Thursday, July 23, 2020

[JOINT POST] Travelling as a black female

[JOINT POST] Travelling as a black female Andrea Orji, 21 There is a common phrase in Hindi: ???? (“teek-hey”) meaning “all is well”. Many times in my discussions with people at work, at the market or anywhere else I found myself at some point in the conversation they would nod their heads (side to side, not up and down) and assure me that all was well. At first I clearly didn’t know the meaning of the word, and was thoroughly confused by whether the side to side head nod meant yes, no or neither so the phrase didn’t mean much of anything to me. However, by the end of the trip it almost became a sort of mantra for me. Don’t be fooled, accepting that all was well and would continue to be definitely did not come to me very easily in the beginning but it did come eventually so here is the story of my quest to ????. Golconda Fort was what I would call my first TWB experience (“Traveling While Black”). It was my first outing since coming to India, and I was really excited to spend some time with other people my age! Working at LVPEI, doing research I was mostly surrounded by ophthalmologists going through their fellowships, with families at home and a mindset of just getting through the work, not enjoying the city. So that weekend I Ubered to old Hyderabad, and found myself about 10 minutes ahead of the people I intended to meet up with. I bought my tickets and headed toward the entrance to wait for their arrival. Very quickly I realized I was attracting a lot of attention. People would point, whisper and laugh as they walked by. Some would openly walk up and circle as they inspected me. Still others would see me, gape and come back shortly after with their entire families who would do the same. Within a short time, I found myself surrounded by a crowd of people closing in on me as they laugh ed and pointed. My initial instinct was to yell, to slap away the phones taking unsolicited pictures of me, but I knew it was my temper talking and that it wouldn’t be wise to listen. So I just kept moving, and each time a new crowd started to gather I would walk to a new place. I repeated this sequence over and over, even getting followed by one man who would sprint after me, daughter in tow, then simply stop and stare with his camera in hand. This went on until the students I was meeting up with arrived, and the pressure seemed to dissipate as the 2 MIT students brought along some of the Indian friends they had made at the school they were doing research at. From then on, I tried to put aside the strong feeling that I was an animal at the zoo. I ignored the people who would go out of their way to roughly push past me, laughing as they walked away. I struggled trying to decide if I was imagining it all. Was I uncomfortable with the attention and picture requests as part of my nat ure or had people really been more aggressive to me because of my race?   Either way after that trip I found myself reluctant to go out. I focused on my project, shadowing and MCAT studying with little interest in leaving the hospital campus except for food. About a week into this lifestyle and extensive rumination, I decided that I didn’t want to allow people I didn’t even know affect my experience in Hyderabad. It seems fairly obvious, and in most ways in my usual life it was, but I had never experienced such intense/constant forms of discrimination and I was forced in that moment to reaffirm that choice for myself.   Once I did that things got a lot better. I still felt like I had to exude a certain energy when I went out to feel safe and it was exhausting, but definitely worth it. I found myself calling people out way more than I had ever been forced to before. When people literally spoke down to me, face contorted as if I were a baby; when I was ignored at grocery stores in favor of other customers after being told there was another task that needed attention; when I had racial slurs yelled at me on outings with my roommate. Every one of these experiences forced me to consider what it meant to be a black female in an international context more deeply than I had before. While the picture I was getting was not pretty, I still found myself grateful for the fact that I had figured out how to navigate and enjoy the good and beautiful things that I did encounter in the moments that I encountered them. I don’t share this story to make you worried or afraid of travel, but I don’t think I adequately prepared myself for what I had to face and I hope that my story will give you what I did not have. The only person who really could have prepared me was someone who had gone through something similar, and I believe that if I had gone in with a more accurate idea of how people would treat me I would have figured out how to enjoy my trip much sooner. Regardless, I learned a lot on this trip. About myself, India and the career I am working to pursue. I can’t and don’t deny that it was fruitful, but it definitely wasn’t easy either. Ask me now and I would definitely tell you that given the chance I would go back to India. Now that could potentially be my stubbornness talking, but I do think I have grown to understand some of the bias that comes with the country a little more, in a similar way to how I am accustomed to the bias that comes with living in America. It was simply a matte r of getting used to it and deciding to not let it infuriate me as it had in the beginning. However, just because I understand doesn’t mean that I think some of the things that happened were ok. I really encourage people interested in travel to challenge the stereotypes they are faced with, encourage