What Employers Want to See in a Business Writing Course Essay

What Employers Want to See in a Business Writing Course - Essay Example The topics that are expected to be covered by professors that would enable students to write in a business-manner at the end of the course are writing style, format, structure and ethics in business writing. The writing style in business is formal and professors must be able to teach students what constitute a formal writing in business correspondence. It involves the correct selection of words, the appropriate framing of thoughts and professionalism in tone. The format in business writing must also be taught by professors for students to know how to package their letters in a business manner. Format conveys professionalism and this is important in the world of business to be taken seriously. Structure in business writing is also important and it meant more than the arrangement of thoughts but also on how to arrange them concisely. This will help students to get their ideas across clearly and concisely. Finally, professors must also guide students about the appropriateness of business correspondence. This would include ethics in business writing and how to maintain professionalism.

South African national parks Essay Example for Free

South African national parks Essay Kruger National Park was established in 1898 to protect the wildlife and habitats of South Africa. The largest of South African National Parks (SANParks), Kruger has been admired worldwide by conservationist, environmentalist, and tourists for its pristine environment and beauty. According to Strickland and Mixon (2010), Kruger has been heralded by many to be a leader in â€Å"environmental management, infrastructure, and, of course, biodiversity† (C-407). Although the main purpose for which Kruger National Park (KNP) was created is and remains conservationism, as a result of the park’s mission KNP attracts over a million visitors each year and is regarded as an â€Å"icon destination in international tourism† (Merwe Saayman, 2008, p. 154). The motives of tourists visiting KNP, according to Merwe Saayman (2008), are identified as escape – such as visiting exciting places, and nature –described as to see endangered species. As seen by the tourists of KNP, the park has provided â€Å"a place to escape while enjoying the Big 5†. (Merwe Saayman, 2008, p.158). Ethical Dilemma To maintain and protect the environment of the park has required a large operating budget. As of 2010 the dollars necessary to meet the strategic goals of SANParks was well over 5. 5 million (Strickland Mixon, 2010). At the same time the South African government, a large grant provider to the park, began to reduce its funding of the park. As a result, SANParks needed to increase revenue streams to make up for the shortfall in grants provided by the government. One such source of income has been via wildlife sales through the game capture unit of the park. Originally the game capture unit of Veterinary Wildlife Services (VWS) was established to provide critical support to conservation efforts for rare and threatened species of animals in the park. This effort included the endangered rhino. The capture unit’s main objectives with regards to the endangered rhino were to control the population, expand the population both inside and outside the park, and make the population more resilient (Strickland Mixon, 2010). As pressure for self-funding has increased the objectives of the game capture unit have been shifted and have become more focused on the revenue stream provided by the sale of rhinos. According to Strickland and Mixon (2010), revenue from the sale of rhinos generated over 7 million dollars in 2009. For VWS and conservationist biologists of SANParks two crucial strategic organizational objectives have become conflicted: Enhancing the conservation status of rare and threatened species Generating revenue for the SANParks through wildlife sales Impact on Strategic Vision There has been a tremendous demand for rhinos in the world market both for trophy hunting and for the horns of these animals. Although SANParks has had strict criteria under which these animals are sold, by selling rhinos they have indirectly contributed to the hunting and illegal poaching of these animals. In addition, while SANParks controls the primary market in which they sell rhinos, it is difficult if not impossible to control the secondary markets where many of the SANParks rhinos eventually ended up. According to Coniff (2011) conservationists, like Tom Milliken of Traffic, a group that monitors the international wildlife trade, agree that â€Å"trophy hunting can be a legitimate contributor to the conservation of rhinos. † At the same time, they also agree that hunting has produced a â€Å"moral gray zone† (Coniff, 2011). It is imperative that SANParks finds new sources of revenue streams to maintain the mission and objectives for which the Kruger Park was originally created. Internal Strengths: Unrivaled wildlife diversity and easy viewing Leaders who want to see Kruger and its wildlife prosper Exceptional game capture unit. Income generation from selling of rhinos Internal Weaknesses: Less income due to gov’t grant to Kruger being done away with Less money for VWS to take care of wildlife as best they can Selling rhinos for income generation given the uncertainty of where they will end up (private park, private hunting park, black market, different cultures) Leasing out land to private companies who are making money that Kruger could make if they were to utilize the space for other income generating activities External Threats: Buyers with wrong intentions Cultures value rhino horns because of cultural beliefs. Demand is extremely high for rhino horns and is worth $7,200 per pound on the black market Poaching has become more prominent because of the value of horns on black market External Opportunities: Research and solicitation for other conservation organizations for funding Explore more tourist opportunities for funding Hunting on Kruger premises as an income and tourist generator. SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis is a powerful tool that is used for analyzing organizations internal strengths and weaknesses and its market opportunities and external threats to ensure a healthy future well-being for the organization. Organizations use the SWOT to evaluate current conditions and make strategic changes that will help to strengthen them. An organizations strengths and weaknesses are the internal situations within the organization and its opportunities and threats are the external situations outside its organization. Internal Strengths The SWOT analysis above demonstrates that Kruger has a great deal of strengths to work with in order to generate the income needed while fulfilling its mission as a conservation site for the endangered rhino. First and foremost, Kruger has some great leaders that truly care for the well-being of Kruger National Park. Among these prominent leaders is Dr. Markus Hofmeyr, head of Veterinary Wildlife Services for SANParks and has been taking care of the park animals for a number of years. As head of VWS he is concerned with how KNP will be able to continue to take care of its wildlife with the amount of money that is required. Dr. David Mabunda, SANParks’ chief executive officer, is also concerned about the wildlife population of KNP. Dr. Mabunda has stressed the importance of protecting the rhino population both inside and outside the park by either selling or donating rhinos. According to Mabunda, â€Å"it is too risky to keep the entire rhino population at Kruger because of the danger of losing them should there be an outbreak of disease or rampant poaching†(C-409). With Kruger being the largest supplier of rhinos in the world, the park generates about $32k per sale of a rhino. In 2009, 500 rhinos were sold in South Africa, 252 of these transactions came from Kruger. That is approximately $8,064,000 of revenue that Kruger saw in 2009 just for selling rhinos. Although a costly activity, Kruger’s exceptional game capture unit plays a large role in Kruger being the largest supplier of rhinos. Game capture has also made it easier to manage rare species by placing them in breeding enclosures. Because of KNP’s expert game capture unit, the park is able to ensure protection and a healthy environment for not only the rhinos but all of its wildlife. Kruger’s reputation for its unrivaled wildlife diversity and easy viewing of its many species is another of its many internal strengths. Internal Weaknesses The SWOT analysis displays some internal weaknesses that Kruger has been experiencing. Lack of money has become a major issue due to the cut of an annual grant that has long been provided to SANParks by the South African National Government. This cut has put pressures on Kruger to come up with ways to self-fund its park and has, according to Strickland and Mixon (2010) â€Å"threatened the ability of SANParks’ Veterinary Wildlife Services to continue to deliver normal veterinary and operational services† (C-406). Strickland and Mixon (2010) state that there are 7 private lodge concessions and over the years these concessions have been leased to partnerships between communities and private companies. The concessions were placed on tender, and areas were allocated for 25 to 30 year leases where these companies had tourist operations. When the lease is up, the fixed assets become SANParks property and they can decide whether to lease or retender the concession. This land that has for so long been leased could be a major missing income generator. Currently this as an internal weakness of Kruger’s because this land could provide many income generating activities that Kruger is missing out on due to its decision to lease out the land to private companies. External Threats. Although the selling of rhinos is listed as a strength because it is an income generator, it can also be classified as a weakness because we are uncertain that the rhinos being sold are in the hands of people with the best intentions. Kruger’s rhino conservation efforts are being jeopardized due to buyers who are in secondary markets, most of which include hunters and members of the black market. The unknown destination of rhinos sold in the secondary market pose an external threat to Kruger National Park. Private parks buy these rhinos then turn around and have them hunted for a profit of 82k. Because of the high demand for rhino horns on the black market, buyers in the secondary market buy these rhinos for 32k and sell their horns on the black market for $7,200 per pound of rhino horn. That is roughly $43,200 per rhino horn. Poaching has become more rampant than ever due to the high value of horns in the black market. In Asia the rhino horn has been prevalent in traditional medicine, used as a cure for the common cold and other illnesses. Some even believe it can cure cancer. Oryx says the rhino horn is in great demand in North Yemen; men wear rhino horn daggers around their neck as a symbol self-defense, honor, and a man’s word. Since 1970, it is said that half of the rhino horn on the market has ended up in North Yemen. Vietnam is also a major player in the illegal sale of rhino horns due to the beliefs of the horn being a healing agent. Market Opportunities Although there are a significant number of external threats, there are some market opportunities that Kruger can take advantage of that would greatly increase funding for the park and its veterinary wildlife services. Solicitation for other conservation groups to come and research Kruger’s wildlife is a large opportunity not only for the park but also for the conservations groups that are solicited to. The presence of conservation groups will also give Kruger the opportunity to add more wildlife and endangered species to the mix. This will in turn give way for more tourist opportunities. Hunting is a desirable of many; a possible opportunity for Kruger could involve hunting of these wild beasts. This would then give Kruger the opportunity to select the Rhinos that are eligible for hunting, which will become a win-win for income generation and conservation of healthy Rhinos. Solutions to Contributing factors The SWOT analysis identified four factors that are contributing to the ethical dilemma facing SANParks. The main factors are a lack of money, hunting practices, cultural beliefs around the world and poaching. After much discussion and thought solutions were identified for each of the issues and the benefits and drawbacks of each one. Budget shortfall solutions The first issue identified was the lack of money. SANParks has had funding pulled by the government and this has created an operating deficit. Without additional income, it will be difficult for the park to continue its normal operations. That being said, the solution for the money issue needs to include a way to generate more money. Two solutions are recommended to solve this issue. The first would be to solicit to conservation groups and private investors around the world for additional funding through donations. In return, they park could provide research opportunities to these groups. The added income would be the biggest pro argument and would allow the park to continue its current operations. However, this solution does come with several drawbacks. Donated funds are inconsistent and can be pulled at any time. Relying on donations would offer the possibility of the park ending up in the same spot in a few years. Accepting donations also opens the park to criticism from the private investors and donators. For example, they may not agree with the capturing process done by SANParks and may pull their funding if the practice continues. Another viable option to increase income for the park is to allow more tourist options