Jacob Kounin Essay

Who Is Jacob Kounin? * Jacob Kounin is a classroom behaviorist theorist. He first started as a psychologist at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. * He is best known for two studies he did in 1970 that was based on classroom management. * He began his studies in 1970 by writing Discipline and Group Management in Classrooms. He wrote the book to discuss the effective and ineffective behaviors in the classroom. The process began by observing teachers in an everyday classroom setting to see how they handled misbehaving. He found that no matter how the teacher’s handled the given situation, the outcome was always the same. His conclusion was basically to prevent misbehavior before it even happens. This brought on his idea of having main points to follow to have successful classroom management. Ripple Effect * The ripple effect came about while Kounin was teaching during Mental Hygiene class. A student of his was in the back reading a newspaper. The paper was completely open and covering the student’s face. Kounin asked the student to put the paper away and follow along. This brought on other students to follow the same directions. Therefore, if you â€Å"call out† one student in front of the class, it will cause other students to get refocused. â€Å"Withitness† * Withitness is not a teachable concept. This is basically a natural instinct in education. Being â€Å"with it† involves many concepts. Teachers have to constantly knowing what is going on in their classroom at all times. There are many ways to maintain â€Å"withitness† is being alert, circulating the classroom, asking numerous questions, redirecting students and knowing students on a personal level. Overlapping * Overlapping is basically a teacher’s way of multi-tasking. Teachers should constantly keep their students focused and engaged in the learning taking place. This key point ties back to having â€Å"Withitness†. Momentum * A teacher that has a manageable classroom must have momentum. In the classroom, there are unexpected changes that may occur that were not planned for. A teacher has to be able to maintain control of his or her classroom during these unplanned events and just â€Å"Roll with the punches†. Momentum occurs when students are involved and interested in the learning that is taking place. Momentum is also a learning tool for teachers. After completing a lesson and the students are just not getting it, the teacher can reevaluate how he or she wrote it. Smoothness * Smoothness basically boils down to having daily routines and procedures. If you explain to students what you expect out of them at the beginning of the year, your classroom will run a lot smoother. Smoothness can occur in a classroom starting with morning routines, to transitioning lessons to even how students ask to get out of their seat by using signals with their hands. If a teacher has a structured classroom, it can also run smoother throughout the day. Group Alerting * This is a way to keep all students’ attention and behavior on task. There are several strategies teachers can go about using group alerting. Some examples of group alerts may be completed with the help of students by using songs, the clap system and sayings, while others can be used solely by the teacher. For example, calling on students at random by asking a question only after scanning the room to make sure students are paying attention. Advantages –vs. – Disadvantages of Kounin’s Theory * Advantages * Promotes learning in not only regular education students, but also with special education students * Effective ways to manage a classroom * Shows respect for all students * Helps prevent discipline problems * Disadvantages * Does not address behavior problems * Teachers wanted effective strategies to stopping misbehavior quickly and they did not find it in Kounin’s work. Work Cited Charles, C.M. Building Classroom Discipline. 10th. N.A.: Pearson, 2011. 66-68. Print. â€Å"Discipline Theorist.† n. page. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. http://www.elearnportal.com/courses/education/classroom-management-and-discipline/classroom-management-and-discipline-discipline-theorists. Evertson, C.M, and E.T. Emmer. Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers. 8th. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2009. 108-112. Print. Gulliver, L. â€Å"Jacob Kounin.† 01/2011. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. http://lynneg.edu.glogster.com/lynne-gullivers-jacob-kounin-glog/

Human Activities and the Loss of Natural Resources Essay

Natural resources including soil, water, forest, mineral and biodiversity have been repeatedly destroyed around the world by humans. â€Å"Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed† (Butler, 2011). The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) estimated that â€Å"soil erosion carries away a volume of soil equivalent to one metre deep over 200,000 hectares every year in the Philippines.† In Asia, where water has always been regarded as an abundant resource, per capita availability declined by 40-60% between 1955 and 1990 (Coleridge, 2006). â€Å"In South Africa major conservation areas such as Kruger national park risked losing up to 60% of the species under their protection† (Brown, 2004). Mindful of the losses of natural resources, this essay will discuss how human activities harm the world’s natural resources in terms of the loss of soil resource, forest resource, and biodiversity. †¢ The loss of soil resource Human activities have often led to the loss of soil resources, which are the basis for sustained food security. Soil occurs naturally from physical and chemical disintegration of rocks and minerals combined with fossil. Because of such a combination, soil has different properties. Nowadays human activities repeatedly destroy soil resource. For example, illegal logging degrades soil quality. It is easy for wind and water to bring fertile soil away, which eventually results to soil erosion. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization, a branch of United Nations) estimates that â€Å"the global loss of productive land through erosion is 5-7 million ha/year.† Another example of the loss of soil resource is farmers’ lack of knowledge (à ¸â€"à ¸ ±Ã  ¸ ¨Ã  ¸â„¢Ã  ¸ µÃ  ¸ ¢Ã  ¹Å' à ¸ ­Ã  ¸ ±Ã  ¸â€¢Ã  ¸â€¢Ã  ¸ °Ã  ¸â„¢Ã  ¸ ±Ã  ¸â„¢Ã  ¸â€"à ¸â„¢Ã  ¹Å', 2554). These farmers will not know indeed how to prepare soil for cultivation. That is why the soil quality is damaged. WRI, U NEP, UNDP, and World Bank have found that â€Å"the degradation of soil resources all over the world is 1.9 billion hectares.† Both examples show that human activities cause the loss of soil resource. †¢ The loss of forest resource Forests, which are valuable asset and essential resource on earth, have been destroyed by human activities. â€Å"Nearly 4 billion hectares of forest cover the earth’s surface, roughly 30 percent of its total land area† (Mygatt, 2006). There are many tree and animal species in the forest, so forests contain a lot of beneficial things for humans. Many human activities destroy the forest area. For example, people often cut down the trees and use the wood for trade, fuel, and furniture. The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation will result to the loss of forest area. â€Å"Forest area decreased worldwide by 0.22% per year in the period 1990-2000 and 0.18% per year between 2000 and 2005† (FAO, 2006). This research shows that the world in every year still continues to lose the forest area. Another example of human activity is people, especially in developing countries, change the forest area to agriculture land and tourist attraction including resorts, museums, and parks. The 2007 report, which involved more than 1,300 scientists from 95 countries, said that â€Å"every year about 10-million hectares of the world’s forests are lost to unsustainable modes of economic development.† All of above are human activities, which cause the loss of forest resource. †¢ The loss of biodiversity Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing the loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity means the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat around the world. Scholar estimates that â€Å"there are 5 million species on the earth, but only 1.9 species are known.† Nevertheless, the numbers of species have been disappearing by human activities every day. For instance, illegal logging is the greatest cause of species extinction worldwide because tropical forests contain at least half the Earth’s species. Scientists said that â€Å"plant and animal species are now disappearing 100 to 1,000 times faster than the natural pace of extinction.† This rapid extinction rate makes ecosystem become imbalance. Another example of human activity that causes the loss of biodiversity is hunting. Most people hunt for food, trade, and recreation. This activity also makes the wildlife become extinct rapidly. Statistics data on the loss of biodiversity suggest that â€Å"at least 20% of bird species have already completely vanished and that 23% of mammals, 25% of conifers, 32% of amphibians and 52% of cycads continue to face serious threat of extinction.† These are the examples of human activities that lead to the loss of biodiversity. Human activities (such as illegal logging, farmers’ lack of knowledge, land clearing, and hunting) are the major causes of the losses of soil resource, forest resource, and biodiversity. People should pay more attention to these problems. They can learn more information about the soil to prevent the loss of soil resource. When they cut down trees, they should not forget to reforest for avoiding the loss of forest resource. They should be more concern and conserve to the forest area to protect biodiversity, otherwise plant and animal species on earth may decrease and totally disappear from the earth.

Media Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media Control - Research Paper Example The definition clearly states that media is a communication aimed at reaching a mass audience and when an attempt to control it is; the outcome is not beneficial to the mass audience. The media are the public watchdog informing the masses of the happenings in the country. Many a time’s hostile regimes to free media, use the government machinery at their disposal to oppress their freedom. Some countries use the legislature to introduce laws that are oppressive and ensure that the media is silent. Their best weapon of choice is punitive fines and indefinite closure of the broadcasting stations. Journalists are the most affected by this barbaric behavior. They experience punishments that equate abuse of human rights and constant threats on their lives or their immediate family. Some have even paid with their dear life or forced to go into exile. This research paper aims at bring to light the impact of media control to a country and the lives of journalists who are directly linked with media houses. The main intention of discussing this topic is to highlight the impact of media control and, to provide possible solutions to the menace. The technicality used to discuss the points is literature review on related works by renowned scholars and an interview with a journalist. Types of media control In order to understand the impact of media control it is important to know the forms of media control and the people responsible for controlling the media. Most scholars argue that the government is responsible of controlling the media industry (Sonin 3). When the media in such states try to expose their evils, these governments move with their state machinery to silence the media. The state may decide to control the media directly or indirectly. When the state controls the media directly it entails controlling the type of news media is able to air. The state determines what coverage the media gives to particular incidents and whom to focus on. Most of the time, the me dia are forced to focus on the president of the state and the ruling party politics. This direct control is common in countries as china and Uganda in Africa. In Uganda, a newspaper owned by the Nation Media group The Daily Monitor shutdown indefinitely for exposing the evils done by the government. The police later moved into a Television station affiliated to the newspaper Ntv Uganda offices and vandalized the broadcasting equipment arresting journalists at the same time. This is a form of direct control. Indirect control occurs when the government sweet talks privately owned media station into airing the government-preferred content. Such a case occurred in Mexico when the government offered tax incentives to privately owned media station to only air ruling party agenda and sideline the politicians (Lawson 320). The station had the freedom to air the type of advertisement they wanted and programs in return they pushed for the government agenda to the people. Many countries make d ecisions on the media model they want the country to operate. The different models brought out evidently by various media control scholars include libertarian and authoritarian models. By determining their print, audio and video content as they see fit in the advancement of their business through ads, libertarian model takes center stage. Contrary to freedom of choice of content is the authoritative model where the political big wigs call the shots. They determine