conversations regardless of whether you think people will be responsive and not be afraid to explore. I think some of the people I spoke with got to learn about my culture and life and hopefully it dispelled some misconceptions they had before, and maybe you can do the same for any one person you encounter as well. Stacy Igwe, 22 If you asked me to describe my time in India, I would repeat a three-word phrase that I feel sums my experience up best “I’m constantly amazed.” Nothing could have prepared me for my experiences in India. Each morning on the way to work we rode an auto rickshaw and zipped through the busy streets of Ahmedabad. There were cows lying idly off to the side of the road, cars doing their “I’m coming through” honk, and workers and sellers weaving their way through the traffic. I can’t believe at some point I was used to all of that. At first, I was terrified to cross the street, but the best advice I was given was to eye the road and march straight ahead. To my American eyes life there   seemed chaotic but things somehow worked. My experiences hadn’t always been so amazing, partly because of interactions with those I encountered. Colorism is definitely a thing. A co-worker was nice enough to get us a discount at a nail salon and once there an employee to my dismay began to put skin whitening cream on us. One of the women tried to pass it off by explaining that it helps with tanning and I kept thinking “Yeah, I’m not this dark from tanning.” I also heard the occasional “African” or “Greencard” muttered in between Gujurati and curious looks some people simply wouldn’t believe I’m American. Even though I had done GTL Kazakhstan months before and was as a result sort of used to the strange and burdensome experiences that came with being a noticeable foreigner, there was one incident I never really talked about that stuck in my mind that pretty much sums up how I feel about my time in India. We’d just wrapped up our tour of Delhi at the Qutub Minar â€" a   UNESCO world heritage site â€" when a heavy downpour accosted us that left visitors scattering for cover. I was following our tour guide back to the van   when I spotted a vending stand covered by an umbrella with others huddled under it. Grateful to have a way to escape the pouring rain, I made as if to take cover under the umbrella but the owner (I assumed) looked me in the eye and shoved me back onto the street. I was a little shocked but continued on when I couldn’t locate the tour guide. He had actually been behind me and began yelling angrily at the man who had just pushed me, threatening to call the police. The entire time our guide was shouting the man kept apologizing to him and not me and even when I demanded an apology it took a full embarrassingly long minute for him to relent and do so. It was as if I’d been invisible, but not enough to be pushed by a stranger. I really wonder if I should be relieved that someone was willing to stand up for me or if I should be worried that incident happened to me because it didn’t happen to anyone else. I think people underestimate how difficult it can be to travel as a black person, because as I said to a close friend of mine, “When it’s bad, it’s really bad, but when it’s good, it’s really good.”  Though, I can’t describe how amazing my experiences in India were and just how much I grew and developed as a person. I visited the Taj Mahal and touched it this place I’d wanted to visit since I was a kid and pieced together on a “Wonders of the World” puzzle. I tried so many cuisines and came to love Paneer Tikka Masala. I met new people and made new friends who showed me around Ahmedabad. I even found a bookstore and constantly read books about Indian history or politics and drew parallels to Nigeria in how colonialism has seeped into the language, beauty standards, and structure of society. Those experiences remain with me despite it all. All this being said, I’ll will definitely travel again in the future. I can’t help it there’s still so many countries, cities, and wonders I want to explore and learn from. The best piece of advice I can offer as a black traveler is to accept how you feel. I was told to accept having my picture taken as a part of life, but it m ade me uncomfortable, so now I say no. It’s possible that non-black peers may not fully relate to your experiences, but that doesn’t mean they dont happen, and that you can’t be upset when they do. If after reading all this you’re like “I don’t want to travel to India” that’s fine too. If you are, be prepared for an overall awesome experience and just know that I believe you can do it. Veronica In MISTI trainings, the concept of identity is heavily emphasized who we are and what it means to be that person in a different country. Spending most of my life in a country where black people are the majority, and coming to the States where I am part of a minority, and where the history of African Americans is so different from my own, was an adjustment in itself. Being in India presented a whole other kind of culture shock, where I was in most settings the subject of pure curiosity and fascination, sometimes with an undertone of hostility. At first, this fascination baffled me. I think I have taken for granted that my country has had wide exposure to people of different ethnicities, due to a variety of reasons; for example, Arabs were the first visitors to the East African coast in pre-colonial times when they came for trade, and the Swahili culture that is widespread on the coast is a result of intermarriage between the Bantu who had migrated to East Africa from Central Africa, and the Arabs. Kenyans of Indian descent were officially