Ethiopian Culture and History

Ethiopia †The Oldest Civilization The Great Blacks in Wax Museum The way of life I chose to encounter was the antiquated culture of Ethiopia. The Great Blacks in Wax Museum acquainted me with this generally old however officially sorted out culture that despite everything impacts administering frameworks today. A charming reality about Ethiopia is that it is world’s most seasoned progress and the originator of Egypt another old and incredible human progress. Ethiopian, additionally initially known as Sheba, history starts its reality around tenth century B. C. y Solomon’s first child, Melenik I, who the Queen of Sheba was the expected to have mothered. Its recorded history starts in the old city of Askum in about second century AD, accordingly making it one of most established autonomous African countries and one of the most old societies in the whole world. The display gave a phenomenal cluster of realities about Ethiopian life, history, culture, custom and govern ment. The showcase additionally demonstrated various antiquated Ethiopian ancient rarities just as exact wax figures of some of Ethiopian rulers and leaders.The Ethiopian display at the Great Blacks in Wax Museum showed how this nation and its way of life is the world’s most established development and it is answerable for some frameworks and qualities that are as yet proceeded all through the present reality. The relics in this display were fascinating and shifted significantly in reason and useful use. There were no craftsman or craftsmans noted in the show. All the antiquities go back to the age of the historical backdrop of the Ethiopians around tenth century B. C. Understanding the antiquated history enables clarified a portion of the ancient rarities in the exhibit.The to stick was appeared in a wide range of zones of the presentation. The lance was a basic piece of the history from the soonest authentic days particularly since there were numerous ancestral wars inside and from outer resistance. It was utilized for an assortment of employments incorporating as a weapon in wartime just as an instrument to kill creatures for utilization. It was exclusively handmade of a two-section apparatus/weapon with a lance head (bolt like from hone rock) and a pole kept along with a tough vine to hold the parts together. It frequently had etchings, paint from berry colors, or decoration of some kind.The stick is regularly appeared and was utilized by the guys in the towns and was gladly shown in customs including war move, inborn moves to signify force and virility. It was a day by day part of the Ethiopian life. Another relic that was predominant in the presentation was covers of an assortment of materials, articulations, and sizes. The veil was a significant piece of the Ethiopian conventional and social rituals and customs. The covers were regularly utilized during festivities including strict ones and part of clinical ceremonies. The veils were carefully as sembled from fine wood and painted with paints produced using colors of berries and fruits.The covers were additionally utilized in wartime in showdown with adversary warriors. The veils were utilized to celebrate happy occasions moreover. The veils is still created and utilized in conventional festivals in Ethiopia today. There were numerous old instruments showed in the display. The instruments incorporate an old guitar like instrument made structure high quality wood, creature with vines for playing. There were a wide range of kinds of drums and bongo type instruments. These drums were produced using high quality fine wood with creature skins pulled over the open wood tube and attached with vine or rope.These drums were utilized for an assortment of employments included celebratory conventions, conveying across separation of peril, need, or data. Music and stylized move were a regular piece of antiquated Ethiopian and this melodic custom is still extraordinarily part of Ethiopian culture. The Ethiopian societies gratefulness for mind boggling shading, plan and hand-colored textures is pervasive in their old culture and their instruments were improved and embellished also. The first social clothing today contrast very little from their old predecessors may even now be seen in Ethiopia’s legacy rich clothing today.The Ethiopian display gave an enlightening understanding into how its antiquated frameworks, values, conventions, ceremonies and dress have formed the current Ethiopia and numerous other world societies. Egypt was a city established by Askum (antiquated Ethiopia). These antiquated and extraordinary civic establishments laid the foundation of numerous other past and current governments. The old Kemet, presently Egypt was governed by the Queen of Sheba. Her flourishing and overseeing were the establishment of the Greek, Roman, Hebrew, Phoenician and Indian civilization.One of Ethiopia’s most significant commitments was that it had a meth odical type of government and rule. Another popular lady leader of the way of life was Egypt’s Cleopatra. In spite of the fact that there was a time of Roman history were not many ladies controlled with any evident force, the solid Ethiopian ladies rulers help to set an example of ladies in government that has come back to culture today. Ethiopian culture was answerable for