The Indigo Spell Chapter One

THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME I'd been pulled out of bed for a crucial mission. It was, however, the first time I'd been subjected to such a personal line of questioning. â€Å"Are you a virgin?† â€Å"Huh?† I rubbed my sleepy eyes, just in case this was all some sort of bizarre dream that would disappear. An urgent phone call had dragged me out of bed five minutes ago, and I was having a little trouble adjusting. My history teacher, Ms. Terwilliger, leaned closer and repeated the question in a stage whisper: â€Å"I said, are you a virgin?† â€Å"Um, yes. . .† I was fully awake now and glanced uneasily around my dorm's lobby, making sure no one was around to witness this crazy exchange. I didn't have to worry. Aside from a bored-looking desk attendant on the far side of the room, the lobby was empty, probably because no sane person would be up at this time of night. When Ms. Terwilliger's call had woken me, she'd demanded I meet her here for a â€Å"life-or-death† matter. Getting interrogated about my personal life wasn't quite what I'd expected. She stepped back and sighed in relief. â€Å"Yes, of course. Of course you're a virgin.† I narrowed my eyes, unsure if I should be offended or not. â€Å"Of course? What's that supposed to mean? What's going on?† She immediately snapped back to attention and pushed her wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose. They were always slipping down. â€Å"No time to explain. We have to go.† She grabbed hold of my arm, but I resisted and stayed where I was. â€Å"Ma'am, it's three in the morning!† And then, just so she'd understand the severity of the situation: â€Å"On a school night.† â€Å"Never mind that.† She turned in the direction of the desk attendant and called across the room, â€Å"I'm taking Sydney Melrose with me. Mrs. Weathers can argue with me about the curfew tomorrow.† The attendant looked startled, but she was just some college student who'd been hired to sit there overnight. She was no match for the formidable Ms. Terwilliger, with her tall, gangly stature and birdlike face. The real authority keeping girls in my dorm was the security guard outside, but he simply nodded in a friendly way when Ms. Terwilliger dragged me past. It made me wonder just how many girls she'd abducted in the middle of the night. â€Å"I'm in my pajamas,† I told her. It was the last protest I could offer as we reached her car, which was parked in a fire lane. She drove a red Volkswagen Beetle with flowers painted on the sides. Somehow, this didn't surprise me in the least. â€Å"You'll be fine,† she said, fishing car keys out of her massive velvet purse. Around us, the desert night was cool and silent. Tall palm trees created dark, spiderlike shapes against the sky. Beyond them, a full moon and smattering of stars glittered. I wrapped my arms around myself, touching the soft fabric of my microfleece robe. Underneath it, I had on full-length striped pajamas paired with fluffy beige slippers. The ensemble worked well in my cozy dorm room but wasn't exactly practical for a Palm Springs night. But then, going out in pajamas wasn't really practical in any place. She unlocked the car, and I stepped gingerly inside, having to dodge empty paper coffee cups and old issues of Utne Reader. My neat sensibilities cringed at that kind of mess, but it was the least of my worries right now. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger,† I said, once we were driving through the suburban streets. â€Å"What's going on?† Now that we were out of the dorm, I hoped she'd start talking sense. I hadn't forgotten her â€Å"life-or-death† comment and was beginning to grow nervous. Her eyes were on the road ahead of us, and lines of worry marked her angular face. â€Å"I need you to cast a spell.† I froze as I tried to process her words. Not long ago, this proclamation would've sent me into protests and fits of revulsion. Not that I was comfortable with it now. Magic still freaked me out. Ms. Terwilliger taught at my private high school, Amberwood Prep, by day and was a witch at night. She said I, too, possessed a natural affinity for magic and had managed to teach me some spells, despite my best efforts to resist. I actually had a few good reasons for wanting to avoid anything arcane. Aside from inborn beliefs about magic being wrong, I simply didn't want to get caught up in any more supernatural affairs than I had to. I already spent my days as part of a secret society that kept vampires secret from the human world. That and my schoolwork were enough to keep anyone busy. Nonetheless, her magical training had gotten me out of some dangerous situations recently, and I was no longer so quick to dismiss it. So, her suggesting I perform magic wasn't the weirdest thing going on here. â€Å"Why would you need me for that?† I asked. There were few cars out, but occasionally, passing headlights would cast a ghostly light over us. â€Å"You're a million times more powerful. I can't cast a fraction of the things you can.† â€Å"Power is one thing,† she admitted. â€Å"But there are other limitations and factors at work here. I can't cast this particular spell.† I crossed my arms and slouched back in the seat. If I kept focusing on the practical aspects, I could ignore how worried I was growing. â€Å"And it couldn't have waited until morning?† â€Å"No,† she said gravely. â€Å"It could not.† Something about the tone of her voice sent chills down my spine, and I fell silent as we continued our drive. We were headed outside of the city and suburbs, into the wilds of the true desert. The farther we drove from civilization, the darker it became. Once we were off the freeway, there were no streetlights or houses in sight. Spiky desert shrubs created dark shapes along the side of the road that put me in mind of crouching animals, ready to pounce. There's no one out here, I thought. And no one back at Amberwood knows you're here either. I shifted uneasily as I recalled her virgin question. Was I going to be a sacrifice in some unholy ritual? I wished that I'd thought to bring my cell phone – not that I could have told my organization, the Alchemists, that I was spending so much time with a magic user. And not just any magic user – one who was teaching me to become one too. Better to risk being sacrificed than face the Alchemists' wrath. Twenty minutes later, Ms. Terwilliger finally pulled to a stop along the side of a dusty one-lane road that seemed to be a direct route to nowhere. She got out of the car and motioned for me to do the same. It was colder here than it had been back at Amberwood. Looking up into the night sky, I caught my breath. Free of the city lights, the stars were now out in full force. I could see the Milky Way and a dozen constellations usually hidden to the naked eye. â€Å"Stargaze later,† she said curtly. â€Å"We need to hurry, before the moon progresses much further.† A moonlight ritual, a barren desert, virgin sacrifice . . . what had I just foolishly walked into? The way Ms. Terwilliger pushed me into magic always annoyed me, but I never thought she posed a threat. Now I berated myself for being so naive. She tossed a duffel bag over one shoulder and headed off into a desolate stretch of land, dotted with rocks and scraggly vegetation. Even with the brilliant celestial display there wasn't much light out here, yet she walked purposefully, as though she knew exactly where she was going. I dutifully followed, wincing as I crossed the rocky ground. My fuzzy slippers had never been intended for this sort of terrain. â€Å"Here,† she said when we reached a small clearing. She carefully set down the duffel bag and knelt to rifle through it. â€Å"This'll do.† The desert that was so mercilessly hot in the day became cold at night, but I was still sweating. Probably my own anxiety had more to do with that than the temperature or heavy pajamas. I retied my robe more tightly making a perfect knot. I found that kind of detail and routine soothing. Ms. Terwilliger produced a large oval mirror with a scalloped silver frame. She set it down in the middle of the clearing, glanced up at the sky, and then shifted the mirror over a little. â€Å"Come here, Miss Melbourne.† She pointed to a spot opposite her, on the other side of the mirror. â€Å"Sit there and make yourself comfortable.† At Amberwood, I went by the name of Sydney Melrose, rather than my true one, Sydney Sage. Ms. Terwilliger had gotten my made-up name wrong on the first day of class, and it, unfortunately, stuck. I followed her directions, not that I could really get all that comfortable out here. I was pretty sure I could hear some large animal scuffling out in the brush and added â€Å"coyotes† to my mental list of dangers I faced out here, right below â€Å"magic use† and â€Å"lack of coffee.† â€Å"Now then. Let's get started.† Ms. Terwilliger peered at me with eyes that were dark and frightening in the desert night. â€Å"Are you wearing anything metal? You need to take it off.† â€Å"No, I – oh. Wait.† I reached around my neck and unfastened a delicate gold chain that held a small cross. I'd had the necklace for years but had recently given it to someone else, for comfort. He'd given it back to me recently, by way of our mutual friend Jill Mastrano Dragomir. Even now, I could picture the angry look on her face as she'd stormed up to me at school and thrust the cross into my hand without a word. I stared at the cross now as it gleamed in the moonlight. A queasy feeling welled up in the pit of my stomach as I thought about Adrian, the guy I'd given it to. I'd done so before he professed his love for me, something that had caught me totally off guard a few weeks ago. But maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised. The more I looked back – and I did so all the time – the more I began to recall telltale signs that should have tipped me off to his feelings. I'd just been too blind to notice at the time. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered if I'd seen it coming or not. Adrian was totally unsuitable for me, and it had nothing to do with his many vices or potential descent into insanity. Adrian was a vampire. True, he was a Moroi – one of the good, living vampires – but it made no difference. Humans and vampires couldn't be together. This was one point the Moroi and Alchemists stood firmly together on. It was still amazing to me that Adrian had voiced those feelings to me. It was amazing that he could even have them or that he'd had the nerve to kiss me, even if it was a kiss that had left me dizzy and breathless. I'd had to reject him, of course. My training would allow nothing less. Our situation here in Palm Springs forced the two of us to constantly be together in social situations, and it had been rough since his declaration. For me, it wasn't just the awkwardness of our new relationship. I . . . well, I missed him. Before this debacle, he and I had been friends and spent a lot of time together. I'd gotten used to his smirky smile and the quick banter that always flowed between us. Until those things were gone, I hadn't realized how much I relied on them. How much I needed them. I felt empty inside . . . which was ridiculous, of course. Why should I care so much about one vampire? Sometimes it made me angry. Why had he ruined such a good thing between us? Why had he made me miss him so much? And what had he expected me to do? He had to have known it was impossible for us to be together. I couldn't have feelings for him. I couldn't. If we'd lived among the Keepers – a group of uncivilized vampires, humans, and dhampirs – maybe he and I could have . . . no. Even if I had feelings for him – and I firmly told myself I didn't – it was wrong for us to even consider such a relationship. Now Adrian spoke to me as little as possible. And always, always, he watched me with a haunted look in his green eyes, one that made my heart ache and – â€Å"Ah! What is that?† I squirmed as Ms. Terwilliger dumped a bowl full of dried leaves and flowers over my head. I'd been so fixated on the cross and my memories that I hadn't seen her coming. â€Å"Rosemary,† she said matter-of-factly â€Å"Hyssop. Anise. Don't do that.† I'd reached up to pull some of the leaves out of my hair. â€Å"You need that for the spell.† â€Å"Right,† I said, getting back to business. I set the cross carefully on the ground, trying to clear my mind of green, green eyes. â€Å"The spell that only I can do. Why is that again?† â€Å"Because it has to be done by a virgin,† she explained. I tried not to grimace. Her words implied that she was not a virgin, and even if that made sense for a forty-year-old woman, it still wasn't a thought I wanted to spend a lot of time on. â€Å"That, and the person we're looking for has shielded herself from me. But you? You she won't expect.† I looked down at the shining mirror and understood. â€Å"This is a scrying spell. Why aren't we doing the one I did before?† Not that I was eager to repeat that spell. I'd used it to find someone, and it had involved me staring into a bowl of water for hours. Still, now that I knew how to do it, I knew I could perform it again. Besides, I didn't like the idea of walking into a spell I knew nothing about. Words and herbs were one thing, but what else might she ask of me? Endanger my soul? Give up my blood? â€Å"That spell only works for someone you know,† she explained. â€Å"This one will help you find someone you've never met before.† I frowned. As much as I didn't like magic, I did like problem solving – and the puzzles magic often presented intrigued me. â€Å"How will I know who to look for, then?† Ms. Terwilliger handed me a photograph. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and I looked into the face of a pretty young woman. There was a striking resemblance between her and my teacher, though it wasn't initially obvious. Rather than Ms. Terwilliger's dull brown hair, this woman's was dark, nearly black. She was also much more glamorous, dressed in a black satin evening gown that was a far cry from Ms. Terwilliger's usual hippie attire. Despite those ostensible differences, the two women shared the same high cheekbones and aquiline eyes. I glanced back up. â€Å"She's related to you.† â€Å"She's my older sister,† Ms. Terwilliger confirmed, her voice remarkably flat. Older? I would've guessed this woman was at least ten years younger. â€Å"Is she missing?† I asked. When I'd scried before, it had been to find a kidnapped friend. Ms. Terwilliger's lips twitched. â€Å"Not in the way you're thinking.† From the never-ending duffel bag, she produced a small leather book and opened it to a marked page. Squinting at where she indicated, I could make out handwritten Latin words describing the mirror and herbal concoction she'd dumped on me. Following that were directions on how to use the spell. No bloodletting, thankfully. â€Å"It sounds too simple,† I said suspiciously. I'd learned that spells that only had a few steps and components usually required a lot of mental energy. I'd passed out from the other scrying spell. She nodded, guessing my thoughts. â€Å"It takes a lot of focus – more than the last one. But, as much as you don't want to hear this, your strength has grown enough that you'll probably have an easier time than before.† I scowled. She was right. I didn't want to hear that. Or did I? Part of me knew I should refuse to go along with this madness. Another part of me worried she'd abandon me in the desert if I didn't help. And still another part was insanely curious to see how this would all work. Taking a deep breath, I recited the book's incantation and then set the picture in the middle of the mirror. I repeated the incantation and removed the picture. Leaning forward, I stared into the shining surface, trying to clear my mind and let myself become one with the darkness and moonlight. A hum of energy coursed through me, much more quickly than I expected. Nothing changed in the mirror right away, though. Only my reflection peered back at me, the poor lighting dulling my blond hair, which looked terrible both from sleeping on it and having a bunch of dried plants hanging in its strands. The energy continued to build in me, growing surprisingly warm and exhilarating. I closed my eyes and sank into it. I felt like I was floating in the moonlight, like I was the moonlight. I could've stayed that way forever. â€Å"Do you see anything?† Ms. Terwilliger's voice was an unwelcome interruption to my blissful state, but I obediently opened my eyes and looked into the mirror. My reflection was gone. A silvery gray mist hung in front of a building, but I knew the mist wasn't physical. It was magically produced, a mental barrier to keep me from seeing the image that lay beyond it. Strengthening my will, I pushed my mind passed that barrier, and after a few moments, the mist shattered. â€Å"I see a building.† My voice echoed oddly in the night. â€Å"An old Victorian house. Dark red, with a traditional covered porch. There are hydrangea bushes in front of it. There's a sign too, but I can't read it.† â€Å"Can you tell where the house is?† My teacher's voice seemed very far away. â€Å"Look around it.† I tried to pull back, to extend my vision beyond the house. It took a few moments, but slowly, the image panned out as though I were watching a movie, revealing a neighborhood of similar houses, all Victorian with wide porches and creeping vines. They were a beautiful, perfect piece of history set in the modern world. â€Å"Nothing exact,† I told her. â€Å"Just some quaint residential street.† â€Å"Go back further. See the larger picture.† I did, and it was like I drifted up into the sky, looking down upon the neighborhood the way some soaring bird would. The houses extended into more neighborhoods, which eventually gave way to industrial and commercial areas. I continued moving back. The businesses became more and more densely packed. More streets crisscrossed between them. The buildings grew taller and taller, eventually materializing into a familiar skyline. â€Å"Los Angeles,† I said. â€Å"The house is on the outskirts of Los Angeles.† I heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by: â€Å"Thank you, Miss Melbourne. That will be all.† A hand suddenly waved across my field of vision, shattering the city image. Also shattered was that state of euphoria. I was no longer floating, no longer made of light. I came crashing down to reality, down to the rocky desert landscape and my stuffy pajamas. I felt exhausted and shaky, like I might faint. Ms. Terwilliger handed me a thermos full of orange juice, which I drank greedily. As the nutrients hit my system and strengthened me, I began to feel a little better. Intense magic use depleted blood sugar. â€Å"Does that help?† I asked, once I'd downed the thermos. A nagging voice inside me started to chastise about how many calories were in orange juice, but I ignored it. â€Å"Was that what you wanted to know?† Ms. Terwilliger gave me a smile that didn't extend to her eyes. â€Å"It helps, yes. Was it what I wanted?† She stared off into the distance. â€Å"No, not exactly. I was hoping you'd name some other city. Some city far, far away.† I picked up my cross and refastened it around my neck. The familiar object brought on a sense of normality after what I'd just done. It also made me feel guilty, looking back on the euphoric high the magic had given me. Humans weren't supposed to wield magic – and they certainly weren't supposed to enjoy it. Running my fingers over the cross's surface, I found myself thinking of Adrian again. Had he ever worn it? Or had he just kept it around for luck? Had his fingers traced the cross's shape like mine often did? Ms. Terwilliger began gathering her things. When she stood up, I followed suit. â€Å"What does it mean exactly, ma'am?† I asked. â€Å"That I saw Los Angeles?† I followed her back toward the car, and she didn't answer right away. When she did, her voice was uncharacteristically grim. â€Å"It means that she's much closer than I would like. It also means, whether you want to or not, you're going to have to work on improving your magical skills very, very quickly.† I came to a halt. Suddenly, I felt angry. Enough was enough. I was exhausted and ached all over. She'd dragged me out here in the middle of the night and now had the presumption to make a statement like that when she knew how I felt about magic? Worse, her words frightened me. What did I have to do with this? This was her spell, her cause. Yet, she'd given the directive with such force, such certainty, that it almost seemed as though I was the reason we'd come out here to this wasteland. â€Å"Ma'am – † I began. Ms. Terwilliger spun around and leaned toward me so that there were only a few inches between us. I gulped, swallowing whatever outraged words I'd been about to utter. I'd never seen her look like this. She wasn't scary, not exactly, but there was an intensity I'd never seen before, far different from the usual scattered teacher I knew. She also looked . . . frightened. Life or death. â€Å"Sydney,† she said, in a rare use of my first name. â€Å"Let me assure you that this is not some trick on my part. You will improve upon your skills, whether you like it or not. And it's not because I'm cruel, not because I'm trying to fulfill some selfish desire. It's not even because I hate seeing you waste your ability.† â€Å"Then why?† I asked in a small voice. â€Å"Why do I need to learn more?† The wind whispered around us, blowing some of the dried leaves and flowers from my hair. The shadows we cast took on an ominous feel, and the moonlight and starlight that had seemed so divine earlier now felt cold and harsh. â€Å"Because,† Ms. Terwilliger said. â€Å"It's for your own protection.†