Global Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Financial Crisis - Essay Example The crisis had great impact as it led to slow growth which translated into unemployment further worsening the situation. The paper will discuss the origin or causes of the financial crisis and how it affects individuals and the economy as a whole. Loose monetary policy in USA has mostly been blamed for the crisis. According to Taylor (2009, p. 20), low interest rates led to depreciation of the dollar and consequently rise in oil prices from $70 a barrel in August 2007 to over $140 per barrel in July 2008. This consequently led to the increase in commodity prices especially housing prices. Davies (2010) argues that the crisis was precipitated by financial innovations and laxity in monetary policy which were used as measures to offset the impact of income inequalities on aggregate demand. Households were encouraged to borrow funds to finance consumption hence growth of leverage in American households. Credit expansion led to economic growth thereby pushing up the value of equities, com modities and real estate (Jackson, 2009). The increased housing prices were the beginning of the crisis. There was speculation in the market that the prices would continue rising in future creating an opportunity for banks to offer mortgage-backed loans even to subprime borrowers. Households were being encouraged to own homes and hence were given mortgages at low interest or waiver of interest for two years and no down payment (Kolb, 2010). The mortgage brokers then sold the mortgage to a bank at a commission hence transferring risk to the bank. The banks then bundled the mortgages into one complex product and got the services of credit rating agencies for valuation. Due to complexity of the product, the rating agencies gave a good rating to the product. The bank then securitized the loans and due to the high rating, the securities were worth much more than government securities thereby attracting investors. Banks could borrow funds to buy more mortgages so as to securitize and earn high returns. The easy money and overconfidence due to speculation of high housing prices in future led to excessive risk-taking by banks and other financial institutions. Davies (2010) argues that the financial market regulators are to blame for allowing speculation and not offering adequate risk management controls. Due to speculation, there was decline in risk perceptions by banks as well as risk tolerance such that investors were accepting low returns for mortgage-backed securities. The investors did not know the value of the securities or risks involved as they were relying on credit rating agencies who were giving wrong ratings due to complexity of the mortgages. Swan (2010) on the other hand, argues that the government programs aimed at promoting home ownership and increasing profits of real estate investments were to blame. The government enterprises and mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac promoted the program by deducting interest for owner-occupied home loans. The y were buying mortgage-backed securities including those that were formed with risky subprime mortgages.  

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 88

Discussion - Essay Example in this case transparency will be beneficial both to me and others. This is because; transparency implies openness, correspondence, and responsibility. Transparency is working in such a route, to the point that it is simple for others to see what movements are performed. For instance, a clerk making change at a purpose of offer by isolating a clients huge bills, numbering up from the deal sum, and setting the change on the counter in such a path as to welcome the client to confirm the measure of progress exhibits transparency. I have a combined strength of enhanced sender and receiving skills. This helps me a lot in communication as it always help me achieve the purpose of communication. the two skills are vital as they the receiver gets to understand the message while the receiver makes sure the message is received and understood too. I can pass this strength to others through a meeting while discussing on how to improve the performance of the organization. The big idea I derived from this week’s discussion is effective communication that helps us better understand an individual or circumstance and empowers us to intention contrasts, assemble trust and regard, and make situations where imaginative plans, critical thinking, love, and minding can prosper. As basic as correspondence appears to be, much of what we attempt to convey to others—and what others attempt to impart to us gets misjudged, which can result in clash and dissatisfaction in particular and expert

Peak Experiences and Strategic IT Alignment At Vermont Teddy Bear Case Study

Peak Experiences and Strategic IT Alignment At Vermont Teddy Bear - Case Study Example This research will begin with the description of VTB’s business model. Founded in 1981 by John Sortino, VTB has undergone several challenges including a bankruptcy threat in 1990, but still survived to provide gift delivery services. The company’s product line is composed of three major products: Calyx Flowers categorized under gifts, Bears (posh dolls), and PajamaGrams in the apparel class. With these products, the company has been striving to obtain a share of a market often dominated by rivals. The company’s customers make gift orders through web, mail, retail store, and phone as the predominant channels. Each of the aforementioned channels is supported by its unique software. However, the company is considering using a single multifaceted software that will enable it to manage all orders from its clients and monitor the demand as a way of reducing redundancies in production or running out of stock during peak seasons. As the company is committed towards meeti ng the divergent tastes and preferences of its customers, it allows its customers to select ensigns and outfits from a list of alternatives. Their choices are incorporated into the process of designing the bears. To uphold its value proposition, VTB produces purchases raw materials and fabrics from vendors from different locations. According to Austin, Nolan, and O'Donnell (2012), the purchasing of raw materials from different vendors allows the manufacturer to use the best accessible quality and circumvent snags resulting from suppliers’ failures to uphold integrity.

Renoirs adaptation of maupassants A counrty excursion Essay

Renoirs adaptation of maupassants A counrty excursion - Essay Example In the context of French cinema, works of such iconic writers as Victor Hugo, Emile Zola and Alexander Dumas were heavily drawn upon. Guy de Maupassant’s short story A Country Excursion is one among many instances of early cinema embracing literature. But there are numerous challenges in adapting a work of art to a radically different medium. Theatre and cinema can be said to share some affinity in terms of principles of mise-en-scene, accepted rules of screen-play, shared exploration of genres, etc. But literature to film is a big leap and film theorist Dudley Andrew identifies three basic types of adaptation – borrowing, intersecting and transforming sources. In the case of A Day in the Country to varying degrees all the three types are at play. Borrowing: The film is said to be borrowed from the short story to the extent that there is divergence in their details pertaining to characterization, geographic description, projection of individual motive, etc. In borrowing , â€Å"the artist employs, more or less extensively, the material, idea, or form of an earlier, generally successful text...the adaptation hopes to win an audience by the prestige of its borrowed title or subject...at the same time it seeks to gain a certain respectability, if not aesthetic value, as a dividend in the transaction†. (Andrew, p.422) Renoir’s work satisfies some of these criteria better than others. Certainly the literary work is the very basis for the project of the film. Moreover, Maupassant was a household name in early twentieth century France, and thus brings a degree of prestige to the project at hand. But the particular short story, A Country Excursion, does not have the same name recollection as its author does. Renoir’s enterprise does succeed in fulfill the twin key criteria of bringing respectability and aesthetic value to the transaction. The cinema produced is no injustice to the artistic standards of its source. The additional provis ions afforded by the new medium add more vibrancy and color to the source text. So the idea of the film can certainly be said to have been borrowed, though with certain qualifications. Intersection: This form of adaptation is found to be the weakest in A Day in the Country. Intersection is the most infidel methods of transmuting words to film due to its limited objective. The goal of the filmmaker is less constrained, for he/she is not concerned with the entire written work but only one idea/feature within it. The task then is to experiment and find out what ‘cinema’ as a medium can ‘do’ to the original. At its heart is creative curiosity and experimentation on the part of the director. Renowned French film critic Andre Bazin has expressed intersection through the metaphor of light. Andrews paraphrases Bazin thus, â€Å"here the original artwork can be likened to a crystal chandelier whose formal beauty is a product of its intricate but fully artificial ar rangement of parts while the cinema would be a crude flashlight intersecting not for its own shape or the quality of its light but for what it makes appear in this or that dark corner† (Andrews, p.423) Seen in light of this definition, A Day in the Country is the cinematic intersection of the literary work, for it brings to the table unique cinematic qualities of expression. This is most evident in passages in the film where dialogue takes

Should Animals be Used in Medical Research Paper

Should Animals be Used in Medical - Research Paper Example When preliminary tests on animals provide promising results, only then these studies are conducted on human beings. Therefore, the use of animals in medical research has been extremely useful in understanding the human body and the changes in functions when dealing with a disease. Hence, animals provide a good testing ground to conduct medical research and should continue to be used within the limits of the code of ethics. This paper will examine the historical background concerning the use of animals in medical research and closely examine the different perspectives pertaining to it. It will also elaborate my arguments supporting the use of animals in medical research and why I feel it is especially critical to do so in this day and age. Relevant History and Background The use of animals in medical and behavioral studies can be traced back to ancient Greek writings which record that Aristotle, the Greek philosopher conducted experiments on live animals. In fact, Aristotle argued tha t, â€Å"animals, having sense perception but lacking reason, fall below humans in a natural hierarchy and are therefore appropriate resources for human purposes† (DeGrazia 3). ... Traditionally, the moral status of animals has been shaped by religion and philosophy. The Bible mentions that God created human beings in His own image and gave him authority over all that was created – including animals. According to DeGrazia, the Bible reinforces the Aristotelian view of animals of using them for human purposes (3). Christian philosophers like Augustine and Thomas Aquinas also emphasized that since animals cannot reason, they are subordinate to human beings (DeGrazia 3). However Hinduism and Islamic beliefs consider animals to have some degree of rationality and at times consider them on par with human beings (DeGrazia 3). Current medical research practices ensure only the least number of the most appropriate animal is used. Again, the U.S. federal law requires all animals to be treated humanely and that they should experience the least amount of pain and distress when used in medical research. For as long as animals have been used for medical research, the re have been people and groups fighting for animal rights through writings and peaceful protests. However, as the experimentation on animals increased over the years, so did the controversy and criticism concerning it, especially with respect to the practice of vivisection – a process which involves conducting surgery on living organisms, usually animals, for physiological or pathological investigations (DeGrazia). Overview of Different Positions on This Issue Broadly there are two opposing positions concerning the issue of the use of animals in medical research: In Favor of Animal Research: The major argument of people favoring animal research is that using animals for medical research is acceptable if the

