Easy A social psychology final paper - 1321 Words

Easy A 12/6/13 SOPS 101 Professor Wight The movie I chose was Easy A because there are many psychological concepts this movie that relate to real-life events and it covers many theories we learned about in this class. Easy A was released in 2010 and directed by Will Gluck. It’s about a teenage girl named Olive who accidentally admits to her friend Rhi that she was having sexual relations with boys. She felt pressured into lying since her friend had already engaged in sexual acts with her boyfriend. A rumor then spread and many people in the school then ignored Olive because they thought what she did was an immoral act, but the guys started giving her more attention. I feel that this applies to many†¦show more content†¦(DeLamater, 287) This is shown in the movie when at first she is pressured and says she had sex with someone because her friend did and once she got that reputation the guys persuaded her to act like she was being promiscuous and having sexual relations with them. Even though she knew this wa s wrong she still decided to do it because the majority influence put more pressure on her to go with â€Å"having sexual relations† to help some of her friends (who were guys) become more popular. This resulted in cognitive dissonance, which is a theory, that deals with consistency between behaviors and attitudes and it occurs after a decision and when one acts inconsistent with their beliefs. (DeLamater, 153) This is shown when she makes the decision to lie to her friend and say she has had sex and afterwards she has second thoughts and starts to regret it because it went against her values that she held. Another outstanding concept in this movie was self-presentation/tactical impression management. Self- presentation and impression management are petty similar because they are both processes by which individuals attempt to control the impressions that other form of them during interaction. (DeLamater, 89-90). Throughout his movie Olive presents herself to everyone at her school as someone she was not. She wasShow MoreRelatedAbraham Maslow, A Humanistic Psychology860 Words   |  4 PagesA first psychologist who looked at people’s behavior from a positive aspect was Abraham Harold Maslow. Maslow was a founder a humanistic psychology. Maslow was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 1, 1908. His parents were Jewish immigrants who came from Russia. Maslow was the oldest out of his seven siblings. He grew up in a non-Jewish community where he faced anti-Semitism. This type of unfavorable environment pushed him to isolate himself from people and indulge himself in books. Unfortunate lyRead MoreResearch Statistics and Psychology Paper977 Words   |  4 PagesResearch Statistics and Psychology Paper Roberta Parker PSY/315 June 10, 2011 Dr. Julie Wilson Research Statistics and Psychology Paper Research plays a major role in psychology, which research is understood through statistics. Psychologists depend on research to understand theories and to understand how people behave, think, and feel. Research needs to be organized to be understood by psychologists; therefore statistics help organize the information and make the connection between the researchRead MoreThe Psychology of Terrorism761 Words   |  3 Pages Terrorism Psychology The assignment being completed within this report asks the author of this paper to answer several questions. The first relates to the psychological attributes of terrorists. The second question asks for historical and cultural antecedents to September 11th. The third and final one asks for mental illness and its inconclusive link with terrorism. Reasons for the inconclusiveness as well as reasons people become terrorists. Psychological Profile of a Terrorist The primaryRead MoreInvestigating . For My Personal Project, I Chose The Topic1731 Words   |  7 Pagespersonal project, I chose the topic of social media. My goal for this assignment is to elaborate on the sociological effects social networks have on us. I believe my goal will push me to explore something new because I’ve never really paid too much attention to what happens beyond the screen of a computer or smartphone. I chose the topic of social media because it’s relevant and it’s something everyone of us has experienced in some way. My experience with social media is similar to experiences of anyRead MoreStages of Carlo DiClementes Change Model Essay1201 Words   |  5 PagesCarlo DiClemente began his professional career in psychology and the study of addiction smokers in Rode Island while completing his dissertation. Carlo DiClemente stated that the reason he became drawn to studying smokers since it was easy to evaluate their behavior’s and even finding individuals that were actively trying to change their behaviors of addiction. He noticed that those with or no medical assistance made success in changing their smoking behavior, this is when without realizing he beganRead MoreSocial Media Has Changed The Customer Service906 Words   |  4 PagesINTRODUCTION- Social media has changed the customer service into a proactive way to keep customers satisfied and increase the company revenues. In todays world using social media it is very easy to remain in touch with the customers. By using social media companies can know the likes and dislikes of a costumers . By using social media one can be able to get the trust of the customers .This paper focuses on how Simon Property Group, Inc should use social media for better costumer service. DEFINERead MoreThe Vs. Recency Effect, Conformity, And Various Techniques Essay1598 Words   |  7 PagesSocial psychology plays an important role in aspects of our everyday lives from the decisions we make to shaping our personality and behaviour. In this paper I will discuss a pressing example of one which is latest and most controversial presedential election that occurred in November at the resulting actions of the American people. These psychological concepts played a crucial role in many ways such as molding the voters’ minds which determined their actions and behaviours and playing on the psychologyRead MoreAnalyzing The Main Content Of The Paper Essay1030 Words   |  5 Pages Magdalena Garcia Major Paper 1: APA Longwood University  Abstract Abstracts contain specific points in the main content of the paper. You should include questions, participants, methods, results, data, etc. Abstracts are a single paragraph that should be approximately 150-250 words. In a formal paper keywords may also be added at the end of the paragraph to help readers navigate through the paper easier.  APA Style Writing APA, also known as American Psychological AssociationRead Moresocial worker Essay1250 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Carolina Mangiaruga ENG 101.0812 Professor Lam Research Paper – Final Draft December 3, 2013 As the saying goes, â€Å"Our children are our future† and who you are as a child can determine who you can be later on in life. It is important for a child to be in a safe, comfortable and loving environment during its development so that the child can have the full advantage to become the best he can be in his future. My future career as a social worker will ensure just that. I chose this profession becauseRead MoreI Am Audrey Roberts And This Is The Fifth Pol I ve Changed My Life1586 Words   |  7 PagesGap, and I joined two clubs, one of them being Interact. Interact Club is a club for teenagers that focuses on trying to solve issues that they’re passionate about. English 1A was only for one semester; this meant that we took our final exam at the end of the semester. Final exams for a college class were like nothing I’d ever experienced before. We had four essay prompts to choose from to write our exam on and they were given a week in advance. We had the c hance to fully draft and finalize our exam