some progressions in correspondence, business and engineering commitments that have influenced all societies all through history.They were liable for correspondence accomplishments, for example, being credited with the main letter set framework, the principal utilization of order and history recording, and an advancement of a language that was more broadly utilized than the Semitic and Aryan dialects of old occasions. The antiquated Ethiopians were business and industry aces in the specialty of route, the world’s first and most immense business exchanging framework that worked with India, Persia, Ar abia and Chaldea. It has been prove that Ethiopians mariners investigates the Americas 2,000 years before Columbus. There craftsmans and engineers of material exchange and refining iron.They were early diggers of silver, copper, gold and other crude minerals. The engineering accomplishments are amazing which incorporate master utilization of sandstone, limestone and stone in building development. They are credited with the technique for cutting structures and pyramids out of strong stone. They produced augmentations over mountains and made the main curves, water systems and scaffolds some time before the establishing and ascent of Rome or Greece. A wax figure of Imhotep, ca 2980 B. C. , a progressive modeler, was the prominent architect of the incredible advance pyramid of Egypt was a piece of this exhibit.The headways of this general public in these zones are a lot of still piece of Ethiopia’s history and culture yet much all the more shocking basic to the improvement of mul ti-societies and traverse the world all through mankind’s history and advancement. The antiquated Ethiopian culture made some huge qualities and thoughts in the zone of theory and religion. The antiquated Ethiopian culture was one of the principal societies that revered a Supreme being. They were referenced in the Bible since they gave a position of asylum to Moses and Jesus Christ.Ethiopian (Askum) was one of the main African countries to embrace the then new religion of Christianity. This reception of Christianity was noteworthy in Christianity’s early history and a wellspring of war showdowns with neighboring Islamic countries. In its history, Ethiopia is likewise noted for their assurance of Christianity during the African attack of Islamic Arabia. The wide spread ubiquity and acknowledgment of Christianity crosses multi-social lines and fundamentally influences the strict conviction and way of life of a huge number of Christians even today.The Ethiopian show at th e Great Blacks in Wax gallery was only a beginning stage of a long proceeding with rich and flourishing history of African culture. Different shows were an immediate connect to this generally antiquated of human advancements. By watching the historical backdrop of African and Black American culture and history, I assessed numerous different societies too. Looking into Ethiopia’s history and watching its ancient rarities made the remainder of the historical center experience progressively justifiable. The ties of the Ethiopian culture †life, conventions, outfits, dress, government, design, trade and industry are seen in many societies history and present day life.The historical center proceeded to show displays in the accompanying zones of African-American and Black History: †¢ SlaveryEmancipationSlave Revolts †¢ The Underground RailroadJourney to freedomSharecropping Life †¢ Western FrontierCivil War ContributionsAbolition and Women’s Rights †¢ Black ReconstructionEducators, ScientistArtic Exploration †¢ Black Labor MovementMilitary LeadersFather of Black Nationalism †¢ Black Renaissance ManAfrican Freedom FightersRastafarians †¢ Modern Civil Rights Jim Crow EraSegregation LynchingBlack Women LegendsAthletes †¢ Space ExplorationBlvd. of Broken DreamsWriters and Poets Having watched all the displays the effects of the old Ethiopian worth framework, customs were exceptionally obvious in the improvement of multi-societies particularly in Africa, European and American history. The shows frequently made my heart substantial and even purchased tears to my eyes, yet I noticed, that however battle has consistently been a piece of Ethiopian and its hereditary history and urrent minority life and all social life; there is consistently trust and critical commitments all through each culture. Through the displays, I saw that however a lot of man’s culture and history is difficult to see and recognize, that there is an assurance and drive to get by from that most antiquated human progress that has helped through to this today in each culture.Struggle realizes huge change and adjustment in all societies. It gave me that each culture is co-connected through history and offers numerous noteworthy social humanities connections regardless of what seems, by all accounts, to be unfavorable contrasts when it is totally said and done we are no different and need what is acceptable and directly for our endurance similarly as antiquated Ethiopia needed. â€â€â€â€â€â€â€�

The Enlightened Views of J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur Essays

