Essay on Dr. Faustus Vs. Dorian Gray - 618 Words

Deals With the Devil nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the books The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dr. Faustus, both protagonists are lured into the world of evil, but by different forces. Dorian Gray and Dr. Faustus both sell their souls to the devil. However, Dorian Gray deals with the devil unknowingly, and Dr. Faustus conjures the devil. After Dorian sells his soul, he becomes an immoral criminal, and even resorts to murder. After Dr. Faustus sells his soul, he lives frivolously and entertains himself through practical jokes. So who is more evil? An innocent young man corrupted by the ideas of another? Or, a man who is bored with the world, and seeking excitement calls upon the devil? Dorian Gray is clearly more evil, because even†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, Faustus never would have been forced to have his meeting with the devil, if it hadn’t been for that book. The devil doesn’t come because the spell works, but because he knows he has something to gain if he answers the call. Si milarly, Dorian has a little yellow book that Lord Henry gave him. Dorian is so amazed with this book; he has copies made in nine different colors. Although the content of the book remains unknown, it is evident it had a profound effect on Dorian. These books were the first in the series of written documents that would eventually change the two men forever and leave both damned. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Letters play an important role in the novel and the play. Both Dorian and Dr. Faustus write letters that dramatically alter their lives. Dorian writes many letters that contain secrets. He writes letters asking for forgiveness, like his letter to Sibyl. He also writes letters to blackmail people like Alan Campbell. With every letter he writes, Dorian achieves a new level of wickedness. Dr. Faustus writes one letter that changes his life forever. This letter guarantees his soul to Lucifer. Dorian’s writes his letters intentionally to destroy other people’s lives or hurt them. Dr. Faustus’ letters destroy his own life. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Both Dr. Faustus and Dorian are damned because they sell their souls for selfish reasons. Dr. Faustus is older and

The Usefulness of Sub-Cultural Theories in Understanding...

I am going to be assessing the usefulness of sub cultural theories in understanding crime and deviance. The functionalist suggested that understanding deviance lies in the studying it function for society rather than the individual itself. Also consensus is essential for society to function. All functionalist therefore argues that forms of social control are necessary to check deviant and to maintain social order. Merton theory of anomie is based on the ideas of the functionalist. Anomie encourages deviance. Merton understood crime and deviance to be a response to the inability to achieve social goals. This is often referred to as a strain theory of crime, since Merton highlighted a†¦show more content†¦Innovation accepts societal goals but have few legitimate means to achieve those goals, thus they innovate (design) their own means to get ahead. The means to get ahead may be through robbery, embezzlement or other such criminal acts. In Ritualism, the third adaptation, individuals abandon the goals they once believed to be within their reach and dedicate themselves to their current lifestyle. They play by the rules and have a daily safe routine. Retreatism is the adaptation of those who give up not only the goals but also the means. They often retreat into the world of alcoholism and drug addiction. They escape into a non-productive, non-striving lifestyle. The final adaptation. Rebellion occurs when the cultural goals and the legitimate means are rejected. Individuals create their own goals and their own means, by protest or revolutionary activity. Merton was highly critical of competitive and ambitious social values in western society suggesting that competition and greed encourages people to break the law. The critics of Merton theory is that some say that it neglect the power relation in the whole of the society Laurie Taylor suggest the Merton theory failed to explain who creates the rules in the first place, and in whose interests these rules and values have been developed by the powerful to guarantee success. By focusing on the actions ofShow MoreRelatedassess the usefulness of Marxist approach to an understanding of crime and deviance‚Äà ´1993 Words   |  8 PagesA and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of Marxist approach to an understanding of crime and deviance’ (21 marks) There are numerous Marxist theories that help us to understand crime and deviance in different ways, however they are all based around the same ideas. They believe capitalism causes crime in three different ways including, selective law enforcement, criminogenic capitalism and ideological nature of the law. 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Case Analysis Essay for Partnership in Social work - myassignmenthelp