The Vampire Diaries The Awakening Chapter Twelve Free Essays

string(78) " and the ghastly Mad Slasher Room, she thought they had almost builttoo well\." Elena revolved slowly before the full-length mirror in Aunt Judith’s bedroom. Margaret sat at the foot of the big four-poster bed, her blue eyes large and solemn with admiration. â€Å"I wish I had a dress like that for trick-or-treat,† she said. We will write a custom essay sample on The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Twelve or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"I like you best as a little white cat,† said Elena, dropping a kiss between the white velvet ears attached to Margaret’s headband. Then she turned to her aunt, who stood by the door with needle and thread ready. â€Å"It’s perfect,† she said warmly. â€Å"We don’t have to change a thing.† The girl in the mirror could have stepped out of one of Elena’s books on the Italian Renaissance. Her throat and shoulders were bare, and the tight bodice of the ice-blue dress showed off her tiny waist. The long, full sleeves were slashed so that the white silk of the chemise underneath showed through, and the wide, sweeping skirt just brushed the floor all around her. It was a beautiful dress, and the pale clear blue seemed to heighten the darker blue of Elena’s eyes. As she turned away, Elena’s gaze fell on the old-fashioned pendulum clock above the dresser. â€Å"Oh, no-it’s almost seven. Stefan will be here any minute.† â€Å"That’s his car now,† said Aunt Judith, glancing out the window. â€Å"I’ll go down and let him in.† â€Å"That’s all right,† said Elena briefly. â€Å"I’ll meet him myself. Good-bye, have a good time trick-or-treating!† She hurried down the stairs. Here goes, she thought. As she reached for the doorknob, she was reminded of that day, nearly two months ago now, when she’d stepped directly into Stefan’s path in European History class. She’d had this same feeling of anticipation, of excitement and tension. I just hope this turns out better than that plan did, she thought. For the last week and a half, she’d pinned her hopes to this moment, to this night. If she and Stefan didn’t come together tonight, they never would. The door swung open, and she stepped back with her eyes down, feeling almost shy, afraid to see Stefan’s face. But when she heard his sharp indrawn breath, she looked up quickly-and felt her heart go cold. He was staring at her in wonder, yes. But it was not the wondering joy she’d seen in his eyes that first night in his room. This was something closer to shock. â€Å"You don’t like it,† she whispered, horrified at the stinging in her eyes. He recovered swiftly, as always, blinking and shaking his head. â€Å"No, no, it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.† Then why are you standing there looking as if you’d seen a ghost? she thought. Why don’t you hold me, kiss me-something! â€Å"You look wonderful,† she said quietly. And it was true; he was sleek and handsome in the tux and cape he’d donned for his part. She was surprised he’d agreed to it, but when she’d made the suggestion he’d seemed more amused than anything else. Just now, he looked elegant and comfortable, as if such clothes were as natural as his usual jeans. â€Å"We’d better go,† he said, equally quiet and serious. Elena nodded and went with him to the car, but her heart was no longer merely cold; it was ice. He was further away from her than ever, and she had no idea how to get him back. Thunder growled overhead as they drove to the high school, and Elena glanced out of the car window with dull dismay. The cloud cover was thick and dark, although it hadn’t actually begun to rain yet. The air had a charged, electric feel, and the sullen purple thunderheads gave the sky a nightmarish look. It was a perfect atmosphere for Halloween, menacing and otherworldly, but it woke only dread in Elena. Since that night at Bonnie’s, she’d lost her appreciation for the eerie and uncanny. Her diary had never turned up, although they’d searched Bonnie’s house top to bottom. She still couldn’t believe that it was really gone, and the idea of a stranger reading her most private thoughts made her feel wild inside. Because, of course, it had been stolen; what other explanation was there? More than one door had been open that night at the McCullough house; someone could have just walked in. She wanted tokill whoever had done it. A vision of dark eyes rose before her. That boy, the boy she’d almost given in to at Bonnie’s house, the boy who’d made her forget Stefan. Was he the one? She roused herself as they pulled up to the school and forced herself to smile as they made their way through the halls. The gym was barely organized chaos. In the hour since Elena had left, everything had changed. Then, the place had been full of seniors: Student Council members, football players, the Key Club, all putting the finishing touches on props and scenery. Now it was full of strangers, most of them not even human. Several zombies turned as Elena came in, their grinning skulls visible through the rotting flesh of their faces. A grotesquely deformed hunchback limped toward her, along with a corpse with livid white skin and hollow eyes. From another direction came a werewolf, its snarling muzzle covered with blood, and a dark and dramatic witch. Elena realized, with a jolt, that she couldn’t recognize half these people in their costumes. Then they were around her, admiring the ice-blue gown, announcing problems that had developed already. Elena waved them quiet and turned toward the witch, whose long dark hair flowed down the back of a tight-fitting black dress. â€Å"What is it, Meredith?† she said. â€Å"Coach Lyman’s sick,† Meredith replied grimly, â€Å"so somebody got Tanner to substitute.† â€Å"Mr.Tanner ?† Elena was horrified. â€Å"Yes, and he’s making trouble already. Poor Bonnie’s just about had it. You’d better get over there.† Elena sighed and nodded, then made her way along the twisting route of the Haunted House tour. As she passed through the grisly Torture Chamber and the ghastly Mad Slasher Room, she thought they had almost builttoo well. You read "The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Twelve" in category "Essay examples" This place was unnerving even in the light. The Druid Room was near the exit. There, a cardboard Stonehenge had been constructed. But the pretty little druid priestess who stood among the rather realistic-looking monoliths wearing white robes and an oak-leaf garland looked ready to burst into tears. â€Å"But you’vegot to wear the blood,† she was saying pleadingly. â€Å"It’s part of the scene; you’re a sacrifice.† â€Å"Wearing these ridiculous robes is bad enough,† replied Tanner shortly. â€Å"No one informed me I was going to have to smear syrup all over myself.† â€Å"It doesn’t really get onyou ,† said Bonnie. â€Å"It’s just on the robes and on the altar. You’re a sacrifice,† she repeated, as if somehow this would convince him. â€Å"As for that,† said Mr. Tanner in disgust, â€Å"the accuracy of this whole setup is highly suspect. Contrary to popular belief, the druids didnot build Stonehenge; it was built by a Bronze Age culture that-† Elena stepped forward. â€Å"Mr. Tanner, that isn’t really the point.† â€Å"No, it wouldn’t be, to you,† he said. â€Å"Which is why you and your neurotic friend here are both failing history.† â€Å"That’s uncalled for,† said a voice, and Elena looked quickly over her shoulder at Stefan. â€Å"Mister Salvatore,† said Tanner, pronouncing the words as if they meant Now my day is complete . â€Å"I suppose you have some new words of wisdom to offer. Or are you going to give me a black eye?† His gaze traveled over Stefan, who stood there, unconsciously elegant in his perfectly tailored tux, and Elena felt a sudden shock of insight. Tanner isn’t really that much older than we are, she thought. He looks old because of that receding hairline, but I’ll bet he’s in his twenties. Then, for some reason, she remembered how Tanner had looked at Homecoming, in his cheap and shiny suit that didn’t fit well. I’ll bet he never even made it to his own homecoming, she thought. And, for the first time, she felt something like sympathy for him. Perhaps Stefan felt it, too, for although he stepped right up to the little man, standing face-to-face with him, his voice was quiet. â€Å"No, I’m not. I think this whole thing is getting blown out of proportion. Why don’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena couldn’t hear the rest, but he was speaking in low, calming tones, and Mr. Tanner actually seemed to be listening. She glanced back at the crowd that had gathered behind her: four or five ghouls, the werewolf, a gorilla, and a hunchback. â€Å"All right, everything’s under control,† she said, and they dispersed. Stefan was taking care of things, although she was not sure how, since she could see only the back of his head. The back of his head †¦ For an instant, an image flashed before her of the first day of school. Of how Stefan had stood in the office talking to Mrs. Clarke, the secretary, and of how oddly Mrs. Clarke had acted. Sure enough, when Elena looked at Mr. Tanner now, he wore the same slightly dazed expression. Elena felt a slow ripple of disquiet. â€Å"Come on,† she said to Bonnie. â€Å"Let’s go up front.† They cut straight through the Alien Landing Room and the Living Dead Room, slipping between the partitions, coming out in the first room where visitors would enter and be greeted by a werewolf. The werewolf had taken his head off and was talking to a couple of mummies and an Egyptian princess. Elena had to admit that Caroline looked good as Cleopatra, the lines of that bronzed body frankly visible through the sheer linen sheath she wore. Matt, the werewolf, could hardly be blamed if his eyes kept straying downward from Caroline’s face. â€Å"How’s it going here?† said Elena with forced lightness. Matt started slightly, then turned toward her and Bonnie. Elena had scarcely seen him since the night of Homecoming, and she knew that he and Stefan had drawn apart, too. Because of her. And though Matt could hardly be blamed forthat , either, she could tell how much it hurt Stefan. â€Å"Everything’s fine,† said Matt, looking uncomfortable. â€Å"When Stefan finishes with Tanner, I think I’ll send him up here,† Elena said. â€Å"He can help bring people in.† Matt lifted one shoulder indifferently. Then he said, â€Å"Finishes what with Tanner?† Elena looked at him in surprise. She could have sworn he’d been in the Druid Room a minute ago to see it. She explained. Outside, thunder rumbled again, and through the open door Elena saw a flash light the night sky. There was another, louder clap of thunder a few seconds later. â€Å"I hope it doesn’t rain,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Yes,† said Caroline, who had been standing silent while Elena spoke to Matt. â€Å"It would be such apity if nobody came.† Elena glanced at her sharply and saw open hatred in Caroline’s narrow, catlike eyes. â€Å"Caroline,† she said impulsively, â€Å"look. Can’t you and I call it quits? Can’t we forget what’s happened and start over?† Under the cobra on her forehead, Caroline’s eyes widened and then slitted again. Her mouth twisted, and she stepped closer to Elena. â€Å"I willnever forget,† she said, and then she turned and left. There was a silence, Bonnie and Matt looking at the floor. Elena stepped over to the doorway to feel cool air on her cheeks. Outside she could see the field and the tossing branches of the oak trees beyond, and once again she was overcome with that strange feeling of foreboding. Tonight’s the night, she thought wretchedly. Tonight’s the night when it all happens. But what â€Å"it† was, she had no idea. A voice sounded through the transformed gym. â€Å"All right, they’re about to let the line in from the parking lot. Cut the lights, Ed!† Suddenly, gloom descended and the air was filled with groans and maniacal laughter, like an orchestra tuning up. Elena sighed and turned. â€Å"Better get ready to start herding them through,† she told Bonnie quietly. Bonnie nodded and disappeared into the darkness. Matt had donned his werewolf head, and was turning on a tape deck that added eerie music to the cacophony. Stefan came around the corner, his hair and clothing melting into the darkness. Only his white shirtfront showed up clearly. â€Å"Everything worked out with Tanner,† he said. â€Å"Is there anything else I can do?