Elaine Pagels - Biblical Scholar, Expert in Gnosticism

Known for: books on Gnosticism and early Christianity Occupation: writer, professor, Biblical scholar, feminist.   Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University. Received a MacArthur Fellowship (1981).Dates: February 13, 1943 -Also known as: Elaine Hiesey Pagels Elaine Pagels Biography: Born in California on February 13, 1943, as Elaine Hiesey, married to Heinz Pagels, theoretical physicist, 1969. Elaine Pagels graduated from Stanford University (B.A. 1964, M.A. 1965) and, after briefly studying dance at Martha Grahams studio, began studying for her Ph.D. at Harvard University, where she was part of a team studying the Nag Hammadi scrolls, documents found in 1945 that shed light on early Christian debates on theology and practice. Elaine Pagels received her Ph.D. from Harvard in 1970, then began to teach at Barnard College in that same year.   At Barnard, she became the head of the religion department in 1974. In  1979 her book based on her work with the Nag Hammadi scrolls, The Gnostic Gospels, sold 400,000 copies and won numerous awards and acclaim. In this book, Elaine Pagels asserted that the differences between the gnostics and the orthodox Christians was more about politics and organization than theology.   She was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 1981.   In 1982, Pagels joined Princeton University as a professor of early Christian history.  Aided by the MacArthur grant, she researched and wrote  Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, which documented the shift in Christian history when Christians began to focus on a meaning of the Genesis story which stressed the sinfulness of human nature and sexuality. In 1987, Pagels son Mark died, after years of illness. The following year her husband, Heinz, died in a hiking accident. In part out of those experiences, she began working on the research leading to The Origin of Satan. Elaine Pagels has continued to research and write about the theological shifts and battles within earlier Christianity. Her book, The Origin of Satan, published in 1995, is dedicated to her two children, David and Sarah, and in 1995 Pagels married Kent Greenawalt, a law professor at Columbia University. Her Biblical work is both well-received as accessible and insightful, and criticized as making too much of marginal issues and too unorthodox. In both The Gnostic Gospels and Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, Elaine Pagels examines the way that women have been viewed in Christian history, and thus these texts have been important in the feminist study of religion. The Origins of Satan is not so explicitly feminist. In that work, Elaine Pagels shows the way that the figure Satan became a way for Christians to demonize their religious opponents, the Jews and the unorthodox Christians. Her 2003 book,  Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas , contrasts the Gospel of John with the Gospel of Thomas. She makes the argument that the Gospel of John was written to counter the gnostic ideas, especially about Jesus, and was adopted as canonical instead of the Gospel of Thomas because it fit better with the viewpoint of the other three gospels.   Her 2012 book, Revelations: Visions, Prophecy and Politics in the Book of Revelation, takes on the often controversial New Testament book.   She notes that there were many books of revelation circulating, both Jewish and  Christian, and that only this one was included in the Biblical canon.   She sees it as directed to the general public, to warn them about the war between the Jews and Rome that was then in progress, and assuring that it would turn out with the creation of a New Jerusalem. Cultural Impact Some have posited that the publication of The Gnostic Gospels inspired a more popular culture interest in gnosticism and hidden threads in Christianity, including the famous The Da Vinci Code novel by Dan Brown. Places: Palo Alto, California; New York; Princeton, New Jersey; United States Religion: Episcopalian. Awards: Among her prizes and awards: National Book Award, 1980; MacArthur Prize Fellowship, 1980-85. Major Works: The Gnostic Gospels. 1979. (compare prices) Adam, Eve and the Serpent. 1987. (compare prices) The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis. 1989. The Gnostic Pau: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters. 1992. The Origin of Satan. 1995. (compare prices) Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas. 2003. (compare prices) Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity.  Co-author Karen L. King. 2003. Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation. 2012.

U.s. Mint Should Discontinue The Penny - 1604 Words

In recent times the U.S. penny has become a heated topic for debate. The issue people debate is whether the U.S. mint should discontinue the penny. Most Americans seem to have a definite opinion about this topic. Both sides of the argument have increasing support and a numerous amount of legitimate reasons to support their argument. In my opinion pennies are a nuisance and do not really offer enough value, therefore the U.S. Mint should discontinue the production of the penny. The U.S. Mint was established when congress passed The Coinage Act in 1792 (The New Yorker). A year later in 1793 the Mint produced its first circulating coins. The U.S. Mint is responsible for producing circulating coins that people use for monetary transactions. They also produce commemorative coins for people to collect. The one cent coin was first produced in 1787 by private mints. 5 years later the first U.S. pennies were created. According to the Americans for Common Cents organization, over 300 billion o ne cent coins have been produced since 1787. Over time, more and more people have thought the penny has outlived its worth. Though, there are still a large amount of people who believe the penny is necessary to the U.S. economy. When it comes to this debate there are many aspects people disagree about. Most of the aspects discussed have to do with the future of the U.S. economy if the penny was discontinued. The price of making a penny and the effect of not having a penny for normal

The Contribution of Isaac Newton to the Scientific Revolution free essay sample

The Contribution of Isaac Newton to the Scientific Revolution The beginning of the 17th century was a period of drastic change in Europe as many started to approach science. This dawning of modern science introduced new concepts in the understanding of the physical world, and brought along a new stream of â€Å"natural philosophers† () including Sir Isaac Newton. The scientific revolution was not marked by any single change, but rather various new ideas from different philosophers, including Newton, helped revolutionize an important epoch in human history. The impacts due to Newton’s suggestion to abandon medieval philosophies, his contribution to mathematics, astronomy, and physics, and his role in the â€Å"Royal Society† will provide an idea of how important Isaac Newton was during the 17th century and the impact he’s had on the revolutionary breakthroughs at the time, as well as on modern society. During the scientific revolution, Newton and many other natural philosophers proposed to abandon medieval scientific philosophies in favor of newer scientific methods (Ames, et al). There were four reasons for why the medieval idea of science was discarded (). The first reason was because many scientists and philosophers during the 17th century were able to collaborate and work alongside mathematicians and astronomers to advance the knowledge in all fields (Rose). This rendered the medieval method of conducting scientific research useless. Another reason was because the natural philosophers at the time realized the ineffectiveness and inadequacy medieval experimental methods provided for their work, and felt that a new method was needed. Also the world was slowly becoming more globalized, and research papers from the Europeans, Greeks, and Middle Eastern scientific philosophies were all readily available at the time (Ames, et al). Newton, along with other natural philosophers, were able to use a diverse range of starting points to either build on existing theories, or disprove them. The last reason is because of the impact groups such as the â€Å"Royal Society† had on science. These organizations helped validate science as a field of work, and helped publicize scientific findings (Ames, et al). This meant the medieval scientific philosophies were no longer required as a foundation for scientific research. Newton’s proposition to abandon medieval scientific philosophies led to one of the most important changes during the 17th century; how natural philosophers conducted scientific research. This was because the modern hypothesis was born. During the 17th century, natural philosophers started to ask questions emphasizing on answering â€Å"what. † These questions included, â€Å"what is the relationship between these two things? or â€Å"what are the facts to suggest this? † (Ames, et al). It was a major breakthrough because it required finding facts before a hypothesis can be formulated. A hypothesis in the 17th century must be accompanied by various observations, and only after these requirements have been met can a scientist conduct tests with a controlled experiment (Ames, et al). This revolutionary change eventually led to the â€Å"experimental met hod,† which in turn has impacted the way chemists, biologists and physicists conduct experiments today (Rose). Newton, along with the other natural philosophers’ decision to abandon the medieval scientific philosophy helped reaffirm the importance of conducting experiments to science. The pursuit of science (rather than philosophy) gained validity, and the importance of God to science was tremendously, but not fully, invalidated. This meant that there was a transition from focusing on supernatural viewpoints to a humanistic viewpoint. Religion and superstition were replaced by reason and knowledge. This change in attitude was an essential step during the 17th century. Prior to the scientific revolution, natural philosophers lacked the instruments and methods required to verify their observational and experimental ideas (Rose). This handicap forced these philosophers to rely on the church and the ancient world. Figures such as Aristotle, St. Augustine, and God were considered to be the sources of truth (Ames, et al). This caused the scientific ideas at the time to be lost; the natural philosophers were forced to accept the teachings of the church. This notion all changed during the 17th century, when skepticism about religion and authoritative figures of the past became wide-spread due to the continued growth of a literate middle class (Hatch). Many started to read the Bible and interpret it in their own understandings rather than blindly following the teachings of the church. Religion was being challenged as the authority and foundation for knowledge. Due to Newton’s suggestion to desert medieval scientific philosophies, the scientific hypothesis was born, which in turn created doubt and skepticism about religion. Many sought answers elsewhere, and started turning to science for truths. The transition from medieval scientific philosophies created a new mindset and approach to nature. Many scientists in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, math and astronomy created enormous contributions to the field of science, including Sir Isaac Newton himself. Isaac Newton’s first discovery was the concept that white light is composed of different colors (Steinbock 28). By using the new hypothesis which Newton was partially responsible for creating, he demonstrated through a series of experiments that prisms separate white light, rather than modify it. Newton also contradicted the theories of Aristotle by stating that white light is heterogeneous, while the separate colors are homogeneous (Hatch). When his work was published, Newton stated that the purpose of his work was to, â€Å"propose and prove [the properties of light] by Reason and Experiments† (Hatch). This further validated the use of the new hypothesis, where everything must be proved through facts and observations. Newton’s work extended beyond just light, into the realm of numbers. Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz are both responsible for the invention of calculus, though the two men developed calculus independently. Their work is still extremely significant to the understanding of the physical world, because calculus enables Man to explain the rate of change of anything that is not uniform. Before this momentous development, there have always been contradictions with dividing by zero, as well as adding infinitely large numbers. The ancient Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea even gave examples of such inconsistencies (â€Å"Zeno of Elea†). Calculus provided the tools, through â€Å"limits†, to solve these problems. Even today calculus is used in all branches of science, business, and even medicine. Yet perhaps the most famous of Newton’s work is his contribution to the field physics. He is the man responsible for creating the theory of Gravity because of the famous apple incident. Another major contribution Newton had on physics were his three laws of motion, which are considered a foundation for anyone studying physics. What is so significant about Newton is that almost 400 years after his death, his findings in optics, mathematics, and physics are still commonly taught and used to this day. Along with the progress made in science as an independent discipline from philosophy during the 17th century, many scholars began to form organizations as centers of â€Å"thought and intellectual exchange† (Ames, et al). Newton was part of the committee who established one of the most influential scientific organizations, the â€Å"Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge ()† (Ames, et al). This society’s fundamental purpose is to â€Å"recognize, promote and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity† (The Royal Society). This association was a major contributor to the scientific developments from the 17th century and onwards. The Royal Society was an important part of the history of science, because it both fostered discussions between scientists, and was an academy for scientific studies in Europe. Accomplished scientists, such as Newton, would exchange ideas through discussions with equally intelligent individuals, as well as publicize their articles and findings. Newton was funded money by this society to continue his research, and it was with the help of the Royal Society that enabled Newton to both conduct his research and publish his findings (O’Connor, and Robertson). Due to his influence, Newton would become the president of the Royal Society in the later years of his life. Many highly respected scientists joined the Royal Society, including Robert Boyle, William Petty, and Francis Bacon (Ames, et al). All of these members benefited from the collaborations within the organization, and the publicity generated due to their published works. This meant that not only did Sir Isaac Newton contribute a lot to the knowledge of Man, but he also helped create a foundation and stepping stone for prospective bright minds. Even today, the Royal Society plays a key role in the discussion, design, and development of modern sciences and experimental methods (The Royal Society). Sir Isaac Newton was a man who greatly influenced the world, both during his time on Earth, as well as the legacy he leaves behind. He was partially responsible for introducing the new scientific method into this world, forever changing the way scientists conduct experiments. He was a man who managed to shed a scientific light during an era where people were religiously oppressed. His intelligence allowed him to discover new ideas in three fields of scientific studies; optics, mathematics, and physics. Even after Newton’s death, his legacy remains in the form of the Royal Society, as well as in all the scientific contributions he has instilled upon this world. Isaac Newton must have been an extraordinary gift to his parents when was born on Christmas day, 1642. But he was more than that; he was an extraordinary gift to mankind. Works Cited Ames, Lauren, Jo Kent, Amneet Gulati, and Adam Purtee. The Impact of the Scientific Revolution. Connexions. Connexions, 6 Jan. 2006. Web. 06 Mar. 2013. lt;http://cnx. org/content/m13245/latest/gt;. Cherubin, Rose. The Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century. The Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century. N. p. , n. d. Web. 06 Mar. 2013. lt;http://classweb. gmu. edu/rcherubi/ancient/srfr. htmgt;. Hatch, Robert A. , Dr. Isaac Newton Biography Newtons Life, Career, Work. Isaac Newton Biography Newtons Life, Career, Work Dr Robert A. Hatch. N. p. , 30 Nov. 1999. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. lt;http://web. clas. ufl. du/users/ufhatch/pages/01-courses/current-courses/08sr-newton. htmgt;. OConnor, J. , and E. Robertson. Sir Isaac Newton. Newton Biography. MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, Jan. 2000. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. lt;http://www-history. mcs. st-and. ac. uk/Biographies/Newton. htmlgt;. The Royal Society. About Us. About the Royal Society. N. p. , n. d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. lt;http://royalsociety. org/about-us/gt;. Ted Steinbock, MD, comp. Isaac Newton and the Scientific Revolution. N. p. : Mountain Goat, 2006. Print. Zeno of Elea. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 9 Jan.