Question: Write about theCase Analysis Essayfor Partnership in Social work. Answer: Introduction The youth support organizations focuses upon provision of some support services especially for the young people, for improving their social living status. In this context, the social workers need to have several important skills and competencies to identify their issues and handle each case of youth service from a unique dimension, prioritizing their needs. The practice skills of a social worker help to include a practice framework, considering related theory, skills and context (Gray, 2011). The practitioner should be able to explore each case study through prioritizing the key issues embedded in this. In this context, the social worker should acquire the skills and awareness regarding the theoretical frameworks and strategies and how these frameworks can be implemented in resolving each clients issues, in individual or community settings. Being a social worker, here the case study 1, i.e. case study of 16 years old boy Max has been selected. As Max is continuously becoming demotiva ted and diverted from the social activities, a strength based approach can be undertaken for improving his social status. Therefore, this essay will concentrate on analyzing Maxs case thoroughly; identifying key issues faced by him and demonstrates appropriate theoretical consideration, based on which appropriate intervention for Max will be implemented. In the current context, the social practitioner plays a significant role in the case study based analysis. It has already been mentioned that the social worker needs to understand the case thoroughly to identify the key issues faced by the client. To proceed with the case, the social practitioner needs to follow some steps in a systematic approach, i.e. engagement of the client, assessment of the client, identifying the key issues faced by the client, planning intervention for the client based on the identified issues and evaluation of the process. In this context, the first step is engagement with the client (Payne, 2014). Initially, the practitioner needs to support the client and build a positive rapport with the client. It helps the client t develop trust for the practitioner as well as the interventions, thereby motivating the client to achieve the goal. After establishment of a positive and trustworthy relationship with the client, a thorough and holistic nature of assessment w ould be done for the client, which includes the role of the practitioner in identifying all the contributing factors in the clients current situation, including social, medical and family history of the client. After identifying the clients current needs, the support worker needs to identify the appropriate theoretical framework and implement the suitable intervention for clients recovery and revert back to the normal life. Upon implementing the interventions and engaging the client in the support framework, evaluation of the process needs to be done by the professional to identify any shortcomings in the process, which can be rectify in the further process to ensure expected outcomes for the client (Trevithick, 2012). In the current case study of Max, the strength based approach would be implemented and the evaluation would focus upon the ability of the social worker to promote clients involvement in the theoretical framework and ensuring the improvement of process of clients life. In the current case study, the primary client is Max, who is a 16 years old boy. Max has left his home 8 months ago. Since leaving his home, Max has significantly suffered for survival, as he had no permanent residency. He started to live with his friends and tried to live with his grandmother. Even, he has spent nights on the streets, stopped attending school. He attended that the youth support service after hearing from one of his friend that he would gain food and would be able to charge his mobile at this centre. However, he did not have an accommodation and was not attending to school at that time (Maidment Egan, 2016). Thus, it has been revealed that Max is not concern about his housing or schooling; rather he is concerned about charging his mobile and has food, so that he could survive anyway. However, the issue is that Max is unable to recognize the need for attending school and building his career to improve his living standard. Reviewing his case, it has been revealed that Maxs mother and stepfather lives in a town close to the support service centre, whereas his biological father has no contact with him and his family since he was a baby. Maxs sister Verity has been seen to have a normal lifestyle, attending university interstate. Max also revealed that one of the key reasons for leaving his home is to stay away from his stepfather; therefore, it is clear that Max does not like his stepfather to stay with them. On the other hand, Max has the habit of marijuana use, which is being hindered by his mother at home; this is another reason for leaving his home. Now the key concern of Max is that his mother Justine has asked him to see her and sort the issues out. Max is confused about what he needs to do; it is because, in one hand, if he returns back to home, he would need to stay with his stepfather, in other hand, if he does not return to home, his survival is at crisis. Therefore, the youth support and case management team have to provide him right solution for the current issues, faced by Max, while considering the maximum benefit of Max from the support service related solutions regarding his lifestyle improvement (Howe, 2009). After analyzing Maxs case, it has been revealed that several issues are contributing the negative life events faced by Max. Now Max needs to decide whether he should g back to his home and live in an environment, which does not like, or he should not return to home and struggle for survival. In Maxs case, other secondary clients are Maxs mother, Justine, his stepfather, Michael as well as grandmother, Thelma. It is because; he needs the support from his family member to improve his situation. In this context, it has been revealed that what is the cause of his disliking towards his step father. He has also dropped his school, which needs to be considered with high priority (Pattoni, 2012). Moreover, he has been argued with his mother regarding the use of Marijuana. As Max is a teenager, with several different crises in his life, it is more important to support him positively, showing his strengths, which can be helpful for him to resolve these issues, instead of pointing out his shortcomings and negative behaviors. Because, this process may demotivate him further as well as may make the issue more critical, which difficult for Max to overcome. In this context, strength based practice is suitable to be used. This social theoretical practice emphasizes on the strengths and self-determination of the client to achieve the goal. According to this theoretical framework, the client is seen as resourceful and resilient in the face of adversity (Goldberg, Muir Kerr, 2013). This approach is suitable for being implemented in those cases, where the individual outcomes like quality of life, employment and health need to be improved. In societal level, the strength based approach influences clients positive views and focuses away from blame or judgment. The refore, this approach would help Max not to be judgmental towards his step father and Maxs mother to blame Max, instead would prioritize their strengths to resolve Maxs issue. This approach promotes the social support worker to consider the assets of clients to maintain and meet their social wellbeing, deal with social issues, family issues as well as health issues. A theory that is suitable to be implemented in Maxs case is attachment theory. Attachment theory demonstrates dynamics of short and long term interpersonal relationships between individuals, i.e. how individual respond in a relationship, when hurt, threatened, isolated or other negative consequences. In this context, Maxs relationship with family background, parenting style, experiences of separation and loss and quality of attachment relationship can help the social worker to identify the key issues regarding Maxs current issue and the way to mitigate those. Several studies have shown that lack of parental responsiveness and inappropriate parental style and emotional support are contributing significantly in the homelessness of young teenagers. According to the attachment theory, Max has revealed an avoidance attachment from his biological father, as he left him and mother when Max was 3 years old; on the other hand, Maxs stepfather may also similarly have avoidance attachment, alth ough it is not clear from the case study and should be investigated through the intervention plan (Howe, 2012). Thus, Max is unable or unwilling to share his feelings and thoughts with others and feel insecure, rejected and self critical. Thus, instead of highlighting his negative attitude, strength based approach should be implemented to understand the root of negative attachment, while supporting him to build capacity to improve his self esteem and security. Through proper counseling and thorough communication with both of his parents may enhance his security level and attachment pattern, thereby improving his negative behavioral consequences. Overall, his self esteem would be strength and Max would be able to prioritize his current needs, i.e. need for return back to home and focus on his studies (Erdman Caffery, 2013). Analyzing the case from the strength based theoretical framework, it has been revealed that the social workers need to influence Max to focus on his strengths and self-determination to deal with his current situation. For instance, the social support worker needs to motivate Max regarding his positive relationship with his mother and other family members, which is important for him to carry on his studies and shape his career, which would lead to his bright future. Therefore, the social support worker should affirm Maxs resilience and enabling capabilities. Max is suffering from reduced self-esteem and the key focus of the support intervention is to increase his self resilience. Involving his family members would help Max to realize the strength of his family and his need for their support. According to this approach, counseling sessions for Max would be developed. These counseling sessions would be focused on enhancing his self-esteem and improving his life standards. In this contex t, Heard, McCluskey and Lake (2012) argued that positive change in the situation occurs in the context of authentic relationship. Client needs to know that someone is there for him and would be there unconditionally. Therefore, Max need to build trust towards the interventions for believing this fact. On the other hand, Maxs mothers need should also be analyzed, as she does not like Max to use marijuana. Therefore, Maxs supportive plan needs to involve a health promotional plan for both Max and his mother, where both of them would gain a mutual understanding regarding the pros and cons of marijuana use (Ginsburg et al., 2017). Motivating Max to gradually decrease his marijuana abuse would also promote his positive thinking and strengthen the relationship with his mother. Based on Maxs physical, emotional and psychological condition, he can be referred to a rehabilitation centre. The next problem is living with his step father. Here also, Maxs strength of communication would be motivated to attend a counseling session with his step father. In the session, both of them would be able to talk directly with each other. The counselor would help them to explore each of their problems with other. Max never wanted to stay with his step father, irrespective of understanding or attempting to mitigate the issue with his stepfather. Maxs step fathers issues related to Max would also be analyzed for identifying whether he is willing to mitigate the issue with Max or not. Communication is the key way to improve interpersonal understanding, improve trust and mitigate issues. Thus, this tool would be used in case of Max to mitigate his issues with his step father. Through the counseling session, Max would undergo capacity building process to achieve his life goals (Chapin, 2014). The third issue identified in Maxs case is that he is not attending school, since he left home, which is ceasing his career growth. Therefore, the strength based approach would promote the social support workers to carry on the holistic assessment of Max for identifying the key factors contributing to his school drop. In this context, it has been found that Max is more concerned about the basic needs for his survival, i.e. food and shelter; however, as he is facing crisis to gain these basic needs, he is unable to think about the negative consequences of his school dropout. Through counseling and involvement of his family member, the issue of leaving his home can be resolved, which would help Max to think positively regarding returning to his school again. Continuous support and motivation would be needed to make him understand the need for his education for building his career growth (Edidin et al., 2012). However, Max may experience several issues, while returning to his school, li ke bullying, isolation and other types of violence, for which he needs capacity building counseling, which would help him to identify and strengthen his self esteem and determination. Support from his family is crucial for the overall well being of Max and continue with his studies. Hyman, Aubry and Klodawsky (2011) claimed that in social support workers, especially in case of people with behavioral issues and working with youth case management, strength based approach is suitable to be used, as it motivates the individual to identify their key issues and right way to proceed while dealing with the issues. Whereas other approaches include highlighting negative behavior of the individual for the sake of modifying those behavior in the social care context; but these approaches may be harmful or lead to negative consequences of the individually, especially for the teenagers like Max, as he has experienced inappropriate parenting style since the separation of his biological parents. Thus, the support workers should handle the case of Max through sensitively, instead of highlighting the negative traits and highlighting the areas of his strength, where he can build on to improve his living standard and ensure a bright future. Therefore, the intervention approaches and theoretical framework undertaken for Max is suitable. In conclusion, it can be said that Max is undergoing a critical situation, which has promoted his homelessness, unsocial behavior and reduced health outcomes. The youth support service has significantly identified his current needs and the root causes of his issues, which are the poor attachment with his family, inappropriate parenting style and lack of positive support. Through the attachment theory and strength based approach, Maxs case have been identified, the strength based approach helped in implementing appropriate intervention for Maxs improvement. One key recommendation for Maxs family is that Max should gain in-depth emotional and physical support from his family, for his overall well being. In this context, positive support, relationship building and communication has been focused to be the key ways of his improvement. Finally, the evaluation of these approaches has also been done. Reference List Chapin, R. (2014).Social policy for effective practice: A strengths approach. Routledge. Edidin, J. P., Ganim, Z., Hunter, S. J., Karnik, N. S. (2012). The mental and physical health of homeless youth: a literature review.Child Psychiatry Human Development,43(3), 354-375. Erdman, P., Caffery, T. (Eds.). (2013).Attachment and family systems: Conceptual, empirical and therapeutic relatedness. Routledge. Ginsburg, K. R., Kinsman, S. B., American Academy of Pediatrics. (2017).Reaching Teens Strength-Based Communication Strategies To Build Resilience and Support Healthy Adolescent Development. Goldberg, S., Muir, R., Kerr, J. (2013).Attachment theory: Social, developmental, and clinical perspectives. Routledge. Gray, M. (2011). Back to basics: A critique of the strengths perspective in social work.Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services,92(1), 5-11. Heard, D., McCluskey, U., Lake, B. (2012).Attachment therapy with adolescents and adults: theory and practice post Bowlby. Karnac Books. Howe, D. (2012). Attachment theory.Social Work Theories and Methods,75. Howe, D.(2009)A Brief Introduction to Social Work TheoryUK:PalgraveMacMillan Hyman, S., Aubry, T., Klodawsky, F. (2011). Resilient educational outcomes: Participation in school by youth with histories of homelessness.Youth Society,43(1), 253-273. Maidment, J., Egan, R. (2016).Practice skills in social work and welfare: More than just common sense. (3rd Ed) Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin. Pattoni, L (2012) Strengths based approaches for working with individuals: Insight 16. Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRSS). Retrieved fromhttps://www.iriss.org.uk/resources/insights/strengths-based-approaches-working-individuals Payne,M.(2014)Modern Social Work Theory.(4rdEd.) UK: Palgrave MacMillan Trevithick,P. (2012).Social work skills and knowledge: a practice handbook,4th Ed. McGraw-Hill, Open University Press.

Surveillance Technology How it Paves the Way to a Crime-free Society Essay Example

