Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Major League Baseball free essay sample

Rights development. Before Jackie Robinson integrated the Major League of Baseball, Blacks were isolated and victimized. The primary ball game between two every single dark group was hung on September 28, 1860 at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. (Shadowbox-Negro Leagues. Shadowbox-Negro Leagues. N. P. , n. D. Web. 12 June 2013. ) When the common war finished in 1865 dark Baseball crews started to shape in the Northeast. Significant Leagues barred Black players. Disappointed Black players framed groups everywhere. The Black Panthers was the primary expert dark group framed 1 885 inBabylon, NY, the group was later renamed Cuban Giants so they could draw in increasingly White fans. This prompted the association of the negro group in 1887. In the end, the class fell in light of the fact that there wasnt enough cash to help the alliance. There was no prohibition on white alliances employing Black players. Blacks kept on playing on White groups in spite of the physical and obnoxious attack from players and fans. We will compose a custom article test on Significant League Baseball or then again any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page All Blacks realized Baseball was a white keeps an eye on game. (Jackie Robinson Biography. Bio. Com. A Networks Television, n. D. Web. Jejune 2013. ) Jackie Robinson was conceived on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Jackie Robinson.Notable Black American Men. Deed. Jessie C. Smith. Farmington Hills: Gale Research, 1999. 1022-025. Print. ) His folks were Jerry and Millie Robinson. (Jackie Robinson Biography. Bio-com. A Networks Television, n. D. Web. 12 June 2013. ) They lived on a little homestead and filled in as tenant farmers. Jerry left when Jackie was one years of age. Jackie had four kin Matthew Robinson, Frank Robinson, Edgar Robinson , Will Mae Robinson. Later they moved to Pasadena, California since they didnt have any cash. Jackie and his family lived in his stepbrother Mastiffs loft until they found a house.They found a house in an awful neighborhood. Jackie went to John Mir High School in Pasadena, California. His siblings, Frankie got Jackie inspired by sports. Mack was particularly a decent good example for putting second in the 1 936 summer Olympics. Jackie played games all year including baseball, football ,tennis, and track. He was the headliner of each game he played. Jackie went to Mir Technical High School. He set precedents for baseball and rack. Jackie earned a grant to UCLA. He was the star competitor on baseball, track, football, and ball group at UCLA.Jackie needed to leave school before he got a degree as a result of monetary issues. He was an athletic executive for the National Youth Administration. (Jackie Robinson Biography. Bio. Com. AE Networks Television, n. D. Web. 12 June 2013. ) Jackie Robinson assumed a significant job in the Civil Rights Movement . An April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson authoritatively broke the shading boundary in Major League Baseball. Jackasss participation was an exceptionally positive effect. He not just hit a batting normal of . 342 and took 19 bases in his vocation, however he was additionally designated freshman of the year.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Summary a Dolls House free essay sample

Before the finish of this first demonstration, Nora is rising up out of the insurance of her wedded life to stand up to the states of the outside world. Despite the fact that she has been content in being a secured and thought about housewife during the previous eight years, and has once turned away an emergency by figuring out how to acquire cash for Torvalds wellbeing, Nora has never figured out how to clearly challenge her condition. Christine, then again, has freely confronted lifes challenge, despite the fact that she too looked for security by wedding for monetary accommodation. Her brutal experience as a widow who had to win her own occupation remains in sharp difference to the protected and negligible life which Nora leads. Having scholarly, through anguish, the estimation of honest human connections, Christine is the main individual to perceive that Noras marriage depends on double dealing. The gadget Ibsen uses to depict the Thorvalds tricky conjugal relationship is the issue of Noras obligation. We will compose a custom exposition test on Rundown a Dolls House or then again any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page To forestall Torvald from finding her mystery, he shows how Nora has built up the way of an equivocal, enchanting immature whose impulses and fancies her adult spouse must enjoy. This reinforces Thorvalds mental self view as a defender of the powerless, the leader of a needy family, and the educator of the intellectually second rate. The crowd is promptly mindful of Torvalds shallowness as he articulates his initially deigning words to his significant other. Nora herself gives additional proof: when she says that Torvald may one day feel burnt out on her discussing and sprucing up and moving, she accidentally portrays the wantonness of her conjugal relationship. Punctilious and bombastic, Torvald now and again appears to be a dad who appreciates the honesty of a most loved girl. Setting up rules of conduct (disallowing Noras macaroons, for example), teaching his better half even in her exceptionally dress, Torvald shows that he views her as a toy or a pet instead of a free individual. These mentalities recommend the baldly sexual nature of Torvalds marriage; the subject is later extended in following acts until Nora perceives her position and discovers her job unpleasant just as mortifying. Krogstad shows Nora another misleading quality about the idea of the world: an individual is answerable for his own demonstrations. Society rebuffs its culprit; the honest spouse acting to spare the life of her cherished one is similarly as blameworthy as the deceitful pioneer who carries on of practicality. Once perceiving the equal between the ethically unhealthy Krogstad and herself, Nora starts to stand up to the real factors of the world and with this new information must make the unavoidable inferences. ACT II In this demonstration, Nora discovers that only she should confront the results of her blame. Declining to permit Torvald to assume the fault, she gets ready to murder herself. The topic of death in this scene proposes an equal among Nora and Dr. Rank, for the information on his passing corresponds with her choice to end it all. Her tarantella is then a representative demise move which Rank, fittingly, plays for her on the piano. Simultaneously, since Torvald has picked her move outfit to be that of a Capri fisher young lady, the tarantella represents their wedding, for Nora and Torvald took in the move while honeymooning in Italy. Her moving will be her last human presentation, for Nora sees the finish of the gathering as the end of her marriage, yet as the last snapshots of her life. The scene among Nora and Dr. Rank is a huge one. In addition to the fact that it underscores the contamination and disease which a blameworthy parent can give to his youngsters †Nora being the blame ridden parent, Rank the casualty of venereal infection †however it shows the energetic blamelessness of Nora. Familiar with moving toward her better half in a state of mind of youthful coyness, Nora treats Dr. Rank a similar route as she gives him her leg wearing the new silk stockings. At the point when Rank reacts with an assertion of adoration rather than delighted paternity, Nora perceives just because the basic sexual nature of her relationship with Torvald. This abrupt comprehension forestalls her asking Dr. Rank for the large verification of companionship which she would have had the option to acknowledge guiltlessly from a family companion. Realizing that getting installment from a darling spots one out of a horrendously difficult position reminds Nora how she has consistently wheedled Torvald to give her little presents of cash. With this understanding, she starts to perceive how Torvald, seeing her as a sentimental article, disregards her own freedom. Nora becomes familiar with Torvalds shortcoming of character in this demonstration despite the fact that she doesn't understand the full centrality of this knowledge until the accompanying scene. When Torvald discloses to her that he wishes to dispose of Krogstad, not on the grounds that he makes a decision about him ethically bumbling but since he is embarrassed to concede kinship with a man held to be offensive, Nora sees that Torvald is very not the same as the lecturing and decent usband she has appreciated for a long time. Regardless of this knowledge, she despite everything accepts, as she tells Christine, that the superb thing will at present happen †the glad awful second when Torvald finds the fabrication and takes all the blame upon himself. ACTIII Clearly clarifying the explanations behind her unexpected flight, Nora sums up the whole play durin g her last addresses with Torvald. Finding that her significant other mistakes appearance for values, that he is more worried about his situation in the public arena than with the passionate needs of his better half, Nora is compelled to stand up to her own uselessness. Instead of remain some portion of a marriage dependent on a horrendous untruth, she decides to leave her home and find for herself the uniqueness which existence with Torvald has denied her. Integral to this demonstration, and in actuality to the entire play, is Noras idea of the awesome thing, the second when she and Torvald would accomplish a genuine wedlock. Throughout the show, she has discovered that the perfect association happens when a couple see each other as sane people who know about societys requests and can satisfy their different duties with complexity and shared regard. In another sense, the awesome thing is only a code word for a relationship whose qualities are liberated from the persona which society has joined to marriage with ideas like obligation, decency, comfortable home, glad family, and the remainder of the generalized pictures such expressions propose.

