Handiwork - Sample Common Application Essay - Option #1

Handiwork - Sample Common Application Essay - Option #1 The prompt for option #1 of the 2018-19  Common Application states, Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. Vanessa wrote the following essay in response to the prompt: Handiwork I made slipcovers for my doll house furniture when I was ten. I had a nice matching set for the living room- a sofa, an arm chair, and an ottoman- all in a gray and pink floral pattern. I didn’t dislike the furniture, but on a rainy Saturday, I decided it was time to switch things up a little bit, so I dug out some scrap material- navy blue- along with some thread, a needle, and a pair of scissors from my mother’s sewing desk. A few days later, my doll house family had a nice, newly reupholstered living room set. I’ve always been a crafter. From the early days of Kindergarten macaroni ornaments, to making my own prom dress last year, I’ve had a knack for creating things. For drafting sketches, drawing plans, making calculations, gathering supplies, adding finishing touches. There is something so satisfying about holding something you, and you alone, have made- something that was just an image in your mind until you set about to bring it into existence, to create something new, something different. I’m sure there are hundreds of doll furniture sets out there in that same gray and pink, but there is only one with fitted (albeit with sloppy stitching) navy blue covers. There’s a sense of pride there, however small. I’ve been lucky to have the time, the energy, and the resources to be artistic, to craft things. My family has always encouraged my efforts whether I be sewing a Christmas gift or building a bookcase. As my projects have evolved, I’ve come to realize that making things, useful or otherwise, is very much an important part of who I am. It allows me to make use of my imagination, creativity, logic, and technical skills. And it’s not just about making something for the sake of making something. I feel a connection to my mother’s family, from a rural village in Sweden, when I make candles. I feel a connection to my grandmother, who passed away last year, when I use the thimble she gave me when I was thirteen. I feel resourceful when I use leftover wood scraps from our new barn to make coasters for the coffee table. Crafting for me is not just a hobby, not something I do when I’m bored. It’s a way to use my environment, to discover tools, and shortcuts, and new ways of looking at things. It’s a chance for me to use my head and my hands to make something pretty, or practical, or fun. I don’t plan on majoring in art, architecture, design, or anything remotely craft-based. I don’t want it to be my career. I think a part of me is worried that I’ll lose my love of making things if there’s homework involved, or if I have to rely on it for a paycheck. I want it to stay a pastime, to stay a way for me to relax, enjoy myself, and cultivate a sense of independence. I’ll never stop being a crafty person- I’ll always have a box of colored pencils, or a sewing kit, or a cordless drill on hand. I don’t know where I’ll be in twenty years, or even ten. But I know wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, I will be the person I am because of that little girl, patiently sewing together tiny pieces of fabric on her bedroom floor: creating something great, something new, something entirely her own. _____________________ A Critique of Vanessa's Essay In this critique, well look at the features of Vanessas  essay that make it shine as well as a few areas that could use improvement. The Essay Title If you read the tips for essay titles, youll find that Vanessa’s title fits within one of the recommended strategies: it is clear, succinct, and straightforward. We quickly know what the essay is about. Granted, her title isn’t creative, but creative titles aren’t always the best approach. With some exceptions, too much cleverness or puniness in a title tends to please the writer much more than the reader.  The short title has the added advantage that it isnt adding much to the word count. Keep in mind that the title counts towards the length limit. The Length For the 2018-19 academic year, the Common Application essay has a word limit of 650 and a minimum length of 250 words. At 575 words, Vanessas essay falls at the upper end of this range. This is a good place to be. Youll certainly come across college counselors who adhere to the belief that less is always more, that the admissions staff is so overwhelmed with applications that they greatly appreciate a 300-word essay. There is certainly truth to the idea that a tight 300-word essay is far preferable to a wordy, rambling, fluffy 650-word essay. However, better yet is a tight, engaging essay in the 500 to 650 word range. If a college truly has holistic admissions, the admissions folks want to get to know you as an individual. They can learn a lot more in 600 words than 300. There is no consensus on the ideal essay length, but Vanessas essay is certainly fine on this front. The Topic Vanessa has avoided all of the bad essay topics, and she is wise to have focused on something for which she has true passion. Her essay tells us about a side of her personality that may not be apparent from the rest of her application. Also, the subtext of Vanessas essay could work in her favor. Vanessas description of her love of crafts says a lot about her: she is good with her hands and working with tools; she has acquired hands-on skills designing, drawing, and drafting; she is creative and resourceful; she takes pride in her work. These are all skills and personality traits that will serve her well in college. Her essay may be talking about handiwork, but it is also providing evidence of her ability to handle the challenges of college-level work. Weaknesses Overall, Vanessa has written a fine essay, but it is not without a few short-comings. With a little revision, she could get rid of some of the  vague language. Specifically, she uses the words things and something numerous times. The biggest concern has to do with the last paragraph of Vanessas essay. It could leave the admissions folks asking  why  Vanessa does not want to make her passion into her major or her career. In many cases, the most successful people are those who have turned their passions into their professions. A reader of Vanessas essay is likely to think she would make an excellent mechanical engineer or art student, yet her essay seems to reject these options. Also, if Vanessa loves working with her hands so much, why not push herself to develop those skills further? The idea that â€Å"homework† might cause her to â€Å"lose [her] love of making things† makes sense on one hand, but there’s a danger in that statement as well: it suggests that Vanessa doesn’t like homework. The Overall Impression Vanessas essay succeeds on many fronts. Keep in mind why a college asks for an essay. If a college wants to see more than your grades and standardized test scores, it means the school has a holistic admissions process. They want to get to know you as a whole person, so they want to give you a space to reveal something about yourself that may not come across in the other areas of your application. They also want to make sure you can write in a clear and engaging manner. Vanessa succeeds on both fronts. Also, the tone and voice we find in Vanessas essay reveals her to be an intelligent, creative, and passionate person. Ultimately, no matter what essay option you choose for the Common Application, the admissions committee is asking the same thing: Is this applicant someone who we think will contribute to our campus community in a positive and meaningful way? With Vanessas essay, the answer is yes. Want to Learn More About Common Application Essay Option #1? Along with Vanessas essay above, be sure to check out Carries essay Give Goth a Chance and Charlies essay My Dads.  The essays demonstrate that you can approach this essay prompt in extremely different ways. You can also check out tips and sample essays for the other Common Application essay prompts.