recognized in 2017 as one of the forty-four tribes that Kenyan communities are classified under. India was Britain’s largest colony, and in the Britons’ ‘development’ of the East African Protectorate, they enlisted Indians to build the railway from the Kenyan coast into the interior, all the way to Uganda. After independence, a lot of Indians opened up businesses and settled down in the Continent, and were quickly assimilated into the community. Because of this, the fascination with which black people are regarded in India struck me not necessarily as negative, but just as different and interesting to consider. I got people asking to take pictures with me a lot more times than I could keep track of, especially when we took excursions outside the city. I would be in a group with my friends, having a good time, chatting and laughing, and someone would come up to me and ask to take a picture and the atmosphere would change. No one really knew how to handle such a situation, and I would be at a loss myself, and so in such settings things quickly became Very Awkward. I got a lot of questions about my braids (I still do even at MIT, surprise). I got a lot of people tugging at my hair, sometimes without asking. I could feel the stares I drew in public, though they weren’t as intensely focused on me when I was with the other MIT interns, since we were such a mix anyway. These things totally threw me off in my first few weeks, and I didn’t know how to react. I was having an amazing time learning all these new things and exploring all these different places, but I was also having a rough time coming to terms with the perceived identity shift that I had to deal with. Despite skin colour of Indians ranging from very light to darker shades, the idea of fairer skin being better and more beautiful is very much ingrained into the culture. Companies profit off colourism, promoting creams by promising lighter skin after several weeks of continued use. I began an exercise where every time I walked through a store or saw a billboard, I would note the complexion of the models used in advertisements or products packaging, and I rarely saw a darker-toned model, despite the reality being that a significant chunk of the population has darker skin. More times than I’d like to admit, I felt the urge to yell at a billboard, “Positive representation is important and dark skin is beautiful too!” As a result, I was very particular about the creams and body washes I used, since a lot of products were advertised as having skin lightning elements in them (not sure if they were actually genuine, but I didnt want to take the risk). Another cultural factor that stood out to me was the very apparent patriarchal society that was in place. If I went to a restaurant with my friends or colleagues, the servers would ask the man nearest to me for my order, and no one thought that to be weird. I was interning at the tech branch of an oil and gas company, a field where women are historically underrepresented. Add this to the patriarchal nature of the culture, and the result is dismal numbers of females in tech-related workspaces. On my floor workspace which had about sixty people, there were about twelve women, some of whom were interns. I think that having spent most of my life in spaces where great strides have been made in addressing gender disparity had made me almost complacent on the issue, and my experience made me realize that we’re on our way, but we aren’t there yet. The reason for this gender disparity is certainly very systemic- the opportunities different people are exposed to starting from very young ag es is in many ways dependent on their socio-economic class. In cases where parents have limited resources, it might make more sense in the cultural context to educate the boy. A series of missed opportunities or difficult circumstances add up to a massive difference in where the two children end up later on in life. Context matters- not to serve as an excuse for how people treat you, but to help understand why things are the way they are. As a black person, especially being from a continent that is overwhelmingly misrepresented and has a history of incredible oppression, I see the effects of white supremacy everywhere I go. Black skin has been criminalized, ostracized and fetishized all at once- before I quit decoding the stares I got, I could see a mix of fear, disgust, and suggestiveness in the looks being tossed in my direction, and it left me confused, hurt and above all, tired. Some things made my adjustment easier and my experience more bearable. The biggest factor was the fact that I had an amazing set of friends in the other MIT interns. Even though they couldnt really relate to my experiences, just having people to talk things over with and do things together with helped me get out of my own headspace. It took me some time to quit doing things that were meant to make me more invisible and deflect as much attention away from me, like wearing a baseball cap while out to keep my braids under wraps or not wearing my ankara shirts to avert backhanded compliments. I read up a lot of travel journals by other black girls who went through a lot of what I experienced, if not worse. I found myself in a lot of situations where I had to take a deep breath and force myself back to my zen state, and I think these situations were precisely where the growing and the learning was taking place. I come out of it with thicker skin than I had before, and a certain level of fearlessness that I know will help me be adjust better and faster to other environments in future. Post Tagged #blackgirlmagic #incredibleindia #travellingwhileblack