within the park. These options can include safaris, hunting, fishing, research and all other areas of tourism. These tourist options are already done on the park and often by private companies. This is an area where SANParks could step in and begin managing these services themselves. Again, the biggest pro to this solution is the possibility of income generation. According to Strickland and Mixon (2010), SANParks is currently selling its captured rhinos on the market for $30,300. A typical rhino hunting expedition can cost $82,400 per hunter. That is over $50,000 per rhino in opportunity costs. The park could definitely look into hunting as a tourism option and gain some of this market share. There are a couple of cons to getting into the tourism business. Some of the attractions or services would require some up-front costs. For example, Safaris require vehicles to transport tourists around the park and also requires guides. The park will need to make an initial investment to purchase the equipment and pay tour guides. The same can be said if hunting is allowed as part of the tourism attractions. Another drawback to this solution is that if the park promotes hunting, it may be viewed as a conflict to their goal of conserving rhinos. That view can be debated in that population management is a key success factor to maintaining a healthy herd of rhinos. For this reason, it may be a benefit to allow hunters on the park if it is managed properly. Hunting solutions The second issue or factor is the amount of rhino hunting that takes place. Currently SANParks captures and sells rhinos on the open market. Private companies buy these rhinos and place them on controlled hunting plots and allow individuals to hunt these rhinos. As stated above, these hunting expeditions can cost $82,400 per hunter. This demand has resulted in more and more rhinos ending up in the hands of hunters. Once they are sold, SANParks has no control over how the rhino is managed. This practice goes against the main goal of the park to conserve rhinos. There are a couple of solutions to reduce the amount of hunting going on outside the park and on private land. The first is the same solution for the lack of money issue. SANPark should allow hunting to take place on the park. This should decrease some of the hunting on private land and will allow the park to some of the market share. The drawback is also the same as above. Allowing hunters on the park could hurt the image of the park’s main goal which is to conserve rhinos. Another solution to limiting the amount of hunting on private land is to restrict the sale of rhinos only to other conservation groups. This may include other parks, zoos and research groups. The biggest benefit to this is it would reduce the number of rhinos available to private hunting organizations. This solution would be difficult to carry out. It would be difficult to manage the sale of every rhino and the effort may be too great to be realistic. Limiting the amount of rhinos available to private buyers may also increase the demand in the black market and in turn may increase poaching. Cultural solutions The third issue discussed that is contributing to SANPark’s dilemma is the practices of various cultures around the world. Some cultures view the rhino horn as a cure for diseases, aphrodisiac, and rhino horn daggers. This increases the demand for rhino horns and threatens the safety of rhinos on the park. According to Coniff (2011). , the demand spiked in 2008 after claims that a rhino horn cured liver cancer in Vietnam. One solution to this issue would be to educate other cultures on the damage caused by purchasing rhino horns. Perhaps if they were made aware that their practices were putting rhinos at risk, they would change. This solution is probably not viable. The benefit would be great in that it would reduce demand for the horns; however, the cons heavily outweigh the pros. Getting cultures to change their practices would not be easy, cost effective, or in the best interest of the park. Changing a cultures belief is not something that can be done easily as these beliefs develop over years and years in a culture. It would also require an investment for the park to produce and circulate the education material. In addition, it could also reflect badly on the park if they were to attack or try to change a cultures belief. The second solution to the culture dilemma would be to lobby governments to increase punishments for rhino products sold on the black market. Most activity of rhino horns being sold occurs on the black market. A higher penalty for selling and buying these horns on the black market may defer some traffic and reduce the demand. The negative side of this is that the demand for these horns by the final buyers is not likely to change. The end result may just be that prices are driven up and the supply and demand remains the same. Poaching solutions The final factor contributing to SANPark’s dilemma is poaching. According to the Strickland and Mixon (2010), the demand for rhinos and rhino horns has steadily increased over the past 15 years and has resulted in an increase in poaching. Poaching is a big problem for both the park and for rhinos around the world. The two solutions offered to reduce poaching are to lobby for higher penalties if caught and to increase security on the park. Lobbying for higher penalties could deter some poachers from taking the risk. The increase in the penalty would probably have little effect on established poachers that dominate the market. The other option to reduce poaching would be to increase security on the park. The biggest pro for this solution is that it would make it harder for poachers to gain access to the park and rhinos. However, it is Strickland and Mixon (2010) suggest Kruger already has one of the best anti-poaching units in South Africa. According to France-Presse, (2011), poachers are using helicopters, night vision goggles and high powered rifles to hunt the rhinos. Strickland and Mixon (2010) also discuss the advanced weaponry that is used by poachers. Combating this type of criminal has been and will continue to be a tough obstacle to overcome. This presents the question; at what point does putting more money into defense become wasteful SANParks may have already reached that limit. Recommended Solution Since the lack of funding is Kruger’s biggest hurdle, the recommended solution is to explore more tourist options within Kruger Park in order to generate income. This will include guided safaris, hunting, fishing, and camping which will allow the park to utilize its resources. Rational 1. This is the recommended solution because it is the solution that will allow Kruger Park to generate more of its own income. Tourism at Kruger Park is already one of the largest in South Africa, so to enlarge what already exists they should introduce hunting to the national park. When SANparks captures and sells a rhino, the consumer pays an average of $30,000 per rhino. The rhinos are sold to many different consumers, private game owners, ranchers/breeders, and other parks. When these rhinos are sold to private game owners, they are sometimes hunted at which people pay about $80,000 to hunt their property. (Strickland and Mixon C-407) The recommendation is to include hunting at Kruger Park and make a possible profit of $50,000 per rhino. Rational 2 By allowing these new tourist options, Kruger Park will in turn protect the rhino population and prevent more poachers from killing the rhinos for their horns, which is SANparks main goal, to protect the rhinos from extinction. SANparks should continue to sell to other protected parks so that the rhinos do not become extinct, due the risk of wide spread disease in certain parts of the world. Rational 3 This solution to solve the money deficit is also low cost, which is necessary to make a profit. Since Kruger Park already hosts safaris and camping, a lot of extra equipment should not be needed. The main objective to low cost solutions is to use the resources that are already in your possession. The park includes 7,722 square miles of conservation area that is already gated to control trespassing. The park is also known for the wide variety of species on the property; 147 mammal species, 49 species of fish, 507 bird species, etc. . (Strickland and Mixon C-407) The park should utilize these great resources and generate its own income. Rational 4 Out of all the solutions presented, this solution is the most attainable. Since several cultures believe that the horns contain healing properties, or they make good weapons, or is an aphrodisiac, it would be difficult to convince a group of people that their culture is wrong. Although the horns are believed to be healing, they are really only made up of the same materials that our finger nails are made of and Amin, a researcher says, â€Å"You’d do just as well chewing on your fingernails. † (2012) While this may be true, it would be hard to convince a specific group of people that what their ancestors taught them is a lie, and therefore protesting against poachers and trying to raise awareness may, or may not work, and the rhinos will still be unprotected. But, with this solution the money earned from extra tourism can be filtered down to other contributing factors and help to solve those issues as well. Action Plan As Kruger Parks moves towards offering more options to promote tourism they will first need to look into their target markets as well as the current industry of rhino hunting and safaris. Looking at the competition it would seem logical for Kruger parks to focus on offering safari tours, camping, hunting, helicopter tours and educational exhibits in order to increase their tourist appeal. Now that Kruger is focusing on running these activities themselves it would make most financial sense to cancel all previous contracts with outside companies that were able to offer these concessions on their land. In offering these extra tourist options it will be necessary to increase their current marketing team to promote their parks and set up vacation packages working with airlines and resorts in the area. Kruger will also need to purchase Safari automobiles, a helicopter, and hunting gear. By keeping their park in the most natural state possible it will allow them to save money as opposed to setting up a zoo environment. One of their largest overhead costs may be the addition of more staff such as the marketing team, expert hunters, a helicopter pilot and tour guides. Kruger may have to bring on an extra helicopter to support more rides a couple years down the line when they are been able to raise enough capital. Until then, they will be able to use their current revenue to finance these new additions in staff and marketing. If they will set up a lower cost hunting price to gain customers they will be able to raise prices when their name and brand get out to the consumers. Until then Kruger should increase prices of items not in the hunting packages such as equipment and trophy prizes that the clients will not think about till they are on property. The biggest risk Kruger may face would be spending all of their current revenue/assets on jumping into a new market and not seeing sufficient return in profits. If they are unable to compete with the current companies in this market it will be in a bigger hole than when they started. The good news is Kruger will be entering the tourist/hunting market after learning from competitor’s current prices and build off of their mistakes to enhance the experience for customers. Other risks may include activist groups coming at them for not caring for the Rhino. One way to make them happy would be offering hunting trips with darts so that Rhinos will not be killed. Kruger will be able to charge extra dart and trophy prizes on these trip while still offering lower prices. Luckily, many activists see the logic in controlling the Rhino population in parks. â€Å"Friedman, Muir and Pelham Jones, of the Private Rhino Owners’ Association, said most state-run parks in South Africa were reaching the end of their productive carrying capacity and there was a need to remove â€Å"surplus† rhino (Carnie, 2012). † It is a positive that they already have a pretty large fallowing, however, another potential risk may be losing some of their previous customers due to the change in their business model. Finally, they will need to keep a close eye on the supply and demand of Rhinos on their property because they do not want to run into the risk of losing to many Rhinos to their hunting business. Linda’s References Coniff, R. (2011). Defending the Rhino. Smithsonian, 42(7), 64 Merwe, P. , Saayman, M. (2008). Travel motivations of tourists visiting Kruger National Park. Koedoe African Protected Area Conservation And Science, 50(1), 154-159. doi:10. 4102/koedoe. v50i1. 140 Strickland, A. , Mixon, W. (2010). Rhino Capture in the Kruger National Park. In Thompson, A. , Peteraf, M. , Gamble, J. , Strikland, A. (2012). Crafting and executing strategy. (18th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Jeff’s Reference Carnie, T. (2012). Ian Player defends hunting the rhino. South Africa: Cape Times News. p. 6. Marjorie’s Reference Daniel Martin Varisco (1989). Beyond rhino horn—wildlife conservation for North Yemen. Oryx, 23, pp 215219 Matt’s References Coniff, R. (2011). Defending the Rhino. Smithsonian, 42(7), 64 France-Presse, A. (2011) Rhino Poaching Rampant. Windsor Star News. D6. Shannon’s References Rhino horn use: Fact vs. fiction. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. pbs. org/wnet/nature/episodes/rhinoceros/rhino-horn-use-fact-vs-fiction/1178/ Bryson, D. (2012). Vietnam craves rhino horn; costs more than cocaine. Retrieved from http://news. yahoo. com/vietnam-craves-rhino-horn-costs-more-cocaine-062134928. html.