School Uniforms Essays (517 words) - Formal Wear, Dress Codes

School Uniforms Free Swiss Anti-Wrinkle Cream. You Won't Believe Your Eyes! School Uniforms John Doe walks into a skyscraper, confident and well groomed wearing a tie, suit, and dress shoes. His confidence moves him forward, as he enters an elevator going up to the 23rd floor. He approaches his first job interview since leaving Jesuit Prep: McAllen McAllen Law. This well groomed man graduated from Jesuit prep, which had a dress code and hair restrictions. This dress code and hair restrictions evolved young men into mature adults over a 4 year period at Jesuit. The dress code and hair restrictions play a vital role for our future as they build class integration, increase our image in the community, and dress the students for business, not play. Jesuit Prep needs to continue this vital dress code and hair restrictions for the future. Having a school full of students wearing the same clothes and hairstyles helps build an integration within the class. Students that wear many different styles of clothes all come together wearing similar pants, shirts, ties, and shoes. Through a dress code and hair restrictions, everyone is helped to be made more comfortable by wearing similar clothes, otherwise, people may feel alienated with less trendy or "cool" clothes. Hairstyles help ease this integration as well by giving each person similar styles making everyone feel more at ease. The overall integration helps the students realize that although people may look similar, the idea that everyone exhibits will be greatly different. These different ideas are present in everyone, and the dress code and hair restrictions help illustrate that just because someone looks the same, they do not think the same. When the students get jobs or find careers in their future, it will be helpful to know that even though all their co-wor s seem similar, they are in actuality very different. This approach to future jobs and careers will give the students an advantage in being open minded with people. The dress code and hair restrictions will help Jesuit students by improving their image they present to the outside community. An image is a very important part of any student's life. How others perceive us will impact many future decisions others make. By abiding to a dress code and hair restrictions, our image will come across to others as very clean, organized, and responsible. Future business partners and bosses will always be more trusting with people who fit that image. Within everyone's life, there is a time for fun and a time for business. While some people wait until they are well passed high school before they prepare for business, Jesuit is in the forefront preparing students now. This preparation stems from the dress code and hair restrictions which are enforced by Jesuit Prep. When a coat and tie are worn and hair is neatly brushed, a student does not want to get dirty, so they turn businesslike in their manner by learning and acting in a very mature manner. As you can see, the dress code and hair restriction of Jesuit are vital parts of student development. Integration, image, and dressing for success are important benefits of the dress code and hair restrictions. These benefits will be used into each students' future to help them move forward within their own career and life.

Simmons Case Study

Introduction With stiff competition in the global environment, companies and business organizations have been forced to redesign the organization structure to ensure that all the stakeholders are satisfied. Like customers, employees are valuable assets since they influence the success of an organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Simmons Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is the role of the top management to enrich jobs so as to satisfy the needs of the members of the core team or junior employees. The success of prominent companies such as Wal-Mart, Starbucks and Apple is attributed to their appropriate management styles which create good working environment. Consequently, this encourages junior level managers and the rest of employees to be responsible for all aspects of organization. The Objective of the Great Game of Life (GGOL) Program As indicated in the introductory part, an organization can develop and grow only if it has effective workforce. In the recent times, most organizations and companies have adopted cultures which focus on promoting growth and development of all employees. In the paradigm case, the top management has been striving to create and maintain operational excellence among employees. Prior the coming of Eitel, the company had 18 managers working in different plants. As a result, unhealthy internal competition occurred between them. Barely three months after he took over the post of CEO, Eitel redesigned the organizational structure which led to the birth of Great Game of Life (GGOL) program. The main objective of the program was to promote growth of every employee by inculcating the desire to make the right choices in life. Basing on his long term experience, Eitel believed that leaders are responsible for professional and personal growth. The program was meant to encourage the plant managers and other leaders at Simmons to focus on enhancing prod uctivity as well as pursuing professional growth (Casciaro Edmondson 2007a). Simmons should implement GGOL program Basically, the program was introduced to instill significant individual change amongst organizational leaders so as to revolutionize organizational culture which would facilitate implementation of defined business strategy. Before rolling out the program to other leaders of the organization, the top management visited Callaway Gardens in California to experience it. According to Casciaro and Edmondson (2007), the program was praised by the leaders who attended it. They believed that the program would create a trusting and productive culture for the entire company. Despite the advantages cited by the top management team, there are several issues and challenges that accompanied the implementation of the program. First and foremost, the managers of different plants did not favor the program on the premise that it would require total change in the organization structure an d system. As such, it can be suggested that most of them opt to resign.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When Eitel introduced the concept of 18 in one, the company lost a number of managers. This condition has detrimental effects on the entire organization. The program is also expensive to implement hence would erode profitability in the long run. Therefore, the program should not be implemented (Casciaro Edmondson 2007a). Steps to achieved Positive Results upon Implementation of the program In most cases, change in an organization is resisted by different stakeholders. Therefore, the top management must carefully plan and design how it can implement it effectively. In the paradigm case, the implementation of GGOL program is likely to be hampered by resistance from some members of executive team and plant managers. The stakeholders would tend to resist the program for fear of unknown, loss of job security, habit, insufficient resources, fear of loss of power and bad timing. If in the event that the program is adopted and implemented, various steps should be taken in order to achieve desired objectives. It is advisable that the following steps are taken: Step One: Establish appropriate processes and practices that would drive change management: After ascertaining the need and the importance of the change (GGOL), it is important to craft a plan that would facilitate smooth handling of the change. The procedures for handling the program should be defined. These include procedures for requesting adoption and implementation of change, scheduled for implementing it, how it will be applied and how the organization will back out changes that give rise to problems. Responsibilities of various stakeholders and tools to be used should be defined. Step Two: Communicate the change to key stakeholders so as to gain the necessary buy-in: Every vehicle available wou ld be used to communicate the need and the importance of change to all stakeholders of the organization. Informing all the stakeholders of the program helps to instill positive attitude amongst them. This will guarantee optimum support from them. Step Three: Empowering action: The employees or the members of management body should be empowered so as to get rid of obstacles during implementation of the program. Modify systems and structures that may influence the attainment of objectives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Simmons Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Step Four: Implement and monitor the program: The GGOL program is applied and the results monitored. In the event that positive results are not achieved, backing out of changes is pursued. Step Five: Evaluate and report on the program implemented: It is important to provide feedback on all the results of the new program. Effect of GGOL program on managerial or employee culture of Simmons Any change has impacts on managerial or employee culture in an organization. It affects the way the employees and the top management do things. In the Simmons case, adoption and subsequent implementation of Great Game of Life program would affect the culture. The program would incorporate various aspects of management in the organization. Currently, the company has a dictatorial management and a centralized system. With the implementation of the program, employees would be incorporated into decision making processes as that would facilitate realization of the vision of achieving both personal and professional growth amongst employees. The management has to abandon the culture of dictatorial management and adopt inclusive management styles (Casciaro Edmondson 2007b). Management of Emotional Elements Associated with implementation of Great Game of Life Program Emotions management is one of the greatest challenges in change implementation. It is easy to change policies and physical infrastructure but it is hard to convince organization’s stakeholders (employees) to abandon their accustomed habits, and push them to embrace change paradigms in their working environment. In this case, emotions should be managed otherwise the intended results may not be achieved. One of the ways is of achieving this is by ending uncertainty. Some employees and members of executive team tend to react to change because they are not certain of its consequences. It is important that the vision of change is explicitly revealed.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Providing justification for implementation of the program is another important way of managing emotions. Employees should be convinced about the need of the program. The benefits that the change would bring should be made clear. The third way of managing emotions is allowing employees and members of the executive team to take up ownership of the program. They should be fully engaged in the processes of change (Casciaro Edmondson 2007b). Conclusion Change is inevitable in any organization especially in the fast-changing environment. It can have either negative or positive effects on the organization. In order to achieve the desired results, change should be carefully planned and implemented. All the stakeholders should be involved in change implementation otherwise positive results will not be achieved. References Casciaro, T. Edmondson, A. (2007a). Leading change at Simmons (A). Boston: Harvard Business School. Casciaro, T. Edmondson, A. (2007b). Leading change at Simmons (B). Bo ston: Harvard Business School. This essay on Simmons Case Study was written and submitted by user Christina Wagner to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Lord of the Flies Essay Example