History of Oklahoma Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of Oklahoma - Research Paper Example The west side of state experienced extensive drought and winds to generate storms as the east side of the region experienced a tropical climate. Hunting and gathering was a perverse activity in the west side of the state. The people that lived on the eastern side of the state practiced farming since the climate was favorable. According to the evidence of anthropologists humanity exists in the region prior to 1500 A.D. Researchers find oldest form of Paleo cultures, clovis cultures and folsom. Indigenous people populate the area that symbolically represents a pan-shaped figure. The eastern side of Oklahoma represented the Caddoan Mississippian culture that practiced agrarian activities. Natives living in the area established their houses on mounds and Chiefdoms controlled different communities. The Caddoan Mississippian culture emerged from earlier culture in 1000 A. D. Geographical-location of Caddoan was on Woodland penetrating the Red River. Other communities believed to live in the eastern side of Oklahoma included Wichita people that survived on the Great Plains. The difference between Mississippian cultures and Wichita plains culture is that the latter practiced agrarian activities while the former practiced hunting and gathering. Farming activity appeared in the South Canadian Rivers at 900 AD. . Native Americans at this period that practiced farming grew different types of crops such as legumes. The people practiced fishing, hunting of rabbits, deer, and gathered mussels. Indigenous people constructed rectangular thatched dwellings mostly near the river basins. Apache groups appeared at around 1500 and collaborated with Wichita cultures. Archeologist evidence suggests that Kiowa-Apache culture were hunter and gatherers. The only difference between Wichita culture and Apache culture is that the latter used dogs in their hunting spree. Both cultures are similar in that they