† â€Å"Well, you could work here, with Matt, bringing people in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena’s voice trailed off. Matt was bent over the tape deck, minutely adjusting the volume, not looking up. Elena looked at Stefan and saw his face was tight and blank. â€Å"Or you could go into the boys’ locker room and be in charge of coffee and things for the workers,† she finished tiredly. â€Å"I’ll go to the locker room,† he said. As he turned away, she noticed a slight faltering in his step. â€Å"Stefan? Are you all right?† â€Å"Fine,† he said, recovering his balance. â€Å"A little tired, that’s all.† She watched him go, her chest feeling heavier every minute. She turned to Matt, meaning to say something to him, but at that moment the line of visitors reached the door. â€Å"Show’s on,† he said, and crouched in the shadows. Elena moved from room to room, troubleshooting. In years before, she had enjoyed this part of the night the most, watching the gruesome scenes being acted out and the delicious terror of the visitors, but tonight there was a feeling of dread and tension underlying all her thoughts. Tonight’s the night, she thought again, and the ice in her chest seemed to thicken. A Grim Reaper-or at least that was what she supposed the hooded figure in black robes was-passed by her, and she found herself absent-mindedly trying to remember if she had seen it at any of the Halloween parties. There was something familiar about the way the figure moved. Bonnie exchanged a harassed smile with the tall, slender witch who was directing traffic into the Spider Room. Several junior high boys were slapping at the dangling rubber spiders and shouting and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Bonnie hustled them on into the Druid Room. Here the strobe lights gave the scene a dreamlike quality. Bonnie felt a grim triumph to see Mr. Tanner stretched out on the stone altar, his white robes heavily stained with blood, his eyes glaring at the ceiling. â€Å"Cool!† shouted one of the boys, racing up to the altar. Bonnie stood back and grinned, waiting for the bloody sacrifice to rear up and scare the wits out of the kid. But Mr. Tanner didn’t move, even when the boy plunged a hand into the pool of blood by the sacrifice’s head. That’s strange, Bonnie thought, hurrying up to prevent the kid from grabbing the sacrificial knife. â€Å"Don’t do that,† she snapped, so he held up his gory hand instead, and it showed red in every sharp flash of the strobe. Bonnie felt a sudden irrational fear that Mr. Tanner was going to wait until she bent over him and then makeher jump. But he just kept staring at the ceiling. â€Å"Mr. Tanner, are you okay? Mr. Tanner? Mr. Tanner!† Not a movement, not a sound. Not a flicker of those wide white eyes. Don’t touch him, something in Bonnie’s mind told her suddenly and urgently. Don’t touch him don’t touch him don’t touch†¦ Under the strobe lights she saw her own hand move forward, saw it grasp Mr. Tanner’s shoulder and shake it, saw his head flop bonelessly toward her. Then she saw his throat. Then she began to scream. Elena heard the screams. They were shrill and sustained and unlike any other sounds in the Haunted House, and she knew at once that they were no joke. Everything after that was a nightmare. Reaching the Druid Room at a run, she saw a tableau, but not the one prepared for visitors. Bonnie was screaming, Meredith holding her shoulders. Three young boys were trying to get out of the curtained exit, and two bouncers were looking in, blocking their way. Mr. Tanner was lying on the stone altar, sprawled out, and his face†¦ â€Å"He’s dead,† Bonnie was sobbing, the screams turning into words. â€Å"Oh, God, the blood’s real, and he’s dead. Itouched him, Elena, and he’s dead, he’s really dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  People were coining into the room. Someone else began screaming and it spread, and then everyone was trying to get out, pushing each other in panic, knocking into the partitions. â€Å"Get the lights on!† Elena shouted, and heard the shout taken up by others. â€Å"Meredith, quick, get to a phone in the gym and call an ambulance, call the police†¦ Get those lightson !† When the lights snapped on, Elena looked around, but she could see no adults, no one entitled to take charge of the situation. Part of her was ice-cold, her mind racing as it tried to think what to do next. Part of her was simply numb with horror. Mr. Tanner†¦ She had never liked him, but somehow that only made it worse. â€Å"Get all the kids out of here. Everybody but staff out,† she said. â€Å"No! Shut the doors! Don’t let anybody out until the police get here,† shouted a werewolf beside her, taking off his mask. Elena turned in astonishment at the voice and saw that it was not Matt, it was Tyler Smallwood. He’d been allowed back in school only this week, and his face was still discolored from the beating he had taken at Stefan’s hands. But his voice had the ring of authority, and Elena saw the bouncers close the exit door. She heard another door close across the gym. Of the dozen or so people crowded into the Stonehenge area, Elena recognized only one as a worker. The rest were people she knew from school, but none she knew well. One of them, a boy dressed as a pirate, spoke to Tyler. â€Å"You mean†¦ you think somebody in here did it?† â€Å"Somebody in here did it, all right,† said Tyler. There was a queer, excited sound to his voice, as if he were almost enjoying this. He gestured to the pool of blood on the rock. â€Å"That’s still liquid; it can’t have happened too long ago. And look at the way his throat’s cut. The killer must have done it withthat .† He pointed to the sacrificial knife. â€Å"Then the killer might be here right now,† whispered a girl in a kimono. â€Å"And it’s not hard to guess who it is,† said Tyler. â€Å"Somebody who hated Tanner, who was always getting in arguments with him. Somebody who was arguing with him earlier tonight. I saw it.† Soyou were the werewolf in this room, thought Elena dazedly. But what were you doing here in the first place? You’re not on staff. â€Å"Somebody who has a history of violence,† Tyler was continuing, his lips drawing back from his teeth. â€Å"Somebody who, for all we know, is a psychopath who came to Fell’s Church just to kill.† â€Å"Tyler, what are you talking about?† Elena’s dazed feeling had burst like a bubble. Furious, she stepped toward the tall, husky boy. â€Å"You’re crazy!† He gestured at her without looking at her. â€Å"So says his girlfriend-but maybe she’s a little prejudiced.† â€Å"And maybeyou’re a little prejudiced, Tyler,† said a voice from behind the crowd, and Elena saw a second werewolf pushing his way into the room. Matt. â€Å"Oh, yeah? Well, why don’t you tell us what you know about Salvatore? Where does he come from? Where’s his family? Where did he get all that money?† Tyler turned to address the rest of the crowd. â€Å"Who knowsanything about him?† People were shaking their heads. Elena could see, in face after face, distrust blossoming. The distrust of anything unknown, anything different. And Stefan was different. He was the stranger in their midst, and just now they needed a scapegoat. The girl in the kimono began, â€Å"I heard a rumor-† â€Å"That’s all anybody’s heard, rumors!† Tyler said. â€Å"No one really knows a thing about him. But there’s one thing Ido know. The attacks in Fell’s Church started the first week of school-which was the week Stefan Salvatore came.† There was a swelling murmur at this, and Elena herself felt a shock of realization. Of course, it was all ridiculous, it was just a coincidence. But what Tyler was saying was true. The attacks had started when Stefan arrived. â€Å"I’ll tell you something else,† shouted Tyler, gesturing at them to be quiet. â€Å"Listen to me! I’ll tell you something else!† He waited until everyone was looking at him and then said slowly, impressively, â€Å"He was in the cemetery the night Vickie Bennett was attacked.† â€Å"Sure he was in the cemetery-rearranging your face,† said Matt, but his voice lacked its usual strength. Tyler grabbed the comment and ran with it. â€Å"Yes, and he almost killed me. And tonight somebodydid kill Tanner. I don’t know whatyou think, but I think he did it. I think he’s the one!† â€Å"But where is he?† shouted someone from the crowd. Tyler looked around. â€Å"If he did it, he must still be here,† he shouted. â€Å"Let’s find him.† â€Å"Stefan hasn’t done anything! Tyler-† cried Elena, but the noise from the crowd overrode her. Tyler’s words were being taken up and repeated.Find him†¦ find him . . .find him . Elena heard it pass from person to person. And the faces in the Stonehenge Room were filled with more than distrust now; Elena could see anger and a thirst for vengeance in them, too. The crowd had turned into something ugly, something beyond controlling. â€Å"Where is he, Elena?† said Tyler, and she saw the blazing triumph in his eyes. Hewas enjoying this. â€Å"I don’t know,† she said fiercely, wanting to hit him. â€Å"He must still be here! Find him!† someone shouted, and then it seemed everyone was moving, pointing, pushing, at once. Partitions were being knocked down and shoved aside. Elena’s heart was pounding. This was no longer a crowd; it was a mob. She was terrified of what they would do to Stefan if they did find him. But if she tried to go warn him, she would lead Tyler right to him. She looked around desperately. Bonnie was still staring into Mr. Tanner’s dead face. No help there. She turned to scan the crowd again, and her eyes met Matt’s. He was looking confused and angry, his blond hair ruffled up, cheeks flushed and sweaty. Elena put all her strength of will into a look of pleading. Please, Matt, she thought. You can’t believe all this. You know it isn’t true. But his eyes showed that hedidn’t know. There was a tumult of bewilderment and agitation in them. Please, thought Elena, gazing into those blue eyes, willing him to understand. Oh, please, Matt, only you can save him. Even if you don’t believe, please try to trust†¦ please†¦ She saw the change come over his face, the confusion lifting as grim determination appeared. He stared at her another moment, eyes boring into hers, and nodded once. Then he turned and slipped into the milling, hunting crowd. Matt knifed through the crowd cleanly until he got to the other side of the gym. There were some freshmen standing near the door to the boys’ locker room; he brusquely ordered them to start moving fallen partitions, and when their attention was distracted he jerked the door open and ducked inside. He looked around quickly, unwilling to shout. For that matter, he thought, Stefan must have heard all the racket going on in the gym. He’d probably already cut out. But then Matt saw the black-clad figure on the white tile floor. â€Å"Stefan! What happened?† For a terrible instant, Matt thought he was looking down on a second dead body. But as he knelt by Stefan’s side, he saw movement. â€Å"Hey, you’re okay, just sit up slowly†¦ easy. Are you all right, Stefan?† â€Å"Yes,† said Stefan. He didn’t look okay, Matt thought. His face was dead white and his pupils were dilated hugely. He looked disoriented and sick. â€Å"Thank you,† he said. â€Å"You may not thank me in a minute. Stefan, you’ve got to get out of here. Can’t you hear them? They’re after you.† Stefan turned toward the gym, as if listening. But there was no comprehension on his face. â€Å"Who’s after me? Why?† â€Å"Everybody. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’ve got to get out before they come in here.† As Stefan continued simply to stare blankly, he added, â€Å"There’s been another attack, this time on Tanner, Mr. Tanner. He’s dead, Stefan, and they think you didit .† Now, at last, he saw understanding come to Stefan’s eyes. Understanding and horror and a kind of resigned defeat that was more frightening than anything Matt had seen tonight. He gripped Stefan’s shoulder hard. â€Å"Iknow you didn’t,† he said, and at that moment it was true. â€Å"They’ll realize that, too, when they can think again. But meanwhile, you’d better get out.† â€Å"Get out†¦ yes,† said Stefan. The look of disorientation was gone, and there was a searing bitterness in the way he pronounced the words. â€Å"I will†¦ get out.† â€Å"Stefan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Matt.† The green eyes were dark and burning, and Matt found he could not look away from them. â€Å"Is Elena safe? Good. Then, take care of her. Please.† â€Å"Stefan, what are you talking about? You’re innocent; this will all blow over†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Just take care of her, Matt.† Matt stepped back, still looking into those compelling green eyes. Then, slowly, he nodded. â€Å"I will,† he said quietly. And watched Stefan go. How to cite The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Twelve, Essay examples