The Enlightened Views of J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur Essays The Enlightened Views of J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur Paper The Enlightened Views of J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur Paper Exposition Topic: Letters From an american Farmer Letters from an American Farmer is a phenomenal case of how a New World American ponders the numerous progressions happening and that have happened during the time of Enlightenment. Crevecoeur’s paper is an edified point of view that shows how the individuals of that time are feeling about being a piece of the new world and its present activities. In spite of the fact that the author is initially from Normandy, and later Canada, he appears to genuinely get a handle on the adjustments in American culture and how limitlessly extraordinary it is from Europe. Crevecoeur clarifies that America is an exacting blend for individuals all things considered. He expresses that â€Å"the Americans become as to religion what they are as a nation, unified to all†. When Crevecoeur portrays the religions of the country he makes note of the way that regardless of whether the individuals of a certain â€Å"sect† don't rehearse a similar religion as the newcomers, that â€Å"neither the administration nor some other force interferes†, indicating the incredible resistance that America has for all. The â€Å"indifference† of America is very unique in relation to the manner in which society is in Europe during the 1700-1800’s. During the Enlightenment the individuals of America seem to go to the acknowledgment that in spite of the fact that religions might be distinctive here and there, they are additionally comparable in others. The social class divisions in America during the Enlightenment are additionally very not quite the same as that of Europe. â€Å"It isn't formed, as in Europe, of extraordinary rulers who forces everything, and of a crowd of individuals who have nothing†. During the time of illumination the individuals of America came to understand that in the event that they buckle down enough that what they acquire is for them to keep. There are no Kings or Dictators managing the lower class. There is a gigantic measure of individual and money related opportunity to be picked up in American during this time. Crevecoeur states that â€Å"each individual works for himself†. American turned into a class-less society during the Enlightenment time frame where every individual was permitted as much space to develop varying. The Enlightenment was a time of much learned and social development. The manner in which the American individuals took a gander at their general surroundings had changed. During the Enlightenment the American individuals began to accept that all men were free individuals, that religion and science go connected at the hip, and that the administration didn’t must be in finished control to in any case be compelling. America turned into an exceptionally reasonable and equivalent nation where the poor could thrive and â€Å"receive plentiful compensation from the products of their labors†.

Arthur Miller's The Death Of A Salesman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arthur Miller's The Death Of A Salesman - Essay Example Despite the fact that these made impacts that are upsetting, the entire creation doesn't verge on being silly. The blends of these impressions were successfully used in the play so as to uncover the thoughts of self-duplicity and deception. The play recounts Willy who chooses not to move on to get away from the money related situation he faces. Willy has a mistaken and rather odd idea of progress, which for him requires just riches and fame. Linda, Willy Loman's better half, attempts to convince herself that her life partner is mentally fit. Willy's bind influences his two children accordingly - Happy who wants to wait in the dreamland built by Willy - and Biff who in the end pines for to confine himself from this daydream and acknowledge the truth of Willy's issues which incorporate his issue, his weakening profession, and the family's ghastly financial condition. Willy's pickle is depicted in this amazing introduction produce by Miss O Productions. Eddie Jones as Willy drives the many convincing exhibitions. Jones has surely gone past the burdening necessities of this gigantic character. As Willy, Jones is particularly captivating which made his depiction extraordinarily persuading. Despite the fact that Jones oozed an exceptionally highbrow adaptation of the job, this cerebral portrayal of Willy didn't obstruct him from recognizing adequately with Loman's persona. Jones was undoubtedly Willy embodied. Ivan Baccarat and Aaron McPherson play the jobs of Biff and Happy, Willy's rash and hopeless children. Both are splendid entertainers whose loving communication effectively persuades the crowd. The solid and decided character of Linda is played by Anne Gee Byrd who at times displayed powerlessness. This slightness becomes Ms Byrds quality, truth be told, as the crowd neglected to accommodate her in any sort of cliché conduct. Linda was answerable for keeping Willy from seeking after his fantasy in Alaska, and Ms Byrd passed on an irregular suggestion of disappointment, which came about to Willy's belittling upheavals toward her increasingly understandable. Jeremy Shouldis and Bob Machray are impeccable in the jobs as Bernard and Uncle Ben, and Alan Charof is a champion presentation for the job of Willy's companion Charley. As