Of MUN and Academia

Of MUN and Academia Sometime in the last month, I was forwarded a request to blog about Model United Nations at MIT. I covered this issue somewhat in this entry, when I went to UPMUNC in November. One of the most common questions the MIT MUN delegation gets from students from other MUN teams is, Arent you guys a tech school? What are you doing here?! Ahem. Engineers can debate, too! We attend several conferences in a year this year, we had 5 conferences, and hosted one conference for high schoolers. These are the different conferences we had: BarMUN (a new BU conference for collegiate students) October, Boston, MA UPMUNC (hosted by UPenn) November, Philadelphia, PA McMUN (hosted by McGill) January (IAP), Montreal, Canada HNMUN (hosted by Harvard) February (this past weekend), Cambridge, MA WorldMUN (international conference) March (during spring break), Puebla, Mexico BosMUN (a BU-MIT joint conference hosted for high school students) February (two weekends ago) Members of the BU or MIT MUN program are given the chance to staff BosMUN. Chairing aside, positions were primarily needed for crisis staff and logistical stuff. For this conference, I was able to vice-chair for a specialized committee in BosMUN. The conference had around 1200 students from all over the world (including sizable delegations from China), and it was an interesting experience meeting these students and seeing the conference from the other side of the spectrum. Joining MUN is easy. Generally, you just sign on to the MIT MUN mailing list, and youll regularly receive information about the application to other conferences. I personally think that doing MUN is a very welcome break from the torrent of science that is present everyday. =D In other news, Im a sophomore! Although I prided myself on not caving into the pressure of advanced sophomore standing (its something that most freshmen hop onto rather quickly) in the beginning, I decided that it was to my advantage to declare sophomore standing. So what is sophomore standing at MIT? Basically if you took a sizable amount of AP exams in high school (or courses at a local college) and received decent marks (5s for AP exams), MIT would award you with what is called General Elective Credits, and those credits will be appended onto your transcript. Moreover, you need to meet these factors: * Have taken the majority of science GIRs (there are 6 science/math GIRs so you need 4). * Have taken and passed a CI HASS class (basically a humanities class that involves more writing of essays, talking, or any other form of communication CI stands for Communication Intensive). A side note: youre actually required to take a CI class during your first year at MIT, or youll be considered to be in non-compliance with the Freshman Communication Requirement. Curious. * Have more than 96 credits before the beginning of the second semester (one semester at MIT = 48 credits). If you do the math, 96-54 (max credit limit for froshies, first term, unless you take 12.000) = 42. So if you come in with 42 additional credits, you will qualify for sophomore standing at the end of your first year. Lets make things easier. Suppose you took the AP Calculus BC exam and received either a 4 or a 5 (this is THE one instance where a 4 would be taken by MIT for credit), you will get 12 units for 18.01 (Calculus I). This means that 42-12 = 30. MIT grants 9 units of General Elective Credit for extra AP exams that are on this list, so you need 4 extra 5s on AP exams (and have passed all of your first semester classes) to qualify for sophomore standing. Also, if you took the Physics C exam and received 5s on both parts, you will instead reduce your needed extra credits from 30 to 18, which means you only need 2 extra 5s on AP exams. In a word, sophomore standing isnt very difficult to get, if thats what you want. But before jumping on the bandwagon, you need to consider these factors: Pros: * You now can take 72 credits (six full classes) in one term and no one will yell at you. * When someone asks you, What Course are you?, you wont be just another freshman with a wannabe course number. Hey now you have a major on WebSIS! (online advising folder) * If you totally hate your freshman adviser, youll be finally rid of him/her (disclaimer: this is totally not the case with me. I have Matt! Who, for the record, is awesome. =D) Cons: * Black, ugly Ds and Fs will appear on your transcript, if you do poorly. * 72 credits(x) + overinflated-ego(x) = sadness, depression, and great gnashing of teeth, once x = 5th week. * You are now allowed to be a constituent of the Class of (y-1), where y = your class year. The horror! The horror! These aside, my biggest rationale for not declaring sophomore standing during the first semester was because I had no idea what I wanted to major in. Well, okay, perhaps I have somewhat of an idea, but Im sure its not a very accurate one since Ive taken a grand total of ONE (not to mention that its a GIR) course in that department. I wanted to wait a little before making the decision. But then, when spring registration came around, the awkward freshman spring credit limit reared its ugly head. The freshman spring credit limit is 57 credits, which translates to 4 full courses of 12-credits and one 9-credit seminar or exploratory class. I signed on to a 9-credit exploratory class, but quickly began disliking the class strongly which led to me dropping the course within one week. Given the limited number of 9-credit classes and scheduling conflicts, I realized that I might be much better off taking Spanish III, so mi espanol doesnt just all go down in the drain, despite spending a month in Spain. 21F.703 is 12 credits, which means 125 = 60 credits! Oh no! Im over the freshman credit limit! What should I do? Obviously, I went and declared sophomore standing (to the grief of the director of the UAAP (academic and advising office), who maintains that the reason to take sophomore standing should not be to exceed the freshman credit limit). Ah well. =/ So now, Im a sophomore in Course VII, Biology. Im finding the 60-credit load to be a little bit intimidating, but Ill see what happens. ;) Que sera, sera. Extra Information: MIT MUN Questions? Just email me. Sophomore Standing Statistics iHouse just had a retreat! woo amazing food. =D