Animal Farm by George Orwell Essay Example for Free

Animal Farm by George Orwell Essay Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before the Second World War. Orwell, a democratic socialist,[1] was a critic of Joseph Stalin and hostile to Moscow-directed Stalinism, especially after his experiences with the NKVD and the Spanish Civil War.[2] In a letter to Yvonne Davet, Orwell described Animal Farm as his novel contre Stalin.[3] The original title was Animal Farm: A Fairy Story, but the subtitle was dropped by U. S. publishers for its 1946 publication and subsequently all but one of the translations during Orwells lifetime omitted the addition. Other variations in the title include: A Satire and A Contemporary Satire.[3] Orwell suggested the title Union des rà ©publiques socialistes animales for the French translation, which recalled the French name of the Soviet Union, Union des rà ©publiques socialistes sovià ©tiques, and which abbreviates to URSA, the Latin for bear, a symbol of Russia.[3] Time magazine chose the book as one of the 100 best English-language novels (1923 to 2005);[4] it also places at number 31 on the Modern Library List of Best 20th-Century Novels. It won a Retrospective Hugo Award in 1996 and is also included in the Great Books of the Western World. The novel addresses not only the corruption of the revolution by its leaders but also how wickedness, indifference, ignorance, greed and myopia corrupt the revolution. It portrays corrupt leadership as the flaw in revolution, rather than the act of revolution itself. It also shows how potential ignorance and indifference to problems within a revolution could allow horrors to happen if a smooth transition to a peoples government is not achieved. Plot summary Snowballs revolution Old Major, the old boar on the Manor Farm, calls the animals on the farm for a meeting, where he compares the humans to parasites and teaches  the animals a revolutionary song, Beasts of England. When Major dies two young pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, assume command and turn his dream into a philosophy. The animals revolt and drive the drunken and irresponsible Mr Jones from the farm, renaming it Animal Farm. They adopt Seven Commandments of Animal-ism, the most important of which is, All animals are equal. Snowball attempts to teach the animals reading and writing; food is plentiful, and the farm runs smoothly. The pigs elevate themselves to positions of leadership and set aside special food items, ostensibly for their personal health. Napoleon takes the pups from the farm dogs and trains them privately. When Mr Jones tries to retake the farm, the animals defeat him at what they call the Battle of the Cowshed. Napoleon and Snowball struggle for leadership. When Snowball announces his idea for a windmill, Napoleon has his dogs chase Snowball away and declares himself leader. Napoleons rule Napoleon enacts changes to the governance structure of the farm, replacing meetings with a committee of pigs, who will run the farm. Using a young pig named Squealer as a mouthpiece, Napoleon announces that Snowball stole the idea for the windmill from him. The animals work harder with the promise of easier lives with the windmill. After a violent storm, the animals find the windmill annihilated. Napoleon and Squealer convince the animals that Snowball destroyed the windmill, although the scorn of the neighbouring farmers suggests that the windmills walls were too thin. Once Snowball becomes a scapegoat, Napoleon begins purging the farm with his dogs, killing animals he accuses of consorting with Snowball. He and the pigs abuse their power, imposing more control while reserving privileges for themselves and rewriting history, villainising Snowball and glorifying Napoleon. Squealer justifies every statement Napoleon makes, even the pigs alteration of the Seven Commandments of Animalism. No animal shall sleep in beds is changed to No animal shall sleep in beds with sheets when the pigs are discovered to have been sleeping in the old  farmhouse. No animal shall drink alcohol is changed to No animal shall drink alcohol to excess when the pigs discover the farmers whiskey. Beasts of England is replaced by an anthem glorifying Napoleon, who appears to be adopting the lifestyle of a man. The animals, though cold, starving and overworked, remain convinced that they are better off than they were when under Mr Jones. Squealer abuses the animals poor memorie s and invents numbers to show their improvement. Mr Frederick, one of the neighbouring farmers, swindles Napoleon by buying old wood with forged money, and then attacks the farm, using blasting powder to blow up the restored windmill. Though the animals win the battle, they do so at great cost, as many, including Boxer, are wounded. Despite his injuries, Boxer continues working harder and harder, until he collapses while working on the windmill. Napoleon sends for a van to take Boxer to the veterinary surgeons, explaining that better care can be given there. Benjamin the donkey, who could read as well as any pig,[5] notices that the van belongs to Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler (a knacker), and attempts to mount a rescue; but the animals attempts are futile. Squealer reports that the van was purchased by the hospital and the writing from the previous owner had not been repainted. He recounts a tale of Boxers death in the hands of the best medical care. Shortly after Boxers death, it is revealed that the pigs hav e purchased more whiskey. Humanisation Years pass, and the pigs learn to walk upright, carry whips and wear clothes. The Seven Commandments are reduced to a single phrase: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. Napoleon holds a dinner party for the pigs and the humans of the area, who congratulate Napoleon on having the hardest-working but least fed animals in the country. Napoleon announces an alliance with the humans, against the labouring classes of both worlds. He abolishes practices and traditions related to the Revolution, and changes the name of the farm to The Manor Farm. The animals, overhearing the conversation, notice that the faces of the  pigs have begun changing. During a poker match, an argument breaks out between Napoleon and Mr Pilkington when they both play the Ace of Spades, and the animals realise that the faces of the pigs look like the faces of humans, and no one can tell the difference between them. Animalism Seven Commandments redirects here. For the Noahide code, see Seven Laws of Noah.: The seven laws listed by the Tosefta and the Talmud are[7] 1. Prohibition of Idolatry 2. Prohibition of Murder 3. Prohibition of Theft 4. Prohibition of Sexual immorality 5. Prohibition of Blasphemy 6. Prohibition of eating flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive 7. Establishment of courts of law The pigs Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer adapt Old Majors ideas into an actual philosophy, which they formally name Animalism. Soon after, Napoleon and Squealer indulge in the vices of humans (drinking alcohol, sleeping in beds, trading). Squealer is employed to alter the Seven Commandments to account for this humanisation, an allusion to the Soviet governments revising of history in order to exercise control of the peoples beliefs about themselves and their society.[6] The original commandments are: 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal. Later, Napoleon and his pigs secretly revise some commandments to clear them of accusations of law-breaking (such as No animal shall drink alcohol having to excess appended to it and No animal shall sleep in a bed with with sheets added to it). The changed commandments are as follows, with the changes bolded: 1. No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. 2. No animal shall drink alcohol to excess. 3. No animal shall kill any other animal without cause. Eventually these are replaced with the maxims, All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others, and Four legs good, two legs better! as the pigs become more human. This is an ironic twist to the original purpose of the Seven Commandments, which were supposed to keep order within Animal Farm by uniting the animals together against the humans, and by prevent animals from following the humans evil habits. Through the revision of the commandments, Orwell demonstrates how simply political dogma can be turned into malleable propaganda.[7] Characters Pigs Old Major – An aged prize Middle White boar provides the inspiration  that fuels the Rebellion in the book. He is an allegory of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, the founders of communism, in that he draws up the principles of the revolution. His skull being put on revered public display also recalls Lenin, whose embalmed body was put on display.[8][9] Napoleon – A large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way,[10] An allegory ofJoseph Stalin,[8] Napoleon is the main villain of Animal Farm. In the first French version of Animal Farm, Napoleon is called Cà ©sar, the French form of Caesar,[3] although another translation has him as Napolà ©on.[11] Snowball – Napoleons rival and original head of the farm after Jones overthrow. He is mainly based on Leon Trotsky,[8] but also combines elements from Vladimir Lenin.[9] Squealer – A small white fat porker who serves as Napoleons right hand pig and minister of propaganda, holding a position similar to that of Molotov.[8] Minimus – A poetic pig who writes the second and third national anthems of Animal Farm after the singing of Beasts of England is banned. The Piglets – Hinted to be the children of Napoleon (albeit not explicitly stated) and are the first generation of animals actually subjugated to his idea of animal inequality. The young pigs – Four pigs who complain about Napoleons takeover of the farm but are quickly silenced and later executed. Pinkeye – A minor pig who is mentioned only once; he is the pig that tastes Napoleons food to make sure it is not poisoned, in response to rumours about an assassination attempt on Napoleon. Humans Mr Jones – The former owner of the farm, Jones is a very heavy drinker. The animals revolt against him after he drinks so much that he does not feed or take care of them. Mr Frederick – The tough owner of Pinchfield, a well-kept neighbouring farm, who briefly enters into an alliance with Napoleon, represents Germany. Mr Pilkington – The easy-going but crafty owner of Foxwood, a neighbouring farm overgrown with weeds, represents Britain. Mr Whymper – A man hired by Napoleon for the public relations of Animal Farm to human society, who is eventually used to procure luxuries like alcohol for the pigs. Equines Boxer – Boxer is a loyal, kind, dedicated, and respectable horse, although quite dim-witted. Clover – Boxers companion, constantly caring for him; she also acts as a matriarch of sorts for the other horses and the other animals in general. Mollie – Mollie is a self-centred, self-indulgent and vain young white mare who quickly leaves for another farm after the revolution. Benjamin – Benjamin, a donkey, is one of the oldest animals. He has the worst temper, but is also one of the wisest animals on the farm, and is one of the few who can actually read. He is skeptical and pessimistic, his most-often-made statement being Life will go on as it has always gone on – that is, badly.[12] Other animals Muriel – A wise old goat who is friends with all of the animals on the farm. She, like Benjamin and Snowball, is one of the few animals on the farm who can read. The Puppies – Offspring of Jessie and Bluebell, taken away from them by Napoleon at birth and reared by Napoleon to be his security force. Moses – An old raven who occasionally visits the farm, regaling its denizens with tales of a wondrous place beyond the clouds called Sugarcandy Mountain, where he avers that all animals go when they die—but only if they work hard. He is interpreted as symbolising the Russian Orthodox Church, with Sugarcandy Mountain an allusion to Heaven for the animals.[13] The Sheep – They show limited understanding of the situations but nonetheless blindly support Napoleons ideals. The Hens – The hens are among the first to rebel against Napoleon. The Cows – Their milk is stolen by the pigs, who learn to milk them, and is stirred into the pigs mash every day while the other animals are denied such luxuries. The Cat – Never seen to carry out any work, the cat is absent for long periods, and is forgiven because her excuses are so convincing and she purred so affectionately that is was impossible not to believe in her good intentions.[14] She has no interest in the politics of the farm, and the only time she is recorded as having participated in an election, she is found to have actually voted on both sides.[14] Glossary of Terms Coccidiosis: a parasitic infection that causes bloody diarrhea and sudden death in animals Communism: a theory or system of social organization based on the  holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state; in practice, communism is often a totalitarian system of government Comrade: a fellow member of a political party; a member of the Communist party Disinter: to exhume; to unearth that which is buried Proletariat: in Marxism, the class of workers, especially industrial wage earners, who do not possess capital or property and must sell their labor to survive Propaganda: information, ideas, or rumors disseminated to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, or other entity Regime: a mode or system of rule or government; such a system when in power Socialism: a theory or system of social organization that advocates vesting the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, and other assets in the community as a whole Totalitarianism: absolute control by the state or a governing branch of a highly centralized institution Tushes: small, short tusks such as those belonging to a boar. Major Themes The Soviet Union under Stalinism Animal Farm is a satire of totalitarian governments in their many guises. But Orwell composed the book for a more specific purpose: to serve as a cautionary tale about Stalinism. It was for this reason that he faced  such difficulty in getting the book published; by the time Animal Farm was ready to meet its readers, the Allies were cooperating with the Soviet Union. The allegorical characters of the novel represent specific historical figures and different factions of Imperial Russian and Soviet society. These include Karl Marx (Major), Vladimir Lenin (Major), Leon Trotsky (Snowball), Joseph Stalin (Napoleon), Adolf Hitler (Frederick), the Allies (Pilkington), the peasants (Boxer), the elite (Mollie), and the church (Moses). The resemblance of some of the novel’s events to events in Soviet history is indubitable. For example, Snowball’s and Napoleon’s power struggle is a direct allegory of Trotsky’s and Stalin’s. Frederick’s trade agreement with Napoleon, and his subsequent breaking of the agreement, represents the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact that preceded World War II. The following Battle of