MAR free essay sample

A bald-headed black man strides into the meadow and stands before 57 students lined shoulder to shoulder. â€Å"If you’re satisfied with life, step forward. If not, step back.† Fifty-seven students take a step. â€Å"If your parents are divorced, step back. If they’re happy, step forward. If you don’t know, stay put† Forty students step. The rest stand still. Although I missed the opening dance of senior year, I learned important lessons by attending MAR, Culver’s weekend Multicultural Awareness Retreat. From cultural mash-ups to role-playing skits to the â€Å"Starting Line† game, 57 students and 15 faculty learned about living in a diverse world. When â€Å"Starting Line† began, we closed our eyes, and responded to questions about our social and economic background, our faith and sexuality. We stepped forward or backward when we believed our answers were social advantages or disadvantages. After 40 questions, still blindfolded, I figured I was in the middle. We will write a custom essay sample on MAR or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But I wasn’t. I was third from front. I’d never realized my life was so good, at least compared to my friends’. We were told to look at who was in front of us, who was behind us, who was beside us. How different we are from each other, but how much we are the same. Culver’s 800 students come from 26 countries and 37 states, but the University of Michigan will be far larger, more diverse, more challenging. I will bring the acceptance from MAR to U-Mich community; I will be part of the rich diversity of campus life.

buy custom Descartes essay

buy custom Descartes essay Descartes portrays his own search for truth as the only knowledge. This includes the truth of mathematic and the metaphysical foundation of sciences. He argued that such knowledge could only be acquired through reasoning. However, the knowledge of physics can be gained from experience of the scientific methods. According to him, the rational pursuit of truth should be based on doubting every belief about reality. He developed a way to attain the real truth other than what he had acquired in the school. Truth that is obtained by reason is broken down into intuition elements which through a deductive process can result to clear truth. For example, he introduced metaphysical dualism which can be used to distinguish between the human mind and body to solve the mind-body problems. Can philosophy be taught? According to Descartes, it cannot be taught but can only be studied and learned. Philosophy begins from a wonderment of the Being of the universe which is the basic problem of philosophy. It actually starts from the self. According to Socrates, philosophy is learned from the act of persistent questioning of authorities and public figures in order to discover the truth of a good life. Socrates was much interested in ethics; he considered the principle of self-knowledg as the adequate condition to a good life. His paradox of an unexamined life is not worth living was meant to highlight the importance of knowledge before anything else on earth. Logic is a branch of mathematics which is a sub set of philosophy. Mathematical logics employ the use of operations which make use of true or false parameters other than numbers. Mathematics is usually a good model to whoever wants to have a clear and logical reasoning because the rules of logics are properly designed, therefore, any well designed and valid mathematical deduction is usually correct. It cannot be realistic to believe that our thought processes are as clear as mathematical proofs because not all thoughts are properly designed to tackle basic human problems. The cogito ergo sum is Descartes most celebrated contribution to the history of ideas. The meaning of this is that someone is wondering whether or not they exist, in and or itself; proof that something an I exists to do the thinking. According to Ren Descartes, the reason why human beings doubt that they have a body is because of the failure to apply their brains to work i.e. not thinking. The message actually depicts that whatever a person thinks, that iss what he is. And if a person believes there is external world, there is, if not there isnt. In Meditation II, Descartes addresses a piece of wax as he melts it in the fire. His main intention is to demonstrate how the same wax changes all its eight characteristics upon exposure to some source of heat. He illustrates that despite the piece of wax still remain even after its change of form, it is nothing appealing to the five senses. It remains to concede that I do not take hold of what this wax is although the imagination i perceive it through the mind alone. But I need to recognize that the insight of the wax is neither a touching, nor a seeing, nor an imagining. Dreams are perceived as external object openly through the concept of our own minds and the images are the result of the external object we perceive. He complements that there are no precise ways of differentiating dreams from waking experiences and hallucinations. My view is that a persons dream is a clear picture of what the mind can see. The method of hyperbolic doubt is the practical and excellent method that ensures both provable and true statements are deductively demonstrated. It actually resembles modern scepticism in the questioning of the most accepted beliefs and norms. Buy custom Descartes essay