Water Abuse

Water is a vital to all human life, but people don’t know how they should limit their use of it, how their actions affect the purity of it, or how restricted water actually is. They do not know how to take care of water, or their environment. They need to realize that water should not be carelessly used for leisure. Also, recognize that they pollute their own water supply with chemicals and trash, and they do not seem to understand that there is a limited supply of water. Americans do not comprehend the actual meaning of water abuse, and how it applies to them.The abuse of water is going to revolve around how much American over use and waste it. People aren’t concerned or aware of the scarcity of water because they don’t see how it affects them directly. According to Karen Bouwer, in her essay â€Å"Women and Water†, the average â€Å"†¦use in the United States is 176 gallons per person per day. † (Bouwer 319) More than half of that percentage only includes bathing and flushing the toilet. While on the contrary, African nations â€Å"†¦average 10 gallons† per person per day if they are lucky. Americans probably would not be able to function without being able to use water whenever they may please.Although this may seem like something that can be fixed, the water pollution human’s cause put even more restrictions on water. Most people are aware that their trash ends up in the middle of the ocean, while some others are clueless. Some may not see how where â€Å"the trash man† drops their trash is of importance. But the reality is that most of the things that people put into their trash cans never decompose, or can take over 10 years to do so. The one thing that all Americans use everyday at some point of the day never decomposes is plastic.Over fifteen percent of all plastic made, ends up in the ocean. A majority of that fifteen percent ends up on the ocean floor. (Reuse It) For example, in San Ant onio, â€Å"†¦park personnel haul off more than 600,000 pounds of trash† (Harte 164) Plastic can over power the United States ocean water, which is one thing that puts limitations on water. Human’s thinks that water is somewhat endless because of what they learned in school, the water cycle. With the key terms condensation, evaporation, and precipitation Americans get the idea that water is always going to be in rotation.In reality, Americans are right water is in rotation, but all of that water is not usable. Yes, the water that humans drink and shower with does partially come from ground water, but people don’t understand how much water they actually have to use. Barely one percent of the water in the entire world is actually fresh and usable. That one percent is the only water that is clean enough to be considered usable by all Americans, which seems almost impossible to comprehend. Humans constantly use water and let it run without thinking. How would A mericans react if they didn’t have access to clean water anymore?They need to realize we do have an unlimited access. Americans should be aware that they are privileged to have virtually unlimited access to water. But most Americans seem to take advantage of this source, which ultimately affects everyone in the long run. Humans do not know how to limit their use of water because they’ve never had to so. These water abusers must be informed of their actions so that things can change. People need to start put limitations on how much they use water and make sure its 100% necessary to have it running.As well as, more American need to start recycling; the plastic doesn’t only affect humans, but marine animals also. Americans have to realize that the water that we currently have is all that we have. Work Cited â€Å"Water Facts. † The Water Information Program. 5 September 2012. Online Bouwer, Karen. â€Å"Women and Water. † The Water and Culture Reader. Southlake: Fountainhead,2011. 319-322. Print â€Å"Use and Toss Plastic Bottle Facts†. ReUseIt. 6 September 2012. Online Harte, Alexis. â€Å"San Antonio: A City Guided By Its River. † The Water and Culture Reader. Southlake: Fountainhead, 2011. 161-163. Print

Autobiographical Essay Essay Example for Free

Autobiographical Essay Essay My first encounter with fear to a high extent was when I was six years old. I was riding in the car with my mom who was under the influence of alcohol. The fear that rushed through my veins made me think that something as horrible as death could happen. My older brother and younger sister were both in the car. We then pulled into the parking lot of a liquor store. My heart sank to know that my mom was consuming more alcohol to make her blood alcohol level rise. My mom stepped out of the car into the cover of darkness and walked into the store to purchase a fifth of whiskey. When she walked out of the store, I thought to myself that something really bad was going to happen that night. When my mom returned to the car, I looked deep into her eyes and asked her, â€Å"Can you please take us home before anything bad happens?† She looked at me and said, while slurring her words, â€Å"Everything is going to be okay.† I knew that everything was not going to be okay. My mom then started the car, reversed, and drove out of the parking lot of the liquor store to run over the island in the middle of the road. The car tilted from side to side and back onto the smooth road to safety. As I looked out of the window of my door with water filling my eyes, I blurrily saw cops drive past us as though we were invisible. Every part of me wanted to spring out of my car door and bring attention to the danger that was in the atmosphere. Every time a chance came, I let it slip by because I was afraid that my mom would scream at me. All I wanted to do was fall asleep and wake up in my comfy bed at home, but I knew that was impossible. We had been driving for what felt like an hour but it was only five minutes. After I blinked the water from my eyes, I realized that we were in the parking lot of Papa Murphy’s. My mom sent my older brother in to go and get the pizza that she had ordered earlier that afternoon. When he returned my mom got off the car and walked over to a group of guys standing outside of a bar and started hitting on them making a complete fool of her. As I watched those guys scan her body, disgust over took my body. As soon as her door clicked shut, I unbuckled my seatbelt, grabbed to fifth of whiskey out of the cup holder, opened my door, and through the bottle at a nearby tree. The glass bottle shattered into tiny pieces onto the grass around the tree. The relief that rushed through my body gave me hope and actually made me believe that  everything was going to be okay. After my mom finally got back into the car, she looked back at me and my sister in the back seat and said, â€Å"I’m taking you home to eat dinner with your dad now.† When those words came out of her mouth, I was filled with joy. When we finally pulled into our driveway, I unfastened my seatbelt in a flash and bolted into the house, turned the oven on, and ran into my dad’s loving arms as tears ran down my face. The comfort and loving care I felt as my dad wrapped his arms around me, made me know that I was safe. My dad then looked down at me and said with a serious look on his face, â€Å"I’m going to go and talk to your mom and see what she wants to do.† When he closed the slider door behind him, I heard my mom raise her voice in a way that made you think someone was dying. I ran to the slider door to see what was happening. The look on my dad’s face brought tears to my eyes. He was so sickened to see my mom drown herself in alcohol. My mom through her hands into the air, got back into her car, and drove away angrily. My dad then came up the steps of our deck as though he just found out that he had only a week to live. When he finally reached the door, he looked up to see the dry tear marks down my face, opened the door, and embraced me. We then walked into our living room to see my brother and sister watching Sponge Bob, we joined them. My dad then slowly walked into the kitchen to place the pizza in the oven. After about twenty minutes, we all sat down together and had dinner. Soon after, my dad looked at us three kids and said with a smile, â€Å"I have a surprise for you guys!† I looked at my siblings and saw life come into their eyes. My dad then went into the other room and came back out with an enormous bag of candy. As soon as he placed the bag on the table, we kids dog piled that bag of candy like it was the last supply of food on the earth. After we were all satisfied with candy sticking to our faces, we all went into the living room to watch a movie. I sat next to my dad while my siblings sat right in front of the 60 inch television. After, I finally fell asleep in my dad’s arms watching Popeye, I felt secure and safe. The next morning, I woke up to my dad saying to me, â€Å"Your mom got a DUI last night and she has to spend some time in jail.† When I heard that, I immediately thought that maybe my mom had either caused an accident or possibly even killed someone. We then immediately left the house to see if we could go and bail my mom out. We  couldn’t. She had to spend 4 days in jail. Those 4 days were the longest days ever. I loved my mom so much but I hated her when she was under the influence. Losing emotional connection from my mom was a hard thing to go through. I was a â€Å"daddy’s girl† so, my mom just always thought that my dad had to only be there for me. Even when they divorced she was never there for me emotionally. Ever since that day we’ve never emotionally connected. She confessed to me that she had to shut me out because I reminded her of my dad. Aside from all the chaos, I learned a very important lesson; never drink and drive. Experiencing this moment, made me know that alcohol affects everyone; the devout Christian, the highest paid employee, the people who swore they would never drink, and even the Lindsay Lohan’s. I knew from that moment on that if I even dared to drink alcohol, I would not do it front of my children or drive. Ten years after this encounter, my mom has lived her life as a recovered addict from alcohol. She saw how her drinking effected everyone she loved; her kids, husband, mom, dad, nieces, nephews, etc. From that moment on, my mom decided that she wouldn’t use alcohol as a numbing device to the pain. She hasn’t even touched the smallest bit of alcohol since. I am proud of her and am happy to see her live her life in freedom instead of bondage. That day made me know that I didn’t want to be seen by my kids, drinking and driving. I believe this moment was put in my life just so that I would now not to make the mistakes that my mom made and actually live my life in peace. Autobiographical Essay. (2016, Jun 01).

Critically discuss this statement with reference to decided cases and Essay

Critically discuss this statement with reference to decided cases and academic opinion - Essay Example Such liability is not directly applicable, as the liability of Community institutions and the liability of the Member States are not always comparable.4 An instance of this is to be found in the Brasserie decision. In Brasserie, the ECJ extended the right of individuals to claim such damages, from any organ of the Member State whose act or omission had resulted in the damage.5 This makes it reasonable to presume that the liability case law, with regard to Member States, is relevant to damages claims for breach of EC law public procurement rules.6 Such course of action is with regard to contracting authorities that are public bodies. However, the term State tends to be vague, even within the realm of Member State liability. There is considerable disagreement as to whether the definition of State aid, provided in the ruling in Foster,7 as being emergent from the State should be acknowledged. All the same, the case law makes it very clear that the term State, in the context of liability cases, has a wider connotation and includes in its ambit, the decentralized bodies and authorities. 8 Hence, there is substantial common ground between a contracting authority and State entity under liability, despite these concepts being incongruent to each other. This contention is restricted to the intersection, wherein the contracting authority is in reality a State body. The public procurement law requires an action for liability to be brought against the contracting authority. However, it is up to the internal system of the national law to identify the State instance against which the action for liability is to be made. 9 This discretion accorded to the national law, while identifying State liability issues, results in grave injustice to the individual. This is because an aggrieved person has the right of direct effect only against a State and its emanations. Moreover, in this case, the ECJ ruled that the liability arising from the damage undergone by individuals, on account of a breach of Community law, was analogous to the liability of the Community under similar circumstances. This holds good, as long as there is no specific justification for the breach of the Community law. 10 This principle was echoed in the decision in Bergaderm.11 Furthermore, in the Brasserie case, 12 the conditions resulting in the liability of a Member State were described. These are; first infringement of rules of the Community that are aimed at providing individual rights; second, the existence of a breach of sufficient gravity; and third, a causal relationship between the breach and the damage sustained.13 This ruling however, failed to address all the issues involved. For instance, the issue of seriousness of the breach of Community law was left unresolved. Moreover, the ECJ had differentiated between areas of sparse and wide discretion, during its attempt to determine whether there were grounds for State liability, as well as the precise nature of these conditions. 14 Mor eover, the breach of Community law by a Member State, which caused damage to an individual, placed that Member State under an obligation to make good the loss. This principle was enunciated in the Francovich decision by the ECJ. 15 In addition, in the Francovich case, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the