Lord of the Flies Essay Example Lord of the Flies Paper Lord of the Flies Paper Essay Topic: Literature Lord of the Flies was written in the 50s, a decade or so after the war. The war demonstrated the savagery of the human race most famously so with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The book is a reflection of Goldings pessimism of human nature. The island becomes a microcosm of the wider world where fallen human nature leads to a huge war. When all the boys meet together in chapter 2, there is initially some conflict between Ralph and Jack, but this is just a struggle of egos and not necessarily showing any kind of savagery. There is at first an agreement to order the island with a democratic system, and this is first represented by the conch, which is in effect the symbol for democracy on the island. Ill give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when hes speaking. Originally we see the boys as mildly presentable, most noticeably the choir who are introduced to us in a formation all in identical black clothing Each boy wore a square black cap with a silver badge in it. Their bodies from throat to ankle, were hidden with black cloaks. But soon all the boys except Piggy become far more scruffy and disorganised and eventually develop animalistic behaviour. These traits are most prominent in Jack. Here are some quotes showing his less civilised appearance Tattered shorts, hair is considerably longer, His bare back was a mass of dark freckles and peeling sunburn. He is described as dog like, flared nostrils hiss of indrawn breath, eyes are bolting and nearly mad. He speaks more aggressively now aswell as being offensive suddenly Jack shouted in rage Are you accusing? He and his now group of hunters which in itself is a descent into savagery turning a group of choir boys to hunters now discover bloodlust and have somewhat of an obsession with hunting. With Ralph being the leader, and Piggy by his side, the conch shell serves as an equivalent to the executive branch of government. He who holds the shell is superior, at that time. When savagery begins to take control of the boys as the novel progresses, the conch shell begins to lose power. After innocent Ralph is involved with the murdering of Simon, he holds onto the conch tightly, remembering the sense of graciousness that he once had. The conch shell ends up getting smashed during the scene of Piggy’s death, when Roger kills him with ‘the rock,’ another symbol in the book. Another symbol presented in Lord of the Flies is the beast. The beast, representing horror, is the most intricate of all the symbols. It is unique because it is not an actual object, but instead it is the imagination of the boys. It shows the inclination toward evil that all human beings are faced with in a time of great disaster. Simon, a character of human goodness rather than savage, comes up with the conclusion that the beast was not actually an object or figure, but instead it was the boys themselves. â€Å"Maybe it’s only us. † (Golding 89). After Simon speaks of this, the boys erupt in anger. Jack and the rest of his savage boys fall into chaos. Jack promises that there is a beast and they will find and kill it. The boys’ strong will to kill shows their fear of the beast and it disables the connection that they once had with civilization. As the savagery of the boys continues, the beast becomes looked upon as a leader, and they begin to make sacrifices. The erratic behavior expressed by the boys is what brings the beast out of their imaginations and portrays it as something that actually exists. The more devilish the boys become, the more the beast seems to be real. Along with the conch, the next symbol, the signal fire, was also present at the beginning of the novel. This symbol, representing life, was one of the only chances the boys had for reconnecting with society. Two signal fires were made on the island. One was built on the mountain in hope that a plane would see it, and the other was built on the beach, in hope that a ship would see it. In the first few chapters, the boys strived hard to keep the fire going, except for Jack. Instead of focusing on the fire, Jack was more excited about hunting for pigs. â€Å"There was a ship. Out there. You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out! † (Golding 70). This shows how much the fire meant. Knowing that the boys may only have one chance at being saved, Ralph was furious at Jack when he found out that he let the fire burn out. The fire was so important to the boys on the island because it represented the small amount of civilization still left inside of them. When the fire burnt out and the ship did not see them, the boys ultimately gave up. They recognized the fact that they weren’t going to be saved and they would have to live lives of savages. Oddly enough however, at the end of the story the boys are saved because a ship sees a fire on the island; not the signal fire, but a fire made from the destruction caused by the savage boys. Another symbol is presented through the disability of one of the characters, Piggy, whose vision is much below average. He has glasses and these glasses play an important role throughout the book. Piggy is the smartest and most intellectual out of all the boys. From the very beginning of the novel Piggy’s intellect is shown when he uses his glasses to start the first ignal fire. He uses the lenses to reflect the sun’s light on a piece of wood. Piggy’s glasses play a key role in keeping the boys’ minds focused on being rescued. As long as they had a signal fire lit, the chances of being rescued were still probable. The boys’ chances of being returned to society vanish after an altercation between Ralph and Jack, where Jack steals Piggy’s glasses from his face. Ralph and Piggy are now left abandoned after Jack, now with the glasses, moves to the other side of the island with a few of the other boys. Piggy, without his glasses, cannot see. This represents the change from civilization to savagery. At the start of the novel, when Piggy first has his glasses, the boys on the island remain civilized, making attempts to keep the signal fire strong. As the novel progresses, and Piggy looses his glasses, the decline of civilization toward savagery is present. The collapse of the boys is also revealed through the symbolic masks that the boys design. These masks, which are used by Jacks followers called ‘the hunters,’ are made of clay paint. The evilness of the boys is clearly shown when they wear the masks. It is almost as if an infectious disease is spread upon them; they lose all sense of civilization. After Jack paints the mask on his face for the first time, it is clear what it does to him. â€Å"He began to dance and his laughter became a blood thirsty snarling. â€Å"He capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing of its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness. † (Golding 64). This not only shows the cruelty of the mask, but it also shows how it opens Jack into the world of being a savage. Also, Golding mentions the colors of Jack’s first mask as being Red, White, and Black. These colors symbolize â€Å"violence, terror, and evil. † (Golding). The darkest and most violent symbol on the island is the rock. Roger, one of the savage boys, uses the rock to kill Piggy. Comparable to the mask, the rock is red representing violence. â€Å"High overhead, Roger with a sense of delirium abandonment, leaned all of his weight on the lever. † (Golding 180). This describes the scene when Roger, standing on a cliff, pushes the rock down on Piggy. The scene in the story when Roger kills Piggy represents more than just the death of one of the protagonists. Not only does the rock smash Piggy, but it also shatters the conch. The conch and Piggy were a few of the only figures of civilization left on the island. At this point, almost all the boys become savages and feel no sympathy towards the death of Piggy. In Lord of the Flies, the main characters are used to signify important thoughts and concepts. Piggy represents â€Å"prudence, logic, science, and the process on thought, which he uses throughout the story to remain civilized. † (Taylor). Piggy is the thinker behind Ralph, the leader, who comes up with ideas such as starting the fire with his glasses. His intellect represents the world of civilization that the boys once lived in. Simon has been given the characteristic of a mystic, or someone that is supernatural. He signifies â€Å"the Christ-figure. † (Spitz). In an Interview, William Golding even refers to Simon as â€Å"a saint. † (Kermode 219). He is shy and incomplete, yet he uses the intellect that he has to help others. Ralph, who has been the leader from early in the novel, is the most important representation of civilization on the island. Even though he loses his best friend Piggy, his friend Simon, and the conch, he still remains civilized. Like Simon, he learns that savagery is present among all humans. Jack, being the first of two main antagonists, is the number one exemplary of savagery on the island. His lust for power and his rampant terror among the boys sets him far apart from the civilized. This is present at the very beginning of the novel when Jack becomes upset about loosing the top leadership position to Ralph. The second antagonist is Roger. Roger shows the cruelty and bloodthirstiness of the savages at their climax. Roger, being one of Jack’s main followers, ends up murdering Piggy with the rock. The most significant and most apparent symbol in the story is the Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies, which gives the book its title, is a slaughtered pig’s head that is placed onto a spear. The head, seen by Simon, is described as gruesome and terrifying. When Simon stumbles upon it in the Jungle, it seems to talk to him, telling him about the evil that lies within all humans. The dead pig’s head also tells Simon that he is going to have some â€Å"fun† with him, which foreshadows Simon’s death. The Lord of the Flies is ultimately a symbol of terror, but more importantly a symbol of the devil. The evil shown through the pig’s head is the same evil that has been causing the civility of the boys to decline. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses different objects to symbolize the difference between civilization and savagery. From the beginning of the novel to the end, the decline of civilization toward savagery is present among the boys. At the start, the boys tried hard to remain civilized by using objects such as the signal fire and Piggy’s glasses. As the novel progressed, the turn from civilization to savagery began to take place after Jack lets his lust for savagery get the best of him when he steals Piggy’s glasses. Lastly, at the end of the novel, the domination of savagery is present with the masks, the Lord of the Flies, and the rock. Once all hope of returning to civilization is lost, the boys accept their lives as savages. The symbolism that Golding employs in Lord of the Flies shows the difference between the civilization that the boys’ once knew and the savagery that fell upon them. Cox, C. B. A review of ‘Lord of the Flies. ’ † Critical Quarterly 2. 2 (Summer 1960): 112-17. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Roger Matuz. Vol. 58. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 170-72. Dunn, Daisy, â€Å"Book Blog| The Spectator. † Spectator Magazine| World Politics Current Events, News, and Discussion. The Spectator. 17 Nov. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Peng uin, 2006. Print. Golding, William. â€Å"Lord of the Flies Themes| Gradesaver. † Study Guides Essay Editing| Gradesaver. Gradesaver LLC, 1999. Web. 9. Nov. 2011. Kermode, Frank. â€Å"The Meaning of It All. † Lord of the Flies: Casebook Edition. Ed. James R. Baker Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1988. Spitz, David. â€Å"Power And Authority: An Interpretation of Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies. ’ † The Antioch Review 30. 1 (Spring 1970): 21-33. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Sharon R. Gunton. Vol. 17. Detroit: Gale, 1981. 172-73. Taylor H. Harry. Rev. of The Case Against William Golding’s Simon-Piggy. (2004): 65-67. Bloom, Harold. â€Å"Bloom’s Guides: Comprehensive Research Study Guides. † Print.