MGMT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

MGMT - Essay Example This leadership style entails implementing new ideas, with the leaders as the best example of such new idea adoption. The training on this type of leadership should be introduced to the leaders of the company within the first 4 months, after which the phase of implementation of the new leadership style follows in the next 8 months. To address the challenge of change resistance by the leaders of the company, a performance-based evaluation should be introduced in the organization within the first 6 months of new company leadership, where the leaders failing to address the required changes in their areas are replaced with others. To motivate the company employees, while attracting and retaining more talented employee, an employee motivation program should be established in the organization, within a duration of 4 months of the new CEO joining the company. The motivation program should entail cash rewards, training and development as well as promotion of the employees whose performance and exceeds the set targets (Phillips, 1847). In addressing the challenge of reduced profits for the company, a change in the type of products manufactured by the company should be introduced, where the products that are not profitable are scrapped off and replaced with the newly developed products, generated by the R & D department of the organization (Phillips, 193). Facing off the old and non-profitable products and their replacement with new products should be implemented within the first 12 months of the introduction of new leadership. Additionally, strategies for minimizing the costs of production should be sought, with the COO leading a team of researchers to investigate the appropriate production systems and processes that should be installed to reduce costs (Phillips, 188). The whole process of investigating and installing the new systems should be implemented by the end of one year of

Developing a Potato Crop

Developing a Potato Crop Individual Research Paper on  Potatoes Darryl Wiebe Garret Sawatzky Devon Pouteau Production Seeding The ideal timing for seeding potatoes is late April until mid May. The average temperature highs are between 10 19 degrees Celsius and the average temperature lows are between -2 4 degrees Celsius. (Environment Canada) Cooler temperatures are great for avoiding early sprouting and damaging of potato seed before and after its in the ground. Seed rate should be approximately 17 CWT (1700 lbs) per acre. The seed depth should be around 5 -6 Inches below the surface of the top of your hill. The target seed spacing is 15 inches from seed to seed. An approximate average spacing between rows is 34 inches. Some conventional potato farmers will apply a fungicide, such as Titan or Emesto, during the cutting process of the seed. This will protect open cut seed from diseases. Fertilization The following is a Fertilizer program from Beaver Creek Farms located in south central Manitoba. Other farms in Manitoba may do it a variety of ways but this is a fairly common practice among Manitoba potato growers. In fall, the year prior to seeding, broadcast a potash blend of 0-0-60 at a rate of 300 lbs/ac. Work it into the soil using a coulter disc, or other implement, to avoid nutrient loss during the freeze thaw seasons. During planting a liquid blend of 10-34-0, 15-0-0-20 and 28-0-0 is applied in furrow at a rate between 8 20 U.S. gal/ac, depending on the field nutrient requirement. 28-0-0 is banded during row crop cultivation/hilling at 18 U.S. gal/ac Using a technique called Fertigation 28-0-0 is applied twice is applied twice in July at a rate of 20 U.S. gal/ac. This is done by mixing 28-0-0 with the water supply and spreading it on the crops using the irrigation pivots. All these techniques add up to a total nutrient application of 180-80-200-26. Crop Protection To protect against early disease, Quadris is applied in furrow while planting at an approximate rate of 0.2 L/ac. Just Prior to emergence, Glyphosate is broadcast at a rate of 0.7 L/ac to kill weeds to give a competitive edge to the near sprouting potatoes. One week after potato emergence Centurion is applied at 0.75 L/ac to kill grassy weeds. A week after the Centurion a mix of Prism, at 24 g/ac, and Sencor, at 150 ml/ac, is applied more weed protection. Starting at the end of July a fungicide like Dithane or Pencozeb is applied every 7 days until harvest at a rate of 0.9 kg/ac. Harvest The Optimal time for harvest is from mid to late September. The ideal size of potato, for food production, is from 4 16 oz. An approximate yield goal is around 350 CWT/ac or 35000 lbs/ac. Depending on selling contracts or storage availability some farms may haul potatoes directly to the production plant from the field. (Wiebe, 2016) Marketing End Use/Market The end market is for food. Chips, wedges, French fries, mashed or baked, there are plenty of different ways to prepare a potato. The Russet Burbank variety is the preferred potato for McCain food products as well as McDonalds french fries. Potatoes make up 52% of all fresh vegetables consumed in Canada (www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca) Price Trends Supply and Demand The average price per CWT in the last few years has stayed around $11.00. The estimated price per CWT for the next growing season is approximately $11.10. (Roy Arnott MAFRID Farm Management, 2016) The global potato production has grown steadily from 267 million metric tons in 1990 to 385.07 million metric tons in 2014. China, Russia, India, the United States and Ukraine are the largest producers of potatoes. China and India are emerging as the clear world leaders. During 2015, export sales of potatoes and potato products were 12 billion USD. The Netherlands, France, Germany, China, Egypt, U.S.A., Canada, Belgium, United Kingdom and Spain were the top ten exporting countries accounting for 77.2% of potato exports in 2015. (www.fao.org) The global trend in potato consumption is increasing, mostly in Asia and South America. However, the huge demand for potatoes comes from the United States and Belgium for processing purposes. (Statistics Canada)The increased demand for processed potato products will drive the demand for potatoes and will also affect potato prices in the future. During 2016-2021, the fastest market growth is expected to be in the Middle East, Brazil and East Asia. (Mordor Intelligence) References   Ã‚   (n.d.). Retrieved from www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca: www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/potato/ (n.d.). Retrieved from www.fao.org: www.fao.org/potato-2008/en/world/ Environment Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.currentresults.com: https://www.currentresults.com/weather/canada/manitoba/temperature-may.php Mordor Intelligence. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.mordorintelligence.com: www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/potato-market Roy Arnott MAFRID Farm Management. (2016). Guidelines for Estimating Potato Production Costs. Manitoba Agriculture . Statistics Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.livingin-canada.com: www.livingin-canda.com/food-prices-canada.html Wiebe, S. (2016). Potato Production. Beaver Creek Farms ltd., Macgregor.

