. †, MGK speaks of the times he was considered down and out, but he won’t let those who doubted him take everything he made himself to be. This speaks to the belief that everyone has a potential and it can be reached in many different ways. Potential is something that brings up an interesting subject, because maybe those who stand out against the social norm are in fact better than the majority. The majority becomes contempt with itself after some time and it needs people to shake the foundations it stands on. America is the land of the free, because of the great lengths to protect ourselves, but as a result we have ostracized our own people and abandoned our founding principals. We have gone to great lengths to protect ourselves against foreign enemies, but Americans have overlooked the changes occurring within. We have committed crimes throughout our history and its time for change. Oscar is an example of those who are victimized for being different, and The Underground man persecutes others for not being up to his standards. They represent the two sides of the war, that threatens our founding principals. Society has many upstanding people who fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. These people are our best chance to repair the weakening foundations within our communities. Their efforts may take some time, but their efforts are proof, that not all is lost. America was founded with the idea that change is necessary, and as long as people are willing to fight there is always hope.

When Should You Take the SAT or ACT Best Test Dates

When Should You Take the SAT or ACT Best Test Dates SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The college admissions process is a long one, encompassing most of a student's high school career. One of the most important parts, the SAT or ACT standardized test, is also one of the most challenging. Butyou can really benefit from early planning and deciding ahead of time when you should take it. It's always a good idea to begin early, but to decide on specific test dates, you'll need to factor in circumstances like your personal schedule, your admissions deadlines, and the classes you're currently taking. All of these make a big difference inwhen it’s best for you to take the SAT or ACT. In this guide, we'll debunk a common myth about the best time to take the test, discuss the most important factors for determining when you should take the SAT or ACT, and go over the besttesting planfor most high school students. Myth: Some SAT/ACT Test Dates Are Always Easier Than Others A common myth about the SAT and ACTis that specific test dates tend to be easier or harder than others. The (incorrect) logic here is that each test date is curved based on the students who take that specific test.Therefore, if you take the test with many ambitious, hard-working students, the curve will be harder and your test score will be lower. On the other hand, if you take the test with a lot of younger, unprepared students, the curve will be easier and your score will be higher. This myth is factually untrue for several reasons. First, both the College Board and ACT, Inc,.do not curve their tests based on student performance. In other words, whom you take the SAT or ACT with haszero impact on your final score. Instead, both the SAT and ACT use an equating process to account for slight differences in test difficulty across test dates. For example, if the ACT you took in April was harder than the ACT given in June, your raw scores would translate into slightly higher scaled scores to account for this difference in difficulty. Both test makers want to give students test scores that can be compared with scores from any other test date, on an equal basis.As a result, a score on one test will always indicate the same level of ability as that same score on a different test date. For example, a 1200 on one SAT will mean the same thing in 2016 as it does in 2020. This is the whole point of a standardized test! Here’s another reason this myth doesn’t make sense: if test curves varied from test to test, then colleges would need to take into account the test date on your application. For instance, they'd need to treat a 30 on an April ACT differently from a 30 on a June ACT. To date, no college admissions office has given any evidence that they take specific test dates into account. It is true that tests do vary in difficulty on a personal level. For example, when I was preparing for the SAT, some reading passages were just easier for me than other passages, especially if the passage topics were in my area of interest. However, you can't predict this ahead of time. As I mentioned above, many other factors go into choosing the test date that’s best for you. 4 Important Factors for Your SAT/ACT Date Like most things in life, early planning pays off- in this case, in higher test scores. Don't wait until college applications are duein your senior year to take your first SAT or ACT- you'll perform nowhere near your best and might not get into the schools you apply to. Beyond the general tip of planning early, you'll need to decide onthe specific test date you’ll be taking the SAT or ACT. Each test now has seven test dates throughout the year, and your score can vary on each test date based on a few key factors. In order of priority, here are the four most important factors to think about