Surveillance Technology: How it Paves the Way to a Crime-free Society Essay In today’s world of convenience and speedy transactions, where identity it defined not by genes but by strings of zeros and ones, it would appear that privacy is a luxury only a hermit living in a cave can enjoy.These days, you can find out anything and everything at a click of a button. Technology is advancing at breakneck speed. The internet has made communication easier, opening channels that bring people closer to each other even without physical interaction. Emails, cellphones, instant messengers, VoIP communication is easy and cheap these days and so is spying on people’s conversations, and indirectly, people’s private lives.Occasionally, messages would pop-up on my instant messenger inviting me to try a service called â€Å"chat detectives.† They claim to be able to monitor people’s conversations over the internet, so people who are unsure of their spouse’s faithfulness can use their service to find whether their spouse is cheating o r not.I had also already been victimized by spam mail flooding my mailbox. But little did I know then that such events were consequences of surveillance systems that I had unknowingly enlisted myself into.It is the nature of human beings to be curious. It was curiosity that led us to this age of modernization. And I often wonder if curiosity, too, would lead to our downfall. After all, even with its nine lives, curiosity still killed the cat.Surveillance is but an expression of our curiosity. As defined by Wikipedia, it is the monitoring of behavior. The word â€Å"surveillance†, literally means â€Å"watching over† in French, and is now used to pertain to all forms of observation and monitoring, and not just visual observation. â€Å"Systems surveillance is the process of monitoring the behavior of people, objects or processes within systems for conformity to expected or desired norms in trusted systems for security or social control.† (Wikipedia)The public or common conception of surveillance is that it is â€Å"observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment,† such as eavesdropping, telephone tapping, directional microphones, covert listening devices, closed-circuit television, GPS tracking, electronic tagging, CCTV Images, and many others. (Wikipedia)Surveillance is actually a daily practice of human beings, albeit unconsciously. Even far flung communities that cannot be reached by modern technology practice the habit of observing each other’s lives. Neighbors spy on each other and spread unjustified rumors about each other. This is the most common form of surveillance, of which almost every human being is guilty of.Why do you think the â€Å"Big Brother† show is so popular? What is so entertaining about a show that records the daily activities of people living together in one house for a few months? It is because we are often intrigued by the events that happen in other people’s lives. When we find nothing of interest in our own lives, we turn to the lives of others for entertainment.Advantages of Surveillance Technology1. National SecuritySince the 9/11 terrorist attack on USA, the level of surveillance conducted by the government had increased. The national governments have the most powerful surveillance systems, because they are entitled to it by the law. They have access to a variety of information from various sources including private entities such as corporations that have data about their clients stored in their databases. They can immediately draw up profiles of persons or groups who they suspect are plotting acts of terrorism.The government believes it is necessary to perform surveillance on various entities suspected of planning or organizing terrorist acts. The government justifies that threats are everywhere and so preventive steps must be taken to counter organized acts of terrorism such as the attack on the twin towers. In this design, the government pre-em pts terrorist movements and acts accordingly before the citizens are placed in danger. (Wikipedia)2. Crime Preventionâ€Å"Besides fighting terrorism, digital security systems installed in public places, buses, or retail centers can deter crime, provide the police with leads, help citizens feel safer, and improve the economy of a crime-stricken area,† Alice Osborn writes in an article for the Video Surveillance Guide.Public Video Surveillance is the primary tool that most European countries nowadays use to monitor population movements and prevent terrorism. According to some research, the camera surveillance systems in the UK prevent crimes through panopticism. The citizens, aware that they are being monitored, are discouraged from committing crimes simply because the surveillance systems can easily identify them. (Nieto, 1997)â€Å"Public video surveillance in the UK began very unassumingly in 1986, on a single square mile industrial estate outside the English town of Kings Lynn. Three CCTV video surveillance cameras were used and their impact was immediate. In the years before the cameras were installed, there had been 58 crimes (mostly vandalism) recorded on the estate. In the two years following the installation, there were no crimes reported. Subsequently, cities and towns across Great Britain began using this crime prevention measure. By 1994, over 300 jurisdictions in the country had installed some form of public video surveillance,† Nieto writes.This is perhaps one of the reasons why UK enjoys one of the lowest crime rates in the world.Through the psychology of the panopticon, surveillance technologies become a useful tool for crime prevention. Although they might not always be seen, people â€Å"think† that they will be seen, so they perform self-monitoring and the incidence of crimes are lowered.;3. Corporate Management and GovernanceEmployee monitoring and surveillance is a growing trend nowadays. Many companies and organization s now find this technology beneficial to their businesses. Companies employ surveillance technology as a means of protecting the company’s as well as the client’s interest. Some objectives for implementing surveillance measures include: maintenance of security and confidentiality of client records; protection against internal and external threats to the security and integrity of such records; and protection against unauthorized access or use of client records or information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to the client. (Wakefield, 2004)Although such regulations bring up â€Å"trust† concerns, companies stress that â€Å"trust is not the issueclient information privacy and security are. Data security laws have effectively elevated the privacy and safety of client information above the privacy expectations of employees. Furthermore, legal experts advise that firms should remove all expectations of privacy in the workplace. They have to, or they risk being found noncompliant with security laws and exposed to other costly litigation. Legal compliance and liability are two of the top three reasons why managers are monitoring employees.† (Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance Report, 2001)Companies can employ two types of monitoring systems, network surveillance and email monitoring. In network surveillance, internet activity is logged and recorded. Some companies even go as far as installing invisible â€Å"keyloggers† that record the keystrokes made into a computer. Email monitoring software scans emails sent to and from the employees for keywords that would signal unacceptable or illegal messages. â€Å"In one recent incident, the New York Times relates that a sexual harassment suit at Chevron cost the company US $2.2 million when an employee sent coarse messages over the company e-mail system.† (Wakefield, 2004)â€Å"Workplace monitoring and surveillance is a sensible means to comply with federal data security statutes. It also provides additional liability protection for the firm. Monitoring promotes the personal protection of employees by reducing or eliminating instances of workplace harassment. Balancing monitoring and employee privacy is achievable with minimal stress when organizations inform employees of the purpose of monitoring activities, set privacy expectations and create reasonable monitoring policies. Firms that use electronic monitoring and surveillance to comply with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act may find that the added benefits (i.e., protecting organizational assets, preventing misuse of company resources and protecting the firm from legal liability) are worth it.† (Wakefield, 2004)Of course, there is a lot that a company has to gain from monitoring its employees, but whether such actions step on the boundaries of individual privacy rights is still a subject for further debate. The bottomline is, employees should know well enough that the information th at they come across in their work as well as the equipment that they use to access the internet and send emails are not their own, and so this fact gives their employer some right to monitor their actions.;4. Economic ExchangeNowadays, many companies lawfully trade information about clients or prospective clients. Many businesses have thrived on information coming from market surveillance. Companies buy information from agencies that collect data. These companies often use the data they acquired for marketing and advertising purposes. (Wikipedia)I often wonder why websites that need registration require so much information. They ask about individual’s personal information, interests, and lifestyle. People often give these information freely in exchange for the services the websites have to offer. The websites, in turn use the demographics they obtained to further broaden their business. Market trending becomes easier and new businesses and opportunities become easier to ident ify.;5. Parental monitoringToday’s technology allows for retrieval of information at a single click of a button. There are no restrictions as to what kind of information can be found on the internet. And these information are freely available to our children. Not all information on the internet is safe for our children. Our children might be exposed to inappropriate material such as can be found in porn sites.It is a sad fact, but the internet is not a safe place for children. Chat molesters are known to frequent chat areas and arrange meetings with unsuspecting children. (Magid, 2003)With surveillance software, parents can monitor the websites that their children visit as well as the people they connect with online. In this way, parents can ensure that their children do not stray into harm’s way.;6. New Trends – Inverse Surveillance TechnologyInverse surveillance stems from the idea that ordinary citizens can monitor the actions of other people, especially thos e in power. Inverse surveillance is â€Å"practice of reversalism on surveillance, e.g., citizens photographing police, shoppers photographing shopkeepers, and passengers photographing cab drivers who usually have surveillance cameras in their cabs.† (Wikipedia)This is also the mechanism behind the success of many environmental organizations in stopping activities that threaten the environment. One example is the Transport Canada Dash 8 pollution surveillance aircraft introduced late last year. The aircraft is equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment that could better detect marine polluters. The new technology covers broader areas of observation even in challenging weather conditions. This technology is not only useful for detecting oil spills but can track those who should be held responsible for polluting the waters as well. Such technologies further strengthen Canada’s commitment to â€Å"protecting its marine wildlife and ocean environment.† (T ransport Canada; Government of Canada)Indeed, surveillance technology can be used to promote our social, cultural, and environmental responsibility.;Disadvantages of Surveillance Systems1. Extreme Government ControlThe main argument of antagonists to the use of surveillance systems is that these technologies blur the line that protects privacy. By allowing government systems access to our private information, we are granting them control over our lives and thereby relinquishing our right to privacy.â€Å"New technologies are radically advancing our freedoms, but they are also enabling unparalleled invasions of privacy,† laments the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).Surveillance technology is not fool-proof. There had been many cases of people being wrongly arrested because of mistaken identities or erroneous data from surveillance technologies.Technology is not the problem though, the EFF argues, â€Å"rather, the law has yet to catch up to our evolving expectations of an d need for privacy.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Privacy rights are enshrined in our Constitution for a reason — a thriving democracy requires respect for individuals autonomy as well as anonymous speech and association. These rights must be balanced against legitimate concerns like law enforcement, but checks must be put in place to prevent abuse of government powers.† (EFF)Again, this is a trust issue. Can we trust our government to not use the information they can obtain to gain absolute power? Can we trust our privacy and security to systems that covertly acquire information about us and store the data for government use?As dictated by the law, the government can acquire any information from any source in the name of national security. Even private corporations are obliged to provide their clients’ personal information to the government when required by the latter.Surveillance has two faces. â€Å"It can act to curtail rights through, for example, reinforcing divisions with in society, or it can be a vital tool in preventing and detecting crime. For citizens to accept and consent to certain forms of surveillance, that is to say its positive face, the state should be accountable for its actions. It cannot be left with an unfettered discretion to determine why and where it carries out surveillance on, and on behalf of, its citizens, without some form of legal responsibility. The governors and the governed should be subject to the law.† (Taylor, 2002)To prevent the abuse of power, we, as citizens of a free country, must remain vigilant. Power can be abused only if we allow it to be. There must be a check-and-balance mechanism in place that curtails the abuse of authority, especially in the usage of surveillance technology. The government is not the all-powerful and intimidating entity we perceive it to be. It too has its flaws and holes just like any organization. The government is still bound by the law that protects individual’s rights, and if an individual feels that his/her rights had been violated, there are various institutions ready to step in and provide assistance, institutions that are independent from the government’s control.2. Identity Theftâ€Å"Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States. Criminals are using readily available personal information to steal billions of dollars, and make life miserable for hundreds of thousands of Americans. Its a crime that can be easy to commit, and very difficult to solve.† (Gunderson, 1999)Identity theft, in internet-based definition, is the assumption of another person’s financial identity by obtaining a person’s personal information such as name, address, date of birth, social security number, credit card number, and employer. (Hole, 2007)Nearly 10 million Americans were victims of identity fraud for the first 9 months of 2003 alone. (Hole, 2007)Identity theft is not a new thing. In the movie â€Å"Catch Me If Y ou Can†, a 19-yr old Frank Abagnale, Jr. devised an ingenious method of identity theft. He forged checks and assumed people’s identities for his personal exploits. The movie is loosely based on real events that transpired in the 1960s. Back then, methods for identity theft were limited, there were no complex gadgets and technologies to pinpoint the true identity of a person.Nowadays, cyber technology has made identity theft such an easy crime to commit. Information about us is readily available from various institutions and databases. There are â€Å"phishing† technologies that allow perpetrators to pose as legitimate websites asking for your personal information such as bank account and credit card numbers.Spyware can be installed in your PC, tracking your transactions in the internet and storing information that can be used to steal your identity.Identity theft is one of the top spreading crimes nowadays. Anybody can do it without even leaving their homes or hi ding places. This is one of the disadvantages of the information superhighway.Consumers must protect their personal information and make sure that they are giving it out to legitimate individuals or entities when they perform financial transactions online.The convenience that we enjoy from modern technology does not come without a price. We can buy merchandise online and save time and effort in not having to go to stores, but in exchange, we might get into bigger trouble if we transact with illegitimate websites.;3. Invasion of PrivacySex scandals abound the internet. Many of those seen in these videos did not even know that they are being filmed. Film stars are hounded by the paparazzi and their every action is recorded. These acts constitute invasion of privacy, and modern surveillance technologies such as high-end cameras serve to simplify and proliferate these invasions of privacy.Most people are unaware of the dangers of storing private information in their technological gadget s. PDAs and cellphones, for example, are used to store nude pictures and video recordings. If these gadgets get stolen, then the risk of public exposure becomes greater.The right information in the wrong hands can prove devastating to the owner of the information. Surveillance technologies make it harder for ordinary people to protect their right to privacy.But privacy, in itself, is a vague concept. There is even no definitive mention of it in the constitution, just mere allusions to the context.What is really lacking is accountability. The design and functions of new communication systems must be able to put up and protect itself from external or third-party manipulations leading to criminality.â€Å"The standard reaction to the problem of surveillance is to demand the protection of privacy. This article, however, argues that the conventional notion of privacy, based, as it is, on the separation of the individual from his/her environment, is no longer useful in the context of ubi quitous electronic communication. Rather than defending ever shrinking areas of privacy, we should refocus our efforts and demand accountability from those design and employ the new communication systems.† (Stalder, 2002);Do Surveillance Technology Work?Yes, I believe it does, but not always. Like all human inventions, surveillance technology cannot be 100% efficient. The technology is only as efficient as the people or organizations who wield it.Britain’s 4 million video cameras monitoring the streets may not have prevented the London bombings, but the derived footages did serve to bring the perpetrators to justice. (Yang, 2005)â€Å"Tomorrows surveillance technology may be considerably more effective. But each uptick in protection will typically come at the cost of more intrusion into the privacy of ordinary people. For now, the public seems to find that trade-off acceptable, so scientists around the world have intensified efforts to perfect the art of surveillance, hoping to catch villains before they strike.† (Yang, 2005)Safety does not necessary have to come at the cost of privacy but in today’s society, we must face the fact that not everyone can be trusted. Surveillance technology, in the hands of criminals, can be a dangerous tool, but when wielded by responsible hands, it can pave the way to a crime-free society.After all, surveillance technology is a double-edged sword. What can harm us can also be our redemption. All we have to do is be vigilant and smart about our actions and protect our valuable information as much as we can.As Howard Rheingold aptly puts it:â€Å"Were being watched. In an age of theft-control, targeted marketing, and ubiquitous anti-terrorism surveillance, theres precious little we can do to stop being observed wherever we go. But we can watch back. What will that do? Maybe we cant know until we try.†;

