International Buisness Between China and USA Essay

International Buisness Between China and USA - Essay Example Trade Issues†). Traditionally, China was regarded as a closed economy and it was not contributed to the international business. However, in present days, China is considered as one of the biggest business nations internationally. China’s incorporation in the international economy and progressive capture of the market ideologies had been initiated by the US political and financial commitment. The economic development of China has helped to widen and extend the business associations between the US and China at every level for the welfare of both countries (United States Trade Representative, â€Å"U.S.-China Trade Relations: Entering a New Phase of Greater Accountability and Enforcement†). Statement of Problem The paper will describe the trends of business relationships between the two nations i.e. ... In the year 1979, the total business between the US and China was approximately US$ 2 billion and it increased to US$ 457 billion by 2010. Presently, China is regarded as the second biggest US business associates and it is the third biggest export market for the USA. The imports had developed much quicker in comparison to export business. The import deficit between these two countries had increased from US$ 10 billion in 1990 to US$ 273 billion in 2010 (Morrison, â€Å"China-U.S. Trade Issues†). The following figure will describe the international business between the US and China from 2000 to 2010: Source: (Morrison, â€Å"China-U.S. Trade Issues†). Merchandise Business between China and the USA The merchandise business between China and the USA had improved considerably with 32.1% increase in 2010, compared to 2009. With the rapid improvement in merchandise exports, China has gradually replaced Japan as one of the merchandise export markets for the US. In the year 201 0, the US export business with China represented almost 7.2% of total exports, a 5.1 percentage increase than 2000 (Morrison, â€Å"China-U.S. Trade Issues†). The following chart will describe the top export business partners of US in 2010: Source: (Morrison, â€Å"China-U.S. Trade Issues†). During recent years, China has remained as one of the fastest rising export markets for the USA. The major categories of export business between China and the USA in the year 2011 were crops, computer and electronic products, chemical products, shipping tools, raw materials and ore. The following table will describe the top most exported products between the US and China in 2010 and 2011: Source: (Turner, â€Å"US-China Trade Continues To Surge in 2011†). Several business analysts have argued that in

Henry Fayol Essay Example for Free

Henry Fayol Essay The Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century had paved the way to the development of organized systematic approaches to management. One of the most influential contributors to the management theory is Henry Fayol. He was the first management theorist who used the term ‘administration’. His theory is generally understood as administrative management theory or Fayolism. In his theory, he focused on the top-level management and managers’ actions, divided the activities of an organization into 6 groups and identified 6 managerial qualities for a manager. Importantly, he devised the famous 14 principles of management and 5 elements of management process. After this, people begin to study his theory and accord the full positive evaluation of his contribution until some decades after his death. This project assignment gives a review about the overview of life and the development of key work of management theorist, Henry Fayol. The aim of the project is to understand his concepts of management that are practical in top-level management. Another goal with the project is to examine his principles and elements of management as guidelines to be applied for all managers. And also, this project assignment gives some points of view about his theory contributes to modern concepts of management and his achievement in his lifetime. Henry Fayol was a French administrative management theorist and well-known as the father of modern management. He had a extraordinary life. He was born on 29 July 1841 in Istanbul, Turkey. Born that year, his father was an engineer who was appointed superintendent of works to build a bridge over the Golden Horn in Istanbul. A few years later, he and his family returned to France in 1847 when he was a child. Had a period time, Fayol studied at the mining school ‘Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines’ in Saint-Etienne of France and eventually graduated in 1860. When he was age of 19, he began working as an engineer at a large mining company which a coal-mining and iron foundry combine, ‘Compagnie de Commentry-Fourchambeault-Decazeville’ in Commentry, France. Through his efforts, he was promoted as mines manager and ultimately became the managing director of the company in 1888. He changed company’s operation with his entrepreneurial approach to management thinking. At that time, the company employed more than 1,000 people. By 1900, the company was one of the largest producers of iron and steel in France and regarded as a vital national industry. In his career, he held that position over 30 years until 1918. Unfortunately, he was dead at age of 84 on 19 November 1925 in Paris, France. As early as 1900, Fayol formulated and wrote papers about his administrative management ideas from his own experiences. He examined the nature of management and first mentioned the ‘elements’ of administration which came from his book. His book was published in 1916 and was named as ‘Administration Industrielle et Generale’, a comprehensive theory of administration where he described and classified administrative management roles and processes. In 1949, Constance Storrs translated his book in English and entitled ‘General and Industrial Management’ which led to his theory was recognized by others. Henry Fayol emphasized the importance of taking a wider view on the organization as a whole, but the analytical approaches were similar. In his work, ‘General and Industrial Management’ which was published in English in 1949, he outlined his theory of general management which he believed could be applied to the administration of any industries. He enlightened managers on how to accomplish their managerial duties and the practices in which they should engage. He paid attention to the functions of administration and to this end he presented the principles and elements of management. As Fayol mentioned in his book: â€Å"Everyone needs some concepts of management; in the home, in affairs of state, the need for managerial ability is in keeping with the importance of the undertaking, and for individual people the need is everywhere in greater accordance with the position occupied.† excerpted from General and Industrial Management. Firstly, Fayol observed the organizational functioning from manager’s point of view. He found that all activities of an organization could be classified into six groups. These six groups of activities always present in a managerial post and are clearly shown in the following figure 2. Figure 2: 6 Activities of an Organization Technical activities relate to production, manufacture and adaptation; Commercial activities involve buying, selling and exchange; Financial activities search for capital and its optimum use; Security activities look for protection of property and persons; Accounting activities include stocktaking, balance sheets, costs and statistics; Managerial activities consist of planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. Fayol pointed out that these activities exist in every organization. He argued that all managers required capability in all six functions. He also insisted that the managerial position determined the level of each function where full covered the total job and varying percentages should be assigned to each function. He further observed these six groups of activities and divided his approach of studying management into three parts: managerial qualities and training, general principles of management and elements of management process. In managerial qualities and training, Fayol identified the essential qualities required for a manager. According to his observation, the qualities of a manager have to possess under six aspects of qualities. These six aspects of qualities required are clearly shown in the following figure 3. Figure 3: 6 Managerial Qualities Physical qualities contain health, vigour and address; mental qualities contain ability to understand and learn, judgement, mental vigour and capability; moral qualities contain energy, firmness, initiative, loyalty, tact and dignity; general education means that having basic common sense; special knowledge means that peculiar to the function being performed; work experience mean that arising practice from the work. The possession of these qualities differs in degree between a manager and another. The implication is that a manager may be more suited to a post which emphasizes the need for one or other of the six functions. Fayol listed the need for management training and then identified 14 principles of management to serve as guidelines to help management resolve work problems and manage their affairs more effectively. The 14 principles of management are clearly shown in the following figure 4. Figure 4: 14 Principles of Management Division of work is the first principle. Fayol believed that if a person specializes, that person will concentrate in the same matters and acquire a special ability and accuracy that will increase the effectiveness and consequently the productivity. The right or power to give orders to subordinates is authority. Fayol remarked that authority comes with responsibility and vice versa. A manager should not be given authority without responsibility and should never be given responsibility without the associated authority to get the things done. Discipline is certainly essential for the smooth running of business. Employees must obey the organizational rules. Good discipline must result from an agreement between firm and employees with fairness and clear understanding of both sides. Fayol realized that different orders from different bosses may bring the problems and proposed the unity of command which means that an employee should receive instructions from one superior only in order to avoid conflict and confusion. Fayol explained that unity of direction is organizational activities with the same objective should be guided by one manager, using one plan. It is essential to focus the effort in the same direction and ensure action is properly coordinated. About subordination of individual interest to general interest, the interests of one employee should not be allowed to become more important than the group. It is important to separate personal and business affairs. While an employee is working, his mind and thoughts should be about the job and business goals. Every employee is worthy of his salary and it must be totally fair. In the best case, it would satisfy the firm and the employee. Also, rewards should be used as a tool of encouragement. This principle is analyzed by Fayol as the remuneration. Centralization is about proportion and individual cases. Fayol remarked that the degree of centralization varies according to different cases. This principle refers to how close employees are to the decision-making process. It is important to aim for an appropriate balance. The line of authority from top to the lowest ranks of management is scalar chain and it is related with the centralization. Fayol pointed out that some procedures need speedy actions and for this reason it is just needed the approval of the immediate superior. Employees should be aware of where they stand in the organization’s hierarchy or chain of command. Order refers to everything should have its place. Materials and people should be in right place at right time in the workplace. The workplace facilities must be clean, tidy and safe for employees. Fayol regarded equity as a sense of justice and fairness should pervade in an organization. Managers should be kind and fair to their subordinates at all times, both maintaining discipline as necessary and acting with kindness where appropriate. Fayol analyzed the stability of tenure of personnel is a reflection of a good running of the business, an employee takes time to adapt to a position and a turnover is not efficient. So, personnel planning should be a priority. Managers should strive to minimize employee turnover and ensure replacements at hand when vacancies arise. Initiative is commonly known as thinking out a plan and doing what it takes to make it happen. Fayol said that the initiative of all represents a great resource of strength for businesses and a manager should grant satisfaction to subordinates. Management should encourage employees to originate and carry out plans, this will increase their confidence and so they might feel more valuable for the company. This urging tends to boost levels of effort. Esprit de corps is the last principle. It emphasizes organizations should strive to foster team spirit is the way to construct harmony and unity among employees. Fayol desired the efficient team work by using extensive face-to-face verbal communication in order to accomplish this objective. It is important to stress that the 14 principles are not rigid and the principles enunciated are not aimed at being exhaustive. Fayol emphasized the universality of such principles and their applications are not only to business but also for the success of all associations. As Fayol mentioned in his book: â€Å"Seldom do we have to apply the same principle twice in identical conditions; allowance must be made for different changing circumstances†¦ Therefore principles[must be] flexible and capable of adaptation to every need; it is a matter of knowing how to make use of them which is a difficult art requiring intelligence, experience, decision, and proportion.† excerpt from General and Industrial Management. From these principles, Fayol concluded that management should interact with personnel in five basic ways in order to plan and control production. According to him, â€Å"To manage is to forecast and to plan, to organise, to command, to coordinate and to control†. He stated that management should be viewed as a process consisting of 5 elements which go hand in hand with the principles. Therefore, the management process was represented by these 5 elements are shown in figure 5. Figure 5: 5 Elements of Management Process Planning is one of the most important elements in ensuring business success as it predicts future events that determine the next move of the organization. Planning is related to forecast that examine how the future would be like; foresight, prevent and design actions in advance. It is necessary to identify what are the goals and how to accomplish them through a strategy, considering the realistic capabilities and resources to determine appropriate organizational goals. According to Fayol, â€Å"The best of plans cannot anticipate all unexpected occurrences which may arise, but it does include a place for these events and prepare the weapons which may be needed at the moment of being surprised†. Organizing involves ways which organizational structure is developed as well as the flow of communication and authority. Fayol argued that once a plan of action is designed, management need to put the plan into practice and organize the practicality of achieving those plans. Management also need to provide everything necessary to carry it out; including raw materials, tools, capital and human resources. This can be from recruiting the right staff, to organizing the restructuring of the structure of the company so it operates in an efficient manner. Commanding is how management direct staffs through effective communication and the use of discipline and remuneration. Management need to implement the plan and have an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their personnel. Fayol stated that management must encourage and direct personnel activity. Management must motivate their staff whilst at the same time meet the goals and target that have been set. Coordinating means that management must work to harmonize all the activities to facilitate organizational success. Communication is the prime coordinating mechanism. Fayol stated that management must make certain that personnel work together in a cooperative fashion. Put simply, things should work together effectively and efficiently. So when planning the structure of the organization, management need to make sure that different sections work and support each other in helping the organization do well. Controlling is the final element of management process involves the comparison of the activities of the personnel to the plan of action and it is the evaluation component of management. Fayol stated that management should monitor everything occurs in conformity with policy and ensure personnel follow their commands. Management have to make sure that any problems sufficient actions plans are put in place to rectify the problem. At the end of the day, it is management’s responsibility that the organization has done well. As Fayol mentioned in his book: â€Å"The responsibility of general management is to conduct the enterprise toward its objective by making optimum use of available resources. It is the executive authority, it draws up the plan of action, selects personnel, determines performance, ensures and controls the execution of all activities† excerpted from General and Industrial Management. Simple term, planning is the most important managerial function. Organizing and commanding function is necessary to execute plans. Coordinating is necessary to make sure that everyone is working together and controlling looks whether everything is proceeding according to the plan. Fayol believed that management ideas should be taught, managerial ability was required for businesses to succeed and management was a separate activity that applicable to all types of undertakings. He also believed that managerial practices were the key to predictability and efficiency in organizations. It is important to understand that it really needs intuition to propose such significant ideas in the environment where there are no clear boundaries of worker and management responsibilities, no clear indicate the effective work standards and no clear concepts about how organizations work and how they should be structured or managed. In this case, Henry Fayol offered universal managerial prescriptions for all organizations to solve the problems. Therefore, Fayol’s main contribution is in the point that he was the first management theorist who devised a complete set of general administrative management theory by suggesting what managers should do and how organizations constitute good management practices. He emphasized on the functionality and organizational structure, dividing the work in functional areas and implementing the general principles of any organization. Fayol’s theory views management as a profession that can be trained, developed and emphasized the broad policy aspects of top-level management. It underlined all elements necessary to organize and manage organization as a whole. And also, his practical list of principles helps managers learn how to organize and interact with their subordinates in an effective way. At the present, most of managers are using his theory as a guidelines that how they deal with the everyday problems of managing the entire organizations. This explains accurately that his theory is a great contribution to management and business studies. More than nine decades have passed since Fayol’s theory was proposed. As we are moving into the age of rapid industrial and technological development, we might think the elements and principles of management in his theory are only common sense at present. And even later, some scholars had adopted his theory as the basis and developed new modern management theories. Undoubtedly, Henry Fayol is rightly seen as a key influential contributor to administrative management of thought. It is essential to remark the achievement of Henry Fayol who through a laudable efforts, developed his labour career in a company in the area of the mining industry in his country, where he entered as engineer by profession at young age after being promoted to mines manager and retired as a managing director. He knew how to reorganize and manage the company, expand its business and at certain point he is credited with turning the company around from a threatened bankruptcy into a strong financial position by the time of his retirement at age 77. During Fayol’s last few years, he wrote down the classic book, ‘Administration Industrielle et Generale’ based on his personal experiences in his managerial lifetime. His work was a product of more than 50 years of practice and study of management. He dedicated all his efforts to promote the administrative management theory as a fundamental tool for the good performance of all kinds of organizations. He established the nowadays important 14 principles and necessary 5 elements that are management needed. Fayol’s achievement is as a result of his in depth studies and analysis of the reality of management; studying, analyzing and preparing his conclusions and his work in a personal and independent way. Once again, just as in the case of his excellent and classic works about the problems of the mines, the brilliant managing director and successful managing methods, would take his time to create a new classic success to form a new doctrine: ‘The General Management’. Hence, it has to be restated that his theory has a significant influence on modern management and lay down the foundation with a simple way of how management interacts with personnel. Nowadays, all organizations consider his theory as a relevant guide to productively managing staffs, in order to manage the organizations more successful. As we know, management is the process of getting people that work towards to accomplish desired goals and objectives together; its main purpose is to help activities can be completed more efficiently and effectively. In this project, we found that Henry Fayol concentrated on top-level management and viewed management processes from the top down. His administrative management theory gives us comprehensive statements of general management and provides us valuable insights into managing effective and efficient organizations. It is clear that his theory is important and useful knowledge for all students who study about management issues. We students should learn his theory seriously in order to meet practical needs and apply it in our future career life.