Friday, May 22, 2020

Teen Pregnancy Essay - 1660 Words

Each year approximately 750,000 adolescents (ages 15-19) in the United States will become pregnant and about 400,000 of those adolescents will give birth. Out of all the developed nations in the world, the United States has the highest incidence of teen pregnancy. Although there has been a decline in the number of pregnancies among adolescents, teen pregnancy is still a serious health concern that needs continued intervention. It is widely agreed upon that becoming pregnant at a young age has negative effects on both mother and baby in many different aspects. What are the reasons for the increased rate of teen pregnancies in the United States despite the health risks, and how can we lower it? There is no doubt that becoming pregnant at a†¦show more content†¦Inadequate zinc intake can lead to congenital abnormalities and fetal growth retardation. Low iron intake can also lead to fetal growth retardation. Low levels of vitamin D can cause rickets and low levels of calcium can cause poor skeletal development in the fetus. There are many more complications that can occur later in life as well due to malnutrition during pregnancy. (Nnam, 2015) Pregnancy can be a stressful time, much more so in a teenager who isn’t developmentally at the age to have child or be a mother. There is a great number of teenage mothers who use alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs while pregnant. Just as diet plays an important part in the health of the mother and baby, abstinence from chemicals is of upmost importance. The most widely used chemical during pregnancy is alcohol. There is no known safe amount of alcohol that is allowed during pregnancy, so complete abstinence is recommended. Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream and crosses the placenta, into the fetus, because the liver is not fully functional, the fetus is exposed to high levels. Alcohol use during pregnancy can increase the risk of stillbirth or miscarriage. Alcohol usage is also linked to low b irth weight and learning disabilities. The most serious complications from alcohol use during pregnancy collectively fallShow MoreRelatedTeen Pregnancy Essay2181 Words   |  9 PagesPregnancies are a wonderful thing. Just imagine being able to create another human being and bringing it into the world. Although this may be what the majority of mothers think, teen moms may have a different perspective. They might have been forced into pregnancy and the child may be a reoccurring thought of what happened to her. Chances are the teen will love her baby in the long run, but in the beginning the teen most likely had different views. Teen pregnancy is a worldwide problem that needsRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay1019 Words   |  5 PagesTeen Pregnancy Nearly thirteen percent of all births in the United States were teenage girls from the ages fifteen to nineteen. Almost one million teenagers become pregnant each year and about 485,00 give birth. In many situations the answer to keeping a relationship going is to have a good sex life. Most teen relationships are based on sex. This is one of the main reasons why teenage birth rates are so high. I am a good person to make a case for this topic because I have witnessed from a familyRead MoreEssay on Teen Pregnancy1041 Words   |  5 PagesIt has been said that teens across the world have not been receiving enough sex education. This has led to many issues with teens becoming pregnant, which most of the time is unanticipated. Teenage pregnancy has been a social problem throughout the world for a number of decades now. Many studies have been completed in several countries that pertain to the amount of teens and the types of teens who are becoming pregnant. Rates among teens had bee n declining for some time, but are starting to takeRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay1364 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is teen pregnancy? Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in females under the age of 20. A female can become pregnant from sexual intercourse after she has begun to ovulate, which can be before her first menstrual period but usually occurs after the onset of her periods. There are many reasons why teens end up pregnant at such a young age. These reasons consist of family related problems, the lack of being taught about safe sex in school and by parents at homeRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay1426 Words   |  6 Pageswhat is going to help reduce the alarmingly high rate of teen pregnancies has not ceased. Many argue over whether abstinence-only should be taught in high school and if it is the key to reducing the high teen pregnancy rate. From my standpoint, I believe that it should be taught. However, it should be accompanied by the teachings of birth control along with other contraceptives and how to use them. The fact of the matter is that teen pregnancies continue to be a prevalent problem and teaching abstinenceRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay915 Words   |  4 PagesTeen Pregnancy Over the past two decades, the rates of teen pregnancy have grown dramatically. According to the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy, approximately every thirty-one seconds ateenager becomes pregnant in the United States. This is unbelievable, however that is the truth that no one can deny. Many people think that teen pregnancy dont effect them unless they get pregnant or one of the family members in teenage get pregnant. However teen pregnancy really affects our communities and countryRead More Teen Pregnancy Essay643 Words   |  3 Pagesdifficulties that come with an unplanned pregnancy in teens can have a profound effect on their life. Their physical, social, mental, and emotional health will all be affected by a sudden change in the course of their life. Teens impacted with an unplanned pregnancy will have to give up many things in order to be a parent. In addition, they will have to take on many more responsibilities that accompany pregnancy and parenthood. All in all, having an unplanned pregnancy and becoming a parent introduceRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay1314 Words   |  6 Pages(Hamilton, B.E.). That’s nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies every year. According to, â€Å"11 facts about teen pregnancy† less than 2% of teen moms earn a college degree by age 30 (Par. 2 5). There are many reasons for this and the best way to help limit teen pregnancy would be to require parents to attend teen pregnancy prevention meetings held by schools. One of the many problems is that most teens are not well informed about the troubles of being a teen parent. They don’t understand how it willRead MoreEssay On Teen Pregnancy1590 Words   |  7 PagesTeen Pregnancy Task 1 Teenage pregnancy has been around for thousands of years, and in the past was in fact an ideal among societies of past times, such as the Ancient Greeks, the Medieval Era, and even as late as the 20th century. Teenage women were thought to be at the prime age for baring children, and often as soon as they were married, fell pregnant. However, in this era, women have more opportunities to go further and reach higher in life, they have the chance to be successful, and to rivalRead More Teen Pregnancy Essay710 Words   |  3 PagesPrevent Teen Pregnancy nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; After reading Martha Balash’s article, Schools Can Help to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Balash has put time and effort into this proposal on stopping Teen Pregnancy. I think Balash’s introduction is very effective because she goes straight to the facts. She doesn’t try to mislead you with any false facts. She goes straight to the point and the point is to prevent teen pregnancy. Balash tells that schools has more influence over teen pregnancy than what