Kentucky Vital Records - Marriage, Death Births

Kentucky Vital Records - Marriage, Death Births Learn how and where to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates and records in Kentucky, including the dates for which Kentucky vital records are available, where they are located, and links to online Kentucky vital records databases. Kentucky Vital Records: Kentucky Department for Public HealthOffice of Vital Statistics275 East Main Street - IE-AFrankfort, KY 40621Phone: (502) 564-4212Fax: (502) 227-0032 What You Need to Know:Personal check or money order should be made payable to Kentucky State Treasurer. Call or visit the Web site to verify current fees. All requests MUST include the signature and a photocopy of a valid photo ID of the individual requesting the record. Web site: Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics Kentucky Birth Records Dates: From 1911 (statewide); selected counties from 1852 Cost of copy: $10.00 Comments: Access to birth records in Kentucky is not restricted by law.  With your request, include as much as you can of the following: the name on the birth record being requested, date of birth, place of birth (city or county), fathers full name, (last, first, middle), mothers full name, including her maiden name, your relationship to the person whose certificate is being requested, your daytime telephone number with area code, your handwritten signature and complete return mailing address.Application for Kentucky Birth Certificate * The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives has birth records for the cities of Louisville, Lexington, Covington and Newport, which enacted records collection ordinances before 1911. KDLA also has selected birth records (statewide coverage) covering the years 1852-1862, 1874-1879 and 1891-1910. Consult their website for a list of available birth records by county. Online:Kentucky Vital Records: 1852–1914 is a collection of free, digitized microfilm images on FamilySearch; includes birth records from the 1908–1910 range for many KY countiesKentucky Birth Records, 1847–1911 includes indexes and images (requires subscription to Ancestry.com) Kentucky Death Records Dates: From 1911 (statewide); selected counties from 1852 Cost of copy: $6.00 Comments: Access to death records in Kentucky is not restricted by law.  With your request, include as much as you can of the following: the name on the death record being requested, date of death, place of death (city or county), your relationship to the person whose certificate is being requested, your purpose for needing the copy, your daytime telephone number with area code, your handwritten signature and complete return mailing address. For deaths occurring from 1900 to 1917, the city and/or county of death is required in order to locate the record.Application for Kentucky Death Certificate * The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives has death records for the cities of Louisville, Lexington, Covington and Newport, which enacted records collection ordinances before 1911. KDLA also has selected death records (statewide coverage) covering the years 1852-1862, 1874-1879 and 1891-1910. Consult their Web site for a list of available death records by county. Online:Kentucky Death Index 1911-1992 (free)Kentucky Death Certificates and Records 1852-1953 including digitized Kentucky death certificates from 1911-1953 (requires subscription to Ancestry.com) Kentucky Marriage Records Dates: From June 1958 (statewide), but many go back to early 1800s Cost of Copy: $6.00 Comments:  The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics does not have records of marriages prior to 1958. Copies of marriage certificates prior to June 1958 may be obtained from the county clerk in the county where the license was issued. Send your request to the Clerk of Court in the county where the marriage license was issued.Application for Kentucky Marriage Certificate Online:Kentucky Marriage Index 1973-1993 (free)    Kentucky Divorce Records Dates: Varies by county Cost of copy: Varies Comments: The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics does not have records of divorces prior to 1958. Records of divorce proceedings prior to June 1958 are available from the clerk of the circuit court that granted the decree. Online:Kentucky Divorce Index 1973-1993 (free) More US Vital Records - Choose a State