Cantonese opera Essay Example for Free

Cantonese opera Essay Most foreign people know what Bejing opera is, but Chinese national Opera has a long history and 275 species of Chinese operas have been saved, there are a wide range of operas were not extended yet, Cantonese opera is very popular in the south of China, many Chinese people prefer Cantonese opera to Beijing Opera. The biggest difference between Beijing Opera and Cantonese Opera is language, the Beijing Opera use Mandarin, the Cantonese Opera use Cantonese. Cantonese opera is local opera in Han Dynasty is formerly known as drama or Guangdong opera from the Southern Opera. Cantonese opera began to appear in Guangdong, Guangxi from AD 1522 to 1566 (Ming Dynasty Jiajing) included singing, read, hit musicians ,soundtrack, stage costumes, The abstract body performing arts. Each Cantonese opera role has its own unique costumes dress. The initial performance’ language is Zhongyuan phonological, also called matshed Mandarin. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the intellectuals changed the opera language to Guangzhou language in order to facilitate their revolution, also aimed to make Cantonese understand easier. Cantonese opera ranked into national intangible cultural heritage on May 20, 2006. The UNESCO add Cantonese opera in the human intangible cultural heritage list on September 30, 2009. Cantonese opera originated in the Chinese folk songs which called Qi folk songs, the earliest folk songs can be traced back to the â€Å"Book of Songs† from pre-Qin Dynasty, but this is the common origin of all Chinese opera, such as Beijing opera, Cantonese opera, class opera, Shanghai opera, Shaoxing opera, and Huangmei opera. The stage art style is impressionistic. The scenery is simple, the play provides situational by virtual performance program, or write captions on board like â€Å"riverside†, â€Å"alpine† instead of stage background. Performances who in the city called â€Å"GD-HK† learned drama, opera and movies to improved their performance and made theme reflect contemporary life. Later, people Change falsetto into true voice in Cantonese opera. The men sing like relatively stable, low; women sing like very delicate and mellow. As some Cantonese opera are very favorite in new media, these famous Cantonese opera has recomposed in movies, TV series, dramas, and music. For example, â€Å"Princess Chang Ping† Purple Hairpin â€Å"† Peony Pavilion â€Å",† Gemini worship the Moon, â€Å"† The Reincarnation of Hongmei mind â€Å"† Butterfly and Red Pear â€Å"Hanada Baxi Xiangluo Otsuka â€Å"Red Cherry broken heart† â€Å"A Dry White Begonia Red,† â€Å"A Dream of Red Mansions† the Sanxiao marriage â€Å"† White Rabbit â€Å"Guizhi complain† Dou E Yuan â€Å"(also known as† June Feishuang â€Å"or† June Snow â€Å"), also included the first national intangible cultural heritage â€Å"Butterfly Lovers†. Cantonese opera. (2017, Jan 10).

Bryan Forbes The Stepford Wives Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Bryan Forbes The Stepford Wives - Movie Review Example The TV show Desperate Housewives clearly references the film in its depiction of one of the main characters, Bree Van De Kamp, due to her 1970s-era standard of wifely and motherly perfection. But while the novelty of the concept of wives being turned into robotic versions of themselves may be exactly what is needed to affirm the 1970s genre of horror cinema-as evidenced by Carrie, The Exorcist, The Omen, and many others-the social implications of the film were not always welcomed by concerned parties. In particular, the undeniable strengthening of the feminist movement in America in the 1980s that gave women even louder voices in societal issues did not find much significance in The Stepford Wives, despite the clear commentary on the prevalent patriarchal norms being followed by general American societies. The analysis then would be centered on this issue, from the communication of female-related concepts and the subsequent interpretation made; the statement about women, after all, is much more pronounced in this text than in the author's previous work, Rosemary's Baby. The film is quite curious from the very beginning, with the ominous perfection of a scene showing a young couple, Joanna and Walter, moving their family from busy, noisy New York City to the peaceful suburb of Stepford. As many horror stories would have it, the idyllic situation slowly starts changing, mainly due to the peculiar behavior of some of the wives in the community. They were strange in their demeanor and ideals, akin to TV portrayals of perfect mothers and wives who spent all their time cooking and cleaning with nary a hair out of place. Subsequently, the transformation of Joanna's friend Bobbie and Joanna herself reveals how the community is controlled by the men, who apparently discard their wives for mechanical look-alikes that would function exactly as expected. But the image created by the film with regard to the epitome of womanhood-specifically in women's roles in the home, such as cooking, cleaning, and maintaining an appearance that conforms to standards promoted by media-is largely within the stereotype of the Caucasian female married to a Caucasian man of stable economic means, enough to provide for a home equipped with the necessary elements that would allow for the keeping up of the image. Children would not be more than two, and are well-dressed and well-behaved. Husbands would leave home and return at very specific times, during which the wife must be ready to attend to his every wish. As this cannot be possible in the frenetic environment of cities and urban addresses, it essentially finds its setting in the suburbs of America, taking from the afterthought to the phenomenon of urbanization, which is the contrary suburbanization. Joanne and Walter's move from New York to Stepford is typical of this occurrence, as more and more problems become associated with living in cities. The growing concern for less substantial economic costs and adhering to a lifestyle denoted by family and community time is at the core of suburbanization, which led many to move back to the suburbs. One of the major influences of this change is "the preference for

Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Organizational Change - Essay Example Failure to anchor the changes on corporate culture makes the change process to fail. Organizational culture is very critical to the success of the change process. As a result, when the management fails to incorporate the organization values and believes, they end up failing to implement changes. One of the major success pillars of change is the understanding and spelling out of the impact of the change process on the people (Burke, 2010). This enables the management to engage all the affected personnel. Effective leadership during the change process provides a base for the change process (Burke, 2010). This is because they are able to communicate effectively to the subordinates and act as role model to them. One of the companies that failed to implement change is Avon. The company failed because some leaders were not in support of the process. In addition, the employees were not involved in the change process. Lastly, there were no clear guidelines to implement the change

The Kite Runner Essay Example for Free

The Kite Runner Essay When one makes the transition from child to adult, they must make the decision to either adopt the traits they have developed, or to see fault and change the problems before the time to do so has past. It takes strength to use the positive traits one possesses, and it takes even more strength to assess the negative traits and emancipate the positive ones. Alan Alda (American actor) once said that â€Å"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What youll discover will be wonderful. What youll discover is yourself. † Before death, a person needs to break their boundaries, and find the security of knowing their identity, otherwise one could go through an entire life, learning all they could about life; but forgetting all about their self. Another key factor influencing our personality is our environment. A society constantly changing for the worse is no place for a person to grow or reside. In Khaled Hosseini’s â€Å"the Kite Runner†, Afghanistan is a place of ethnic differentiation, civil war and darkness. Amir, Baba, and Hassan’s identities, are all examples of different ways a person’s personality and conscience could develop in this oppressive time in Afghanistan’s history. Amir finds peace in who he is through great mental anguish and dangerous decisions, Baba’s weak traits are discovered, and Hassan manages to preserve his Good Samaritan lifestyle whilst fighting off the turmoil’s of being a Hazara boy. The Kite Runner focuses mainly on the themes of identity and self-actualization. Amir from the beginning of the novel was never perfect in the eyes of his father, Baba. During Rahim Khans visit early in the story, Amir overhears Baba speaking about how Amir is weak and disappointing, that â€Å"a boy who cannot stand up for himself becomes a man who cannot stand up for anything. †(24) This is an important quote, because it first introduces Amir’s most dominant trait through his childhood, his cowardice. Baba’s reluctance to praise Amir stems from Baba’s disbelief in his courage. Amir quite often was defended by Hassan in times of trouble, whether the cause was Assef or not. Then when it was Hassan who was in need, Amir was over shrouded by his fear. Amir had felt guilt until his arrival in Pakistan. â€Å"â€Å"That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years. † (1) Amir made the decision to save Sohrab from the Taliban (Assef) was the moment in his life, where he finally felt at peace. Saving Sohrab was his way of gaining up the courage to save Hassan. After the rescue of Sohrab, Amir’s conscience had cleared and he could finally live his life. Amir’s passion for literature was another example of his self-actualization. He would always read to Hassan, due to Hassan’s illiteracy. Amir wished in the future to pursue a degree in English, but this idea was hastily dismissed by Baba and Amir began growing to a man with even less confidence. Amir pondered the thoughts of his father resenting him, which at a young age is a terrible burden for him to hold. The evidence of this hate was displayed in Amir’s face, and as a young child, he is not intelligent enough to realize his father’s love, and it bothered him greatly. Rahim Khan seemed to be the only adult in Amir’s life who supported the idea of his future in literature. He would read, and show great interest in Amir’s story’s; as well as instill hope in Amir with positive feedback. Rahim Khan was the spark that ignited the ever burning flame of Amir’s literary passion. To the reader early on, Baba is the epitome of a man. He is introduced as a man that will stand up for his loved ones, whether it’s a life or death situation. He speaks of Amir like he has no courage whatsoever, which gives the reader some idea of how much Baba values doing the right thing. When Baba and Amir flee Kabul, Baba risks his life to prevent the rape of a woman he doesn’t even know. This drastic act of courage and compassion for his fellow man is inspiring and sets the moral bar for Baba very high. When Amir arrives in Pakistan, he is distraught at the news he hears from Rahim Khan regarding Hassan being his half-brother and Baba’s son. Amir now knows, that the pain he felt from Baba’s resentment was purely a byproduct of the pain Baba feels about Hassan. Baba’s character takes a moral blow in the view of the reader, and to many it never recovers. After hearing of the news, Amir’s betrayal of Hassan is now very reminiscent of his father’s; showing more similarity between them than known before. Amir now knows, Baba’s resentment, was him showing he is too weak to be known as the man who slept with a Hazara. Baba tells Amir in chapter 3 that â€Å"there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. †(19) it’s ironic that Baba says this because he stole Ali’s honor, Amir’s right to a brother, and Hassan’s identity. While all the drastic self-realization of the characters was taking place, Hassan, managed to keep his same and ideal identity. Hassan was righteous and strong, the ideal symbol of the Muslim Religion and every other; to be pure and good. Amir’s resentment towards Hassan after his rape by Assef did not faze Hassan a bit. Hassan was almost too pure to feel any remorse towards Amir, they grew up together, and Amir was his best friend. Even after Amir had lied to Baba to expel Ali and Hassan from their home, Hassan felt no different towards them. He cared for their home while they resided in America; he even stayed in his and Ali’s same hut rather than the house to show respect. His loyalties to Amir and Baba stayed faithful until his death in the very home that he was practically raised in. He said he was caring for it for a friend, and the Taliban called him a liar like all Hazara’s, and killed him in the streets, as well as his wife. Amir might have made different choices in his life had he not plotted to make Hassan and Ali leave, but amidst the cowardice shown by both Amir and Baba, appeared a boy with the morals of an angel. No one can live life without realizing their true identity, and as the story ends; the characters take with them new traits, good or bad. Amir realizes his purpose in life, and he saved a life in the process of discovery of his own identity. Baba is reviled to be similar to a great dam with a crack, viewed as great and powerful, but in turn; the final view of him is weaker than the original opinion of the reader. Hassan through turmoil, conflict, and resentment, stayed true to himself and stayed loyal till his death. One could learn all there is to know, but without knowing their true identity, it is a life not lived.