Medea shows that seeking revenge undermines any hope of justice Essay

The brutal course of revenge which Medea exacts on Jason may suggest that in the pursuit of revenge, one render any prospect of attaining justice to be void. However in an indirect way, Medea’s course of revenge which implicates the lives of innocents, exerts a punishment on her. Ultimately, the fact that Medea is not directly subjected to a punishment for her extreme course of her revenge is attributable to her ancestry – she is the grand-daughter of the Sun-God. This nullifies any suggestion that seeking revenge overthrows the likelihood of justice, as Medea’s divine circumstances are an anomaly. Thereby, this outcome of her ploy of revenge is not representative of the outcome which an identical course of revenge would yield for an ordinary citizen in Ancient Greece. On a superficial and simplistic level, the success of Medea’s course of revenge suggests that justice has been attained, as we witness the rightful downfall of Jason. Jason’s betrayal of Medea in the form of his abandonment, results in the breaking of the oath he pledged to Medea and the Gods. Thus, in adherence to the notion of divine justice, that the Gods will exact justice on those who commit unnatural deeds, Jason deserves a calamitous punishment for the breaking of this oath to the Gods and Medea, who â€Å"never did him wrong†. Through achieving revenge on Jason in the most effective manner possible, via murdering their children and his wife, Medea inflicts this just punishment on Jason. However, on a more profound level, Medea’s immoderate course of revenge instills within the audience a sense that her course of revenge has been essentially counter-productive to achieving true justice. In her pursuit of revenge, Medea murders her innocent children, indicating that she has committed an indisputably barbaric injustice, while seeking to exert justice on Jason. To a lesser extent, this also applies to Glauce and Creon. Although they have been involved in Jason’s abandonment of Medea through implicitly condoning it, Medea’s murder of these two is also unwarranted and unjustifiable. Yet, despite committing these gross injustices, the play concludes without any direct form of divine justice being exerted on Medea. To the contrary, Medea receives assistance in fleeing Corinth. To a certain extent justice is indirectly inflicted on Medea for her excessive course of revenge, pertaining particularly to the murders of her children. It noticeable intensifies Medea’s plight, suggesting that a punishment is derived on Medea. Prior to committing these barbaric deeds, Medea recognises that they will cause her to â€Å"endure guilt, however horrible.† Medea’s desire for the continued presence of her children shows that she maintains a compassionate nature towards her children, affirming that Medea’s murder of her children will be to the detriment of her enduring quality of life. This is confirmed by Medea’s complete agreement with Jason’s view that the murders of their children cause Medea â€Å"to suffer too, my loss is yours [Medea’s] no less. â€Å"Medea’s association with the gods by her ancestry, refutes the widespread applicability of the notion that revenge cannot succeed in terms of forming true justice. Medea is the grand-daughter of the Sun-God. This is shown most emphatically in the manner in which Medea murders Glauce. Medea perpetrates the murder of Glauce through engulfing her in flames. Similarly, she exhibits an affiliation with the god Zeus, and the god of the underworld, â€Å"Queen Hecate †¦ my chosen accomplish.† This affiliation is pivotal to why a punishment is not directly exerted on Medea by the gods for the injustices she commits whilst perpetrating her ploy for revenge on Jason. Thus, informing us that for an ordinary citizen in Ancient Greece, such an unscathed outcome would not be possible. It forces us to realise that the outcome of Medea does not conclusively show that seeking revenge through immoderate means leads to a failure to achieve true justice. In many ways, Medea’s departure from Corinth within a chariot provided by the Gods, despite the callous deeds she has committed in exacting revenge on Jason, suggests that the pursuit of revenge occurs at the expense of the formation of genuine justice. However, we must be cautious to accept this misguided suggestion, due to Medea’s rare circumstance of divine attributes, which enables her to be vindicated by the Gods for her merciless deeds perpetrated whilst exerting justice on Jason. References:Euripides, Medea