when determining when you should take the SAT or ACT: #1: Deadlines for College Admissions and Scholarships The most important factor for determining when you should take the SAT or ACT is your college admissions deadlines. As we'll explain later, you should begin preparing for the SAT/ACT a year before your first important deadline;you should also take your chosen test at least twice. For most students, regular decision deadlines fall in December or January of their senior year, which means you'll need to take your last SAT or ACT by, latest, December. If you're applying early action or early decision and have a due date in November, your last possible test date will be the October SAT or ACT. As a result, you'll need to begin preparing for the SAT/ACT during your junior year. There might be also other deadlines at play for you. For example, if you're recruited for athletics, you'll want to reach your SAT/ACT target goal by the end of your junior year. As we discuss in this article about how college recruiting works, college coaches won't want to spend time recruiting you if they don't think you have a good chance of getting into that school, which means your academics need to be on par with those of non-student athletes at the schools you're applying to. You don't necessarily need to shoot for a top SAT/ACT score and GPA, but you should aim to hit 25th percentile SAT/ACT scores and around 80% of the average GPA. The specifics of what you can get away with will depend on the school, sport, and specific person. For instance, a volleyball player at Harvard will have to meet higher academic standards than a football player at FSU. Deadline considerations also apply for academic merit scholarships. Several SAT/ACT score-based scholarships have deadlines well in advance of the January regular decision admissions deadlines. As a result, you might need to adjust when you take the test(s) to make sure your scores will be ready when you apply. The bottom line? Know your deadlines as you plan out your SAT/ACT testing schedule. #2: Content Readiness and Classes in School Much of the SAT and ACT tests general concepts you'll learn in high school, and your scores will be higher once you’ve taken the classes that cover material on the tests. The best time to take the SAT or ACT is after you've taken Geometry and Algebra II classes. Both tests feature algebra and geometry (though the SAT places less emphasis on geometry these days). If you've never encountered these subjects, your knowledge foundation will cause you to do poorly on the Math section. As for the Reading and Writing/English sections, most students will have had enough exposure to English and grammar to form a baseline understanding of the concepts tested on the SAT and ACT.To excel on these sections, though, you'll need to prep specifically for the SAT and ACT. Now, this doesn’t mean that just because you took Algebra II and English classes, you'll do well on the SAT/ACT. The test questions are very different from what you've seen in school, and much of SAT/ACT prep involves learning special types of questions and becoming familiar with the test format. That said, having the underlying content foundation will make you improve much faster. Plus, if you're in a state that requires juniors to take the SAT or ACT, you might also get some extra prep targeted at the SAT/ACT during class time. #3: Personal Schedule and Stress If possible, it’s best to take the SAT or ACT when you're not stressed about five other things in life. Many high school students struggle with balancing schoolwork, extracurriculars, a social life, and test prep. Therefore,avoid taking the SAT or ACT when you have a lot of other activities going on. For example, May is especially busy for many students because of AP exams, finals, and end-of-year events. But for you, March might be a bad time because you're gearing up for state championships for your sport. In my experience with thousands of students, students who plan to take the SAT or ACT during busy times like these get very stressed, don’t have enough time to prep, and unfortunately end up getting lower-than-expected scores on test day. Try to choose a test date on either side of a busy period so you have more time in your schedule to prep and less stress and anxiety. Ultimately, this can make a big difference in your test scores! #4: Prep Time For most students, we recommend studying at least 40 hours for the SAT or ACTfor a big score improvement. If you can study more than this- e.g., 80 hours or 120 hours- you'll likely be rewarded with higher test scores. If you've already taken the test several times but don’t have time to prep for your next test, you’re unlikely to see a big score improvement. It's an unfortunate truth, but without learning more content and attacking your weaknesses, you're simply not going to improve your score. In the end, try to schedule the SAT/ACT for a time when you can dedicate focused study time to test prep. For example, many students like scheduling the test right after winter break or summer vacation so they can take advantage of their free time by putting in serious study hours. By thinking deeply about these four major factors, you'll be able to figure out which test dates are best for you. Next up, we show you the testing plan that works best for 95% of students. A Reliable SAT/ACT Testing