Comparing Catherine MacKinnons Not A Moral Issue and Sallie Tisdale’s

Comparing Catherine MacKinnon's Not A Moral Issue and Sallie Tisdale’s Talk Dirty to Me Professor’s Comment: This powerful essay contrasts the views of two feminist, Catherine MacKinnon and Sallie Tisdale, each of which perceives pornography in widely divergent ways. While MacKinnon's 'Not A Moral Issue' explains the adverse impacts of pornography to women and society as a whole, Tisdale's 'Talk Dirty to Me: An Intimate Philosophy of Sex' is receptive to pornography despite these adverse impacts, suggesting in fact that the solution to the problems associated with pornography is a greater role of women in production of that pornography. Breasts and booties, buns and knockers. Type these words into a search field and be prepared. The presence of pornographic and "obscene" material is rampant: in commercial advertising, on primetime television, and in every Danielle Steel novel. Such an over-abundance of disputed material introduces many questions for discussion. One must ask, why there is such a demand for these products and why have they created a forum of controversy from left- and right-wingers, as well as feminists and chauvinists? What, then, is pornography? Is it the art of sex, a struggle against morality, the world's leading epidemic of sexual violence, or the ongoing struggle for First Amendment rights? Pornography, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary, is "sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal". This definition, however, lacks the clarity of realistically differentiating between pornography and erotica, and leaves room for interpreting the true meaning of "explicit." The issue at debate, however, is neither the naming nor identifying po... ... modern sexual revolution, but also to a third wave of feminism, is understandably disgruntling for right-wing conservatives. The questions about the unknown effects of this controversial media are endless. What if pornography poses such a great threat not for it's graphic sexual depictions or 'immorality', but for it's potential to encourage both men and women to lead lives of sexual freedom, without the antiquated ideals of nuclear families and desk jobs? Perhaps it is pornographic and sex-trade industries, which are blamed for the loss of contemporary social morality and ethics, that will prescribe new ideals of life in the future. Works Cited Catherine MacKinnon 'Not A Moral Issue' 1993 Martha Nussbaum Sex and Social Justice Oxford University Press, 2000 Tisdale, Sallie. Talk Dirty to Me: An Intimate Philosophy of Sex. New York: Doubleday, 1994.

How to Throw a Party Without Getting Caught By Parents?

Then, he wonders how e will ever keep it a secret from his parents. His life will be over if his parents find out and he will be grounded until he Is married. Luckily for him, he Just has to follow numerous steps In order to not receive a miserable punishment from his parents. He will conquer his high school dream of becoming a part of the popular crowd and earn respect from his peers all while acting Like the perfect child towards his mother and father. As he learned in high school English class, research must be done before writing a huge research paper.He must first see when his parents and siblings will be out of own for more than a couple of hours in order to throw the party. He should do this by tip-toeing down to the kitchen, looking at the family calendar, and finding a day where the house will be completely empty and useable. He absolutely cannot ask his parents directly when they will be gone or the entire plan Is ruined and suspicion will fill his parents' heads. If his pa rents planned for a family vacation for the weekend, he can simply play sick and contract a viral disease that will inhibit him from going on the family trip.With this terrible Illness, the family will have to leave him at home while they go on to their vacation. After all, he Is a high school boy and can take care of himself. If the whole family decides to stay home and â€Å"take care† of their beloved son, then he must magically hop out of bed, claim to be well again, and go on the trip. There will be another available time slot to have a house party. Once he finds a time where the family is gone for the day or night, he can begin to plan the party.If the parents decide to ask their neighbor or grandparents to check in on him, he should avoid this by telling the â€Å"watcher† that he does not want to get them sick and will send periodic pictures of what he is doing throughout the night. He will of course cake pictures alone in a room doing homework, reading, or lis tening to music while the rest of the party Is In another room. He must first find a close group of friends that will evaluate the student population and figure out who to invite. These friends must be trustworthy and not have parents who are friendly with the host's parents.If a parent of one of his friends calls the host's mom, the entire plan could be ruined If the friend's mom says her son was at a party at their house. Once a group is formed, speak of the party to anyone but his close group of friends until he is 100% certain of the time and day of the party. He should wait till the day of the party to invite people. This should be done through Backbone. He should create an invite on Backbone and make the invite private which means only people he invited can see it.If he tells his peers a week before the party, talk could go around school, get whispered to parents, and get told to his mom and dad. The planning behind the party is key. Once the day of the party comes, he must th ink about every possible situation that could occur and safe proof the house. He must remove any objects that are sentimental to his parents, things that are easily broken, and valuables of any kind in moms where the teenagers will be occupying. Before doing so, he should take a picture of each room so that he can put back all objects into the correct spot.If his parents noticed a picture or lamp was moved to the other side of the room, they may become suspicious and ask questions. He must lock doors to rooms he does not want anyone in such as the parents room or the father's office. If a teenager were to get into these rooms while unlocked, things could be moved around or stolen without the host even noticing. If the parents came home and saw a disruption in their bedroom r office, he would be punished immediately due to suspicion.The fewer the rooms that teenagers are allowed to go in to, the easier clean up will be. If there is illegal activity going on at the party such as under age drinking, the bathroom can be a common living area for party goers. There should be an excessive amount of toilet paper, paper towels, plungers, trash bags, and air fresheners in the bathrooms. With these available necessities, hopefully his guests will have chances to clean up after themselves. In order to minimize visibility to neighbors, he should drape or tape blankets and towels over the windows.This way, neighbors will not see any suspicious activity and call up his parents.. If his parents are coming home at one in the afternoon the following day, he should set three alarms in order to wake up four hours before his parents arrive. Once he does all these things, the party can begin and guests can arrive, but with caution. To lessen suspicion amongst neighbors, all guests should carpool with as many people as possible and park a block away from the house or scatter their cars throughout the neighborhood.This way, there will not be a line of cars in front of the house that i s supposedly vacant. Once the guests enter the house, he should pump up the music to an appropriate level and peruse the party making sure all guests are having a great time. After each guest enters the house, he must lock the door immediately after. This way no uninvited teenagers can come in the party. Also, if a guest leaves the door open without the host knowing, the neighbors might catch a glimpse of the activity going on in the house and call the parents.Once he does this, he can enjoy himself at the party. He should monitor the rooms people are allowed in and clean up food, cups, or any trash left behind. If he does this, the cleanup will be easier the next day and trash will not accumulate under sofas or tables. He should make sure guests are all feeling well and having a good time. While doing these steps, he will also be meeting numerous friends and becoming the most popular guy in Tree Hill High School. Once the host becomes tired, he should tell all guests to leave and t ravel home safely.Before he falls asleep, he should call his parents to and say goodnight. They will not be suspicious of their son's activities. After he says his goodbyes, he should clean up as much as he can. The clean-up process cannot be put aside and done five minutes before the parents come home. If he misses a single alarm and does not have time to clean up, the house will not be in perfect condition and his mom and dad will know he threw a raging house party. That is why he set three alarms to ensure this does not happen.After all three alarms wake him up; he must start with loading trash bags with bottles, cans, cups, boxes, or any large trash items. Because he woke up so early, he can have enough time to take these trash bags to a public dumping site so that his parents do not wonder why there are numerous trash bags for one person. He must look outside the window and make sure his guests did not dump their trash on his rent lawn. Once this is done, he should then move on to general clean-up such as mopping, sweeping, and putting back all the objects he originally took away.He must grab his camera, look at the pre-party pictures and make sure all heirlooms, pictures, and valuables are in their precise starting position. He should then unlock all the original rooms he blocked off. The host should do a scan of the house and make sure there are no holes in the walls or stains on the floors. If so, he should have enough time to figure out a solution. If there is a hole in the wall, he can cover it up with mouthing such as a chair and then casually admit that he caused the hole at a later time in the week when playing football in the house by himself.After the clean-up is done, he should change into casual clothes, plop on the couch, pop in a movie, and pretend that he Just woke up and is having a relaxing day. Once his parents came home, they will suspect no party occurred in the house and see that they have the best son in the world. As long as he foll ows every necessary step, he will throw the biggest, most raging house party to ever occur in his small town without his parents ever finding out.