Monday, August 10, 2020

Answers To Your Questions Dec 2006

Answers To Your Questions Dec 2006 Finally seeing the light at the end of the EA tunnel! Here are the answers to your recent questions. - NoOneInParticular wrote: Would it be inappropriate / discouraged to get a recommendation letter from a current MIT undergrad student? Do you remember specifically (or can you imagine) admitting anyone (a) with a 3.5 gpa (including several Bs in math/science), (b) without special accomplishments (such as high school research, or competition in science olympiad, etc., even though the applicant is from a region where such opportunities are available), (c) who has been suspended (for a computer related, non-academic violation), or (d) a + b + c + with a passion for math/science? Youre welcome to submit supplemental recs from anyone you think might be able to provide us with additional perspective. (a) yes (b) yes (c) depends on the circumstances (d) now youre pushing it. :-) Remember: everything in context, always. - Glairflair17 wrote: Would a 580 score on the SAT I math section be grounds for a second look at the application (or even termination) if the rest of my application materials are up to par? Id recommend trying to get that score up if you can, but one score will not keep you out of MIT if the rest of your application is stellar. - Mihaela wrote: How bounding is ones choice about the department and program one points in his/her application? Is it possible for example (in case one is admitted at all) to have pointed School of Engineering in ones application and decide to go to School of Management? Daniel responded: Im fairly certain they will tell you that decisions about department and program are NOT made on the application, but rather at the end of your freshman year. They know that it would be ridiculous to make such a binding decision before youve even seen what each program has to offer. This is correct. Approximately 50% of our students major in something different from what they wrote on their applications. We couldnt have department/major quotas even if we wanted to. - Olivia wrote: Above you said we dont distinguish between a 750 and an 800 on any single test. Is this philosophy also applied to grades? For example, would a B+ in an application be viewed in the same way as an A- or maybe even an A, provided that the applicant had mostly As or A-s and only one or a few Bs/B+s? A couple of Bs will never be a deal-breaker. - Anonymous wrote: Would a 2100 (690 800 600) be considered the same as the (750 750 750) 2250 which would be considered the same as 2400? The difference between a 2100 and a 2250 is more significant than the difference between a 2250 and a 2400 (theres a big discussion around this on CC, but I cant find the link at the moment). Having said that, a 2100 is definitely not going to keep you out of MIT if the rest of your application is competitive! - Yuri wrote: Just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on (I guess particularly on the assumptions/judgments made in) this NY Magazine article? My thoughts are: sigh. - Reg wrote: From what i remember, you need a science/math teacher rec and a humanities/language teacher rec. Do they have to be a teacher teaching you currently? I havent taken a humanities or language subject for A levels, can i ask my GCSE teachers? Or is that too long ago to count? Evan responded: The recommendations do not have to come from a teacher who is currently teaching you. I did not have either of the teachers that wrote my rec letters senior year. Whats important is that they can help to build the picture of who you are as a person, not just as a collection of grades numbers. Great answer! - Muneeb wrote: Do we have to send our tofel scores before the application deadline to be considered for admission? No. Just make sure we receive them in January and write on your application that they are forthcoming. - Michelle wrote: How can we make sure that supplementary materials were received? I sent in some music clips to the auditions e-mail on the website and never got confirmation. Should I just assume it went through? Music submissions are reviewed by the music faculty, not by admissions. My advice would be to send an email to [emailprotected] and request confirmation. - Sarab wrote: I have had my interview a little after the deadline but it isnt showing on my MyMIT page. Will it be considered EA or will my paper go without an interview? If it still hasnt shown up, I would contact the EC office at [emailprotected] - Anonymous wrote: How would a 720 on CR on the SAT I be percieved? 720 is a perfectly competitive score. DONT RETAKE IT. :-) - Samiue wrote: I have a question regarding how you guys consider the SAT Reasoning test scores. I did reasonably well, with 800 in math, 670 in reading and 760 in writing. Now I have heard that the writing section isnt taken into account when reviewing applications. Is this true, and is there any positive impression made if one does score highly on the writing section? Well certainly see your 760 and be impressed, but the writing score is not a big factor in selection at this time. - Mark wrote: Is there an acceptable way of adding updated information to the already submitted EA application, such as recent participation in Intel, and another competition that was not mentioned on the application? Absolutely. Simply mail a letter (or whatever) to our office with the updated info. Make sure to include your full name and birthdate on all correspondence to make sure it is filed correctly. - Joshua Villanueva wrote: How holistically would you say MIT reviews applications? I have been talking to my guidance counselor quite a bit lately and just by some of the things she is telling me, i have come to be quite nervous about applying to MIT. i know that my test scores do not fall in those middle 50% ranges, and i really do not know where i would stand. Now, i dont believe MIT has a cutoff test score, so i guess what i am asking is if MIT will still seriously consider the rest of an application even if the numbers are not quite there. We take great pride in the level at which we read applications holistically. Take a look in some of the recent threads for admitted students and youll find lots of proof. - Saurav wrote: What if instead of doing well in the intl physics, maths and other olympiads, one stands on the podium of the green olympiad intl environment olympiad for 2 consecutive years, and loads of intl and natl quizzes too? Will that be considered as good as an achievement as the intl maths/physics olympiads? Shashank Sheshadri wrote: Apart from all those physics and math intl olympiads, would an intl robotics olympiad look good on the app? Most students who are admitted to MIT have not participated in any international olympiads we certainly dont expect that. Many, many activities are considered impressive by the committee, including those that you mentioned. - Fahad wrote: What if someone who has studied in an engineering university for one semester only wants to apply to mit as a freshman provided he has left the university after 1 semester only because of poor teaching standards should he submit his university semester result along with high school record and is he allowed to send along any lab research work he has done in that semester at the university? If you have enrolled at another university in a degree-seeking program, you can only apply to MIT as a transfer student (you unfortunately cannot apply for freshman admission). You will need to provide your college transcript, and you are welcome to submit lab research work as well. [edit] I was mistaken if you have completed only one semester at another university and you officially unenroll at the end of the first semester, you can still apply to MIT as a freshman. If you pursue a second semester in a degree-seeking program, you would then be considered a transfer applicant. Sorry for the confusion. - Anonymous Who Hasnt Had A Turkey Dinner For 8 Years wrote: Once I submit Part 1 of the application, is a file created for me to recieve the paper mails that are sent by my school, or must I complete part 2 as well? (Because my school has an internal deadline of Dec. 1, on which it will send out the all the mail parts of the app, but I want more time to work on my essays in part 2.) Not a problem at all. We receive the various components of the application in all sorts of random orders. - Jawwad wrote: My interviewer according to the MyMIT profile is in another city (which happens to be my bithplace) but i reside in another one. So i e-mailed [emailprotected] so they might help me out here, but have not got a reply as yet. I am going to mail [emailprotected] right now about the problem Thats exactly what you should do hopefully youve already received a response. - Ziyue Wang wrote: Is this video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4259668529921893776q=theU+MIT accurate about life at MIT? How many people applied early this year? Ill let current students chime in and answer the first part. (My opinion is that no one video could ever capture the full spectrum of life here its simply too vast.) 3493 people applied EA this year. - International Applicant wrote: Im an international applicant. My predicted grades for the A Levels are not as good (probably) as the rest of the applicants because my schools exams were really tough. My school also follows the policy of predicting the same grades as the school preliminary exams. Would you advise on still applying to MIT? Also, in my country the SAT2 subject tests is only offered in January. Should i just apply to sit for it and will MIT take into consideration my scores? RE applying to MIT: as my friend always says, if you dont apply you have a 0% chance of getting in. :-) RE the SAT IIs yes, we will accept January scores. - Ranjodh Dhaliwal wrote: Do you discriminate betwenn Maths Level 1 and Level 2? Between SAT reasoning and TOEFL? These questions are answered here. Many of the topics in SAT maths level 2 and biology, chem, physics are those that we havent covered in class in our school system. Would that affect my chances? Also, nowhere near the 450 km radius of where I live is any kind of GCSE, IB or AP offered. I only do what is taught in the school though my performance here is really impressive, would that affect my application. Should i mention all these points on my application? If yes, where? Every application is evaluated in context, so its fine to provide that context if you think your school profile will not. There are multiple places on the application where you can do this we dont have a preference. - 112358132134 wrote: I attend a university for 3 classes and high school for 5 classes. My high school is not affiliated with the university and will not receive my college grades. What should I do for the mid-year grade report? Please ask the university to provide you with a transcript; then send us a copy. - Tom wrote: I forgot to put on my self reported course work that I am taking AP Psych, but I did list it in the AP Test section and it will be on my transcript. Hopefully this doesnt affect my application. Not a problem; well see it on your transcript. - Adelin Miloslavov wrote: I am orignally a Bulgarian citizen but I am also a U.S. permanent resident. I need some help with a problem in my application. The MIT application requires a copy of my green card to be sent along with it. Since Im applying online I dont have a way of sending the copy with the rest of the documents. Therefore, I want to know if it would be a problem if I give a copy of my green card to the college counselor in my school to send it along with my secondary school report? That would be fine! Youre also welcome to send it to us directly. - Lucy wrote: Does the admissions office review the additional materials sent even after the application has been reviewed already? And is there a way for me to know if they have even arrived? If you were deferred, the materials will be considered for Regular Action. You can contact our office to confirm if materials sent here were received. For music or art portfolios, you should contact those offices directly, as you would have sent your portfolios directly to them. - Siva wrote: Im from india. I have been trying 2 contact my interviewer by phone, for the last couple of days, but am not able to get through. Please tell me what to do, as i have mailed him as well have not received a reply so far. If the problem has not been resolved, please contact [emailprotected] - Hammad wrote: All the people in my school as smart as me are applying to the same places as me does that make a difference? And I wanted to ask that if i apply next year as well in case i dont get in now how much will this affect my chances of admission next year? We dont have quotas for schools; some schools send many students here from the same class. If you reapply next year, your application will be briefly compared to the one from this year to see how youve progressed, but for the most part youll be considered fresh in the applicant pool. There is no advantage or disadvantage to having applied in a previous year. - Willy wrote: On my MyMIT account, there is a check next to Testing Requirements, however, when I go into the Application Tracking page, it says that No test results have been recieved. I checked the CollegeBoard website, and it said that my score reports were sent out 9/18/06. So Im wondering what exactly is going on, and if I should simply order another set of score reports to be sent out. Apparently there was some sort of MyMIT issue that has since been resolved. If youre still seeing this in your account, you should give us a call and arrange to have your scores resent. If everything looks okay now in your MyMIT account, then we have the scores. - Chris wrote: I have a question about the common data set, if thats okay. It lists enrollment by race, but does not allow for bi- or multi-racial students. Where does that put a half-hispanic, half-white applicant like me? If Im not mistaken, the common data set would consider you hispanic for its purposes. In admissions, well see all of the boxes you check regarding ethnicity. - Stephanie wrote: Im an 08 student here at MIT! I actually was interested in blogging as well for the admissions office, where can I get more information on it? I totally think this is a great idea, and would love to help share the awesome-ness of MIT. Hi Stephanie we take applications for a given cycles bloggers over the summer and choose them in the early fall. Please look for application announcements next year! - Indian 11 Hopeful wrote: So I was just reading the part where somebody asked you if he could submit his mid-year grade report around the end of jan. Im an international applicant. So i dont have to submit the midyear grade report but can the secondary school report and transcript be submitted around the beginning of feb? Id advise you to send whatever grades are available in January and then send an update as soon as possible in February. - Manu Hegde wrote: In my online application, there is space for only 2 SAT Subject Scores. I took 3 and got the same number of points on each, how can I include all three scores? BTW College board has sent MIT all 3 scores. Is that enough? In the online application, if I cannot find my school, does it automatically give me a code of 6999999? Should I put in the name of my school, or leave it as NO SCHOOL AVAILABLE? Well receive all three scores from College Board. You can simply choose whichever two you like best for your application. :-) You should try to identify your school if possible; if youre having trouble, give our office a call and hopefully we can help. - International wrote: I am an international student, therefore I wrote SAT Subject Tests [Math Level 2 = 800, Physics=800, Chemistry=770]. I will write SAT Reasoning and TOEFL. Which one of the two, SAT Reasoning or TOEFL, would you consider during the admission process; moreover what if there is a big difference in SAT score and TOEFL score? For instance: if I get 2000 in SAT and 110+ [out of 120] in iBT TOEFL, would the low score in SAT decrease the chances of my admission to MIT despite a relatively much better TOEFL score; please note that English isnt my first language, so while I am sure Ill score 800 in Maths in the SAT Reasoning Test, I wont be able to score equally high in Critical Reasoning and Writing Section. I have written a paper; might I submit the paper or should I submit a summary of paper? No worries whichever test makes you look better (TOEFL or SAT I) will be used, and the other will be ignored. You should submit a summary of your paper if possible. - Hopeful wrote: Can you please tell me how you evaluate GCE A Level Scores? If there are scores, well use them; otherwise well want to see predicted scores. Were well-versed in many international curriculums, including A-Levels. - Freaked Out wrote: For the SAT II Math, I took it twice and the score went down from 700 to 610 (I was sick on this day). Im sure Ill be able to raise it up to above 750 if I take it one more time. Does MIT consider all the test scores or just the best one? Is it bad to take the same test three times? We just consider the best one, no worries. - Ranjodh Dhaliwal wrote: I want to send in some certificates that relate to my extra curricular activities and I feel will shed some light into my overall personality helping you in your admissions process. I know you dont need certificates but I feel those will give you a broader look about me. Should I send those in? You are welcome to send them in, but it is not necessary. - Robertson wrote: I was wondering what exactly the policy is for standardized testing from January. I ask because of some poor planning on my part (a good excuse, I know). I had not planned on applying to MIT until Thanksgiving break due to my opting for a senior year with three foreign languages in place of a senior year with chemistry. I regret not taking chemistry now, but as an applicant to mostly UK schools (where one specializes immediately), I wanted to branch out in a subject Im interested in before focusing entirely on my chosen subject, economics. As a result, I have no SAT 2 Science tests. After finding out I needed on last friday I immediately bought the Princeton Reviews study book and read about 120 pages, before realizing that in no way will I achieve an adequate score (I have not taken physics since 10th grade last year I took robotics and electronics). And a bad score would be seen by all my other schools (which might admit me, as compared to the likelihood of MIT adm itting me given my schools admission statistics at your institution and my lack of chemistry courses). I am very interested in your institution, but there is no way I can take the test this month (poor choices on my part, I know). Is there anyway that I can take it in January? Yes, January is fine. - Adnan wrote: I recently came to hear that mit and other ivy league universities do not take more than one international student from the same school! I want to know whether this is true or not. J responded: I would say that while there is probably no specific 1-student per school limit on international admissions, the likelihood of admitting more than 1 student from the same school is very low. Given that international admissions are so competitive, with only ~100 spots to fill, it just seems unlikely that 2 of the 100 most qualified students in the world outside of the US come from the same high school (or equivalent). So from my understanding, what you said is not true, but more often than not occurs in practice. This is a great answer, generally speaking, although there can certainly be exceptions. - Shana F. wrote: There seems to be so much focus on AP tests in the blogs here, but Im having difficulty finding information on IB. Does MIT look at IB classes as equivalent to AP classes? I am in the IB program at my school and the only AP classes I have been in were ones offered as joint AP-IB (French, Lang + Comp, and Calc). There are plenty more AP classes that I would loved to take (especially physics) offered at my school, but as I am in IB I was unable to take them. I dont want it to look like Im not passionate about learning, because I am, but schools tend to look to AP to see when a student challenges themselves. I just want to know IB measures up to AP when you look at a students file. I have taken the toughest courses offered at my school, but its hard to know if colleges care with so little reference to IB. AP and IB are considered essentially equivalent for our purposes. - Aroy wrote: I was wondering if you considered ALL school grades for international students for eg. would a d in vernacular (hindi, bengali) be a problem. I havent got a d, but it isnt unlikely what grades do we need to send in as in, how many years (11 12, or 9 to 12)? Also, mit is probably not familiar to our board of education (cisce/isc) is that a problem? Well want to see all grades try not to get a D! If you do get a D in vernacular, you should still apply however. (A D in physics is a different story :-) We are quite familiar with cisce/isc. - Andre wrote: I got honorable mention on international physics olympiad. Would it make any sense? Yes. :-) - Manu wrote: I heard that MIT especially looks for kids who show extraordinary curiosity in a certain field. Mine would be assembling electronics. I have a pretty impressive school project and I wanted to send the report to MIT. I ran this by my counselor and she said, When a college receives 20,000 applications, do not add much extra unasked stuff. What are your thoughts? Should I send it? Should I carry it to my interview? Id suggest sending in a concise abstract/summary with your application, if possible. - Zhexi wrote: I have a GPA of 3.767 out of a 4.000. I know thats not like genius level but i was wondering if i still had a chance to get into MIT and if the courses you take have any impact. Yes, and definitely. - Anonymous wrote: You replied to Dans query that SATs in 500s do not matter, i have my CR score in 400s and all maths tests ie, Ic,IIc and SAT 1 maths in 600s and physics in 700s. The point here is that my app otherwise is best you can probably can get from my country, the only downfall seems to be SAT scores. I am a school topper from 2 years. Have some exceptional talents and researches which even an undergrad will feel hard to dream of. But here people say that as my SAT is not enough, it will become a deal-breaker and MIT and i will not even qualify the app gateway and will br rejected rightaway, is that true? I have toefl of 263 (CBT), will that substitute enough for CR section, plz help! International applicant wrote: I am an international applicant. Let me explain you my case,, SAT math: 600s, SAT Cr/V : high 300s. And i am going to do the SAT subject test of Physics/Chemistry/MathIC. Most likely ill get 600+ in these 3 subjects espacially math and chemistry. And i got in TOEFL ibt 93. Since i got what MIT requires for TOEFL, will this TOEFL grade cover my SAT CR/V grades. Also, my grade in english in school is in the mid-high 80s. Also i have won two national awards in math and chemistry. And many academic awards. I ranked #1 in class with an average of 95.4 in grade 11. So basically I only have the problem of the SAT CR/V. Youre both fine in terms of scores your TOEFL scores are competitive and will be used instead of the SAT I. For the record, I didnt exactly say that scores in the 500s dont matter. My exact quote was: One score in the 500s isnt going to keep someone out of MIT if the rest of the application is exceptional. :-) - Question! wrote: Im curious as to whether the admission process ever involves contacting the reference teachers/administrators by phone/email. Please identify situations when this would happen, if at all. Im also a Canadian, so international applicants might receive different treatment? Yes, if we have questions, well often call the teacher or counselor to clarify. This applies to both domestic and international applicants. - Arvind Ragunathan wrote: I live in the Southern part of India. I aspire to get in to the MIT. Can you provide me contact details of MIT graduates and those currently studying at the MIT, from my part of the world? That would help me know MIT a lot better. I dont have this information, but perhaps others will chime in here. - Wendy wrote: As a parent of an applicant, I help with my sons applications by addressing all those return postcards to keep track of receipt of materials by colleges. Of all the 6 schools (big and small) my son has applied to, MIT is the only one who has not been sending them back. Since you receive thousands of applications and, therefore, tens of thousands pieces on incoming mail, I can understand things being lost or your not returning them even when they are self-addressed. So the question is whether to contact by phone to check on status. When to do it? How often? My son tells me that he can check status online and assumes that you will let him know if something is missing. However, with the work load, will anyone at admissions really be able to let an applicant know if info is missing or needed? If an applicants admissions is in the balance, would missing pieces of info tilt the balance towards rejection? But then might pestering not do the same? On the other hand, conventional wisdom seems to suggest regular contact with your office show stong interest. [My sons response: I applied, didnt I?] It would also allow applicants gain insight as to what else to send in to strengthen his or her application. So how and where do you draw the line? Im sorry you havent received the response cards! Normally we are good about returning those. Your son should feel free to call the office and confirm receipt, if something seems to be missing via his MyMIT application tracking. In the broader sense, regular correspondence with our office is good, assuming it adds new information or accomplishments. Written correspondence is preferred to telephone, as it can be placed directly into the file with no middle man. - Ronald wrote: Can one still be considered for the regular admissions if one has more scores to send in along with their mid year report. Absolutely. - Rob wrote: I have a technical question about the online application: I am ready to submit, but when I hit the validate application button, I am told that I have errors on the essay pages because several of the essays exceed the required word length. I know that these essays are slightly over the limit, and I saved them as such. When I look at the pdf version of my application, all the essays appear to fit properly in the spaces. My question is: is this okay? I want to make sure that the applicaton will appear to the admissions officers exactly as I see it in my preview. Thanks! Well see exactly what youre seeing in preview, so it sounds like its okay. - Brian wrote: What must I do to get into MIT? I go to a prestigious high school and this year, MIT deferred everybody! People who were high scorers in USAMO, people who were on the Chemistry Olympiad Team and all these geniuses got deferred! What must one do to get into MIT these days? EA selection was more selective this year than it has ever been. Please dont lose hope; 295 students who were deferred last year in EA were admitted in RA. I expect a similar scenario this year. Remember that we will only fill 30% of the class in EA, whereas many other school try to fill more like 50%. - John wrote: For the optional essay asking us to describe something we created, could we talk about a novel weve written I write it in quotations because currently its just a story Ive been working on since early this summer, but writing is often something I do when school becomes too stressful at times, so Ive spent quite a bit of time on it. Absolutely! Dont send the whole novel, but writing about it in an essay is a great idea.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Works Of Haydn And Mozart - 940 Words