Do Statewide ACT Programs Drive ACT Popularity

Do Statewide ACT Programs Drive ACT Popularity SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT is getting more popular each year, though it still might not be as popular as the Plastics. Wondering if having the ACT required in states increases its overall popularity nationwide? And is requiring the ACT the best policy for students? We’ll discuss the statewide ACT policies and how effective they are nationwide. Also, we’ll tell you how to approach the ACT, whether you’re living in an ACT-required state or not! Which States Require the ACT? The following states require the ACT in some form. Note that some states require the ACT Plus Writing, others require the plain ACT, and a few allow students to choose. States that Require the ACT Plus Writing Alabama Hawaii Missouri Montana Nevada North Carolina South Carolina Wisconsin Wyoming States that Require the ACT (No Writing) Arkansas Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi Utah Other Alaska (students choose between ACT Plus Writing, SAT or ACT Work Keys) North Dakota (students choose between ACT without writing or ACT Work Keys) Oklahoma (districts have the option to offer the ACT Have Statewide Testing Programs Increased ACT Participation Nationally? You may be wondering if the various ACT state partnerships have driven an increase in ACT test takers nationally. Indeed, making the ACT a part of the standardized test routines in various states may have caused the ACT to overtake the SAT in popularity. Back in 2001, Colorado and Illinois became the first states to require all high school juniors to take the ACT (although bothhave since switched over to the SAT). This was part of a growing national movement to hold schools accountable for student progress through standardized testing. According to a 2009 report from the ACT, â€Å"Colorado uses the ACT in its Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) as an eleventh-grade achievement-based assessment that gives the state an indication of how well its public schools are performing at educating students at the K–12 level. Illinois also administers the ACT to all of its public high school juniors as part of its Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE). Illinois uses the ACT to measure student progress on meeting state learning.† Illinois and Colorado were the first states to require the ACT. By 2009, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wyoming had followed suit. And, as we’ve seen, the number of states requiring the ACT only continued to grow, which seems to have further driven the ACT's growth. As of 2012, the ACT has surpassed the SAT as the most commonly taken college entrance exam in the US. From the most recent data, 1,924,436 students took the ACT in 2015, while just 1.7 million took the SAT. Given that the ACT is required in some form in 18states while the SAT is only required in four, ACT’s statewide testing partnerships could be seen as a big part of its national increase. The ACT has also been the exam of state in mid-western and southern states, which has added up as those states’ populations have grown. A lot of these expanded partnerships are possible because ACT has marketed itself as an exam that tests what students learn in school, not just â€Å"achievement† or â€Å"ability† like the SAT. Are State ACT Partnerships Good for Students? There are many reasons expanding ACT testing can be a good thing – it can help students apply to college and get scholarships, for one. But there are plenty of reasons it’s not always the best move for students. We’ll discuss both sides below. Reasons Statewide ACT Testing Can Be Beneficial The main reason ACT testing can be good is because it gives ACT access to an entire student population. This means that, free of charge, thousands of students take an important step towards applying to college. Pretty much all colleges require standardized testing, and the ACT is accepted at nearly all. So by giving all students a chance to take the ACT once, for free, these schools make at least one part of the college admission process easier for students. It also gives highly motivated students another chance at the ACT (students who would already be paying to take it once anyway) – which gives them a shot at higher scores and better scholarships. (As we’ve discussed before, the higher your ACT score, the higher the scholarships you can earn.) So instead of paying for two shots at the ACT, like many students do, you only have to pay for one. Finally, requiring the ACT encourages at least some ACT prep in schools. This is good for helping students get into college, but can be bad if it takes away from other instructional goals, as we’ll discuss below. Drawbacks to Statewide ACT Testing Expanding the ACT does not guarantee an increase in students getting good enough ACT scores for college. In fact, scores are stagnating – while there is lots of growth in students taking the test, many students aren't passing the college readiness benchmarks. This means many students are taking the ACT but not getting very good scores, which does not help with college admissions or netting scholarships. Furthermore, requiring the ACT could take away time from other learning if teachers are forced to include ACT prep in their classes. Much of what is tested on the ACT is taught over multiple grade levels, so it could be hard for a teacher to include ACT prep in their normal curriculum. Also, in states that don’t require the ACT Plus Writing, many students will be required to pay to retake the ACT again since many colleges require the ACT Plus Writing. This makes the school ACT more of a practice run for those students, which could contribute to standardized testing fatigue. Finally, requiring the ACT could stress out students who aren’t college bound (with the exception of the states that include Work Keys as a test option alongside the ACT). The ACT is a college entrance examination, and while it claims to test a lot of what’s learned in schools, it’s not a comprehensive test of high school learning. If schools really want a sense of how students are doing, more straightforward tests (with less extreme time constraints) might give them a more accurate picture. What to Do If You Live in an ACT-Required State First of all, make sure you study hard for the school ACT if you’re applying to all-scores schools. The reason? You’ll have to send the score you get for the school test to any â€Å"all scores† schools, so you can’t treat it as a practice run. Also, look to see if your state requires the ACT Plus Writing or not – some states have students take the writing version, others do not. If you’re taking the non-writing version, check to see if colleges you want to apply to require the ACT Plus Writing, since you’ll have to take it again with writing to apply to them. Also, don’t forget about the SAT! If you think you’ll do better on that test, sign up for it instead. Remember, you’re only required to submit one or the other to colleges. Finally, remember SAT Subject Tests – some colleges require those in addition to the SAT or ACT! Even if your school is getting you off the ACT hook, you may still need to sign up for SAT Subject Tests on your own to apply to college. What to Do If You’re Not in an ACT-Required State First, check to see if your state requires the SAT. If your state requires the SAT, it might be easier to take the SAT since your school is paying for it. However, whether you’re in an SAT state or a state where neither test is required, take a practice version of both tests to figure out which one you’ll be best at. Focus on studying for the test you think you’ll be best at, regardless of which test seems to be most popular in your state or district. Maximize your studying time by just taking either the SAT or ACT, not both. What’s Next? Living in an ACT-required state? Learn more about the ACT: how long it is, how it’s scored, and what hints you can get from the directions. Check out the average ACT scores by state to learn how your state stacks up! Get the best methods and strategies for ACT English or SAT Writing, depending on which test you're taking. Disappointed with your ACT scores? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Halle Edwards About the Author Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. No spam ever. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: '360031', formId: '2167ba30-e68e-4777-b88d-8bf3c84579af', formInstanceId: '2', submitButtonClass: 'btn-red-light btn', target: '#hubspot-container2', redirectUrl: 'http://ww2.prepscholar.com/blog-subscribe-thank-you', css: '.post-bottom .hs-form.stacked label {display:none;} .post-bottom .hs-form.stacked .field div.input {padding-top: 55px; padding-left: 300px;} .post-bottom .hs-input {width: 220px} .post-bottom .btn-primary, .hs-button.primary {margin-top:0px; padding-left:350px} .post-bottom .hs-form-field {margin-bottom:5px}' }); $(function(){ $(".exclusive-tip-form #hubspot-container2 label").hide(); }); function replace_tag(a, b){ $(a).each(function(index) { var thisTD = this; var newElement = $(""); $.each(this.attributes, function(index) { $(newElement).attr(thisTD.attributes[index].name, thisTD.attributes[index].value); }); $(this).after(newElement).remove(); }); } $(function(){ replace_tag($(".posts-by-topic h3"), "h2"); }) Ask a Question BelowHave any questions about this article or other topics? 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New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico Assignment

New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico - Assignment Example Under the Foraker Law which was established on April 2, 1900, Puerto Rico became the first unincorporated territory of the United States to enjoy a free commerce and civil government relationship with the United States ( Barcelo, Carlos Romero â€Å"Puerto Rico USA: The Case for Statehood† ). As a responsible member of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico, I feel that it is my duty to help my countrymen make an informed decision about this particular cause based upon facts. Facts that have a direct relation and impact upon the citizens of Puerto Rico. To begin with, I would like to present you all with the fact of Puerto Rican life should we opt to continue without U.S. citizenship. I would like everyone to remember that at this current point in time, Puerto Rico is enjoying the liberties of being a part of the United States without actually losing our status as a commonwealth. Although the United States governs a majority or our nations activities and political decisions, they do so without infringing on our rights as residents and nationals of Puerto Rico. Although statehood has somehow always been on the table, it has not become a reality yet. Statehood is a permanent change from which our nation can never turn back. When we incorporate ourselves into America as a state, we become Americans who follow American law, pay American taxes, and follow American culture. Gone is the chance for secession and our commonwealth status shall be nothing but a part of the past of Puerto Rico (â€Å"Major Disadvantages of Statehood†). Currently, we enjoy the unique relationship that the United states has with Puerto Rico. We manage to have an independent set of governing rules and regulations even as we continue to have a noticeable American presence in our nation. As the legal minds explain it; International and constitutional law arbitrarily collide in the legal arrangement between the United States and Puerto Rico. As a matter of international law, it i s unclear whether this arrangement conforms to customary international treaties and obligations. As a matter of national law, it is unclear that the constitution permits an arrangement between Puerto Rico and the United States ---- short of separation (independence as a state) or integration (admission to the union as a state) -- that could conform to these international obligations (Lawson & Sloane â€Å"The Constitutionality of Decolonization by Associated Statehood: Puerto Rico's Legal Status Reconsidered†). Puerto Rican citizens somehow manage to carry a dual citizenship with the United States under this murky legal loophole which does not allow us to elect American officials if I elect to continue living in Puerto Rico. However, the minute I step onto U.S. soil, I become an American citizen with the right to help elect officials to the local, state, and national levels of political office. We are uniquely American in citizenship, and yet still un-American in governance, culture, and tradition. Without U.S. citizenship and recognition as a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico the economy of Puerto Rico will not manage to survive. My research has shown that as a territory, we do not pay U.S. taxes and yet offer investment opportunities to Americans in the mainland under a tax-free status. Our status as a commonwealth has not protected the country against foreign debt. Rather, we

Christian Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Christian Ethics - Essay Example (MacIntyre 1981, 169-89) In his usage, practices are socially established activities that lead those who participate in them to appreciate certain things as goods and to internalize standards f excellence in achieving them. Practices are done for their own sake, such as friendship, not for additional ends, such as practicing free throws in basketball. Martha Nussbaum recommends the engaged reading f literature as a practice that expands moral perception and empathy. This skill is a necessary component f humanistic education, even for lawyers and scientists. (Nussbaum 1997, 85-112) Diana Fritz Cates argues that the practice f committed friendship trains desires and moral vision in the virtue f compassion. The willingness to engage others, even strangers, in their suffering gains added meaning as a practice within a Christian frame f reference. Maria Antonaccio describes recent attention to "practices" as conscious efforts at moral formation. (Antoncaccio 1998, 69-92) She distinguishes between an "existential" model f askesis advocated by Pierre Hadot's study f Stoic sources, a "therapeutic" model in Nussbaum, and an "aesthetic" approach in Michel Foucault. Antonaccio doubts that these attempts to ground moral development in practical exercises can succeed while their authors refuse to consider a normative theory f human nature and moral ideals. Although theories f human nature or development are unpopular in an era that stresses particularity and pluralism, she writes that "some form f theoretical reflection is necessary in order to judge what form f therapy' human beings need, and to assess critically the processes f formation already underway." Some writings on practices use a faith tradition to specify a normative view f human nature that guides moral and spiritual development. Spiritual practices are being recognized as central to Christian moral formation. Dorothy C. Bass edited a collection f essays on 12 central Christian practices, such as hospitality, keeping Sabbath, and forgiveness, that shape the mind and heart in the Christian way f life. With Craig Dykstra she writes that "when we see some f our ordinary activities as Christian practices, we come to perceive how our daily lives are all tangled up with the things God is doing in the world." Catherine M. Wallace analyzes the virtue f fidelity as a constitutive element f the practice f marriage. Fidelity has more than instrumental value in keeping a marriage intact; more importantly, it does something to the spouses by training their desires and reshaping their identities over time. (Kotva 1997, 272-90) From the perspective f evangelical Christianity, Brad J. Kallenberg writes: "Christianity cannot be explained or understood without reference to a distinctive cluster f practices. In order to participate in the tradition called Christianity one must necessarily participate in these practices." (Kallenberg 1997, 7-29) He highlights certain practices f community moral formation: witness, worship, works f mercy, discernment, and discipleship. Reinhard Hutter points out that Luther redefined the marks f the Church to be practices. There is an