Internet Privacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Internet Privacy - Research Paper Example Another sensitive matter is that a person in most cases is not even aware of the fact that she/he is being watched. Various intelligent software, bots and sensing devices follow everything from the mouse movement, to the clicking behaviour, to the websites visited to basically every activity performed. Usually this information is used for marketing purposes but more often than not this information goes to a database that has no right to store personal data. The basis of internet was a free agency, where everyone has access to all the information in the world. One would think that on the basis of what internet was formed it is against ethics to be constantly monitored. Nowadays it is the burgeoning social media that causes more problems, not every one is aware that all the profiles that they make online, all the images uploaded are eventually liable to be stored. Internet privacy provides a person with the right of storing and displaying their information online and not be distributin g it to third party members. A number of experts do argue that as the information is posted online, every person accessing the internet has a right to view it. The concept of internet and privacy together cannot exist thereby. It is important to teach and tell every internet user about how vulnerable they are online, they should be made aware of all the risks they face and how the information posted online is permanent. Most people are not aware of this fact which is why many argue about the right of privacy. There are mainly two types of concern over privacy. One is that the information collected can lead to the individual’s identification. This is called personally identifiable information; this is usually done by spyware, website operators etc. The other is monitoring of email and web usage by ISPs or the government for security purposes. Government, security agencies all have the right to accessing information over the internet. It often becomes the matter of security not just for an individual but for the whole nation as well. For them it is extremely crucial and also the matter of life and death to have access to information and find criminals and terrorists. However various laws are in place for internet privacy and more are being formulated as vulnerability constantly increases online. Activities that reveal personal information online: 1) Signing up for an ISP: Every person is assigned an IP address once they access the internet. This is a number that cannot personally identify you. But the ISP knows which IP address is assigned to which client. Thereby just accessing the internet provides a threat to one’s identity. 2) E-mails: When signing up for an email address one has to film a form where all the information is provided. Granted this information is secure and subject to tough laws but still there is no confirmed way of saying that this information cannot be leaked. Google for example tries to offer a personalized service with using that data. Once you email someone you are providing them with your name, other than that all the information that is sent in the email can also is accessed. Random monitoring of everyone’s emails is an extremely tough task and also against privacy. However due to certain laws ISPs are given the right to check a suspects emails and communication. In 2010 a court order (U.S v Warshak) did decide that even thought ISPs have the right to access private emails, for government access a search warrant will be required. 3) Browsing: Even simple browsing invades an

Discuss two segments of the economy in a critical stage of collapse Assignment

Discuss two segments of the economy in a critical stage of collapse when Roosevelt assumed office and his administration's attempts to strengthen them - Assignment Example This act decreed that banks could only be opened under the supervision of the treasury. Federal loans would also be available if needed. In a month, following the enactment of the act, hoarded gold and currency flowed back into the country; hence, the banking sector stabilized (Heinemann, 1983). The government also eliminated the gold standard, thus, use of gold as a legal tender ended. Everyone was required to exchange all their gold pieces for the US dollars. According to Roosevelt, prosperity of the country was heavily dependent on prosperity in the agriculture sector. Therefore, several acts were enacted to ensure that this sector was able to compete favorably. The Agriculture Adjustment Act was enacted to ensure that commodity prices would be raised through artificial scarcity (Heinemann, 1983). The team responsible for enforcing this act employed a technique whereby the total output for each commodity was set. Land owners were paid subsidies to leave some of their land idle; this was in an effort to ensure that farm prices went up. In essence, less was to be produced so that the wholesale price would increase. Many Americans opposed this act since the prices of commodities increased as the farmer’s income increased significantly (Heinemann,

Strategies for Building Successful Leadership Research Paper

Strategies for Building Successful Leadership - Research Paper Example Moreover, to be a successful leader, I must be of high integrity, which simply means doing what I say and behaving in a way that I expect the team to behave. Basic Leadership Skills to Succeed As with any other job, resisting the work of leading makes it difficult to be effective and makes it impossible to find fulfillment or enjoyment in whatever an individual does. Therefore, lacking the desire to lead makes an individual unwilling to perform the work that pertains to a leader of a team. If a leader does not like the work he or she performs, chances are that the leader is not inspired to lead others to perform the tasks. In such a case, a leader is unable to reach his or her potential as a leader unless the leader works for an organization he believes in, as my uncle’s business. Commitment to the organization’s mission and vision is crucial since the first leader of the organization, who is my uncle, had a mission and vision about the company functions, service and ch anges that the company would bring to the industry. My uncle had to hire other people who could share his vision and believe in the mission of the organization; therefore, as a leader, I would have to coach newly hired employees to help them learn what would move the organization toward its objectives. In an ideal world, each employee works as if fulfilling the organization’s vision and mission were his or her personal goal; however, we do not live in an ideal world, hence as a leader, I have the task of remaining committed to and promoting the company’s vision and mission. Integrity is a crucial trait for a successful leader and it involves being true to one’s word, being authentic in actions and speech and demonstrating a behavior that a leader needs employees to emulate. Similar to other leadership skills, integrity requires practice and involves an effort to honor an individual’s word each time as well as remaining an example to employees even when un der stress or when having a personality conflict. As a leader, the gains of integrity are enormous in comparison to the harm that can result from lack of integrity within the workplace. To develop integrity as a leader, three areas that are essential and demand concentration include sincerity, consistency, and substance. For a leader, sincerity involves accepting responsibility for my commitment and striving to achieve them, being honest about my limitations, accepting responsibility for my mistakes and telling the truth. Consistency for leaders involves demonstrating this feature of integrity by treating employees equally, following through on promises and working as hard as, or even harder than, other employees. A substance in integrity refers to what I am regarding work relationships and includes keeping private employee information private and doing what is right for the team and not merely for me (Reina D. & Reina M., 2006). Successful leaders are entrepreneurial and, therefore , able to recognize opportunities and organize resources to tap into the advantages of the opportunity.  