Chinese Schools Essay

Chinese schools have come a long way since the colonial days. Over the years and with the evolution of the national education system, Chinese schools have had to face countless threats to their survival. Despite this, Chinese schools have gained popularity and have enjoyed high enrolments, even among non-Chinese students. It has been reported that at least 10 percent of students studying in Chinese schools come from non-Chinese backgrounds. A number of factors contribute to this growing phenomenon. First, Chinese schoolteachers are well known for their high level of commitment. For this and other reasons, students from Chinese schools often excel in public examinations especially in Science and Mathematics. The other attraction of Chinese schools is that students are required to learn an additional language, Mandarin, which is a highly marketable skill in the job market. Chinese Education: A Historical Perspective The beginnings of Chinese education in Malaysia can be traced to the early nineteenth century. It was recorded that by 1815, there were already three Chinese schools in Malacca. One was founded by the London Missionary Society. With regard to the other two, sociologist Yang Qinghuang suggests that â€Å"at least one would be a school founded by the Hokkien people. † Scholar Zheng Liangshu suggests that some old-type Chinese schools might have existed in the Straits Settlements since the end of the eighteenth century. For a long time, Chinese schools in the Straits Settlements received neither help from the British government nor assistance from the government in China. Despite this, they thrived —funded mainly by clan and dialect associations. When faced with political and financial difficulties at the turn of the twentieth century, the Ching government of China changed its attitude towards overseas Chinese and began to promote Chinese education outside of China. It implemented educational reforms based on a proposal by Zhang Zidong. Following the reforms, the curriculum was revised to include Chinese Classical Literature, History, Geography, Mathematics, Moral Education, Physical Education and other optional subjects like Commerce and Drawing. In Malaya, Chung Hwa Confucian School in Penang not only adopted this new curriculum (it was the first to do so), it went further to include English as a subject. Support from the Ching government, however, was short lived. It ended with the fall of the dynasty. Chinese schools that attempted to run modern educational programmes (with a modern curriculum and incorporating English as a subject) faced enormous challenges. On the one hand, they were constantly in need of more funds. On the other hand, they lacked competent teachers. Furthermore, they had to compete with the more established English schools. Even so, there were five hundred Chinese schools with modern educational programmes established in Malaya and Singapore in 1920. By this time, textbooks for these schools had departed from the classical into the vernacular Chinese language (baihuawen). Because of their impressive growth, the British government decided that it could no longer afford to ignore Chinese schools. On 29 October 1920, it introduced the Regist ration of School Ordinance to restrict the activities of Chinese schools in the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States by way of registration and inspection. In 1935, control was further tightened: textbooks and teachers from China were prohibited. Only local materials and Malaysian-born teachers were allowed, and activities in Chinese schools came under strict scrutiny. Despite these challenges, Chinese education continued to thrive until it was suspended at the time of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya. After the war, Chinese schools resumed operation. By 1946, their number had ballooned to more than one thousand in Malaya. However, following the Barnes and Fenn-Wu Reports (June 1951) and the Education Ordinance 1952, Chinese education was exclude d from the national education system. The Chinese community rallied to form Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association of Malaya, UCSTAM) and Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaya, UCSCAN) to safeguard Chinese education. The Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) joined in. Its president then, Tun Tan Cheng Lock spoke these memorable lines, â€Å"†¦Chinese in Malaya †¦ should be given Chinese education †¦ The dialect or mother tongue can be likened to a person’s shadow, and is inseparable from the person himself/herself†¦ † (translated from Chinese). Efforts to safeguard Chinese education became even more difficult following the Razak Report in 1956 and the Education Ordinance in 1957. Thereafter, Chinese primary education was officially included in the national education system, classified as standard-type primary schools with Chinese language as the medium of instruction. However, Chinese secondary schools were excluded from the system when the Lower Certificate of Education examination (L. C. E) was introduced in English. This was not in accordance with the promise of fairness to other ethnic languages in the country as specified in the Razak Report. Furthermore, the Chinese community were horrified by the terms of reference in Paragraph 12 of the Razak Report: â€Å"†¦the ultimate objective of educational policy in this country must be to bring together the children of all races under a national education system in which the national language is the main medium of instruction. † Paragraph 12 was subsequently omitted following strong opposition from the Chinese community headed by Jiao Zong. Both the Rahman Talib Report (1961) and the Education Act (1961) reaffirmed the education policy as stated in the Education Ordinance 1957. Since government financial aid was vital to the survival of Chinese secondary schools, more than half of the 41 Chinese secondary schools then had little choice but to ‘convert’ itself into English medium national type secondary schools. On hindsight, many Chinese view this decision as a big mistake. The remaining 14 schools refused to give in, and have remained ‘independent’ to this day. The MCA facilitated this ‘conversion’ as it was satisfied with the verbal promises made by the Education Minister that â€Å"the government has no intention to exercise its authority granted under the Act to change Chinese primary schools to national schools† and that â€Å"Chinese schools are allowed to allocate one third of their curriculum for learning Mandarin and Chinese literature. † As a consequence of this concession made at the secondary  school level, development of Chinese education in Malaysia was restricted thereafter to the primary school level. The New Education Act 1996 posed an even bigger threat. It threw into question the status of national-type schools that were not established under Section 28 of the new Act. In fact, prior to this during the initial stage of implementing the ‘3R system’ (Reading, Writing & Arithmetic) in 1980, Chinese schools had already been challenged to forgo their medium of instruction. Materials for learning all subjects except Mandarin were available only in Bahasa Melayu. In response, Dong Jiao Zong and various Chinese guilds and associations submitted a memorandum to voice their opposition to the Ministry of Education in 1981. The schools were given the assurance that the government had no intention of changing the character of Chinese schools. However in the ensuing years, Chinese schools were asked to consider the concept of ‘integrated schools’ (1985) and Vision Schools (proposed in 1995, implemented in 2000), in addition to the latest â€Å"2-4-3† resolution that sought to introduce the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (proposed in 2002, implemented in 2003). Despite these challenges, Chinese schools seek to maintain emphasis on the â€Å"Five Aspects of Formal Education in Confucianism (Wuyu Jiaoyu)† namely, moral (de), intellectual (zhi), physical (ti), social (qun ) and aesthetic ( ei) education. Until today, Chinese schools m continue to value discipline, respect for the elderly, courtesy, personal character and morality, rather than marketable skills such as computer literacy, Mathematics and Science. Some Reflections How does the development of Chinese education affect the church community i Malaysia?  n Should we stake our claims to citizenry and defend our right to be educated in our own (mother tongue) language? What about racial integration? Is it possible to promote Chinese education without further polarising the different communities? First, we have a moral basis for defending Chinese education. Being given the choice and having the opportunity to be educated in one’s own language is a universal human right according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Chinese education ha s existed in this country since the nineteenth century. As such, I believe we ought to defend the right of its existence in the same way as we would for the education of other ethnic communities in their own languages. Second, there is value in the Chinese school culture that is worth speaking up for. Even though outsiders might consider the Chinese community uncompromising in its stand with regard to educational issues, it must be pointed out that it is not just about safeguarding the Chinese language but it is also about retaining the ideals of holistic education. Furthermore, Chinese schools have a tradition of nurturing dedicated schoolteachers, and the Christian community should be at the forefront to encourage this culture of service and excellence. In the past, many of them have had to pay a high price for their conviction and dedication by becoming ‘martyrs’: Zhuang Xiquan, Chen Taomin and others were deported for opposing the Registration of School Ordinance 1920; Lim Lian Geok and Yen Yuan Chang were deprived of citizenship in 1961; Lim Huang Sheng and Sim Mow Yu were jailed under the Internal Security Act in 1987. Chinese education aids evangelistic work among the Chinese community. It provides students with a better understanding of the Chinese culture. Whereas in the past, the content of Chinese education was often influenced by traditional beliefs and practices, the Chinese education system today is more open to intellectual discourse on rethinking and repositioning the Chinese identity. The main grouse against Chinese schools is the lack of racial integration since students come from predominantly one ethnic background. The question we must ask is, is this acceptable or healthy in a multi-ethnic society like Malaysia? Most advocates for Chinese education would argue that it is less than ideal but what choice do they have? If national schools were to adopt a more holistic philosophy, and their teachers showed a more credible record in terms of commitment and disciplining of students, and if they provided students with the opportunity to study their own languages, racial integration would be less of an issue and Chinese students would be more  evenly distributed between national and Chinese schools. Despite this obvious shortcoming related to racial integration, I still advocate Chinese education for what it offers. Clearly, through its holistic philosophy and track record, it has produced many responsible citizens through the years. Chinese education continues to play a significant role in nation-building and church life in Malaysia. Florence Kuek lectures Mandarin at Universiti Teknologi Mara.