Haydn and Mozart are often recognised as the two composers who were responsible for bringing Viennese Classicism to its greatest height. In the public eye, these two great composers could not be more different, whether it is in terms of their characters or values. This essay sets out to explore the similarities and differences in the early lives of these two gifted individuals, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and (Franz) Joseph Haydn, through their backgrounds and music education. Mozart, who was born in 1756 in Salzburg, was Haydn’s junior by twenty-four years. By the time he was born, his father, Leopold Mozart, was already a widely known composer and violinist. All in all, Mozart grew up in a family of fairly good standing and this enabled him to blend in with the aristocrats and the nobility comfortably and effortlessly. On the other hand, Haydn was born in a small town call Rohrau. His father, Mathias Haydn, is a wheelwright, while his mother, Maria Koller, was a cook for the Lords of the village before marriage. Although the young Haydn’s standard of living may not be comparable to that of Mozart’s, Haydn did not live in extreme poverty. Haydn’s father and grandfather were both the magistrate in the village and the preserved bills showed that Mathias were given plenty of work and was not paid badly. However, with eleven other siblings in the family, despite the fact that only six of them, including Haydn, survived infancy, Haydn, by no means, had the attention or resourcesShow MoreRelatedThe History And Transitions Of Music933 Words   |  4 Pagestransitions of music has had many talented persons that have influenced music but none are so well known as Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. All three of these great composers performed during th e Classic period and it would act as the base of classic music for the next one hundred and fifty, to two hundred years. The names of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven are so well known that people who have little to no knowledge of music will recognize their names. The urbanRead MoreThe Golden Age Of Chamber Music1300 Words   |  6 PagesFranz Joseph Haydn Down the history of music, the classical era was known as the golden age of chamber music. This chamber style of music was largely established by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. Joseph Haydn was one of the most prolific composers amongst the first Viennese schools (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven), in the classical era. Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau, a little Austrian village not far from Hainburg in the yearRead MoreMozart And Beethoven s Musical Origins1651 Words   |  7 PagesHaydn began his musical career as a choirboy in Vienna up until the age of 17. Mozart and Beethoven’s musical origins are similar, both coming from families with musical backgrounds. Mozart’s father taught him and his sister before taking them to tour throughout Europe. Beethoven also studied with his father before receiving his study abroad opportunity in Vienna in 1792. After serving as a choirboy, Haydn found himself in need of a means to make a living. He was barely able to support himselfRead MoreEssay on The Great Classics of the Classical Period505 Words   |  3 PagesBaroque period, the Classical period is one of the greatest musical eras in history. The style flowed directly off of its Baroque predecessors, smooth, but differing in the tempo. Many of the greatest composers emanated from the Classical era, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven among them. This time period transformed the course of not just musical history, but that of the entire modern western world. Johann Sebastian Bach was the Alpha and the Omega of the Baroque period. Classical music, as we referRead MoreMozart and Haydn Essay1209 Words   |  5 PagesTwo of historys greatest figures in the development of Classical style music during the eighteenth century were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn. Both men worked together and were very close friends while living in Vienna. Between the two, Joseph Hayden and Amadeus Mozart devoted much of their music for composing symphonies, minuets, librettos, sonatas, concertos, masses, oratorios and operas. While both men achieved popularity and status during their time, they also discovered that successRead MoreThe Austrian Composer : Franz Of The Formal And Structural Principles Of Classical Style1259 Words   |  6 PagesThe Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was arguably the founder and developer of the formal and structural principles of classical style. His work included hundreds of symphonies, string quarte ts, and instrumental sonatas. Haydn was an innovator and many composers after him, modeled his style. FOUNDATIONS On March 31, 1732, Franz Joseph Haydn was born in the charming village of Rohrau, Lower Austria which is on the Hungarian border. Joseph, called Sepperl by his German parents, wasRead MoreFranz Joseph Haydn : The Founder And Developer Of The Formal And Structural Principles Of Classical Style1268 Words   |  6 PagesThe 18th Century composer, Franz Joseph Haydn, was arguably the founder and developer of the formal and structural principles of classical style. His work included hundreds of symphonies, string quartets, and instrumental sonatas. Haydn’s innovation and style created a model for many composers after him. FOUNDATIONS On March 31, 1732, Franz Joseph Haydn was born in the charming village of Rohrau, Lower Austria which is on the Hungarian border. Joseph, called Sepperl by his German parents, was bornRead MoreThe Twilight Of His Career Essay1486 Words   |  6 Pagesthe twilight of his career, Mozart was approached by a stranger with the means to commission him for the composition of a Requiem, one of the important pieces of a Catholic Mass. Despite his current work and declining health, he accepted and began to compose the work until his untimely death on December 5th, 1791. Despite his efforts, he was unable to complete his work and it eventually was finished by a recommended composer. While many would say that like the piece of work, this solely represents theRead MoreEssay on The keyboard sonatas of Haydn and Mozart1066 Words   |  5 Pages I. Haydn nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Haydn has a special preference for writing music in a bundle of six. Each of the six pieces has its individuality while sharing many common features at the same time. Haydn’s solo keyboard sonatas show striking diversity in type and style. They often could be categorized by their style periods and each of them reflects a corresponding social background. Sonatas composed from 1773 to 1784 were intended as â€Å"public† works from theRead MoreEssay on Haydn and Mozart1997 Words   |  8 Pages Between the years 1782 and 1785, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote six string quartets which were dedicated to his friend and fellow composer, Joseph Haydn. These quartets, known as the Haydn Quartets, were among Mozarts first six masterpieces in the medium (Keller, 64). In composing these works, Mozart was inspired by Haydns recently published Opus 33, which is also a set of six string quartets. When Haydn wrote his Opus 33 in 1781, it was the first time he had written for the string quartet