The concept of Work-Life Balance

The concept of Work-Life Balance Introduction The concept of Work Life Balance has always existed, it just wasn’t until recently that experts put a name to it. Employment has been traditionally thought of the means to which you support your personal life, with Work Life Balance principles employers can now gain competitive advantage from creating a more symbiotic relationship with a persons home and work. This allows for lower stress in the work place and greater enjoyment in the home. The results of this are increased performance in the work place and great repertoire for marketing to new employers. As this is difficult to establish in any industry and this is very true with recruitment agencies. The following is breakdown of the Work Life Balance principles along with a company analysis of the Irish Recruitment company CPL. Work Life Balance The major concept of Work Life Balance in employment is that the employer gives the employee the ability to handle their responsibilities in and out of work while generating self worth. This can be done by a multitude of ways: Flexibility Although hard in many industries the company’s structure should enable an employee to work flexible times so that they can satisfy their out of work obligations. This can include anything from leaving early to pick up their children from school to being allowed to work via the Internet when the employee is required to handle home problems like construction work. The requirement of this is simple as the balance of work and life is not something that you can attach an actual number to. Certain weeks your personal life will require more time and other weeks your professional life will need a greater investment, with flexibility in the work place and home you can ensure neither will be neglected.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Achievement As this is a balance between life and work an employee must have the ability to succeed in their profession. The employee needs to be able to succeed in and out of work to achieve this. The structure of the person’s professional life needs to allow for progression in accordance to performance. Through this the person can truly shape their own destiny generating self worth and in conjunction with other work life balance concepts they will be able achieve in home life as well. Enjoyment There are many employees who can be happy in any situation as long as they view it accordingly. Enjoying life is something that everyone can do and is integral to the work life balance. A person must be able to work in a setting that they can not only achieve but also enjoy their success. Tied in with the concept of flexibility a person needs to understand that in order to do well in work you need to be enjoying work and life. A happy person will be able to perform better through increased energy and drive which helps the organization maintain their competitive advantage. â€Å"Conceptually the idea of Work Life Balance seems relatively simple. If you can maintain flexibility, achieve well and enjoy life you can add value to your life† (Holden and Renshaw, 2004, pg 91). This system gets complicated as employers try to help everyone who has similar responsibilities outside of work which creates a strain on the whole performance. The balance itself is there to support the employees so that they support the firm, symbiotic relationships like this are always fragile from their codependence and true balance is near impossible to maintain in certain industries. Recruitment is one of those hard industries. Advantages The main advantage occurring from Work Life Balance policies in an organization is the improved performance from your employees. It has been proven that an employee who has the flexibility in their job to handle their personal lives will produce the following: 1. Higher quality work 2. Less missed time 3. More employer loyalty 4. An overall more enjoyable workplace as all employees are achieving and enjoying 5. More innovative ideas as employees care about their job 6. Strong recruitment marketing for future employees which increase the talent pool This all results in a greater competitive advantage for the firm which will enable them to reach their own goals (Holden and Renshaw, 2004). Irish Recruitment Industry Ireland’s economy is booming but is also in close proximity to the powerful pound of the UK. This has resulted in a very cutthroat recruitment industry where people vie for coveted positions. The result of this has been a large hindrance for employees ability to manage their Work Life balance. Several forces are the result of this trend. Company example- CPL Background Information CPL was founded in 1989 to capitalize on the strengthening information technology industry in Ireland. The founded, Anne Heraty worked as a self employed recruiter until she managed to gain enough clients to hire more and expand. The company went public in 1999 for added investor support to promote their current expansion trends. From there the company has grown to employing over 2,750 temporary staff at any one point and being the largest recruitment company in Ireland. Current actions to promote work life balance Educational Policy Promoting greater opportunities within the work place, CPL has used a very flexible educational policy to promote a work life balance. Within their scheme they are willing to pay for an employees education as long as it is something that will benefit the firm. On top of this any employee currently studying receives five extra days of holiday on top of their regular annual leave to further encourage self improvement.   Being an employee with them means that you are entitled to any number of their educational schemes including: 1. Conflict Management- where they learn about how to deal with problems with other employees, clients or suppliers 2. 5 minute manager- learn general management skills 3. Business strategy- learn basic competitive strategy principles 4. Any education- any external education can be funded by CPL and given the extra holiday time. Leave Policies CPL strives to ensure that large leave requirements are handled as fairly as possible. They are ranked in the top 25 companies in Ireland to work for and one of their main strengths is the benefits they give their employees for certain personal life requirements. This includes paid leave for pregnancy, marriage, family tragedy, illness. Along with this they also give guaranteed job placement after these leaves should the employees return as added incentive. Problems Personal Performance Recruiters work under a single company name but the main bulk of their wages is dependent on personal performance. A recruiter normally is required to establish new clients for the firm and they are paid in accordance to the amount of employees they place. Within this the recruiters all have their own team of temporary employees in which they find work for from the client field. Being paid in accordance to these principles makes it very difficult for employees to operate within a Work Life Balance as they are required to work longer hours to earn more money as well as constantly recruit new talent to further their goals. Flexible hours in this situation are near impossible to do as CPL expects their recruiters to perform for the client as well as any time taken off directly affects your wages. This is slightly different for the placed temporary employees but they still are required to perform exceptionally well in each job they take to ensure that they will be given another. The jobs they take are normally to cover someone who needed leave for personal responsibilities or to handle increased work load, either one the employers expect the worker to fill in the gaps and take little to no time off for themselves. Personal performance standards do not just hurt the required working hours for the employee but also takes away from the job enjoyment. Trying to find new clients can sometimes place the recruiters into direct competition with each other that increases the overall stress in the work place. This leaves room for professional achievement but little for personal enjoyment which is detrimental to the balance. Client Orientated hours- Not work load orientated The recruiters and temporary workers both are required to adhere to the volume of jobs available instead of a standard work load. CPL employees do not know when the demand for their services will increase or decrease and neither does CPL management, what this ends in is you are required to work around your client’s needs. Working around the needs of your client disables your ability to take flexible hours for your self as if CPL cannot handle the clients needs when they need it then they will just go to the next recruiter. Not having a standard amount of work to complete in the course of the day automatically hinders the employees Work Life Balance. Having low volume of work does not mean that the employee can take time off for personal reasons as that may not be required at the time. For a person to establish work life balance they need to have both flexible. Cutthroat industry standards The recruitment industry is extremely competitive as they all strive for the same competitive advantages. The cost of the temp employees is dictate by the job not by the standard at which the temp agency operates. That means all recruiters are trying to operate on the highest quality to ensure they maintain high volume performance. Having an entire industry based around this means everyone needs to be fighting for their own positions or they will lose contractors and clients. Recruiters are expected to work those extra hours in order to produce results and increase client relationships for future work. CPL is an industry leader in Ireland for these reasons which once again gives strong opportunities for employees to achieve and enjoy their professional life but difficult for the flexibility requirement in their personal life. Volume orientated performance A recruiter is paid based on the amount of employees they place in jobs. The nature of this payment means right away that in order to succeed the recruiter will be required to sacrifice more time. Work Life Balance in this situation cannot exist as for the employee to achieve and enjoy one, they must sacrifice the other. End Result Work Life Balance in the recruitment industry is near impossible to maintain. Employees are required to work around the requirements of the clients instead of what is set forth by the company. On top of this employees also are paid in accordance to the volume of service they provide with a requirement to continue to produce high quality. This results in a system which requires the employees to achieve only within the company and is forced to constantly be on call for client requirements. This makes it very difficult for employees to establish a solid Work Life Balance as all their professional achievement is based on catering to the job first. Recommendations Remote Working As recruiters are basically operating as small businesses on their own within CPL, they should have the option of working from home if required. Company calling cards and remote internet access will allow the recruiter to stay in touch with clients and employees at all times to handle any problems should they arise. Although this should not be the norm, it will allow for employees to establish a more balance life outside of work so that they can lower stress and perform better within the job. Client Contacts As the normal case for recruitment agencies is that each recruiter has their own contractor squad and own set of repeat clients it would be very effective to the Work Life Balance for recruiters to stop working on a personal performance standard and focused more on their ability to perform as a team. By having key contacts for a client but not necessarily only one contact can enable for some flexibility in the work place along with a more diverse employee pool to satisfy the client needs. This also helps with increasing the enjoyment and achievement within the organization as employees are now working towards a great good together instead of being in competition with each other. Cross Training CPL had it right by offering educational programs for their employees. Educating the employees allows for them to not only be happier in the job but also gives them opportunities to stretch out into new fields which can be very fulfilling. Within this they should try and institute cross training practices to create an internal structure in the organization that can support many stresses. Having employees who can cover for each other will create a sense of unity along with enabling people who have other responsibilities to handle those as well. These concepts are key to the Work Life Balance. Employee Services CPL is a large enough organization that they should look into having services which can help support employees personal lives. Several example services to support the employees Work Life Balance are as follows: 1. Day care center 2. Dog walking service 3. Activity days for employees 4. Career counseling 5. Benefit packages Implementation Plan Remote working is something that can be started right away as it only requires minimal IT servicing to set up a remote portal. Calling cards or company mobiles can also be purchased and given out with little work. The cross training program can fall under the current policies that they have for education but will require an analysis of current operations to see what training will be required. Employee services will require a longer implementation period as the needs and plausibility of each service will need to be accessed then the resources will need to be found in order to create the required packages. Conclusion Work Life Balance is hard to be developed in industry which is highly competitive and based on personal performance. An employee cannot establish a balance as there is a teeter totter effect occurring with work performance. For an employee to succeed within a recruitment agency, they need skill but they also need to invest time. Recruiters them selves see a direct comparison to the amount of time they spend in a job and how much they earn while the contractors need to commit large amounts of time to a job where they cannot satisfy any other personal responsibilities as the client is paying for stability. As a company within recruitment CPL is trying to help establish this balance but their current situation makes it hard for them to be a front runner on these ideals. CPL can institute policies which will help alleviate the strain on an employees balance but it will always be difficult to establish equilibrium as per the industry standards. Bibliography Holden, Robert and Renshaw, Ben. Balancing Life and Work Dorling Kindersley, 2004. â€Å"CPL homepage† http://www.cpl.ie   update March 2005. Accessed April 16th 2005. â€Å"CIPD- The human resources development website† http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/wrkgtime/leave updated August 17 2004. Accessed 16th April 2005.