Why students should wear school uniforms free essay sample

Do you think school uniforms should be mandatory for public schools? In recent years, fashion trends have become more seductive. The fashion industries are making clothes for men and women, which are less revealing of their bodies. Also, many teenagers devote too much of their time getting dressed. In addition, many young teens want to dress similar, to what they see on television. Furthermore, young ladies are dressing in skin tight clothes. Uniforms should be mandatory in schools because it will be less distractive, provides a formal appearance, and it will instill school pride. If schools enforce uniforms, there will be fewer distractions for students. There are many teenage girls, dressing too provocative in schools. Considering, many teens are imitating the new fashion trends. Fashion industries are making clothes less revealing, and tighter on their bodies. For this reason, it makes it difficult for teenagers to concentrate on their school material. We will write a custom essay sample on Why students should wear school uniforms or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Students are more attentive to what people are wearing, than what their professor is teaching. For example, there can be discrimination towards other students, if they are not up to date in the latest fashion trend. Therefore, students will be less distracted and paying more attention in class, if they all would wear school uniforms. The clothing that students wear to school has to appear formal. For instance, many male teenagers are wearing baggy clothing, which reveals their under garments. Students do not want to be spectators of offensive and inappropriate fashions. School uniforms should have a proper size for each student. It is inappropriate to dress with ripped clothing or to look like they just got out of their bed. Also, teenagers should not be allowed to wear oversized pants that sag. Therefore, schools should have strict dress codes enforced, to prevent improper use of school uniforms. All students who wear school uniforms promote school pride. This provides school support, and unity among students. Uniforms promote group spirit and helps maintain academic standards. Students can go to school without worrying about their safety because of the way they dress. Furthermore, school staff can quickly identify a student by his uniform, if a student does not belong to the school. Schools will benefit from engraving their colors in their school uniforms, because students will wear them with pride and honor. In summary, public schools should make uniforms mandatory to be less distractive, to look formal, and to instill school pride. Public schools need to educate their students, on how to dress presentable from an early age. Parents will need to support their children, and monitor what they wear. Furthermore, teenagers need to have pride in their appearance and in their school colors. Students will learn responsibility, by getting their uniforms ready for school in the morning. School uniforms would be a positive change because it will change the appearance of public school students. Finally, this will help prepare them to become, role models in their society.

Writing A Definition Essay - Complete Guide With Examples

Definition Essay? What does that even mean? What are some good definition essay ideas?Do you just copy the definition off a dictionary and youre good to go? Well, to answer all of your questions about how to write a definition essay, start reading this complete guide. Quick Links 1.What is a Definition Essay? 2. How to Write a Definition Essay? 2.1 Choose a Word 2.2 Don’t Pick Objects to be Your Topic 2.3 Pick a Word with Multiple Meanings 2.4 Check its Literal Definition 2.5 Look for Different Perspectives 2.6 Create a Definition 3. Definition Essay Outline 3.1 Definition Essay Introduction 3.2 Definition Essay Thesis 3.3 Definition Essay Body 3.4 Definition Essay Conclusion 3.5 Definition Essay Format 4. Definition Essay Topics 5. Definition Essay Examples 5.1 Definition Essay Samples 1. What is a Definition Essay? As the name suggests, a definition essay is the kind of writing that explains a word. It requires you to come up with your own academic definition of a specific word. The definition can be concrete or abstract depending on the word. For instance, you can provide an exact definition for a table but for a term love, it isnt possible to do so. Such terms will rely on your point of view. Your definition must be detailed and well researched with supporting evidence. When choosing a word, make sure you have plenty to write about and can give the audience some additional information from a different perspective. To further explain what is a definition essay, take a look at its basic elements. 2. How to Write a Definition Essay? In this section, we will teach you how to write a definition essay and cover the steps that must be followed when writing a definition essay. 2.1 Choose a Word The first step, of course, is picking the right topic. Now, how do you know what makes a topic good? The perfect topic for a definition essay is an abstract concept that people cant find when they read a dictionary. It is essential that you have complete understanding of the term you have chosen. 2.2 Dont Pick Objects to be Your Topic Also, stay away from choosing different objects as your topic, for example, writing about objects such as table, glass, door, can be difficult. Since there isnt much to write about such topics and you wont be able to come up with a meaningful piece of writing. 2.3 Pick a Word with Multiple Meanings Try finding a word that has more than one meaning to different people; a term that would mean something else for different people. This will give you the opportunity of writing more while including your personal experience and interpreting others. 2.4 Check its Literal Definition Take help from dictionaries and encyclopedias, find the official definition of a word its origin, and if there are any theories regarding it. Along with that, you can find useful information on the internet. You can find several scholarly articles, academic essays, blogs, informative videos, etc.2.5 Look for Different Perspectives After you have established what a concept or idea means to you, it is now time to look at things from a different point of view. You can talk to your friends and family what a word means to them or what is the first thing that comes to their mind upon hearing this word, what are their feelings when hearing the word, etc. 2.6 Create a Definition The next step is using the research to come up with your own definition. To write an effective definition, consider the following pointers. Function You can define a term by explaining what it does and its mechanism. Structure Define a term by its structure and how it is organized. Analysis Define a term using analysis. Compare the term you are writing about with other members of its category. The differences are important as they make your term stand out from the rest. Negation For a term that is misunderstood or isnt used in the right context, it is good practice to explain what the term does not mean. Examples Use examples such as facts, anecdotes, images, story to help your reader form a better understanding of the term. Note: dont use examples that are against your definition. 3. Definition Essay Outline An outline is a draft of your essay, which includes the significant components of the essay. Sticking to an outline helps you stay on track and complete your essay logically. 3.1 Definition Essay Introduction In the first paragraph of your essay, reveal the term you have chosen to talk about along with its dictionary definition to provide a basis for understanding. This is beneficial when your own definition is different from the actual definition. 3.2 Definition Essay Thesis A definition essay doesnt have a typical thesis statement. It requires you to define the term in your own words without giving away the whole definition. 3.3 Definition Essay Body Here you we will fully explain the definition of the word with supporting facts and examples. The number of body paragraphs depends upon the complexity of your topic; it could be three or more. Utilize these paragraphs to investigate and present important information about the word, its history, usage, origin, context, etc. 3.4 Definition Essay Conclusion The conclusion is the part of your essay where you sum up the entire essay, no additional or new information should be introduced at this point. Leave the audience with some final thoughts explaining how the definition affected you and played a part in your life. Dont mention a story or experience that contradicts what you have written in the essay. 3.5 Definition Essay Format 4. Definition Essay Topics You cant write a good essay without an interesting topic, can you? Choosing an interesting topic is no doubt a challenging task. To make this process a little less time consuming and burdensome for you, here is a list of top definition essay topics. Why are the terms money and happiness interlinked for some people? What does love mean for different people? How do people around you describe love? What does love mean for young adults? What is happiness for different people? Philosophical meaning of happiness. How does one feel happiness? What does true love mean? Is happiness a myth? What is platonic love? 5. Definition Essay Examples It can be a pretty tricky thing to understand if you havent written a definition essay before. Before you jump right to the writing stage, it is best to read and seek help from someone elses essay on the same topic. In order to increase your understanding, check out these definition essay examples given below. 5.1 Definition Essay Samples We hope that this complete guide on how to write a definition essay was helpful and solved all of your queries. However, if you dont have the time or lack essay writing skills you can always count on 5staressays writing services. Our professional writers are known for crafting high quality term papers, english papers, argument essay or any other essays for all subjects and education levels in extremely low prices.

Essay on Immigrant Minors and Child Protective Services part 2

Essay on Immigrant Minors and Child Protective Services part 2 Essay on Immigrant Minors and Child Protective Services part 2 Essay on Immigrant Minors and Child Protective Services part 2Essay on Immigrant Minors and Child Protective Services part  1The effects of child protective services on immigrant minors  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The effects of child protective services on immigrant minors are positive. Child protective services agents demonstrate the increased concerns for the immigrant minors’ safety through effective interaction with a â€Å"school-home disciplinary mismatch that may increase the likelihood of contact with child protection† (Acton, 2013, p. 312). According to researchers, â€Å"immigrant parents’ perceptions of child protective services may have important implications for their engagement in public institutions that are central to their children’s well-being†(Acton, 2013, p. 312). Thus, many immigrant parents are concerned about a wide range of issues, which require referring to the police and child protective services. Some of these issues include the lack of effective collective child monitoring networks, as well as the â€Å"threats to their children posed by American values and neighborhood violence† (Acton, 2013, p. 312). Immigrant children arrive to the United States having positive social attitudes toward new environment, schooling and community members, but the negative effects of â€Å"social mirroring† make the life of immigrant children difficult (Lansford et al., 2009). The CPS members are ready to respond to any types of problems immigrant families may face in today’s environment, including the reports concerning the immigrant parents’ maltreating their children.   According to Jennifer E. Lansford and colleagues (2009), â€Å"traditional parenting practices that conflict with the U.S. concepts of maltreatment are likely to affect the parent-child relationship differently than would such practices engaged outside of their natural cultural context† (p. 297) .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Besides, recent studies suggest that child protective services provide immigrant parents with the useful information and comprehensive educational programs that are directed toward obtaining new socio-cultural awareness (Lansford et al., 2009). The prevention of the problems caused by child abuse and neglect is based on the use of the proper strategies aimed at adaptation of immigrant minors to socio-cultural change. In this case, child protective services provide careful assessment of diversity-related issues in ethnic background of children (Song, 2004). This diversity can be viewed as the major â€Å"source of both strength and a challenge to the development of a more coherent child protective service system that meets all children and all parents† (Song, 2004, p. 247).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, for many immigrant women, child protective services involvement creates the sense of fear. Immigrant women face a variety of barriers, which lead to child abuse or neglect. Child protective services agency helps immigrant women to keep the family together and do not disrupt the lives of their children (Acton, 2013; Lansford et al., 2009). Professionals are aimed at giving a clear explanation of the laws, which forbid child abuse and neglect. Immigrant parents should realize that if they do not stop abusing their children, child protective services agents might take away their children. In this case, immigrant parents who abuse their children might end up in prison. This approach to stop child abuse and neglect is commonly used by the professionals of child protective services (McDaniel Lescher, 2004). Nevertheless, this approach is helpful only in case immigrant parents were unaware of the established laws and regulations on child abuse. These parents do not know the implications of their behavior. Child protective services professionals are ready to explain immigrant parents that it i s wrong to use corporal punishment (Lansford et al., 2009; McDaniel Lescher, 2004).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As immigrant women may express fear of child protective services involvement, the professionals are focused on flexible approaches in their work. They use the proper policies and initiatives to explain immigrant women that child protective service are designed to provide assistance to immigrant women and children who face domestic violence. Immigrant women who try to avoid child protective services are under control (Song, 2004).   Many shelters for abused immigrant women and their children are under control as well, especially if a women makes a decision to return to her abusive partner (McDaniel Lescher, 2004 ). (Child protective services agents should take care of immigrant children who may be abused again (McDaniel Lescher, 2004; Song, 2004). In many cases, it is a complicated issue because immigrant women who make a decision to leave their abusive partners may be taken to a shelter with their children. As a result, many immigrant women prefer to remain in marriage, avoiding the use of shelters and the services of specialized agencies that respond to domestic violence issues (McDaniel Lescher, 2004; Song, 2004).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In general, the professionals of child protective services have a positive impact on immigrant minors. They pay due attention to the development of children from immigrant families, analyzing the results of their parents’ violence and stress level (Klein-Rothschild Brittain, 2004; Lansford, 2009). The professionals are based on several factors in their assessment process, including the duration of the stress, the ways immigrant parents solve the existing problems, the strengths of personality and temperament of a child, and the availability of the sources of support for immigrant children (Klein-Rothschild Brittain, 2004; Song, 2004).   Due to the well-organized system of child protective services, many immigrant minors have psychological support, financial assistance and other forms of protection.Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that child protective services are aimed at providing support to immigrant families and children to stop child abuse and neglect. The prevention of child abuse and neglect problems with immigrant minors and their families is focused on adaptation to socio-cultural change through effective assessment of diversity issues that can be explained by ethnic background. Many immigrant parents who abuse their children fear any negative involvement with child protective services, which could lead to losing their children. Immigrant family life is complicated because of poor knowledge of the existing laws and regulations on preventing child abuse and neglect.