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Review of Psychology and Christianity 5 Views Essay

Assessment 1 Assessment 1 What does psychology have to do with the Christian faith? In Psychology and Christianity: Five Views, by Myers, Jones, Roberts, Watson, Coe, Hall, and Powlison (2010) is an introductory textbook for Christian psychology that provides sound arguments for an array of positions on psychology and faith. Each author contributed an essay and in return the other essayist respond by either agreeing or disagreeing by pointing out faults and explaining why. The first position by David G. Myers titled, â€Å"A-Levels-of-Explanation View,† who is a psychological scientist who supports that Christian theology and psychology are two very distinct disciplines, but they do share similar goals. Myers defines psychology as,†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, Jones uses homosexuality, like Myers, as a test case, but is very clear on what scripture says about this behavior and does not let data change his mind on this topic since the Authority of Scripture cannot be mistaken. The Christian Psychology view by Roberts and Watson, have a more historical and philosophical approach. They do not deny modern psychology, but argue that psychology has been around for the past 2500 years. For example, he brings up issues relevant today with the Sermon on the Mount instead of the science offered by todays establish psychologist. Roberts and Watson also claim that Christian psychologist should approach psychology with the bases of the Christian tradition. â€Å"Christians must approach the subject matter of humanity embracing what God has told us about what it mean to be fully human first; that then is our framework for engaging psychology as a social science† (p. 183). Roberts and Watson purpose a two-stage method: â€Å"to first appropriate the resources of the rich, Christian psychological tradition, and then to employ it in the advance of empirical science and applied science† (p.184). This is how a Christian understanding of the person can come to hypotheses that can be tested, therefore advancing our comprehension on humans. Lastly, theShow MoreRelatedDr. Entwistle s Psychology And Christianity With The Intent Of Using The Text For Undergraduate1255 Words   |  6 PagesIntegrativeApproaches to Psychology and Christianity with the intent of using the text for undergraduate coursework for students studying a wide variety of psychological forms. These forms of study include counseling and teaching as well as on the Graduate level for students studying Theology. The text begins with diverse worldviews intertwining Psychology and Christianity throughout various societies and each with its own deep rooted perspectives. Each culture has its own worldview regarding Psychology and ChristianityRead MorePsychology And Christianity : Integrative Approaches Essay1694 Words   |  7 Pages A 4MAT Review of Entwistle’s Text: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity Stacy H. McConville Liberty University Online A 4MAT Review of Entwistle’s Text: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity Summary David N. Entwistle in his book titled Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: An Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and ModelsRead MoreThe Heresy Of White Christianity893 Words   |  4 PagesWhite Christianity.† Cross Currents 64(3):346–52. Retrieved 2015. This article is from a speech by Gloria Albert, â€Å"The Heresy of White Christianity†. This review of this speech goes in depth. The speech focuses on the relationship between faith and racism. This Speech is a response to another speech given by James Cone, â€Å"The Cross and the Lynching Tree†. This source will give a personal yet professional point of view of my topic. Anon. 2009. â€Å"Christianity - Oxford Reference.† Christianity - OxfordRead MoreThe New Christian Counsellor : A Fresh Biblical And Transformational Approach Essay1089 Words   |  5 PagesBook Review of the New Christian Counsellor: A fresh Biblical and Transformational Approach: Summary The new Christian Counsellor: A fresh Biblical and Transformational Approach is a book that aims to teach people and empower them to take possession of their souls in the contemporary life of a multi-faceted approach design. The authors are seasoned Christian counsellors who have a vast experience in dealing with people’s psycho-spiritual issues from a Christian point of view (Hawkins Clinton,Read MoreInternet Forum and Discussion Board Forums1224 Words   |  5 PagesCourse Syllabus COUN 506 Integration of Psychology and Theology Course Description Students critically examine the implications of a Christian worldview for counseling and marriage and family practice. Ethical issues relevant to the use of spiritual and religious interventions with individuals, couples, families are considered, along with current research related to spirituality and counseling. Rationale Integration of psychology, theology, and spirituality provides students anRead MorePsychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling by Mark McMinn1464 Words   |  6 Pages4 MAT Review McMinn Lynetric Rivers Liberty University Abstract In the book, â€Å"Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling†, author Mark McMinn gives the reader information on how these three entities can work together in Christian counseling. McMinn offers several ways in which this can be done including the use of prayer, Scripture, confession, forgiveness, the effects of sin, and redemption in counseling sessions. Through narration of counseling vignettes displaying differentRead MorePsychology and Theology1531 Words   |  7 Pages4-MAT Review: Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling Freda Taylor Liberty University 4-MAT Review: Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling McMinn, M. (1996). Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. ISBN: 0-8423-5252-X). Summary The Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling is the thought provoking book of McMinn which was published inRead MoreReview of Interventions That Apply Scripture in Psychotherapy1048 Words   |  5 PagesReview of Interventions That Apply Scripture in Psychotherapy Summary Garzon (2005) seeks to describe ways in which a therapist may use Scripture within psychotherapy interventions and to increase the awareness of therapists in these techniques. He bases this description by utilizing a case study by the name of George. Garzon contemplates issues surrounding scripture interventions. The article proceeds to relate interventions that use implicit scripture, psycho educational, theo educationalRead MoreClient Centered Therapy Or Person Centred Therapy1320 Words   |  6 Pages1. Describe the major views of the model. This model is called client-centered therapy or person-centered therapy. It can also be known as Person-centered Psychotherapy, Person-centered counseling or Rogerian Psychotherapy. The basis of Rogers’s therapy is designed and wrapped around the client. The focus by its name is the client. Rather than suggesting the person is a counselee or a patient they have chosen the word client to make it less clinical and more relational in how the person possiblyRead MoreEntwistle Book Review2213 Words   |  9 PagesBook Review: Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: David Entwistle Yvonne M. Garcia Liberty University Summary David Entwistle’s (2010) book, Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity: An introduction to worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of integration, opens the reader’s eyes to unexpected possibilities, beginning with the often combative regimes of faith and reason using Tertullian’s symbolism of Athens as the seat of reason and Jerusalem

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Heart of Darkness Parallels Free Essays

Heart of Darkness V Apocalypse Now The fictional novel Heart of Darkness by author Joseph Conrad is a book written in first person. The setting of the novel is in the Congo Jungle, with most of the book occurring on the Congo River. The novel describes Marlow’s story and his many strange encounters while traveling up the Congo River. We will write a custom essay sample on Heart of Darkness Parallels or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marlow is on a mission to retrieve the very successful ivory merchant Kurtz, who has been separated from his company. Heart of Darkness deals with themes of colonialism, racism, and savagery. While also exploring the potential darkness that can be seen in the heart of man. Apocalypse Now is a movie directed by Francis Coppola came out in 1979. It is set at the height of the Vietnam War. U. S. Army Captain Willard is sent on a top secret mission into the jungles of Cambodia. His mission is to seek out and destroy Colonel Kurtz, who is believed to have gone completely insane. The novel Heart of Darkness and the movie Apocalypse Now have many parallels. Both works follow the same story line but presented in completely different contexts. Even though Apocalypse Now is based upon the book, there are still many differences in themes, characters, and events. The largest of these differences is the setting and time of the two works. While watching Apocalypse Now the viewer is able to observe many scenes that are similar with the novel Heart of Darkness. One of the most apparent of these scenes is when the natives attack the men on the boats. After the attack Coppola and Conrad both use fog to show the uncertainty the characters have in regards to completing their tasks. The men in the novel begin to randomly shoot into the jungle once the attack begins. They are unable to see their attackers so they are shooting completely blind. After the attack is over a large cloud of smoke from the men’s guns floating in front of the boat. Marlow then continues to lead the men of the boat blindly up the Congo River. In Apocalypse Now after the attack by the natives, a fog also surrounds the boat. In the movie the fog is used to represents Willard’s thoughts. Captain Willard is not sure whether what he is doing is worthwhile. He has no idea what he is getting himself into; one of his men has just died without even knowing the purpose of his mission. The fog in both stories is used to represent the leader’s uncertainty of their missions. In both Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness madness is represented during the attack. In the novel the Helmsman goes crazy and in the novel Chief is the character that succumbs to madness. In Heart of Darkness when the natives attack the boat the Helmsman begins to go crazy, jumping up and down going absolutely mad during the attack, acting like a complete animal. He begins shaking his empty rifle and screaming at the men on the shore he is unable to see. In the movie, Chief begins to go mad when he realizes that not even Willard knows the location of where they are headed. When the boat is to be attacked by the natives with harmless arrows the Chief goes absolutely absurd. Screaming at the shores completely exposing himself to his attackers. A huge mistake because as soon as Chief exposes himself a spear that turns out to be deadly hits him. There are many parallels between the novel Heart of Darkness and the movie Apocalypse Now. Throughout the entire movie there are scenes that are nearly identical to the novel. During the attack seen parallels with fog and madness can be seen in both Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness. How to cite Heart of Darkness Parallels, Papers

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Risks Associated with Choosing a Superannuation Fund of financial