College Essay Essay Example for Free

College Essay Essay Do we send students to college to grow personally and intellectually or strictly to develop work related skills? In your opinion what should be the purpose of a college education and what do you hope to gain from your personal experience? College is a big step for anyone, especially teenagers, who is still growing up. Unlike in high school where the main focus is the curriculum, college also focuses on developing personality. College is not about papers and tests; it is about growing personally and intellectually while developing work related skills to help in life. A college education involves more than books and tests. It should be an experience a student should never forget. At Southwestern University, the school motto is â€Å"Be Southwestern. † To â€Å"Be Southwestern† students have to be determined and focused. To â€Å"Be Southwestern† students have to be involved. During my visit to Southwestern University, I noticed that for such a small school there are so many opportunities available to learn in variety of environments and participate in campus life. At Southwestern University the campus life consists of music, plays, Greek life, athletic events, religious interests, and preparation for the study abroad program. I have never been out of this country, and one thing I like about Southwestern is the study abroad program. Personally, I have always wanted to go to Italy. Not just because I am in love with Italian food but because it’s so different from America. I want to go to a college that allows me to see the world and experience new things. A college education should help you meet your desire to explore and interact with the world around you. Another thing I like about Southwestern University is how much help is available for students from professors. I want to go to a college that has small class sizes and cares about me as an individual. Every Southwestern University student I’ve talked to has said the professors will know who you are, will always be available for assistance, and will always help you succeed. At Southwestern University, a student is not just a number. The professors there are dedicated to a student’s personal success. Instead of going to a tutor, a student can schedule a simple meeting with the professor to discuss theclass. A little help can go a long way. As a student at Southwestern University, I hope to continue to strengthen my sense of pride and leadership. I have played the game of softball my entire life and hope to continue to play competitively in college. In my college softball experience, I hope to gain a greater inspiration to push myself harder than ever before both, academically and athletically. I hope one day when I look back on my college career I can say that Southwestern made me the student-athlete I always wanted to be. Through my college experiences, I will see the world in a new perspective, developing new intellectual light in a variety of subjects, and engaging in challenging curriculum and discussions. I want to find out who I am and what kind of person I will become, and I strongly believe Southwestern University will help me do that. A college education should additionally develop an individual’s appreciation for history. I go to a high school that is starting to make its history; however, I want to go to a university that has its history already established. As the oldest school in Texas, Southwestern University has many traditions. I want to be able to engage in these traditions and perhaps help make some new ones while I’m there. I don’t just want to be a part of history I want to make history. A college experience should be one of the best times in a person’s life. The professors, the activities, and the history of the school should help one develop personally and intellectually as a student. I know that my time spent at Southwestern University will make me stronger, confident, and a more independent thinking individual who is ready to face not only challenge of working environment but also whatever life throws at me.

Their eyes were watching God :: Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story of many dreams and ambitions that were setback due to the slavery age. Nanny, Janie's grandmother, being a slave in her youth is an example of this fact. Always wishing for what she could've had, she tries to stress to Janie the importance of freedom. Although Nanny dies after the first couple of chapters, it is seen throughout the book that other characters that counteract with Janie, have common thoughts and emphasize on the idea that Nanny ones had. When it comes to love Nanny believed that wealth and protection came before the actual meaning of love, the idea that a strong emotional bond exists between a man and a woman. As much as Nanny cared for Janie and what she stands for, she wanted Janie to marry a man who can give her a lifetime of luxury and protection. This idea only stands due to the fact that Nanny never had this in her life, being a slavery made her always fight for what she had and look out for her well-being as well as her c hildren?s. Consequently Nanny grew to teaching the idea to Janie that marriage should be about power, wealth, and protection even if the emotional part of the relationship doesn?t exist. Janie marries Logan Killicks for she believes he offers protection, she then marries Jody Starks for she believes he brings vibrant wealth and power, but not so much do these two bring emotional bond Janie utterly desires and as a result Janie spends the rest of her life trying to experience the emotional side of love. Logan Killicks was Janie?s first husband. He was chosen by Nanny because she thought he offered a black woman everything she would want, a lifetime protection from the outside world. Logan was an older man who knew what was good and what was bad just as Nanny did. He wanted Janie to love him and feel his importance because he offered her a home in which she can feel safe. Nanny being forced to have sex with her master at an early age as a result gave her Leafy. Furthermore Leafy was raped at an early age as well which brought about Janie. From these two facts one can conclude that Nanny feared the idea that Janie can be a repeating cycle of her and her child Leafy, thus giving Janie?

Relativism and Morality Essay

We are taught the difference between what is right and what is wrong at a young age by our parents or guardians. What is classified as right or wrong can differ between cultures, races, ethnic identities, and by social class. We all have a sense of what is morally right and the relativity of it. There are specific traits and beliefs that are distinctive to every culture, race, and social classes, due mostly impart to the differences we have in what we consider to be morally right. The idea of universal morals shows that through our cultural differences there is still a connection to the moral beliefs that we share, and shows that cultures are more alike than admit. There are some beliefs and customs that are considered morally justified in some cultures but in another, they are considered to be morally wrong. In his article Goodman gives solid examples of how something that is considered to be morally right in one cultural, would be wrong in another. Some of the topics that Goodman touches on are, genocide, hostage taking, slavery, polygamy, rape and female genital cutting (2010). Goodman argues that there are certain acts that are without a doubt considered to be wrong. While I do agree with his theory that acts such as incest, slavery, and rape (just to name a few) are wrong, there are factors that should be considered before an act is considered morally just or unjust. Relativism is one of the ways that certain acts can be viewed be other cultures without completely ruling the acts as right or wrong. Relativism is the idea that one’s beliefs and values are understood in terms of one’s society, culture, or even one’s own individual values (Mosser, 2010). Therefore, by relativism acts like polygamy, female castration, terrorism and infanticide are example of acts that are considered wrong for most Americans but in the cultures that practice these acts they see nothing wrong with them. Relativism and Morality â€Å"Many people find relativism extremely attractive. After all, determining what is right and wrong is frequently very difficult. It may also be difficult to defend—rather than just assert—that a given culture’s (usually one’s own) values are the correct ones, and that those values that are different are somehow wrong. Relativism also seems to decrease the kinds of conflicts that arise over such issues† (Mosser, 2010). Mosser puts into a clear prospective of how relativism and morality can work together to better understand a culture outside of our own. I do not think that there are universal moral requirements that every culture, race, and even social class can agree on. I believe that taking another human beings life is wrong, yet I still support our troops and all that they do to keep our country safe. Goodman states, all living beings make claims to life and murder is wrong because it destroys a life, yet warfare is not always wrong because it may be necessary to protect life. (2010). Relativism does provide a spectrum to view the world and cultural issues through, there are still problems that can arise. â€Å"Difficulties arise for relativism, when we consider the fact that few people come from a single, specifiable â€Å"culture. There may be general notions that guide one’s society, but one may also consider oneself part of many different groups, each of which can inform one’s moral values. Relativism seems fairly clear, until we start trying to decide what provides our moral sense. You have a given country, language, gender, religion or lack of religion, race, ethnicity, class, and so on, but does only one of these determine y our values† (Mosser, 2010)? Another issue that arises with relativism is that is an easy way out of dealing with ethical dilemmas and accepting practices that we feel are wrong. In addition, it may be difficult for a society to see and understand that it might be doing something that is immoral if questions of morality cannot be raised within one’s society. Relativism and Morality While the argument brought forth in Goodman’s article are all true and he makes very valid points, there are some beliefs and customs that are considered morally justified in some cultures but in another, they are considered to be morally wrong. Relativisms aims to show that no one specific culture is right or wrong for doing things the way that they do and that is the mode that I follow. From my own cultural stand point there are certain acts that I would be against if they we to be implemented on American society but I understand the culture who practice those acts and cannot fault those people that have been raise in that way of life. As for my personal opinion as to whether we will get to the point of universal moral requirements I do not think we will all be on one accord anytime soon, for the simple fact that each culture, race, social class, and ethnicity have their own way of dealing with specific moral issues.