Ways to Translate When Something Happened in Spanish

Ways to Translate When Something Happened in Spanish The usual way of saying in Spanish that something happened some period of time ago is to use the verb hace, which is  a form of hacer, to make, followed by the period of time. Using Hace to Express Time That Has Passed To express a period of time ago, a phrase using hace can come at the beginning of the sentence or can follow the verb. The main verb of the sentence is most commonly used in the preterite, or the simple past tense, although other tenses are possible. The literal translation of hace  can be understood to mean ago, it has been or it was. Spanish Sentence English Sentence Hace cinco aos nuestra escuela fue acreditada. Five years ago, our school was accredited. Es algo que aprend hace poco tiempo. It is something I learned a short time ago. La historia de la ciudad comenz hace mucho tiempo. The story of the city began a long time ago. Hace tres aos yo estaba preparado para salir de casa. Three years ago, I was prepared to leave home. Hace muchos aos un hombre anciano me dijo una historia que su madre le haba dicho. Many years ago, an old man told me a story that his mother had told him. Es la editora del programa, desde su primera emisin hace cuatro aos. She is the editor of the program, since its first broadcast four years ago. Por qu hace un momento me criticabas? Why were you criticizing me a little while ago? Using Hace  as Part of a Prepositional Phrase Similar to English, an expression of time can be used as part of a prepositional phrase immediately following a preposition. Spanish Sentence English Sentence El dlar cae a niveles de hace cinco aos. The dollar is falling to levels of five years ago. Hasta hace un momento estudiaban. They were studying until a moment ago. Using Hace  to Express the Ongoing Passage of Time If the main verb in a sentence using an hace tiempo phrase is in the present tense, it means that the action began the stated time ago and is continuing. Spanish Sentence English Sentence Hace 20 aos que negociamos con Brasil. We have been trading with Brazil for 20 years. Hace dos aos que tenemos este programa. We have had this program for two years. Hace diez aos que no voy a Guatemala. It has been 10 years since I went to Guatemala. Hacer  and the Interruption of Time Hacer can be used to talk about  actions in the past that were interrupted. These expressions are useful for talking about something that had been going on when something else happened. In this case, use hacà ­a as the verb form of hacer  and use the active verb in the imperfect past tense. Spanish Sentence English Sentence Haca dos semanas que lea el libro cuando lo perd. I had been reading the book for two weeks when I lost it. Haca un ao que estudiaba espaol cuando viaj a Colombia. I had been studying Spanish for one year when I traveled to Colombia. Dorma haca ocho horas cuando son el reloj. I had been sleeping for eight hours when the alarm went off. Jugbamos con el perro desde haca 15 minutos cuando empez a llover. We had been playing with the dog for 15 minutes when it began to rain.

Environmental Awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Environmental Awareness - Essay Example The essay "Environmental awareness" shows us the current ecological situation. The understanding of environmental conditions can be boiled down into a painstakingly simple adage -â€Å"Live and let live†. Fortunately, across the world, the healthy awareness is increasing and the Welch Assembly Government has contributed for the cause in a proper way and their dedicated website echoes the same bold statement. In the end author concludes that the subject line that has been drawn in these topics is too diverse to end to a single point conclusion. In spite of that, from engineering point of view, these points can be summarized so that we may take steps out of that. For better climatic condition, one need to follow the stringent rules and the technology needs to be evolved out to match the situation. Air quality is to be monitored in much more stringent manner and vehicle and industrial carbon emission needs to be curbed. The same thing can be applicable for Chemical hazard and the problem out of that. The particular issue like radioactivity and the relevant protocol needs to be followed up. The huge industrial legacy of Wales area has left its pug mark in terms of contaminated land that keeps on bleeding. Water and flood management in one hand and on the other, the Bathing Water Quality monitoring also needs to be taken care of. The recycling technology needs to be overhauled. Still a messy process that has been followed and we are blissfully unaware of the consequences. The time is ripe enough to take these eminent steps.

History of U.S. Immigration Policy Japanese Migrants from 1868 to 1988 Essay

History of U.S. Immigration Policy Japanese Migrants from 1868 to 1988 - Essay Example The migration of the Japanese to overseen nations particularly the America began as early as 1868 . The fact that the international networks were breaking up and were experiencing a rapid social–economic change created a space where the majority thought of finding their ways to modernity. The rise of international network saw the rise of the modern invention such as the growth of labor, transport and capital. Through all these development majority of the Japanese were leaving their homeland country to America in the name of the search for peaceful life and one that was full of prosperity. The many that resorted to living were apparently experiencing unstable conditions in their homeland, and there was the need to endure the hard life as an immigrant and later return while in a position to support the family life better. The Japanese communities have been of great benefit to the American community, and currently the Japanese community stands at around a million and found in various states of the United States of America. Japanese American is one group that has showed perseverance in the midst of rejection, cultural alienation and hardships in an entire scope of life since the first immigrant stepped foot on the American soil. The fact that the American community was greatly reluctant in accepting immigrants in their community saw the Japanese suffer right from the legislator power down to the ordinary man. Even so, the community stood firm probably because they purposely had the aim of visiting the America region for financial improvement and then find their way back to Japan: a thing that became a narrative as most became part of the American community. More importantly, the community serves as living to prove of survival in the face of harsh challenges that come about due to ethnical and cultural d ifferences.