Thursday, May 7, 2020

The Gilgamesh Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh - 2459 Words

The Epic of Gilgamesh consist of narratives in tablets that effectively forwards the ideology of kingship in Mesopotamia through a compilation of themes. Gilgamesh outward appearance was magnificent, but inwardly he was a relentless tyrannical king. The epic makes it clear that he was beautiful, strong, and wise collectively these facts intertwine with him being one-third god and two-third human. Oddly, Gilgamesh never effectively utilized his assets for the betterment of his people; rather he used it for his own wishes. Despite, his abusive kingship, there was always an overarching restorer of balance overtly seen through the themes of love, immortality, religion, gods’ wrath, and womanly intervention. Ultimately, kings in Mesopotamia had absolute power, but once it was abused, the gods intervened to restore order. The narratives, tablet by tablet, served to critique the perception of kingship. King Gilgamesh, ruler of Uruk, was as petrifying as one could imagine; in modern t erms he would be labeled a terrorist. Yes, in some respects he fulfilled his role as king; he built the great infrastructure of Uruk for his citizens, but that in it of itself was not sufficient because his evils overweighed his good doings. He exploited women for sexual gratification, he killed sons, he sacrificed warriors, and he essentially did what he wanted when he wanted with absolutely no consideration of the people he reigned over. The citizens were helpless, they sought refuge to a sourceShow MoreRelatedGilgamesh And The Epic Of Gilgamesh988 Words   |  4 PagesThe maturation of Gilgamesh and his desire to acquire wisdom throughout his journey is quite apparent. By overcoming difficulties such as upholding Uruk, becoming friends with Enkidu, and various other scenarios, Gilgamesh proves that he did in fact grow up throughout the epic. As the epic starts, Gilgamesh is portrayed as a self-centered, self-admiring leader who believes that he is the only individual that can lead the city of Uruk. Gilgamesh believes that he is a god-like figure and often refersRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : Gilgamesh1013 Words   |  5 Pages Gilgamesh in 2015 Even though the epic Gilgamesh is thousands of years old, it is still read today. Why would the era of technology read an epic this old? This is because the themes in Gilgamesh are still relevant. In addition, the themes are experiences that Gilgamesh went through in his life period, and serve as lessons for the current readers. Gilgamesh’s themes include journey, legacy, love, and death. These themes make Gilgamesh a vital reading for the 21st century citizens because peopleRead MoreGilgamesh : The Epic Of Gilgamesh1194 Words   |  5 Pages The Epic of Gilgamesh is a Mesopotamian epic poem loosely based on a real king who ruled sometime around 2700 BCE. The standard version of this epic was written in the Akkadian language. In this epic poem, Gilgamesh is King of Uruk, he is one third mortal and two-thirds god; he is described as a strong, arrogant, and unruly king that does not show much consideration for his actions. Gilgamesh is a very egocentric person; he has no res pect for the feelings of others and does not care about howRead MoreGilgamesh : The Epic Of Gilgamesh876 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Epic of Gilgamesh a young man meets and befriends a wild man named Enkidu. Enkidu, once a man who lived among animals, became civilized after having sex with a female. From this point on Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s relationship start, but shortly into the novel Enkidu becomes sick and dies. This is the start to Gilgamesh journey in attempting to avoid death by seeking immortality. In his quest Gilgamesh meets several people all who