How to Find Quadratic Line of Symmetry

Roman Coins And Its Impact On Public Opinion - 2237 Words

The most commonplace of objects, we hardly give coins a thought as they pass through our hands day by day. Across the ages, however, coins have been deliberately employed for the purpose of delivering political messages and conveying and reinforcing images of power. Even today, empty even the most committed Australian republican’s wallet and you will most likely find a coin decorated with the image of the queen. You might say she is our most constant companion. Surviving Roman coinage is plentiful and examples exist which date from the Republic in third century BCE right through to Byzantine times. The authors of antiquity have left very little information about the coins they would have handled on a regular basis and so our understanding†¦show more content†¦So how did they shape the perceptions of the people, including the illiterate plebeian’s, in their favour? How did they transmit their power to the furthest reaches of their territory and achieve, maintain and promote an atmosphere of peace, prosperity and good governance when Rome was in conflict? While written works, such as the pro-Roman writings of Livy, were used as propaganda, the influence of these writings was restricted to the literate and largely to those who could read Latin. Coined money on the other hand, which permitted and fostered unlimited economic communication would be seen and handled by people of all social ranks across the empire. Coined money came to Rome from Greece, the first society with a markedly monetized economy. While the Roman’s employed coins during the early Republican period, minted in bronze as a means of state payment (of which the army was the main recipient), these coins were not uniform across their territory and are relatively rare. By 289 BCE coinage was controlled by the Senate and pieces clearly recognizable as coins in bronze, silver and gold, began appearing in Rome. These coins were stamped with motifs and symbols that were relevant and of interest to the Roman state, however, the purpose of this marking was primarily to distinguish coin value, i.e. the denarius coin was marked by the â€Å"Roma† head and the as by Janus. It wasn’t until the late Republic era that this system of