Understand The Supreme Court Via Listening To Supreme Court Arguments essays

Understand The Supreme Court Via Listening To Supreme Court Arguments essays Second only to watching the proceedings in person or perhaps seeing them on television, listening to the Supreme Court justices argue and debate about a case was an informative and unique experience. Although I was aware of how the court system worked before listening to this proceeding, I was unaware about several of the stylistic processes involved in arguing a case. For example, I was not aware that each side had time requirements and that the proceedings were carried out in a more question-and-answer style. Hearing the justices ask questions of each other, probing the issue and the position of the other client with vigor but not hostility was also an informative and interesting glimpse into how our laws are interpreted. Because I wanted to consider an argument that is very relevant to todays politics, I choose Reno V. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. This case dealt with both illegal aliens and terrorism, too hot issues in todays United States. Essentially, the case revolved around six men who were threatened with deportation. It was the reason for this deportation that was disputed. The government claimed that the men were being deported for a variety of valid reasons, working with out a permit and failing to maintain student status among them. The young mens attorneys, however, argued that they were being deported because they were associated with a certain group that the government interpreted as being a threat. The young men had engaged in several activities that were legal, such as distributing magazines, activities that were protected by first amendment rights. The attorneys for this group were arguing that this process was selective, that they were chosen for deportation because of their political affiliation. Thus, the Supreme Court was arguing whether or not it was legal for the government to selectively deport those whom it sees as a threat if they have committed some type of ...

John Edgar Hoover essays

John Edgar Hoover essays Born on New Years Day in 1895 in Washington, D.C., to Dickerson Naylor Hoover and Annie Marie Scheitlin Hoover, John Edgar Hoover was destined to be one of the most powerful men in the world, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is remembered for fighting gangsterism during the Prohibition era (1919-1933) and for a vigorous anti-Communist campaign after World War II. He received an LL.B. from George Washington University and a masters degree in law in 1917. While he was attending night school there, Hoover worked at the Library of Congress for five years. After rising from the position of messenger to clerk, he left the Library of Congress and began work with the Department of Justice in 1919 and stayed there for two years as special assistant to the Attorney General, A. Mitchell Palmer. As Palmers assistant, Hoover directed the Palmer Raids against suspected radical communist aliens. When he was thirty years old, perhaps younger, he earned the title of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He held the appointment through eight presidents until 1972 when he died. When Hoover joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were around six hundred and fifty employees, including 441 Special Agents. Upon arrival, he proceeded to fire all of the Agents that he considered unqualified and professionalize the organization. Hoover also abolished the seniority rule of promotion and introduced uniform performance appraisals. Regular inspections of Headquarters and field office operations were scheduled. New Agents had to be between twenty-five and thirty-five years old. Then, in January of 1928, Hoover established a formal training course for new Agents. He also returned to the earlier preference for Special Agents with law or accounting experience. He also realized that the Federal Bureau of Investigation could not fight crime without the help of the public. In 1925, he wrote to the Attorney Gener...

What Is a Good ACT Score A Bad ACT Score An Excellent ACT Score

What Is a Good ACT Score A Bad ACT Score An Excellent ACT Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you've taken the ACT and gotten your ACT test scores back, you probably want to know how you did. Or you might be planning for the ACT and want to know what ACT composite score to aim for. So what is a good ACT score? In this article, we'll discuss what makes a good ACT composite score. We also give you a step-by-step guide to figuring out what a good ACT score is for you personally, depending on the colleges you plan to apply to. We’ll also provide ACT score ranges for 38 popular schools and discuss what you can do if you fall short of your goal score. Aside: Are you looking for SAT standards instead? If so check out our SAT good score guidelines. What Is a Good ACT Score Overall? The ACT score range is from 1-36. As you might imagine, the higher your score, the better you did.But is there a certain cutoff that delineates a â€Å"good† ACT score? To answer this question, it’s important to understand how ACT scores work. Your composite score from 1-36 corresponds to a percentile that compares how you did to the general population of ACT test-takers. A higher percentile means you scored higher than that percent of students. (So, a 55th percentile score means your score was higher than 55% of students). Exclusive Free Bonus: Click here to download a free step-by-step guide on finding your personal ACT score target. Once you go through these steps, you'll know exactly what ACT score you need to aim for. ACT test scores are set up to follow a normal distribution. This means that student performance tends to cluster around the middle of the scale- most test-takers score a somewhere between a little below and a little above the average score. Far fewer test-takers score towards the higher and lower end of the scale. The average ACT score is 20.8. If you’ve scored 21, then you’ve scored higher than 50% of test-takers. That’s pretty good, depending on your frame of reference. A 24 places you at the 74th percentile- better than  ¾ of test-takers! Here’s an abbreviated chart with ACT score percentiles for the class of 2018 to help you figure out how your scores position you among the overall student test-taker population: Score ACT English Percentile ACT Math Percentile ACT Reading Percentile ACT Science Percentile Composite Percentile 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 10 6 1 3 2 1 13 18 3 13 10 9 16 36 31 28 25 27 18 44 48 38 37 40 20 53 57 49 50 52 22 64 65 60 64 64 24 75 74 70 77 74 26 82 83 77 86 82 28 86 91 82 90 88 30 90 95 87 94 93 34 96 99 97 98 99 36 99 99 99 99 99 In terms of benchmarks for ACT score percentiles, a score of 16 places you at the 27th percentile, meaning you’ve scored better than about a quarter of test-takers. This isn’t a very strong score. We’ve already noted that a 20.8 is an average ACT score, at the 50th percentile. A score of 24 means you’ve scored better than about 74% of students. A 28 means you’ve scored better than 88% of students, and a 30 means you’ve scored better than 93% of them! Anything 35 or above is in the 99th percentile- a truly phenomenal score. You can also see that not many people score near the bottom and the top of the scalebecause there’s so little percentile change between scores here. Composite scores in the 1-8 range are all in the 1st percentile, and composite scores from 35-36 are all in the 99th percentile! By contrast, around the middle of the scale at 20, where most test-takers are clustered, a bump of a few points makes a big difference: going from 18 to 22 moves you from the 40th to the 64th percentile- a whopping 24 percentile points! But a similar 4-point bump from 24 to 28 only takes you from the 74th to the 88th percentile. That’s just a 14-percentile bump. And from 30 to 34 is only a 6-percentile increase. You may notice that section percentiles are a little different than the composite scale. However, the same general score distribution holds. So, to recap, compared to all test-takers: ACT score 16 = bottom 25% ACT score of 21 = right in the middle! (average score) ACT score of 24+ = top 25% ACT score of 29+ = top 10% ACT of 31+ = top 5% ACT score of 35+ = top 1% of test-takers If you get a 34 or higher, you've ascended ACT mountain. What's a Good ACT Score for You? We’ve discussed how your ACT score compares to all the other test-takers. But what’s more important is what makes a good ACT score for you personally, based on the schools you are interested in. A 29 places you in the top 10% of test-takers, and it’s a strong score for admission to schools like Texas AM, Penn State, Virginia Tech, and Baylor. But a 29 would actually be a very low score for super-selective institutions like the Ivies, Duke, MIT, Stanford, and the University of Chicago. By contrast, a 29 would be an incredibly high score for less selective schools,like CSU Long Beach (average ACT score 21), CSU Northridge (average ACT score 20) and University of Southern Indiana (average ACT score 22). If those were your goal scores, you wouldn’t need a 29; aiming for a score a little above average (in the 21-22 range) would be adequate. So, what makes a good ACT score for you is all relative, and mostly based on where you are trying to get into college. Of course, it’s also worth noting that the higher your standardized test scores, the more likely you are to get offered merit scholarships.We’re going to focus primarily on figuring out the score you need for admission in this guide, but it’s something to keep in mind. Another thing to consider is that a higher ACT or SAT score can help you if you have a lower GPA than a schoolis looking for. (However, this won’t help you so much at particularly selective institutions- they’ll expect applicants with pretty high marks across the board.) How to Find Your Goal Score So how do you find out what makes for good ACT scores for the colleges you’re interested in? In this section, we’ll walk you through a quick five-step process for figuring out the best goal score for you. Step 1: Download This Worksheet To work through the following steps, we'll be filling out a worksheet for all the schools you're planning to apply to. Click here to download it, or click the image below. I recommend you print it out so that you can write on paper and keep it next to your work space. Step 2: Fill in the Schools You Want to Get Into on the Left Fill in all the schools you're sure you want to apply to already in the leftmost column. If you don't know what schools you're aiming for yet, feel free to use ones that have been suggested to you, or schools that your friends are interested in. I recommend that you take the time to research schools first, though, so that you have a realistic target score.Because your goal score should be targeted to the schools you are actually interested in applying to, the more accurate of an idea you have of the schools you want to apply to, the more accurate your goal score will be. Step 3: For Each School, Google "[Name of School] PrepScholar ACT" For example, if I'm interested in U Alabama, I'll do the following search: Click on the the ACT and GPA post (or the Admission Requirements post, they’ll both have the information) and scroll down to find the 25th and 75th percentile composite ACT scores for admitted students. For University of Alabama, the 25th percentile score is 23. As a quick reminder, the 25th percentile means that 25% of admits have a score at or below that number. So 23 would be a below average score for admitted students for U Alabama. The 75th percentile score for University of Alabama is 32. That means that students with that composite score scored better than 75% of all the other admits. So scoring at that level or above puts you in the top quarter of admits score-wise- a very competitive score! In summary, the 25th/75th percentile range describes the scores of the middle 50% of all students admitted to a particular school. If you score at the 75th percentile for any school, you have a great chance at getting in (assuming your other credentials are appropriate for the school). If you're at the 25th percentile, you'll need to have a particularly strong application to boost your odds of getting in. For each school on your list, google the PrepScholar ACT score information and write down the 25th and 75th percentile scores in the appropriate row for that school on your goal score sheet. Step 4: Calculate Your Final ACT Target Score To calculate your target ACT goal score, look at the 75th percentile column. Find the highest score in that column. That’s your composite score goal. If you score at the 75th percentile level for the most competitive school on your list, you’ll be competitive at all your schools for test scores. Another advantage of choosing a high goal score is that if you end up falling 1-2 points short, it’s not a huge deal because you’ll still be competitive for most of your schools. You might be thinking- hey, wait! Why did I fill out that entire sheet if I was just going to pick the highest 75th percentile score? Well, the advantage of filling out all that information is that you now have it handy as a reference. You’ll be able to check your ACT score against all your schools of interest as soon as you have it! Step 5: Share Your Target Score As a last step, I suggest that you do two things with your score target: Share it with your parents. This will be a helpful conversation around your personal goals and how you want to achieve your target ACT score. Plus, they can help keep you accountable throughout the preparation process! Tape it to your wall. This will keep your goal in mind, which will help keep you motivated to prepare. Keep your goals in sight! Good ACT Scores for Popular Schools To make determining your goal score a little easier, here is an ACT score chart with the 25th-75th percentile composite ACT test scores for 2018 for 35 popular schools.I’ve also provided the acceptance rate and current U.S. News ranking to give you additional reference points as to how selective the school is. School 25th Percentile ACT 75th Percentile ACT US News Ranking (National Universities) 2018 Acceptance Rate Princeton University 32 35 1 6% Harvard University 33 35 2 5% University of Chicago 32 35 3 9% Yale University 32 35 3 6% Columbia University 33 35 3 6% MIT 34 35 3 7% Stanford University 32 35 7 4% University of Pennsylvania 33 35 8 8% Duke University 32 35 8 10% Johns Hopkins University 33 35 10 5% Northwestern University 32 34 10 9% Dartmouth College 31 35 12 9% Brown University 31 35 14 7% Vanderbilt University 32 35 14 11% Cornell University 32 34 16 11% University of Notre Dame 33 35 18 17% University of California, Los Angeles 28 33 19 16% Georgetown University 30 34 22 15% University of California, Berkeley 29 35 22 18% University of Southern California 30 34 22 13% Carnegie Mellon University 32 35 25 17% University of Virginia 31 34 25 27% Wake Forest University 28 32 27 28% University of Michigan 31 34 27 24% New York University 29 33 30 19% University of North CarolinaChapel Hill 29 33 30 22% Boston College 31 33 38 27% Boston University 30 33 42 22% University of Georgia 28 33 46 48% Villanova University 31 34 49 29% Ohio State University 28 32 56 48% Penn State University 28 32 59 51% Clemson University 27 31 66 47% Texas AM University 25 30 66 61% What If My Score Is Too Low? If you take the test and you get lower than your goal score, what should you do? Don’t panic; you have a few options. We’ll go over them here and help you figure out when you should consider them. Strategy 1: Retake the Test If you have the time to prepare for the test and re-take it, this is probably your best strategy if you are really set on all your schools. (Unless you were only 1 or maybe 2 points under, in which case it might actually be a poor use of time toretake the test- see strategy #2). You’ll want to be sure to do targeted prep of your weaknesses to have the best chance of actually improving your score. You should also make sure you actually prepare for enough hours to make the meaningful difference in score that you need. Here are our rough estimates for how many hours of prep it will take for you to improve your composite score by a certain amount: 0-1 ACT Composite Point Improvement: 10 hours 1-2 ACT Point Improvement: 20 hours 2-4 ACT Point Improvement: 40 hours 4-6 ACT Point Improvement: 80 hours 6-9 ACT Point Improvement: 150 hours+ Strategy 2: Don’t Worry About It If you only missed your goal score by 1-2 points, depending on the schools you’re applying to, you might not need to do anything. Let’s say you were going for a 35, but you got a 34. You could retake the test, but you don’t necessarily have to. If your 34 still puts you towards the top of the 25th-75th percentile range for your schools, it might make more sense to use the time and energy you would spend prepping for and retaking the test on other parts of your application. However, if you were more than two points short of your goal score, you should consider strategies 1 or 3. And if you’re applying to very selective schools, even two points might make a retake worth it. Strategy 3: Adjust Your List of Schools If you are 3+ points short of your goal score and you don’t have time to retake the test, your best strategy is to adjust your list of schools. While you can (and should) still apply to your dream schools as reach schools, you’ll need to make sure that you have enough strong match and safety schools for your scores. Let’s say you were going for a 32, but you got a 28. You may have had Boston University(middle 50% 29-32)as a match, but now it’s more of a reach. And maybe you had Hofstra University (middle 50% 24-29) as a safety school but now it’s closer to a match. So add some safety schools for your score, like SUNY Albany (middle 50% 22-26) and Pace University (middle 50% 22-27).You can see more on choosing appropriate safety, match, and reach schools here. Safety (schools) are very important in the college application process. Review: What Is a Good ACT Score? So what is a good ACT score? Well, your composite ACT score corresponds to a percentile ranking that tells you how you did compared to all other test-takers. 20 is a 50th percentile, or average score. However, it’s more important to consider what’s a good ACT score for you personally. And a good score is one that makes you competitive for the programs you are interested in! We went over a 5-step process for determining a goal score. We also provided ACT score ranges for 38 popular schools. Finally, we provided some advice for what to do if you miss your goal score. You can prepare and retake the test, do nothing (if you were pretty close to your goal), or adjust your list of schools. Remember, the most important thing is figuring out what are good ACT scores for you personally! You won’t necessarily need the same scores as some of your friends and peers. What's Next? Got ACT questions? We've got answers! See ourACT FAQ. We can also help you figure out how hard the ACT will be for youand why you might need to take the ACT. We can help you figure out how important the ACT is for the college admissions process. And what's the minimum ACT score for college? Do you wantto improve your ACT score? Check out our top guides: ACT Prep Guide:Practice Test, Critical Info, and Section Info How to Get a Perfect ACT score, by a 36 Scorer How to Get a 36 in ACT Reading, ACT Math, and ACT English Check out our online ACT prep program. We have a 4 point improvement guarantee - if you don't improve your score by 4 points, you get every penny of your money back. Plus, you get a 5-day free trial, so if you don't feel that it's helping you, you can cancel at any time.