Environmental Factors Essay Example for Free

Environmental Factors Essay The Coca-Cola Company was established in 1886 in the United States. Today, the Coca-Cola Company’s products are available in over 200 different countries. Each country contains its own demographics and other factors that influence the marketing planning and promotions for the Coca-Cola product lines. These factors vary by location and can include culture, customs, and even legal matters. The Coca-Cola Company has been able to successfully examine these factors and create marketing campaigns that have allowed the company to grow in leaps and bounds over the past 100 years. Global economic interdependence Global economic interdependence is when different economies rely upon one another and can include goods and service exchanges. Coca-Cola is one of the most famous soft drink brands in the world because they have successfully marketed their products across the globe. These foreign economies rely upon Coca-Cola products to stock their shelves to meet the consumers demand. With such a strong demand, countries would want the company’s product in local stores to increase sales and thus taxes collected. In order to get products to foreign markets, Coca-Cola is faced with trade restrictions and agreements. Restrictions can include tariffs which impose taxes on imported goods or quotas that limit the amount of certain product that is brought into the country (Kotler, Keller, 2012). These restrictions can lead to questions as to whether entering that foreign market is profitable. A high tariff could cut into profits while other trade restrictions may not allow a product to enter the market at all. A stiff market to enter may require a very detailed and successful marketing plan in order to reach the most potential consumers. A failed plan could result in the company paying more for the product to enter that market rather than the amount of money being made. Demographics and infrastructure Demographics must be examined prior to entering a foreign market. Household income, population, and age can all play a factor in a marketing plan. Poor  countries such as those in Africa may not be able to afford to purchase a product and therefore, would not be included in a marketing plan for a high priced item. Also, if there is a limited amount of infrastructure the product may not be able to be transported. Countries that lack infrastructure such as paved roads or electricity would become difficult markets for Coca-Cola to enter. Without roads or railroads, Coca-Cola would not be able to deliver their product to the consumers. Electricity is typically needed in order to keep the beverage chilled and to record sales transactions. A country lacking infrastructure will have a difficult time getting popular goods to their consumers. Cultural differences Cultural differences play a role in the marketing process. Different cultures will have different ideals and may even use products for different reasons. What may be acceptable in the American market may be a sign of disrespect in another. Knowledge of cultural differences can make or break a marketing campaign and also the entire company. For example, the Japanese commercials tend to have more animation and songs in the commercial. Also, the culture is also more advanced in technology so vending machines are more advanced in Japan than the ones we see here in America. Finally, different cultures may see certain products or ingredients as unhealthy. What may be delicious to consumers in China may be horrid to the taste buds of those in America. Social responsibility and ethics versus legal obligations Social responsibility and ethics are values that should be followed but not necessarily obligated to do so. On the other hand, legal obligations force a company to perform certain actions. For example, Coca-Cola is not legally obligated to set a certain price on their product. However, they are legally obligated to place nutritional and ingredient information on the product. As previously mentioned, different cultures play a role in marketing. What one culture may see as a social responsibility may be a legal obligation in another. As many know, Coca-Cola once contained the drug cocaine. Legally, cocaine is outlawed in the United States but may not be in other countries. What some may not know is that Coca-Cola still contains an extract from the coca leaves that is not classified as illegal (New York Times, 2013). In some cultures, it may be unethical to sell a product that has any  derivatives from any mind altering plants. Political systems and the influence of international relations Political systems can decide whether to allow a product to enter their market or impose extreme conditions that must be met. In addition, international relations can play a part as to where a product goes. Currently, the United States has a trade restriction with Iran that limits what can be exchanged between the two countries. Iran, once considered an ally, is now an evil and thus trade restrictions are in place. Coca-Cola may find it difficult to get their product into this market through a legit trade agreement. If Coca-Cola was faced with the fact that nobody would be allowed to import their product, they would be able to develop a marketing plan for domestic use that would portray that they are the only country who gets to receive the product. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 prohibits bribes being paid to foreign officials to assist in obtaining or keeping business (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, n.d.). This Act would prohibit Coca-Cola from bribing an Iranian official to allow them to export their product to the country. Because of this Act, large corporations can no longer pay foreign officials to keep their products in stores of countries that have banned them either by local or international law. These different laws and stipulations create barriers for a product to be introduced into foreign and domestic markets. Technology Advancements in technology have made marketing both easier and more difficult at the same time. Social media sites such as YouTube now promote products before the user can watch the video they intended to view. As technology advances, previous innovations become cheaper and open the doors for new consumers to obtain these products. As the amount of people who are able to access the internet increases, so does the amount of people that can view advertisements. One of the newest fads for technology is making more products â€Å"green†. Environmental friendly products are now the big rage and consumers will pay more for a product if it is deemed â€Å"green†. Advances in technology will eventually lead to more products being green and thus  creating a decline in the demand. Conclusion The Coca-Cola Company was established in 1886 in the United States. Today, the Coca-Cola Company’s products are available in over 200 different countries. Each country contains its own demographics and other factors that influence the marketing planning and promotions for the Coca-Cola product lines. Factors such as political influences, technology, and cultural differences all play a part on marketing. Differences in these factors can determine whether a product should be entered into the market. It is the responsibility of the manufacture, such as Coca-Cola, to perform their due diligence and evaluate its findings. References New York Times. (2013). How Coca-Cola Obtains Its Coca. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/01/business/how-coca-cola-obtains-its-coca.html U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n.d.). Spotlight on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Retrieved from http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/fcpa.shtml

Comparing Negativity in Utopia, Christian Liberty, and The Prince :: compare and contrast essay examples

Negativity in Utopia, Christian Liberty, and he Prince More in Utopia, Luther in Christian Liberty, and Machiavelli in The Prince all say that people are bad-that no matter what is done bad things will happen; however, all three authors approached the subject differently. Machiavelli has hardest "people are scum" message. The entire book outlines ways to take advantage of other people. Through examination of history, Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a handbook of how things had worked in the past, and-he believed-would work again in the future. Machiavelli makes suggestions like if one wished to eliminate their competition the should do so quickly instead of allowing deaths and trials to drag on forever, because people are more likely to forget something that happened quickly. Machiavelli believed that people are bad, and that to get ahead in life one should take advantage of others. If it were capable to ask Thomas More directly if he believed people were scum he would most likely say no. He believed that if people were treated openly and honestly they would do the same for you; More is definitely very non-Machiavellian. However, More also accepted that people would do bad things. In his perfect societies mentioned in Utopia he set forth ways which people who did not follow the rules were dealt with-and most often this retribution was quite harsh. From the monologue of Raphael in the first part of the book it is obvious that More believes that at the time of his writing the world was not in good condition; however, he believed that people could be reformed. The last paragraph of the book exposes this belief: "But I freely admit that there are many features of the Utopian Republic which I should like-though I hardly expect-to see adopted in Europe." In Christian Liberty, Luther states his belief that all people will sin-in other words human are incapable of not doing bad things. Within the first few paragraphs of Christian Liberty, Luther states the entire problem with human existence: the two-fold nature of the man. Man has both a bodily component and a spiritual component. Luther quotes Galatians 5:17 to support his argument: "for the desires of flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh." Luther's belief is that the bodily side of man will cause him to bad things and that is inevitable.

Case Study Bayfield Mud Company Essay

1. What is your analysis of the bag weight problem? The problem begin when Wet-Land Drilling, Inc. had filed a complaint that the bags it received from Bayfield were short-weight, according to previous send the weight of the bags used to be 50 pounds, however the new arrivals show a weight of 47.5 pounds per bag, causing a conflict to the company. The company present the problem as a increased of demand, hiring new employees with a lack of training, new employees occupy the night shift, where old employees check the production, however the double checking of the bag still a problem to the company. First of all we need to analyze and find the errors the process could have, caused by the increased of demand and a lack of control due the old employees, for the analysis I will use the Statistical Process Control (SPC).  ¨Statistical process control (SPC) involves using statistical techniques to measure and analyze the variation in processes. Most often used for manufacturing processes, the intent of SPC is to monitor product quality and maintain processes to fixed targets. Statistical quality control refers to using statistical techniques for measuring and improving the quality of processes and includes SPC in addition to other techniques, such as sampling plans, experimental design, variation reduction, process capability analysis, and process improvement plans. ¨(reliability.sandia.gov, Statistical Process Control) We have and average of 50 pound from older shipment, this is the correct weight that the bags should have so, X=50, also we have a standard deviation of 1.2 which is also the desired level, so o=1.2, for the determination of the bags we need to resolve this formula [pic] 0.489 and a 99.73% confidence interval Z = 3: UCL= x+ 3ÏÆ'x=50+3 x 0.4899=51.4697 LCL= x – 3ÏÆ'x=50-3 x 0.4899=48.5303 The Percentage of Bags with Average Weight within Control Limits (Per Shift) Day Shift = 23 bags/24 bags = 96% Afternoon/Evening Shift = 12 bags/24 bags = 50% Night Shift = 12 bags/ 24 bags = 50% 2. What procedures would you recommend to maintain proper quality control? I recommend making a constant control, trying to make the double checked of the bag weight, also is important for the company to create a mean and range charts guide, that will help the employees to make the control of the bags, this also will help bag packers to make and extra control to the bags, avoiding any errors in weight. Is important to buy scales in the production area and in the bag packers area, the scale will be accompanied by the mean and wage charts, reducing the errors of weight. Also use camera in the areas and training process fro new employees about the doze and the mean and wage of every bag. Reference reliability.sandia.gov, Statistical Process Control, retrieved 12 August 2010, from http://reliability.sandia.gov/Manuf_Statistics/Statistical_Process_Control/statistical_process_control.html