The Great Awakening Free Essays

Great Awakening revived and reformed religion by creating a new intensely-emotional approach to Church teachings. New Light preachers added a much needed Jolt to this religious slump of boring and uninspiring sermons. They rivaled, and served as serious competition for the traditional â€Å"Old Light† teachers. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Awakening or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, was the Great Awakening a key contribution to the American Revolution? I can agree, but, the true answer Is Indecisive. Whether the â€Å"Awakening† did or did not influence independence in America, this new wave of religious freedom is with no doubt an important landmark in history. Despite disagreeing to this next opinion, the â€Å"supposedly† ineffective relationship between the Great Awakening and the revolution is supported with heavy content. According to some, this religious involvement was merely, as Jon Butler puts it, an â€Å"interpretative fiction†. This states that the Great Awakening was a meaningful symbol with no valid reference; it had â€Å"more talk, and less substance†. Butler also argues that historians took â€Å"revivals having little connection† and unified them Into one big affair. When merging with the world of politics, Church leaders failed to spread religion because of failure to defend It. They never supported the Awakening with â€Å"factional alignments† (historical evidence) and even failed to show strong â€Å"discontent with the Imperial relationship†. Some rebellious factions like Samuel Ward’s and Stephen Hopkins in Rhode Island, and several New York resistance parties, were never linked to the Great Awakening. Defiance groups against Britain were already established without the help of a religious influence. The arguments that supported this â€Å"enlightenment† weren’t convincing enough to influence such a revolt. Nevertheless, the Great Awakening inspired a new freely independent way of elisions and political thinking in British-America either way. Ezra Stiles was an American clergyman who worried about an imminent forthcoming of religious freedom In the colonies. This fear was an example of how such a religious movement could easily become a threat to the British. This freedom also institutes and Inspires an Ideology of liberty. Led by Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, and the Tenets, these â€Å"New Light† preachers emotionally Impacted the view of parishioners. Their explosive innovative interpretations of faith to God and their fiery sermons changed religion forever. James Davenport was known for preaching in the streets; gathering listeners to learn about a different approach to receive God’s favor. Davenport â€Å"encouraged his followers to cast away their fine clothes† and other valuables to live their life based on God and not by material things. Because of the New Light’s favor for education, many famous ivy-league colleges were created from it too. Their inspiration on social, political, and educational subjects marks the power of religious influence. It was a significant event that united the Americans to share something together as a group. This newly and largely formed congregation shaped how Americans viewed society and religion to what It Is today. Even with well supported Information, negative views towards the Great Awakening aren’t as convincing as the power of God. Cods presence of higher authority gave Americans hope that the British aren’t strong enough to rule over them forever. Traditional teachings of the now respected as a fair, merciful, powerful, and fair leader whom the people could look up to. What was also learned under God was that all men were created are equal. America uses this term as inspiration for their separation considering that it was mentioned in the â€Å"Declaration of Independence†. The equality of man and the justice of the Lord gave an opportunity for them to be free; free from English rule. As harmless as the â€Å"building of stronger faith† sounds, religion has the ability to inspire a revolution. The newfound feeling of pride for God and country was a strong impact to America. They couldn’t let that go. They were starting to feel more like a country and â€Å"united† nation. It was impossible to Juggle between their newfound religious and social beliefs with Britain’s already established religious and social beliefs. With the accomplishments of the Great Awakening, came the start of a separation that will change history. How to cite The Great Awakening, Papers The Great Awakening Free Essays The Great Awakening occurred around during the 18th Century. It was led by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. It was a spiritual rebirth that swept over American colonies during the beginning of the 18th Century. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Awakening or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Great Awakening resulted in the growth of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist Churches. This rebirth was intended to renew Puritanism and appeal to the colonists’ emotions by taking away the coldness and replacing it with a religion that they could be more involved in. Political uncertainty and economic instability distracted communists from religious obligations (http://www. great-awakening. com/? page_id=12). When the awakening took place people were not only just members of the church but they began to really learn about their religion and engage more in prayer. This also allowed these people to be more in touch with God. Not only by prayer was this able to happen, but also through song, readings, language, and social conscience. The Great Awakening revealed that people were interested in modifying religion to meet their needs (http://www. great-awakening. com/? page_id=12). The Great Awakening caused what was said to be a â€Å"religious fever† which caused believers to break away from the church because they church wasn’t fulfilling their needs. This event led to the desire to leave their mother country, England. The break away prepared America for its War of Independence. After a while, colonists began to realize that political power was in their own hands (http://christianbookshelf. org/greene/the_development_of_religious_liberty_in_connecticut/chapter_ix_the_great_awakening. htm) Does America need a Great Awakening today? In my opinion, I think that we just might need it. There are so many crimes taking place this day and times that there is no way that people are taking part in their religious life. There are robberies, murders, rape, etc. constantly happening in the country. If we were to have another Great Awakening it could possibly decrease the amount of these crimes committed. An article that I have recently read was saying how Anti-Christian plays were performed at schools such as Dartmouth. Also in New Jersey, a bible was taken from a Presbyterian church and was burned in a bonfire held for the public. Let’s take a look at entertainment these days. For example, some of these used to be Disney stars that stole the hearts of young boys and girls, are now sexualized and have been in trouble for drugs and addiction. People are turning away from their Christian values for How to cite The Great Awakening, Papers