Arthur Miller changed the way which contemporary plays were built - including perfect scenes and moves in time - as when Willy's past intermix with the present in practically amicable magnificence, this advancement can't be copied effectively in its most liquid structure. Be that as it may, the set for this creation fit the play sublimely; the set architects built space as translucent as the play's ease of time. The set structure was sufficiently and inventively arranged yet once in a while produces an impact of obscurity. The dividers and blinds give an unwavering immovability which stands out from the trancelike setup of the play. The creation is packed with enchanted scenes accentuated by the flash of the lights. In the initial scene, Biff discusses his fantasies about claiming a farm while Linda reveals to her young men about her better half's extraordinary worth. Ben at that point enters, in the midst of the fun loving flicker of the light - its shades accentuating this prominent passage. In any case, there are additionally occurrences where prompts plunge, lines don't come simple, organizing is bleak, ease is sporadic and entertainers lose balance on the phase in the midst of the

A Trace of James Fenimore Cooper :: Biography Biographies Essays

A Trace of James Fenimore Cooper   In 1828 James Fenimore Cooper burned through three months in England, essentially to direct business with his British distributer, Richard Bentley, and for the majority of that time he lived in London at 33 St. James Spot. This is the manner in which he portrayed it in Gleanings in Europe: England:  We at long last took a little house in St. James' Place, a restricted channel that  speaks with the road of a similar name, and which is very close the  royal residence and the parks. We had a small drawing-room, obviously outfitted, a  lounge area, and three bed-rooms, with the utilization of the workplaces, &c. for a  guinea daily. The individuals of the house cooked for us, went to advertise, and  took care of the rooms, while our own man and house cleaner did the individual assistance. I  paid a pushing extra for each fire, and as we kept three, it went to another  guinea week by week. (20)  As Donald Ringe and Kenneth Skaggs call attention to in their Chronicled Introduction to England, St. James Place spoke to a most alluring area (xvii). It is near the focuses of political force in England- - St. James Palace, Buckingham Palace, and #10 Downing Street are not far away. Cooper's neighbors on the road included William Wilberforce and Samuel Rogers, a warm and very much associated essayist; Lord Spencer and Sir James Mackintosh lived close by as well.  The 33 St. James Place of Cooper's time does not exist anymore, however I needed to visit the site in any case, to attempt to discover what it implied for him to live there. On the off chance that you stroll from Trafalger Square to St. James Street, you can come The Mall or on the other hand Pall Mall, wide avenues flanked by the colossal engineering of Imperial England. St. James Place opens across St. James Street from the Pall Mall; Christie's, the celebrated sales management firm, is on the corner inverse. At the south end of St. James Street stands St. James Palace, a monumental block stronghold with

The legal and ethical issues surrounding Solyndra Essay - 1

The lawful and moral issues encompassing Solyndra - Essay Example Obama organization was doing everything conceivable to empower sustainable and ecologically well disposed vitality sources, for example, sun powered vitality. It is accepted that sun powered vitality will supplant all customary vitality sources in future in view of its capability to give environmentally friendly power vitality or clean vitality. Obama organization wouldn't like to see the conclusion of vitality organizations, particularly the vitality organizations managing sun oriented vitality. Along these lines, Obama organization has as of late authorized a half-billion dollar advance to the bombing sunlight based vitality organization Solyndra. Numerous individuals accept that the choice to help an organization like Solyndra is illicit and dishonest. The worries of the conventional individuals identified with the $535 million monetary guide to Solyndra was end up being directly after the breakdown of the organization in 2011. The breakdown of Solyndra has left the citizens at ri sk for all $535 million (Solyndra, the White House, and the Most Dangerous Conflict of Interest of All, 2011). The Solyndra embarrassment is an ideal guide to demonstrate that politically persuaded silly choices may make monstrous damage the citizens or standard individuals. This paper investigations the lawful and moral issues associated with the choice of Obama organization to help Solyndra. Solyndra blames Chinese organizations for its inability to flourish in American market. The organization accepts that the administrative strategies are sufficiently bad to counter the difficulties from remote organizations in the sun based vitality showcase. Solyndra contends that Chinese organizations or sun powered board creators are schemed to fix costs and flood the U.S. advertise with sun powered boards at underneath cost costs driving it bankrupt. Solyndra has just documented a1.5 billion claim against Chinese organizations (Bathon, 2012). Chinese made items are less expensive than items fabricated in different nations, for example, America. In China, labor cost is incredibly less contrasted with that in America. In this way, Chinese organizations can sell