the Windmill represents World War II itself. Despite his fairy-tale clarity in satirizing some historical events, Orwell is less specific about others. For example, the executions in Chapter VII conflate the Red Terror with the Great Purge. The executions themselves bear resemblance to both events, although their details connect them more to the Moscow Trials than to the Red Terror. Squealer’s subsequent announcement that the executions have ended the Rebellion connects them to the period of the Red Terror, however. Orwell leaves some ambiguity in the identities of the Rebellion and the Battle of the Cowshed. These ambiguities help the reader focus on the overall satire of Stalinism and the broader warning about the evils of totalitarian government. The Inevitability of Totalitarianism Orwell held the pessimistic belief that totalitarianism was inevitable, even in the West. According to Russell Baker, who wrote the preface to Animal Farm’s 1996 Signet Classics version, Orwell’s pessimism stemmed from his having grown up in an age of dictatorship. Witnessing Hitler’s and Stalin’s movements from afar, as well as fighting totalitarianism in the Spanish Civil War, Orwell came to believe in the rise of a new species of autocrat, worse even than the tyrants of old. This cynicism is reflected in  both of his highly successful novels, Animal Farm and 1984. Orwell emphasizes the insidiousness of totalitarianism early in the novel, when the pigs take the fresh milk and apples. The pigs justify their actions on the basis of their superiority; they are smart and need more nutrition than the other animals to fuel their brainpower. There is no scientific basis for the pigs’ claim—in fact, if anyone needs more food to fuel their labor, it is the manual laborers—but they can count on the animals’ being too ignorant to realize that. In this way, Orwell makes the point that totalitarianism need not be blatant in order to be operating. It can hide under the guise of the â€Å"greater good† as it did in the Soviet Union before the totalitarianism became obvious. Orwell uses a cyclical structure in Animal Farm, which helps advance the idea of totalitarianism’s predictability. The novel begins with Jones as autocratic tyrant and ends with Napoleon not only in Jones’s position, but in his clothes as well. Over the course of the novel, Napoleon essentially becomes Jones just as Stalin becomes an autocrat after pretending to espouse equality and freedom. Orwell cements this idea in the book’s final scene, where he writes, â€Å"Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which† (139). The circularity of Orwell’s story prevents the reader from imagining a better future for Animal Farm. After all, even if another Rebellion were to take place, its leaders would eventually come to emulate Napoleon. According to Baker, technology turned out to be the force freeing people from Orwell’s age of dictators. But â€Å"technology† can be just another banner under which to rally the people. While Orwell does portray technology as a source of progress in Animal Farm, he points out that it is useless unless it is in the people’s hands. Most notably, even when the windmill is finished it is used for milling corn instead of its original purpose of supplying the animals with electricity in their stalls. Intelligence and Education as Tools of Oppression From the very beginning of the novel, we become aware of education’s role in stratifying Animal Farm’s population. Following Major’s death, the pigs are the ones that take on the task of organizing and mobilizing the other animals because they are â€Å"generally recognized as being the cleverest of the animals† (35). At first, the pigs are loyal to their fellow animals and to the revolutionary cause. They translate Major’s vision of the future faithfully into the Seven Commandments of Animalism. However, it is not long before the pigs’ intelligence and education turn from tools of enlightenment to implements of oppression. The moment the pigs are faced with something material that they want—the fresh milk—they abandon their morals and use their superior intellect and knowledge to deceive the other animals. The pigs also limit the other animals’ opportunities to gain intelligence and education early on. They teach themselves to read and write from a children’s book but destroy it before the other animals can have the same chance. Indeed, most of the animals never learn more than a few letters of the alphabet. Once the pigs cement their status as the educated elite, they use their mental advantage to manipulate the other animals. For example, knowing that the other animals cannot read the Seven Commandments, they revise them whenever they like. The pigs also use their literacy to learn trades from manuals, giving them an opportunity for economic specialization and advancement. Content in the role of the intelligentsia, the pigs forgo manual labor in favor of bookkeeping and organizing. This shows that the pigs have not only the advantage of opportunity, but also the opportunity to reject whatever opportunities they like. The pigs’ intelligence and education allow them to bring the other animals into submission through the use of propaganda and revisionism. At the book’s end, we witness Napoleon’s preparations to educate a new generation of pigs and indoctrinate them into the code of oppression. Propaganda and Duplicity Working as a propagandist during World War II, Orwell experienced firsthand both the immense power and the dishonesty of propaganda. Many  types of governments make use of propaganda, not only totalitarian ones. Consider, for instance, the arguments that led many United States citizens to go along with the idea of invading Iraq after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. Propaganda serves the positive task of uniting the people, sometimes at the cost of misleading them. Orwell takes a firm stance on the harmfulness of propaganda in Animal Farm while acknowledging its value for rallying a mistreated and disillusioned populace. In Chapter IX, Orwell demonstrates the positive value of propaganda. By this point, the animals are so downtrodden that they are desperate for something in which to believe. (Note the irony, though: it is Napoleon who has robbed them of their belief in the original version of Animalism.) The falsely optimistic statistics, the songs, and especially the Spontaneous Demonstrations give the animals something to live for. This chapter is an exception in terms of portraying propaganda in a positive light. For the majority ofAnimal Farm, Orwell skewers propaganda and exposes its nature as deception. Squealer represents a totalitarian government’s propaganda machine. Eloquent to a fault, he can make the animals believe almost anything. This fact is especially clear in Squealer’s interactions with Clover and Muriel. Each time Clover suspects that the Seven Commandments have been changed, Squealer manages to convince her that she is wrong. After the executions, Napoleon abolishes the singing of â€Å"Beasts of England† in favor of a new anthem, the lyrics of which contain a promise never to harm Animal Farm. In this propagandist manoeuvre, Napoleon replaces the revolutionary spirit of â€Å"Beasts of England† with the exact opposite, a promise not to rebel. In addition to being a source of manipulation, propaganda is an agent of fear and terror. Orwell demonstrates this quite clearly with Napoleon’s vilification of Snowball and his assurances that Snowball could attack the animals at any minute. He uses similar fear tactics regarding Frederick and Pilkington. The most egregious example of propaganda in the novel is the maxim that replaces the Seven Commandments: â€Å"All animals are equal / But some animals are more equal than others.† The idea of â€Å"more equal† is mathematically improbable and a nonsensical manipulation of language, but by  this time, the animals are too brainwashed to notice. Violence and Terror as Means of Control In Animal Farm, Orwell criticizes the ways that dictators use violence and terror to frighten their populaces into submission. Violence is one of the yokes from which the animals wish to free themselves when they prepare for the Rebellion. Not only does Jones overwork the animals and steal the products of their labor, but he can whip or slaughter them at his discretion. Once the pigs gain control of the animals, they, like Jones, discover how useful violence and terror can be. They use this knowledge to their full advantage. The foremost example of violence and terror in the novel is the pattern of public executions. The executions can be said to represent both the Red Terror and the Great Purge, but they stand more broadly for the abuse of power. For example, they are also similar to the Taliban’s public executions in Kabul’s soccer stadium in modern Afghanistan. Capital punishment for criminals is a hotly debated issue. Killing suspected criminals, as Napoleon does, is quite another issue. The executions perhaps best symbolize the Moscow Trials, which were show trials that Stalin arranged to instill fear in the Soviet people. To witnesses at the time, the accused traitors’ confessions seemed to be given freely. In fact, they were coerced. Napoleon likely coerces confessions from many of the animals that he executes. Orwell’s use of the allegory genre serves him well in the execution scene. Execution with weapons is a violent and horrifying act, but many people have become desensitized to it. Orwell’s allegorical executioners, the dogs that kill cruelly, portray the bloody and inescapably animalistic side of execution. Terror comes also in threats and propaganda. Each time the animals dare to question an aspect of Napoleon’s regime, Squealer threatens them with Jones’s return. This is doubly threatening to the animals because it would mean another battle that, if lost, would result in a return to their former lifestyle of submission. Jones’s return is such a serious threat that it quashes the animals’ curiosity without fail. The other major example of fear  tactics in the novel is the threat of Snowball and his collaborators. Napoleon is able to vilify Snowball in the latter’s absence and to make the animals believe that his return, like Jones’s, is imminent. Snowball is a worse threat than Jones, because Jones is at least safely out of Animal Farm. Snowball is â€Å"proved† to be not only lurking along Animal Farm’s borders but infiltrating the farm. Napoleon’s public investigation of Snowball’s whereabouts cements the animals’ fear of Snowball’s influence. In modern language, Snowball is pegged as the terrorist responsible for the infringements on the rights and liberties instigated by the pigs. Exploitation and the Need for Human Rights Exploitation is the issue around which the animals unite. Initially, the animals do not realize Jones is exploiting them. For this reason, Old Major’s speech is a revelation of momentous proportions. Major explains to the animals that they are enslaved and exploited and that Man is to blame. He teaches them not only what exploitation means, but also the fact that it is not inevitable. Orwell suggests that exploitation is, in fact, bound to happen when one class of society has an advantage over another. The opposite of exploitation, according to Major, is the state of being â€Å"rich and free.† Major’s ideas about animal rights symbolize the importance—and scarcity—of human rights in an oppressive regime. Gaining freedom does not necessarily lead people also to become rich, but it is better to be poor and free than poor and exploited. All the animals on Animal Farm are exploited under Napoleon’s control, save the pigs. Even the dogs, which work closely with the pigs, are exploited. The dogs face perhaps even a worse form of exploitation than the other animals, because they are made into agents of intimidation and death. Whereas Napoleon exploits the other animals’ physical strength and their ignorance, he exploits the dogs’ viciousness and turns them into villains against their parents’ wishes. Boxer’s life is a particularly sad example of exploitation because he exploits himself, believing wholeheartedly in Napoleon’s goodness. In the  end, Napoleon turns the tables and exploits Boxer, having him slaughtered for profit. By the end of the novel, we see clearly how the animals participate in their own exploitation. They are beginning to build a schoolhouse for the thirty-one young pigs Napoleon has fathered (perhaps an oblique reference to the â€Å"Thirty Tyrants† of ancient Greece). That schoolhouse will never benefit the animals that build it; rather, it will be used to educate the pigs and indoctrinate them into the cycle of exploiting others. Throughout the novel, Orwell shows us how the lack of human rights results in total helplessness. However, though it underscores the need for human rights, the novel does not suggest how to achieve them. After all, once the animals expel Jones and gain rights for themselves, the pigs take those rights away and the cycle of exploitation continues with new players. Apathy and Acceptance In the beginning of Animal Farm, the idea of freedom rouses the animals as if from a long slumber. Immediately following Major’s death, the animals begin preparing themselves for the Rebellion; just the idea of revolution is enough to motivate them, since they do not expect it to happen in their lifetimes. By the book’s end, the animals have become as apathetic as Benjamin always was. Despite the many hardships and injustices they face, the animals’ pride as well as Napoleon’s propaganda keep them invested in the â€Å"greater good† and the illusion of freedom. If Benjamin is the harbinger of apathy, Boxer is its antithesis. Strong not only in body but also in spirit, Boxer will make any sacrifice for the benefit of Animal Farm. With Boxer’s eventual betrayal by the leaders he served so unconditionally, Orwell lays bare another type of apathy—theirs. Far from truly considering Boxer a loyal comrade, the pigs treat him as apathetically as they would a mere object. Symbolically, they even make a profit by having him turned into literal objects—glue and bone meal. Boxer’s enthusiasm does not give him an advantage, but the other animals’ eventual apathy gives them a defense mechanism against the painful reality of their lives. It is no coincidence that Animal Farm’s most apathetic and cynical animal, Benjamin, is one of those that survives the  longest. Benjamin’s emotional detachment from situations, whether they are good or bad, keeps him from being disappointed. In his apathy and cynicism, Benjamin represents the stereotypical â€Å"gloomy† Russian and also the perennially pessimistic Orwell himself. Summary and analysis of Chapter I Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, stumbles drunkenly up to bed as the farm animals wait in still silence. The moment he is out of sight, they begin to bustle around, preparing themselves for the big meeting that is to take place that night. Old Major has called the meeting to discuss a strange dream he had the previous night. He is waiting for his fellow animals in the big barn.