Acupuncture essay

Acupuncture Acupuncture is a traditional Eastern therapeutic technique that uses fine needles, inserted into specific points on the body along the meridians in proper speed to achieve a specific therapeutic goal. Acupuncture originated in prehistoric China, and it is based on such theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine as treating blockages of Qi, yin-yang balancing, five elements theory and pulse diagnosis. The functional system of channels and organs uses concepts of yin-yang balancing. Nowadays, acupuncture has become commonly used in many Western countries as well. Around 200 B. C. the Yellow Emperor’s textbook of physical medicine called Huang Di Nei Jing described the essential metaphysics of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The ancient Chinese doctors saw man as an integral part of nature and all things both in Yin and Yang around him were related to him, and things in Yin and Yang should be in balance. The original meaning of Yin is the shady side of the hill, and Yang is the sunny side of the hill. The opposites complement each other in a dynamic process. Thus, Yin and Yang cannot exist without the other, and the two forces always combine to make up the whole. This polar system of Yin and Yang has an important role in medicine and in the description of life processes in the human body and of their pathologic disturbances. † (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p88) Qi is the vital energy or life force, and it is omnipresent in nature and is apparent in all life in the form of change and movement. The action and movement of Qi expresses in every life process and every organic function. â€Å"In the body, Qi accumulates in the organs and flows in channels or meridians that are called Jing and Luo in Chinese. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p. 88) The general theory of acupuncture is based on the premise that there are Qi. The fluent flow of Qi throughout the body is essential for optimal health. Blockag e of this energy is thought to cause disease. The aim of the treatment in Chinese acupuncture is to harmonize the flow of Qi by dissolving blockages and stagnation in the organs and channels. If the Qi of an organ is weakened, the function of this organ will be incomplete or faulty, but if Qi of an organ is present in xcess, the function of this organ will be excessive. Acupuncture can balance the conditions of excess or deficiency in the organs, and thus achieve an undisturbed function. The system of â€Å"five element†, like yin-yang balancing, is a philosophy concept and is a way of recognizing and analyzing things. The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. This system is used to explain the reasons of interaction relationship between all things in the nature through the interlinked relationship between the five elements.These basic elements are intimately interlinked. Each element is controlled by another, while itself simultaneously controlling a third ph ase. According to Chinese medicine, Qi flows through meridians, and there are11 organs interact intimately with the channels. The 11 organs are described as functional systems and subdivided into six Yang organs and five Yin organs. Large intestine, small intestine, stomach, urinary bladder, gallbladder and â€Å"Sanjiao† are the six Yang organs, and lung, heart, spleen, kidney and liver are the five Yin organs. Pericardium (a double-walled sac that contains the  heart  and the roots of the great vessels) is not considered as a Yin organ, but as part of the heart, having a channel. † (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p122) The 12 main channels form a system of three courses of channels at the body surface. Each course of channel consists of two pair Yin-Yang channels. One pair runs in parallel along the arm, and the other along the leg. This three courses flow in similar form. One Yin and one Yang organ form a functional unit, which involves a pa rticular tissue and the corresponding channels.Acupuncture points are located on those channels. By the application of needles, heat, or massage on acupuncture points, acupuncturists can make some damaged organs function better. A pair of channels consists of a Yin and a Yang channel. â€Å"Yang channels run laterally or on the dorsal side of the body, while Yin channels run medially or on the ventral side. † (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p125) There are 12 main channels, like the months of the Chinese zodiac, each representing a major organ system of the body. In addition, there are two extraordinary channels named Ren Mai and Du Mai.Ren Mai is the conceptional vessel, which counts as a Yin channel, while Du Mai is the governing vessel, which counts as a Yang channel. These two extraordinary channels and the 12 main channels together make up the system of 14 channels on which the 361 classic acupuncture points are situated. The 12 main channels form a system of three courses or cycles of channels at the body surface. Each course of channel consists four main channels, two Yin and two Yang channels. â€Å"One Yin-Yang pair runs in parallel course along the arm, and the other along the leg.An internal branch of the channel derives from the main channel running to the corresponding Yin or Yang organ. † (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p125) The first course is located on the ventral side of the body. It is made up of the lung, large intestine, stomach, and spleen channels. The lung channel starts at the chest wall and runs along the volar side of the arm to the corner of the thumbnail, and it belongs to the Yin polarity. The large intestine channel starts from the index finger and runs on the dorsal side of the arm to the face, and it belongs to the Yang polarity.The stomach channel starts from the face and runs ventrally down the body to the second toe, and it belongs to the Yang polarity. The spleen ch annel runs from the foot along the inside of the leg back to the chest wall, and thus it belongs to the Yin polarity. The second course is located on the dorsal side of the body. It is made up of the heart, small intestine, urinary bladder and kidney channels. The third course is located on the lateral side of the body. It is made up of the pericardium, Sanjiao, gallbladder and liver channels. These courses flow similar to the first course.A Yin or Yang channel axis is made up of two adjacent Yang channels or two adjacent Yin channels in the same course of channels. The Yang channel axes pass downwards from the arm to the leg through the head and body. The Yin channel axes pass upwards from the feet to arms through the body. The channel axes are important for diagnosis as well as for treatment. Acupuncture are very useful in treating some disorders, such as respiratory disorders, mental disturbances and illness, neurological disorders, skin disorders and disorders of the sense organ s, etc.. Many respiratory disorders are successfully treated by acupuncture.Especially in chronic conditions, such as chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, or bronchial asthma, acupuncture is more effective than other forms of treatment. External climatic influences such as cold, wind, dryness, and occasionally heat are sometimes the causes of a weakened lung Qi. Thus, acupuncture can dissolving the blockage and can strengthen the Qi. Acupuncture treatment is very effective in a large number of psychosomatic disorders, such as agitation or exhaustion conditions, insomnia, depression, sexual disturbances, drug addictions, obesity, and headache. Acupuncture has a harmonizing, sedative, or tonifying effect. Many points of the Du Mail, heart, pericardium, and gallbladder channels have strong psychological effects. † (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p287) Also, organs that are affected in mental disturbances can be treated by stimulation of the points of the correspon ding channels. Acupuncture also shows a good effect in migraine, chronic headache and trigeminal neuralgia. According to traditional ideas, chronic headache and migraine are attributed to a blockage of Qi in the Yang channels of the head.The pain in chronic headache is mostly caused by an internal disturbance of organs. The location of pain is very important in planning for an individual acupuncture treatment. However, trigeminal neuralgia is attributed to a blockage of Qi caused by wind, cold, or heat, together with pronounced internal disturbances of the liver or stomach. â€Å"In the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, a large number of points in the face are needled on the contra-lateral side; they should be manually stimulated over and over again, for dispersing stimulation. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p296) Acupuncture treatment is also effective in many skin disorders, such as neurodermatitis, acne, herpes zoster, psoriasis, and eczema. According to traditional ideas, the skin is related to the lung and the large intestine, and skin disorders are therefore treated with points on the channels relating to the lung and the large intestine. What worth mentioning is that points surrounding the disordered skin area should not be needled especially ulcerated regions.Acupuncture treatment is highly effective in disorders of the sense organs, deafness, tinnitus, vertigo, conjunctivitis and visual deficiency. According to traditional concepts, the ear is related to the functional system of the kidney and urinary bladder, while the eye corresponds to the liver and gallbladder. In addition, the ear is closely connected to the Sanjiao channels, which circles round the ear. Stimulation of the distal points of the Sanjiao is higyly effective in ear disorders. Negative effects of acupuncture were rarely reported, however, they do exist and special attention should be paid to. The most frequent complication of acupuncture treatment is the vasov agal episode. More serious complications reported include rare pneumothoraces, lacerations of viscera, compression of nerve trucks due to local hematomas, sepsis, transverse myelopathy, eschars and scarring, endocarditis, and broken needles. † (Ceniceros, Salvador and Geroge R. Brown, 1998) The first needles were sharp flints, and later metal needles had replaced sharp flints. Different acupuncture needles have different length and diameter. Usually, the length varies from 1. 5 to 15 cm, and the diameter varies from 26 to 36 gauge (0. 2 to 0. 5mm). Disposable needles are usually made of stainless steel with handles wrapped in copper wire. Today, most used needles are filiform steel needles because the steel is flexible and unbreakable. Filiform needles consist of a tip, a body and a handle. In most cases, 0. 3mm thick needles are used in acupuncture. When insert acupuncture needles, acupuncturist should hold them vertically use three fingers, the thumb on one side of the needl e and the index and middle finger on the other side.The needles should be held perpendicular to the three fingers and 1-2cm from the tip of the needles should not be held, especially with long needles, which are more liable to bend. There are two methods of insertion. One is fast method, and the other is low method. Fast method causes less pain, while low method may be painful. The insertion can be perpendicular (90 °), oblique (30 °-60 °), or occasionally tangential (10 °). The depth of insertion and the direction are given with the specific acupuncture point, but they can vary depending on the constitution of the patient.In China in the 1960s, electro-acupuncture (EA) was introduced into clinical practice, especially for treatment of chronic pain and neurological diseases. â€Å"Electro-acupuncture is aimed at stimulate the points electrically by attaching flexible wires (via small alligator clips) to the needles. † (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 20 03, p315) Electro-acupuncture uses one pair of needles which are attached flexible wires (via small alligator clips) to stimulate the points electrically, instead of twirling the acupuncture needles by hand.Pulses of electricity with the pulse width from 0. 1 to 1. 0 ms in duration are applied to the needles in order to stimulate nerves. One major advantage of Electro-acupuncture is that it is more convenient than manual therapy, and requires less skills and accurate needle placement. Acupuncture was first introduced to Europe in the 17th century. However, at that time, it was not widely accepted by Europeans. Most Western skeptics claimed that the traditional Chinese theory of acupuncture was merely anecdotal; therefore cannot be reliable.This situation has dramatically changed in the past 20 years. Lots of publications who went to China and saw the use of acupuncture have revealed the reductionism, causal mechanisms for many of the acupuncture effects in many leading Western journ als. It is estimated that over 300,000 physicians of over one million practitioners outside China use acupuncture treatment for chronic pain. About 90% of the physicians that were found in a recent study of German pain clinics used acupuncture. Also, there are over 11,000 physicians were interested in acupuncture in the USA.In Canada, more than 2000 physicians have taken courses given by the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada. In North America, besides physicians, veterinarians, chiropractors, and naturopaths also use acupuncture. In conclusion, acupuncture based on the Tradition Chinese theory of Yin-Yang balancing, five elements theory to dissolve any blockages in the vital energy Qi. Acupuncture treatments are very useful in variable areas of disorders; despite there may few adverse effects. Nowadays, acupuncture is more familiar to Westerns, and it is accepted by growing number of people in the world.