Ts Eliot - Ezra Pound Comparison Essays - Literature,

Ts Eliot - Ezra Pound Comparison The essay Tradition and the Individual Talent by T. S. Eliot incorporates many ideas sympathetic to those found in Pounds poetry, thus allowing Pound to be comprehended more completely by one who has first read Eliots essay. If one were to read Eliots essay, he could in turn pick up ideas central to understanding Pounds poetry, such as: the importance of tradition and the classics to poetry, the readers knowledge of great works of the past, and that an authors poems often consist of ideas and feelings foreign to them. If one were to keep these general ideas in his mind while reading Pounds poems, his understanding would be much more complete, and would arrive there before the reader who hasnt prepared himself with Eliots essay. One of the first aspects of Eliots essay which would help one who is getting ready to read Pound is the emphasis of the importance of tradition and the classics to poetry. Pound feels as if being totally foreign to tradition is one of the worst things that a poet can do. He feels as if tradition is a rich part of any poetry. Eliot states that the historical sense compels a man to writewith a feeling that the whole of the literature of Europe from Homer and within it the whole of the literature of his own country has a simultaneous existence and composes a simultaneous order. Eliot is stating that the poet should write with all the influence that he has gained through his experiences and teachings, and then he can create a masterful poem. Eliots essay encourages the reader to learn and embrace the classics, which in turn are very useful in understanding and reading Pounds literature. Eliots refers back to the classics, much like Pound, just on a lesser scale, thus acclimating the reader to Pounds technique. Eliot even goes so far as to include a quote in Greek much like Pound does on several occasions. He states, [a poets] significance, his appreciation is the appreciation of his relation to the dead poets and artists. In this statement he insinuates that the reader must have sufficient knowledge of the dead poets and artists in order to truly appreciate the value of a poets work. Eliot also mentions that the authors work must be compared to the works of past authors in order to fully see its greatness. Eliots use of seductive statements such as the aforementioned one effectively convince his reader to develop a richer knowledge of the classics, and therefore coincide with Pounds goal. When one reads Eliots essay he can notice that Eliot believes a poets actual feelings and emotions are not necessarily the emotions that he portrays in a given poem. This is definitely true in Pounds work, as can be clearly seen in his poem, The River Merchants Wife. This work is an altered version of an 8th century poem, which was actually written by a Chinese poet named Li Taipo. Naturally, since the poem is not his originally it cant possibly be his feelings and emotions, although it can be partially in agreement with him. Eliot makes a good example of this in his essay with an example dealing with chemistry and a catalyst. As the catalyst is being compared to the poets mind, it is separate from the feelings and emotions contained in a poem, and remains wholly unchanged by the process the poet goes through in his creation of a poem. Pound is infamous for utilizing this style in his creation of poetry, often taking plots from past literary works, and molding them into his own art. Reading the essay Tradition and the Individual Talent by T. S. Eliot truly helps one understand Ezra Pounds poetry for what it was originally meant to be. Pound utilizes the technique of including emotions and feelings totally foreign to him in his poetry, which Eliot warns is quite common in good poetry. It is Eliots belief that only through incorporation of ones influences, both past and present, a poet can truly be original. Utilizing the suggestions supplied by Eliot, and therefore enriching his knowledge of the classics, the reader can use Eliot as a handbook to