The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody portrays the dark side of human nature Essay Example for Free

The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody portrays the dark side of human nature Essay The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody portrays the dark side of human nature. It shows that mans behaviour does not vary over long periods of time and across different cultures. It shows that each and every single person has an evil or dark side to them and it is whether they succumb to this evil or follow the paths of light and goodness that decide what kind of person they are. Cheshunt, where the story is set appears to be a fairly normal town. When Nathanial and his mother arrive, Nathanial instinctively knows that something is not quite right. Nathanial is there for a reason. He and the other members of The Chain must learn the power of friendship to defeat the evil Kraken. The dark side of human nature is seen in many characters: Cheshunts headmaster Mr Karle is a truly evil person. Although Mr Karles only role in the community is Deputy Principal of Three North, he has manipulated those who do have a major role in the community into making himself the main power over all Cheshunt. His goal is to become the ruler of the world, starting with Cheshunt. To make sure that The Chain does not defeat him, Mr Karle defeats one member at a time. Mr Karle portrays the dark side of human nature he has attained power that he then uses to control all those around him. He has become corrupted by this power and with it he is able to manipulate the other characters to perform vicious acts. Mr Karle taunts and mocks in an attempt to emotionally destroy those around him he takes pleasure in others emotional pain. He causes distress in Nathanial when he tells him of his cold hearted father who was Insanely jealous. Unstable. Violent (page 263) and how Nathanials mother learnt not to speak to anyone or smile in fear of what his father would do to her. When Mr Karle reminds Indian that his sister is brain damaged because of Indians own mistakes he does this knowing the heartache this will cause. He mocks Nissa calling her unfeminine and unattractive and how no one could love such a creature except out of pity (page 246). Mr Karle defeats one character at a time. He is physically cruel and used force to hurt them. Mr Karle embodies all that is the dark side of human nature, he is cruel both emotionally and physically Then the Kraken stepped forward and slapped her across the face. A trickle of dark blood ran from the corner of her mouth (page 249). He is corrupted by power, he is manipulative and in all this he takes pleasure. He is a true sadist. The dark side in human nature is also portrayed in many of the other characters, this is evidenced in Buddha Isobelle Carmody has used the name Buddha that represents peace and harmony and made him a killer. He burns Nathanials dog, The Tod, who is Nathanials only true friend and Nathanial loves. The match landed in his tail and flames swept forward up over him. Devoured him. He arched and coiled, yelping in pain and fright, and then he screamed, a long inhuman howl of agony and terror. (page 214). When Buddha burns The Tod it is a vicious, cowardly act and is evidence of how dark mans nature can be, that he can murder a poor, defenseless creature that is incapable of fighting back, also that the act was carried out in front of Nathanial to cause him immense grief and feelings of powerlessness. What is even more disturbing is that this is such a real act that could happen in our everyday life. How the people who are in a position to protect us and how they use this authority in a destructive way is also shown. The police, who are supposed to be good and honest are corrupt and evil. They protect the evil leaders and enforce their law, The pamphlet stuck under the door the day we arrived had welcomed us to the neighbourhood and urged my mother to join the Community Committee. It had a lot of by law information and the bit about the curfew was last. It said no one was to be out in the streets after ten at night without a specific reason. (page 20). The police either stood aside and let the people of Cheshunt be intimidated and bullied or were doing the intimidating and bullying themselves. Seth is a part of the chain that is needed to defeat the evil but Seth has given in to his dark side. He has a very weak character. Despite Seth being a brain (page 10), looking like one of those perfect guys off Coke ads (page 10) and coming from a good family, His father is a policeman (page 55) he is pathetic. He is sneaky and drinks alcohol to escape facing reality. He cant deal with his own problems (his parents are divorced and he cant deal with being in the Chain and the effort it takes to defy Mr Karle) and uses his weaknesses as an excuse to attempt to commit suicide, Seth lay on his back between them, his face dead white. (page 142) He breaks promises You promised, Nissa said icily. (page 138). He also betrays those around him Mr Karle gave Nissa a radiant smile. Got him? But you misunderstand, Nissa. I didnt get Seth. He came to us. (page 250). Nathanials father is a character who shows that mans dark side does not vary over long periods of time. Nathanials father was a violent jealous man who liked to have complete control over everything. He was jealous of Nathanial and the attention he got from his mother, especially when Nathanial was a baby I had to sometimes hold your mouth to stop the crying (page 264). Mans darkest nature was shown when his father attempted to kill Nathanial, Children should be seen and not heard, he said, and his big hands closed around my neck. And squeezed. (page 247). This is absolute evidence of innate evil that a father could try to murder his own son. In conclusion, The Gathering shows us the dark side of human nature and it is vividly portrayed. It has a realness that shows that evil is present in the past and in the future and is occurring right now, in all parts of our life. It shows that power can corrupt you and consume you absolutely. It also shows us that cruelty, deceit, jealousy and manipulation are just some of the many ways evil can be shown.