Internal and External Factors Influencing Management Essay

Two of the Toyota Production System’s philosophies are â€Å"Daily improvements† and â€Å"Good Thinking. Good Products† (Toyota Motor Corporation, 2010). Recently, Toyota has faced a mass recall. There are several external and internal factors to consider as Toyota’s management reevaluates and reformulates its four functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Factors that impact the four functions are: globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, and ethics. Managers need to use delegation to manage all functions and factors to reestablish the credibility the company. Planning is a decision making process that incorporates a cycle in which outcomes are analyzed, evaluated, and revised. More specifically, internal and external factors can impact the function of planning more often than none. When evaluating the planning with Toyota and their various recalls, the sources management needs to focus on are clearly their customer’s safety and further their satisfaction. These external sources will bring Toyota’s management back to the first function of management, which is planning. â€Å"With more than 9 million cars covered under its latest recall, Toyota’s management is certainly under the microscope. In fact, Toyota is facing both criminal and Congressional probes into its safety problem† (The Hufftington Post, 2010). With these extraordinary circumstances, Toyota’s managers must use their managerial functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. In the recalls, Toyota has had to adapt to these external factors and provide immediate changes to their normal planning. Once the planning has been established, Toyota can begin to organize, lead, and control the process of the various Toyota recalls. Their plan of alerting customers through the dealers and through the Internet is a primary example of effective management. Customers can enter the vehicle identification number on their website to immediately determine if their autos are one of the affected and can further begin processing the claim. Managers must also control the situations and the outcomes of their plans internally through analytical planning. As the auto recalls and repairs take  place, the effects of these recalls have to be analyzed internally and eventually provide management the necessary information to determine how successful their immediate planning was. External factors, such as dealerships, customers, and mechanics, will also have immediate effects on Toyota’s planning. As repairs take place, information will be sent back to the corporate managers to establish the success rate. Toyota has globalized their company and has expanded to more than 170 countries such as Japan and the United States. Globalizing Toyota impacts the four functions of management. Globalizing Toyota would have taken a tremendous amount of time and effort on management’s part. Planning needs to be in detail in which the Toyota Company wants to sell their vehicles and how much they anticipate the vehicles sell for. Management needs to organize globalization by discussing the outcomes of the sales and benefits that would be provided in the other countries they want to globalize in. Management needs to set up a meeting with other countries and dealerships to show the new idea of where to locate dealerships and provide them with the benefits packages. Leading globalization can either be easy or difficult, because the countries may have a hard time with debating if they want to use Toyota as one of their vehicles to sell. With management leading the globalization, they need to explain to the other countries that Toyota is a good vehicle, and it would be beneficial for them to sell them. Management needs to motivate the dealerships to sell the vehicles and to become top sellers. To control globalization, management needs to make sure that they provide enough information about their vehicles and their company to other countries. Without information, it would be difficult for other countries to decide on Toyota the product they want to sell to their customers. Management plans to use technology to achieve future goals. They help with designing vehicles and communicating to other facilities to make sure that everything is operating correctly. Management organizes information using technology such as the Internet so customers can see more information  regarding their vehicles and their prices. They also organize information for the employees so they can see new information which is out, such as the recall on the Toyota vehicles. Then they can tell their customers what to expect and how to handle the situation. Technology allows management to be leaders and to motivate their employees by sending congratulations e-mails to the top sales employee or by telling them what they have earned if they sell a specific amount of vehicles. Motivating employees helps keep the morale strong, and the Internet helps communicate motivational messages across different countries and departments. Controlling technology helps managers so see what quotas were met to reach the goals. Quotas will make it easier for the manager to calculate everything to be sure employees reached their goals and by how much more they need to go if they have not reached them. Management plans for innovation when they begin their projects. They need to determine what new innovation will bring them and how much it will contribute to the company. If innovation is a good idea, such as using different types of gas pedals on the vehicles, then management can put that plan into action and project how much it will cost them compared to their profits. To organize innovation, management needs to take their time to be sure Toyota products will make them money. They need to provide a blueprint to the employees stating the details of the new innovation and why it will benefit Toyota. Management can also explain the sales involved. To control innovation, management needs make sure that the production department is following instructions. Diversity impacts the four functions of management. Management’s planning might focus on the diversity found within the skills of its subcontractors in other countries. Strategic planning may include reevaluation of factories and the ultimate cost thus far of locating factories in areas for the purpose of lowering costs due to shipping. Management will focus on diversity when organizing training for its current and future employees. Weaknesses need to be identified so such organizing can be established. In Toyota’s time of crisis, management will find a number of diverse reactions from employees as many will have to be let go in the company’s time of loss. Leading the workers by motivating the remaining employees may be difficult given the diverse emotions felt by all. Diversity in controlling the situation may be found in how responsive customers are to Toyota’s efforts to rebuild a damaged reputation. The diversity found in the customers’ reactions will determine how well the company’s efforts are working on reestablishing faith in the product and whether or not management goes back to the drawing board. One of the main internal factors that affect the four functions of management for Toyota is its guiding principles. There are five main principles: always be faithful to their duties, thereby contributing to the company and to the overall good, always be studious and creative, striving to stay ahead of the times, always be practical and avoid frivolousness, always strive to build a home-like atmosphere at work that is warm and friendly, and always have respect for God, and remember to be grateful at all times (Toyota Motor Corporation, 2010). These principles install an ethical standard by which the company operates. The ethical standard of the five principles are incorporated into the â€Å"CSR POLICY: Contribution towards Sustainable Development† (Toyota Motor Corporation, 2010). The CSR is a statement about Toyota’s relationship with parties connected or with businesses involved with the corporation. These parties are listed ascustomers, employees, business partners, shareholders, global society, and local communities(Toyota Motor Corporation, 2010). Through the CSR, Toyota sets ethical standards for its corporate relationships. Until its recent crisis, Toyota was viewed as highly ethical in regard to responsibility to people and the environment. Management is morally aware of its current unsafe vehicle situation. Planning will likely incorporate the  elimination of the unsafe system and the incorporation of new safety standards and procedures. The CSR states, â€Å"Based on our philosophy of â€Å"Customer First†, we develop and provide innovative, safe and outstanding high quality products and services that meet a wide variety of customers’ demands to enrich the lives of people around the world† (Toyota Motor Corporation, 2010). Management has had to organize press conferences to explain to consumers about what was happening. Organizing such conferences shows a corporation that strives to be socially responsible to customers and their safety (Bateman & Snell, 2009). Toyota put an â€Å"ecotechnologies† division together and developed a â€Å"hybrid electric-combustion† automobile (Bateman & Snell, 2009). Management’s efforts are not all forgotten. Continuing to lead the company in offering environmentally responsible products will continue to be a goal. If ethics are implemented in the correct way, Toyota will maintain its integrity (Bateman & Snell, 2009). Management will control efforts to stabilize the company by monitoring new action plans put into effect for the resolution of the vehicle safety issues they face. Toyota has faced a mass recall. Toyota needs to consider external and internal factors such as globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, and ethics, and how those factors will affect planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Then they can begin new strategic planning to overcome their current crisis.

Fascism is on the rise essays

Fascism is on the rise essays Back in the year of nineteen-forty-five, the allied nations of Canada, Britain, the United States of America, the Soviet Union and the British Commonwealth defeated the fascist government of Nazi Germany, ending nearly 6 years of war and ending the tyrannical reign of Adolph Hitler. It was a victory for freedom, and was supposed to bring an end to fascism and the nazi ideals. They did not accomplish that goal though. Economic declines and poor world markets are beginning to make ideal conditions for a new fascist governments to form, and have led some to begin thinking like the Nazis of 1932 did. In our present day world, the issue of fascism is commonly overlooked because of terrorism, socialism and the AIDS virus. But this is a dangerous thing. While those are all serious topics, the revolution that is beginning to happen around the world cannot be ignored for long. Fascism and Nazism and both now on the rise around the world. Russia is one of the countrys that is, or should be at the forefront of the new fascist and nazi revolution. They have a stagnant economy that is having troubles dealing with the collapse of communism and competition from its European neighbours. Many observers have noted that the rise of fascism is inevitable, given the chaotic state of Russian society#. There is also a ultra right-wing political party in Russia, and they are much like the Nazis from 1930s Germany. They are called Russian National Unity, and they refer to themselves as national socialists, wear black uniforms, have a symbol like the swastika and perform the Fascist Nazi stiff armed salute#. If Russia were to become a fascist state, nobody knows what would happen. Some possible scenarios could include a fascist Russia creating a fascist USSR, re-igniting the Cold War and possibly could include the re-occupation of the former USSR states. They would make people look back to the glory days of the Russia...