assign different routes to the next person he should speak to.Read MoreGilgamesh : The Epic Of Gilgamesh909 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh† is a didactic story set out to expose the inevitability of death. The true meaning of this story is sometimes overlooked because the story is told in heighten language not easily understood. The epic hero in this story is Gilgamesh; he undertakes a quest for knowledge which is overshadowed by his ignorance. The tragic death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s trusted companion forces the epic hero to change his perception of death. To overcome great obstacles one must be willing to putRead MoreGilgamesh The Epic Of Gilgamesh877 Words   |  4 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh the lines that are repeated at the beginning and end of the epic show that only immortality a human can gain lies in creating things that last beyond a person’s lifetime. While at the beginning of the epic Gilgamesh is seeking eternal life, when he concludes his journey he realizes that he has created an enduring legend through the foundation of his city, Uruk. Through this legend, Gilgamesh can live on in the memory of his people, long after he has passed away. The epic is ableRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And Gilgamesh1422 Words   |  6 PagesIn the Epic of Gilgamesh there are many notable relationships but the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is hands d own the most noteworthy. When analyzing the relationship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu there are many factors that go into play. It is really the sole foundation of the whole Sumerian epic and it really changes the whole personality of Gilgamesh. In order to get a better understanding of how the two characters complement each other we have to first break down their individual appearancesRead MoreGilgamesh : The Epic Of Gilgamesh1400 Words   |  6 Pages The Epic of Gilgamesh Introduction The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story about Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk and Enkidu, their friendship, how Enkidu dies, how Gilgamesh mourns the death of his friend and finally he understands enlightened truth . Most of this story is narrated from Gilgamesh’s point of view. The story is set in Mesopotamia and the portrayal of Gilgamesh is ironical. He is described as a king of immense vigor and strength who is not benevolent with his subjectsRead MoreGilgamesh : The Epic Of Gilgamesh2225 Words   |  9 PagesEpic of Gilgamesh In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh became a hero and Enkidu helped Gilgamesh grow and develop as a person, a leader, and a hero. Heroism is a major theme of this story. Gilgamesh also overcame the obstacle of his best friend dying and persevering when he had no other choice but to give up. The Epic of Gilgamesh was a story about a leader named Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh ruled the city of Uruk and along the way, he learned how to become a better leader. During this time, the gods createRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And Gilgamesh Essay2053 Words   |  9 PagesWhile the women in the Epic of Gilgamesh may not be the primary focus of the epic, which instead recounts more of Gilgamesh’s own trials and travails, they still play quite vital roles in their interactions with both Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Women such as Shamhat, Ninsun, and Ishtar in The Epic of Gilgamesh are often portrayed with a particular emphasis on their intrinsic connections to civilization—and in the case of Shamhat and Ninsun, in terms of their motherly characteristics as well—which serves

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Balancing On-line College Studies, Work, and Personal Relationships Free Essays