The Evolution Of Dance In Theater Theatre Essay

The Evolution Of Dance In Theater Theatre Essay Dance is defined as the art of movement. It can be used to express feelings, to exercise, to perform, and some can even interact and have nonverbal conversation though the art of dance. Dance is usually performed through the rhythm and beat of music, but it doesnt necessarily have to involve music. Sports even sometimes incorporate a certain dance, or type of dance. For example, a martial arts kata is simply a series of movements put together to be performed with the grace and strength of a dance. Dance is also used in sports such as synchronized swimming, ice skating, and gymnastics. There are many types of dance, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, and contemporary just to name a few. Most people cant go through the day without seeing a type of dance performed in some way. Whether its seeing kids dance at a prom, a person walking down the street moving to the beat of their iPod, or simply turning on the television, its something thats in our everyday lives. But have you ever wondered where it all started, or how it became what it is today? Angel 2 It was believed that dancing was a ritual in early ancient civilizations; priests would dance to the rhythm of harps and pipes to tell stories to the ancient gods, people also danced at funerals to express their sorrow. Around this same time period ballet was beginning to evolve in France. As it continued to spread through Italy, England, and Russia, it became a concert dance, which is often, even today, seen in movies and events all over the world. Dancing has continued to blossom into what it is today, and the best way to show how it has become what it is today, is though film. One of the first movies that involved sing and dance was the 1952 film, Singing in the Rain, starring Gene Kelly, Donald OConnor and Debbie Reynolds. This movie was more of a Broadway musical, but it is one of the first movies that involved dance at all. The most famous part of this movie is when the main character, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), dances through the streets with an umbrella as he twirls and sings the title song. He then grabs onto a pole and swings around it continuing to sing. During the filming of this scene he had a 103 degree fever, but thanks to the help of the camera crew, this scene only had to be shot one time. After the production of this movie, dancing became the new craze. Dances such as, the Bop, the Stroll and the Swing became popular. Also when the song Willy and The Hand Jive was released, it stayed at the top of the charts for 16 weeks. Poodle skirts and pony-tails were the style, and Do Wop music was what everyone wanted to hear. Angel 3 The 60s rolled around quickly and with a new decade, came new traditions. A brand new dance became the new trend. In 1960 Chubby Checker released his song entitled The Twist. The Twist was the first Rock Roll dance in which partners didnt have to touch each other. The Twist was once said to be like, putting out a cigarette with both feet and drying off your bottom with a towel to the beat of the music. It was performed with the feel shoulder width apart, standing straight up, with the arms fully extended and slightly bent at the elbows. Then the next move was simply to twist the body back and forth. Other popular dances during this time period were the Mashed Potato, the Monkey, and the Madison. The Baby Boomers definitely played a role in all the dance explosion of the 60s. Throughout the end of this decade many of these dances were seen in movie productions and on Broadway. Next we enter the retro years of the 70s, KC and the Sunshine Band topped the charts, and Disco was the new craze. Everyone was aware that sooner or later the sex appeal of disco would make its way to the film industry. There isnt a movie that shows this better than Saturday Night Fever starring, John Travolta and Karen Lynn Gorney. Saturday Night Fever became an instant box office hit with the famous dance by John Travolta to the Bee Gees smash hit Stayin Alive. Disco was one of the fast dances of the decade, with 110-140 bmp (beats per minute). It wasnt long before everyone wanted to become a part of the raging disco scene, eventually Angel 4 groups such as Kiss, and The Rolling Stones, and people like Cher and Rod Stewart were all in on the fun. As the years passed Broadway musicals became popular for a short period of time. After the great success of Hair in 1970, movies continued to make it from Broadway to the big screen. Grease, All That Jazz, and Dreamgirls, just to name a few. Toward the end of the 70s came the first big Broadway film to hit the box office. Grease hit the cinemas in 1978 and it soon became a dance sensation. The dances from this film are often recreated in dance classes, at recitals, shows and other events; some of these dances are even trademarked. This movie was not only a musical it was also very popular for its energetic cast and its feel good love story. One of the most famous dance moves from this movie was The Hand Jive. Since then there have been many different variations of how it is done. Grease is one musical that has been said to never get old with the catchy songs and the disco and jive moves of John Travolta. Grease produced one of the best selling soundtracks in the world. Also, once Grease went to Broadway, it was one of the longest running musicals of all time, until Cats overtook it just recently. The next movie of the 70s that shows a definite change in the music and dance of the decade was All That Jazz in 1979. This film starring Roy Scheider and Jessica Lange is based on the aspects of a dancer, a choreographer, and a directors life and career. It was inspired by the Angel 5 directors effort to edit a film, while also staging a 1975 musical Chicago. This film closed out the 1970s with a bang. It was awarded many honors, and four Oscars. Also, in 2001, the United States deemed the film culturally significant and it is now preserved in the National Film Registry. So to wrap up the 70s the Twist, the Bump, the Jitterbug, the Hustle and the Swing were all very popular dances, but through these years nothing compared to the Americans love for the Disco. It was the last immensely popular move driven by the baby boomers generation, but soon enough came the 80s and with a new decade came new traditions, fashions, and of course a brand new dance. The 80s was definitely one of the best decades for new dance moves, and movies that portrayed this. From the musicals like Fame and Footloose, to the break dancing skills showed in the film Breakin, a rewind of 70s disco in Saturday Night Fever, the mambo and freestyle dance of Dirty Dancing, to the unusual dance moves of the extremely popular Michael Jackson. The 80s was another step to make dancing what it is today. These 10 years were some of the best in dance history. One of the first 1980s dance movies to earn a spot in the all-time movies hall of fame is Fame (1980), starring Eddie Barth, Irene Cara and Laura Dean. Fame mainly took part at a Performing Arts Academy, with many great performances. Fame is considered a musical with a large amount of singing and dancing. It was awarded 3 honors, 2 Oscars, as well as 16 other Angel 6 nominations. It wasnt a huge hit, but it still remembered by some and it showed how the sing and dance of this time period was done. 1983s Flashdance was a major pop culture influence, with a style of its own. This film is the story of a Pittsburgh woman (Jennifer Beals) that juggles two jobs, one as a welder, and the other as an exotic dancer. Of course, during this time exotic dancing wasnt twirling on a pole and taking off clothes, it was much different. She longs to make a career of her dancing and apply to a ballet school, but doesnt have to confidence in her skills to apply. Flashdance had a worldwide box-office gross of 100 million, won 10 honors, one Oscar, and was nominated for 13 other nominations. This was a very stylish movie that entertained millions with the 80s pop music and new dance moves. Flashdance popularized the dance of the 80s with many new hit songs and dances. The next movie that shows an evolution in the dance moves of the 80s is actually a sequel to the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever. Stayin Alive was a 1983 movie starring John Travolta, Cynthia Rhodes, and Finola Hughes. This film begins five years later with the main character, Tony Manero, dancing on the weekend nights at a disco club to run from his problems. Eventually he decides to leave his life as a dance instructor and club waiter to pursue a career on Broadway. He ends up getting the lead role in a Broadway show called Satans Alley. This film brought in 65 million, it was a lot less than its predecessor in 1977, but it managed to be one of the top 10 successful movies of the 80s. Angel 7 In 1984 Kevin Bacons moves and energy made one of the best high budget dance movies of the 80s. Footloose combines great dance music with dancers and a story of a guy that came from a big city, to a small town where dance is banned. Jazz, Hip-hop and freestyle were the main dances of choice throughout this film. Around this time in the 80s Footloose was a rival to Flashdance, but it was said many times that Footloose was definitely the favorite for most people. This film starring not only Kevin Bacon, but Lori Singer and John Lithgow as well, brought in 80 million, it was nominated for 2 Oscars and 4 other nominations. The next 1984 movie was one of the lower budget movies, and according to some, it put some of the higher budget movies to shame. Breakin was one of those movies that were very different than what most people were used to. Unlike most movies, it used talented dancers, rather than talented actors to dance. The difference with this movie rather than most during the 80s was that its a celebration of dance; it doesnt really have any particular style it was more of a freestyle dance movie. This movie was about a jazz dancer named Kelly (Lucinda Dickey) that meets two break dancers who combine their dance styles. Although the acting wasnt great, the dancing definitely