Design of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems Essay

Water pressure is the energy that powers sprinkler system, so it is very important. Water flow creates pressure which generates energy that moves water through the pipes. Flow is the measurement of water required for the smooth flow of water to perform the required task. But the fire sprinkler requires much needed effort to provide improved fire protection against high challenge fire hazards. A sprinkler gives fast response with great supply water and increases the fire suppression capability. Installation of fire sprinkler system requires certain specific construction, performance installation and operation. For e. g. the discharge coefficient of sprinkler is nominally must be within the range of 13. 5-14. 5, where the discharge coefficient is calculated by dividing the flow of water in gallons per minute through the sprinkler by the square root of the pressure of water supplied to the sprinkler in per square inch gauge. Sprinklers were initially designed to control fire with thirty-foot ceilings In United States, water pressure is measured in per square inch and water flow is measured in gallons per minute. The maximum water supply is depend upon number of conditions such as length of pipe, the place mere fire catch up, the amount of water pressure. The method to measure the water supply depends upon the source of water. The measuring process differs in city water systems, water from tank. Sprinklers were initially designed to control fire with thirty-foot ceilings where flammable stock such as plastics such as plastics is kept 25-foot high in racks. Whereas in some cases available water supplies is not capable of creating that much pressure required for the control of fire, then a supplementary pump can be used to increase the content of water pressure before sprinklers. Therefore, water quantity needed for sprinkler system should be determined according to the suitable method so that waste should not be wasted or misused. REFRENCE Referred to sites: 1. http://www. patentstorm. us/patents/6336509-description. html Low pressure fast response bulb sprinklers 2. http://www. extremehowto. com/xh/article. asp? article_id=60335 Designing a Sprinkler System Jess Stryker Dated 3rd August 2007

Police Patrolling Methods

Police Patrolling Methods Free Online Research Papers Policing is an integral part of all civilized societies. For a society to be maintain peace and order the police must have demonstrate effective patrol. Over the years many departments face the same dilemma; how to effectively and efficiently patrol force while maintaining the safest working conditions possible for its officers. There have been several studies conducted in order to find the most effective patrol methods and crime prevention strategies. Several operational studies have been conducted within the Kansas City Police Department, the most well known being the Kansas City Preventative Patrol Experiment which was conducted between 1972 and 1973 by the Kansas City Police Department. The experiment tested the assumption that the likelihood of a crime being committed could be reduced by the presence (or potential presence) of uniformed officers in marked cars. It was also the first study to demonstrate that research into the effectiveness of different policing styles could be carried out responsibly, ethically, and safely. Another internal study conducted by the Kansas City Police Department was their Strategic and Target Oriented Plan, conducted in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, which attempted to produce the most effective workload and patrol strategies to combat the rise the almost 40% increase in Part I offenses. In the early 1990s the Kansas City Police Department conducted another study, the officers were told to proactively patrol neighborhoods with an emphasis on seizing illegal firearms. The officers did this by increasing traffic patrol. A follow up study was conducted in 1995 in order to gauge public opinion of the experiment. In the 1950s Stanley Schrotel published a paper detailing the pros and cons of foot patrol vs. motorized patrol. Studies have also been conducted involving the effectiveness of one-man vs. two-man police patrol cars, the most notable by Frank Day. Studies of one vs. two man police patrol cars have also been conducted in New York, San Diego and Kansas C ity. Kansas City Police Department The first of the Kansas City Police Department evaluations is the Preventative Patrol Experiment. The department wanted to test whether the likelihood of a crime being committed could be thwarted by the presence of the likelihood of a police patrol being present. The experiment was designed to study the impact routine police patrol had on the incidence of crime, the public’s reaction to police patrol and the public’s fear of crime. Three controlled levels of preventative patrol were used; â€Å"reactive† and area which received no preventative patrol, â€Å"proactive† in which police visibility was increases two to three times the usual, and â€Å"control† an area where police patrol activities remained normal. (Brown, Dieckman, Kelling, Pate 1974;7) The study utilized 15 beats evenly divided among the three study variables. (Brown et al 8) Findings were produced on the effect the experimental conditions had on the types of crimes (burglary, auto t heft, larceny-theft of auto accessories, robbery, and vandalism) traditionally considered to be deterrable through preventative patrol. (Brown et al 1974;9) The study revealed that the three experimental patrol areas used had no significant impact in the level of crime, citizen’s attitude toward police patrol, citizen’s fear of crime, or officer response time. The study did however show that officer’s non committed time (60% in the experiment) could be used for purposes other than routine patrol without a negative impact on public safety. (Brown et al1974;vii) Between 1978 and 1981 the department conducted â€Å"Strategic and Target Oriented Patrol Plan† experiment. Fiscal stress was very high in Kansas City as was the rate of Part I crimes being committed, which made the department look for a way to meet their obligations with existing resources. The â€Å"ten-plan† was the first response to the dilemma, it attempted to compensate for lack of patrol by applying an overlap of personnel during peak workload hours. (Caron, Curtin 1984:252) The goal of the â€Å"ten-plan† was not achieved due to the continuing increase of calls for service. Next the department decided to reorganize the beats in order to best meet demands while distributing work evenly throughout the area. The plan called for 65 percent call for service commitment level, which means that if 65 percent of an officer’s time was used was used in a particular beat during a particular shift then he would be assigned full time to that beat while the othe r 33 percent of his time would be used random patrol, administrative activity, etc†¦ (Caron 1984:255) The department also aimed to reevaluate its patrol strategy to allow field officers to handle calls for service and report duties effectively while allowing for proactive attacks on specific crime problems. The department reviewed several alternative patrol strategies. Two concepts emerged as primary alternatives to existing protocols, which were deemed ineffective by the Preventative Patrol Experiment, police specialist and sector-planning. The police specialist concept divided the patrol in two teams, â€Å"A† and â€Å"B†. Team â€Å"A† consisted of single officer cars dispatched to prepare reports arising out of service calls, while also being available to handle emergency calls. Team â€Å"B† consisted of one or two officer cars dispatched to handle calls for service to events in progress. Sector planning grouped beats together with near to equal workloads and a sector sergeant deployed officers to these areas based on monthly crime trends. (Caron 1984:257) The new strategy was named the â€Å"Strategic and Target Oriented Patrol† (or S.T.O.P). After six months of operation the study found that, with few exceptions, the plan resulted in a timely response to peak-hour calls for service there was also a more th an 10 percent drop in Part I offenses. Supervisors were also able to measure individual officer performance. In the early 1990’s the department aimed to locate and seize illegal firearms by using directed patrol. The strategy looked to utilize officers who were free from responding to calls for service and directed them to use aggressive means of traffic enforcement in high crime areas in order to seize firearms. The strategy produced striking results. The increase in traffic enforcement led to an astonishing 65 percent increase in the seizure of illegal firearms and a 50 percent decrease in gun-related crime. (Chermak, McGarrell, Weiss, Wilson 2001:119) In 1995 a follow up study was conducted in order to gauge public opinion about the gun control strategy. According to surveys the public thought the police did not show discrimination or show aggression in any manner towards the citizens they stopped, while observing a high level of legality in their basis for stopping the individuals. It also showed the patrol did not increase community tension and was supported in advance and in r esults by the majority of citizens interviewed. One group who was not surveyed was the offenders who were stopped by police and their illegal firearm seized. It was also found that nearly 1/3 of offenders who were arrested did not live in the Kansas City area. (Shaw 1995;708) The multiple experiments conducted by the Kansas City Police Department provide very useful strategies that could be employed by other departments across the country and even the world to efficiently operate. Foot Patrol vs. Motorized Patrol Foot patrol is performed almost always by uniformed officers on foot, while in some larger cities it is performed by mounted police and in some cases on bicycles. (Schrotel 1954:46) The rationale behind foot patrol was to engage the officer in a friendly relationship with his clientele. Foot patrol however has no guarantee that the desired relationship will be forthcoming, while imposing definite limitations on the effectiveness of the officer’s area served and quality of service. (Schrotel 1954:47) Fatigue is another serious limitation of foot patrol, once the officer arrives on the scene he me be, â€Å"out of breath or ill prepared for an arduous effort.† (Schrotel 1954:48) Schrotel also details the advantages of motorized patrol over foot patrol. He states motorized patrol amplifies the power of police patrol through superior mobility, maneuverability, and speed of movement. While used in conjunction with advanced communication, motorized patrol is the most effecti ve method. (Schrotel 1954:49) One Man vs. Two Man Patrol In 1977 the San Diego Police Department decided to study the effectiveness of one and two man police patrol cars. The study used stratified sampling which considered the patrol area, watch, and former staffing to select 44 patrol units, and assigned half to two man patrols and the other half to one man patrols. The overall performance of both groups pertaining to type and frequency of calls for service activities and officer initiated activities proved to be about equal. (Boydstun, Moelter, Sherry 1977:5) The study had concluded with several findings. The overall efficiency of one officer patrol units clearly exceeded that of two unit patrols even though single officer patrols required more backup support. The study also found that two officer units required less time to service calls than one officer units, but the relative time savings per minute was not enough to offset the overall cost per minute. One officer patrols seems to have an advantage in safety over two officer patrols, with an equivalent amount of exposure one officer patrols experienced less involvement in resisting arrest and equal involvement in assault on officers and other officer injuries. (Boydstun et al 1977:6) Frank Day conducted a study of police departments around the country in regards to one vs. two man patrols. He found one man patrols are more economically sound, cover a wider area effectively, provided more efficient officer performance, and enhanced safety with proper training. The only disadvantage is securing the investment to purchase and equip more cars, and training officers to transition to one man patrols. (1956:704-706) Kansas City Police Department attempted to recreate the results of the San Diego experiment within their own department while also attempting to expand its findings. The Kansas City Department found that two officer cars responded faster to calls but explains that the reason for this is due to the fact that one officer cars need to wait for backup. It is well known however that officers do not always wait for backup. The study also concluded that two one officer cars respond more rapidly than one single officer car. (Kessler 1985:58-60) New York City also wanted to test the feasibility of using one man patrol cars. The study found that an equivalent response time could be reached with one man patrols. This study however should be considered tentative because of the limited data available for NY’s two man patrol. The study also failed to account for an overbearing workload on the dispatchers being able to contact a patrol and send them a call for service. (Green 1984;970) Research Papers on Police Patrolling MethodsThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Fifth HorsemanEffects of Television Violence on Children19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesTwilight of the UAWResearch Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalOpen Architechture a white paperThe Effects of Illegal Immigration