Schedule for Most Students For most students, this SAT/ACT testing schedule will give you the best chance of getting the score you want. It makes sure you test early, gives you room to improve, and offers enough buffer time so that you can get the score you want before your college applications are due. Here are the four steps you'll need to take: Step 1: Take the PSAT as a Junior If you’re aiming for aNational Meritscholarship, you'll want to prepare for the PSAT (which is essentially a practice SAT) and take it your junior year.For most students, though, there's no need to prepare for it; rather, you shouldlook at the PSAT as an opportunity to get early exposure to the SAT. If you plan to take the ACT instead of the SAT, you could opt for the PreACT or the ACT Aspire Program. Step 2: Take the February ACT or March SAT as a Junior These are the first SAT/ACT test dates after winter break, so use your break to prepare for the test. Make sure you have a study planand take at least one or twofull-length SAT/ACT practice testssometime before the test so you can get used to the format. As this will be your first official test, look at your score as a starting score to improve on later. Step 3: Take the April/June ACT or the May/June SAT as a Junior You’ll need to prep a little harder for this test. Make sure you have a long-term study schedule during the school year and are factoring in enough time to study.When deciding between April/May and June test dates, consider your personal schedule and aim to give yourself as little stress as possible. In truth, you're likely to improve your score just by taking the test a second time!Thus, at this point, it’s very possible that yourSAT or ACT score will be good enough for the colleges you want to apply to. If you still want to improve, however, move on to step 4. Step 4: Take the August SAT or September ACT as a Senior From steps 2 and 3, you'll know how much room you need to grow to hit your SAT goal scoreor ACT goal score. During the summer, it's important to work really hard at improving your scores- even at the expense of your social life and personal fun. (It's well worth it, though, as a higher score will get you access to better colleges and scholarships!) Step 5: Still Dissatisfied With Your Score? Take the SAT/ACT in the Late Fall Late fall your senior year is typically yourlast chance to take the SAT/ACT and still get your scores to your schools in time. That said, if you've already taken the test multiple times, you're unlikely to see more than incremental change without a lot of dedicated prep. To really raise your score, you'll need to set aside plenty of time to study. This might mean spending less time with friends or even easing off some of your extracurriculars to give you more time to fully concentrate on the test. Why is this five-step plan so effective?For one, it gives you early warning signs for your starting score so you know how much you have to improve by. It also offers enough flexibility for you to schedule your prep time as needed. Finally, it gives you several chances to take the test in case you have a bad day and don't score as highly as you want to. As a final tip, remember to register well in advance of the deadline so you canpay as few fees as possible. SAT/ACT Testing Schedule for Intensive Studiers If you're a student who's hoping to aim for the highest scores on the test, you'll want to structure your test taking a little differently. The schedule below ensures that you start early and spend more time studying for each test. Step 1: Take the PSAT as a Sophomore While you can't qualify for National Merit as a sophomore, taking the PSAT in 10th grade will give you valuable insight into how you're doing and where your weaknesses lie. Since you're mainly taking the PSAT to get more information about your skill level (rather than to qualify for a scholarship competition), there's no need for any extra preparation. Step 2: Take the PSAT/NMSQT as a Junior This advice is the same as for our regular testing schedule above: if your goal is to qualify for National Merit, you'll need to spend some time prepping for the PSAT (at the very least, by taking an official PSAT practice test). Step 3: Take the September/October ACT or October/November SAT as a Junior Take advantage of your summer vacation and the beginning of fall semester to prepare for this test. Plan to spend at least a few hours prepping each week. As always, follow a study plan and take a fewfull-length SAT/ACT practice testsso you can get more accustomed to the format of the exam. Remember, this is your first official test, and your score on it will be the starting score you'll try to improve on. Take it seriously! Unfortunately, you'll also have the PSAT around this time, so try to balance your study time wisely. Since the PSAT is so similar to the SAT, you can really just study for the SAT and apply what you've learned to the PSAT as well. If you're taking the ACT, on the other hand, the only difference is that you'll probably want tobrush up on your science knowledge. Step 4: Take the March SAT or April ACT as a Junior A spring test is a solid time for a second attempt as you'll have winter vacation (and possibly spring break, too) to study for it.As you did the first time around, make studying part of your routine. This time, however, you should have a better understanding