Summer Lovin

Summer Lovin’ I didnt even know we had suitcases big enough to pack up my life and ship it all the way across the country. But we do, so I started packing a few days ago, and I dont even know how I feel about that. Im going to college! In less than three days! Wait, I need socks? This list, as well as Meliss, is actually pretty helpful, although Im not planning on buying half of the things on it until I get to Cambridge since most of it is heavy and shipping would cost me my soul. Other than that, its a good way to make sure you dont forget anything. Theres just one little detail that I found a little odd: Yearbook from high school as a conversation piece. My sister and I imagined early introductory conversations going something like this: ROOMMATE: Hi! How are you? Its nice to finally meet you! ME: You too! (awkward silence) ME: hey, you wanna see my high school yearbook? BEN JONES: JESS! ME: BEN JONES! How are you? Its nice to finally meet you! BEN JONES: I know, its ME: Did you know my friend Curtis was voted Most Likely to Cure Cancer? (Theres your shoutout, Tis.) Unfortunately, I went to a big public high school of about 2000+, so my high school yearbook is pretty much an encyclopedia, meaning its fairly unlikely that any of you will get to see it unless someone starts a PayPal account to donate for shipping. We can still have awkward conversations leading to a discussion of my high schools terrible homecoming theme, though.* All this frenzy is a result of my summer dwindling to tomorrow and Sunday, which is a pretty crazy thing if you think about it, especially since I havent been doing any of that (thinking, that is) for the past three months. The summer after my junior year I was only in the United States for about two weeks, whereas I spent all of this summer in the US for all but two weeks. I did say I was taking it slow. But what IS taking things slow, for a MIT prefrosh? Ladies and gentlemen, my summer in a nutshell. Work. While the average MIT prefrosh may have spent their summer interning at big labs, writing complex programs and pulling down $5000 a month, I sold cakes and memorized how many of each cookie go in a half-pound bag. (Four of the shortbreads, two of the sprinkles..) Yesterday was my last day of work at Schuberts Bakery in San Francisco, which was sad because I loved my job. Unfortunately it dawned on me that everything Id learned there is absolutely useless unless I go back to work at the bakery over break (which I probably will, because it always smells fantastic and theres something therapeutic about making chocolate flowers). I only learned how to decorate cakes, and thats if I have the molds, the chocolate shavings, the prefilled piping bags, and oh yeah, THE CAKE. So no, I cant actually make you a white chocolate raspberry mousse. I CAN charge you $25.50 for it, though. (Thats a skill for succeeding in life if I ever saw one!) Traveling down Memory Lane. A few days ago, my friends and I went to visit our Calc BC teacher at her house. Ms. Shackelford (we call her Shack) was one of my favorite high school teachers, seeing as shes a brilliant lady with a fantastic sense of humor that can clarify almost any concept, so I made her promise I could email her when Im failing 18.02. (18.022? Advice on course selection, anyone?) Which reminds me, incoming seniors have you figured out whos writing your recommendations yet? Even better an English teacher who knows you, and who you trust, to read your college essays? Soccer. I dont mean like going to practice and tournaments and wearing real cleats; my friends just started playing during finals week in honor of the World Cup and weve been getting together every week ever since. Its pretty funny, since most of us are terrible (meaning, someone actually stopped a goal by lying down in the grass), but its good exercise and is never boring. Also, theres nothing like waking up in the morning to your mom yelling about all the astroturf rubber in the house. Poker. Im no Timur 10, but I love poker anyway. A love poem for poker lovers. You could be my high card King; Im no Ace at this game but Im not bluffing Wed make a great Pair. Im being Straight with you when I say you make me Flushed Though its a Full House tonight, Im Blind to all but you. I get these urges and its hard to Hold Em I just want to stroll along the River with you. so I hope my message isnt lost on you when I go All In. Heres the Kicker, now that my Ante is Up stairs Can I Call you? Please dont let me Flop! (snapping) Thanks, everyone. Yeah, I dig the beret too. Eating as much In-N-Out as humanly possible. Dear East Coast, You dont have In-N-Out, so you should probably get on that before I get in on Monday. Thanks. Love, Jess Seriously, whats up with that?? To compensate, my sister and I ate five In-N-Out burgers within the last week. Five. No joke. And were really not even compensating, because I think five is more than Ive eaten in my entire life, but if youve never had an In-N-Out burger you cant even begin to understand what Im talking about. No, dont even try. Youve got