Museum assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Museum assignment - Research Paper Example It was thought that only the priests and others who had taken religious orders could properly interpret God’s word, so it was forbidden for ordinary people to read the bible. Therefore, icons were painted and adorned churches in order to provide the salient stories from the bible for the public to allow them to contemplate and understand the bible. They were used for lessons and so that the people could remember the important parts of the bible, especially the New Testament and the Gospels, and also to inspire as the people believed that if they venerated the image of Jesus or a saint, their actions would pass on to the figure depicted (Lossky and Ouspenky 1999). Icons were created on all kinds of surfaces, including fine linen, wooden plaques and etchings on metal. What binds them together is the intent as a religious icon to venerate and upon which to meditate, the distinctive style with the figures generally lacking perspective or three dimensionality and the text which is true to the subject. The visual elements of this icon are consistent with the story from the New Testament of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem amid cheering crowds and joy, as he was recognized as the Savior. However, the Israelites thought the savior would come as an earthly king, so when it came to pass that Jesus was sacrificed instead, many did not believe He was the Savior. This icon represents Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, just a week before He would be sacrificed upon the cross. The twelve apostles are represented and they are the same size as Christ. There is a woman with a child dressed in red, which could have been Mary Magdalene, but who the child would be is a mystery. Christ’s mother, Mary, cannot be seen. The style is highly stylized in the Russian Orthodox style of iconography("Icon." 1-1). The perspective is all flat, as if

U.S. Supreme Court decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

U.S. Supreme Court decision - Essay Example In April, advocates for parental choice in education scored a major victory in the precedent-setting case before the United States Supreme Court, American Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn. The court ruled by a narrow 5-4 margin that the Arizona program promoting school choice can continue − dismissing a lawsuit waged by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of taxpayers who disliked the program. The ruling favored arguments made by the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal organization that defended ACSTO over the years. The concurring justices found that taxpayers have no standing to challenge the program because the contributions going toward tax credits are private funds − not government funds (Liptak, 2011). ACSTO, like many other programs in the U.S., gives state residents the ability to receive a tax credit for contributions to private organizations that provide private schools with scholarships. This ruling has wide-ranging effects across the governmental, political, and structural spheres of America.The ACSTO decision will greatly impact the way state governmental entities deal with programs similar to ACSTO across the country. Now that such programs will be recognized as legitimate, due to U.S. Supreme Court precedent, state institutions will no longer be able to easily keep state residents from freely donating their money to organizations that help parents send their children to the private schools of their choice. Also, elected, appointed, and/or career policymakers, such as the U.S. Supreme Court Justices who presided over this case ? as well as lawmakers, senators, governors and mayors ? will be making more and more decisions based on the precedent set in this case regarding the use of private funds donated to generate tax credits. Now, bureaucracies will not be allowed to strike down such contributions within the states that adopt the precedent set in Arizona. On the political level, the ACSTO decision has man y far-reaching ramifications. Political parties, interest groups, and unions that are generally opposed to religious organizations receiving funding in the form of tax credits generated from private contributions will have their hands tied when opposing such programs. Leftist social movements opposed to private schools will now have a more difficult time shutting down programs resembling ACSTO. Also, with the case’s national attention, 2012 presidential election campaigns and voters agreeing with the decision will more likely take a stance on the parental choice issue. With the extensive media coverage, public opinion was likely swayed in one way or the other. Many were likely swayed by the executive director of the special interest group Americans United for the Separation, Rev. Barry Lynn, who said that the court â€Å"has slammed the courthouse door in the face of Americans who don’t want their tax dollars to subsidize religion (Biskupic, 2011). On the other hand, those with conservative ideals were likely influenced by media statements made by Tim Keller, executive director of the Institute of Justice’s Arizona chapter, who saw the victory as rebuffing â€Å"efforts by school choice opponents to use the courts to halt programs that empower families to chose a private school education if that is where their child’s needs will be best served (Biskupic, 2011).† The political climate on education has undergone a shift since the decision. Furthermore, the structural forces that hold our nation together, such as the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, state laws, our federalist system, and the economy, can all be affected in some way by the ACSTO ruling. To accommodate such program funding, federal and state constitutions can be amended, laws can be changed, and the economy can be reshaped, as tax credits up to $500 for donations to groups funding religious schools redistributes much money (Weiss, 2011). The decision could also spur a demographic shift, as families