ACT Score Conversion Chart Score Percentiles

ACT Score Conversion Chart Score Percentiles SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you took the ACT or are preparing for the ACT, you should understand score percentiles. Colleges use score percentiles as a way to compare students across the country and within each state. In this article, I’ll explain what an ACT Score Percentile is and how to use it in your ACT score planning. What’s an ACT Score Percentile? According to ACT, Inc., your ACT score percentiles â€Å"are the approximate percentages of recent high school graduates in the U.S. who took the ACT and received scores that are the same as or lower than your scores on the multiple-choice subject area tests and your subscores." More exactly, your percentile tells you abouthow many students scored better and worse than you.For instance, if your score percentile is 65, then you scored higher than 65% of test-takers who sat for the ACT the same day as you did. 35% of test-takers scored better than you. NOTE: Your score percentile isnot the percentage of questions answered correctly. Getting a percentile score of 65 does notmean you answered 65% of questions correctly.Your percentile score is only a comparison between you and other test-takers. How Do I Figure Out My Percentile? The ACT will tell you your percentile ranking for your composite score, for the four individual sections, and for the section subscores on your ACT student score report. Your four individual section score percentiles and your section subscore percentiles are relatively unimportant. Colleges likely don’t look closely at these numbers. When it comes to the ACT, your composite score is the most important number. It’s the number most colleges use when they report admitted student score ranges (which I’ll talk about more in-depth below).However, this policy varies by school, and you should make sure to look up your target school’s policy. Some schools superscore the ACT, so individual section scores do matter for those schools. When you receive your ACT score report, you’ll have a lot of other numbers on there, making the percentile score hard to find. Your composite score percentile is the small number listed as â€Å"U.S. Rank† directly to the right of your big boxed â€Å"Composite Score†: Via ACT.org Your U.S. Rank compares you to every other student in the U.S. who sat for the ACT.For this example student, his or her score percentile was 56, so he or she scored better than 56% of US test-takers.Your State Rank percentile (which is directly to the right of the U.S. Rank percentile) compares you to everyone in your state who tookthe SAT.For this example student, his or her state score percentile was 58, so he or she scored better than 58% of test-takers in his or her state.I’ll go into more depth on why you receive these two different composite percentiles below. ACT Percentile Score Chart If you haven't yet taken the ACT, you can use this chart to get a sense of how US students tend to score on the ACT. You can see in general what is considered a good or bad score based on the percentile. This ACT score chart was compiled using the most recent data from ACT.org. The ACT produced this data using all of the ACT scores of ACT-tested US high school graduates from 2013-2015. NOTE: these numbers do fluctuate slightly from year to year. However, the differences are small. To see the tiny differences, you can compare the chart below to that in our ACT Percentiles article from February 2015 which used the most recent data at the time. The score percentiles fluctuate at most 1-2 percent from year to year. Score Composite Percentiles English Percentiles Math Percentiles Reading Percentiles Science Percentiles 36 99 99 99 99 99 35 99 99 99 99 99 34 99 98 99 98 99 33 99 97 98 97 98 32 98 95 97 95 97 31 96 93 96 92 96 30 95 92 95 89 95 29 92 90 93 86 94 28 90 88 91 84 92 27 87 85 88 81 90 26 83 82 84 78 87 25 79 79 78 75 83 24 74 74 73 71 77 23 68 69 67 66 70 22 63 64 62 61 63 21 56 58 57 55 56 20 50 52 53 48 48 19 43 45 49 42 40 18 36 40 43 36 33 17 30 36 37 31 27 16 24 32 27 25 22 15 18 27 15 21 17 14 12 21 6 16 13 13 7 16 2 9 12 4 13 1 7 6 1 10 1 4 4 10 1 7 1 2 2 9 1 4 1 1 1 8 1 2 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 1 1 6 1 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Percentile rankings via ACT.org. Do Percentiles Matter? Your score percentile is somewhat important because it helps colleges compare your ACT score to those of other applicants.It’s important for colleges to have a sense of how you compare to students across the country because if colleges just looked at your scaled score without any other information, they would not have a good sense of what makes a good score and what makes a bad score. For example, if you’d received a 33 composite score and a college did not have the percentile, the college admissions officer might judge that asa school test and think you received 33 out of 36 that about 92% that’s an A-, good but not great. However, with the percentiles, the colleges know a 33 is a 99th percentile score, meaning you scored better than 99% of test-takers, which is excellent. Percentiles allow colleges to get a sense of how test-takers do on the ACT and compare you to the rest of the country. However, the ACT score ranges for your target colleges are more important than your percentile ranking.The ACT score range for colleges is the range in which the middle 50% of admitted students’ ACT scores fall.For example, Yale’s ACT score range is 31-35.This means 25% of admitted students scored below a 31, and 75% scored below a 35. Colleges rely heavily on their score ranges when making admissions decisions for the future class. You’ll want your score to be at or above the 75th percentile (for example, 35 for Yale) to give yourself the best chance of admission.To find ACT score ranges for your target schools, search â€Å"[College Name] ACT Scores Prepscholar.†For more information on this, including how to calculate your target score, read our other guide. Aiming for a score in the 75th percentile for your target schools is much more important than aiming for a score in the 99th percentile in the country.There are a few reasons colleges care about the score range over the score percentile: A college’s score range is often a consideration in rankings, so colleges want to admit students with higher scores. Colleges need to publish their score range every year, so they may want a higher range to seem more impressive to the public. While percentiles should bear more weight in college admissions, your final ACT composite number is the one that is most significant.However, if you're applying to an elite college such as the Ivies, you still should pay attentionto your score percentile - especially your State Rank. The Difference Between U.S. Rank and State Rank in Score Percentiles: An Important Note for Ivy League Hopefuls As I said before, your U.S. Rank compares you to every other student in the U.S. Your State Rank percentile compares you to everyone in your state. This distinction may not seem important, but some colleges pay more attention to your state rank than your nationalone. Why? Because, according to acolleague who worked in college admissions, many topcolleges, like the Ivies and Stanford, care about how many students they admit from each state.If you’ve taken a college campus tour at one of these schools, I’m sure you’ve heard the guide brag about their school representing all 50 states.(This does not hold true for all colleges; small colleges and public universities generallydon't care about enrollingstudents from all 50 states.) Because theseschools want to ensure that they have at least one student from each state, gaining admission to a top collegewill be slightly easier for students in states where the average ACT score is belowthan the national average. Let's discus what this would mean for the example student above:herscore percentile was 56 and herstate score percentile was 58.The example student’s score was better than 56% of test-takers in the US and was better than 58% of test-takers in their state. This means the students in the example student’s state scored worseon average than those in the rest of the country. If the example studentis compared to only the other students in their state, shewill have a better shot of admission than if she iscompared to the students throughout the US. However, let’s imagine another example student who’s from New York. New York is a state where the average ACT score is consistently abovethe national average.According to 2014 data from the ACT, the average ACT score for students from New York was 2.1 points better than the national average ACT score.This new student from New York has an ACT score of 34, a U.S. Rank of 99, and a State Rank of 98. If this new student applied to Yale, where hewould technically fall in the score range of 31-35, hemay have a worse shot of being admitted than if hewas applying as a student from Alaska (where hisscore would likely have a State Rank of 99). Keep in mind, however, thatthe advantage of students from small states with lower average ACT scores is not huge.A student from Alaska with a 29 will most likely not be admitted to Yale, just as a student from New Yorkwith a 29 will most likely not be admitted to Yale. However, a student from Alaska with a 33 will have a better shot of being admitted to Yale thana student from New Yorkwith a 33. If you'refrom a competitive state and applying to an Ivy League school, consider aiming for a percentile score of 99 in your state to make you a top applicant from your state. Overall, don't stress too much about your percentile. Whether you're from Alaska or New York or another state, you should try to get your ACT score into the 25th/75th percentile for your school of choice. To have the best shot of admission,aim fora score at or above the 75th percentile in the ACT score range for your target school. Summary: What Do ACT Percentiles Mean For You? You ACT score percentile compares your scores to the rest of your state (State Rank) and the rest of the country (U.S. Rank).Only the composite score percentile really matters for colleges, as they don’ttypicallyuse the section and subscores. However, check your target college's policy.Plan your ACT score target score using your target school’s ACT score range, notusing the score percentile. For students striving for the Ivy League, you may want to consider your State Rank if you’re in an especially competitive state (where the average ACT score is above the national average).If you fall into this category, consider retesting to strive for a percentile score of 99 in your state to make you a top applicant from your state. What’s Next? Learn more about the ACT and ACT preparation: What's a Good ACT Score for Your College? How Do You Calculate ACT Score? Raw and Scaled Colleges that Superscore ACT: Complete List Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.