My socio autobiography

My socio autobiography   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The world outside Korea has a lot to offer. Travel, entertainment, enjoyment, work and income privileges, friends and so much that a blissful life could offer! Childhood dreams have never remained in limbo of my dreams! Experiences in Korea during my younger years are worth remembering particularly to an international student like me the virtues my parents have told me, the culture I am exposed to and the discipline that I have learned during my younger years. A Korean enthusiast as I am, I have ventured in Vancouver, Canada to pursue my degree in Association Arts. I am Sean Woong Bi, Doo. I am born to Hyun Eun, Kim and Hong Jick, Doo. I have first seen light on earth on 1988 Jan 1st, and was born in Korea. I am older than my sister, in a family of two kids to our parents. I would have wanted to remain in Korea but the demands for education and career opportunity bring me to Canada. For purely education reasons, I decided to move here. It is personally observed that my need for education and my quest for knowledge have been greatly influenced by the growing economic condition of the country. For quite sometime now, Korea has become one of the progressive countries not only in Asia but in the world as well. The growing economic condition of Korea has brought forth higher demands of production of goods and services and in return, greater number of career opportunities. Consequently, competition for the best and top positions is becoming stif fer. Many students of my age and of the younger generation are seeking for international education to obtain better and well paying jobs back home. In particular, learning English has been highly encouraged among students. In fact most Koreans I know travel to different countries to enroll and learn English. This may pose the question, â€Å"why English?† Competition in the global economy and in reaching out to the global community, the English language has been recognized. This has been the trend that I have grown to competition in terms of educational attainment and career opportunities. In response, most parents including my parents encourage their children to have as a priority education. Hence, presently I am now a resident here being an international student; I first set foot in my town in 2001, eight years ago! Living away from home has been adventurous. It is more of an exciting experience than a tedious one! Korean culture has taught me to live an independent life; in particular, males are required to render military service at an early age that is why I have inculcated in my mind since I was young to learn to live by myself and not to depend on others. I knew then that it means living away from home to learn to defend our country. In the camp, we are taught to survive with the least supply of food, restricted communication even from families and most of all personal discipline. The rigid military training and the personal discipline which I have learned have greatly helped me adopt to my new place and to mingle well with foreign students. I have gotten along well with my friends in school and in my neighborhood. First few weeks here was not as bad as I thought it was. The things that I usually neglect doing in my own home are now my primary concerns. I have to feed myself, do the laundry and do some groceries. Learning these basic things was a lot of fun. Besides, my family has trained me to be independent in some ways. The most important learning in being an international student in my school is the discipline. Being independent and away from ones family is a challenge in itself a challenge in terms of attitude, discipline, virtues and principles in life. By being alone at an early age, I have proved to myself that the virtues I have learned while I was growing up have been very useful in my day to day living, that I could say that my parents have raised me well that I am now able to take care of myself and be a good member of society, and that people appreciate me for what I have done and what I have become. I could hardly imagine the days when I used to worry about being away from home. But I realized that the values of hard work and perseverance which may parents have taught me have helped a lot in coping with the challenges I am facing while away from them. Aside from school, I enjoy the work I have gotten into. I used to work as a promoter in a night club. Being a promoter was never a bread and butter for me, it was more of a diversion from school while earning at the same time and enjoying most of it. Getting a job myself has never been a hindrance to academic success. Koreans are exposed to this kind of arrangement school and work at the same time. I grew up in an environment where students are exposed to different experiences, not just school. Students are allowed to explore their own world, and thus are allowed to taste a bit of how it is going to be when employed. This has been part of societys way of training students to becoming more responsible citizens. This kind of arrangement is both common in Korea and Canada the reason why I immediately got myself a job. Students are sometimes given the priority in terms of employment in certain positions. It is more of living a practical reality of life. I study, I enjoy and earn at the same time. Moreover, doing both school and work at the same time is an evolution of my life, from being totally dependent from my parents particularly for financial support. It is my one way of growing up, to live up to what society expects me to do as a grown up. Slowly I realized the value of education and career. One can not do without the other. We obtain good education to land to a good career, otherwise, life would be stuck to little earnings which could hardly support the leisure of a teenager. The way I see things now may have been influenced by my childhood experiences. Childhood years were a lot fun that I thought it was. I used to be part of the horse back riding team then. In fact, I earned the horse back riding youth championship award when I was fifteen (15). At first, horse back riding was nothing but part of being a child. Then I realized that not all kids come to experience that. One important lesson I learned from it is the attitude of being competitive. From the time I got the award, I learned to exert extra effort in what I do to always give the best shot; and this does not only apply in my horse back riding competitions but in my day to day living as well. Personal outlook in life is shaped by personal experiences. Dispositions in life are also influenced with how we see life. I am lucky to have experienced what I have gone through during my younger years. At times, we take for granted the beautiful things that we do. But behind the stories they share and I share, there can be seen the real person that we are, the real person that I am shaped by the virtues I have learned all throughout my life as a kid, teenager and as an adult.

How Industrial Revolution Made Life Easier :: essays research papers

How Industrial Revolution Made Life Easier It would just be unbearable to think that life would be better without the Industrial Revolution. All the inventions that were invented back then are used all the time. The three inventions which are the camera, the light bulb and the locomotive have greatly changed society. Without the light bulb, you couldn’t see at night, you wouldn’t be able to take pictures of anything for memories if the camera wasn’t invented and without the train there would be one less easier way to travel. Without the light bulb, you couldn’t see at night. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb mainly to make it for home use. The light bulb was made to create light that would last for a long time and that could be used anywhere. In today’s society, people use the bulbs in their homes to light up their whole house including their fridge. It just makes it easier to see anywhere whenever it’s the daytime or night time. â€Å"Edison's eventual achievement was inventing not just an incandescent electric light, but also an electric lighting system that contained all the elements necessary to make the incandescent light practical, safe, and economical.† Before it was created, human beings had to use fire and now you’re able to just turn the light switch on and you automatically have whatever lighted. You wouldn’t be able to take pictures of anything for memories if the camera wasn’t invented. Louis Daguerre invented the first camera just to capture things for memory. The camera was invented to capture a picture of anything you wanted to save as a memory. In today’s world, people use the camera during many special occasions to remember that specific day. It helps a lot because so many people can enjoy or see what an occasion was like even if they weren’t there by looking at the pictures. â€Å"The daguerreotype, aptly called a ‘mirror with a memory’, was an amazing development, and one cannot but marvel at the intricacy of the detail.† Before it was made, people didn’t really struggle without since they didn’t even use anything that could capture scenes. Without the train there would one less easier way to travel. George Stephenson first attempted to create the first locomotive since others who tried failed. The locomotive was invented to try and succeed in an invention but lead to more better things.

Creative Story: Grandpa :: essays research papers

Creative Story: Grandpa We were going to Las Vegas for vacation. I was looking foward to having a lot of fun there. When we finally got to Las Vegas,it felt like an oven jacked up all the way. When we got to the room it felt like when you open a refrigerator. Then we went to see all the major attractions, like Cesar's Palace, this was one of my favorites because when you go inside the roof looks like the sky inside of a building. I also took some pictures in front of the hotel near the water fountain. The MGM Grand was my second favorite because when you go inside it this thing were you go in and walk around and see the play Wizard of Oz. I also liked thePyramid because outside the is this image of a persons face that appears on the splashing water. That image was all done with Lazers. Las Vegas is a nice place to see a lot of cool hotels and sites. Then it was even better because it was at night and all the hotels were lit up. It looked like it was Christmas everyday there. Every single hotel was lit up of all different pictures. We had fun seeing that but it was time to go back to the hotel room. When we got back the front desk informed us that somebody had called from San Fransisco. We all had an idea of what it was about. My mom and grandma were both sobbing. They were crying in way that didn't show. My dad and I felt very sad even though we didn't know my grandpa very well. Before we had gone to Las Vegas we sat down with my aunt and my mom said " if anything happened to my grandpa to call us at the hotel room." When we heard that they had called we were all sweating as if it was raining right above us. When we called back it seemed like an eternity. My mom called, you could hear every button that she punched in. We also could hear the ringing from the call. Finally, my aunt picked up and started talking to my mom about how they called from Lima, Peru saying that my grandpa was waiting to die until they got there. So that same night we called Hertz and said that we had to get back to San Fransico and we were going to leave the car tomorrow. There was a big fit because my dad had already paid for three days but we only used it one day.