Effects essays

Effects essays As the issues of war change, the effects of war of a family differ in some ways and remain the same in other ways. A family will still hurt of the loss of a family member and the communication between family members has changed. From the standards of war today to the viewpoints or war, changes occur all along the way, but things still remains the same. Civil War or World War, the effects of communication from the past till now have evolved. When a family member heads off to war, there is less communication. That family member can write letters like the soldiers did back in the civil war. Now, soldiers can e-mail and use instant messenger. This helps improve communication between family members. Also, most people today have cell phones. They aid soldiers to communicate with their family members, unless there is no service where they are. Even though there is more technology to help communication between family members, the time to communicate of a soldier remains the same. In the past, the arm forces consisted of just men. Today not only men, but also women can join the army or navy to help fight in a war. Also, in the past, soldiers rode around to towns asking anyone (white males of about the age 18 and some slaves) to join their side. Just like in the past, husbands, single men, divorced men, boyfriends, still take part in the war. Today, soldiers of any race or sex may work in varies branches of the army/navy/marines, but only if they pass a series of tests. When a family member in the war dies, the effects remain the same. The family receives a letter or someone calls or visits the family to tell the family to bad news. The family would still be very hurt over the loss of a loved one. They would still want a proper burial for that person. Family members can still have different viewpoints of a war. They can both take different sides in war and remain close to each other. In the past, usually family members t...

John Henry Picture Book by Julius Lester

John Henry Picture Book by Julius Lester The legend of John Henry has been celebrated in song and story for generations, but my favorite version is the childrens picture book John Henry by Julius Lester, with illustrations by Jerry Pinkney.   Julius Lesters John Henry is based on the African American folk ballad John Henry, the tale of John Henry, the steel-driving man who was bigger and stronger than anyone and the competition between him and the steam-powered drill in digging a railroad tunnel through a mountain. While John Henry dies at the end, this is not a sad story but a celebration of a life well lived.   I recommend Lesters retelling of the story of the African American folk hero as an excellent read aloud for children five and older, as well as a good book for independent readers in grades 4-5. Who Was John Henry? While much has been written about John Henry, much of the true story of John Henry is still shrouded in mystery. However, what the John Henry of song and story represents is very clear in both the words and images in this book. Artist Jerry Pinkney saw John Henry as ... a free man, whose strength and valor bring him fame. He was a strong folk hero for African Americans, a symbol of all the working men who made a major contribution to the building of the roads and railroads in the mountains of West Virginia - a dangerous job for which many paid with their lives. (Source: Penguin Putnam Inc.) John Henry: The Story Julius Lesters story of John Henry begins with his birth and immediate growth to a size so large that his head and shoulders busted through the roof which was over the porch of his familys home in 1870s West Virginia. The tall tale continues with the saga of how John Henry grew big, strong, fast, and fearless. His crowning achievement, and the cause of his death, was winning a competition to break through a mountain so the railroad could go through. On one side of the mountain, the railroad boss used a steam drill. On the other side, John Henry used his hammers and amazing strength. When John Henry and the stream drill met inside the mountain, the boss was amazed to find that while he had come only a quarter of a mile, John Henry had come a mile and a quarter. John Henry walked out of the tunnel to the cheers of the other workers, then fell to the ground and died. Everyone who was there came to the realization that Dying aint important. Everybody does that. What matters is how well you do your living. Awards and Recognition John Henry was named a Caldecott Honor Book. and to be named a Randolph Cadecott Medal or Honor Book recipient is a prestigious honor. Caldecott honors are awarded annually by the American Library Association in recognition of excellence in American childrens picture book illustration. Other honors for John Henry include  a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and being included on the ALA Notable Childrens Books list. John Henry: My Recommendation There are several things that make this book memorable. The first is Julius Lesters use of imagery and personification. For example, when describing what happened when John Henry laughed loudly, Lester reported, †¦the sun got scared. It scurried from behind the moons skirts and went to bed, which is where it shouldve been anyway. The second is the artwork of Jerry Pinkney. While Pinkney used his usual pencil, colored pencils, and watercolors, his use of shading is exaggerated in the illustrations, to good effect. This creates almost a transparent effect in some scenes, creating the illusion of looking into the far distant past. Its as if you can see what is going on, but you also know that it all has a bigger, broader meaning than just the scene depicted. The third is the extra information provided. It helps to set the context for the story. Included are brief author and illustrator biographies, a note from the author about his collaboration with Pinkney, and an overview of the origin of the John Henry story and the sources used by Lester. This information will be particularly helpful to teachers and librarians as they share the book with students. I recommend this childrens picture book for the children five to ten years old and their families.   Its also a good book for elementary school classrooms. (Puffin Books, Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 1994. Hardcover edition ISBN: 0803716060, 1999, Paperback edition ISBN: 9780140566222)