NOTHING. Hanging out with the family. I have a mother, a father, a sister, and a dog, and thats about as normal as my family gets. We hold hands in public. We sing like nobodys business. We dance. We laugh. Hysterically. Constantly. We make up words, make fun of each other, make a 4-unit comedy troupe of inside jokes with a communal love for a good bowl of ramen. I love my family more than anything and to say that I will miss them is an understatement like saying my family is weird. And then theres this little thing.. Being excited out of my mind. Less than 48 hours, folks, until I can genuinely say Im an MIT student (and write something slightly more relevant). Come say hi to me; I promise I wont write scathing reports about how awkward our first encounter was. (Cant say the same for bringing up my high school yearbook, though.) *SHOES. Summer Lovin’ When I was in Madrid, I often spent my afternoons wandering around in cobblestoned plazas and taking in the sights. However, guess what some of the other more dedicated trippers were doing? Yup, drafting summer internship proposals and applications. Aye, its that time of the year again. If college students are thinking about their summers, then what are you doing this summer? Matt drafted this entry a month or so ago about summer programs (and since then, the deadlines for the three summer programs that Matt mentioned on the page had passed, oops =/), and from the standpoint of someone who was pretty involved (in my opinion) during the high school summers, I strongly recommend you to make this summer a meaningful one. Just a glimpse of what I did in high school: Summer 04 Canada/USA Mathcamp!, Colby College, Maine I visited MIT for my very first time(Im with Jeremy, my travel buddy to Mathcamp that year. Hes also in MIT right now class of 10). Alright, Im sorry! (for this being totally irrelevant) I just couldnt resist. 2004 was an election year too. :) We hiked the Appalachian Trail during the weekends. Sadly, I dont recall the names of these people except the guy right next to me (hes at Stanford now). I did my first math research at Mathcamp. It was pretty rewarding! (I actually do still remember running through the labyrinth of hallways that connects Colbys dorms) Thirty Proofs in Thirty Minutes (towards the end of the camp, the counselors try to do 30 distinct proofs on the board within 30 minutes). Current Mathcampers, they still have this, right?! Of course, there is A LOT more, but for the sake of space, I wont flood you with pictures from Mathcamp. Suffice it to say that it was a summer filled with spontaneous tea parties, LARP-ing, I lost!, Color or Country, Mafia, Settlers of Catan, and more (cool) math than you will ever see in high school (whilst enjoying the beautiful New England summer rafting, hiking, relaxing). Summer 05 Lifeguard Training Camp, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Lifeguarding by the pool. Im sure our Speedos are very flattering (as a matter of fact, you HAD TO wear speedos. I got a huge scolding from the head coach on the third day of training Do you think you are going to the beach?! Whats that you are wearing?! Tell me, do you think those shorts of yours will make you go fast in the water?) The truth is, however, that wearing Speedos does make you go much faster. :$ We were also trained in beach lifeguarding (which is quite different from that of the pool). We learned how to incorporate water jetskis as well (in case the rescue occurs a bit off the shore). Moreover, we also went to the rivers to train for emergencies in inland bodies of water (for example, if someone falls into a river during rafting). This was right after a typhoon, so it was actually quite difficult. A fun component to the course was the use of ropes to descend from heights (such as going from a bridge to the riverbed through using a stretched-out wire and a rope that you tie around your waist). Right after this summer, I took the American Red Cross version of Lifeguarding in my high school, and truth be told, the Taiwanese version relies on a lot less equipment as the American version (this means that you can get to the victim faster, but also mean you need to have A LOT more arm and leg strength). It was quite a rewarding summer aside from the lifeguarding skills (Im still a certified lifeguard!), I can still swim 25 meters without surfacing to breathe :) Summer 06 Summer Science Program, Ojai, California Some of the 06 Ojai-ers. Quite a lot of them are now at MIT! (there are 7 here now, out of the entire program) We did a lot of programming that summer. VPython brings back interesting memories(I should go dig up my VPython model of a miniature revolving solar system. That took me like 3 afternoons and 2 nights=/) We had to measure the distances between the stars in the films we obtained while observing at night. If the errors were too big (we knew what the errors were by plugging the measurements we got into a program), then its back to square one. In my year, I think one team had to restart 15? times. As you can see, many teams vented their anger on our communal board. =p (I spy IHTFP!) There were also hacks (ahem). I had never been rigorously exposed to physics and programming until I got to Ojai that summer, and I remember looking back on Graduation Day at the code that I wrote for my asteroid