made up for it. The sequel was released a year later, but it wasnt near the hit as this one. Because this movie wasnt like the traditional movies of the 80s it was only nominated for one award and it only brought in 38 million, however this movie was also very different than the rest during this time period that was a major fa ctor in the downfall. Angel 8 In the film industry of the 80s one of the biggest successes was Dirty Dancing. This is a 1987 film starring Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey and Cynthia Rhodes. Personally this is my absolute favorite movie of all time. Something that most people dont know was that Dirty Dancing was a true story based on the screenwriter, Eleanor Bergsteins own childhood. This movie was the story of a 17 year old girl and her family who goes on vacation at a resort, eventually Baby Housman (Jennifer Gray) falls in love with the resorts dance instructor (Patrick Swayze), while her family strongly disapproves. She spends her entire summer with him as he teaches her to dance. When this film was finished and about to be put in theatres the directors and cast were informed that this film would be a huge flop and possibly one of the worst films made during this time period. Little did they know that Dirty Dancing is considered today, the best dance movie ever made and it would still be the favorite of many people today. As of 2007 this film earned $213.9 million worldwide, and it was the first home video to sell more than a million copies. The Dirty Dancing soundtrack also produced two multi-platinum albums and multiple singles. This film went on to win an Oscar, as well as 9 other awards, and 5 nominations. Although there wasnt a movie about the dance styles of Michael Jackson, I believe that he played a major part in the shift of styles in the 80s. Michael Jacksons career was booming with new dances, songs and styles during this time. In 1982 his album Thriller still remains Angel 9 today, the bestselling album of all time, and remained on the Billboard 200 peak position for 37 weeks straight. It contained 7 top ten hits, and it was only a 9 track album. We Are the World and Bad were also big hits during this time period, making music and dance even more popular. As the 80s continued Michael Jackson was said to be one of the biggest stars of the world. He popularized dances such as the Moonwalk, the Kick, the Soulful Robot and the Never-Ending Spin. The 80s has been said to be the decade of dance, there was break dancing, the Worm, the Moonwalk and more. During the 80s the dancing definitely took a step up to what it is for most people today. Also, many movies through these 10 years showed a change in the dance styles. The beginning of the 90s dance styles was very similar to the 80s. Michael Jackson was still popular; the same dance movies were being watched over and over; and most people were still stuck in their 80s ways of life. As the 1990s continued dance moves such as the Macarena, the Cha Cha Slide, the Running Man, and the Electric Slide. One of the first dance movies in a long time came out in the year 2000, Center Stage, starring Amanda Schull, Zoe Saldana and Peter Gallagher was one of those dance movies with a plot that wasnt so good, but the dancing was excellent. This film revisits styles of ballet, Broadway dancing, and disco, and blends together styles of its own. It also shows the difficulty Angel 10 and common issues of professional dancing and how some people cope with the stress without computer special effects. The next movie isnt exactly a dance movie, but it shows how dancing has recently been incorporated into other activities, such as cheerleading. Bring it On was the 2000; film starring Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku and Gabrielle Union. Bring it On shows how cheerleading involves dance as well, and how had dance has spread to other activities. Not only does cheerleading involve dancing, but many other sports too, such as synchronized swimming its nothing more than a dance in water, or figure skating. Even professional football players are sent to ballet classes to obtain balance and poise. This is an excellent film that shows the importance of dancing in sports such as cheerleading. The year 2004 takes us to a memorable movie where the style changes to ballroom dance. Shall We Dance shows many types of ballroom dance, like the Waltz, Quickstep and Tango. This film was first a Japanese film, but this version starring Jennifer Lopez, Richard Gere, and Susan Sarandon, is the story of a workaholic lawyer who is getting bored with his daily routine, and he decides to take ballroom dance classes to make his life a little more interesting. As the time he dances continues he finds joy in it more and more. This film brought in 57.8 million dollars and was nominated for 4 awards. Angel 11 The next film takes us back to the musicals of the 70s and 80s, Hairspray, starring Zac Efron, John Travolta, Amanda Bynes, Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfeiffer was the fourth highest grossing musical film in US cinema history, behind Grease, Chicago and Momma Mia! This film is set in Baltimore in 1963; the story is about a plump teenager Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) who seeks stardom as a dancer on a local television show. The 1988 original version of Hairspray earned 6.6 million and was nominated for 4 awards, while the 2007 version earned 188.8 million in the box office, was nominated for 3 Golden Globes, won 12 other awards, and had 18 other nominations. This was an energetic dance movie, much like Grease, with plenty of heart, it was said to make people want to get up and sing and dance. The final and most recent successful 2006 dance movie is very similar to Dirty Dancing. Step Up, starring Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan, is a perfect example of what dance has become today. Step Up is the story of a privileged ballet dancer who meets a free style dance rebel with a dream of making it in the real world of dance. In this film there was a mix of hip-hop, ballet, modern and break dancing to make this film perfect for this list of movies that helped our styled evolve today. This movie earned 65.3 million in the box office, and won one award and was nominated for 3 other awards. Things have definitely changed from the 1950s until today, but one thing in common with all of these movies is the real message; follow your dreams, and never give up on the things that you want. Another thing that all these movies have in common, it that it gives most people the urge to get up and dance.

Euripides was accused by his contempories of being a woman hater. Why E

Euripides was accused by his contempories of being a woman hater. Why do you think this was so, and how justified do you think the accusation was? Question -------- Euripides was accused by his contempories of being a woman hater. Why do you think this was so, and how justified do you think the accusation was? In your answer you should consider not only how Euripides portrays his female characters, but also the sentiments expressed in the plays and the contempory view of women. Answer ------ Euripides definitely had an opinion on woman that was not shared by many other play writes. Whether it is hatred or not, women play a major role in a Euripian play. Their role in society of that time was a great contrast to that of the men. Compared to today, women were miles apart from men; they were not even considered citizens of their region. This is obvious in the chorus where in the Electra, Medea and Hippolytus there is a chorus of women. This was unheard of in the time when the plays were written. A chorus is typically made up of wise men of Athens, therefore making it up of women would in that age, be very controversial. In Medea the chorus side with her and Medea makes the chorus swear to silence. Therefore she can confide in them without having to put a face on. The image put across here is that the woman team up against the man. The chorus being women, side with the feminist Medea. "I heard her sobbing and wailing," the chorus talk about the true Medea that is hidden under her facade. The same is true in the Electra. The chorus is made up of country-women of Mycenae, who also side with Electra. When Electra moans about not having a gown or riches to go out and enjoy herself, the chorus offer a way out. "Borrow from me a lovely gown, closely woven, and a gold necklace." The women are on her side, they try to persuade her to be like all the other women and go out partying. Electra wants none of this and aims to gain more self-pity by forcing herself to stay at home, doing all the work. Euripides writes her to be an attention seeking noble woman, who has married the peasant to make a statement. Not the most likeable of characters. In the Hippolytus, there are two choruses. One made up of huntsmen who follow Hippolytus and the other of women from Trozen. They support what they represent. This shows a contrast ... ...My boy, the oath you gave me, you'll never break that?" The Nurse whines to Hippolytus hoping to get her own way. "Oh, I clasp your knees and beg you," The Nurse's stubbornness to try and please ends up leading to Phaedra dying without honour. Euripides begins his plays often with erratic women, ie Electra, Medea and Phaedra. They have serious issues and seek vengeance, with the exception of Phaedra who is the cause of a vengeful attack; Theseus killing his son, Hippolytus. There are never any heroic women or women that we feel sympathy for. The only woman who is in the slightest way victimised is Clytemnestra. Electra murders her in revenge for killing her father Agamemnon. This is made obvious in the play and Clytemnestra's bad relationship with her daughter Electra does not show her in a good light. We feel sympathy for the self-inflicted widow, when she describes what she has gone through. "Then her father cut her soft white throat-My Iphigenia." Out of all of Euripides' female characters, she contains the most sentiment and emotion. In summary, apart from Clytemnestra, the lady characters are mad psychopathic women, with hidden depths, morals and loyalties.

Reflexive Dialogue and Small Report

Setting of the InterviewI asked one of my friends to visit me in my place of residence to have some cup of coffee. This friend of mine came also from Saudi Arabia, and went to the university to take graduate courses. After having dinner, I asked him if he was willing to share some of his problems with me. And as a compensation for his â€Å"task†, I offered my friend the chance to read my personal narrative. This is one of the course requirements in this subject.My friend told me some of his problems. For one, he was having a little problem learning English. English for him was a very difficult subject; with clear rules on pronunciation and verb usage. He said: â€Å"English has the most number of words in all the written languages of the world; learning such would be a headache.† I agreed to the assertion of my friend. English is really a complicated language.Not only that spelling and verb-subject agreement should be taken into account, but the whole situational use o f, say, an English statement should be clearly presented (to the general audience). He added that he must take the bitter pill of learning English since this is required in the academic world. Communication today in almost any field; in the office, in the academe, took place with the assistance of the English language. The more pressing need to learn English comes from studying abroad. Almost all universities in many Western countries do not use Arabic as a means to transmit academic information. Hence, for him, learning English was an inevitable need. (I did not include his other problems in this report).I then presented my personal narrative to him and asked him to read it. After sometime, my friend finished reading my personal narrative. He was almost speechless upon reading my personal narrative. My personal narrative detailed some of my experiences of culture shock. It was an almost daily account of my activities (although the entries were irregular). Included in my personal na rrative were my experiences upon leaving the Sydney airport to studying in the university (I gave the details of some accounts in the problem-posing vignette section). Included also in the personal narratives were my personal feelings towards the events, the participants, and the general values or beliefs in question.I asked my friend for his personal opinions of, or reactions to my personal narrative. He said that he also experienced events that could be classified as culture shock. Added to that, my friend stated that in the beginning, he was not very sure of the appropriate term for such experiences. Only upon reading my personal narrative did he know that they were part of a phenomenon called culture shock. He said that my personal narrative might give him some advice on how to handle culture shock. Here are some of the excerpts of the dialogue (translated from Arabic). The first part is a discussion of my experiences of culture shock.Friend: So culture shock is the right term f or such things. When I left the airport, I really did notice that people like to walk in the street which is not a common sight in our country. It was embarrassing in the first instance but in due time I found it to be a common practice here.Omeir: I was also embarrassed but when I began to ask my classmates why people usually walk in the streets, I was somehow enlightened. In the case of Australia, for example, walking is simply an expression of either friendship or liberty. It is an expression of friendship when a person walks with another person; an expression of liberty when a person exercises his right to privacy. This was an uncommon sight in our country since most people have cars.Friend: What about that instance when you saw that a female professor taught a predominantly male class? This is impossible in Saudi.Omeir: I found it very interesting, although shocking at first glance. It was not very bad as you have said in our previous conversation. Female students in the univer sity are educated as much as their male counterparts.Friend: It seemed that you are beginning to understand the workings of Australian culture. I also understand some aspects of Australian culture like religion, dance, music, etc. This is part of my role as a graduate student studying abroad. In my opinion, they ought to be learned, not for self’s sake but for the sake of respect.Omeir: That is true. Having a right attitude towards a foreign culture is a must when studying abroad. Understanding the dynamics of an alien culture, though horrifying or embarrassing in many instances, should be viewed with an unbiased eye. This is the primary and first rule of culture respect.Friend: Personally, I am still bothered by cultural practices here in Australia. What is your personal reaction?  Omeir: After some time, through constant communication with the students of the university, I found those practices to be not embarrassing anymore. Although it is far from acceptance, that is, p articipation in the cultural activities itself, it gave me an avenue to view things from the perspective of those who are members of that particular culture. I remembered that in my undergraduate years, there was a term to describe this phenomenon. Well it’s unimportant.The second set of excerpts is about the resolution phase of the problem (how we went about researching and responding to the problem through a thorough self-study). Here are some of the excerpts of the conversation.Omeir: One of my subjects introduced to me a method for assessing my problems, in this case about culture shock. I was really surprised that personal experiences, guided with some research materials can really result to clear grounded knowledge.Friend: How was that so?Omeir: Well, experiences serve as the grounding point of all theoretical problems in a field of subject for example. In my case, when I analyzed many of my experiences, I found out that there are methods or techniques that can be used to reduce it. It was not only first hand knowledge, it was knowledge applied. Academic journals related to my inquiry were very useful.Friend: You mean that those personal experiences were transformed into a problem. And that these problems were put in a table of inquiry. And that based from this inquiry, you were able to learn some methods to reduce that problem (culture shock).Omeir: Precisely, I have learned that constant interaction with other people who came from different cultural settings is a plus in absorbing culture shock. Nonetheless, because interaction is mostly done in conversations, I am forced to learn some of the appropriate gestures and idioms to use. In such way, I am able to communicate and express my concerns to my foreign friends. I also researched some of the strategies for reducing culture shock. I intend to share it with some of my friends who are currently experiencing culture shock.Friend: I have learned many things from this conversation. I will follow yo ur advice with regard to managing culture shocks†¦Reflective Response to the DialogueNote that in the first lines of the script, I established the fact that both my friend and I are located in the same cultural setting (Saudi Arabia). The experience which I described to my friend served as a stimulating factor to enable him to judge the validity of my experience; through his own personal experiences. The next dialogue was about the nature of Australian culture (or culture in general). This dialogue cleared some of the misconceptions of culture. Added to that, it was also implicitly stated that culture shock is a natural response of graduate students working abroad.This usually helps the interviewee erase his earlier conceptions of Australian culture. Exposure and discussion shed light to some of the most puzzling things about Australian culture (it is natural for a foreigner to be puzzled to a foreign culture). The second part of the interview is the resolution phase of the pro blem. Here I shared some of the ways to reduce culture shock (culture shock management). I also introduced problem-posing vignette as a preliminary method in assessing personal experiences which can be theoretically substantial.ConclusionBased from the rigors of personal experiences, I was able to communicate to my friend the basic steps in problem or inquiry formation. Because problems in the academe are usually theoretical in nature (form), there is a tendency for personal experiences to be treated as personal biases. In this task, I was not only able to give some advice on how to manage culture shock (culture shock reduction) – this is a form of help to a friend who really want to reduce the effects of culture shock (as I had indicated in the question of the problem-posing vignette section), I was also able to give my friend a systematic method in analyzing problem-posing vignettes.   Added to that, I was able to learn that problem-posing vignettes can be a useful tool i n transforming personal experiences into theoretically sound propositions.ReferencesBochner, S. (Ed.). 1981.   The mediating person:   Bridges between cultures. Cambridge, Mass.: Schenkman.Jacobs, Katrina. 2007. Culture Shock (Strategies for Managing Culture Shock). NY: MacMillan Publishing House.Milton, Thomas J. 1997. Understanding Culture Shock. Virginia:   Foreign Area Officer Association.

Jefferson and Rousseau Influences

Thomas Jefferson considers himself a contributor to the Age of Enlightenment. Through many of his writings he expands on the philosophies of the great European writers of that era – Rousseau, Locke, Hume, and Leibniz. In â€Å"The Declaration of Independence,† Jefferson directly adopts several themes found in the work of French writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau’s â€Å"The Origin of Civil Society,† provides a foundation for most of Jefferson’s ideas in â€Å"The Declaration of Independence. In the opening of the â€Å"Declaration of Independence,† Jefferson lays out several main themes that reflect Rousseau's concepts. Jefferson borrows from Rousseau's thinking on equality and freedom when writing, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Jefferson 80).Rousseau speaks of equality by disproving the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and Hugo Grotius. These men support the concept that â€Å"human race†¦ refers only to a small, select class of people – the ruling class] (Rousseau 60). Rousseau thinks that the philosophies of these men lack justification and that â€Å"All men are born free, and everywhere he is in chains† (Rousseau 59). All men are equal only until they give up their freedom and equality in exchange for comforts and protection in their lives. In other words, Rousseau says man is born free, but because of society man become less and less free. The government, and its laws bind the people down, but the people gain benefits from the government.Jefferson sees to Rousseau in justifying colonial claims to independence. Jefferson writes, â€Å"Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Jefferson 80). This reflects Rousseau's thinking that, [the only foundation left for legitima te authority in human societies is Agreement] (Rousseau 61). Rousseau argues that all society exists because people have willingly granted rank and privilege to their ruler. When this agreement is broken, the ruling power is invalid.In â€Å"The Declaration of Independence,† Jefferson cites twenty-six examples of actions taken by the British monarchy that acts against the authority the American Colonies granted them. These form the basis of the declaration. Jefferson restates his thinking again saying, â€Å"A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be ruler of a free People. † (Jefferson 83). Jefferson indirectly borrows from Rousseau's argument against Might into Right.Rousseau says that this thinking reverses the process of cause and effect. â€Å"So soon as we disobey without impunity, disobedience becomes legitimate. And, since the Mightiest is always right, it merely remains for us to become possessed of Mightâ €  (Rousseau 62). In this passage Rousseau contends that might, or strength, is not a moral sanction. Rousseau contends that â€Å"Right† to govern can change when it is compromised. Jefferson uses this same line of thinking to rationalize the separation of the colonies from the British crown. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new Guards for their future security† (Jefferson 80,81). Jefferson contends that the chain of abuses brought by the British crown has compromised their moral authority and therefore, their â€Å"Right† to rule over the colonies. In Jefferson's mind, the physical â€Å"Might† of the British is controversial in considering the colonies' right to establish a new government.Interestingly, there is another opportunity for Jefferson to incorporate R ousseau's philosophies into the declaration. Rousseau talks about slavery as an institution in â€Å"The Origin of Civil Society. † The original draft of the Declaration refers to the British crown's introduction of slavery in the United States as one of the immoral principles justifying independence from the monarchy. In other words, â€Å"one of the fundamental paradoxes of Jefferson’s personal and political life has been his attitude toward slavery. † (Jacobus77).Jefferson's position and actions on slavery have become the most controversial aspects of his legacy. It is not surprising that Rousseau's philosophies lead to the beginnings of both the American and French revolution. Jefferson and the other members of the Continental Congress have become capable of molding these thoughts into a document that will act as a philosophical outline for the founding of the United States. The Declaration of Independence allows the founding fathers an opportunity to build on some of the Puritan ethics of the founding new

Jones Positive Classroom Discipline essays

Jones' Positive Classroom Discipline essays Joness Positive Classroom Discipline: Joness Positive Classroom Discipline provides effective tactics for preventing misbehavior and supporting proper behavior. Contrary to many others interested in classroom discipline theories, who believe in the role of verbal communication, Jones was the first one to emphasize the role of nonverbal communication by using body language such as facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, and physical proximity to prevent and correct students misbehaviors. Joness central focus is in helping students support their own self-control so that they behave properly and maintain a positive attitude. To reach that goal, Jones emphasizes good classroom management, teaching in a way that does not give students the opportunity to goof off or slack off, but instead will keep them on task. He believes that keeping students interacting with each other is the best way to keep them on task. His graphical approach to teaching: teacher input, student output, teacher input, student output, etc. whi ch he calls Say, See, and Do Teaching. It is very effective in keeping the students from fooling around because they are kept busy while the teacher circulates and interacts with them while at work. The reason for this instructional approach is to avoid what he calls built in factors for students misbehaviors: when teachers spend major portions of their class periods presenting information to students while the students remain relatively passive, the large amount of input will produce cognitive overload in the students, which makes them disengaged from the lesson. Also, when student get passive for too long, they either fall asleep and get bored or get the urge of doing something like moving around or chatting with each other which creates a discipline problem. Most importantly, when the teacher goes around, s/he has a chance to work the crowd and to interact ...

These 2 Recommendation Letters Got Me Into Harvard and the Ivy League

These 2 Recommendation Letters Got Me Into Harvard and the Ivy League SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When I applied to college, I was accepted into every school I applied to, including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, the Ivy League, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and more.While I had a strong overall application, the two teacher letters of recommendation were CRITICAL in getting me admitted. Why? Both teacherssaid I was one of the top students they had ever taught. Both enthusiastically advocated for my personality, leadership skills, and energy. How can YOUearn recommendation letters that will get you into your top choicecolleges?I'll show you how in this article. For the first time, I'm sharing my FULL, UNEDITED letters of recommendation as examples for you. These are the exact letters submitted when I applied to college. Even better, you'll see exactly what my Harvard admissions officer underlined - what really stood out as important and noteworthy. First Things First Quick question - how confident are you in knowingwhat colleges are looking for in your recommendation letters? Do you have a strong understanding of what an effective letter consists of, and what a bad letter looks like? Manystudents have the totally wrong idea of what colleges are looking for in recommendation letters. This, naturally, leads to subpar letters for students. Before I show you my letters, I first want to explainWHYrecommendation letters from teachers are such an important part of your college application, and then WHAT makes effective letters so effective. If you're chomping at the bit and really want to jump directly to my letters, here's Recommendation Letter Example #1, and here's Recommendation Letter Example #2. BUT I highly recommend that you stick with me for the next two sections - you'll get a lot more out of this guide and get much stronger rec letters as a result. Why Teacher Recommendation Letters Are So Important for College The goal of your overall college application is to communicate who you are as a person, in an easily digestible package that can take 20 minutes to understand (or less). From this package, colleges will decide whether they want you to join their community or not. Yeah, it doesn't feel great to have your 18 years of existence compressed into a web form. But that's the best system colleges have come up with so far to deal with the tens of thousands ofcollege applications they receive every year. (UCLA with a record 112,000+ applications) What do colleges care most about? Ultimately, it boils down to two things: how likely you are to succeed in college and in your career how much you'll benefit the school community as a student and beyond These are the ultimate goals of colleges when selecting their next class of students. Your application must convince the college that you will succeed in both goals. Of course, these are complex ideas -success is not only hard to predict, but different people also have different ideas of what success means. But there are a few general principles that hold true for most colleges: previous academic success is a great predictor of future academic success, which in turn predicts career success. certain personality traits are preferred: integrity, leadership, curiosity, creativity, empathy, perseverance, motivation, ambition, collaboration, confidence, and others. You don't need to be perfect in all dimensions, but some of these should apply strongly to you. you also generally want to avoid the opposite of these traits. These are all bad adjectives: unethical,narrow-minded, unmotivated, self-centered, arrogant, rude. For the first admissions requirement of academic success, your coursework and test scores play the biggest role. If you took a rigorous courseload and got a high GPA, and you got a high SAT/ACT score, you have shown that you can handle high school academics. This means you're in a great position to succeed academically in college. Feel like your SAT/ACT scores aren't high enough to impress your top choice colleges?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your SAT/ACT score. Download it for free now: How do you show the second requirement - personality traits? Part of this is in your personal essays and extracurriculars, where you'll show what you're interested in and give voice to your personality. But of courseyou'll describe yourself as curious, creative, collaborative, kind, and so forth. Who would describe themselves as unethical and mean? This is why colleges need objective, third-party observers to comment on who you are. This is where your teacher recommendations come in, and why they're so important. The role of the rec letter is to show who you are as a person.Your teachers haveengaged with you throughout at least a year of class. They've seen you in class with other students, and possibly out of class too. There are hundreds of small interactions that piece together to form your teacher's impression of you. How do you interact with students? How do you interact with teachers? How creative was your work? How much did you participate in class discussions? How motivated were you to excel in school? Are you a jerk nobody wants to be around? Or are you someone the teacher entrusts with the future? A greatteacher recommendation tells the college all of the above. Let's Hear From Harvard's Dean of Admissions What if you don't fully believe me yet? I'm just one guy with his own admissions experiences. So I'm going to call on William Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions at Harvard College: Recommendations from secondary school teachers and counselors are extremely important at Harvard and at many other colleges, particularly those with selective admissions processes. Faced with more academically qualified applicants than places in the freshman class, our admission officers review the two required teacher recommendations and the counselor report with great care, often commenting on them in writing on â€Å"reader sheets† in each application.We often project the recommendations themselves onto large screens so that all members of the Admissions Committee can see them during the subcommittee and full committee review processes in February and March.Recommendations can help us to see well beyond test scores and grades and other credentials and can illuminate such personal qualities as character and leadership as well as intellectual curiosity, creativity, and love of learning. Along with essays, interviews, and other materials in the application, recommendations can offer evidence of an applicant’s potential to make a significant difference to a college community and beyond. Source Notice how he says Harvard is "faced with more academically qualified applicants than places." What does this imply? "Among a pool of students with the same academic qualifications, we use personality traits to decide who to admit or reject."And letters of recommendation for students describe those personality traits. To beat a dead horse: your teacher recommendations add more color to your academic achievements, your test scores, and your GPA. The best recommendation letters for colleges rave about your personality and personal qualities. This is why my two letters below are so effective. You do NOT want your recommendation letters to just be repeats of your resume. This gives the admissions officer ZERO extra information about who you are a person. You do NOT want your recommendation letters to just say, "Johnny got an A and turned in his homework on time." This makes it very obvious that the teacher has no idea who you are as a person, which means it adds ZERO to your application. Great recommendations talk about more than your class performance. They discuss your personal qualities, how interacting with you feels like, and why you're likely to succeed in the future. First, I'm going to show my letters to you, with analysis of why they were so effective. You'll see the highlights made by my Harvard admissions officer, which will tell you what things she found important. Then I'll give you advice on how to build relationships with your teachers so you can get letters like this on your own. My Letter of Recommendation Samples Usually you don’t get to read letters of recommendation for students because you sign the FERPA waiver, waiving away your rights to read your application. But I was able to retrieve my full Common App and Harvard applicationfrom Harvard, complete with my original letters of recommendation. Most colleges require you to have two letters from teachers in different subjects.The two teachers I asked for letters were my favorite two teachers in all of high school. Personally, I vibed most strongly with teachers who actually cared about teaching. They gave engaged studentswith energy, treated us kindly and empathetically, and went above expectations to help students succeed. Not only did I have the most fun with these teachers, but they were also more likely to advocate for me enthusiastically in their letter. You might not vibe with teachers for the same reasons, but it's important you choose teachers you get along with and who you feel will write you very strong letters. My first letter comes from my AP Chemistry teacher from 10th grade. My second comes from my AP English Language teacher from 11th grade. As you read these letters, remember - these letters didn't come instantly. They take hundreds of small interactions over a year or more to build an impression of who you are. You can't trick a teacher into writing a great recommendation letter for you. If you honestly like learning and are an enthusiastic, responsible, engaging student, a great recommendation letter will follow naturally. The horse should lead the cart. Teacher Letter #1: AP Chemistry Teacher I took AP Chemistry in 10th grade and had Miss Cherryl Vorak (now Mynster). She was one of our younger teachers, having taught for just a few years before I had her. She was my favorite teacher throughout high school for these reasons: She clearly took pride in her work. She wasvery caring, spent a lot of time helping struggling students, and seemed to consider teaching her craft. She was universally well liked by her students, even if they weren’t doing so well. This is pretty rare. She was fair in her policies and grading, and she was kind. This was the kind of teacher where if you weren't doing well, you felt like it was your fault, not the teacher's. I participated in the US National Chemistry Olympiad (this was the major academic honor I earned) and she was my advocate and a great resource for this.She provided me a lot of training materials and helped me figure out college chemistry. By the time I applied to college in senior year,I had known her for two full years and engaged with her continuously, even when I wasn't taking a class with her in junior year. We’d build up a strong relationship over the course of hundreds of small interactions. All of this flowed down to the recommendation you see here.The horse leads the cart. First, we’ll look at the teacher evaluation page. The Common Application now has 16 qualities to rate, rather than the 10 here. But they’re largely the same. If the images are hard to read, keep scrolling down - I provide the recommendation in text form. How long have you known this student and in what context? I've known Allen as a student inside the classroom and outside the classroom in extracurricular academic activities since he was in the 10th grade.What are the first words that come to your mind to describe this student? Intelligent, motivated critical thinker; Charasmatic, well rounded, talented individual; Independent, mature, responsible student. List the courses you have taught this student, noting for each the student's year in school (10th, 11th, 12th) and the level of course difficulty (AP, accelerated, honors, IB, elective, etc.) As a 10th grader, Allen was one of the top students in my AP Chemistry class. Please write whatever you think is important about this student, including a description of academic and personal characteristics.We are particularly interested in the candidate’s intellectual promise, motivation, maturity, integrity, independence, originality, initiative, leadershippotential, capacity for growth, special talents, enthusiasm, concern for others, respect accorded by faculty, and reaction to setbacks. We welcomeinformation that will help us to differentiate this student from others. See enclosed letter. Ratings Compared to other college-bound students in his or her secondary school class, how do you rate this student in terms of: Below Average Average Good (above average) Very Good (well above average) Excellent (top 10%) Outstanding (top 5%) One of the top few encountered in my career Creative, original thought âÅ"“ Motivation âÅ"“ Self-confidence âÅ"“ Independence, initiative âÅ"“ Intellectual ability âÅ"“ Academic achievement âÅ"“ Written expression of ideas âÅ"“ Effective class discussion âÅ"“ Disciplined work habits âÅ"“ Potential for growth âÅ"“ This was the Common Application from 2004-05, over 10 years ago. In today’s Common Application, all of these ratings are retained, aside from â€Å"Potential for Growth.† Today's Common Appalso now includes Faculty Respect, Maturity, Leadership, Integrity, Reaction to Setbacks, Concern for Others, and TE Overall. You can tell that Common App teacher evaluations placea strongemphasis on personality. From Miss Vorak, you can seea very strong evaluation. First she says she's known me for over 2 years and has had interactions inside and outside the classroom. Then she's very enthusiastic with her "first words" answer, listing off a lot of strong personal traits.Finally, she gives me the highest ratings possible for all qualities. The Ratings section is really important. In one go, you're compared to all the students your teacher has ever taught. The better your ratings here, the more competitive you are relative to your classmates. What makes for good enough ratings for you? That depends on your personal college goals and your school's competitiveness. The more competitive the colleges are, the higher up your ratings need to be. If you're applying to your state school, where the admissions rate is 30%, and your high school is pretty competitve, simply being Very Good or Excellent can be a strong rating for you. On the other hand, if you're applying to the most selective colleges like Harvard, Stanford, or the other Ivy League schools,it is important to be ranked â€Å"One of the top few encountered in my career† for as many ratings as possible. If you’re part of a big school, this is CRITICAL to distinguish yourself from other students. The more experienced and trustworthy the teacher, the more meaningful this is.You really want to make sure you’re one of the best in your school class, if not one of the best the teacher has ever encountered. Next, let’s look at her letter. As you read this, think – what are the interactions that would prompt the teacher to write a recommendation like this? This was a relationship built up in a period of over 2 years, with every small interaction adding to an overall larger impression. Again, if the images are too small to read, I'll have the exact text below, so scroll down. And here's the letter in text form. I've bolded the sections that were underlined by my Harvard admissions officer: To Whom It May Concern: It is with very great pleasure that I write this recommendation for Allen Cheng to support his application for admission into Harvard. Allen has a deep passion for science and has been one of the few exceptionally gifted students that I have encountered in my career as an Advanced Placement Chemistry teacher. Among his many achievements and accomplishments, Allen’s performance on a battery of Chemistry Olympiad exams taken by approximately 11,000 students nationwide recently secured him the position as the second alternate for the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad team, ranking 6th in the country for a team which represented our nation in the International Chemistry Olympiad competition in Germany this past spring. As a senior, Allen hopes to surpass his performance once more in hopes of securing a solid position as one of the four members on the 2005 U.S. Chemistry Olympiad team this coming spring. I first encountered Allen when he was a sophomore in my AP Chemistry class. He was the youngest student in the class of upper classmen, but he was the top excelling student among the two sections of AP Chemistry classes that I taught during the 2002-2003 academic year. As a sophomore, he worked very well with others, mastered laboratory techniques, earned the top score on the AP Chemistry Exam, and was one of the top performers on the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam that year. As one of the top performers on the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam in 2003, Allen was one of twenty students in the nation who qualified to be a participant in the United States National Chemistry Olympiad National Team in the spring that year. He spent an extensive amount of time studying independently in order to ensure that he would cover all of the topics that our class did not yet study and often sought additional instruction during lunch and after school during which he asked questions and performed labs from previous Chemistry Olympiad competitions for practice. When results were published, Allen was ecstatic to have qualified as one of the twenty participants in the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp and he enjoyed the experience training for the International Chemistry Olympiad during which he was exposed to Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, etc., branches of science typically encountered at the college level. As a member of my Advanced Placement Chemistry class, I have found Allen to be an intelligent, conscientious, motivated and responsible student who masters theory-and applies it well. He academically excelled among his peers, often explained concepts to confused classmates, actively participated during discussion, asked questions to ensure that he had a firm understanding of concepts, and sought additional sources for supplementary problem solving exercises. As a scientist, he was always meticulous when performing experiments, he led his lab group to successfully complete experiments, he wrote great detailed analytical lab reports, and he worked well with others. Allen is a self motivated, dedicated, hardworking student of high intelligence who can grasp difficult concepts, think critically and handle the rigor of a competitive college environment. He exhibits the qualities of a leader and promising scientist who truly loves science. Allen truly impresses me as a student who actively seeks new experiences which support his love for science. This past summer, Allen was a participant at the Research Science Institute at MIT where he conducted research in the field of neuroscience. In addition, Allen has been conducting research with the Jisan Research Institute under the guidance of a professor for two years and has recently coauthored a paper which was published and presented in the LASTED International Conference on Robotics and Applications in Hawaii this year. In addition to conducting research, Allen has also been volunteering at Methodist Hospital and in an immunology lab at the City of Hope National Medical Center where he has been able to strengthen his general laboratory skills. He is clearly an independent, active member of society who pursues personal interests. Beyond his academic excellence, Allen is a charismatic individual who is respected and liked by faculty and peers. Throughout his high school career, Allen often stopped by my room during lunch to take my AP Chemistry tests to review his general chemistry, but he also often stopped by during lunch or after school to chat about his latest developments, events in school, or other various topics. His maturity and charisma are qualities that are quite rare among high school students. He interacts well with his peers be it in the classroom setting or with the broader diverse student population where he is well known as a balanced individual with a warm personality and sense of humor. He balances his time well by excelling in a heavy course load filled with advanced placement classes and he also participates in various school and community activities, including our school’s academic teams which provide a structured yet fun forum for competition and learning. Allen is a well rounded individual who clearly enjoys a challenge. Overall, Allen exhibits the qualities of a leader as well as a great scientist who has had ample research experience and excels academically in challenging, college level courses. He is an intelligent, well-rounded, and grounded individual who challenges himself and actively seeks new opportunities and experiences. He has the determination, maturity, and intelligence to succeed in any endeavor and always maintains a positive attitude. His academic and personal achievements show that he is committed to his education and will work hard to achieve his goals. He exudes confidence and has a vivid, outgoing, and friendly personality that allows him to get along with others very well in any setting. I admire him for his intelligence, sincerity, honesty, and integrity and am impressed by his discipline as an independent learner. He is a highly motivated individual with a thirst for knowledge. Allen Cheng would truly be a superior addition to the student body at Harvard. Sincerely, Cherryl Vorak AP Chemistry, Chemistry Honors Teacher The letter here is very strong for a multitude of reasons. First, the length is notable – most letters are just a page long, but this is nearly two full pages, single spaced.This is pretty rare, since teachers often have to write dozens of letters a year. It's clear she's interacted with me a lot, cares a lot about supporting me, and is willing to put in the work to do so. The structure is effective: first Miss Vorak talks about my academic accomplishments, then about my personal qualities and interactions, then a summary to the future. This is a perfect blend of what effective letters contain.She highlights my most important extracurricular activities and awards (you can read more about it here in my Complete college application). At the detail level, her diction and phrasing are specific and supportive. She makes my standing clear with precisestatements: â€Å"youngest student†¦top excelling student among the two sections† and â€Å"one of twenty students in the nation.† She’s clear about describing the effort I put in, like studying college-level chemistry and studying independently. When describing my personality, she’s exuberant and fleshes out a range of dimensions: â€Å"conscientious, motivated and responsible,† â€Å"exhibits the qualities of a leader,† â€Å"actively seeks new experiences,† â€Å"charismatic,† â€Å"balanced individual with a warm personality and sense of humor.† You can see how she's really checking off all the qualities colleges care about and corroborating her ratings. Overall, Miss Vorak’s letter perfectly supports my application– my love for science, my overall academic performance, and my personality. The last part is especially important - she adds much more color beyond my A in AP Chemistry.This letter was important to complement the overall academic performance and achievements shown on the rest of my application. Let's go to my second Common App teacher recommendation. Curious about what my college application looked like, including personal essays, grades, test scores, and extracurriculars? You're in luck - I've published my ENTIRE college application here. This includes my complete Common Application, teacher recommendations, counselor recommendation, and Harvard supplement. This application got me into every school I applied to, including Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and more. Check out how Miss Vorak's letter complemented my entire college application and my Personal Narrative. Teacher Letter #2: AP English Language Teacher My second teacher Mrs. Swift was another favorite. A middle-aged, experiencedEnglish teacher, I would describe her as â€Å"fiery,† in a good way. She was passionate, always trying to get a rise out of students in class discussions. She was challenging as a teacher and grader, and I always wanted to impress her. Emotionally she was a reliable source of support for students. First, the teacher evaluation from the Common App: How long have you known this student and in what context? 