Case Commentary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Commentary - Essay Example The bone of contention was that while domestic companies were allowed to set their own individual baselines, the foreign companies were not allowed to set their own baselines and had to comply with those established by the Act.12 The US government argued that while it was possible to evaluate the small number of domestic companies compliance with the Act based on their baselines, using the same approach for foreign companies that were more in number would place an unjustified quantitative pressure on the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). The statutory baselines for the foreign companies were, therefore, necessary to allow EPA function. They further argued that the Act was absolutely necessary and in compliance with Article XX for human health protection, clean air and conservation of exhaustible natural resources. This case was unique in that while it pursued the greater environmentalist goals, it was based on trade disputes thus its arbitration by the WTO appellate body was justified.34 On 24th January 1995, Venezuela requested a WTO address while Brazil did the same on 10th April 1995. The two countries alleged that the US Clean Air Act discriminated against their rights and violated the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Articles 1 and 3, and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Article 2. On 10th April 1995, a panel was set up to review the complaints and evidence presented by Venezuela. The panel was finally formulated on 26th April 1995. Upon a request from Brazil, a third panel was set up on 19th June 1995 to specifically review Brazilian complaints and evidence. On 31st may 1995 it was decided that the two panels reviewing Venezuelan and Brazilian evidences and complaints be coalesced into a single panel. The decision to coalesce the two panels was reached in accordance with Article 9 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU).56 The panel concluded its review and

Current Events in Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Current Events in Macroeconomics - Essay Example They are especially critical of many levels of government intervention, including the proposed guest worker program. The two concur in many areas, including the fact that despite the illegality of this immigration, it benefits the economic status we enjoy by having the illegal immigrants take positions which are those others would not take in service industries like housekeeping and landscaping and other such jobs. The two also state that there are many pluses, including the fact that taxes are often paid by these illegal immigrants. The negatives, unfortunately, are also easily seen, including the use of public education, fire and police protection, and all forms of government assistance including Medicaid, Food Stamps and other such assistance. The overall concept for this article is encompassing human factors, how humanity affects the economy. In this particular case, how the migration and immigration of people affects a particular economy in both good and bad ways. This is subjec t to a great deal of debate as to whether or not such immigration would be of benefit and whether the attempts to change the idea would be of any economic merit. In the Economy section David Wessel writes in A Tricky Move for the Fed, Wall Street Journal June 24, 2006 issue, that the decision to change the interest rate up or down is a tricky proposition in current economic times. The reason for this is that finding an appropriate level of balance is equally as tricky as regaining it once balance has been lost. In the case of current economic standings with inflation on the rise and a slowing economy it's a question of which fire would be the most urgent one to fight. Raising rates could slow the economy and cause a recession, something they don't want; lowering it too much might cause inflation to raise exponentially, also not something favorable in the eyes of economists. Consideration in either case causes concern in the employment factor, the consumer factor is also at issue and then we must also consider how they interact within the economy. Mark Whitehouse reveals, in the piece done in the June 26, 2006 Wall Street Journal titled A Housing Slowdown Can Put the Brakes on a Job Sector but Open Other Opportunities, that the housing boom which our country has been enjoying may be coming to an end and this end makes the appearance of a bad thing. In actuality, the revelations found within this potentially devastating slowdown, could in fact bring about benefits at first unseen. "From a macroeconomic perspective, the housing slowdown, and the attendant slowing of job growth, could be just what the economy needs."1 In essence, the fact that houses are not selling as swiftly as they can be built or as swiftly as someone needs to be transferred may actually prove beneficial in other areas of the economic landscape. This change can further cause a rise in movement elsewhere within the macroeconomic landscape, continuing the cycle that will bring economic relief. Isabelle Lindenmayer writes about the state of the US dollar in her article Dollar is to Enter an Unsteady Week Ahead of Fed Move. As in most cases, the dollar will have its good days and bad days on the market in regard to value, and on occasion, the Fed can influence those good and bad days. In an analysis of expert opinions, two factors,