OD (Orbit Determination) program and being surprised at the amount of technical knowledge I acquired. Aside from that, I also learned how to work a telescope, develop film, and play poker (=p). Also, a highlight of the summer was a trip to Caltech (its kinda funny how this was like the antithesis of summer 04, when I visited MIT) and JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). By the way, the stars at 2 in the morning from Ojai Valley are beautiful. - Truth be told, the people I met through my summers in high school taught me a lot about myself outside of the classroom. In high school, I was pretty limited in terms of the curriculum and the options that I had. Through my summer programs, I discovered many fields of interest (for example, a rigorous programming class does not exist in my high school) and a lot of other people that share the exact same interest that I do (just go to Mathcamp and see the energy of math for yourself!). Some things to ask yourself as you consider your upcoming summer: *Is there something that I like to do and would like to explore further? *What are the priorities for my summer? (e.g. travel, learn something new, chill and relax, volunteer) *How much is everything going to cost? (but dont worry too much about this, most programs have a system of getting financial aid if you ask for it regardless, your parents would probably care) and *What do I want to get out of my summer? To be honest, I was really conflicted inside during Summer 2005. I wanted to go to another program in the States, but I was rejected by the two programs that I applied to. Finally, an university summer school accepted me, but hesitated on replying yes because I wasnt sure I wanted to go to America just to take regular classes during the summer. I ended up turning it down and staying to do lifeguarding training. Needless to say, I enjoyed my alternative choice immensely and it really expanded my interests in aquatics (I was just an avid swimmer before, but didnt have any interest in lifeguarding). Perhaps I post too much on CC, but I urge you strongly not go to a program just because you think it would look prestigious on a college application. I know people who did summer activities just because they got into a renowned program, and ended up hating the summer. They returned to school without any rest (the program was too taxing), and burned out quickly into the next school year. The summer was designed to be a vacation, and anything you do aside from relaxing should be something that you want to explore because of your own initiative, not something designed and thrust upon you by your parents or your counselors. But given all of this, dont feel compelled that you must do a summer program, all the same. The key is to do something that you feel will enhance or further your goals. If you had a killer term and want to spend a big part of your summer relaxing by the pool, then go for it! You do not need to have amazing summer experiences to get into college. If you dont want to pay $3000 to go to a 6-week summer program, spend time volunteering in your town or picking up a new hobby. One of my friends worked at a convenience store the whole summer, and he picked up so much management experience that the owner of the store hired him to be a manager during the school year. Another chose to spend his summer on the beach, and his unintentional observations about the behavior of hermit crabs led to a research project. The possibilities are endless. Search around (you can find many lists online, just be careful of the deadlines!), plan ahead, but most of all, ask yourself what you want summer 2008 to be. Good luck!

Essay on The Recession is NOT over

Is Recession Not Over Yet? The recent recession has managed to divide people into two categories. On the one side, there are those that have been totally devastated by the recession. Many have lost their jobs, homes, while some – even their families. They were the victims of negative circumstances, which were compounded by the recession. On the other side, there are those that made tremendous progress in the midst of this recession. Some have had job promotions and pay raises. Others have had their best years of business success during this period. Some have been able to make excellent profits by making valuable investments and acquisitions in the stock market and real estate. Let us consider the story of a salesman that was sent to a tribal island to sell shoes. When he landed on the island, he found that no one ever wore shoes in there. So, he called his office back to arrange for his return, as he could think of no way to sell shoes to these people. The company arranged for his return. They then sent another salesman to the same island. When this man arrived there, he also found that no one ever wore shoes. So, he called back to his company and asked them to send ship loads of shoes, as he could sell them to all the people on the whole island. This shows that two people can be in the same situation, facing the same problem, but one can see it as a liability, whereas the other – as a great opportunity. The recession has been one more opportunity to see this kind of difference in human reactions. For some, the recession is not over yet. For others, the opportunity is not over and, probably, will never be.