of what specific weaknesses to focus on. Since you'll have gotten back your PSAT scores and your SAT/ACT scores from your fall test, make sure to incorporate any insights you can glean from your performances on these and apply them to your prep. For instance, if your Writing/English score was a lot lower than you expected it to be, you should dedicate more time to reviewing criticalSAT/ACT grammar rules. Step 5: Take the August SAT or September ACT as a Senior If you still haven't hit your goal score, this is a good time to take a third SAT/ACT. You'll absolutely need to prep for this test.The scores you got in step 4 will tell you how much you need to improve by. By giving yourself four to five months to study, you'll have a far better chance of making big score gains (than if you were to opt for the earlier June SAT/ACT). Make full use of the summer to work really hard, even if it comes at the expense of your social life. Remind yourself that a higher score will ultimately give you access to better colleges and even scholarships. Step 6: Unhappy With Your Score? Take the December SAT/ACT as a Senior This is your absolute last chance to take the SAT/ACT and still have your scores meet your college application deadlines. As we recommend for our regular schedule above, if your score is lagging behind the target you've set, it's best to drop as many other activities as you can to improve it. In particular, reduce your extracurriculars and your social life so you can concentrate more on the test. However, you also need to be realistic. Compare your desired score increase withour recommended study time for the SAT and ACT. Can you realistically put in that much study time? More importantly, are you willing to do this? If not, consider adjusting your target score and the schools you want to apply to. What's Next? How high does your SAT/ACT score need to be? Learn more about what a goodSAT scoreand a goodACT scoreis, based on the colleges you're applying to. Want more guidance on how long to study for the SAT/ACT? Check out our expert step-by-step guides for the SAT andACT. Not sure when to take the test? Check out the full schedule of upcoming test dates for the ACT and SATso you can pick the most convenient time for you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Presentation PowerPoint Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

PowerPoint Presentation Example As earlier stated in my introduction, this report aims at achieving two main goals. The most essential one is to improve students’ academic performance. Secondly, it is to guarantee student manage their time effectively and utilize it well. People say that time is money and am sure we all love money and use it carefully (supposed to be like a joke). I am also sure that we do not want to waste our parent’s money sitting around wasting time and doing nothing. (make it fun by like asking question or asking another student the same question. (MAYBE, Jimmy, do you think it is good to waste time in school?) I am going to narrow down to three main topics in my presentation of managing students time. The first will be on follow plans, good study habits and procrastination. I believe these topics touch on the relevant issues in time management especially when students are concerned. We are all supposed to have plans. I believe you have some plans after this. It maybe to go eat a burger or hang out with your friends ( supposed to be fun when you are saying this. You may make a joke by mentioning some crazy plans. Take care though not to stay on that for long). Now, in the school context, we students are supposed to make academic plans and follow them strictly. The plans show time allocation for each subject. They also make sure that time for one subject does not take up the other’s time. Follow plans are supposed to help your organization during study. They also make sure you cover all subjects without discrimination. By sticking to follow plans, the time you have in school will be well managed. There are various types of follow plans. The most common and recommended ones are study plans, revision plans and progress assessment plans. Study plans are for organization of study time and materials. Revision plans come in handy when preparing for exams and progress assessment plans monitor your academic achievement over time. Students ought to have all of these plans

How occupational stress affects mental health Research Paper

How occupational stress affects mental health - Research Paper Example e to learn why and how stress affects us; the symptoms of the problem along with who is most at risk; and finally what relief measures from stress are available. I feel that being properly informed on the subject can have lifelong benefits to enhance and prolong life at work and outside the work setting. High levels of distress over prolonged periods of time can affect our psychological or mental health. The chances of developing obsessive compulsive and related anxiety disorders greatly increase when trying to deal with worry and tension. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual states that â€Å"anxiety is the chief characteristic of all neurotic disorders†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Goldberger and Breznitz, p.573). Primary among all anxiety disorders is obsessive-compulsive behavior. Dobson believes that trying to suppress certain negative feelings or actions can lead to a conflict between the superego and other parts of our personality, and this conflict could eventually develop into obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behavior (p. 146). The author also feels that certain rituals may make a person feel that a threatening situation is temporarily controlled even if it is not controlled (p. 147). Another type of mental health illness is neuroses such as depression and schizophrenia. Mirowsky and Ross showed that people suffering from depression are often also suffering from anxiety. Of the severely distressed, 35 percent could be diagnosed as having major depression; 4 percent for a diagnosis of minor depression; and 22 percent for other anxiety disorders. On the other hand only 3 percent of people who do not qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis are severely distressed (p. 175). Goldberger and Breznitz found that depressed patients report more major stress events than normal control patients, and this is particularly true just before their illness. A study showed a three week period directly before illness was the critical point that

Extracurricular Activities in a Students Life Essay Example for Free

Extracurricular Activities in a Students Life Essay Extracurricular activities can empower students to make their own decisions and help them gain vital experience and skills to lead them on the path to their future. The Facts According to the Montana State University Extension Service, students involved in extracurricular activities are more likely to become leaders, more willing to complete tasks, more willing to voice opinions, and more likely to graduate from high school and have annual incomes of more than $50,000. Extracurricular activities are also a good way to explore social, political, and career interests. Gain Experience through Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular activities help students gain experience in a variety of areas that will enhance their future. Through participation in sports, students learn cooperation, teamwork and time management. By serving as an officer in an organization, students learn responsibility, problem solving and communication. Extracurricular activities can also help students discover hidden talents, meet people they might otherwise not encounter, and learn about things outside their own environment. How to Choose an Activity But which activities should a student choose? Should they choose activities that use talents they already possess and meet people with similar talents, or should they choose something new and different and meet people who possess different opinions and skills? Some students are comfortable with growth while others will feel more comfortable with familiarity. If a student enjoys outdoor activities, he or she may want to look into archery clubs, horseback riding or other sports. If a student enjoys reading he or she may also enjoy literary clubs, writing clubs or journalism activities. Extracurricular activities are also a good way to learn appreciation for new and different activities. A student who would ordinarily choose football or baseball might think about exposing themselves to archery or bird watching. Choosing something outside a students comfort zone widens horizons and expands knowledge. Being open to new avenues by joining the newspaper staff, the computer club or the decorative painters club will expose students to new people and new ideas. What Activities Are Available? Activities can be found by checking with school counselors, reading the club section of the local newspaper, calling the Chamber of Commerce, asking other students what activities they are involved in and checking with area churches. Information on volunteer activities can often be obtained from community service organizations or teachers. Teachers can be a wealth of information concerning work-study programs, internships and summer jobs; all of which help students build their resume and gain valuable experience in their career field. If a student has already chosen a career path, extracurricular activities can help pave the way. If he or she is interested in teaching science, being an officer in the science club or entering the local science fair can show commitment. Community service at a nearby pharmacy or volunteering at a lab at a nearby hospital or plant can also give experience in the chosen field and can be included on a resume. Ask Questions It’s important to inquire about the organization. Is there a cost involved? Will participants be asked to raise money? How often does the organization meet? Are evenings and weekends involved? Are outside activities required? How many hours will the organization’s activities entail? Checking school and work schedules should also be done before joining any organization. Extracurricular activities are important, but they shouldnt take up all of a students time outside the school day. There should still be time for homework, chores, relaxing, and spending time with friends and family. A combination of all these are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Extracurricular activities should complement a students life, not complicate it. When students are involved in too many activities or in an activity that takes up too much time, students will become