Museum assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Museum assignment - Research Paper Example It was thought that only the priests and others who had taken religious orders could properly interpret God’s word, so it was forbidden for ordinary people to read the bible. Therefore, icons were painted and adorned churches in order to provide the salient stories from the bible for the public to allow them to contemplate and understand the bible. They were used for lessons and so that the people could remember the important parts of the bible, especially the New Testament and the Gospels, and also to inspire as the people believed that if they venerated the image of Jesus or a saint, their actions would pass on to the figure depicted (Lossky and Ouspenky 1999). Icons were created on all kinds of surfaces, including fine linen, wooden plaques and etchings on metal. What binds them together is the intent as a religious icon to venerate and upon which to meditate, the distinctive style with the figures generally lacking perspective or three dimensionality and the text which is true to the subject. The visual elements of this icon are consistent with the story from the New Testament of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem amid cheering crowds and joy, as he was recognized as the Savior. However, the Israelites thought the savior would come as an earthly king, so when it came to pass that Jesus was sacrificed instead, many did not believe He was the Savior. This icon represents Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, just a week before He would be sacrificed upon the cross. The twelve apostles are represented and they are the same size as Christ. There is a woman with a child dressed in red, which could have been Mary Magdalene, but who the child would be is a mystery. Christ’s mother, Mary, cannot be seen. The style is highly stylized in the Russian Orthodox style of iconography("Icon." 1-1). The perspective is all flat, as if

New York Demographics and the Economy Term Paper

New York Demographics and the Economy - Term Paper Example In coming years, the population is set to increase at a rate of 1-1.5% that can be a source of worry for the government. It was further found that 51.5% of the total population of the state are female and the remaining 48.5% are male. 53% of the total population identify themselves as Caucasian, 18% as Hispanic, 8% as Asians, and remaining as native individuals. The health status of New York State operates a state-based marketplace that is known as the NY State of Health. It is designed to help and support people to shop and enroll for health insurance coverage along with comparing insurance coverage and costs. The marketplace also helps people to check their eligibility for healthcare programs such as Medicaid. The marketplace helps people to know about the financial assistance that plays an important role in availing relevant medical and healthcare services. 2The state seems to be expanding its medical and healthcare coverage for low-income adults in order to enhance their wellbeing. Fiscal capacity of a state can be defined as the ability of a governmental jurisdiction to transform economic activities within its geographical boundaries into the public spending. The idea is to raise revenue along with keeping a transparent approach in terms of presenting data and information to the public. 3 Thus, the economic capacity of states is based on taking into the account the income produced, income received from the residents, and total property wealth along with relevant expenses on the public needs and demands. Based on the State Health Facts, it was found that the state fiscal capacity for the year 2013 fell short by $2,000 million and that was around the total shortfall of 3.4%. This was mainly because of the expenses that affected the total earnings and thus the shortfall.  