Spiracles Aid in Breathing on Fish, Whales, and Insects

Spiracles are breathing openings found on the surface of insects, certain  cartilaginous fish  such as certain species of  sharks, and stingrays. Hammerheads and  chimeras dont have spiracles. In fish, spiracles are composed of a pair of openings just behind the fishs eyes that allow it to draw oxygenated water in from above without having to bring it in through the gills. The spiracles open into the fishs mouth, where water is passed over its gills for gas exchange and out of the body. Spiracles aid fish in breathing even when they are lying on the ocean bottom or when theyre buried in the sand.   Evolution of Spiracles Spiracles likely evolved from gill openings. In primitive jawless fish, spiracles were simply the first gill openings behind the mouth. This gill opening eventually separated as the jaw evolved out of the structures between it and the other gill openings. The spiracle remained as a small, hole-like opening in most cartilaginous fish. Spiracles are useful for the types of rays that bury themselves in the ocean bottom because they allow them to breathe without the aid of exposed gills. Primitive bony fish with spiracles include the sturgeon, paddlefish, bichirs, and coelacanth. Scientists also believe  that spiracles are associated with the hearing organs of frogs and some other amphibians. Examples of Spiracles Southern stingrays  are sand-dwelling sea animals that use their spiracles to breathe when they are lying on the ocean bottom. Spiracles behind the rays eyes draw in water, which is passed over the gills and expelled from its gills on its underside.  Skates, cartilaginous fish  that have a flat body and wing-like pectoral fins attached to their head, and stingrays sometimes use spiracles as their primary method of breathing, bringing oxygenated water into the gill chamber where it is exchanged for carbon dioxide. Angel sharks are large, flat-bodied sharks that bury themselves in the sand and breathe through their spiracles. They lie in wait, camouflaged,  for fish, crustaceans, and mollusks and then lunge to strike and kill them with their jaws. By pumping water in through their spiracles and out through their gills, these sharks can absorb oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide without constantly swimming, as more mobile sharks must do. Insects and Animals  With Spiracles Insects have spiracles, which allow air to move into their tracheal system. Since insects dont have lungs, they use spiracles to  exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide  with the outside air. Insects open and close their spiracles through muscle contractions.  Oxygen molecules then travel via the insects tracheal system. Each tracheal tube ends with a tracheole, where the oxygen dissolves into the tracheole fluid. The O2  then diffuses into the cells. The blowhole of the  whale  is also sometimes called a spiracle in older texts. Whales use their blowholes to take in the air and dispel carbon dioxide when they surface. Whales have lungs like other mammals rather than gills like fish. They have to breathe air, not water.

Heta in Translation

The Japanese word heta,  pronounced hey-TAH, means awkwardness or indicates a lack of skill. Explore more about this word, including an audio file that can aid in pronunciation. Japanese Characters ä ¸â€¹Ã¦â€°â€¹ 㠁 ¸Ã£ Å¸ Example Hazukashigarazuni hetana eigo de hanashita.æ  ¥Ã£ Å¡Ã£ â€¹Ã£ â€"㠁Å'ら㠁šã  «Ã¤ ¸â€¹Ã¦â€°â€¹Ã£  ªÃ¨â€¹ ±Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã£  §Ã¨ © ±Ã£ â€"㠁Ÿã€‚ Translation:  I spoke in poor English without hesitation. Antonym jouzu ä ¸Å Ã¦â€°â€¹