stressed and grades and family relationships begin to suffer. Students should be careful not to overextend themselves by taking on too many activities or volunteering for too many jobs or committees in an organization. Serving as an Officer of an Organization Serving as an officer of an organization can also teach a variety of skills. Leadership and management responsibilities can be gained through serving as President. Recorders or Secretaries gain experience in writing and journalism. Treasurers gain bookkeeping and money handling experience. Each office holds valuable skills that can be used in the future. Many students who ran for Student Body President of their school have gone on to become Chief Executive Officer of an organization or President of their own company. Running for office also gives students experience in campaign management, advertisement and people skills. Some students may choose to get to know an organization better before becoming an officer. They will still have opportunities to serve on committees or volunteer for projects throughout the year. Teamwork, communication and organization skills are all gained by serving on a committee or working on a club project. Commitment Learning to stick with an activity from start to finish is another important lesson of extracurricular activities. Once a commitment to a club, activity or committee is made, students should hang in there even if the activity isnt quite what they expected. By learning to see activities through to the end, students learn valuable lessons they will use later in life. They will be less likely to drop out of school, less likely to quit a job and less likely to walk away from a relationship prematurely. Gain Vital Experience and Skills for the Future Experience gained from extracurricular activities will follow students throughout their lives. It is surprising to note that when the top two candidates in the running for a job are closely matched, something like Eagle Scout listed on their resume can help decide the tie. Prestigious honors like National Honor Society, English Honor Society or Gamma Beta Phi are noticed by potential employers. They look for competent workers that are go-getters and are willing to get involved and go the extra mile. Even something like Scouting or 4-H tells employers about the person behind the resume. Taking the time to get involved in extracurricular activities will benefit students in a variety of ways. Time away from the school day through participation in extracurricular activities can also serve as an outlet for stress and a way to build confidence and self-esteem. Students need encouragement to pursue their dreams. Not only will it empower them to make their own decisions, they will also be given a chance to gain vital experience and skills that will lead them on the path to their future.

The White Male Fantasy of Total Recall :: Total Recall Essays

The White Male Fantasy of Total Recall      Ã‚   After saving the planet from a ruthless dictator and barely avoiding death on the hills of Mars, Douglas Quaid (Schwarzenegger) puts a final spin on Total Recall with his final lines: "I just had a terrible thought. What if this is all a dream?" This last statement by Quaid leaves the audience pondering the question of reality, wondering what truly was 'real.' By the end of the film, one could easily argue a whole realm of possibilities: The events were all real; they were all a dream; they were the Recall implant fantasy played out; or they were the Recall fantasy gone haywire. In addition, the film seems to reject imperialism and the domination of white males, also rather postmodern in ideology. What is most ironic about this apparent postmodernism of resistance that we see at the surface of the film is undermined by high modernist ideology that recalls metanarratives of a patriarchal past. Thus we actually get the high modernist ideology that the film appears to reject. F or every progressive step that Total Recall takes forward, then, it takes two steps back, and by the end of the film we see not a progressive victory, but rather a white male fantasy of the return of the patriarchal world in which the white man is on top.    According to Andreas Huyssen, "The postmodern harbored the promise of a 'post-white,' 'post-male,' 'post-humanist,' and 'post-Puritan' world" (194). While I am not purporting to predict the future, one would assume that if postmodern ideology continued on, then the future would continue the gender and racial role deconstruction that began in the mid to late 1960's. But Total Recall does not keep this promise, as there is nothing post-white, post-male, post-humanist or post-Puritan about it, and racial and gender codes, rather than being deconstructed, are actually reconstructed. In fact, Total Recall's world, produced in 1990, written in 1975, and representing 2084, looks much more like George Orwell's 1949 depiction of the world 1984 than any futuristic postmodern world. When Orwell created his future, it was based on projections of the present, and so whites and males still ruled the earth, and communist-like governments ruled the earth. In Total Recall, though, we do not see a pro jected future based on trends of our present, but rather one that reconstructs the past cultural dominant of white patriarchy, and seems to want to project from the early 1900's.