HUMAN TOXIC THREAT RISK ASSESSMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HUMAN TOXIC THREAT RISK ASSESSMENT - Essay Example Food additives are used for purposes of food preservation and the improvement of their test. Manufacturers also use food additives for purposes of imparting color as well as improving the appearance of the food. A significant number of manufacturers cannot ignore using food additives because of the fact that they guarantee long shelf life. It is no wonder that almost every food products contain additives. I recent years, there has been an increase in the use of additives which eventually has led to an increase in the number of its negative effects among consumers. Consequently, there has been a debate on whether food additives are more harmful than healthy. Tests carried out on animals that exhibit molecular structures similar to that of humans have shown that most additives in foods and drinks have the long term effect of causing diseases in the consumer. According to the website peopleforethicalliving.com, most people consume harmful substances in their foods without their knowledg e of it or due to plain ignorance. The website gives examples of such to include aspartame and most types of fluorides. On the contrary, the website answers.com has an argument that food and drink additives have many advantages which include improving its natural color and nutritional value, adding flavor to the food or drink, increasing its shelf life and, by keeping the food or drink in question fresh, reduces the risk of food poisoning (Monosson 42). Consumer Exposure The chemical threat from food and beverage additives is both acute and chronic in nature. While most additives could be harmless to most consumers, many lead to allergic reactions among them coughs and rashes on the skin. The chronic diseases set off by food and drink additives include many types of diseases including Type 2 diabetes, obesity and weight gain in general. The chemical threat from food and drink additives is a target organ threat besides being a carcinogenic and developmental threat too. As a target or gan threat, research using mice has shown that some chemicals used as additives cause brain tumors in consumers. These chemicals include excitotoxin food additives which enter the brain due to the porosity of the brain-blood barrier (BBB). Since the brain is very sensitive to foreign chemicals, many diseases such as brain tumors, head trauma and Alzheimer’s disease are a most likely occurrence. The carcinogenic properties of most food and drink additives such as cyclamates and saccharin have been proven beyond reasonable doubt by researchers. These chemicals cause brain tumors in rats and since rats share many genetic characteristics with humans, the effect on human consumers should be more or less the same. The two artificial sweeteners are found in most manufactured foods and drinks and were mostly used in the United States during the two world wars (Miller and Spoolman 11). These findings lead to the banning of cyclamates due to its adverse effects. As a developmental toxi c threat, food and drink additives have been proven to cause hyperactivity in children. Personally, the chemical threat from the use of additives found in foods and drinks shall affect me only in the normal way since no family history increases my vulnerability to their effects. My preference for the energy drink Red Bull though could put me at a great risk of being affected by the preservatives used in this drink. Risk

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Business ethics - Essay Example This explains the principles of courtesy and respect. Despite the diversity that exists amongst many people concerning the acceptable ethical standards, it all boils down to societal expectations and provisions for good and bad (Shaw, 2011, p. 99). All ethical standards subscribe and should entangle with the society’s guidelines about what is right and wrong and the legal framework. The ethical standards at workplace should align with the societal moral principles such that when work ethics are breached, it directly go against the society’s moral guidelines. This essay aims at describing and analyzing, with reference to the ethical principles, a personal experience in which an issue with a moral gravity in business was resolved in order to bring out a comprehensive outlook into the decision. I witnessed a challenging situation in which an organization’s management decided to fire an employee on grounds that the employee had breached ethical of code of conduct. The employee in question, one Mr. Livingstone was a sales manager in an insurance firm. He had signed a contract to work for the firm in assisting it to restore market dominance that the firm had lost about 5 years ago due to the increased competition. The insurance industry in the last half decade had seen increased entry of organization that ended up stirring the competition. The firm Mr. Livingstone was working for had, in the process, greatly recorded low sales volume. Mr. Livingstone, a reputably popular sales manager with great success stories was hired to help transform the condition of the company. After 3 years of dedicated hard work, the organization’s performance in the highly competitive market greatly escalated to a point that they could hardly attend to all the clients or rather customers. The facilities and resources they had could not meet the demands of the customers because the number was extremely big. The organization was making great profits since they slightly raised

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Apple - Assignment Example ly, the iPods and the iTunes synchronized with Mac operating system only; however, Jobs thought that it would be in the best interest of the company’s market position to include Windows Operating Systems since it was becoming increasingly popular. This made the iPods and the iTunes the best bet for Apple’s success in the market. The company encompassed multimedia player with access to music downloads from major recording house. The uniqueness of the technology can be analyzed through the Value, Rarity, Inimitable and Organization (VRIO). From its inception, Apple has been making high value goods, hiring top performing executives and also serving high value markets. The iPod and the iTunes supplement apples quest for rare products that revolutionize technology. This is because the idea of two ideal multimedia tools would synchronize together to form a major technological breakthrough. Apples competitive advantage also lies in the inimitable nature of its products. The products, from computers, phones, iPods and software, are not easily copied since hey use Apples exclusive technology. This enables Apple to be the sole maker of the products. Apples initial strategy for the iPhone was disastrous. This was because the market had many other gadgets with higher capabilities that Apple’s iPhone, yet they were selling at relatively low prices. The price for and iPhone was much higher than other brands making sale to stall. Consequently, Apple preferred to make its own distributions with no carrier networks, usually used to subsidize costs. Apple ignored giant retailers ability to cover more market than its own distribution outlets. Another issue that made Apple to change its strategy on the iPhone was the internet access capabilities. At the time, Third Generation (3G) service was the widely used by mobile phone manufacturers. Apple iPhones supported only 2G networks which was relatively slow. A rework on the iPhones was inevitable. The need to catch up with

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Innovation Definition Essay Example for Free

Innovation Definition Essay Innovation is about bringing ideas into life. Innovation is linked to performance and growth through improvements in efficiency, productivity, quality, competitive positioning and market share. Innovation takes place at different levels from modest improvements on an existing product or process to dramatic and even historically significant breakthroughs in how we relate to the world. In all cases, the capacity to innovate will be a function of our commitments, what we want to accomplish and our relationship with the circumstances we perceive we are in. If we are resisting or coping, we see no innovation and whatever change we generate will be as a reaction to the circumstances and part of the process by which those circumstances persist. When we are responding or choosing we are in a position to innovate and will do so naturally and consistently as a function of what we observe to be possible or what we observe is missing in our perspective of the world.Change based on this view is likely to be an improvement on what already exists. INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE A successful organisation that turns its focus to innovation is looking for achievements. Innovation shows up in the quality and quantity of ideas and the efficiency and effectiveness of implementation of those ideas. These two parameters are independent, however, when combined they form the definition of innovation performance. IMPORTANCE Innovation is not only about technology, but is also about understanding and exploring untapped user needs that require to be addressed in an efficient manner. It must occur at every stage of a product or solution development and release cycle. Thus, managing innovation is fast becoming priority in a global business environment. Firms which innovate tends to survive and grow to a greater extent. The most successful individuals, managers and team leaders in latest business world are the ones who are not only innovative in their own work, but who encourage and assist others to be innovative in every aspect of their work. Some of the key innovation areas are: product development and improvement; manufacturing processes; creating entirely new set of products; etc. In area of supply chain management, innovations help in making the supply chain more responsive, flexible and efficient. Supply chain innovation can be used to reduce costs, offer better assortment of customer centric products, decreasing time to market and driving growth. INNOVATION SYSTEM The concept of the innovation system stresses that the flow of technology and information among people, enterprises and institutions is key to an innovative process. It contains the interaction between the actors who are needed in order to turn an idea into a process, product or service on the market. Systems of Innovation are frameworks for understanding innovation which have become popular particularly among policy makers and innovation researchers first in Europe, but now anywhere in the world as in the 90s the World Bank and other UN affiliated institutions accepted. BENEFITS OF INNOVATION Technology has a vital role to play in any modern workplace and can make a huge difference to the way your business operates, and how well your staff carry out their tasks. These days, an online presence is also expected by customers and therefore is an essential component for businesses. In order to understand whether a new technology could help your business, you should review the technology you are presently using and assess how well existing systems work with your current and future business requirements. INNOVATION TYPES A number of frameworks have been used to look at types of innovation. Generally these approaches for categorizing innovation consider the sources of innovation from past successes or attempt to identify where to look for new innovation in the future. The variety of innovation types demonstrates that the benefits of innovation are not limited to new product development. Categorization also helps in the measurement of innovation, allowing for performance comparison and evidence based choices that can guide where improvements or advances might generate the most return for a given investment. This is sometimes referred to as the Return On Innovation. The ‘4Ps’ model developed by John Bessant and Joe Tidd provide a powerful tool for such analysis. It builds on the hypothesis that successful innovation is essentially about positive change, and puts forward four broad categories where such change can take place. Product innovation’ – changes in the things (products/services) which an organisation offers. Process innovation’ – changes in the ways in which products and services are created or delivered Position innovation’ – changes in the context in which the products/services are framed and communicated Paradigm innovation’ – changes in the underlying mental models which shape what the organisation does.