What Does a Good Letter of Recommendation Look Like

What Does a Good Letter of Recommendation Look Like SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Recommendation letters are given serious consideration by admissions officers. Considering college admissions get more and more competitive each year, recommendations can go a long way toward helping you get accepted (or, gulp, rejected). Most admissions committees seek a holistic view of the student. They want to know who you are, beyond the grades and test scores. A great recommendation letter both raves about your awesome qualities and opens a window into your personality and character. By knowing exactly why some recommendation letters are more powerful than others, you can figure out who you need to ask and what you need to do to get one. So what exactly makes some letters of rec more impressive than others? Let's take a closer look at the features of great recommendation letters and examples of each one. Your Letter Should Speak to Personal Qualities, as well as Academic Ability Whether your recommendation letter comes from a teacher, school counselor, or peer, it should speak to your personal qualities as well as your academic achievements. Admissions committees want to know more about you. They want to get a strong sense of who you are in terms of your personal strengths, personality, and interests. What motivates you? How do you communicate with your teachers and peers? How do you respond to challenges? What goals have you set for yourself, and what are you doing to work towards them? If this information sounds pretty personal, that's because it is. That's why you need to ask someone to recommend you who knows you well and can write a warm and insightful letter. You also shouldn't be afraid to tell your recommender what would go into your ideal letter. Would you like your English teacher to talk about your skill at writing and passion for poetry? Do you want your biology teacher to focus on your curiosity about the natural world? Let your recommender know what matters most to you. It will help her write her letter, and it will help you get a great reference to send to your colleges. Let's look at a few excerpts from strong recommendation letters that speak both to their students' intellectual capacity and personal strengths. This example is from an English teacher: From the first day of class, Mary impressed me with her ability to be articulate about difficult concepts and texts, her sensitivity to the nuances within literature, and her passion for reading, writing, and creative expression- both in and out of the classroom. She co-founded our school's literary club, where she publishes her poetry, something she hopes to continue in college and beyond. Mary's open and friendly nature has shone through in class, where she supports her peers and respects opinions even when they differ from her own. This letter begins to talk about Mary's intellectual insight, creativity, leadership, and respect for others. This next one is from a school counselor. Your school counselor may be in an especially good position to comment on what you bring to the school community and how you've grown over your time in high school (definitely a transformative four years). If there was a significant turning point, revelation, or challenge that affected you in the past few years, you should share it with your school counselor. When they talk about your capacity for growth, it also helps communicate to admissions officers a vision of what you'll accomplish in college and beyond. After exploring various electives in his first year of high school, Alvan discovered his great passion for photography. His work has been featured in school and community shows, and he volunteers at a local community organization teaching the basics of photography to children. While he started out high school a bit unsure of himself, Alvan has blossomed into a confident and self-directed individual with a strong voice that he expresses most powerfully through his art. Colleges want a student who will contribute to their community and achieve great things. That's why a strong letter will speak to your past achievement and how it predicts your future success. Some skills and qualities that especially impress admissions officer include strength of character, demonstrated leadership, and creativity.Your recommenders might talk about your honesty, integrity, courage, humor, thoughtfulness, maturity, cultural awareness, insight, or compassion for others. Your teachers may especially be able to discuss your skills of problem solving, analysis, foreign language, communication, or collaboration. This example focuses on Leila's maturity and cultural awareness. It's also made stronger by the fact that her recommender knows she's applying to study international relations. Leila has a maturity beyond her years, likely a consequence of her travels around the world. Having lived in Europe and South America before attending Lincoln High School, Leila shows an ease at adapting and making new friends. Her friendly nature, cultural awareness, and openness to other people and ways of life will serve her well in this exciting next chapter of her life. I'm looking forward to seeing all that she'll learn, contribute, and accomplish in her international relations program next year. Your letter is strongest if it comes from someone who knows you well and highlights your personal strengths. A letter that only lists out out grades, activities, and other facts and figures could be written by anyone with a copy of your resume. A personal letter shows that you've established good relationships with your teachers and will do the same on a college campus. Key Point Your recommendation letter should help admissions officers get to know you as a multi-dimensional person, even though they've never met you. It should speak to your personal qualities, as well as your academic ability. To get a personal recommendation letter, you should do two things. First, ask people who know you well. Second, tell your recommender what you'd like her to include in your letter and what values, goals, and experiences are most important to you. Just as you have to support your SAT or ACT essay with examples, your recommendation letter should give specific examples. Your recommender should describe an observation or interaction she had with you that illustrates something essential about your character. Let's take a look at what I mean when I say your recommendation letter can "show" and not just "tell." Your Letter Should Use Anecdotes and Examples Another reason it's a good idea to ask a recommender who knows you well is that she'll be able to give specific anecdotes and examples. If your letter is full of abstract statements, then it doesn't do much to paint a picture of you in the reader's mind. Your recommender should illustrate your strong points with meaningful stories. Consider these two examples: 1. Jen cares a great deal about other people. She's kind and a compassionate person. She's also a talented artist. Jen's caring nature and artistic talent are what make Jen special. 2.Jen combined two of her strongest assets - her artistic talent and deep empathy for others - to organize a coffeehouse style benefit. She coordinated with students and faculty to hold a night of student work and performances and raise money for a local homeless shelter. She even reached out to businesses in the community to donate food and equipment for the event. The intimate, inspiring event was a great success, and, thanks to Jen's vision and leadership, will be held again in the spring semester. Both examples seek to communicate the same personal qualities of Jen's: her artistic inclination and caring for others. But the first one gives no examples, and the reader doesn't know how the recommender knows this about Jenny or the extent to which it's true. She may care about others, but has that motivated her to act in some way that benefits those around her? The second example is specific, tells a story, and explains how Jen's values and interests manifest themselves in concrete action. Plus, it differentiates her from other students with a memorable and impressive story of her coffeehouse benefit. Don't worry if you're reading this and thinking, "But I've never set up a charity coffeehouse at my school." This is just one example. Even a small moment can take on great significanceand communicate something essential about your values and character. As I mentioned above, if you can think of any specific experiences or challenges that were meaningful or taught you something about yourself, you should talk about them with your recommender. If your recommender knows you well, then she should also have specific examples that she can incorporate into her letter. Key Point Your letter should use meaningful, vivid stories and examples to demonstrate your outstanding qualities. If you have ideas, share them with your recommender. Your recommender can also include her own stories that reveal who you are and what kind of person admissions officers can expect to show up at their college. You can have a lot of input and control over what goes into your letter. At the same time, it's up to your recommender to make sure her letter is well written and error-free. A great recommendation letter should be clear and articulate. Your Letter Should Use Powerful Language As with any piece of writing, word choice in your rec letter for college is very important. Hopefully your recommender writes a letter that's focused, clear, and use strong and accurate adjectives. Rather than calling you smart, your recommender might talk about your innovative approach to solving problems. Rather than calling you a hard worker, it might say you're diligent and resourceful. Some other strong wordsinsightful, analytical, curious, observant, mastery of specific subject area, creative, mature, flexible, generous, empathetic, leader, versatile, ethical, motivated, ambitious, and communicative. Words that are generic or cliche would weaken your letter, like "hard worker" who "goes above and beyond" and "always shoots for the stars." Your letter also shouldn't feature over the top enthusiasm, with words and phrases like "genius" or "superstar" with achievements "too amazing to be believed." Similarly, your letter shouldn't featureambiguous wording or phrases that could be confusing or interpreted in an unflattering way. If it says you're "fiercely independent," this could sound a little harsh, like you don't always work well with others. If your recommender says you "lead by example," she could, intentionally or not, be suggesting a lack of leadership positions in the school. Finally, if your recommender focuses on your "tremendous potential" and "room to grow," an admissions officers might read between the lines that your recommender isn't too impressed with your progress so far. While these phrases aren't a red flag per se, they should be balanced out with other strengths and positive comments. Sometimes your recommenders will show you their letters before sending them, so you can look them over and politely offer any suggestions for revision. Other times, your recommender will keep the letter confidential. In this case, the best thing you can do is ask a teacher who has a reputation for writing well and putting effort into her letters. If you hear someone uses a form letter for everyone and just plugs students' names in, then avoid that person at all costs! Practically speaking, English teachers often get slammed with recommendation letter requests in the fall of senior year, because they're generally good writers. If you'd benefit from a letter from your English teacher, make sure to ask her early and talk to her about your ideas for your letter. Key Point Ask a recommender who can write well and will put in the time and effort to craft a thoughtful, error-free letter. Ask your counselor for advice, and make your request early so your teacher's quota for rec requests doesn't fill up. If you're applying to a selective school, like in the Ivy League, another feature that can make your letter stand out is a statement of high ranking. On the flip side, a statement of average ranking could be a dealbreaker and would best be left out. Your Letter Should Rank You Highly, or Not At All If you're applying to a selective or Ivy League school like Harvard, a statement of high ranking could stand out and impress admissions officers. Here are a few examples. Carla is without a doubt the most talented and driven student I've ever had the pleasure of teaching in my fifteen years at Roosevelt High School. Pablo is one of the top three students I've had in my AP Calculus class in the ten years I've been teaching it. Due to her impressive determination, effort, and intellectual curiosity, Alexis has risen to the top of her class. Statements like these are especially impressive if your teacher or counselor has been at your school for many years. Your ranking could also get more specific, like saying you have a top "aptitude for scientific inquiry," "curiosity for solving problems," or "sophisticated analysis and understanding of literature." Conversely, if your recommender says you're "above average" or "satisfactory," it sounds lukewarm and won't add much to your application. For a top school, a mediocre ranking like this could even sink your application to the bottom of the pile. Key Point A statement of high ranking from an established teacher or counselor is one feature that could help make your recommendation letter great. Finally, your recommendation letter should come from a qualified person whose opinion admissions officers will take seriously. Schools have requirements for who your recommendation letters should be from. You also should know who to ask and who not to ask. Your Letter Should Come From the Right Person I mentioned a few times that your letters of recommendation should come from teachers or counselors who know the student well. Readers can pick up on this pretty easily, from the depth of insight provided and how personalized your letter is. They should also come from the right people. For instance, more selective schools ask for two teacher recommendations and one school counselor recommendation. Other schools just want one teacher rec and one counselor rec. Dartmouth and Davidson are unique in that they want a recommendation from a peer. Does that mean you should ask any teacher you've ever had in high school? Definitely not. Usually the best rec letters come from junior year teachers, because they had you in class recently and for a whole year. Another good teacher is one that had you for more than one class or advised you in an after-school club. A freshman or sophomore year teacher would probably not be recent enough. Your recommenders will state who they are and how they know you in their introductions. That way admissions officers know to give their opinion serious consideration. These introductions might like look this: As Jim's 11th grade AP Chemistry teacher and academic advisor, I'm honored to provide him with this letter of recommendation to Dartmouth College. I had the pleasure of having Caitlin in my 11th grade English class and current Creative Writing class. From the first day of class, she impressed me with her insightful comments and advanced writing skills. I'm certain that Caitlin will continue to excel academically and creatively in her future, and I highly recommend her for admission to your undergraduate program. If you feel that you don't have any teachers who know you well enough (maybe your school has a huge student to teacher ratio), you might send in a supplemental recommendation from a supervisor, coach, community member, or other person who knows you well and who admissions officers will view as an official, trustworthy, and informed source. Key Point The strongest recommendation letters for college usually come from your junior year teachers or teachers who have had you in several classes or clubs (and thereby gotten to know you in more than one context). Freshman and sophomore year teachers probably aren't recent enough, and senior year teachers may not have had you in class long enough to know you well. Given that you'll likely ask junior year teachers for recommendations, go into junior year with a proactive mindset. Participate in class, get to know your teachers, and be open about your future goals. As we draw to a close, let's review the most important features that make for a great recommendation letter for college and what you can do to get one (or three)! What Makes a Great Recommendation Letter? Your recommendation letter should come from a recent teacher or other source who knows you well. Your letter should highlight your most important personal and academic strengths, as well as support them with examples. Rather than repeating your resume, it should focus on just a few key aspects of who you are as a student and person. To ensure that you get a great letter of rec, there are a few things you can do. First, ask a teacher who supports you and knows you well. Second, don't be afraid to give them information, both in the form of a "brag sheet" full of your self-reflections and by explicitly telling them what you'd like your letter to include. This is especially effective if you're applying to a specific major, like English, and want your English teacher to talk about your insightful analyses of literature. As long as you're thoughtful about who you ask and give some serious thought as to what you'd like your ideal letter to include, then your efforts should pay off with an impressive and memorable recommendation letter for your college application. What's Next? Now that you know what makes for a great recommendation letter, what about the flip side? What features make for a bad letter of rec? Read all about bad recommendations here. Do counselor recs differ from teacher recs at all? Read about what counselors should include in their reference letters as they support their students on the path to college. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: