President of the English Department Student Association Essay Example for Free

President of the English Department Student Association Essay â€Å"There is no student incapable of learning, only teachers incapable of instruction. † I became particularly enamored of this statement during my fourth year teaching. To raise the caliber of my instruction, to reside in a new cultural environment and broaden my horizons, and to facilitate a sincere desire to aid student development, I am laying down my comfortable and secure government position to apply for entrance to your Master’s program in TESOL for the Fall semester of 2001. I have always had an excellent academic performance at school, but unlike those who only have good grades, I also understood the significance of leading a well-rounded student life. Not only have I participated in many different kinds of activities and competitions, but I have also held various part-time jobs with the result my life experience is far richer than my peers. A particular benefit of this is that I am more tolerant and understanding of others and appreciative of the strengths peculiar to individuals. My parents are both secondary school teachers, and they place great emphasis on children’s reading development. Thus we siblings all cultivated good learning habits. Therefore, during my undergraduate years, I was in the habit of fully previewing reading material that professors assigned before giving lectures, in addition to the usual taking of notes. I also made full use of library services and materials to supplement my reading. As a result, in both linguistics and literature, I consistently earned good grades and tended to be a more creative student. I graduated from college as the number one government-sponsored student in my graduating class (there were 25 of us) and won a large number of scholarships in the process. Although I work hard at whatever I do, I have always been generous sharing the fruits of my efforts with others. Scholastic performance is naturally important, but the mutual learning process inspired by sharing one’s knowledge and experiences with others is even more important. Through my teaching, I hope to inculcate students with a similar attitude and inspire them to base their self-assurance on themselves and not look for it from others. In addition to strictly academic pursuits, I participated in many societies and organizations, playing many leading roles. I held several interesting part-time positions such as Stage Management Assistant for the Russian Sligo Ballet Dance Company, Campaign Assistant during the presidential election campaign for the now-ruling Democratic Progressive Party, and as Translator for the 1994 Taipei International Toy Show in World Trade Center. On campus I was the Editor for departmental publications and President of the English Department Student Association. Also, I was the stage lighting supervisor for my graduating year’s public drama performance. The most important event I worked on was as a school representative helping organize and setup the National Alumni Association of Senior High Schools in Hsinchu. Under our efforts, it became an official association recognized and sponsored by the Hsinchu City Government. Speaking of sports, I enjoy volleyball and badminton very much. Thus, I was assigned to be the school badminton club instructor as part of my teaching practice. Also worth mentioning is that I was a volunteer instructor at two orphanages, giving those in need love and care. At junior high school, I was an advanced science student but on reaching high school I became really attached to popular music in general and the heavy metal genre in particular. My interest in reading lyric sheets prompted the discovery that the underlying concepts and cultural background of foreign and domestic music are often very different. This inspired me to transfer from the university science preparatory track to the study of English. Continuing to earn high grades, I attended the Department of English at Chang Hua University of Education on scholarship. My abiding interest in English ensured I was highly motivated but the well-chosen course materials also naturally engendered interest. In 1997, because of my good performance, I was assigned to Taipei Municipal Fu-Hsing Senior High School to complete my teaching practice. A year later, I became a certified English teacher and have been teaching there until now. During the past three years, I have taken one class of students through an entire three-year cycle of studies ending in graduation, and from this have noted that the dry nature of language studies unnecessarily renders this subject less than captivating to most students. Here in Taiwan, there is intense pressure on students facing the national college entrance examination with the result that grade school instruction focuses on grammar, as this is the prime subject tested by the exam. Fortunately, in the last several years Taiwan has been going through a transition period of educational reform and the stress has changed from the dull ritual of grammar studies to the more colorful participatory style of community language learning. Furthermore, high schools are now given more latitude tailoring programs to their needs, all of which represents a paradigm change from the Japanese educational style to the American which emphasizes personal development and independent thought. To achieve my potential as a teacher operating within this new and still developing system, I wish to study and research a variety of general teaching methodologies, in addition to linguistics teaching methodologies. Reviewing your catalogue, I have been very impressed with your curriculum, faculty, facilities, and overall academic environment. I have discovered your curriculum and developmental style is in great accord with my needs and, because your school is located in one of the world’s economic and cultural center, I expect it to offer both an outstanding curriculum and an exceptional environment for cultural immersion. Recently, preparing for the TOEFL and TSE, I have taken a great interest in assessing second language acquisition. The CLOZE Test and Reading Comprehension Test and other related preparatory tests are relatively disorganized and less than ideally effective at present. Thus I hope to make a concrete contribution to the improvement of this aspect of English language instruction upon my return. I believe I possess the enthusiasm and determination to successfully enhance my skills teaching English as a second language, but I also believe that self-improvement is the most important thing in my life. Only by setting myself up as an example, knowing my own strengths and weaknesses, and trying to improve myself, can I have the confidence to step up to a platform and teach students. After all, teaching is not only about inculcating students with a body of practical skills, but also about investing them with moral courage and character education during the process. As such, I make a point of ensuring I have spare time for my students after school and I thus find the progress of my students to be very fulfilling. Highly motivated, resolute, and more than willing to devote the time and effort to complete your program, I sincerely hope you will accept my candidacy. In closing, I would like to express my gratitude for your review of my application materials, and I thank you for your time.

The French Revolution Essay -- European History

The French Revolution The French Revolution was one of the most traumatic events in human history. Over seven million people may have died as a result. The immediate reason was the financial crisis caused by French support for the American Revolution. France invested 2 billion pieces of silver to win the war. Her tax system could only support the government during peace. A war called for extraordinary measures. This was the beginning of the first phase of the revolution, which is referred to as the Aristocratic Revolution. The aristocrats saw this crisis as an opportunity to reassert their power. The French Finance Minister, Necker (1776-1781) didn’t use new taxation to finance the war, he borrowed the money. In 1781, he published the Compte Rendu – which was the first budget the people of France had ever seen. It showed a budget surplus of ten million pieces of silver and Necker was hailed as a hero of the Enlightenment throughout Europe. His budget, however, was a fabrication. France was actually 80,000,000 pieces of silver in debt. When Calonne became finance minister in 1783, he found over half of France’s income went to pay the interest on the debt and the debt was increasing at the rate of 100,000,000 a year. Soon France would not be able to borrow any more money. She had to either repudiate the debt or find new taxes. Repudiating the debt was out of the question because governments have to be able to borrow money. They need to borrow to bridge the gap between the yearly arrival of tax revenues. The only course open was to find new taxation. The problem was who to tax? The peasants and artisans were already taxed to the limit. New taxes would have to be put on the aristocracy and the clergy. The Parlement registered new edicts and the nobility controlled it. The problem would be getting the taxes through the Parlement. Calonne called together an assembly of notables in 1787, hoping to gain momentum for reform. The notables refused to back the new taxes, because they didn’t believe there was a deficit. The notables believed Necker’s Compte Rendu. Calonne and Necker traded charges and insults and King Louis XVI fired Calonne. Louise XVI hired the head of the notables – Brienne – to be his new finance minister in 1787. Brienne reviewed the budget and realized that Calonne had been telling the truth, but when he presented his case to the notables, ... ...ear, not popular support. Executions continued to increase (258 in April of 1794, 345 in May, and 688 in June) and differences in the Committee became irreconcilable. On July 27, 1794 Robespierre was shouted down in the National Convention while giving a speech to answer attacks against his policies. Cries of "Down with the tyrant" were raised and Robespierre's arrest was decreed. Robespierre and his followers escaped, but were later captured. He and 19 of his followers were executed July 28, 1794. The frontispiece from this anti-Robespierre work, Almanach des Prisons, depicts the results of the Reign of Terror under Robespierre's leadership. The various stacks of heads are labeled as follows: "Clergy," "Parliment," "Nobles," "Constitution" (supporters of the Constitution), "Legislature," "Convention," and "People." Note that the largest stack is for the "People" or general public, rather than for the clergy or aristocracy, emphasizing one of the claims against Robespierre's regime. The figure on the scaffold is Robespierre guillotining himself! ________________________________________

Honda Civic vs. Ford Focus

Ever thought about buying a new, gas saving, family car? If somebody needs some great information about two types of cars, which are the 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid and the 2010 Ford Focus Sedan, then here it is. The quality of the car needs to be comfortable when riding in it. Also, the car needs to get good gas mileage, have a decent price, and have an exceptional warranty. The main thing is to make sure the car has excellent performance specifications and is safe. In these next paragraphs a person should be able to make a decision about which car will suit your families needs best.Most people want to be comfortable when riding in a car. Comfort in a vehicle can save somebody from getting a sore bottom or anything like that. The Ford Focus and the Honda Civic both have a five-seating capacity. The front has two seats and the back has three seats. The Ford Focus has a little more cargo space than the Honda Civic. The Honda Civic has a little more head and leg room in the front seat of t he car, whereas the Ford Focus has more head and leg room in the backseat for your passengers. (2010 Honda Civic) There is an article that was used for my information says that the Ford Focus has uncomfortable rear seating. 2010 Ford Focus) In another article it says that the front seats are comfortable, but it is a matter of personal opinion. (2010 Ford Focus: Overview) The Ford Focus has a compass, external temp, trip computer, stability and traction control, and Bluetooth that the Honda Civic does not have. The Honda Civic just has what is in both cars. There is air conditioning, power windows, tilt steering, cruise control, AM/FM radio, CD player and an alarm in both of the cars. (2010 Honda Civic) While looking up articles, there were not any that said the Honda Civic had uncomfortable seating.However, any article that says the seats are uncomfortable could be wrong. It does not matter how the seats feel to anybody else, it is how the seats feel to each individual that matters. Gas prices are outrageous; so why not get a gas saving car? Living in a hilly/mountain area the gas mileage of a car will not be as good as what it could be. The gas mileage of a car will be better in an area that has a lot of flat land where a person has to drive a little ways to get where they are going. Gas mileage is that way with any vehicle, but when driving around and topping and starting every five minutes, it will use more gas than just driving around for about thirty minutes. The Honda Civic’s gas mileage for the city and highway is approximately twenty-five and thirty-six, while the Ford Focus’s city and highway gas mileage is approximately twenty-four and thirty-five. (2010 Honda Civic) There is barely any difference in the two cars gas mileage, so which ever car a person picks they will get good gas mileage. Most everybody likes a deal when buying anything. Well when buying a car everybody wants to try to find the best deal possible.Whether it is a family car or a one person car, it needs to suits your needs. In choosing a car, evaluating the price of the cars is probably a smart thing to do. Look to make sure the cars that are being looked at stay within your budget and make sure the car has a good warranty for the value of your money. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Honda Civic is $15,455 – $25,340. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Ford Focus is $16,290 – $18,780. (2010 Honda Civic vs) The Honda Civic does cost more than the Ford Focus, but they are about the same price even though the Ford Focus is a little cheaper.The warranty of the new car is very important. Everybody should make sure that they have a good warranty so if anything messes up on your new car; it can be fixed for cheaper than what it would be without warranty. The Honda Civic and the Ford Focus warranties are for three years or 36,000 miles. Both have a power train warranty of five years or 60,000 mile s. Also, both cars have a rust-through warranty of five years or unlimited miles and they both have a roadside aid warranty of three years or 36,000 miles. Remember all the warranties say the year or mile, but mean whichever one comes first. Compare Cars) Some cars do not come with very good warranty, but the car needs to come with as much warranty as necessary to suit your needs. If it does not, then that car is simply not the right car to buy. When buying a car, make sure to evaluate the performance specifications that are on the car. How the car performs is important to just about everybody because nobody wants their new car to mess up on them right after they buy it. The Ford Focus is almost the same size as the Honda Civic, but the Ford Focus is just a bit larger than the Honda Civic. 2010 Honda Civic vs) The Honda Civic and the Ford Focus both are front wheel drive and four wheel drive power brakes. The Honda Civic has electric rack and pinion steering, whereas the Ford Focus has power rack and pinion steering. (2010 Ford Focus-4dr) The Honda Civic’s engine is 110 at 6,000 RPM and the Ford Focus’s engine is 140 at 6,000 RPM. The spare tires for both cars are compact. Also, the front and rear wheels on the both cars are made of aluminum. The Honda Civic has fifteen inch tires on the front and rear tires (2010 Honda Civic Hybrid – 4dr), while the Ford Focus has tires that are seventeen inches on the front and rear tires. 2010 Ford Focus-4dr) Here, the only reason that the Ford Focus is better than the Honda Civic is because of the power rack and electric rack. My family has never owned a car that has not had power rack and pinion steering, so that is why we would prefer the Ford Focus over the Honda Civic. Safety in a vehicle means a person’s life. Before buying a car, check out the safety features that vehicle has on it. The safety features in a vehicle is very important to everybody. So here is a little bit about these two car s safety.The Honda Civic and the Ford Focus both have front side airbags, curtain side airbags, antilock brake system, and antiskid system. The Honda Civic has traction control that the Ford Focus does not have. (2010 Ford Focus: Overview) The Ford Focus has dual front airbags and tire-pressure monitor that the Honda Civic does not have. (2010 Honda Civic: Overview) A tire-pressure monitor does help from having a blow out and the dual front airbags would probably make the passenger feel safer. Comparing, what the Honda Civic has over the Ford Focus makes the Ford Focus better.Buying a new car can be very overwhelming. Researching a few kinds of cars helps to narrow it down to the two cars you are leaning more towards purchasing and can make it a lot easier. The Ford Focus Sedan is better because of all the points made in this paper. Although the Honda Civic Hybrid is a good car too, the Ford Focus Sedan is what is needed to suit my family’s needs. This paper hopefully helped somebody make a decision on buying one of these types of cars or helped somebody out on what to look for when buying a new vehicle.

NYU Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program

Ever since I was a young child, I have always been fascinated with the wonders of the medical field. As I grew older, questions continuously ran through my brain, as to how certain parts of the body function. Some of those questions were answerable by a simple â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†, while others required complex answers unknown to many. For this, I decided that I would take up a course from the medical field when I go to college. After my completion of high school education in 2004, I attended college at the Kingsborough Community College, as a Liberal Arts Major. After a few semesters, I realized that I wanted to fulfill my dream of being part of the medical field.   Several reasons aroused as to why I choose this program. First, I wanted to hone my talents and strengthen my inclination towards the medical field. I have always been interested in the work done physicians who specialized in Ob/Gyne, especially how a living human being survives inside the female’s body. Being given the chance to experience life from the small detail up to the time the baby is born never fails to fascinate me. Another reason that made me go for this field is the fact that I wanted to help teenage girls who were having their own babies at such a young age. I want to give them a place that they can go to, without the hassle of worrying about people who will judge them. These include the 9-month preparation that the mothers will have to endure before their babies are born. When accepted, I plan to further enhance my craft, taking into heart the training that this university will offer. I will use the experiences and the knowledge to practice my chosen field, and at the same time, be of service to mankind. When given the chance, I also want to work for the New York City hospital. I believe that knowledge that I will acquire from this university will be beneficial in the fulfillment of my dreams and aspirations. This is something that I can hold on to for the rest of my life.   

Hooray, hooray! It’s Presidents Day!

Hooray, hooray! It’s Presidents Day! Hooray, Hooray! It’s Presidents Day! Whether you think of  Presidents Day as a patriotic celebration of our country’s political leadership, or just a day off from work and/or school, it’s surely a good time to reflect on the educational legacy of President Washington and his successors. By â€Å"educational legacy† here, we don’t mean the policies they introduced while in office or donations made to colleges; we’re interested in what our presidents were like as students. Harry Truman, College Dropout Not every president has been a â€Å"classic† educational role model, with many not graduating at all. The most recent was Harry Truman, who dropped out of business school after only one semester. To be fair, he did drop out because of his family’s financial problems rather than a lack of interest in learning. And he did later become president. So he must have been doing something right. A Very Different Playbook Would history have differed much had Gerald Ford accepted one of the two offers he received from NFL clubs after graduating from the University of Michigan? Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Library. It’s hard to say, but he managed to help the Wolverines to national titles in 1932 and 1933, as well as winning the team’s MVP award in his senior year. Whether his skills as a linebacker were at all useful in office, we can only guess. Skull and Bones Yale University’s â€Å"Skull and Bones† society is notorious for its secrecy and elitism, inviting only the most powerful students to join. This has so far included three future presidents: William Howard Taft, George H. W. Bush, and George Bush Jr. Apparently, the initiation ritual for new members involves divulging â€Å"intimate personal details, including their full sexual histories.† Sounds fine to us. After all, there’s no way giving away sensitive personal information could possibly pose a terrible blackmail risk. If there was, they wouldn’t do it, right? Right? Go Team President! On a lighter note, four future presidents have spent their college days cheerleading, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Wait, George Bush Jr was a cheerleader and a member of Skull and Bones? When did the man find time to study? Maybe he just didn’t bother. That’s â€Å"Dr. Woodrow,† Thank You Out of the 43 people who’ve been president, one stands out for his educational achievements: Dr. Woodrow Wilson, PhD. The only president to have a college doctorate, Wilson earned a PhD in political science from John Hopkins University, producing a dissertation called â€Å"Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics.† He later went on to teach at Bryn Mawr College. So although Woodrow might be better known for his achievements as 28th President of the United States, from now on we’ll think of him first as an academic high-achiever. Happy Presidents Day!

The Global Financial Crisis in Late 2008 Article - 2

The Global Financial Crisis in Late 2008 - Article Example He is committed to seeking peaceful solutions to world problems. The number 3 world event of 2009 is the protests about the election in Iran. This is important because the cruelty of this regime was captured for the world to see. The young woman named Nela died while the world watched on the Internet. This will show everyone that Iran should never have nuclear weapons. The number 4 world event is the peaceful elections in the country of Kosovo. Serbia and Russia will not recognize this country and were counting on the first election to be rife with protests and violence. This was not the case so the people of Kosovo will have fairly elected local officials. This will be a great step towards the recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation by the international community. The number 5 world event was the death of Michael Jackson. The self-proclaimed â€Å"King of Pop† had lived the last few years of his life under allegations of child molestation. Now that he is dead, everyone around the world feels free to enjoy his music again. The number 6 world event in 2009 is the world climate meeting in Copenhagen. Some are hoping that some sort of international treaty will be signed at this conference so we can reverse global climate change. Other people feel that major countries such as the United States will not sign a treaty. The number 7 world event in 2009 is battling the Swine Flu. Many governments and other organizations are scrambling to get vaccinations to people most likely to be affected by this epidemic. This flu is especially frightening because it has shown that it is capable of making healthy people very sick very quickly. The number 8 world event is a series of doping allegations in the sport. Sports from cycling to baseball to tennis have been rocked in 2009 by athletes testing positive for steroids and other recreational and performance-enhancing drugs.

Legalizing Performance Enhancing Drugs Research Paper

Legalizing Performance Enhancing Drugs - Research Paper Example It is about time when the law and policy makers stopped being hypocritical and paranoid about the use of PEDs, and sought their legalization instead. This is an obvious question. Why is there a debate on this issue in the first place? Performance enhancing drugs can simply be banned because they give an added advantage to their users. Then why are people objecting to the ban? Do they wish to be unfair? Not exactly. Banning of PEDs has led to the introduction of other evils apart from further aggravating their illegal use. For instance, while anti-doping policies in sports seek to â€Å"level the playing field† and prevent sportsmen from taking unfair advantage, they have not been successful at this attempt (Kayser, Mauron and Miah 521). Sportsmen who intend to use them do so without fail, and many go undetected. This proves to be unfair for those who do not use such drugs out of fear of being caught. This has not at all leveled the playing field, as illegal use of drugs is already prevalent among sportsmen. It is just that most of them are not being caught. According to Herper, to address the issue of illegal doping by spo rtsmen: The most obvious solution has always been to legalize those drugs that work, and to experimentally monitor new entrants, including dietary supplements, for both efficacy and safety. Biological improvement would be treated much as athletic equipment like baseball bats and running shoes. If these drugs are legalized, it will at least be possible to monitor the use of such drugs and even level the playing field as those innocent players who were earlier deterred from using them