Modernismo in Spanish-american Poetry of the 20th Century

Modernismo in Spanish-american Poetry of the 20th Century Abstract This research analyses Spanish modernismo in Spanish-American poetry. The paper investigates in depth the impact of Ruben Dario and Leopoldo Lugones, the most influential modernista poets of the twentieth century, on the development and spread of modernismo in Spain. The received results demonstrate that Spanish modernismo was new for Latin America and differed much from European Modernism. Due to the spread of nationalism, modernista poets experienced rejection and criticism from the members of Spanish society that regarded their literary works as the imitation of European poetry. However, Lugones and Dario opposed the existing restrictions and implemented new forms of poetic expression. In this regard, some findings of this research are consistent with the previous studies, while other results provide new valid data to the issue of Spanish modernismo in the twentieth century.   Ã‚  Ã‚   1 Statement of the problem Spanish modernismo is considered by some researchers and critics to represent a real revolution in Spanish-American literature of the twentieth century. The fact is that by the end of the nineteenth century the poetry of Latin America began to decease, thus innovations had to be implemented to revive it. Modernismo was new for Latin America, and the poets who greatly affected the formation of this movement were Leopoldo Lugones and Ruben Dario, as they were the first persons who implemented European poetic traditions into their writings, transforming the linguistic basis of poetry. However, this viewpoint is sometimes challenged by literary scholars who make attempts to eliminate the impact of modernismo on Spanish-American poetry. Gwen Kirkpatrick suggests that such a biased vision is explained by the fact that â€Å"many discussions of modernismo are stereotypically describing a ‘rubenismo’, the hackneyed copies of Ruben Dario’s style , while forgetting the movement’s audacity and its sweeping display of subject matter and styles†1. The conducted researches aggravate the issue by drawing a parallel between Spanish modernismo and European modernism. As a result, they provide ambiguous and invalid findings in regard to modernismo in Spanish-American poetry, instead of clarifying various aspects of the twentieth-century Hispanic literature. 2 Introduction Spanish modernismo as a crucial literary trend of twentieth century Hispanic poetry was initiated by Leopoldo Lugones and Ruben Dario and achieved its peak in the years of 1888-1915. It had the major impact on Spanish poetry, but also affected other literary genres, such as short stories and novels. Modernismo appeared as a successful combination of the Symbolist and the French Parnassian literary movements and was especially widespread in Argentina, Mexico and Cuba2. Modernismo in Spain reflects various social and economic changes of the late nineteenth – early twentieth centuries. It is mainly characterized by the substitution of the former structural and thematic components for new elements that include experiments with meter and rhyme and the utilization of such themes as landscape and eroticism. Thus, modernismo possesses three principal features: 1) novelty in rhyme and meter; 2) new appreciation of poetry’s role and 3) increase in subject themes. Social changes influenced the poets’ understanding of their roles and made them adhere to the literary traditions of such European poets and writers as Edgar Allan Poe, Baudelaire and Whitman. Latin America differed from other European countries because of the fact that it made constant attempts to maintain the principles of national identity. As a result, Spanish literature used to adhere to conventional values, and any withdrawal from these particular traditions was regarded as a real danger to the issues of nationality. Modernist poets such as Dario and Lugones were usually considered as escapist s and Spanish-American poetry – as the imitation of foreign ways of expression. In view of these complex social and cultural restrictions, the rise of modernismo in Spain signified the elimination of the older stereotypes and the establishment of new models for poetry. The beginning of the twentieth century was also characterized by the spread of sciences and industries that contributed much to the formation of a rationalistic vision on life and universe. However, due to the existing restrictions, modernista poets of that period could only unite European values with traditional ideals in their literary works. In this regard, modernismo in Spain collided with more complexities than Modernism in other countries. These complexities resulted in the fact that Spanish poetry of the earlier twentieth century revealed much ambiguity and inconsistency. Various attempts of Spanish poets to utilise modernista elements in their works were regarded as the imitation of European literary sources, and modernismo in whole – as the trend of dependence. However, recent criticism on Hispanic poetry of the twentieth century challenged this viewpoint, providing valid data to prove the uniqueness and importance of Spanish modernismo. The themes and innovations of modernismo gave rise to many aesthetic and cultural tendencies of Spanish-American poetry of the twentieth century. The aim of the research is two-fold: 1) to analyse how modernismo represented a revolution in Spanish-American poetry in the 20th century; 2) to evaluate the importance of Ruben Dario and Leopoldo Lugones in the formation of modernismo. The paper is divided into sections. Chapter 1 provides a statement of the problem that uncovers the principal thesis of the dissertation. Chapter 2 conducts a general overview of modernismo through social and historical contexts. Chapter 3 observes the critical works that are written on the issue of Spanish modernismo. Chapter 4 discusses the theoretical tools that are applied for the analysis. Chapter 5 evaluates in detail the impact of Ruben Dario and Leopoldo Lugones on modernismo and the way they changed Spanish-American poetry. Chapter 6 provides a summarization of the received results, while Chapter 7 demonstrates the limitations of the research and gives the suggestions for further analysis of Spanish modernismo. 3 Review of the literature Various critical works are written on the issue of modernismo in Spain, providing rather contradictory findings. Cathy Jrade considers that modernista poets regarded the world as â€Å"a system of correspondences†3. Thus, they were in search of the ways to uncover the concealed truth about Latin America and the universe in whole. Some critical works on Spanish modernismo are aimed at analyzing modernista poetry through social contexts, including Noà © Jitriks Contradicciones del modernismo, Franà §oise Perus Literatura y sociedad en Amà ©rica Latina and Angel Ramas Rubà ©n Darà ­o y el modernismo4. According to Ricardo Gullon, â€Å"What is called modernismo is not thing of school nor of form, but of attitude†¦ That is the modernismo: a great movement of enthusiasm and freedom towards the beauty†5. Discussing Spanish modernismo and the poets who contributed to the formation of this movement, Gwen Kirpatrick points at Leopoldo Lugones as â€Å"a true precursor of what might be called the dissonant trend in Spanish American poetry†6. The researcher considers that Lugones greatly influenced other poets of the subsequent generations by rejecting the traditional poetic norms and implementing new modernista elements. Lugones’ legacy is especially obvious in the works of Cà ©sar Vallejo, Alfonsina Storni and Ramà ³n Là ³pez Velarde. Octavio Paz points at the fact that Lugones’ and Dario’s poetry is the beginning of â€Å"all experiences and experiments of modern poetry in the Spanish language†7. However, Paz also differentiates between Lugones and Dario; although he regards Dario as the initiator of modernismo, it is â€Å"Leopoldo Lugones who really initiates the second modernista revolution†8. On the other hand, some researchers criticize Lugones’ poetry and his impact on Spanish-American literature. For instance, Roberto F. Giusti claims, â€Å"What is Lugones’ literary personality? It is a difficult question to answer due to the simple fact that he lacks one†9. Amado Nervo contradicts this viewpoint by pointing at powerful aspect of Lugones’ poetry, especially Las montaà ±as del oro. Although Nervo acknowledges the impact of fo reign thinking on the works of Lugones, he nevertheless identifies many individualistic features of this modernista poet. As Nervo puts it, â€Å"Lugones’ personality is powerful, the most powerful in our America†¦ The outside influences, the variety of reminiscences, the trivial and intimate suggestions of sages, poets, anti artists clash in his soul with his own and diverse ideas†10. However, Ezequiel Martà ­nez Estrada suggests that Lugones’ poetry lacks real sincerity, he considers that â€Å"We see him [Lugones] change and contradict himself, but we never see him express himself with absolute sincerity†11. The different perception of Lugones’ poetry can be explained by the changes within Spanish society that shaped people’s understanding of poetry throughout the twentieth century. According to Manuel Pedro Gonzalez, those poets who directly succeeded Leopoldo Lugones greatly admired the poet’s excessive language and powerfu l verse12, but later generations of Spanish poets failed to rightfully perceive Lugones’ innovations, although they also borrowed some elements of his poetry. In view of such contradictory criticism on the issue of Spanish modernismo, the following analysis makes an attempt to solve this controversy and demonstrate a considerable impact of Ruben Dario and Leopoldo Lugones on Spanish-American poetry of the twentieth century.   Ã‚   4 Research methodology The research utilises two theoretical research methods – a qualitative method and a discourse analytical approach. These methods provide an opportunity to investigate the issue of Spanish modernismo through various perspectives. The qualitative method is applied to the research to observe different views on the discussed issue, while the discourse analytical approach is aimed at analyzing cultural and social contexts that contributed much to the formation of modernismo in Latin-America. The discourse analytical approach explains the reasons for regarding Spanish modernismo as a revolution in Spanish-American poetry and the qualitative method interprets literary works of modernista poets. According to Ricoeur, â€Å"interpretation†¦ is the work of thought which consists in deciphering the hidden meaning in the apparent meaning, in unfolding the levels of meaning implied in the literal meaning†13. As appropriate methods for investigation, the q ualitative method and the discourse analytical approach demonstrate Spanish poetic traditions and the ways modernismo implemented new poetic forms.     Ã‚   5 Discussion 5.1. Background In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Spanish-American poetry experienced its prosperity due to the occurred historical and political events. However, gradually the poetry of Latin America exhausted its potentialities and reflected only illusionary visions of reality. At the end of the nineteenth century Spanish-American poetry almost completely rejected the poetic traditions of Romanticism, because it was impossible to adhere to these traditions in view of quick changes in values and modernization of life in many places of Latin America. As Octavio Paz rightfully points out, â€Å"Modernity is our style for a century. It’s the universal style. To want to be modern seems crazy: we are condemned to be modern, since we are prohibited from the past and the future†14. It was in that period when some Latin American cities began to inherit European ideals on culture, science and art. As Kirkpatrick puts it, â€Å"New immigration, varying degrees of industrialization, and labor-oriented social movements changed the maps of Spanish American cities in the early twentieth century†15. Thus, Spanish-American poets began to gradually reject the romantic representation of reality, instead revealing their interest in certain objects such as the female body and machines. Leopoldo Lugones was one of the first poets that applied to these themes in some of his poetic works, like Las montaà ±as del oro. Overall, modernista poets demonstrated great obsession with the principles of modernity and made constant attempts to increase the role of a poet in Spanish society. They withdrew from their participation in political affairs, instead transforming writing into a profession. In view of various innovations modernismo was aimed at creating a novel reality and styles of expression. According to Gordon Brotherston, the modernista poets, such as Ruben Dario, Manuel Machado, L eopoldo Lugones, rejected the material obsession that emerged as a result of industrial and scientific achievements, instead revealing true moral and cultural values16. As Paz puts it, â€Å"it has been said that modernismo was an evasion of the American reality. It would be truer to say that it was a flight from the local present reality†¦ in search of a universal reality, the only true reality†17. Spanish modernista poets reveal an idealistic treatment of poetry, paying a particular attention to the innovations of poetic forms and themes. The values of these poets appeared in contrast with the existing social norms and were reflected in their poetry. Modernismo represented a real revolution in Spanish-American poetry, because it was aimed at destroying the isolation of Latin America and at creating a novel discourse that could uncover the concealed truth about social and political situation of the country. However, the spread of modernismo was different in various part of Latin America. In particular, in Buenos Aires and Santiago of Chile, the South regions, modernismo was developed in a fast way, while in the area of Hispanic Carribean the process was considerably slow. In general, modernista poets were in search of the ways to create a language that would reflect social and spiritual discourse, making them closer to European poets. In this regard, the language of modernista poets is ambiguous. Applying to the qualitative approach it is possible to reveal this ambiguity, because this method provides an opportunity to rightfully interpret the controversial literary texts. According to Taylor, â€Å"Interpretation†¦ is an attempt to make clear, to make sense of an object of study. It aims to bring to light an underlying coherence or sense†18. Thus, on the one hand, the language of modernista poets appears as a visionary tool that uncovers reality changed as a result of various scientific innovations, while, on the other hand, it shapes national identity. Due to the fact that these two aspects are closely connected with each other, modernismo manages not only to reveal reality, but also to change the political and social courses established in Latin America. As Gonzalez puts it, modernismo introduces various aspects of modernity and alters Spanish poetry in whole19. According to Ricardo Gullon, â€Å"t he modernist writer is in first term modern man, and as so he becomes aware of himself as a citizen and believes in the possibility of the political and social reform†20. Ruben Dario and Leopoldo Lugones were the first poets to reflect social modernity and the negative consequences of scientific innovations in their literary works. In their modernista poems they made attempts to combine national identity with foreign features. The following sections provide a more detailed discussion of Lugones’ and Dario’s impact on the formation of Spanish modernismo.   