Causes of students sleeping in class hours

It is a bad habit Of each every one Of us, mostly we experienced it because Of many reasons, and social media is the major reason of our laziness. Social media is not always positive. Students usually multi-task while studying, they check their social media sites while on the process of studying. Their ability to concentrate on the task at hand is significantly reduced by the distractions in posting comments, tweeting and online gaming. Later on they will be totally distracted by their social media activities thus forget about the subjects that hey should focus on, in the first place.This is one very common problem faced by the students not only in this present era but most likely since the formal education was being taken and introduced. The popularity of social media can caught the attention of many students like us. There's no doubt that students are energetic and actively engaged in online communities such as: posting comments, tweeting and online gaming. A. Statement of the Prob lem Laziness occurred because our attention is caught by the social media and we're not aware that our interest in our studies is now losing. In this kind of search, we prepare some questions about this.What are the contributions of social media to the laziness of the students? Why is it that the social media is the number one cause of the laziness of the students? What can we do to overcome this bad habit? B. Hypothesis In this research, we give some answer on the following questions. This answer would be the possible answer of the students about this. For students, who always feel lazy, bored, not interested and sleepy during class hours. It is because they prefer using computers in useless things. Instead of using it on doing your homework, lessons, and projects.Some students feel lazy during class hours for the reason that they're lack of sleep and rest. Some of them are still using computers, browsing nonsense things or playing online games even if it is late at night. We can a void this laziness by having a motivation or a goal. By setting our minds that we should use computers in a good way. Don't use computers too much in doing our school works, we can still browse some information from a reference book. C. Significance of the Study We all know that we can avoid this kind of activity. This research can change their bad habit. This can help them to stay focus on their studies.This research provides awareness to those students who are always lazy when it comes to study but so energetic when it comes to social networking sites. This can also help them to know and realize that using computers for your school works has a bigger difference than using computers to any useless things. Eke, online gaming and always using social networking sites while studying, that's why they can't stay focus on their studies. D. Scope and Delimitation's of the Study Our research is focused on the contributions of social media activities to the jazziness of the students.Through this research we will have more knowledge and deep understanding about its contribution. The selected students of San Guillemot Academy from grade seven to fourth year are our respondents. Thirty (30) students from grade seven, thirty (30) students from grade eight, thirty (30) students from Third year and ten (10) students from fourth year. For a total of 1 00 respondents. Bored, not interested in class, not interested to the subject and sleepy because you're lazy and all you want to do is to use computer time to time.Chapter II Theoretical and Conceptual Framework Review of Related Literature Cutting back on sleep for school work is counterproductive Students who Stay up late to cram for a test or finish a project have lower comprehension and worse performance in the classroom as a result, research shows. By Mary Mclean August 22, 2012 Los Angels Times The old aphorism that â€Å"you snooze, you lose† doesn't apply to students who stay up late to cram for a test or finish a class project. New research shows that sacrificing sleep for school work is a bad trade.Researchers from Class Jane and Terry Semen Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior enlisted students from three Los Angels high schools to help them figure out whether academic performance suffered the day after a late night of studying. It turned out their hunch was correct: Lost sleep resulted in less comprehension during class and worse performance on tests, according to their report, published online Tuesday in the journal Child Development. â€Å"Sacrificing sleep for studying seems to be counterproductive,† said Andrew J.Fulfilling, a developmental psychologist at UCLA and the stud's senior author. The researchers gave 535 teenagers checklists to keep track of their sleep and duty time for three 14-day periods when they were in ninth, 10th and 12th grades. The UCLA team found that regardless Of how much time a high schooled normally spends on homework each day, a student who gives up sleep for extra study time will have trouble the next day understanding material in class and be more likely to struggle with an assignment or test the opposite of the student's intent.The researchers didn't quantify the increased risk for academic problems following a longer-than-usual study session, but they said the number of problems was â€Å"surprisingly greater. † The allegations held up no matter how academically ambitious the student was, as measured by the amount of time spent studying on a typical day, and it became stronger as students progressed through high school. The results rang true to Aka Daniels, a college-bound senior at the Los Angels Center for Enriched Studies, a Mid-City magnet school. On occasions when she's stayed up late to study, she's had more trouble absorbing material in class, she said. I'd have to retrace myself at night,† she said. The finding â€Å"makes a lot of sense,† said Mona el-Sheikh, a professor of human velvet een and family studies at Auburn University whose research includes sleep. Several new studies are showing that the quantity and the quality of sleep are important for remembering new information and consolidating learning, she said. Students who get too little sleep don't have enough time to process what they study, she added; even just one night of sleep deprivation can have a negative effect.Parents should do what they can to make sure their children have sufficient and consistent sleep, she said. Fulfilling said he could not disclose which schools took part in the research. The dents varied in ethnic and economic backgrounds, as well as in their level Of academic achievement. Their checklists revealed that study time did not change over the course of high school -? the average was just over an hour per day -? but sleep time decreased by an average of 41. 4 minutes. Ready, willing, and able?Sleep hygiene education, motivational interviewing and cognitive behavior therapy for inso mnia in an Australian high school setting Journal Article By Mineral Cain Publication: Education and Health Date: 2012 Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia is well-regarded as an effective retirement for insomnia in adults. Previous studies also suggest that CB-I can be successfully applied to adolescents experiencing insomnia and other sleep problems, which most commonly involve delayed sleep timing. The recommended treatment involves a combined program of morning bright light therapy, stimulus control therapy, and education about sleep hygiene.Improving sleep pattern regularity by getting up earlier on weekends (I. E. , at a time closer to the weekday wake-up time) can play a particularly important role in increasing total sleep time during the week and decreasing daytime leafiness. Recent research suggests that the school classroom may be a promising arena for the dissemination of sleep interventions for adolescents. However, many of the earlier studies in this area have been plagued by problems such as inappropriate outcome measures, small sample size, lack of control group, and lack of follow-up data.Reporting has also been poor, with a number of studies presented only in abstract form. Results have been mixed: some studies showed improved knowledge about sleep, despite having no data about actual changes in sleep habits or behaviors; another duty measured sleep habits but found no change from pre- to post- treatment. Finally, some studies found changes in sleep habits from pre- to post-treatment, although these results must be interpreted with caution due to the previously mentioned problems of small sample size, lack of control group, and lack of follow-up data.A series oft studies conducted by researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, attempted to overcome the limitations of previous research by conducting randomized controlled trials evaluating school-based intervention programs aimed at improving the sleep of adolescents. Full det ails of these studies can be found in earlier publications; however, an outline of the main findings are presented here, along with recommendations for others planning school-based interventions for adolescent sleep problems.Impact of Delaying School Start Time on Adolescent Sleep, Mood, and Behavior Journal Article By Judith Owens Publication: Arch Pediatrics's Med Date: 2010 Objective: To examine the impact of a 30-minute delay in school start time on adolescents' sleep, mood, and behavior. Design: Participants completed the online retrospective Sleep Habits Survey before and after a change in school tart time. Setting: An independent high school in Rhode Island. Participants: Students (n=201) in grades 9 through 12. Intervention: Institution of a delay in school start time from 8 to 8:30 AM.Main Outcome Measures: Sleep patterns and behavior, daytime sleepiness, mood, data from the Health Center, and absences/tardiest. Results: After the start time delay, mean school night sleep d uration increased by 45 minutes, and average bedtime advanced by 18 minutes (95% confidence interval, 7-29 minutes [24th=3. 36; PC the percentage of students getting less than 7 hours of sleep decreased by 79. 4%, ND those reporting at least 8 hours of sleep increased from 16. 4% to 54. 7%. Students reported significantly more satisfaction with sleep and experienced improved motivation.Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and depressed mood were all reduced. Most health-related variables, including Health Center visits for fatigue-related complaints, and class attendance also improved. Conclusions: A modest delay in school start time was associated with significant improvements in measures of adolescent alertness, mood, and health. The results of this study support the potential benefits of adjusting school schedules to adolescents' sleep needs, circadian rhythm, and developmental stage. Middle School Start Times: The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep for Young Adolescents Journal Article By Amy R.Wolfs Publication: Behavioral Sleep Medicine Date: 2007 With the onset of adolescence, teenagers require 9. 2 hrs of sleep and experience a delay in the timing of sleep. In the â€Å"real world† with early school start times, however, they report less sleep, striking differences between their school-weekend sleep schedules, and significant daytime sleepiness. Prior studies demonstrated that high coolers with later school starts do not rather delay bedtime but obtain more sleep due to later wake times. This study examined sleep-wake patterns of young adolescents attending urban, public middle schools with early (7:1 5 a. . ) versus late (8:37 a. M. ) start times. Students (N = 205) were assessed at 2 time periods. Students at the late- starting school reported waking up over 1 hrs later on school mornings and obtaining 50 min more sleep each night, less sleepiness, and fewer tardiest than students at the early school. All students reported similar school-night bedtime , sleep hygiene practices, and weekend sleep schedules. Related Studies Sleep Complaints Affecting School Performance at Different Educational Levels By James F. Page and Carol F.Swastikas Published online 2010 November 16. Prepossessed online 201 0 July 21 Abstract The clear association between reports of sleep disturbance and poor school performance has been documented for sleepy adolescents. This study extends that research to students outside the adolescent age grouping in an associated school setting (98 middle school students, 67 high school students, and 64 college students). Reported restless legs and periodic limb movements are significantly associated with lower Spa's in junior high students.Consistent with previous studies, daytime sleepiness was the sleep variable most likely to negatively affects high school students. Sleep onset and maintenance insomnia were the reported sleep variables significantly correlated with poorer school performance in college students. This s tudy indicates that different sleep disorder variables negatively affect performance at different age and educational levels. Keyset;rods: adolescent, college, sleep, restless legs, school, insomnia, GAP Introduction A growing body of work documents the association between disordered sleep and school performance.Students who report insomnia, inadequate sleep, daytime sleepiness, irregular sleep patterns and/or poor sleep quality do not perform as well in school as others (Blue et al. , 1990; Link and Nicolai- Israel, 1995; Hoffman and Strength, 1 997; Wolfs and Sarandon, 1 998, 2003; Shin et al. , 2003; Mailman,2005). Children enrolled in remedial school programs report significantly more sleep problems (Blunder and Chervil, 2008). Reported abnormalities in sleep including sleep latency [SSL]>mini and more than one arousal per night at least two nights/week have shown an association with an increase in school failure rates (Kahn et l. 1989). A large study in the Spanish secondary sc hool system (N=11 55, mean age 14) found a significant correlation between class failure and sleep complaints, and morning sleepiness (Solaced et al. , 2005). Better school performance is associated with more time in bed, better sleep quality, fewer nighttimes arousal, less napping and less difference between weekday and weekend sleep times (Link and Nicolai-lesser, 1 995; Hoffman and Strength, 1997; Wolfs and Sarandon, 1998).The association between sleep complaints and poor school performance is supported by in-lab experimental studies that demonstrate negative effects for sleep deprivation, sleep restriction, and sleepiness on laboratory measures of motor skill, memory, attention and problem solving in children and adolescents (Shades et al. , 2002; Teaser et al. , 2002; Sarandon et al. , 2004). Experimental restriction Of sleep in students (ages 6-12) has been shown to lead to academic difficulty in the classroom as well as increased severity of school related attention problems (Fallen et al. 2005). There are suggestions in the literature that sleep variables affecting school performance differ based on age and educational level. In seven year olds, short sleep duration is associated with higher emotional liability (Nixon et al. , 2008). Adolescent aged delayed sleep phase develops at the onset of puberty with the associated daytime sleepiness affecting school performance in the high school aged population (Wolfs and Sarandon, 2003; Mailman, 2005). In a large study of Canadian high school students (N=3,235, mean age 16. ) twenty-three percent of students felt that their grades had dropped in high school because of daytime sleepiness (Gibson et al. ,2006). A similar study in Korean high school students N=3,871 , mean age 16. 8) reported excessive daytime sleepiness (DES) to be present in 15. 9% of students. DES was significantly associated with perceived sleep insufficiency, two or more insomnia symptoms and low school performance (Joy et al. , 2005). The p roportion of students reporting insomnia appears to increase with increasing age and higher educational level.Among Japanese adolescents, both difficulty initiating sleep and reported insomnia gradually increase from 7th to 12th grade (Kanata et al. , 2006). Up to 30% of college students report chronic Severe sleep difficulties including both daytime sleepiness and insomnia with 1 1 % meeting criteria for delayed sleep phase syndrome (DADS) (Brown et al. , 2001 , 2006). Sleep disturbances are likely to continue to affect school performance in adults. Cognitive function test scores have been noted to fall in both medical students and residents after sleep deprivation (Wallach et al. 2003). Disordered sleep has also been noted to effect behaviors other than school performance. For example, daytime sleepiness was shown to negatively affect student participation in extracurricular activity (Gibson et al. , 2006). Studies have documented the effect of disordered sleep on the behavioral a nd emotional performance of elementary' school children (Meandered et al. , 2006; El-Sheikh et al. ,2007). Children with fragmented sleep score lower on tests of neurologically functioning and have increased parent-reported levels of behavior problems (Shades et al. 2002). In adolescent boys reported tiredness and sleepiness associated with lower perceived academic performance is also associated with negative mood states, problematic alcohol use, perceived mistreatment or abuse, antisocial behavior, intention to use or current use of illegal drugs, ND feelings of isolation (O'brien and Mindful, 2005; Anyone et al. , 2007). Treatment protocols proposed and utilized in the treatment of sleep disturbance in students A variety of treatment protocols have been proposed for general application in student populations.The finding that early high school start times are associated with student reports of less sleep and increased sleepiness has led to proposals for changes in school start time s (Dexter et al. , 2003; Joy et al. , 2005). In some states and communities school Start times have been changed based on legislation. It is currently unclear hither this approach leads to an improvement in school performance (Liaison et al. , 2002). In elementary students treatment suggestions for sleep complaints include attempts to resolve the marital conflicts (El-Sheikh et al. , 2007).Emphasis on the behavioral basis of daytime sleepiness in high school students has led to the development and application of co-educational programs emphasizing sleep hygiene (Joy et al. , 2005; Gibson et al. , 2006). Melatonin used as a pharmacological treatment for adolescents aged 10-?1 areas in the treatment of DADS has been shown to exult in fewer of these students reporting school difficulties (Ginsberg et al. ,2006). Some studies have suggested, based on data derived from high school studies, that co-educational treatment approaches and delayed class start times be utilized in the treatment of college students (Brown et al. 2006; Gibson et al. , 2006). In the effort to improve school performance at all educational levels, there appears to be a tendency to apply one-size-fits-all programs for the treatment of sleep disturbance based on data from high school studies (Brown et al. , 2006). This study presents data evaluating the association between questionnaire-reported sleep disturbances and school performance in three separate groups of students extending from grade 6 through college (age range 10-?54).It is the authors' hypothesis that the sleep variables affecting school performance in elementary school and junior high differ from those affecting school performance in high school, and those affecting college students. If this hypothesis is correct, it becomes increasingly important that future research studies and treatment protocols should clarify the age and educational level association of sleep disorder variables with school performance. Materials and Methods Th ree samples of students were analyzed for this study: middle school (grades 6-8), high school (grades 9-11) and college students.The first samples were assessed in the science and heath classes at associated middle and high schools in Pueblo, Colorado near the end of the 2005 school year. The college sample was assessed in psychology, nursing and medical classes at the local community colleges as part of an invited presentation on â€Å"Sleep in Young Adults† in 2007. Although all three studies used the same questionnaire instrument, because of differences in the settings, statistical imprisons were made within, but not across the three educational levels.An RIB approved, 18-question frequency-based pediatric sleep disturbance questionnaire, based on validated and indexed questions (Chervil et al. , 2000, 2003; Page et al. , 2007), was used for all three samples. The questionnaire consisted of five ordinal response categories: I-?never; 2=rarely (once a month); 3=sometimes (o nce a week); 4=occasionally (twice a week); 5=always (every night). In order to simplify interpretation of the data and reduce categories with small numbers of responses, we aggregated the sleep ATA to compare response categories 3-5 to categories 1 and 2.This differentiated those who reported having the sleep problem at least once a week from those who had it less often. Assessment of school performance was based on self reported GAP (Range 2. 0-4. 0), which is a common method for defining academic performance in sleep research (Blue et al. , 1990; Hoffman and Strength, 1997; Wolfs and Sarandon, 1 998; Mailman, 2005). Although questionnaires were distributed to 238 middle and high school students, only 165 (69. %) reported their GAP While only the students porting GAP could be analyzed for this study, chi-square analyses revealed that none of the sleep variables differed significantly between those who provided GAP data and those who did not. In addition, a proportion of post- seco ndary school students were enrolled in either nursing or medical training programs that did not rate performance based on GAP and therefore could not be included. This study included 98 junior high students (Grades 6-8), 67 high school students (grades 9-11) and 64 college students (mean age 27. , range 17-?59). GAP was not normally distributed and therefore was split at the Edwina to form two groups within each educational level: Low GAP and High GAP. Within each of the three educational levels, chi-square analyses, using Fisher-exact one-sided tests, were run to compare each of the sleep disturbance variables by GAP (low or high). Results Table 1 displays descriptive information for demographic and sleep variables for the three groups. Notably, there were more Hispanic students in the two younger groups and more African American and white students in the college group.There were also substantially more males in the college group than the two younger groups. However, within each ed ucational group, there were o significant differences in age, ethnicity or gender by GAP. For all three groups, the most common sleep associated problem was feeling unrepressed/tired in the morning, followed by having trouble waking up in the morning. The least common behaviors were trouble with breathing when sleeping and taking sleep medication. Table 1 Demographic and sleep variables for all three groups.