Living in a Stop and Frisk World

Living in a Stop and Frisk World Today around 1,400 citizens in New York City will have their constitutional rights violated through an unlawful search. The legal term for the controversial search is stop and frisk. The New York Police Department continues to pressure its officers to stop and frisk citizens, and these situations are happening at an alarmingly increasing rate. For the New York Police Department, it seems to be a game of numbers as they continue to force their officers to conduct stop and frisks through quotas (Gangi).While New York City has seen a decrease in crime over Mayor Bloomberg's term, it is difficult to directly correlate the stop and frisk policy with these decreases. This unlawful practice needs to stop as it is a controversial practice that many people believe is a direct violation of the human rights inherent for citizens. Furthermore, it could turn New York City into a police state. If an officer does not fill his monthly quota of stops, summons or arres ts, he is subject to discipline (Gangi). Often, this discipline will leave a unsettling paper trail behind the officer and prevent them from being able to move up in the ranking.This commonality has been explained by many New York Police Department officers confidentially in, â€Å"The Hunted and the Hated: An Inside Look at the NYPD's Stop-and-Frisk. † Last year, nearly 686,000 people were stopped on the street; a startling increase from only 97,000 in 2002. This amounts to a 600% increase in stops in less than ten years, and searches will continue to increase as the police department tries to keep these numbers up every year (Gangi). Factually speaking, the number has increased every single year since Mayor Bloomberg took office (Long).Crime is down, but can it accurately be attributed to an increase of stop and frisks? Stop and frisk can not be directly and certainly not solely attributed to the decrease of crime. Additionally, stop and frisk is highly subject to racial pr ofiling. Both Tuttle of TheNation. com and Lieberman of New York Civil Liberties Union agree that the stop and frisk program is a waste of resources, explaining its high failure rate: â€Å"the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk program continues to have a 90 percent failure rate. It remains a tremendous waste of resources, sows mistrust between police and he communities they serve, and routinely violates fundamental rights. (Zelon)† These are key reasons why New York City is the only large metropolis using stop and frisk as their main crime deterrent. It is an aggressive practice that ruins the relationship between the community and police department (Gangi). Ruthless practices such as stop and frisk are alienating the minority communities and terrorizing the youth. Police have admitted to targeting areas where crime is highest, but the stop and frisk approach ruins any opportunity for help from the community directly.These officers are stationed in parts of New York City that the y are disconnected from outside of work. The community knows their area best, yet the officers garner little respect amongst the community. When a community member sees something, they are less likely to say anything to the abusive New York Police Department (Eterno). Furthermore, this puts the officers in much more danger and results in a much more aggressive and assertive force as a result. Not to mention, community members are more willing to follow the law if they believe the system is fair and equal.Sociologist Tom Tyler’s research on this matter has concluded that people often obey laws in which they consider fair and legitimate; these stop and frisk police encounters are seens as unfair and racial (Braid). Community policing is a key aspect to crime fighting, and both Washington and Los Angeles have made it a main focus of their crime stopping strategy. From 2002 to 2012, New York City has had a 12% decrease in murders annually, and during the same period, Washington s aw a 43% decrease and Los Angeles had a 50% decrease in murders.Both cities have taken a less aggressive approach and focused on a less aggressive community driven strategy. Unlike New York City, these cities focus on building up communities and targeting key violent factors (Gangi). Being apart of the community as a police officer lets you work with community members living within the area and target the direct source of violence and crime. Truants within the community are at the highest risk of becoming juvenile offenders. With such hatred from the ommunity, the police department does not get information or leads about these truants until they’re in police hands for committing a crime . Not to mention, these communities become so violent due to only 2 or 3% of the population (Baird). Additionally, as the officers continue to press the streets, they are unable to work with the communities and violence ensues once again. Breaking these community lines is a waste of resources and is costing taxpayers millions of dollars every year.This policy is not only harming and scaring our youth, but it’s estimated that for every 100,000 stops it costs the taxpayers of New York 10 million dollars (Howell). Last year, New York City and the New York Police Department stopped over 650,000 people and accumulated hundreds of lawsuits for its racial and aggressive tactics (Tuttle). Under the law, suspects must appear to be committing a crime or about to commit a crime. Unfortunately, Judge Shira A. Scheindlin has uncovered â€Å"overwhelming evidence that there in fact exists a centralized stop and frisk program that has led to thousands of unlawful stops. Eterno)† Thousands of stops being performed unlawfully will turn into suits against the City of New York. Taxpayers do not want to pay for a program that is constitutionally illegal, has an extremely high failure rate and publicly targets minorities. Since New York City is the largest city in the United St ates, the police department should be a role model for other cities. Instead, the New York Police Department actively practices racial profiling, working against communities rather than in conjunction with them.At first, the aggressive stop and frisk program lowered illegal guns on the street. More recently, however, Mayor Bloomberg has taken it too far by turning the program into a regulated, quota-driven exercise that has effectively used racial profiling and intimidation as a scare tactic against minorities. If New York City is to be proactive in lowering its crime rate, it ought to focus on building communities, endorsing community leaders, and no longer allowing its Police Department to engage in the controversial stop and frisk program.

Definition and Examples of Exclusive We

Definition and Examples of Exclusive 'We' In English grammar, exclusive we is the use of first-person plural pronouns (we, us, our, ours, ourselves) to refer only to the speaker or writer and his or her associates, not to the person(s) addressed. For example, Dont call us; well call you. In contrast to inclusive we, exclusive we does not include the audience or the reader. Often (but not always), exclusive we occurs when the first-person plural is used in the company of a second-person pronoun (you, yours, yourself, yourselves).   The term clusivity was recently coined to denote the phenomenon of inclusive-exclusive distinction (Elena Filimonova, Clusivity, 2005). Examples and Observations: Im especially fond of the inclusive and exclusive we. Thats a distinction between Were going to the movies. Are you ready yet? and Were going to the movies. See you later!- in other words, between being invited to the party and being a third wheel.Its particularly useful when you want to switch back and forth between the two: Im writing to you on behalf of my colleagues. We (exclusive) are wondering if youd be interested in collaborating with us (exclusive). We (inclusive) could accomplish great things together! We (exclusive) hope to hear from you soon about the future of us (inclusive)!(Gretchen McCulloch, Four Features From Other Languages That We Wish English Had. Slate, October 24, 2014)Defenders of Earth: we have come for your natural resources to rebuild our damaged planet. When we have transported all we need, we will leave your world in peace. For such peace to exist, you must immediately exile the Autobot rebels you have harbored. Non-negotiable! Renounce the rebels. We awa it your reply.(Leonard Nimoy as the voice of Sentinel Prime in the movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon, 2011) All we ask is that you make use of these ships. Sail them back to Westeros where you belong, and leave us to conduct our affairs in peace.(George Georgiou as Razdal mo Eraz in The Bear and the Maiden Fair. Game of Thrones, 2013 Khrushchev: Many things youve shown us are interesting, but they are not needed in life. They have no useful purpose. They are merely gadgets. We have a saying: if you have bedbugs you have to catch one and pour boiling water into the ear.Nixon: We have another saying. This is, that the way to kill a fly is to make it drink whiskey. But we have better use for whiskey.(Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev and American president Richard Nixon in the Kitchen Debate, July 24, 1959. Richard Nixon: Speeches, Writings, Documents, ed. by Rick Perlstein. Princeton University Press, 2008Well, all along, I guess, I thought we didnt have much of a life. You know, I felt wewell, not you, but the rest of uswere rejects. In fact, they actually had me believing that I was totally undeserving, and I was supposed to be missing out on even the basics.(Sky Lee, Bellydancer. Raincoast Books, 2002 For the present, let us return to the experiment with the opium. We have decided that you leave off the habit of smoking from this moment.(Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone, 1868You heard Santos-Dumont talking about going to St. Louis and winning a prize? Im damned if he will, not while weve got time to build an airship of our own.What do you mean we?Why Fitz, you dont think wed leave you out? Were letting you in on the ground floor as our first investor, and youll get your share of the prize money in St. Louis.(Walter J. Boyne, Dawn Over Kitty Hawk: The Novel of the Wright Brothers. Forge, 2003) The Top-Down Approach - Exclusive we . . . excludes the reader since it suggests an us-them relationship. Its use may make a text appear authoritarian as it underlines opinions of or actions undertaken by a group external to the addressee.(Anne Barron, Public Information Messages. John Benjamins, 2012)- The exclusive we implicitly sets up a hierarchical power relation and points to the top-down approach in instituting change.(Aaron Koh, Tactical Globalization. Peter Lang, 2010) Combinations of Inclusive We and Exclusive We Biber et al. (1999: 329) assert that the meaning of the first person plural pronoun [we] is often vague: we usually refers to the speaker/writer and the addressee (inclusive we), or to the speaker/writer and some other person or persons associated with him/her (exclusive we). The intended reference can even vary in the same context. Inclusive and exclusive we can be used to create a perspective of: I the speaker you the addressee(s) in the immediate context (inclusive we) and I the speaker someone else not in the immediate context (exclusive we). . . . Understanding speaker identity is crucial to understanding context . . .. (Elaine Vaughan and Brian Clancy, Small Corpora and Pragmatics. Yearbook of Corpus Linguistics and Pragmatics 2013: New Domains and Methodologies, ed. by Jesà ºs Romero-Trillo. Springer, 2013) Grammatical Features Associated With Inclusive We and Exclusive We [A]lthough the distinction between an inclusive/exclusive  we is not morphologically marked in English, Scheibmanns (2004) analysis of conversational utterances in the first person plural has shown that different referential values of we may be signaled by the differential employment of other formal features of the utterance. More specifically, an inclusive interpretation of we was found to favor employment of present tense and modal verbs, while exclusive interpretations of we appear more frequently with past tense and fewer modal verbs. (Theodossia-Soula Pavlidou, Constructing Collectivity With We: An Introduction. Constructing Collectivity: We Across Languages and Contexts, ed. by Theodossia-Soula Pavlidou. John Benjamins, 2014) Read More Discourse Analysis Editorial  We,  Inclusive  We, and  Royal  We First-Person Point of View  and  First-Person Pronouns PragmaticsSociolinguistics

7th Grade ACT Prep How to Ace the Exam

7th Grade ACT Prep How to Ace the Exam SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Even though there are plenty of other standardized tests for younger students like ACT Aspire or the PSAT, there are still many middle schoolers every year who take the ACT. 7th grade is definitely a bit earlier than most people take a college entrance exam, but it's possible you might have to take it as part of an academic talent search or want to take it to see what it's like. Just as good 7th grade ACT scores are different from what good scores would be for juniors or seniors, though, 7th grade ACT prep is very different from high school ACT prep. Find out the best way to A-C-E the ACT in 7th grade in this article. Why Take the 7th Grade ACT? There are two main reasons why you'd want to take the ACT as a middle schooler. The biggest reason is that 7th grade ACT scores are an integral part of several talent search programs, like Duke TIP and Johns Hopkins' CTY. These programs provide academic enrichment and summer programs for advanced students, which can be a great way to discover a subject you're passionate about that you can then pursue in more depth in high school or college. The only other real reason to take the ACT so early is if you want to start laying the groundwork for when you take the ACT in high school to apply to colleges. Because you won't have learned a significant chunk of the content on the test yet in school (particularly on the math section), you're probably not going to want to use your 7th grade ACT score to apply to colleges. But if you live in an ACT-mandatory state and will end up taking the ACT before you graduate from high school for free anyway, it's not the worst idea in the world to get an early preview of what the test is like. 7th Grade ACT Prep for Summer Programs If you’re taking the ACT to take part in a talent search or summer program of some sort, you have a relatively tight timeline to work with. Enrollment begins August of each year for Duke TIP and other similar programs, and to do the 7th grade talent search for most programs, you must take the ACT during your 7th grade year. This means that the latest you can take the ACT and still qualify for a talent search is by June of the end of your 7th grade school year. Plus, to get a spot in the highly competitive summer programs for the summer after 7th grade, it’s usually recommended you take the ACT by Feb 1st during 7th grade at the latest (so you don’t get waitlisted for the programs). With a short amount of time to study for the ACT, you'll need to use strategies similar to those used by juniors and seniors prepping for the test. This means studying for the test with official ACT practice tests and questions to get the most accurate picture of what will be covered on the real test. While you by no means need a perfect or even close to perfect score on the ACT in order to qualify for summer programs, you also don't want to stroll into the room on test day and be completely surprised by the format and question style of the test. Jon Bunting/Flickr There are non-multiple choice Math questions You're also going to want to take at least a couple of realistic timed practice tests (rather than just answering questions or doing the test a section at a time). This exercise is particularly valuable for 7th graders because as a younger student, you'll likely have less test-taking stamina, simply because you won't have had as many years of lengthy test-taking in school yet as a high school student. The ACT is a little over three hours long with breaks (or almost four hours if you take ACT with Writing), so you'll need to work up to being able to sit down and concentrate on the test for that long a period of time without losing focus. Other ACT prep strategies used by high school students can be modified and used by younger students as well. Before you start studying for the test, you should figure out what specific score you need to aim for in order to meet your goals. Rather than averaging the average scores of the colleges you want to get into, you should set your target ACT score based on the average scores of the summer programs you want to apply to. You can then adjust your test-taking strategy accordingly. The most important adjustment to make to your test-taking strategy as a 7th grader is to not be afraid to skip questions. If you only need to aim for a 25 on each section, you can afford to skip the harder questions or topics you haven't learned about yet and maximize the time you spend on questions you actually can answer. For more strategies like these, including precisely how many questions you can skip to get to your target score, read our articles on how to improve low ACT English, Math, Reading, and Science scores, which focus on getting students up to a 26 score (rather than a perfect ACT score). Early Training for College Applications Starting to prepare for college applications early is a much weaker reason to study for and take the ACT in 7th grade. Prepping so early for the ACT means you don't have the content knowledge you need to do your best on the test. While it is possible to teach yourself some of the content, you may find that there's ultimately a limit to what you can achieve on your own without first learning the subject (like trig) in school first. It's also unlikely that casual 7th grade ACT prep will have any benefit for you when you get to the middle of high school and take it again for colleges. Sure, you might be slightly more familiar with the format of the test, but that's something you could achieve much more easily and effectively by starting to prep for the ACT in a focused way in 9th grade. And as a sidenote, although colleges probably won't care about your 7th grade ACT score, any time you take the ACT it does technically remain on your permanent ACT record. The good news is that if you want to take the ACT early as part of preparing to apply to college or pass the ACT later on in high school, you have a much looser timeframe to work with than if you needed to take it for a talent search. Since you don't have program deadlines, you can take the ACT at any point during middle school, whether during the 7th grade school year or not. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to take the test again before college applications, so it's not like your score now is final. Your 7th grade ACT score is about as final as this rabbit drawn in the sand. Unlike the juniors taking the test, you won't have learned all of the content yet in school, and as I said above, some of it you might not be able to teach yourself. Instead of banging your head against the wall of radians and matrices, you should focus your studying on areas like Reading and English, which don't necessarily require the same kind of knowledge base that ACT Math does, particularly if you're a native English speaker. For ACT Reading, you can practice reading at a higher level by reading short stories and nonfiction writing. Our article on the best way to practice ACT Reading has some great tips for free online sources you can use for both of these types of literature. You can also use vocabulary lists to bolster your knowledge of more advanced vocab and how to use them in context. By reading more advanced writing, you'll internalize some stylistic and grammatical rules that are important for both ACT English and ACT Writing, but if you want an explicit list of what you need to know for ACT English, we have a complete guide to all the grammar rules covered on that portion of the test. We also have some great articles ACT Writing, including how to write the essay, step by step, what the format of the essay is, and how the ACT essay is scored. The ACT Science test doesn't require a lot of specific science knowledge. Instead, you'll need to be skilled at reading charts, graphs, and tables and being able to combine information from them and the text to answer questions. For this reason, even students who aren't "science" people can do perfectly well on ACT Science. And when it comes to ACT Math, you can at least start to get familiar with the math you haven't covered yet in school with our great guides to subjects like algebra and trigonometry. For the most part, though, while you can start to prep for the ACT in 7th grade, if the only reason you're studying for it is as prep for college applications, we don't recommend taking it that early. Richard-G/Flickr The ACT for 7th Graders: The Bottom Line Depending on why you’re studying for or taking the ACT in 7th grade, you’ll need to adjust how you study. If you're taking it in order to qualify for summer programs, you’ll have less time to study before taking the test, so you should focus on practicing with real ACTs and studying strategies like skipping questions you can't answer. On the other hand, if your 7th grade ACT prep isearly training for college or high school, you’ll have more time to study before taking the test, so you should focus more on learning content you don’t know and getting familiar with the test structure before moving on to testing strategies and full-length practice tests. For more on the content-to-strategy ratio in studying, read about how to start early on preparing for the SAT- many of the tips in it are applicable to students taking the ACT as well. Above all, don’t be discouraged by a low 7th grade ACT score. Remember, you’re competing against high school juniors and seniors who are taking this test to get into college or graduate high school. These students might approach the ACT more seriously because it’s more important to their future college prospects, spend more time prepping or have prepped in school, and generally know more of the content because of having covered it in school repeatedly. A Silly Person/Flickr What’s Next? Now you know how to get a great 7th grade ACT score, but is it really worth taking the test so early? Learn more about the pros and cons of taking the ACT in 7th grade here. How are you doing on practice tests compared to other middle-school ACT test-takers? Find out with our articles about the average ACT score for 7th graders and good ACT scores for 8th graders. Want to learn more about summer programs for academically gifted middle schoolers? Read our articles on the Duke TIP 7th grade Talent Search, CTY at Johns Hopkins, NUMATS, Stanford EPGY, and Summer Institute for the Gifted. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.