2 years, AP student. What are the first words that come to your mind to describe this student? (blank) List the courses you have taught this student, noting for each the student's year in school (10th, 11th, 12th) and the level of course difficulty (AP, accelerated, honors, IB, elective, etc.) 11th Grade AP English Please write whatever you think is important about this student, including a description of academic and personal characteristics.We are particularly interested in the candidate’s intellectual promise, motivation, maturity, integrity, independence, originality, initiative, leadershippotential, capacity for growth, special talents, enthusiasm, concern for others, respect accorded by faculty, and reaction to setbacks. We welcomeinformation that will help us to differentiate this student from others. (blank) Ratings Compared to other college-bound students in his or her secondary school class, how do you rate this student in terms of: Below Average Average Good (above average) Very Good (well above average) Excellent (top 10%) Outstanding (top 5%) One of the top few encountered in my career Creative, original thought âÅ"“ Motivation âÅ"“ Self-confidence âÅ"“ Independence, initiative âÅ"“ Intellectual ability âÅ"“ Academic achievement âÅ"“ Written expression of ideas âÅ"“ Effective class discussion âÅ"“ Disciplined work habits âÅ"“ Potential for growth âÅ"“ You can see right away that her remarks are terser. She didn’t even fill out the section about â€Å"first words that come to mind to describe this student.† You might chalk this up to my not being as standout of a student in her mind, or her just getting tired of recommendation letter requests every year. In ratings, I earned three of the â€Å"one of the top in my career† for "Motivation," "Independence, initiative," and "Intellectual ability." The rest are marked as Outstanding (top 5%). These are overall great ratings, but not as universally "top ever" compared to my AP Chemistry teacher. There are a few explanations for this. As a teacher’s career lengthens, it gets increasingly hard to earn this mark. Since Mrs. Swift was a lot older than Miss Vorak, she had run through a ton of students already, which makes it harder to be one of the top few ever encountered. I probably also didn’t stand out as much as I did to my Chemistry teacher – most of my achievement was in science (which she wasn’t closely connected to), and I had talented classmates. Regardless, I did appreciate the 3 marks she gave me. Now, the letter. Once again, as you read this letter, think: what are the hundreds of interactions, in the classroom and outside, that would have led to a letter like this? To Whom It May Concern: It is with great pleasure that I recommend Allen Cheng for admission to your school. In my three years of working with him, he has demonstrated the qualities necessary for high success in the demanding academic atmosphere of a high caliber university as well as the social skills needed to be successful in college. Academically, he is an extremely strong student, earning an A both semesters in AP Junior English (a feat few accomplish), and A’s throughout his high school career. He consistently exhibits dedication and vigor in all that he approaches. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the California Scholarship Federation, and an integral part of the Jisan Research Institute. He is a vital member of all that he is a part of. Outside of the classroom, Allen’s passion is for research. He has a brilliant and lightning quick mind; he is a fantastic scientist, one with great charisma and leadership skills. Though he is a year younger than the rest of his class, he is heads and shoulders above them. He has been more than ready for all that a major university has to offer for quite some time. Perhaps one of Allen’s most outstanding characteristics is his independence of thought and his willingness to express those thoughts. In other situations where students-would never speak their minds, he showed no hesitation to voice questions, thoughts, and ideas. He was always an active participant in class discussions, his animated character and controversial positions often being the spark that set off the entire class to an impassioned and heated period of arguing, often with him at the focal point of one side or another. His other qualities are of equal magnitude – his leadership skills came to forefront in group projects where he took charge, assuming the majority of the work and responsibility, ensuring that everything was completed in a timely manner and to his extremely high standards. He also has the ability to take the quiet and shy student and actively engage him or her, transforming that student into an active member of the class. I went out of my way to partner him with other students who needed this kind of attention and encouragement. Another quality that sets him apart from other student leaders is his strength of conviction. He will argue on any topic that has touched a nerve. He breathes with raw, unbridled passion. It is a rare gift in a person of any age; in someone just 16, it is breathtaking. He is honest, never stooping to cheat; he is entertaining, relying on wit, knowledge, and intelligence to persuade. Friends rely on him; he is attentive to their true needs. Teachers enjoy him in their classes. I recommend Allen completely, with no hesitation. He will make his mark and be known. Judith Swift Overall, this letter is very strong. It’s only one page long, but she spends a lot more time on my personal qualities. She writes with her characteristic flair: â€Å"In other situations where students would never speak their minds, he showed no hesitation to voice questions, thoughts, and ideas.† â€Å"controversial positions often being the spark that set off the entire class† â€Å"ability to take the quiet and shy student and actively engage†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ went out of my way to partner him with other students who needed† â€Å"strength of conviction†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ raw, unbridled passion†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ He will argue on any topic that has touched a nerve.† These comments support my personality strongly. I lean more towards an irreverent, straightforwardpersonality, not being afraid to speakmy mind.While this came across in my personal essays and application, an experienced teacher vouching for this adds so much more weight than just my writing it about myself. Again, this impression was built up over a year of her teaching me. It wasn't just one time I stopped by after class. It was continuous participation in class discussions, strong performance throughout the year, and likely observations of me when I didn't know she was even looking. With my two letters in mind, let's end with advice for how you can get the best college rec letters possible. How You Can Get the Best Recommendation Letters from Your Teachers By now, I've repeated my most important advice for you a few times. The important thing is that the advice sticks in, and that you actually practice it. The best recommendation letters for students gush about your personal qualities and why that makes you the promising beacon of the future. You can't trick a teacher into writing a strong letter for you. This is the wrong attitude to have, and most teachers will be able to sniff out insincerity. Don't think that you can just stop by after class three times and get the teacher to be your buddy. Instead, your teacher's impression of you is built up over hundreds of interactions - in class discussions, in group projects, in your homework, during presentations, when arguing about test scores, and even when you think she's not listening. If you honestly like learning and are an enthusiastic, responsible, engaging student, a great recommendation letter will follow naturally. The horse should lead the cart. With all this in mind, here are strategies for how you can build great relationships with your teachers and get super strong letters along the way: Starting sophomore year, identify 2-3 teachers each year you get along with. Have at least one in math/sciences, and another in the other subjects. You won't get letters from all of them, but you do want backups in case your top choice writers don't work out. Prepare well for class discussions, and don't be afraid of sounding dumb. Speak your mind and your teacher will remember it. As a teaching assistantin college and grad school, I can tell you firsthand how annoying it is to ask the class a question and have no one respond. Prep beforehand and show that you're one of the few students who actually cares about learning. In your interactions with teachers, focus on improving yourself and learning, not on getting a better grade.This applies to talking about grading, group projects, and learning what's on a test. Students who grovel for extra points on a test are really annoying. In contrast, students who try to figure out where their weaknesses are and how to improve for the future are really fun to work with. Try to make the teacher's life easier.If you can help the teacher save time, she'll love you for it. This might mean helping out classmates who are struggling, sharing notes with the class, or noticing problems she's having and trying to fix them. This will take sustained effort and energy, but it's the most reliable way to get very strong recommendation letters. Even more, you'll likely have a lot more fun in school, and you'll build a strong relationship with an adult mentor who can teach you a lot. For a lot more detailed advice like this on how to interact with teachers earnestly, check out my How to Get a 4.0 GPA and Better Grades guide. Keep Reading to Build Your College Application Do you like my advice in this guide? Great - I've written a lot more to help you build the strongest college app possible. Want more recommendation letter samples? Check out 4 more excellent recommendation letters from teachers. How to Get a Perfect SAT Score/How to Get a Perfect ACT Score Do you feel like your SAT/ACT score is lower than what your top colleges are looking for? As someone who got a perfect score on the SAT and ACT, I learned important strategies to notice your weaknesses and drill to improve them. Read these guides to boost your SAT/ACT scores. Also, check out my series on getting perfect scores in each of the sections on the SAT/ACT: SAT 800 Series: Reading | Math | Writing ACT 36 Series: English | Math | Reading | Science How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League Aiming for a top school like Harvard, Stanford, Yale, or Ivy League-level schools? Your impression of what they're looking for might be COMPLETELYwrong. In this guide, you'll learn: why collegesexist, and what that means for what students they're looking for why being well-rounded is the path to rejection what an application Spike is, and why it'll get you into every college you apply to how to develop a Spike of your own If you're aiming for top tier colleges, this is a must read for you. How to Get a 4.0 GPA and Better Grades Do you feel like you're struggling to balance a rigorous courseload with good grades? You're not alone - this is a challenge for many high school students nationwide. In this guide, I'll tell you everything I know about how to get good grades. This includes mindset and psychology; study habits you need to have; and individual subject strategies. Even if you're not aiming for a 4.0 GPA, this is well worth the read - you'll learn something that can save you hundreds of hours of study time. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