5.2. Ruben Dario as the initiator of Spanish modernismo At the end of the nineteenth century Ruben Dario (1867-1916) implemented the concept of modernismo to reflect a new period in Spanish-American poetry. Dario identified modernismo as the trend that corresponded with the essence of his time, when modernity began to influence various aspects of reality. Although Dario is regarded as a nationalistic poet, he is individual in his poetry, bringing up both social and national issues. Ruben Dario rejects the traditional elements of poetry by changing the conventional norms of verse and by introducing smooth rhythms into his poetic works. Simultaneously, Dario challenges and criticizes the reality that is presented in many literary works of Spanish-American literature of the nineteenth century. Through his poetry Dario rises against the materialization of Spanish life and against the wrong scientific ideals that prevailed in Latin America in that period of time. He also maintains individualism and independence, eternity and dream world; Dario is especially obsessed with beauty, demonstrating that beauty can be found in many displays. He moves beyond traditional portrayal of beauty, paying a particular attention to females’ sexuality as one of the principal images of beauty. For instance, in his poem Rhymes Dario claims, â€Å"Out on the sea a swift boat rowing, / rowing: the lover with his beloved, / flying to the land of dreams. / In the sunset light and the million glints / that flashed on the sea, those streaming oars / seemed made of burnished gold†21. This simple verse reveals the beauty of nature and the beauty of a loving couple; nature seems to correspond with their feelings – it is bright and clear, tender and light. However, by the end of the poem nature is changed, as Dario expresses uncertainty as to the future of these lovers: â€Å"Their fate? I do not know. I remember / that after a pallid twilight, the sky / darkened and the sea grew rough†22. Thus, nature conveys despair of Dario and the inability of lovers to change anything. Similar to nature that is exposed to constant changes, love also has the beginning and the end. This modernista poet pays much attention to language and he is in constant search of perfecting it. Musicality of Dario’s poetry and his exotic images inspire other Spanish poets, despite the fact that Dario is more interested in words than in the expressed meaning. Dario’s poetic language acquires power and symbolism; he gives new meaning to simple words and forms his unique rhetorical lexicon that reflects the spirit of Hellenism and Versailles. Applying to various poetic experiments, Dario increases the amount of metrical forms, either transforming classical forms or creating new ones. Dario’s first literary work Azul (1888) reveals musicality and sensuality of his sonnets. It was a real break in Spanish-American poetry due to the fact that Dario managed to substitute a complicated poetic verse of Spanish poets for a simplified and expressive form. In this collection Ruben Dario masterfully combines the symbols taken from ancient literary sources with his own symbols. Some of Dario’s symbols are the swan that symbolizes eroticism and chastity or centaur that embodies both human and animal features. In this regard, modernismo depends on various influences and literary trends; it manages to combine vulgarity and delicacy, reality and illusion, beauty and violence, extremes and simplicity. Ruben Dario’s modernista poetry introduces many elements into Spanish-American poetry of the twentieth century. In particular, in many poems of Blue Dario applies to the theme of escapism, that is, he escapes reality and involves his readers into the dream world. Dario’s escapism is refined and full of classical illusions. In response to various scientific inventions and reason, Dario creates poems that are closely connected with nature and passions. Although the poet usually depicts such negative feelings as sadness, disappointment, ennui and despondency, they are so expressive that they evoke powerful emotions. In the poem Melancholy Ruben Da rio states, â€Å"Brother, you that have light, please give me light / I am like a blind man. I grope about in the dark. / I am lost among the tempests, lost among torments, blinded / by fantasies, and driven mad my music. / That is my curse. To dream†23. Another element of Dario’s poetry that is widely adopted by all modernista poets is the tension between love and sexuality. In his later collection of poetry Songs of Life and Hope (1905), Dario brings up more profound issues of a man and universe, life and death, utilizing irony and bitterness. This is especially obvious in such poems as The Fatal Thing and Youth, Divine Treasure. In this regard, Dario and other modernista poets are often accused of inspiring anarchy in the country, but in reality Dario contributes to the creation of a certain ideological structure in Spanish-American poetry that is closely connected with culture. Applying to classical allusions and cultural images, Dario implicitly demonstrates his cultural tastes. Thus, Jean Franco suggests that â€Å"modernismo comes to imply not only a literary renewal under the influence of France but a certain exaltation of taste†24. In some of his poetic collections, including Songs of Life and Hope, Ruben Dario demonstrates his obsession with classical symbols and the images created by Dante in his epic poem. Dario is in constant search of combining these images with the aesthetic values of modernismo, the poetry with the whole universe. In other poems Dario, similar to Lugones, draws a parallel between natural phenomena and humans’ emotions; for instance, in the poem Nightfall in the Tropics Dario portrays nature through emotions: â€Å"Bitter and sonorous rises / The complaint from out the deeps, / And the wave the wind surprises / Weeps. / Viols there amid the gloaming / Hail the sun that dies, / And the white spray in its foaming / ‘Misere’ sighs†25. This verse reveals Dario’s experiments with language and form; and, according to Kirkpatrick, it is in these â€Å"experiments, ironies, discordance, and ambiguities, later poets will find the legacy from which they will construct new poetic languages†26. In this regard, Leopoldo Lugones borrows some modernista elements from the poetry of Dario, but he also implements many new elements of modernism o.  Ã‚      5.3. The influence of Leopoldo Lugones on Spanish-American poetry Although Leopoldo Lugones’ earlier poetic works are characterized by the adherence to romantic ideals, he gradually rejects these elements, bringing up the issues and values that are closely connected with modernismo. Despite the fact that Lugones’ patriotic tunes and concise rhyme are not the explicit features of modernismo, his changes in themes and the depiction of certain ideologies through poetry demonstrate the poet’s important role in the transformation of Spanish-American poetry of the twentieth century27. According to Kirkpatrick, simultaneously combining some genres and moving from one extreme to another in his poetic works, â€Å"Lugones dramatizes the conflict between modernismo’s formalism and the shift into the twentieth century’s more private sense of poetic language†28. Similar to Dario, Lugones maintains the idea of language perfection, but he regards language as a tool that should be refined. Lugones considers that poetic language should be as much expressive as possible, but â€Å"by directing attention to language as a technical instrument, Lugones initiates a dissonant trend in modern Spanish-American poetry†29. With the help of expressive language Lugones manages to combine various elements in his poems, such as ironical eroticism and the portrayal of landscape, colloquial speech and unromantic scenes. Lugones takes his images from outward things, depicting the changed urban and rural scenery of Spain. Simultaneously, Lugones’ modernista elements reflect his obsession with French literary poetic traditions; however, â€Å"Lugones discounts the American setting as being too primitive to allow for the development of a complex and refined expression†30. Although in his early poems Lugones only implicitly reveals modernista elements, he intensifies them in his later poetry. This especially regards Las montaà ±as del oro (1898), where Lugones makes an attempt to combine rather contradictory elements through an allegorical form. It is in this poetic collection that Lugones introduces such innovations as enormous excesses, undisguised exaggeration and bizarre humour that are utilise d in his later poems. Introducing various thematic opposites in Las montaà ±as del oro, Lugones manages to achieve integrity of expression. The structure of the book resembles Dante’s poems, revealing that Lugones applies to some classical allusions in his poetry. This is especially obvious in the following words: â€Å"I was alone / between my thoughts and eternity. I was / crossing with Dantesque steps the night†31. In the poem Metempsicosis Leopoldo Lugones combines the powerful images of landscape and animal features to reveal the opposites between two elements: â€Å"An evil moon was loosing itself – with its yellow skeleton face / in distances of dream and problem; / and there was a sea, but it was an eternal sea, / asleep in a suffocating silence / like a sick, fantastic animal†32. Metempsicosis is followed by other poems, such as A Histeria, Rosas del Calvario, Oda a la Desnudez, Antifonas, Nebulosa Thule and others that are full of erotic images and the theme of darkness. In his female images Leopoldo Lugones combines both calm beauty of a woman and fierce portrayal of femme fatale. Applying to such conventional symbols of female images as moon, apples, flowers, breast and others, Lugones demonstrates that these images are beautiful, but they embody darkness and destruction. As a result, Lugones’ female images reflect the desire for possession and desecration: â€Å"I want a golden crown to encircle / your heart†¦ and I want you to triumph, naked like a host, in the ideal Easter ceremony of my pleasures†33. Similar to Dario, Lugones’ sexual images are usually connected with various religious images and Greek mythology, the feature that is characteristic to modernismo. However, Lugones’ images are more turbulent and definite, like in the poem A Histeria: â€Å"And so your embrace was like the knot of a noose, / and like glacial floes were your lips, / and bitter wires were my tendons, / and so the enormous stallion was a black wind†34. Thus, Lugones draws a parallel between violence and females’ sexuality; this connection is evident in Los Celos del Sacerdote: â€Å"desired crucifix of the weddings / and the triumphant grace of your waist. / like an amphora filled with magnolias, / and the impenetrable iris of your sex, / iris fool of blood and anguish†35. In another poem Oceanida Lugones applies to specific sexual images of Vista that symbolize eroticism and beauty. Some poems of Lugones’ poetic collection Las montaà ±as del oro reflect the sadomasochistic components that constitute one of the most important themes of Lugones’ poetry. In particular, the poet combines the images of violence and punishment with the images of females’ sensuality: â€Å"I shall praise the affection of your embrace, / just as the lecherous ascetic in his battles pulls tight the hairshirt around his kidneys†36. The images of sexuality and violence are repeated several tines throughout the poems, thus repetition is one of the most crucial poetic tools of Lugones. These repetitions, mainly taken from Poe’s literary style, provide Lugones with an opportunity to move from one extreme to another, maintaining the necessary integrity of expression. For instance, in the poem Oda a la Desnudez Lugones constantly repeats the word ‘nakedness’: â€Å"Look at the nakedness of the stars; / the noble nakedness of the savage panthers of Nepal, the pure flesh / of the newborn; your divine nakedness which shines like a lamp†37. Leopoldo Lugones implicitly brings up the tensions between nature and scientific discoveries, between reason and myths, between people and environment. In this regard, Lugones is similar to Ruben Dario who criticizes science and material obsession of his era in his modernista poems. Lugones combines ancient elements with new discoveries of the nineteenth century, evaluating both positive and negative sides of the present. Thus, according to the discourse analytical approach, Lugones’ and Dario’s poetic language is closely connected with the components of social and political contexts38. The poem Hymn to the Moon from Lugones’ Sentimental Lunario reflects French adoptions and is characterized by irony and new metric form. The poem The Cicadas from The Book of the Landscapes is belonged to one of the most modernista poems of Leopoldo Lugones; applying to daily images, the poet portrays them through ironical vision. However, one of the best modernista poetic collections of Leopoldo Lugones is certainly Los crepà ºsculos del jardà ­n (1905), where the poet intensifies sexual and erotic elements. In this collection Lugones not only utilises many modernista structures and symbols, but he also implicitly criticizes modernismo’s technicality. As Lugones constantly experiments with his poetry, he implements new elements taken from different literary movements and classical literary sources; thus he manages to observe both strong and weak sides of modernismo. Exaggeration appears the principal tool of expression in Los crepà ºsculos del jardà ­n; as Kirkpatrick puts it, Lugones â€Å"exaggerates certain themes by extending their development too far, or points out certain techniques by explicitly commenting on their use within the poems themselves†39. Thus, the poet creates not one swan in his poems, but several swans; portraying the image of a woman, he does not restrict himself to some features, instead he describes every aspect of her appearance, even the colour of her clothes. Although Leopoldo Lugones initiates the second wave of modernismo in Latin America, he moves away from it in his later poetic works, because he feels that he has already researched this new area and continues to experiment with other literary trends40. Utilising all modernista elements in his Los crepà ºculos del jardà ­n, he begins to study the archetypal elements of Jules’ Laforgue’s poems. However, Lugones’ later withdrawal from modernismo does not minimize his crucial role in the formation of modernismo. As Kirkpatrick rightfully claims, â€Å"Although Ruben Dario is the undisputed master of the movement, many later poets have found the complex, sometimes troubling, poetic experiments of Leopoldo Lugones to signal openings for a renewed poetic practice†41. The fact is that Lugones’ constant changes of forms and styles, turbulent eroticism and the portrayal of common life attracted attention of many Spanish-American poets. Tensions and ambiguity that are slightly seen in the works of other modernista poets are considerably intensified in Lugones’ poetry42. 5.4. The Legacy of Modernismo Ruben Dario and Leopoldo Lugones as the major contributors to the formation of Spanish modernismo left a considerable legacy to other poets who began to utilise modernista elements of Lugones and Dario in their poetic works. Some of these poets are Ramà ³n Là ³pez Velarde, Cà ©sar Vallejo, Jorge Luis Borges, Octavio Paz, Alfonsina Storni, Julio Herrera y Reissig, Federico Garcis Lorca, Pablo Neruda and Vicente Huidobro. Their poetry is characterized by expressiveness and freedom, perfection of language and search of new forms, classic allusions and new themes, simplicity of syntax and musicality of words, free verse and powerful visual images. For instance, in his poetic works Ramà ³n Là ³pez Velarde follows Leopoldo Lugones, combining the elements of eroticism with various prosaic elements. Other modernista poets also utilise prosaic components in their poetry, including Baldomero Fernà ¡ndez Moreno and Enrique Banchs. These poets implicitly appl y to Lugones’ method to create opposites; however, they differ from Lugones, using simple colloquial language. Besides, the tone of their poems is quiet in contrast to excessive and exaggerated tone of Lugones. Julio Herrera y Reissig, another modernista poet, greatly resembles Lugones in his representation of sexuality and