How Hiphop Has Changed the Youth in Society Essay Example for Free

How Hiphop Has Changed the Youth in Society Essay Throughout the past 30 years, there has been much speculation about how negative hip-hop music truly is, and how it actually affects the youth. The hip-hop music of recent years has been the foundation of many controversial issues and has been illustrated negatively by the media countless times. Issues such as gun and knife crime which has escalated heavily within younger age groups in the last 15 years, especially in the USA and UK and also drug abuse, the use of marijuana being used openly within the younger generations. Hip-hop has been accused of influencing the youth to become more misogynistic towards women by constantly having explicit content, such as racist and sexist lyrics in their music. Hip-hip has always been stereotypically associated with violence and black crime. Due to this, older generations have always had an antagonistic outlook on the entire hip-hop genre of music. Although hip-hip music is considered negative in the eyes of many people, there is to consider various questions to have a better understanding and point of view on the controversial issue. Today we speak, dress and drive what the stars do. Where we shop and eat even the types of homes we buy is dictated by what we hear the celebrities are doing. That is a powerful influence over an individual adult but only imagine what type of influence this has over an impressionable pre-teen. Due to the fact that hip-hop/rap music appeals to the thirteen to eighteen year old audiences and the artists performing come from very similar backgrounds of the listeners, rap music is able to control the way that youth think. Teens and pre-teens are using their part-time job pay check to buy grills (a form of jewellery worn in the mouth) and other types of jewellery and even weapons such as knives and guns are seen as metaphorical fashion accessories for the youth, as these things are incorporated into the lyrics of hip-hop and rap music. What is hip-hop music? In order to understand the hip-hop phenomena one must first create a foundation of knowledge through learning its history. Hip-hop began from a mixture of spoken word poetry, jazz drumming, and jazz instrumentations. Hip-hop is one of the most popular genres of music out today and has been steadily growing in popularity since its rise in fame from the late 1970s. With the rise of MTV in the early 1980s, early hip-hop music was constantly being shown with TV shows such as ‘Yo! MTV raps’ and since then has been known to be one of music’s most successful art forms and has remained popular to this day. With over forty years of being around, hip-hop has grown and matured and most importantly expanded from its origin of the south Bronx in New York, to worldwide. The genre and sub culture originated in the early 1970s when a Jamaican immigrant by the name of Clive Campbell aka DJ Kool Herc, first hit the scene in the Bronx. Campbell started DJ-ing his own parties, playing soul, funk as well as RB records on his turntable set. Herc also brought his know how of the sound system and the popular dancehall/block party scene. Graffiti art had also begun to take shape in the subways of Philadelphia in the mid 1960s. A black teenager by the name of Cornbread began tagging the subways in hopes of attracting a girl he had found feelings for; from this form of youth expression came Graffiti. Fab 5 Freddy, one of the original DJs of Hip-hop, began an art from known as scratching and popularized DJing. Hip-hop consists of four elements, ‘B-boying’ or also known as break dancing. ‘Djing’, ‘Emceeing’, and street art or more commonly known as ‘graffiti’. Djing, also known as the first element of hip-hop began when disc jockeys created beats on two turntables. The way DJs created their beats was simple yet revolutionary in an essence. The DJs would first find a portion of a song that emphasized a percussive pattern, and then looped a portion of the song to form a rhythmic pattern. This procedure is now more commonly known as sampling. With the beat or instrumental now developed, the DJ decided the music needed some accompaniment to the music such as singing or poetry. This procedure is known as rapping or Emceeing. From hip-hop spawned the sub-genre ‘Rap’ in the early 1980s. More and more artists became interested in the new form of music out of New York. In 1981, Rap gained a lot of exposure through popular shows such as 20/20 