A Study Of Mansa Musa, The Wealthy King From Mali

A Study Of Mansa Musa, The Wealthy King From Mali Mansa Musa and the Kingdom Of Mali Mansa Musa is said to be one of the richest kings to have ever lived and his kingdom of Mali was a grand empire. But what made both Mansa Musa and Mali so prosperous and grand? And why if that was the case is it not held in the same regards as say Egypt? Using primary sources I plan to investigate and discuss Mali’s economic and social background, the history of Mali and why it isn’t considered to be on the same scale as Egypt is held to. The goal is for the reader to get an idea of what circumstances and actions allowed for Mali to prosper. To do this I will first go over the agricultural and environmental makeup of the Empire of Mali, then discuss briefly its history before and after Mansa Musa including the fall of Mali. After that I will provide my own opinion as to why Mali is not held in the same regards as Egypt, which will conclude this paper. Firstly it is important to understand the environmental and agricultural state of the ancient empire of Mali. The empire itself was massive, encompassing parts of modern day Burkina, Niger, Senegal, Guinea. The fact that that Mali was so expansive is one of the reasons Mali was so prosperous. In the book The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800 Christopher Ehret described the kingdom of Mali as having good amount of diversity when it came to its landscapes and environments. This included the desert Sahara to the north and the wild rich jungles to the south. (Ehret, 2002.) Because of this environmental diversity they had a number of different goods that they could trade not only within their own empire, but with other states as well. These goods included agricultural items such as kola nuts and shea butter. But they also traded manufactured goods such as textiles and metal goods, especially gold which was found in numerous amounts in Mali. (Ehret, 2002.) This would not have been possible though if it weren’t for the merchants running these trades. Mali absorbed several of its neighboring states and its people into the empire, mostly thanks to Sundiata and his desperados who I will discuss later, and this massive number of people led to consequences that would later make Mali a prime trader center in Africa, and this was only helped later by Mansa Musa. For example there were several different people leaving within Mali, these include the Soninke and Jakhanke, just to name a few. Merchants from these respective people would create juulas, which were trading firms set up throughout Mali. And things were made easy when they took certain portions of Mali to trade in. For example the Soninke focused more on north on the fringes of the Sahara for their trading and then expanded eastward towards the Sahel Valley at a later point in time. The Jakhanke meanwhile spread commercially west towards what are now the regions of Gambia and Se negal. (Ehret, 2002.) As I stated before this economic boom that took place in Mali could not have happened if it was not for both Sundiata and Mansa Musa. Sundiata made it so Mali existed and Mansa Musa brought in more trade thanks to his pilgrimage which attracted merchants from all over to Mali. And while Mansa Musa is considered to be on the richest and greatest kings of history, I believe it is important to look at who came before him, and made it so both Mansa Musa and Ancient Mali could prosper for years to come. What were the conditions or beginnings of Mali’s greatness? That all starts with Sundiata, who paved the way for Mali’s greatness and his own grandson’s greatness as well. Sundiata was the youngest of 12 children and he came from the Mandingo people of the time. (Bovill, 1995.). While his family was killed he was allowed to live because he was very ill and the attackers believed he would not survive. But he did, and he grew to become the Mari Jata and national hero of the Mandingo people. He became the first king or Mansa of Mali, and was a driving force in expanding its borders. Ibn Khaldun, a great historian was there when all of this was occurring and he himself stated â€Å"Their greatest king who overcame the Soso, conquered their country and seized power from the hands was the Mari Dhata†¦He ruled for twenty five years.† (Levtzion, pg. 66. 1973) Yet while hailed as the greatest king and national hero, he was not well liked by his people and so to keep the peace he hired desperados to aid him. With the help of said desperados, he quieted his people and took to expanding Mali’s boarders. Sundiata was a great warrior and tactician never having lost a battle if he was in one. (Bovill, 1995.) With his actions and what would seem to be tireless effort, he expanded Mali’s borders which allowed for a diversity of environments and agricultural items that could also be traded as discussed above. These agricultural goods could also be used to make manufactured goods. With help from his grandson, Mansa Musa, nearly 100 years later it lead Mali to a sort of economic and trading boom. (Levtzion, 1973). These two hand in hand basically made Mali what it was, even though they were so far apart. I believe it is important to pause and discuss these factors. Thanks to Sundiata not only did Mali have a great army and a powerful one at that, but thanks to him Mali’s prosperous future had already begun to take shape. The army was there to not only protect Mali’s numerous citizens, but also what the land had to offer as a whole. I believe it is safe to infer that without Sundiata doing what he did and being so successful at it, who knows how Mali would have worked. His conquest allowed for a backbone in which Mali could grow and thrive. But it would also seem to give Mali this sort of air that they indeed an empire to be reckoned with. It is also important to note the idea of image and keep in mind both Sundiata and Mali’s image which I will discuss later in this paper. Nearly a 100 years passed between when Sundiata ruled and when Mansa Musa took to the throne. And in those 100 years no king was able to reach the godlike status Sundiata had held. Mansa Musa though considered to be a great king did not reach this status either. But he is a favorite of Muslim, Oriental and Sudanese writers. (Levtzion, 1973.) That did not happen until Mansa Musa took the throne. He is famously known for his pilgrimage to Mecca and the spectacle that surrounded him. Bovill discussed the very spectacle in his book, â€Å"The spectacular scale on which it was conducted caused such a sensation in Cairo and other places which witnessed the passage of his splendid caravan, that the name of the Mandingo monarch quickly became familiar throughout a large part of the civilized world.† (Bovill, pg. 86, para 3) His fame even stretched as far as Europe and the Middle East as well. He alone showed Mali’s opulence to the world around him, and it was quite impressive. Mansa Musa began his Hadj sometime in 1324, which was the seventh year of his reign, after taking the throne in 1307. It is known that he passed through Walata and Tuat, but it is unknown which way he took to get to Cairo. (Bovill, 1995.) Though Bovill states a theory as to which way he’d gone, saying â€Å"It was probably through Wargla and thence to the coast of the Syrtes which would have given merchants from many parts of Europe trading with Africa an opportunity to witness his splendor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bovill, pg. 87, 1995.) While on his travels, he and his entourage apparently were a sight to behold. He rode on horseback, and had 500 slaves walking in front of him and each of them carried a staff of hold that weighed 1/8th of gold. (Bovill, 1995.) Mansa Musa is also described as being of â€Å"pale complexion, variously described as red or yellow.† (Bovill, pg. 87. 1995.) This contributed to his notoriety, since he was considered to be a Negro king, and yet he did not look like one considering he did not have dark skin, which was typical of Negro kings. He was known for his piety and generosity, and seemed to hand out gold every chance he had. (Bovill, 1995.) In fact so much gold was handed out that in Cairo years after Mansa Musa had passed through and completed his travels gold had become devalued in Cairo. (Bovill, 1995.) This is a good example of just how kind Mansa Musa to everyone, even if they were not from Mali or Muslim. A good example of Mansa Musa’s generosity is when a merchant from Alexandria joined his caravan and traveled with him back to Sudan, though unfortunately the merchant died. Mansa Musa, being the generous and noble king who keeps his promises, paid the man’s heirs in full. (Bovill, 1995.). His kindness in returned allowed for others to take care of him when running low on funds and Mansa Musa promised to pay back his loan once he returned to his kingdom. (Bovill, 1995.) In fact it was due to Mansa Musa’s hadj that trade increased and boomed within Mali. (Bovill, 1995.) The world now knew that Mali was a hub for an important item and that was gold. So simply by traveling and showering people with gold enough interest was drummed up to increase Mali’s trade, which in itself is quite an amazing feat, but really that nothing less should be expected from Mali’s greatest king. Unfortunately after Mansa Musa’s death, things once again fell into a sort of disarray, the same which occurred after Sundiata’s death. Mansa Musa’s son Maghan took the throne, though he was only there for four years. During his reign the city of Timbuktu was seized and burned to the ground, and the two princes who had been captured by his father were released and moved to recapture their city from Mali’s grip. Maghan died after only four years, and it is suspected that he was disposed of by his uncle Sulymon, who is also Mansa Musa’s brother. He was the one originally entitled to the throne after Mansa Musa’s death, but he was denied that when Maghan took the throne. (Levtzion, 1973.) Unlike his brother Sulymon was not well liked, in fact he was hated, â€Å"because of his parsimony in contrast to the generosity of his brother Mansa Musa.† (Levtzion, pg. 66. 1973.) After his death the two kings after him had short reigns, his son lasting for only four months and the one after that lasting for a considerable longer time of 14 years. (Levtzion, 1973) But during this time civil war broke out and this troubled period marked the decline of Mali. The throne was often bickered over by descents of Sundiata and Mansa Musa, where it switched off periodically. Finally one of the last kings was simply known as Mari Djata, son of Maghan and grandson to Mansa Musa. But he was considered to be â€Å"the wicked ruler they had, because of the punishment, tyranny and corruption he imposed upon them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Levtzion, pg. 68. 1973.), them referring to his people. After him Mali went through a few more kings, but it was no longer the great empire that it had once been a nd was left in a state of disrepair. Now that I have laid out all the information, I will now discuss my own theory as to why Mali is not held in as high regards as Egypt, and I will do this by discussing Mali’s image, race, leaders and history. First Mali’s image, became well known in ancient times. This by itself is by the image that its leaders managed to show. Here we have Sundiata who is a great general and furious fighter. He protected his country and insured that not only his family, but his people had something that they could build and grow on. Then we have Mansa Musa, who in many ways is Sundiata’s exact opposite, and he brought the necessary people to build up Mali’s trade and economics. In Mali’s defense of image it had to great leaders. And if we are to compare that our own time that is a very important part of a country or empire’s image. Think of Egypt and the first pharaoh that comes to mind is either Radames or King Tut. One is known for being a truly great and powerful pharaoh of his time. And the other is known for the tomb that was discovered well after his death. But the idea of image can easily constitute how people view a place and how it is upheld. So in this regard I feel like Egypt and Mali are very similar. And yet its kings don’t seem to be held at the same regard as say the kings of Egypt. And one must ask why that is the case. For me, after researching and reading comes down to one thing and that is race. Mali is considered to be a Negro or Black kingdom, unlike Egypt which often isn’t considered one. The fact that Mali is a Negro empire is why it isn’t held in higher regard. Even the past Negro kingdoms were looked down by quite a few people The fact that Mansa Musa was black was a surprise to everyone who saw him even. Here was a man with great wealth and power and he was black. But we also have firsthand accounts of how some viewed blacks, for example Ibn Battuta who was not impressed by Blacks and in fact refused to write about them or visit their kingdom. (Bovill, 1973.) Race still plays a big part in who tells what stories as far as history is concerned. Even till this day it is grudgingly admitted that Mansa Musa was one of the richest and most well-known kings of history. And that is because he is considered to be Negro or black. This is of course in great contrast to say Egypt, where we don’t exactly know how the Egyptians looked. Though it is theorized and even I believe that Egypt itself was racially diverse not everyone thinks along these same lines and ideals. All we need to do is look at Black Athena Writes Back, a book that suggests that Blacks were the ones who had influence on Greeks and Phoenicians, and many sought a way to discredit said idea. (Bernal, 2001.) But throughout history Europe and other countries have wanted to grab Egypt for its opulence, history and what they left behind. And many people did not want to think the rulers of Egypt were black or people of color. There are whole arguments that try and prove that. I think a great example of how prevailing this thought is, of Egypt not being a part of Africa but more a part of the western and European world is the movie Gods of Egypt which has recently come out, which showed Egyptian pharaohs, gods and people as being of all European descent, which I don’t think is all that accurate to how Egypt was in the past. Now yes, this is a fantasy movie, but I think it’s still important to bring up the fact that is still a sort of prevailing issue. History has a habit of shutting down anything that lifts up black people. From history blacks have always been seen as inferior in the eyes of other. And to suddenly put an African kingdom to the same opulence of Egypt would shake up the status quo that has been set up by past historians. Africa has been denied its opulence unless it is Egypt, and everyone ese tries to claim that. So it is no wonder that we don’t hear much about Mali or Mansa Musa when we are schooled. And really look at why. We have a black man who is a great and successful leader. He is kind, generous and rich. That in itself would be a great story to inspire anyone who reads about him, especially for example black youth. We live in a world where we cannot see ourselves in the media and are always being criticized for being who we are. Enslaved and discriminated against, race is still a huge issue. And if Mali were held in the same regards of Egypt, well that would mean the norm and prevalent idea and though t that Africa as a whole is not advanced or had these great kingdoms would be shattered. But that isn’t the case and it should be noted that there is more to Africa than just Egypt. Another inference one could make as well is time. Egypt’s Kingdom lasted for almost 1,000 years. That is a long time for one kingdom in a world that is always changing and shifting, there were three major eras and three intermediate periods. Egypt had time to grow and the fact that this one kingdom lasted for so long just helps to show that Egypt is something that the world should know about and why it’s held in such high regards. Mali unfortunately does not have that. For after Mansa Musa, the empire went into decline as stated above. The empire itself lasted only about 300 years, and can be counted within four generations thanks to the likes of Ibn Khaldun. (Levtzion, 1973.) But that is fair. Empires rise and fall. That is how they work. Even Ancient Egypt fell after nearly 1, 000 years, and this includes once it was taken over by Greece in its later years. But those 1,000 years allowed for Egypt to be put upon a pedestal that Mali simply cannot reach. Not to mention unlike Egypt where there was a rise and fall of ups and downs, Mali seemed to suffer negatively. As stated above Sundiata and Mansa Musa uplifted and improved the empire. But in-between those, the other kings did nothing to reach the status of previous kings. And more often than not there was infighting, bickering and more often death. This in itself is a third reason. Mali to some may seem like it failed being an empire all together. Out of all of its rulers only two seemed to truly keep the empire stable and improve upon it. And I don’t think that is a fair assumption to make. Like I stated above, empires rise and fall. And just because Mali fell and had a run of inopportune leaders does not mean that it was an overall failure. Egypt can be put into this same category, since it to fell. But it does not mean it was a failure. Each kingdom was successful in its own ways. Egypt had success in trade, in building landmarks that still stand to this day. And while Mali lost Timbuktu it was there. They were a center of gold, and spread it throughout Africa with the help of Mansa Musa. They both have their fair share of success and failure. But I believe history as a whole is a little harder on Mali because once again it is a Negro kingdom, and finding fault and making it seem major is a thing that still happens ti ll this day. In conclusion I believe that is a mixture between race and time that holds Mali and Mansa Musa back from being held in the same regards as Egypt, when it comes to prosperity and popularity. Both are prominent and important kingdoms that had their fair share of success and failures. But the fact that one cannot pin point the exact race of Egypt’s rulers and its people allows for others to put it on a higher pedestal and look down on Mali, since it is a Negro or black kingdom. But in my eyes, it deserves to be right up there. It is an empire that if it had the right rulers and maybe had a longer time to shine would be something that would be talked about in many more class rooms like Egypt is. Or praised like Egypt is. Or fought over much like Egypt was to be begin with. I believe the only way for Mali to rise to the same height as the other kingdom is if this idea of race is changed and improved upon. I whole heartedly believe that is one of the things that keeps Mali in the sh adows. While I have heard of Mali, this is the only class where I was able to learn in depth about the empire and its people. In other classes it’s always Egypt. And I hope in good time people will look at Mali and see it for what it was. A powerful, prosperous empire that should be taught and talked about, just like Egypt is.