The Shame of Cigarette Smoking in the Healthcare System :: Journalism Journalistic Essays Smoke

Smokers in scrubs: The shame of cigarette smoking in the healthcare system On a recent Thursday morning, while some hospital employees smoked cigarettes in Brigham and Women’s safe haven known as the "butt-hut," others crowded the lobby on Frances Street in Boston to check out the American Cancer Society's â€Å"The Great American Smoke-Out† event. Two women sat behind a folding table handing out informational pamphlets on smoking hazards and ways to kick the fatal habit. Several of the women and men who approached the table for information or signed up to get their lung capacity tested were wearing scrubs, a sign that cigarette smoking is still prevalent among health care employees. â€Å"Hospitals, including Dana Farber, are starting to now reimburse employees who enroll in a quit-smoking program. In some cases, they get back almost $ 500 for counseling, patches, and nicotine gum,† said Jennifer Kelly, who runs the smoking cessation program at Brigham and Women’s. The smoking cessation program is offered to both employees and the public, and provides individual and group counseling, which meets one day a week for eight weeks. Kelly explained that each hour- long session costs $10, however the fee is waived for those with free healthcare benefits or Medicare and all participants of the program receive discounts on nicotine patches and chewing gum. With several Boston area programs designed to rid the habit of the 20% of Massachusetts residence, who smoke and with hospitals practically paying their employees to quit smoking than why are 47 million adults in the U.S. still smoking cigarettes? Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances today; studies have shown that nicotine is as addictive to people as heroin, cocaine and alcohol. According to a study conducted by the American Cancer Society, in the U.S today, nicotine is the most common form of drug addiction among adults, high school students and middle-school students. While studies preformed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that cigarette smoking has declined 40% among adults ages 18 and over, between the years of 1965 and 1999 still today, nearly 26% of men and 22% of women smoke cigarettes. Dr. Laura Fredenburgh, a soft spoken and attractive woman in a white coat with her name and title embroidered on the pocket, sat at a long table on Thursday morning. She carefully explained to people the results of their free lung capacity tests that were given during the â€Å"Smoke-Out.