Discuss the main causes and effects of gun crime in the USA Essay - 3

Discuss the main causes and effects of gun crime in the USA - Essay Example Given that it is a constitutional right to protect one’s self from harm and attacks, many citizens take advantage of these factors to assault others (Boseley, 2013). In this case, many criminals use guns in their activities, knowing the constitutional frameworks are in place to protect them against receiving serious jail terms because of the atrocities they perform. In addition to the need for self-defense, the large number of civilian gun holders in the country also explains the reason why many gun crimes exist in the U.S. The notion according to the creators of this act was that more guns available in the country would translate into less numbers or incidents of crime in that country. Private gun holders often use their emotional distress to carry out crimes, hence questioning the necessity of private gun holders in the presence of a tight police service. The current gun control laws in the United States make it easier for people to acquire, own, and carry firearms (Spano & Bolland, 2010). These laws specify the role of the firearm as to protect the holder. However, this exposes the citizens who do not have firearms, as they are subject to constant threat and manipulation from their partners who have licenses to hold guns. In addition to this, the gun related cases are handled at the state courts, which have softer penalties for the perpetrators of gun violence. Such penalties do not stifle the act of crime using guns, instead instigating criminals to use guns more in their operations. The existence of drug lords and drug cartels in the United States leads to the rise in various vicious gangs that sell or traffic drugs across the borders. The increased intake of drugs in the USA indicates more business for the drug cartels, which often compete to attract more customers (Gius, 2014). These competitions have made the demand for guns in the US very high, with many

Do Curfews Keep Teens Away From Crime Assignment - 9

Do Curfews Keep Teens Away From Crime - Assignment Example According to an article that explores effects curfew laws have on youths, less is evident about the positive impacts. The article states that researches who have tried to analyze the effects of curfews on reducing crime have relied on assumptions and not facts (Kline 2). Many cities in the United States have put in place curfews for teenagers following the 1990s when crime cases amongst the teenagers seemed to be on the rise. This measure therefore aimed at ensuring safety amongst them. These curfews are however usually applicable to teens who are under a specifically stated age. As much as it may reduce crime amongst those under the stated age, it will have no implication on kids just above the statutory age hence they will continue with their criminal behaviors (Kline 1). They will be able to influence the teenagers who will disobey the curfews and indulge in crime. This article, therefore, proves that setting curfews for teenagers is not a solution to the increased crimes amongst teenagers in the cities. A proper solution, therefore, should not direct to the teenagers alone but the youth in general. According to an article in Greater Greater Washington titled as ‘Teens need things to do, not curfews’, curfews have worked effectively on other cities and have been able to reduce the number of crimes amongst teenagers (Reed). The article, however, brings its claims stating that many feel curfews are too restrictive for the teenagers and that they do not eradicative the root cause of crime amongst the teenagers. The main cause of misbehavior amongst the teenagers as per this article is lack of appropriate things to do. Therefore, they keep themselves busy by indulging in criminal activities.  

Analysis of how Joint Warfare was applied during Operation Just Cause Research Paper

Analysis of how Joint Warfare was applied during Operation Just Cause in Panama - Research Paper Example In order to tackle the future political challenges, there is a need for developing an army which is prepared for not only offensive and defensive activities, but also to maintain stability and to conduct supporting functions. The military operations in Haiti, Bosnia and Middle East demonstrate the requirement of joint forces in order to ensure better cooperation. The trends of joint operation in 21st century evidently reveal the fact that single military operations have become history. In order to rule in the rapidly changing environment, joint approach of military planning is considered as a critical success factor for any nation . The research paper provides an in-depth analysis on application of joint warfare during ‘Operation Just Cause’ in Panama. The objective of the research is to analyze how joint operations were implemented during Operation Just Cause. Besides, the paper also aims at understanding how Goldwater-Nichols Act had affected the planning of Operation Just Cause. Basic Description about Joint Operation The term, ‘Joint Operation’ denotes military movements which are undertaken by joint military forces. Joint operation principle is established on a sound foundation of war philosophy, concept and practical knowledge. Joint operation principles identify the basic and the advantageous impacts of ‘unity in command’ and the cooperation which results from integration and harmonization of military operations. This cooperation can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of military force. The benefits of joint operation are spread beyond the operational background across the array of military actions2. ‘Joint Warfare’ is often used by the military forces of the US in conjunction with other countries and agencies. Joint warfare is required in order to create a decisive and a combined combat strength. In joint warfare philosophy, the military organizations incorporate and synchronize their air forces, land forces, navy forces and the special operation forces in order to accomplish strategic and operational objectives. The objective of joint warfare is to enhance the effectiveness of military assault3. The Origin of Joint Concepts The history of the US reveals the significance of joint operations. The war of 1812 in between the US and Great Britain provides a great example with regard to success of joint operation. However, the operation was criticized due to misperceptions, low level of cooperation and coordination. The first joint military board in the US was established in the year 1903. The joint board was aimed at planning joint military operations and resolving issues on common concerns. Yet, the joint board was provided with little right to solve

Do Curfews Keep Teens Away From Crime Assignment - 9

Do Curfews Keep Teens Away From Crime - Assignment Example According to an article that explores effects curfew laws have on youths, less is evident about the positive impacts. The article states that researches who have tried to analyze the effects of curfews on reducing crime have relied on assumptions and not facts (Kline 2). Many cities in the United States have put in place curfews for teenagers following the 1990s when crime cases amongst the teenagers seemed to be on the rise. This measure therefore aimed at ensuring safety amongst them. These curfews are however usually applicable to teens who are under a specifically stated age. As much as it may reduce crime amongst those under the stated age, it will have no implication on kids just above the statutory age hence they will continue with their criminal behaviors (Kline 1). They will be able to influence the teenagers who will disobey the curfews and indulge in crime. This article, therefore, proves that setting curfews for teenagers is not a solution to the increased crimes amongst teenagers in the cities. A proper solution, therefore, should not direct to the teenagers alone but the youth in general. According to an article in Greater Greater Washington titled as ‘Teens need things to do, not curfews’, curfews have worked effectively on other cities and have been able to reduce the number of crimes amongst teenagers (Reed). The article, however, brings its claims stating that many feel curfews are too restrictive for the teenagers and that they do not eradicative the root cause of crime amongst the teenagers. The main cause of misbehavior amongst the teenagers as per this article is lack of appropriate things to do. Therefore, they keep themselves busy by indulging in criminal activities.  

Show Dont Tell and Leads and Conclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Show Dont Tell and Leads and Conclusion - Essay Example Showing: Slowly, I browsed through the editorial page of the newspaper. The freshness of the ink and paper began to permeate my nostrils as I let my eyes wander over the lines that initially caught my attention. I felt a bit of agitation from inside me as I quietly read the sharp contrast of the quotes between the Republican and Democratic parties. The Republican reaction appealed more to my logic. They seemed to be created from an impartial reasoning fused with tact and conciseness. In contrast, the Democratic reaction felt as if they were aimed at me personally. That is how offensive they sounded. Original: It was time for the announcement of results. The administrator began announcing the results. Results were being announced in the order of seniority. So my turn was after the announcement of results for the fifth and the fourth grade. It did not take the administration long to announce the result of the senior batches, and it was the turn of third grade. Suddenly, I heard my name. The administrator had requested me to come up to the stage. The speaker had a trophy with a green ribbon on it in his hand. I was stunned, and tottered up to the stage in huge amazement. Oh! It was really for me. I had the time of my life. The silver shine gleamed in the sunlight and was a reflection of my joy. I had stood third. I had a green trophy in my hand. It was the first trophy of my academic career and opened the doors for many more to follow. First conclusion: It was time for the announcement of results. The results were announced in order of seniority. The third grade’s turn came after the announcement of results for the fifth and fourth grade. I know I did not stand a chance for my coveted award. I had been sick for the better part of the school year and my grades suffered a lot. I looked at my parents and saw in my mom’s eyes a look of understanding. She

Egypt vs. Fertile Crescent Essay Example for Free

Egypt vs. Fertile Crescent Essay During the early dynastic period, the early River Civilizations had just come to be. Egypt and The Fertile Crescent were 2 of the civilizations. Different civilizations were developing different things as well as living two different ways of life. In social and intellectual ways, these two civilizations handled themselves in very similar as well as many different ways to function the way they did and remain stable while they could. Egypt and the Fertile Crescent shared certain things within the social and political part of their civilizations. They both needed a lot of work to be done. Anywhere from building pyramids, to parts of a city, someone had to do it, but who? To solve this dilemma, the Fertile Crescent used slaves, and Egypt had laborers. Having slaves or laborers made is accomplishable for job positions to be filled within a city, or made it easier and quicker to finish projects ordered by the Pharaoh. In an intellectual view, both developed a form of writing. The Fertile Crescent invented the cuneiform, which is also the first form of writing, to pass down history. As well as Egypt, they had hieroglyphics, which served the same purpose, In other words, they needed a way to keep records from generation to generation. To do this, they used what they had to develop a form of writing to accomplish this. As for differences between to two civilizations, they were very many social and political ones. The Fertile Crescent had a small amount of social classes. They had a priest, merchants, and slaves. Those are the basic classes. The significance of having a less amount of classes is simplicity. Also, because the Monarchy already holds most of the power, it has no need for someone else to have any. Egypt had a lot more compared to them. Pharaohs, Land owners, Army commander, merchants, Farmers, and Laborers. While having more social classes than The Fertile Crescent, it might seem to make it harder on them for they have more going on, and more people doing more things, but it made it easier on the Pharaoh. Yes, he still had say so in what went on, but there were still different people in charge of different things. As for any intellectual differences, Egypt was able to develop a calendar. By doing this, they were able to tell when any floods were coming and it was no surprise. Not only did this calendar only help with flooding problems, but they could also mark any important date of when anything happened during their time. On the other hand, the Fertile Crescent was always hit by surprise by floods from the river. They never developed a calendar, so for them, they had no clue when a flood was coming and it became a panic when it did.