Question: What Is The Risks Associated With Choosing A Superannuation Fund? Answer: Introducation: Superannuation and encouraging people to consider saving and investing especially for their future after retirement have been a major focus of emphasis in Australia particularly in the past two or so decades(Bodie, Shoven, Wise, 1988). Superannuation refers to organizational pension schemes that are created within a company for the maximum benefit of the employees. Taking the lead in this has been the Australian government that has taken a pro-active approach to the issue and directed that minimum contributions should be made to demonstrate compliance to superannuation or retirement funds on behalf of the employees by their respective employers. This figure stood at 3.6% of the employees salary when it was introduced but it was later amended to 9% in 2005(Bodie, Shoven, Wise, 1988). The employees themselves were also required to allocate a share of their income to superannuation investment. It was hoped that by introducing these measures, the burden will be lifted from the social s ecurity system that provides retirement or pension payments to support retired individuals for the rest of their lives after retirement. The mandated requirements on superannuation and increased awareness by individuals on the significance of saving have resulted in billions of dollars worth of contributions going into superannuation funds and institutions of finance each year(Brown, Gallery, Gallery, 2002). The financial institutions and the superannuation funds in turn participate in profitable investment of these contributions and provide adequate income to finance the lives of the individuals after they retire. It is therefore, no surprise that superannuation and mutual funds are considered as one of the biggest investors in the financial markets in Australia especially in equity securities in both locally listed and internationally listed companies in the share markets(Bodie, Shoven, Wise, 1988). There are varied employer pension programs in terms of design and can be classified as define contribution and defined benefit programs. The defined contribution program allows an employee to have an account into which their employer will deposit regular contributions(Bodie, Shoven, Wise, 1988). If the account is a contributory account, the employee also makes regular contributions. The level of benefits that the employee will receive depend on the total contributions and earnings from investments that will have accumulated in the account. In this plan, the employee has a considerable say in the type of investment assets that the accumulation can be derived from and can also determine the value of investment at any time suitable to them. The defined contribution plan are thus tax-deferred and fully funded savings accounts in trust for an employee. These plans are effectively not open to government regulators(Bodie, Shoven, Wise, 1988). A defined benefit plan on the other hand, a formula is used to determine an employees pension benefit. The formula takes into account the years of service to an employer, their wages, and salaries(Dulebohn, Murray, Sun, 2000). Several of the defined benefits programs in existence today take into account the benefits of social security entitled to the employee. Both the defined benefit and defined contribution plans have characteristic features that set them apart from each other with regard to the risks that apply to the employee and the employers, the impact of inflation to the benefit, the flexibility of funding, and significance of governmental supervision(Dulebohn, Murray, Sun, 2000). In recent times, there has been a steady shift from defined benefit pension plans to accumulation plans in Australia(Princen, 2013). More than half of this change is attributable to the changes in employment arrangements from large unionized manufacturing firms to smaller firms that are not unionized in the service industries that provide accumulation plans. This shift is attributed to an increase in the administrative and regulatory costs that have made defined benefit plans more expensive to employers due to the heightened regulatory scrutiny(Dulebohn, Murray, Sun, 2000). High labour mobility also made the prospect of defined benefits programs less attractive to employees. Superannuation in Australia has grown to about 90% since its inception but the majority of funds that are being established are accumulation funds and not defined benefit plans(Dulebohn, Murray, Sun, 2000). Fewer employers are offering their staff superannuation based on defined benefit programs. Consequently, the number of defined benefit plans has reduced significantly or are simply not available to new employees in the organizations and instead these individuals are advised to enroll to accumulation plans. In an accumulation plan, an employer pays an agreed amount, usually a percentage of the employees current salary to the superannuation fund(Brown, Gallery, Gallery, 2002). The employers obligation to the employee is fully discharged once their contribution has been deposited into the superannuation fund. The employees benefit from that moment on depend on the accumulation of their contribution to the plan including their earnings. This is different from the defined benefit pac kage where an actuary regularly reviews the rate of contribution and the extent to which assets contained in the superannuation fund are sufficient to cover obligation of paying benefits(Brown, Gallery, Gallery, 2002). If the actuary determines that the assets are inadequate to do so, the employer is under obligation to make additional contributions to the fund to cover the deficit(Brealey Meyers, 2010). In a defined benefit program, the employer covers the risk that the plan will cost more than the expected amount alongside the risk that the investment plan will generate less returns as compared to the expected(Chew, 2008). This stems from the increased administrative and investment costs that are incurred in management of the fund. For this reason, most employers underwrite the plan. On the other hand, in the investment choice plan, the employer is not obligated to the plan after making their periodic contribution to it. Thus, the employees or members of the fund bear the actuarial and investment risk associated with the fund particularly with its administration or management(Dulebohn, Murray, Sun, 2000). The members in this arrangement have a range of investments to choose from and these investments expose them to varying degrees of risk(Dunphy, Benn, Griffiths, 2014). The merits of a DBP and an ICP plan are balanced. Looking at future expected returns, both plans offer similar expectations in common circumstances thus it cannot be said that one plan is the better option of the two. In terms of benefits, the differences arise due to factors such as the age of the member, years of membership and future increments of their salary. Differences between the two plans in terms of the benefits that are ultimately payable arise from individual factors such as the members age, years of SSAU membership and future salary increases. Stevens assessment suggests that there was no bias at the time of the offer in respect of the two types of benefits that might have induced members to select one plan over the other. Risks Associated with Choosing a Superannuation Fund To achieve the objective of maximizing an individuals retirement benefits relies heavily on making an informed choice. An individuals unwillingness or inability to be informed and the costs involved in acquiring information play a significant role in making a choice, often an informed one(Dunphy, Benn, Griffiths, 2014). Evidently being informed includes taking time to acquire, review, and interpret the reports and other investment material. It also includes attending training sessions, consulting professionals on financial matters among other forms of information. Making the wrong decision can be costly. When the costs significantly exceed the perceived benefits of the choice, then a person can avoid the program altogether(Bolton, 2015). The risk transfer costs is a factor that needs to be considered irrespective of the amount or intensity of education an individual can receive. These costs include the costs of becoming informed as aforementioned such as the time invested into the exercise, or consultation with a financial expert, and never-ending process of monitoring the ICP option(Dulebohn, Murray, Sun, 2000). These factors have made many individuals to remain in the defined benefits program and not switch to the investment choice plan. The manner in which the benefits under each plan are determined is another area to consider before making the switch. Under the DBP, the employees benefit in the plan is linked to their period of employment and the final salary they receive before retirement. An Investment Choice Plan is similar to a savings account in a bank in that ultimate benefit is a sum of the accumulated contributions and the net investment earnings from the point that the periodic contributions are made(Quiry, Fur, Salvi, Dallocchio, Vernimmen, 2011). Thus, the different ways in which value is determined should be a concern to the tertiary employee. For example, a DBP is based on a formula and accrues over a long period hence; it is not possible to establish their exact value at any point in future(Bodie, Shoven, Wise, 1988). ICP benefits, in contrast, can be determined from the cumulated contributions and earnings from an established point(Bodie, Shoven, Wise, 1988). The characteristics of work and the risks brought about by the employee are also noteworthy in this case. This is because these risks contribute to the differences in the expected value of the benefits derived from both plans(Princen, 2013). Characteristics of work are inclusive of the initial age of employment, years of service, level of salary during the period of employment and retirement, and the longevity after retirement(Dulebohn, Murray, Sun, 2000). The most significant of these risks are those that come from changing jobs and risks emanating from the financial market. Both worker characteristics and types of risks borne by employees are contributory factors to differences in the expected value of benefits derived from defined benefit and accumulation plans. Worker characteristics include age at initial employment, years of service, salary levels during employment and at retirement, and longevity post-retirement. The major risks that lead to differences in the expected values of defined benefit and accumulation plans are those associated with changing jobs and financial market risks. Financial market risk is the second major risk and the most relevant to our study. In accumulation plans members directly bear financial market risk, whereas members of defined benefit plans are only indirectly exposed to such risk. In accumulation plans that offer choice of investment strategy, it is essential that members have a certain level of financial literacy to evaluate and monitor performance of the alternatives. In choosing an investment option, members are f aced with the tasks of examining, comprehending, and evaluating an array of financial information to assess the relative merits of the differing superannuation plan options. This process includes considering the nature of the investment strategy for each option, allocation of assets within each option, and assessing the relative risks and returns of each option to determine which one best matches the members risk-return preferences. Superannuation fund members who are more comfortable with making such significant investment decisions and are more willing to accept the associated financial risks are more likely to choose an accumulation plan over a defined benefit plan The statement is false because there are some factors that need to be taken into account. First, the efficient market hypothesis does not mean that the selection of the portfolio is carried out using a pin. There are still three issues that the manager needs to address. Top on that list that the manager needs to ensure that the portfolio has been diversified satisfactorily(Chew, 2008). The logic behind this is simple. A huge number of stocks is simply not enough to secure diversification. Hence, the resulting portfolio may not be well diversified if large stocks are taken as the measure for diversification. The result is that this may leave the fund with a unique risk that will not be recognized or rewarded. The manager should thus make sure that the portfolio is diversified well because the large number of stocks could all be in similar industries, a factor that does not represent many returns(Brealey Meyers, 2010). Hurling pins at the stock page may create diversification of the p ortfolio but the expected return or risk from the resultant portfolio cannot be controlled. Second, the resulting portfolio may bear excessive amounts of systematic risk for the individuals(Quiry, Fur, Salvi, Dallocchio, Vernimmen, 2011). With additional wealth it may not be too big a concern for these individuals to invest in an asset without any risks. However, if there is no additional wealth, the portfolio presents a very high beta with respect to the individuals preferences of risk. The pension fund manager will need to ensure that the risks associated with the diversified portfolio augers well with the clients. For the pension fund, the manager should select the portfolio that represents a safe investment for the client, which in this case refers to the stocks or bonds or a combined portfolio that have a lower beta(Princen, 2013). It is also prudent to consider the presence of taxes in this imperfect world. An investors tax position is very critical in a matter such as this one. Some specific assets have the tendency to generate surpluses due to their high taxability nature emanating from the equilibrating process(Princen, 2013). For investors in the lower bracket, the after-tax returns on the assets is manageable and favorable. Therefore, the manager should take the status of the tax into account in this case. Thus, the pension fund manager should tailor the portfolio in a manner that takes advantage of the special tax legislature governing pension funds(Brealey Meyers, 2010). Such legal provisions make it possible to increase the returns expected from the portfolio without incurring extra risk on the venture. References Bodie, Z., Shoven, J. B., Wise, D. A. (1988). Defined Benefit versus Defined Contribution Pension Plans: What are the Real Trade-offs? In Pensions in the U.S. Economy (pp. 139-162). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Bolton, B. (2015). Sustainable financial management investments: Maximizing corporate profits and long-term economic value creation. New York: Palgrave, Macmillan. Brealey, R. A., Meyers, S. C. (2010). Principles of corporate finance. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Brown, K., Gallery, G., Gallery, N. (2002). Informed superannuation choice: constraints and policy resolutions. Economic Analysis Policy, 32(1), 71-90. Chew, D. H. (2008). Corporate Risk Management. New York: Columbia University Press. Dulebohn, J., Murray, B., Sun, M. (2000). Selection among employer-sponsored pension plans: The role of individual differences. Personnel Psychology, 53, 405-432. Dunphy, D. C., Benn, S., Griffiths, A. (2014). Organizational change for corporate sustainability. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Princen, S. (2013). Determining the impact of taxation on corporate financial decision-making. Reflets perpectives de la vie economique, 161-170. Quiry, P., Fur, Y. L., Salvi, A., Dallocchio, M., Vernimmen, P. (2011). Corporate finance: Theory and Practice. New York, NY: John Wiley Sons Inc.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

USC 2017-2018 Supplemental Essay Prompts Short Answer Questions

Want to be a USC Trojan? Bookmark this page to help plan your application essays for the University of Southern California! USC is one of the most popular colleges on the west coast. Located in Southern California, USC attracts a lot of students who enjoy nice, sunny weather all year round. Especially in a city like Los Angeles that offers students endless of cultural activities and internship opportunities they can take advantage of. On top of USC’s ideal location and weather, USC is well known for their undergraduate business and media studies. USC Marshall School of Business is ranked no. 9 for their undergraduate business program, specifically strong in accounting and entrepreneurship. USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism is also a popular choice for students interested in media studies, especially when paired with media internships available in an entertainment-focused city like LA. USC also has a very unique program called the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy (IYA). Students accepted to the program will be studying Arts, Technology and Business Innovation. Over the 4 years, IYA students will gain an in-depth knowledge in art and design, engineering and computer science, and finally, business and venture management. The application requires an additional portfolio and is highly selective. On average, only 25 students are accepted per graduating class. Does USC offer what you’re interested? If you are applying this fall, here are the short answer questions and supplemental essays for the 2017-2018 application season: 1. Short Answer Questions Describe yourself in three wordsWhat is your favorite snack?Favorite app/websiteBest movie of all timeHashtag to describe yourselfDream job:What is your theme song?Dream tripWhat TV show will you binge watch next?Place you are most content?TIP: These short answer questions are meant to help the admissions office know a little bit more about you and your personality. Dont spend too much time on these questions, and be true to who you are! 2. Supplemental Essay #1 Please respond to one of the prompts below. (250 word limit) Prompt 1: USC believes that one learns best when interacting with people of different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Tell us about a time you were exposed to a new idea or when your beliefs were challenged by another point of view. Prompt 2:Describe something outside of your intended academic focus about which you are interested in learning. Prompt 3: What is something about yourself that is essential to understanding you? TIP: When you choose which essay prompt to write, take into account what essay topic youve chosen for your personal statement and what you plan on writing for the second supplemental essay. The admissions office will be reading your application as a whole, so it should all come together to tell them who you are, what youre interested and what USC can offer you to achieve your dreams. 3. Supplemental Essay #2 Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests at USC. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (250 word limit) TIP: This is essentially your Why USC supplemental essay. Do your research about the program you want to apply. In fact, reach out to the professors in the department youre interested in studying and learn more about the program. Its important to know what USC offers, so you can talk about how those resources and facilities can enable you to achieve your interests or support your studies in a specific field. Do not just iterate what programs they have. This essay is about how USC can help you in a way no other universities can, and about how you can give back to the universitys community by being a part of it.Ourpremium plansoffer different level of profile access and data insights that can help you get into your dream school. Unlock any of ourpackagesor search ourundergraduate profile databaseto find specific profiles that can help you make an informed choice about where to apply!

Friday, March 6, 2020

Analysis of Patrick Henry essays

Analysis of Patrick Henry essays In the speech, "The Virginia Convention," Patrick Henry set out to convince the Virginia delegates that the war with England was inevitable and the longer they waited the harder the war would be to win. Patrick Henry uses the art of persuasion to win over his audience. In the essay, The Crisis, No. 1, Thomas Paine set out to persuade the people of each colony should stand up and fight for their freedom. He set out to convince the colonists that the tyrant England had binded the colonies in her grasp and transformed the colonists into slaves. In the, Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson sets out to convince the State of Virginia that whites are the superior race and that all African Americans that have been emancipated should be exported to another country. All of the authors institute effective use of the range of appeals, logos, ethos, and pathos giving the speech a quality of concrete mental and physical wholeness. The logos contribution of Henry's address makes use of solid facts to convince the people of Virginia that fighting or slavery are the only possible outcomes of their meeting. He uses this as a fear factor to persuade the people that fighting is the only way to maintain their freedom. These logical facts are used mainly in the third and fourth paragraphs and he also ends his assertions with questions. "Are fleets and armies necessary to work a love and reconciliation?" asks Henry of his audience. This arrangement of writing, a question, serves not only to state the obvious motive that the "fleets and armies" are not on American soil to promote peace, but to suppress the colonies and this shows the Convention a justification in their actions to fight not flight. Another purpose is achieved in the second part of the question to appeal to ethos, "love and reconciliation". This shows that while America is working for love and reconciliation, England is sending fleets and armies. The c ...

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Flash Cards Spelling Game Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Flash Cards Spelling Game - Coursework Example Flash Cards spelling game The game is played by giving each student a flash card. Each student should read out the word in his/her flash card and pick a volunteer to spell the word. The student who spells the word correctly becomes the next person to present. The game continues and only stops when all students have presented their words and correct spellings are done on each word. The teacher should first arrange the students to sit in a circle. Second, the teacher will issue each student with a unique flash card, which should not be shared with the neighbor. Third, the teacher should explain the game to the student and make sure that they understand the game. To start the game, the teacher will pick one flash card with a word â€Å"cupboard,† read the word aloud, and invite volunteers to spell the word. The picked student is supposed to spell the word without making any mistake within 10 seconds. If the picked student makes a mistake, another student among the volunteers will be picked until the word is spelled correctly. The student who gets the spelling right becomes the next one to present their word. The next student reads out the word in his/her flash card and invites volunteers to spell the word. The student with the correct spelling becomes the next one to present. ... Each team has equal opportunities to spell the words apart from when one team fails and the word has to be spelled by the other team. Each team has 10 seconds to spell the word which when it lapses, the next team gets the opportunity to spell the word. Each correct spelling earns the team 5 points where the team with the highest points wins the game. The teacher will first divide the class into team A and team B to contest on the spelling of 14 words he/she will instruct. The words are children, parents, compound, car, kitten, puppies, carpet, television, bedroom, grandfather, grandmother, home, brother, and sister. Second, the teacher should give instructions on how the game is played by use of an example of a word like â€Å"uncle.† The teacher reads out a word and chooses a team to spell the word in 10 seconds. If the team fails, the second team gets the opportunity to spell the same word which becomes a plus for the team if they get the spelling right. Each team gets seven opportunities to spell a word, meaning the teacher will pick the teams in an alternating manner. The teacher starts the game by asking team A to spell the word â€Å"children.† If the team A spells the word correctly, the teacher reads the second one and asks team B to spell. The game continues and only stops when all words have been spelled correctly. The team with the highest scores becomes the winner of the game. To address sentence structure mistake, â€Å"Cut-up sentence Kabadi† and â€Å"Add a word† games will be used. In both activities, students will get a chance to interact with sentences while making corrections on them where necessary. Cut-up sentence Kabadi The game is played by having two teams

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Analysing .... Internet Marketing Strategy Essay

Analysing .... Internet Marketing Strategy - Essay Example It is therefore important that the companies come up with clear strategies for them to succeed their Internet marketing. Backcountry came to this realization and developed a number of strategies that saw them succeed greatly. The success of Internet marketing highly depends on various factors including developing good business plans, having simple websites, involvement of customers in the design of the website, choosing suitable technology and using Internet marketing tools. Moreover, the Internet marketer must establish correct relationships, adopt end-to-end solutions, acknowledge legal responsibilities, properly utilize customer data and incorporate the Internet channel. Retailers who go Internet are set to reap greatly from it, owing to its global market and efficient management information systems. However, they must also take the necessary measures to avoid the negative effects of the technology such as privacy concerns and security issues. These challenges not withstanding, In ternet retailing seems to be the future trend and the sector must fully embrace it. For greater success in the future, and in view of the rapidly changing technological world, Backcountry needs to adopt various new strategies to retain or improve its market niche. Internet marketing refers to the process enabling consumers to buy goods and services through the Internet. The retailers of these goods and services are referred to as a virtual store, Internet store, web-store, web-shop, internet shop, and e-store or Internet shop. There are various types of Internet marketing sites, depending on the nature of the organization. They include Business to Consumer-B2C, BusinesstoBusiness-B2B, and Business to Employee-B2E, Government to Consumer or Citizen-G2C and Consumer to Consumer-C2C. The most common forms of internet marketing are business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) transactions. This form of shopping has penetrated many aspects

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Judgemental Forecasting Method

Judgemental Forecasting Method Forecasting is a significant tool for many different sectors as it makes predictions on the future by looking at historical data, present data and the analysing of trends. However, some business forecasting is not done at a good level, as some business people confuse it with goals and planning. Forecasting, Goals and Planning, these three differ significantly, Forecasting is trying to calculate the future a specific as possible, by using historical data, present data and the analysing of trend, Goals for business is that the business would like to happen for them in the near future. Goals are usually done with lacking any planning or forecasting, as the business looks at their competitors and they either want to match them or exceed them in the market. Planning is looking at the forecasting and goals and deciding the best action that will make the business forecasting match their goals. As the business world is moving more into analysing data, forecasting is and will be a vital part of decision-making for the management team, as the forecasting can help with short term, medium term and long term forecasting. When a business has a lack of past data or the business is launching a new product, the business can still use forecasting, and they will use Judgement forecasting. Judgement forecasting is the use of opinion, intuitive judgment and subjective probability estimates. Judgment forecasting has few methods that can be used to get the best statistical analysis and there are Statistical surveys, Scenario building, Delphi methods, Technology forecasting and forecast by analogy. The Judgement forecasting has increasingly been recognised as a science, and over the years the quality of Judgement forecasting has been improving as the approach has been well structured and efficient. But it is important to understand that Judgement forecasting has not been perfected as it still has limitations. Judgment forecast depend on human cognition which has limitations, For example, a limited memory may render recent events more important than they actually are and may ignore momentous events from the more distant past; or a limited attention span may result in important information being missed, or a misunderstanding of causal relationships may lead to erroneous inference.1 This example shows that human memory can affect the judgment forecast in a negative way, and misunderstanding can lead to wishful thinking or optimistic view which can lead to faulty forecast, and in the case of launching a new product, the marketing and salesman teams will have an optimistic view for their lunch so they will not forecast its failure Beware of the enthusiasm of your marketing and sales colleagues2. In the case of judgment forecasting without any domain knowledge and only a set of time series data is used, getting a forecast will be very hard, as in the Hogath and makridais (1981) in their paper, where they have examined around 175 papers where there was judgment forecasting, they have approached a result of that quantitative models outperform judgmental forecasts3, in their research they have seen that judgment has been linked with systematic biases and errors, as some people were looking for patterns and linking together clues where there was none as the process was random. Judgment forecasting has been compared to many different kinds of forecasting such as statistical methods, and many different types of research conclude different findings of the accuracy of the two methods. In the paper of Lawrence (1985) and (1986) where the paper compares the accuracy of quantities model and judgment forecasting, the paper has come to a conclusion that demonstrated judgmental forecasting to be at least as accurate as statistical techniques4, also in the paper show that the standard deviation of the error of the statistical method was greater than the judgment forecast error. The paper also shows that if judgment forecasting was added in the statistical method, better sets of forecasting can be predicted and the level of error would decrease. In the study by Makridakis S and Winkler R (1983) it shows that there are few ways to combine the judgement and statistical forecasting. In the study it says that there is two way to join the two forecasting methods, the first is Concurrent Incorporation where to get the final forecasting both methods will have to be used to get the averaging procedure. The second way is a Posterior Incorporation which includes the judgmental revision of statistically derived forecasts5   this second way tries to improve forecasting by allowing the judgement forecasting to see and access the results of the statistical forecasting. After many years of research in the area of forecasting, Judgment forecasting improves when greater domain knowledge and more up to date information included, therefore by using this new information, judgment approach can then be adjusted and producing an improved forecast. By using a well structured and systematic approach, it helps to decrease the undesirable effects of the limitations of the forecast. By well structuring the approach it will make the forecasting task clear, and a good understanding of the structure is important to avoid unclear and uncertain terms. The method that is well structured that can be used for the judgment forecasting is the Delphi methods. The Delphi method is the use of experts opinions and judgment in the specific field to predict the expectation in that field. The Delphi method is respect method as it only looks at the opinions of the experts in their field and allows them to be anonymous at all time, therefore there is not influenced by their social and political pressure in their prediction, and all experts opinions are weighted equally so no one prediction is superior to another. But like any other approach, the Delphi method also has its limitations, the method is time-consuming, therefore, the experts might be discouraged to join the study or they will not contribute fully at all time of the approach. Adding domain knowledge to the judgement forecasting can be used fully for the prediction. The knowledge of the time series and further information which explains the historical performance of the series can have a minor influence on the forecast or a huge impact on the variable of the data. The domain knowledge represents the un-modelled module of the series. The un-modelled module is very important as it can be included into the statistical forecast to reach better results for the forecast. Many studies have been looking at judgement forecasting with the addition of domain knowledge, a study by Brown (1996) which looked at earning per share forecasting. The study shows that the forecasting of the management team was more accurate than the analysts predictions and the statistical model forecasting. In the study, it shows that the inside information which is the domain knowledge of the firm lead to the accuracy of the management team forecast. In the study, it showed that it did not matter if the statistical model was complex or simple as the management team and analysts got a higher accuracy level because of the domain knowledge the management team holds. In a study by Sanders (1992) where it compared the preference of judgement methods to statistical forecasting, the study compared both methods by the use of an artificial time series. The study looked at 38 business students, the students were thought some different ways of statistical and judgement forecasting and every student had two-time series and past data. The task for the students was to use all the information they had to forecast the next 12 steps ahead. The students were given one week to produce their judgement forecasting, then they were given statistical forecasting of the series, and then they were asked to review their forecast and do any adjustment if needed. The study has used the mean absolute percentage error to assess the forecasting results, and the mean percentage error was applied to calculate the level of bias in the forecast. The results of the study have similar results as the past studies did, as statistical methods outperformed judgment forecasting in all -time series but not the low noise step function. And the more complex the data pattern got the worse the judgement forecast became. The study clearly shows that the statistical methods had better forecasting in the high noise level data, and an increase in noise level has worsened off the judgement forecasting, the study says this is due because as the high noise increases it becomes harder for an individual to detect any kind of patterns. While judgement forecasting didnt perform well during a high noise, it did significantly well in the low noise function. Looking at the bias in the study, it shows that at a low noise series the judgement revision bias is low in the series, while for a high noise series it increases the bias in the series. The main point of the study by Sanders (1992) is that judgement amendments with statistical methods can have great advantage for a low noise series with a specific data patterns, and it will do better when statistical method are applied blindly to a time series, also at a low noise series the judgement revision bias is low in the series, but in a high noise series the judgment forecasting is not the right approach comparing to a statistical forecasting and in some instances the bias level in the judgement forecasting was greater than the statistical forecasting in a high noise series. Sanders approach of the judgement forecasting is not overwhelm approved in the forecasting filed, as it has many critics wondering about its efficiency, as the sanders approach for judgment forecasting does not use the experts opinions on the field that is going to be forecasted but uses the opinion and judgment of normal people who may have not have studied the field and have a small knowledge about it, therefore, there judgement would not be the best to use to create a prediction from it. Judgemental forecasting is an important tool in the business today but it has to be used right, as some business people confuse it with goals and planning. When doing a judgmental forecasting the aims and the purpose of the forecasting have to be clear and well structured to get better results. But like any forecasting method, Judgemental forecasting has its limitations and it is up to the person who is performing the forecast to make sure they are at a minimum. To get a better prediction it is important to try and increase the domain knowledge of the series as it has been shown in the Brown (1996) study, as the management team outperformed the statistical analysis due to the inside information of the firm and because they are the experts in that field. Also to improve the judgement forecasting as it has been shown in the Sanders (1992) have found if judgment forecasting is done with a revision of statistical methods, the forecast can be more accurate in a low noise series and with a less level of bias. Judgmental forecasting is not a perfect method to predict the outcome of a specific time series but it is a good point to start. References: Rob J Hyndman, (2013) Chapter: Judgmental Forecasts: Beware of limitations. Book: Forecasting: principles and practice R. Fildes and P. Goodwin (2007b). Good and bad judgment in forecasting: lessons from four companies. Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting 8, 5-10. Hogarth Makridakis, 1981 R.M. Hogarth, S. Makridakis Forecasting and planning: An evaluation Management Science, 27 (1981), pp. 115-138 Lawrence et al., 1986M. Lawrence, R. Edmundson, M. OConnor The accuracy of combining judgmental and statistical forecasts, Management Science, 32 (1986), pp. 1521-1532 Makridakis S and Winkler R (1983) Averages of forecasts: Some empirical results. Mgmt Sci. 29, 987-996 Sanders, 1992  N.R. Sanders  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Accuracy of judgmental forecasts: A comparison   Omega, 20 (3) (1992), p. 353 Brown, 1996 L. Brown Analyst forecasting errors and their implications for security analysts: An alternative perspective Financial Analysts Journal, 52 (1) (1996), pp. 40-47 Lawrence, M., Goodwin, P., OConnor, M., ÃÆ'-nkal, D. (2006). Judgmental forecasting: A review of progress over the last 25years. International Journal of Forecasting, 22(3), 493-518.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 15