The Battle At Wounded Knee :: essays papers

The Battle At Wounded Knee On December 15, 1890 authorities feared that the Sioux's new Ghost Dance ³ religion might inspire an uprising. Sitting Bull permitted Grand River people to join the antiwhite Ghost Dance cult and was therefore arrested by troops. In the fracas that followed, he was shot twice in the head. Sitting Bull' followers were apprehended and brought to the U.S Army Camp at Wounded Knee Creek in southwestern South Dakota. Moving among the tipis, soldiers lifted women's dresses and touched their private parts, ripping from them essential cooking and sewing utensils. The men sitting in the council heard the angry shrieks of their wives, mothers, and daughters. Several Lakota, offended by the abusive actions of the cavalry, stubbornly waited to have their weapons taken from them. It was a show of honor in front of their elders, for few of them were old enough to have fought in the "Indian Wars" fifteen years before. That night, everyone was tired out by the hard trip. James Asay, a Pine Ridge trader and whiskey runner, brought a ten-gallon keg of whiskey to the Seventh Cavalry officers. Many of the Indian men were kept up all night by the drunken Cavalry where the soldiers kept asking them how old they were. The soldiers were hoping to discover which of the men had been at the Battle of Little Bighorn where Custer was killed. On the bitterly cold morning of December 29, 1890, Alice Ghost Horse, a thirteen- year old Lakota girl rode her horse through the U.S Army camp looking for her father, one of the Indian men who had been rounded up earlier that day. Less than fifty yards away she could see her father sitting on the ground with other disarmed men from Chief Big Foot's band, surrounded by more than 500 heavily armed soldiers of the Seventh Cavalry. She looked North up the hill where four "guns on wheels" were mounted. Troopers watched silently on each side of the Hotchkiss battery. To one side Alice noticed a familiar figure standing with hands raised above his head, his arms turned upward in prayer. It was the medicine man by the name of Yellow Bird. He stood facing the east, right by the fire pit which was now covered with dirt. He was praying and crying. He was saying to the spotted eagles that he wanted to die instead of his people. He must have sense that something was going to happen. He picked up some dirt from the fire place and threw it up in the air and said, "This is the way I want to go, back to dust. The Battle At Wounded Knee :: essays papers The Battle At Wounded Knee On December 15, 1890 authorities feared that the Sioux's new Ghost Dance ³ religion might inspire an uprising. Sitting Bull permitted Grand River people to join the antiwhite Ghost Dance cult and was therefore arrested by troops. In the fracas that followed, he was shot twice in the head. Sitting Bull' followers were apprehended and brought to the U.S Army Camp at Wounded Knee Creek in southwestern South Dakota. Moving among the tipis, soldiers lifted women's dresses and touched their private parts, ripping from them essential cooking and sewing utensils. The men sitting in the council heard the angry shrieks of their wives, mothers, and daughters. Several Lakota, offended by the abusive actions of the cavalry, stubbornly waited to have their weapons taken from them. It was a show of honor in front of their elders, for few of them were old enough to have fought in the "Indian Wars" fifteen years before. That night, everyone was tired out by the hard trip. James Asay, a Pine Ridge trader and whiskey runner, brought a ten-gallon keg of whiskey to the Seventh Cavalry officers. Many of the Indian men were kept up all night by the drunken Cavalry where the soldiers kept asking them how old they were. The soldiers were hoping to discover which of the men had been at the Battle of Little Bighorn where Custer was killed. On the bitterly cold morning of December 29, 1890, Alice Ghost Horse, a thirteen- year old Lakota girl rode her horse through the U.S Army camp looking for her father, one of the Indian men who had been rounded up earlier that day. Less than fifty yards away she could see her father sitting on the ground with other disarmed men from Chief Big Foot's band, surrounded by more than 500 heavily armed soldiers of the Seventh Cavalry. She looked North up the hill where four "guns on wheels" were mounted. Troopers watched silently on each side of the Hotchkiss battery. To one side Alice noticed a familiar figure standing with hands raised above his head, his arms turned upward in prayer. It was the medicine man by the name of Yellow Bird. He stood facing the east, right by the fire pit which was now covered with dirt. He was praying and crying. He was saying to the spotted eagles that he wanted to die instead of his people. He must have sense that something was going to happen. He picked up some dirt from the fire place and threw it up in the air and said, "This is the way I want to go, back to dust.

Girls: Growing up in the Global Education System :: Essays Papers

Girls: Growing up in the Global Education System Introduction When one thinks of the term â€Å"school education†, one sees it as the golden key to a brighter future, improving employment prospects and earnings but fundamentally we think of a system that serves to stimulate individual talents to the full, regardless of race, gender or social status. The naivete of this thought is huge however, as the majority of people are unaware of the victimization of girls that exists in the schooling system. Reports around the world show examinations of how girls face multiple social and economic barriers to both enrolling in and staying in school. However, in most settings, disparities between initial enrollment rates for girls and boys are much greater than differences in drop out rates, suggesting that the major challenge remains to get girls in school. In this report, I will focus my attention into three areas: the barriers that girls face in enrolling in the schooling system; the inequalities that they receive in school (ultimat ely an inferior education to boys due to gender bias and other issues); as well as the paths taken by administrators towards improving the state of a girl’s education. Due to the wide range of sources that I used, I will attempt to parallel the elements of a girl's education from various corners of the globe with that of girls living on the border. Barriers Girls face in enrolling in school Factors that affect the percentage of girls who enroll in school are various; poverty, tradition and culture are the primary barriers which girls experience in school enrolment. A family’s income is a great determinant of the probability that girls will attend school. If a family’s income is low, the son is often chosen to attend school rather than the daughter, as he is more likely to contribute financially to the family income and support their parents, as they grow old. Girls in such an environment are needed to help with household chores and childcare for younger siblings. Since schooling involves substantial costs for fees, books, uniforms and transportation, when available school places or family resources are limited, parents often give higher priority to educating sons. This situation oftentimes accurately depicts the situation facing girls living on the border, as their families can be classed in such a poor social status.

I’M Their

Essay 2. In what ways do your academic background and recent professional or managerial experience provide evidence of your potential for success in the program you selected? In your eventual career? Please provide specific examples of relevant coursework and/or experience. Majoring[Major] in International Economics and Trade, I have built a sound academic background of economics and finance during four years of undergraduate study in School of Economics, Fudan University.Through a series of curricular and research projects, I developed sound theoretical knowledge and strong analytical ability. My personality and ambition was shaped by active participation in various leadership positions and experience of professional practice. [I dont like this beginner, since it’s too plain and not impressive something no other than a narration. Ordinarily, you should figure out the very important perspective of yourself which can ensure reader of your suitability tp this program, if not ext inguishment, e. . Your career goal, some specific internship, courses or research project arouse your great interest in some parts of this program. ] During the first two years of my undergraduate study, I have taken a wide range of courses. Basic core courses such as Political Economics, Micro and Macroeconomics empowered me to construct theoretical framework of economics, while Advanced Mathematics, Linear Algebra, Statistics, Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistics enabled me to apply quantitative methods to economic analysis. Referring some courses correlated to the program, for example, since it’s under the B-school, some finance, strategy, marketing and other practical courses you’ve enrolled in could be figured out. ] My talents revealed when it comes to international economics, in which not only did I achieve top grades but also proactively conducted a series of research projects. Through studying Western Economic History, Introduction to world economy, International trade, and International Economic Cooperation, I have gained deeper understanding about international economics and complex relations among the world’s major economies.My coursework covered various issues including FDI, Merger & Acquisition, the manor system of West Europe and the trading structure between China and US, and my term paper on The Origins of Three Major Crisis In The 20th Century – the Great Depression, the financial crisis in East Asia in 1997 and the Subprime Mortgage Crisis was one of the best in my class. [This paragraph is nice and useful. ]Meanwhile, I was the Vice General Secretary of the school students union and Vice President of FDU X-Games Club, both[All of the ] managerial[administrative] positions lasted for one year[You should delete it for one year is no better than not referred to] and greatly enhanced my leadership, creativity and sense of responsibility. My junior year was a very productive year, with excellent academic res ults that won me a scholarship for academic session 2011-2012, three research projects respectively concerning M&A, RMB equilibrium exchange rate and deindustrialization, and several well-constructed term papers.Equipped with knowledge and analytical skills gained from previous study, I started my trials in more complex researches. Apart from course study, I was devoted to a research project with Professor Dazhong Cheng on Chinese firms’ cross-border merger and acquisition from the perspective of heterogeneous firms internationalization theory, which is a part of his research project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71272069).I was responsible for collecting and selecting massive amounts of data, translating company information between English and Chinese, and processing data using such software packages as STATA and EVIEWS. This research experience has enhanced my understanding of merger and acquisition at the micro level, as well as trained my practical ability of solving problems using econometric methods. [As far as I know, the program of MAief is a very practical one which is aiming to provide its enrollers a wealthy professional trainee, so the research experience seems like redundant.Just take more efforts to your professional experience, your working endeavors your personal characteristics, and some special things to distinguish you. ] It was during the study of International Finance, Monetary Economics and Investments that I discovered pure interest and real passion in finance. These courses are highly demanding, taught with most up-to-date case analysis, group discussions and large amounts of literature reading. Being self-motivated, I found myself well adapted to this learning mode.I organized group projects on RMB equilibrium exchange rate and tools of monetary policy as group leader, presented learning outcome at class seminars. I led my team zealously participated in the class debate, and ranked 1st in perfor mance graded by committee consists of the professor and teaching assistants. [Your interests, your career goals should be put as very beginning as possible, since those things are the admission committee finding for to judge whether you are thoughtful, promising, and suitable for their program.While ] The deeper I [get]involved, the more fascinated I became. In order to gain better understanding of the financial market through practice, I became an intern at the Settlement Center of Bank of East Asia (China) Limited in the summer of 2012 after standing out from dozens of competitors. The Settlement Center is responsible for concentrated treasury management of BEA China, including the clearing and settlement of bonds, currencies, financial derivatives and the associated financial risk management.During the 4-month internship, I took prime responsibility in collecting capital adequacy ratio data and foreign exchange positions data from branches, then analyzed the data and compiled acc urate statements and reports for the team to conduct effective management. My working passion also lies in risk management of securities by revaluation and credit evaluation. I assisted mark-to-market accounting, as well as analysis of bonds’ issuers’ annual reports.My initiative and devotion has earned first-rate recommendation of the Department Head of the Settlement Center. Apart from daily work, I also voluntarily worked on the communication and cooperation between the back office and the front desk, which enhanced operation efficiency of both the Settlement Center and the Treasury Division. Impressed by my effort, the President of the Treasury Division offered me an opportunity to join the division as a trainee to work with and learn from experienced colleagues.The exposure in the front desk triggered my enthusiasm for the fast-changing financial markets, while the diligent practice at the Settlement Center reinforced my systematic comprehension of banking busines ses. [You put too much narration, what about mentioning some difficulties, challenges, harshy time or even failure you came across during these time, and how you deal with them beat them and pull yourself back. If no immediate scripts, just imagine some, that’s OK. ]This professional experience has shaped my analytical abilities and interpersonal skills, as well as my career goals. I am highly willing to work as a financial analyst in an investment bank, an asset management company or a financial consulting firm after earning a M. A. in International Economics and Finance. Eventually, with financial expertise and first-hand experience, I will realize my long-term goal of founding an investment company specialized in investment portfolios management.I am on the way towards my portrayed blueprint, and the distinguished MAief program of Brandeis IBS would be one milestone along the expedition. [To end up your personal statement, the safest way is to explain your deficits through which you could express your eagerness of being admitted by Brandeis (also you could flatter it as your dream school and ideal program), underscore your insatiability of strengthening yourself and reiterate about your career goal in details. ] If I were you, I will Ar the very beginning,g