and Saturday night live. The 1990s saw even more change in the hip-hop industry. Early in the decade, artists fought for permission to sell their albums since most authorities deemed them ‘obscene’ due to the explicit content within the music. A lot which expressed sexual references towards women and talked about the use of drugs. Hip-hop music also spoke strongly about politics and poverty, artists such as Tupac and Public Enemy spoke about such issues. In the 1990s the tension that had been gathering between the west coast ‘Gangsta’ and the East coast artists has exploded and resulted in the shooting deaths of Christopher Wallace and Tupac Shakur. In the present day Hip-Hop is one of the largest and fastest growing sources of capital and has a great influence on its fans. The roles that Hip-Hop and Hip-Hop artist play in America require responsibility, however, many of the performers and labels take none. By using television and other various sorts of visual media Hip-Hop portrays less than positive stereotypes and all but influences the youth to accept these stereotypes as normal behaviour. The detrimental effect that popular Hip-Hop has doesn’t stop at the visual level. Lyrical content in songs have been dumbed down and filled with violence, sex, and drugs. For example the song â€Å"Hate Being Sober† by Chief Keef condones the use of drugs at all times and gives the impression that it is ok and cool. â€Å"While many Hip-Hop songs contain messages about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, few provide an accurate portrayal of the negative consequences of substance abuse† Negative accusations and harsh criticism has always been an issue for the hip-hop genre of music. Some of these accusations include how hip-hop influences the youth to become more misogynistic towards women by constantly having explicit content, such as racist and sexist lyrics in their music. Because of this, Hip-hop music has been criticized greatly by the media accusing the music of affecting the youth that sexism and other such forms of oppression are acceptable to society. Although the media has a major impact on how Hip-hop is viewed by the masses, their is some people who view Hip-hop differently. Famous civil rights leader Al Sharpton was asked on what he believed on this particular issue and said, The hip-hop culture is just like electricity, it can be used negatively or positively. The same electric current that lights up your house can also electrocute you. It is the misuse of hip-hop culture to attack our women and promote violence. We must encourage the proper use of hip-hop culture. We are all influenced by the hip-hop generation. (Is hip-hop culture, 2000) On a survey done to twenty-five people in the 17- 60 yrs of age range, twenty people know someone that is exposed to the Hip-hop culture and twenty-one of them believed that Hip-hop isnt a negative art form. In Figures 1, 2, and 3 show the results from the survey done. On Figure 2, it shows that most of the people surveyed do believe that Hip-hop music has the most influence on the youth. Rap music generally depicts the lives and souls of many under privileged youths, citing depression and violence during upbringings. The youth of today’s society and in the past, take this music as a way of expression, a way of overruling everything they believe is corrupt and in their own way become corrupt themselves by not caring about the rules. Rap music can be transparently seen as a striking negative influence on today’s youth just by listening to certain songs which praise violence and the use of drugs. Take rapper Wiz Khalifa for instance. This artist is a prime example of being a huge negative influence to today’s society by the extensive amount of marijuana use, portrayed within his lyrics. The artist mentions marijuana in his songs and speaks about it in a positive way, speaking about the stimulating effects it has on him and almost making the drug sound ‘cool’ to the younger generation, making them think that smoking this drug is cool and acceptable as rapper Wiz Khalifa openly smokes it and mentions it. The number of drug references in rap music has raised six fold since the genre revolutionised pop music. Researchers who analysed the lyrics of hundreds of songs say rap has been transformed from one which warned against the dangers of drug abuse to one that routinely glorifies it. And because many of the references are coded, many parents are unaware what their children are listening to.

My Experience With The Internet And Education English Language Essay

My Experience With The Internet And Education English Language Essay The Internet. What it has done for me educational and scholastically is nothing short of a miracle. With the recent events of the past three years I couldnt have possibly even imagined that I could get a college education and a degree in accounting without the use of the Internet. I am old enough to remember life before the World Wide Web. I remember hearing that term in the early days; the World Wide Web. I couldnt even comprehend what they were talking about. The web; whats that? Computers in our homes; that cant be possible? Or could it? It was possible and it did come to pass. And the world has been forever changed because of it. My story begins as I approach the age of forty-nine and make a monumental decision to return to school. I thought to myself, You must be crazy. But with the unrest and dissatisfaction with my then current work situation, school made sense. But still, with the thought of working full time, and I mean full time, it was a daunting task that I had set before me. The fact that I worked in a manufacturing environment, worked rotating shifts, weekends, and put in somewhere between fifty to sixty hours per week, made attending school through normal channels very unrealistic. The thoughts dancing in my head to go back to school started in that summer of 2007. I was very unhappy with my job and with my bosses and had contemplated several times to just walk out the door. It was my wife who gave me some good advice and said, If you are so unhappy, quit complaining and whining about your situation and do something about it. She was absolutely correct. So on Saturday August 18, 2007 on the last da y of fall registration at Illinois Central College in Peoria, Illinois my wife said, Lets go and off we went. We arrived at the registration office at 1:45 p.m. with only fifteen minutes before the office closed. A wonderful lady helped me get registered within those last fifteen minutes of registration and my journey was about to begin. I signed up for three classes that fall, two were Internet classes and one was a correspondence course. One must realize that I had had no college experience in my life and to start out with just Internet classes was a little unnerving. So armed with a newfound determination and a very supportive wife, my journey into the unknown realm of Internet education began. My first foray into an online class was a real eye opener. My first class was an English composition class. I hadnt written a formal paper in thirty years and here I was required to write an essay using MLA to cite my references. What the heck was MLA? So, to the Internet I went and did a Google search of MLA, and I was off and running and I havent stopped yet. The Internet has proven to be such an invaluable resource for doing school work, especially when it comes to writing papers. The amount of time and effort saved by doing online research is just incomprehensible. Two things come to mind when I think about that first semester of school is that it could have never been accomplished without the Internet; the time to actually take the courses and the time to devote to research for writing assignments. Neither could have been accomplished without the Internet. Working fifty plus hours a week like I did didnt leave much time to devote to going to college, but with the advent of onlin e classes it has become a reality for me. The convenience associated with taking online courses is just fantastic. For example, when I worked afternoon turn, I would get home around eleven oclock p.m., go to my home office space and do school work on the computer until about two or three in the morning. A benefit if the Internet to me is the flexibility it gives in not only time but environment. For example my wife and I were actually able to go on a short vacation and I could still maintain contact with my school load. I took a laptop with us and through the use of Wi-Fi; I was able to connect no matter where we were at and still do my homework, take quizzes and maintain pace with my course and not fall behind. It was great and I could really relax when I got done with the school work. Again the Internet is a great benefit and tool and one that I do not take for granted or lightly. I was always under the misconception that I could not return to college and earn a degree as long as I worked a full time job. Boy was I wrong about that. With the advent of the Internet everything has changed. There are no more time constraints, no more geographical restraints, no more anything. It is all at your fingertips anytime of the day or night. This was not the first time that I had contemplated going back to school. In the late nineteen-eighties I was facing long layoffs and the very real possibility of losing my job. I considered going back to school at that time to pursue a degree but with a wife and a young baby and the fact that my wife did not work, I couldnt afford not to work and go to school full time. I did consider going to school part time but with all the family obligations and what not, I talked myself out of doing it then because I couldnt see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just couldnt see the end only the present long road to get there. That was the second biggest mistake of my life. The first one being not going to college right out of high school. After working in the steel industry for thirty years I am finally paying for my decision to abstain from going to college right after high school, in lieu of a good paycheck. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Back in 1988 there were no Internet classes to take, so the only option was to go to school in person and that takes time. Time I didnt have or time I didnt want to devote to this end. Ah, to be young and stupid. One of the many challenges that I faced was in my second semester when I took my first accounting core class online. That was not a pleasant experience. I was definitely getting a C in the class with one test to go. The professor made things even harder for me when he changed the rules in the middle of the semester. When we started the class the online tests allowed you to go back and work problems if you skipped them. But for some reason, unbeknownst to me, he decided to make it so if you passed a question you couldnt go back. So if you were stuck on a problem then you had a decision to make. Either you moved on and missed the question or you stayed on the current problem and in my opinion, waste valuable time that you would need to complete the test. I decided for the last exam to just take my time and work the problems one at a time consecutively and I would finish what I could get finished and my grade would be what it would be. Well, I didnt finish the exam but what I did finish must have been good enough to push my grade to a B for the semester. I never did find out what I scored on that final exam and I really dont know how I got that grade, but I was thankful all the same. It was after this class that I decided no more online accounting classes for me. This would be my one departure from taking as many online classes as possible. There are so many advantages of taking online classes for me, but mainly that I can attend a class at anytime, from anywhere. I can attend classes no matter what work schedule I am working and I can even attend when traveling, whether it be for business or pleasure, I can access my classes from anywhere in the United States that has Internet access. Being that the course material is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, gives me the opportunity to re-read lectures, discussions, explanations and comments. Another nice benefit is that being behind a computer screen can give me anonymity and provides a less intimidating atmosphere then I would encounter in the actual classroom. Taking Internet classes gives me time to formulate my thoughts making me able to think about my replies as to when, how, and what to say. I can post my comments when I am ready. This is a real benefit becomes sometimes when you are in a classroom situation and the conversation is moving and other people are interacting, sometimes you cant get your point of view out until the discussion has passed you by and by that time it is too late to comment. This online environment has also made it so I can talk more openly with my teachers and other students. I have noticed that I am a little bit more assertive in an online class than I am in real life. I used to think that was a bad thing but I believe it has been helpful as it is encouraging me to speak up and to voice my opinion when presented the opportunity. I believe in the long run this will be a benefit to me in the working business world where I will need to speak up when needed. Another great benefit about Internet based education is that you can access the colleges library from the comfort of your home at any time of the day or night. You can research articles, eBook content, and check the availability of normal book material which you can reserve and pick up at your convenience. This has been a great time saver for me, which as someone who works full time, this has been a true lifesaver, giving time back to me that I so desperately need. Another benefit to taking online courses is what I call the low cost association. By that I mean not necessarily dollars and cents, but other tangible things, such as no expenses outlaid for gas and wear and tear on my automobile. And again, the time it gives back to my life. This fact alone is unfathomable because time is just about the most important commodity a person can have. The ability to earn a degree online began in 1989 with the University of Phoenix offering classes to help students earn bachelors and masters degrees (3). Online education has expanded throughout the past decade as evidenced by studies done by Babson Survey Research Group, the Sloan Consortium, and the College Board. According to their statistics, online enrollment was at over 3.9 million students during the fall semester of 2007. That correlates to more than twenty percent of all college students enrolled in postsecondary education are now taking online classes (8). And the trend is continuing with research numbers showing that by the end of 2002 over eighty-four percent of all four-year accredited colleges and universities were offering online education classes (2). Today it is even possible to earn a degree without ever stepping a foot on a college campus. John Campbell remarked in a discussion thread reply about the dangers that can be associated with taking classes from a virtual college, which is a college with no physical campus (1). He pointed to a very good article about the possibility of being scammed in the pursuit of an online degree. In the article it relayed the sad story of a womans online degree being worthless. This points out the very important fact to research the possible online college candidate and make sure that the degree indeed comes from an accredited university. The article referenced what is labeled degree mills, which hand out diplomas that arent even worth the paper they are printed on (4). Johns comment was about the importance of taking college classes from an accredited college and not a virtual college. A point well taken, but there are in fact, several good virtual colleges today with Jones International Univers ity being the first accredited college in1996 to exist fully online (6). Mr. Campbell also brought up a good point with this question, Are online educations taken seriously in the business world? With the advent of just about every college in the nation offering Intent classes the answer is yes. The business world places great faith in online degrees, but also adds that more respectability is accomplished when going through an already established and accredited college as say a Duke University (4). Mickey Killman brought up the question about the advantages and disadvantages of obtaining a degree through online sources (7). A major advantage of pursuing online degrees or taking a mostly Internet curriculum is that youre showing potential future employers that you have initiative, ambition, and drive to do what it takes to get the job done. You are demonstrating that you will be a self motivated and reliable employee. Continuing this thought, recent research shows that employers today are much more enthusiastic about people that pursue Internet degrees than they were in years past (5). In fact, sources such as Careerbuider.com say many employers stand up and take notice of people who can demonstrate the ability and the desire to seek online degrees (8). And to reiterate this thought even more and how the business world has changed its opinion of online education listen to how Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, responded to this question, Would you hire someone with an online business degree? To count out a candidate based on an online degree may be shortsighted, he responded. People working all day and studying online all night have the kind of grrrr most companies could use.(9) I think that pretty much says it all with regards to the importance of Internet education. Ive often thought during my journey when I looked down the dark tunnel of education and saw a light, I wondered is that the light at the end of the tunnel or is it the headlight of an oncoming train coming to run me over. With only summer session and this fall semester to go, I am convinced now it is the light at the end of the tunnel. Hallelujah!

Reverend Parris of The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay -- Essay on The

Reverend Parris of The Crucible Greed can be a very destructive part of everyone’s life. It can control our every action at times. Some people let their greed get out of control, which was exactly what happened in Salem during the witch trials. Three people’s greed brought up this whole tragedy of the trials, convictions and hangings. One person is Reverend Parris. In my opinion Reverend Parris is greedy, self-serving, and egotistical. Reverend Parris is extremely greedy. In the story he is complaining about having to pay for wood. He states "Where is my wood? My contract provides I be supplied with all my firewood. I am waiting since November for a stick, and even in November I had to show my frost bitten hands like some London beggar." This shows that all he cares about is ...