Maggie shuffled behind Chamber-pot Emptier,heading back toward the castle. She was carryingpiles of folded linen sheets given to her by Laun dress, and she was doing her best to look like a slave. Laundress had smudged her face artisticallywith dirt to disguise her. She had also sifted ahandful of dust into Maggie's hair to dull the auburn into a lifeless brown, and when Maggie bowedher head over the sheets, the hair further obscuredher features. The only problem was that she wasconstantly afraid she was going to sneeze. â€Å"Those are the wild animals,† Chamber-pot Emptier whispered over her shoulder. She was a bigboned girl with gentle eyes that reminded Maggieof the calves tethered by Laundress's hut. It had taken Laundress a while to make her understandwhat they wanted of her, but now she seemed tofeel obligated to give Maggie a tour. â€Å"They're brought in from Outside,† she said. â€Å"And they're dangerous. Maggie looked sideways at the wicker cageswhere Sylvia and Gavin had walked earlier. Fromone a brown-gray wolf stared back at her with afrighteningly sad and steady gaze. In another a sleek black panther was pacing, and it snarled asthey went by. There was something curled up inthe back of a third that might have been a tigerit was big, and it had stripes. â€Å"Wow,† she said. â€Å"I wouldn't want to chase that.† Chamber-pot Emptier seemed pleased. â€Å"Andhere's the castle. It's called Black Dawn.† â€Å"It is?† Maggie said, distracted away from theanimals. â€Å"That's what my grandpa called it, anyway. Helived and died in the courtyard without ever goingin.† Chamber-pot Emptier thought a moment andadded, â€Å"The old people say that you used to be ableto see the sun in the sky-not just behind theclouds, you know. And when the sun came up inthe morning it shone on the castle. But maybethat's just a story.† Yeah, maybe it was just a story that you couldsee the sun in the sky, Maggie thought grimly.Every time she thought this place couldn't surpriseher anymore, she discovered she was wrong. But the castle itself was impressive †¦ awe inspiring. It was the only thing in view that wasn't dusty brown or pallid gray. Its walls were shinyand black, almost mirror-like in places, and Maggie didn't have to be told that it wasn't built of anyordinary human stone. How they had gotten it tothis valley was a mystery. Delos lives here, she thoughtasEmptier led herup a stone staircase, past the ground floor which was just cellars and storage rooms. In this beautiful, frightening, impressive place. Not only lives init, but commands it. It's all his. She got just a glimpse of the great hall, whereshe'd seen slaves setting a long table yesterday. Chamber-pot Emptier led her up another floor andinto a series of winding corridors that seemed to go on for miles. It was dim in this internal labyrinth. The windows were high and narrow and hardly let any ofthe pale daylight in. On the walls there were candles in brackets and flares in iron rings, but theyonly seemed to add wavering, confusing shadowsto the twilight. â€Å"His bedroom's up here,† Emptier murmured finally. Maggie followed her closely. She was justthinking that they had made it all the way withouteven being challenged, when a voice sounded from a side corridor. â€Å"Where are you going? Who's this?† It was a guard, Maggie saw, peering from underher hair. A real medieval guard, with, of all things,a lance. There was another one in the opposite cor ridor just like him. She was fascinated in the middle of her terror. But Chamber-pot Emptier of the not-so-quickwits reacted beautifully. She took time to curtsey, then she said slowly and stolidly, â€Å"It's Folder fromthe laundry, sir. Laundress sent her with the sheetsand I was told she could help me. There's morework because of the guests, you know.† â€Å"It's Chamber Maid's work to spread sheets,† theguard said irritably. Chamber-pot Emptier curtsied again and said just as slowly, â€Å"Yes, sir, but there's more work because of the guests, you see-â€Å" â€Å"Fine, fine,† the guard broke in impatiently. â€Å"Whydon't you go and do it, instead of talking about it?†He seemed to think that was funny, and he turned and elbowed the other guard in the ribs. Chamber-pot Emptier curtseyed a third time and walked on, not hurrying. Maggie tried to copy the curtsey, with her face buried in the sheets. There was another endless corridor, then a doorway, and then Emptier said, â€Å"We're here. Andthere's nobody.around.† Maggie lifted her face from the sheets. â€Å"You're absolutely wonderful, you know that? You deservean Academy Award.† â€Å"A what?† â€Å"Never mind. But you were great.† â€Å"I only told the truth,† the girl said placidly, butthere was a smile lurking in the depths of her gentle cowlike eyes. â€Å"There is more work when guestscome. We never had them before three years ago.† Maggie nodded. â€Å"I know. Look, I guess you'd better go now. And um-Emptier?† She couldn't bring herself to say the entire name. â€Å"I really hope you don't get in trouble because of this.† Chamber-pot Emptier nodded back, then went toreach under the bed and retrieve a ceramic container. She walked out again holding it carefully. Maggie looked around the room, which was verybig and very bare. It was somewhat better lit thanthe corridors, having several bowl-shaped oil lampson stands. The bed was the only real piece of furniture in it. It was huge, with a heavy wooden frameand carved bedposts. Piled on top of it were quiltsand what looked like fur coverlets, and hanging allaround it were linen curtains. I'm probably supposed to take all that stuff off and put the clean sheets on, Maggie thought. Shedidn't. The rest of the furniture seemed to be largechests made of exotic-looking wood, and a fewbenches and stools. Nothing that offered a hidingplace. But on one side there was a curtaineddoorway. Maggie went through it and found a small anteroom-the wardrobe Jeanne had mentioned. It wasmuch bigger than she'd expected, and seemed tobe more of a storeroom than a closet. Okay. So I'll just sit down. There were two stools beside a figure thatvaguely resembled a dressmaker's dummy. Maggie dropped her sheets on a chest and pulled one ofthe stools close to the doorway. Through the spacebetween the linen curtains she could see almost theentire bedchamber. Perfect, she thought. All I have to do is wait untilhe comes in alone. And then She stiffened. She could hear voices from somewhere beyond the vast bedroom. No, she couldhear a voice, a musical girlish voice. Oh, please, she thought. Not her.Don't let him come in with her. I'll have to jump out and hit herwith something; I won't be able to stop myself†¦ . But when two figures came in the room, she hadno desire to jump out. It was Sylvia, all right, but she wasn't with Delos.She was with Hunter Redfern. Maggie felt ice down her spine. Now, what werethese two doing in Delos's bedroom? Whatever itwas, if they caught her, she was dead meat. Sheheld herself absolutely still, but she couldn't tear herself away from the curtain. â€Å"He's out riding, and he won't be back for another half hour,† Sylvia was saying. She was wearing a dark holly-green gown and carrying a basket.†And I've sent all the servants away.† â€Å"Even so,† Hunter Redfern said. He gently movedthe heavy wooden door until it was almost shut.Not all the way, but enough to screen the bedchamber from anyone outside. â€Å"You really think he's spying on our rooms?† Sylvia turned in a swirl of skirts to look at the tallman. â€Å"He's brightmuch smarter than you give himcredit for. And these old castles have spy-holes and listening tubes built in; I remember. It's a stupidprince who doesn't make use of them.† He remembers, Maggie thought, for a moment too full of wonder to be scared. He remembers thedays when castles were built, he means. He's reallybeen alive that long. She studied the handsome face under the bloodred hair, the aristocratic cheekbones, the mobile mouth-and the quick flashing eyes. This was thesort of man who could fascinate people, she decided. Like Delos, there was a sort of leashed tension about him, a reserve of power and intelligence that made an ordinary person feel awed. He was a leader, a commander. And a hunter, Maggie thought. All these peopleare hunters, but he's the Hunter, the epitome ofwhat they are. His name says it all. But Sylvia was talking again. â€Å"What is it that he'snot supposed to know?† â€Å"I've had a message from Outside. Don't ask how,I have my ways.† â€Å"You have your little bats,† Sylvia said demurely.†I've seen them.† There was a pause, then Hunter said, â€Å"You'd better watch yourself, girl. That mouth's going to getyou in trouble.† Sylvia had her face turned away from him, butMaggie saw her swallow. â€Å"I'm sorry. I didn't knowit was a secret. But what's happened?† â€Å"The biggest news in your short life.† Hunter Redfern laughed once and added with apparentgood humor restored, â€Å"And maybe in mine. Thewitches have seceded from the Night World.† Maggie blinked. It sounded impressive the wayhe said itbut more impressive was the way Sylviafroze and then whirled breathlessly. â€Å"What?† â€Å"It's happened. They've been threatening for amonth, but most people didn't believe they'd reallydo it.† Sylvia put a hand to her middle, pressed flatagainst her stomach as if to hold something in.Then she sat on the fur-covered bed. â€Å"They've left the Council,† she said. She wasn'tlooking at Hunter Redfern. â€Å"They've left the Council and everything else.†Ã¢â‚¬ All of them?† Hunter Redfern's fine red eyebrows went up. â€Å"What did you expect? Oh, a few of the blackestpractitioners from Circle Midnight are arguing, butmost of them agree with the liberals in Circle Twilight. They want to save the humans. Avert thecoming darkness.† He said it exactly the way Maggie had heard lumberjacks say, â€Å"Save the spotted owls. Ha!† â€Å"So it's really beginning,† Sylvia murmured. Shewas still looking at the stone floor. â€Å"I mean, there'sno going back, now, is there? The Night World issplit forever.† â€Å"And the millennium is upon us,† Hunter said,almost cheerfully. He looked young and†¦personable, Maggie thought. Somebody you'd vote for. â€Å"Which brings me to the question,† he said smoothly, looking at Sylvia, â€Å"of when you're goingto find her.† What her? Maggie's stomach tightened. Sylvia's face was equally tight. She looked up and said levelly, â€Å"I told you I'd find her and I will.†Ã¢â‚¬ But when?You do understand how important this is?† â€Å"Of course I understand!† Sylvia flared up. Herchest was heaving. â€Å"That's why I was trying to sendher to you in the first place-â€Å" Hunter was talkingasif he didn't hear her. â€Å"If it gets out that Aradia, the Maiden of all the witches,is here in the valley-‘ Iliknow!† â€Å"And that you hadher and let her slip throughyour fingers-â€Å" â€Å"I was trying to bring her to you.I thought thatwas important,† Sylvia said. She was bristling and distraught. Which was exactly what Hunter wantedher to be, Maggie thought dazedly. He really knows how to play people. But the analysis was faraway, in the shallowestpart of her mind. Most of her consciousness wassimply stricken into paralyzed amazement. Aradia. The Maiden of all the witches. So it wasn't Arcadia at all, Maggie thought. She might have mentioned that,after I've been calling her Cady for days. But then she hasn't been conscious much, and when she was we had more urgent things to talk about. Aradia. Aradia. That's really pretty. The name had started an odd resonance in hermind, maybe bringing up some long-forgotten mythology lesson. Aradia was a goddess, she thought.Of†¦ um, sylvan glades or something. The woods.Like Diana. And what Maiden of all the witches was, she hadno idea, but it was obviously something important.And not evil, either. From what Hunter was saying, it was clear that witches weren't like other NightPeople. She was the maiden Bern and Gavin were talkingabout, Maggie realized. The one they were supposed to deliver. So Sylvia was bringing her toHunter Redfern. But Cady herself told me-I mean, Aradiatold me-that she was already coming tothis valley for a reason. Before she could even properly phrase the question, her mind had the answer. Delos. In a coincidence that lifted the hair on Maggie'sarms, Sylvia said, â€Å"She won't get to Delos.† â€Å"She'd better not,† Hunter said. â€Å"Maybe you don't realize how persuasive she can be. An ambassador from all the witches, coming to plead her case †¦ she just might sway him. He has a despicable softspot-a conscience, you might call it. And we know he's been in contact with the human girl who escaped with her. Who knows what messages the little vermin was carrying from her?† No messages, Maggie thought grimly. Not withthis vermin anyway. But I would have carried themif I'd known. â€Å"Gavin said Aradia was still unconscious fromthe truth potion-that she was practically dead,†Sylvia said. â€Å"I don t think she could have given any messages. I'd swear that Delos doesn't know she'sin the valley at all.† Hunter was still brooding. â€Å"The witches have oneWild Power on their side already.† â€Å"But they won't get another,† Sylvia said doggedly. â€Å"I've got people looking for her. All the nobles are on our side. They won't let her get toDelos.† â€Å"She should have been killed in the beginning,†Hunter mused. â€Å"But maybe youhave a soft spotfor herlike you do for that human boy.† Behind the linen curtains, Maggie stiffened. Like you do.Not like you did.And who else couldthe human boy be? She gritted her teeth, listening so hard she couldhear the blood in her ears, willing them to talkabout Miles. But Hunter was going on in his smooth voice,†Or maybe you still have some loyalty to thewitches.† Sylvia's pale face flushed. â€Å"I do not! I'm finishedwith them, and you know it! I may be a spellcaster, but I'm not a witch anymore.† â€Å"It's good to see you haven't forgotten whatthey've done to you,† Hunter said. â€Å"After all, youcould have been a Hearth-Woman, taken yourrightful place on the witch Council.† â€Å"Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Like your grandmother and her mother beforeher. Theywere Harmans, and so was your father.What a pity the name isn't passed through the maleline. You ended up being just a Weald.† â€Å"I wasa Harman,† Sylvia said with muted ferocity. She was staring at the floor again, and sheseemed to be speaking to herself rather than toHunter. â€Å"I was. But I had to stand there and watch my cousins be accepted instead of me. I had towatch half humansbe accepted-be welcomed.They took my place-just because they were descended through the female line.† Hunter shook his head. â€Å"A very sad tradition.† Sylvia's breath came raggedly for another minuteor so, then she looked up slowly at the tall man in the center of the room, â€Å"You don't have to worryabout my loyalty,† she said quietly. â€Å"I want a placein the new order after the millennium. I'm through with the witches.† Hunter smiled. â€Å"I know it,† he said, lightly and approvingly, andthen he started pacing the room. He got what hewanted out of her, Maggie thought. Almost casually, he added, â€Å"Just be sure thatDelos's power is kept in check until everything's decided.† Sylvia bent and lifted the basket, which Maggiehad forgotten about. â€Å"The new binding spells will hold,† she said. â€Å"Ibrought special ingredients from one of the oldestMidnight witches. And he won't suspect anything.† â€Å"And nobody but you can take them off?† â€Å"Nobody but me,† Sylvia said firmly. â€Å"Not eventhe Crone of all the witches. Or the Maiden, forthat matter.† â€Å"Good girl,† Hunter said, and smiled again. â€Å"Ihave every confidence in you. After all, you havelamia blood in you to balance the witch taint.You're my own eighth-great-granddaughter.† Maggie wanted to punch him. She was confused and frightened and indignantand furious, all at once. As faras she could tell,Hunter Redfern seemed to be manipulating everybody. And Delos, Delos the prince and Wild Power,was just another of his puppets. I wonder what they plan to do if he won't join their new order? she thought bleakly. After a few minutes, Hunter turned in his pacingand walked by the door. He paused brieflyasiflistening, then glanced at Sylvia. â€Å"You don't know how happy it makes me just to think about it,† he said, in a voice that wasn't strained, or overly cheerful, or too loud, or anything that rang false. â€Å"To finally have a true heir.A male heir of my own line, and untainted by witchblood. I would never have married that witchMaeve Harman if I had known my son was still alive. And not only alive, but out having sons! Theonly true Redferns left in the world, you mightsay. Maggie, with her teeth set in her lower lip, didn'tneed to guess who was on the other side of thedoor. She watched tensely. And Delos came in, right on cue.