Religion In Life Of Pi Theology Religion Essay

Religion In Life Of Pi Theology Religion Essay If you stumble about believability, what are you living for. Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe. Life of Pi is a tale about survival, belief in God and coming of age that unfolds while the protagonist is floating in a lifeboat on the Pacific Ocean. Belief in God is clearly a major theme in this novel, and has been the most controversial in reviews of the book. Throughout the novel, Pi makes his belief in and love of God clear. This exhilarating story begins with an old man in Pondicherry who tells the narrator, I have a story that will make you believe in God. The protagonist explores the different issues of religion and spirituality from an early age and survives even 227 days shipwrecked in the ocean. Storytelling and religious beliefs are two closely linked ideas in the novel. On a literal level, each of Pis three religions, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, come with its own set of tales and fables, which are used to spread the teachings and illustrate the beliefs of the faith. This book defends not only the common spirit behind these three religions, but the rituals and ce remonies of each. Its as if all three religions find harmonious common ground in this character. Seems unlikely, but then again, the protagonist argues passionately that the miraculous happens in our darkest moments. These three religions are really all the same except for small differences in the practice of their faith. Hindus have a great capacity for love; Muslims see God in everything; and Christians are quite devout. In this case, Pi enjoys the wealth of stories, but he also senses that, as Father Martin assured him was true of Christianity, each of these stories might simply be aspects of a greater, universal story about love. Pi remains unattached to any one interpretation of God. Sure, he believes each religion but he doesnt guard their specific tenets jealously. Pi shares a rich parable: Each time the milkmaids try to possess Krishna he vanishes. Likewise, each time a religious faith tries to claim sole ownership of God, true religion vanishes. This story reveals a few of the workings of Pis complex religious beliefs. You may have wondered how anyone could ever hold Hindu, Christian, and Muslim beliefs all at once. Pis answer: without a trace of jealousy. Stories and religious beliefs are also linked in Life of Pi because Pi asserts that both require faith on the part of the listener or devotee. Surprisingly for such a religious boy, Pi admires atheists. To him, the important thing is to believe in something, and Pi can appreciate an atheists ability to believe in the absence of God with no concrete proof of that absence. Pi has nothing but disdain, however, for agnostics, who claim that it is impossible to know either way, and, who therefore refrain from making a definitive statement on the question of God. So Pi sees that this as an evidence of a shameful lack of imagination. To him, agnostics who cannot make a leap of faith in either direction are like listeners who cannot appreciate the non-literal truth a fictional story might provide. Regarding with the plot of this novel, we begin with a little boy, Pi Patel, who is the main character of Yann Martels novel Life of Pi. Hes the son of a zookeeper who runs a small zoo in India. Despite all his familys ideas of modern secularism, Pi is drawn to religion. In his adolescence he adopts not only the beliefs of Hinduism, but Catholicism and Islam as well. Each religion gives Pi something that he felt was missing in his spiritual life so, because of this, he never feels compelled to choose one belief system over the other. Religion will save us, I said. Since when I could remember, religions had always been close to my heart. So, in this case and because of his family, he was first introduced to Hinduism and describes it as the religion of his birth and a deep part of himself. For him, Hinduism is not a religion to be left behind when he discovers another, but rather the intrinsic framework of his own spirituality. Then, when he finds out Catholicism, he studies it through curiosity for what it entails, not because of any dissatisfaction with his current understanding of Hinduism, largely for his own pleasure. The same is true at the time that he later adds the religion of Islam to his quilt of religious beliefs. While the young boy is comfortable with his firm and serious belief in three seemingly disparate religions, the leaders of these religions are obviously not so happy when they learn of his expanded view of religion. As chance would have it, Pis priest, pandit and imam all happen upon Pi and his parents at the same time. This ensuing conversation captures current religious discord as all of the religious leaders agree that Pi cannot be Hindu, Catholic, and Muslim at the same time and despite their prodding, Pi insists that he simply wants to love and adore God. He says: I just want to love God (Martel 69) and will not choose between religions. Then, during his adolescence, he also discovers atheism through his biology teacher, Mr. Kumar. Though Pi greatly respects Mr. Kumar, and calls him his favourite teacher, Pi isnt comfortable exploring all the ideas of atheism or seeing how science holds its own beauty without need for a deity. He decides that atheists are his brothers and sisters of a different faith, but it is not a belief that he understands or chooses to explore. In fact, the concept of atheism frightens him so much. Pi, who asks many questions when he is presented with other religions, is very silent when Mr. Kumar always offers some of his atheistic views: Religion? Mr. Kumar grinned broadly. I dont believe in religion. Religion is darkness. Pi answers: Darkness? I was puzzled. I thought, Darkness is the last thing that religion is. Religion is light. Was he testing me? Was he saying, Religion is darkness, the way he sometimes said in class things like Mammals lay eggs, to see if someone would correct him? (Only platypuses, sir.)(1.7.9 11) and finally explains: It wasnt for fear of angering Mr. Kumar. I was more afraid that in a few words thrown out he might destroy something that I loved. Pis education includes both science and religion; he comes to love both these disciplines but agnosticism the suspension of belief (e.g., I dont have enough evidence to believe in God so I wont commit one way or the other.) drives the boy bonkers. For Pi, belief is one of the most beautiful actions of human life. To live otherwise is to live statically. One can either choose a rich, dynamic life or a static, uncommitted life. Yet, this religious discussion takes place well before Pi is set adrift in a lifeboat filled with wild zoo animals. Here it is the groundwork that shapes the rest of the story, a wonderful and incredible story that is only and exclusively meant to make listeners believe in god. Part two of the book begins the tale of Pis shipwreck and subsequent survival. When Pi is 16, his family decides to sell the zoo and immigrate to Canada to escape the increasingly undesirable political developments in 1970s India. They will get a better price for many of their animals in America, so the family and several of the animals of the zoo begin their journey on a Japanese cargo ship named Tsimtsum. Midway to Midway the ship suddenly and quickly sinks for unknown reasons. When this unfortunate event takes place, Pi finds himself in a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and an adult Bengal tiger. There are no other human survivors, and it is not long before the animals do away with each other-the hyena dispatches the zebra and the orangutan and the tiger dispatch the hyena-, leaving Pi and the tiger alone in the lifeboat. In the same way, we can clearly assert that Pi Patel wins lots of different challenges covering from his psychic and spiritual learning to his basic and essential instinct and survival throughout his horrific and very hard adventures at sea. The most relevant fact is that his unbelievable believing in God, helps him to survive multiple obstacles that he faces on the lifeboat. His study about all three religions, serves as a great defensive safeguard from the difficult harsh situations of life. It is a very long journey filled with too much danger, loneliness and doubt, but most of all an exploration of faith. This astonishing character maintains all his religious beliefs while on the life boat through his daily ritual prayers, which helps to sustain him. Hes faced with physical difficulty almost all time, ranging from salt-water boils, to the threat of death by a tiger, to cold, to starvation, to dehydration, to dementia and many other difficulties. He continues to pray regularly, an d must plead to God in order to survive his ordeal. He remembers the misery he felt after such a long time away from God, saying: It was natural that, bereft and desperate as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God (Martel 315). With Pi keeping his ritual prayers going, that helped him to survive. Also, he was able to maintain somewhat the religious lifestyle that he had prior to the sinking of the Tsimtsum. He also makes many religious relationships throughout his journey and lots of comparisons between Orange Juice and the Virgin Mary. She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the Virgin Mary (Martel 111). Truly, Pis religious faith remained strong throughout his journey on the Pacific Ocean. Straightway, when Pi eventually washes up on the shores of Mexico, and the tiger dashes off into the jungle never to be seen again, he is nursed back to health by locals. While Pi is recovering, two men from the company that owned the Japanese cargo ship come to visit him. They are very anxious because they are looking for answers about what might have caused the ship to sink so then he tells them the fantastic and amazing tale that he experienced and was presented through the book. Obviously, the men do not believe him so they became very upset and tell Pi that they want to know what really happened. They only want to know a rational truth. After some discussion, Pi agrees to tell them another story, another one that does not involve animals or any marvellous fact. His second boring story involves a handful of human survivors, including one who kills the others, even including Pis mother. He affirms that at the end of the story he kills the killer and is left as the only survivor. N either story sheds any light on why the ship might have sunk. Before the men leave, Pi asks him about which of the two stories is the best, since neither provides factual information that they can use. The men who appears at the beginning, who was listening the whole story, agree that the story with the animals was a better story. This is the point of the book. It is the reason why readers are supposed to now believe in god. When it comes down to a choice between realism and fantasy, or science and religion, which story is the best? Religious minded readers may find comfort in the notion that it is better to believe in an uplifting story over more believable, but less entertaining facts. However, this argument is unlikely to be persuasive to atheists or encourage them to believe in God.