The Beast In the Cave Essay -- Literary Analysis, H.P. Lovecraft

â€Å"You’ve just crossed over into The Twilight Zone† says Rod Serling before every episode of The Twilight Zone. A show that leaves it’s viewers in a macabre state. Instead of drawing a conclusion like most shows, the show usually ends mysteriously. It utilizes similar elements as other short half-hour shows, but goes about it in a different way. This outlandish style is seen in literature, more specifically short stories, as well. Even though other short stories employ the same literary devices, â€Å"The Beast In The Cave† by H.P. Lovecraft is uniquely mysterious because of the story’s suspenseful plot, compelling diction, and, most important, overshadowing theme. In â€Å"The Beast In The Cave†, H.P. Lovecraft develops a suspenseful plot in order to build tension throughout the story that inevitably leaves the reader feeling disturbed and the story hanging. The plot itself is seems simple, but is complicated at the same time. Victoria Nelson talks about how Lovecraft’s stories tease the reader â€Å"with the tantalizing prospect of utter loss of control, of possession or engulfment, while remaining at the same time safely contained within the girdle of a formalized, almost ritualized narrative†. With â€Å"The Beast In The Cave†, the protagonist faces only one conflict throughout the story making it a simple plot line; however, the predicament he is in provides the complexity and tension that Lovecraft creates in other stories as well. The complexity of the plot starts when the reader is introduced to a man lost in a cave and his source of light goes out and continues when the man realizes that â€Å"starving would prove [his] ultimate fate† (1). Readers get a sense of hopelessness the man is feeling, and this is where the tensions begins to build. Alt... ...s. Design215 Inc., 2005-2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. . Fahy, Thomas Richard. The Philosophy of Horror. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky, 2010. Print. King, Stephen. â€Å"Gramma.† Skeleton Crew. New York: Signet, 1986. 464-494. Lovecraft, H.P.. â€Å"The Beast in the Cave.† The Transition of H.P. Lovecraft: The Road to Madness. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996. 1-6. Nelson, Victoria. The Secret Life of Puppets. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2001. WNC Database. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. Tibbetts, John C. The Gothic Imagination: Conversations on Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction in the Media. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Print. "The Use of Force--William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)." Classic Short Stories. B&L Associates, Bangor, Maine, U.S.A., 1995-2007. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. .