Influential People Essay

In my life, I have had many various influential people, but I would have to say that my Mother has made the biggest impact of all. Most everything that I am today is a outcome of inspirations and instances I have established from my Mother. She has made so many different opportunities presented to me, without which I do not know where I would be. I find my Mother to be a very inspiring person; the reasons for this are infinite. My Mom has been through multiple hardships over the course of her life and throughout it all she has become an exceptionally strong, loving, and wise person. This fact alone amazes me and when compounded with the fact that my Mother, among it all, still manages to have a quick, clever, and upbeat sense of humor I am left fascinated. The things I have learned and continue to learn from my Mother are endless; she has taught me all of the founding principles of my life and for that I am eternally thankful. Though my Mother and I have many discussions on various subjects, within whom I learn many different things, I believe that many of the things I learn from her are discovered and observed from example. This summer would be an instance. Together, we faced many hardships that really pulled and tugged on our relationship. We worked through possibly one of the hardest things a mother could ever go through. It not only brought us closer together, but it made me realize how much she loves me, and how she is always going to be there for me. It is common knowledge that not everyone is perfect, even heroes, and in realizing this I know that I although I wish to be like my Mother in most ways I do not in all. This realization may be one of the most important things I have learned, my Mother has taught me to base my decisions in life not solely on the examples and actions of others but simply on what I gather and learn from the examples and actions of others. In other words, she has taught me not to follow blindly but to make my own decisions based on what I think is important. My relationship with my Mother is something that I treasure above everything else in my life. We are able to play and joke like young children and have serious in depth conversations on some of life hardest subject like mature adults. The various levels that my Mother can reach me on astound me and I think that it is what makes our relationship truly special and what makes her such a wonderful influence.