Judeo Christian Veiws on God

Explain how the Judeo Christian tradition shows the goodness of God The ‘goodness’ of God, as a concept, refers to the holiness and care that god himself initiates on his people, however the Judeo-Christian tradition hold that gods attributes cannot be a ‘concept’ as god is personal, and treats all living beings as individuals.The biblical god, a completely different god than that of Plato or any philosopher, who can be seen as a ‘concept’ can be referred and described to as ‘good’ throughout scriptures through acts of kindness and his characteristics of denying those who are evil for the better of mankind; ‘You have rejected me, says the lord, your are going backward so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you’ (Jeremiah 15. 6). According to this Judeo-Christian tradition gods goodness cannot have attributes of evil and portray his acts of being hard done by as help to those who need it.However this a nger is not subjected to those who have done nothing wrong, but to those who are unjust and mistreat those of equality to them. The simple understanding of gods goodness is to look at what he does, he is beneficial to his creatures and doesn’t act for his own profit, but for those on earth to create a helpful father as he wishes to be conceived; ‘I myself, said, how gladly I treat you like sons, and give you a desirable land, the most insurance of any nation.I thought you would call me father and not turn away from me’ (Jeremiah 3. 19-20). God also promises Abraham that he would be the father to the Israelites, a great nation. The goodness which is a strong participant of gods role in the bible, along with the ten commandments ‘do not commit adultery, do no steal’ and so forth, conduct a role in which those who follow the doings of god will also take on. This also helps the follower of god to feel innate and closer to god as they respond and follow h is rules with obedience.Gods acts on individual people whilst helping them, is simply for their faith to be held with him, and they believe whatever god puts forth for them to do, they shall do it as god is good, and wouldn’t want to cause intentional hurt without reason. (quote 1). God can further can be seen as having personal feelings, as he is seen to be hurt and becomes angry when people disobey his orders and when people fail to respond to his commands, for example committing adultery would be a sin against god; ‘Instead, as a faithless wife leaves her husband, so you have been faithless to me, Oh house of Israel, says the lord’ (Jeremiah 3:19 19-20).God also shows love and compassion, another two attributes to gods goodness, as he bore a son to Hannah as she prayed to him to ‘look on the misery of your servant and remember me†¦.. give to your servant a male child’ (Jeremiah 3:19-20) Although his anger and the justice he serves on those wh o disobey him are sometimes seen as mean, they are attributes to his personality as a god and believers see this as him being fair and just.He does these as comeuppance to supposed faithful ones to take advantage of his goodness, and is still seen as perfect; ‘He is the rock, his works are perfect and all his ways are just. A faithful god who does no wrong, upright and just is he. They have acted corruptly towards him, to their shame they are no longer his children but a warped and crocked generation’. (Deuteronomy 32. 4-5)       It is essential therefore, for people to respond to god’s demands with faith and obedience as god is the only one who understands and defines goodness, humans cannot understand this concept as we are tempted by evil.Having faith in god when you are poor and with nothing may be hard, but as Abraham sets example and continues believing in god, others should follow and having faith may lead them to a better fortune and not give up on ho pe. The goodness of god in the bible is represented through situations and stories told for centuries, they show his many attributes that fold into the one personality of god, to be and always be infinitely good.