Balancing On-line College Studies, Work, and Personal Relationships On-line college studies bring forth various challenges for a student as the concept of time may easily be disregarded or forgotten along with problems regarding distractions and the sense of presence (â€Å"Online Study Techniques†). In this sense, if a student also takes into consideration pressing issues such as those that stem from work, family, and friends, then the difficulty of successfully completing on-line college studies become even worse. However, the presence of such problems, difficulties, and challenges does not mean that every student going through on-line college studies has a myriad of excuses so as not to excel in their educational pursuit. We will write a custom essay sample on Balancing On-line College Studies, Work, and Personal Relationships or any similar topic only for you Order Now In fact, given the right mind set and the right approach in decision making, it is most likely that a student will be able to optimally accomplish each task in his or her on-line studies while still being able to perform at work and maintain relations with family and friends. Personally, I incorporate concepts of time management and effective prioritization in order to attain efficient decision making. As mentioned, in decision making, I utilize effective prioritization in order to come up with the best possible options for a given situation. In this sense, I build up a hierarchy of considerations and events which may come up and how I should perceive each and every situation given if such situations overlap. In addition, I also develop a sense of hierarchy in relation to studies, work, friends, and family. Although it may seem that such an approach seems to be quite effective and one may bring up questions as to why even though people tend to have a similar approach but fail at decision making. The answer is quite simple, the reason for the inability to utilize prioritization as a tool for guiding decision making is not strictly followed and such individuals opt to choose the easier or more pleasurable choices instead of selecting the more important tasks. In my case though, I prioritize and decide according to which choice would bring the most positive effects. To expound upon the potential use of effective prioritization in terms of decision making, it is only proper to discuss through the use of specific examples. In this sense, a good example comes in the form of accomplishing additional tasks at work which basically translates into a bigger payout while also considering the progress through on-line studies and coursework. Considering that I already have a stable amount of funds and have a good amount of saving, then working for additional hours even though additional pay is given would not have been an efficient choice since technically my funds are already in excess. On the other hand, in relation to the on-line studies that have progressed slowly, allocating ample amounts of time and effort for such will definitely be not an excess and if I really want to attain my specialized associates’ degree through distant learning, then I should spend more time to work on my studies. Hence, I chose to accomplish the latter option. However, sometimes one cannot simply choose an option over another especially if one or more of the possible choices are with added urgency. Since it is quite often that I am placed in a situation wherein I have to decide between different possible tasks in which time is of the essence, I have developed a way to incorporate efficient time management aside from effective prioritization into my decision making skills. To expound, efficient time management in my own perspective pertains to how the hours of the day or the days of the week are scheduled effectively in order to progress in my work and studies while still being a significant presence to my family and friends. Also, time management pertains to the reality that some decisions made or tasks accepted may be done on another day while some events cannot simply be accomplished if missed the first time around. In relation to prioritization though, not every opportunity or task that may not reoccur on a definite time is not always the best option so time management in relation to decision making. A good example for the use of efficient time management in relation to decision making is in terms of choosing between the options of attending the birthday of my beloved niece and continuing my on-line studies. In the situation, it is quite expected that the birthday party, along with the opportunity to greet her and give her a gift in person, would only occur at a specific time and date. Considering that I am lagging behind in terms of my on-line studies, I also thought about using my free time to catch up with the remaining coursework. Of course, thinking that my studies are more important in the long run, and my niece would probably not hate me that much if I miss her birthday, my initial reaction was to just stay at home and continue my studies. Later on, I realized that if I missed the birthday then it might create an unavoidable stress between us. Taking into consideration that on-line studies are characteristically flexible in nature and progress may be made at one’s own pace, then I simply went to the birthday, stayed for a while, and later on went back home to finally continue the coursework that should be completed. Hence, both tasks were accomplished. The important aspect of the decision making process in this sense, is the capability to postpone something to be done at a later time but still making sure that the postponed task is accomplished. In addition, it is also important to know which tasks should be conducted first and at the same time realize which tasks can really be set aside initially. In this sense, what works for me personally as discussed, is to utilize both time management and prioritization in deciding which tasks or events should be considered to be done first. Of course, such a method has some negative points as well. In most cases though, from a personal standpoint, it is definitely useful to use efficient time management and effective prioritization in relation to decision making as reflected through the stability of my personal relationships with family and friends, as well as good productivity at work and on my studies. How to cite Balancing On-line College Studies, Work, and Personal Relationships, Papers

Monday, April 27, 2020

Primary School Teacher Measuring their Effectiveness an Example by

Primary School Teacher: Measuring their Effectiveness Teachers play a big role in nurturing the minds of every generation. They are thought to be the second parents of every student who wish to learn and gain something from school. Teachers carry the responsibility of inculcating the basic knowledge in their assigned courses plus some moral values students needed to have in their lives. Plato, Aristotle, Cicero and other mentors in the early centuries are teachers who have proven their worth as teachers by the ideas they left that are still useful up to date. Teachers like them made a breakthrough by which students regard learning as an activity which is funny and enriching. Moreover, teachers are said to be guiding the youth in facing everyday life situations. Need essay sample on "Primary School Teacher: Measuring their Effectiveness" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Pre school and primary years of a person can be called a founding ground for the basic and most simple facts of life are then given to students. It is on this stage that the capacity of a persons memory is at peak and in turn, is a good opportunity to promote the values they need as they grow up. Retention of the knowledge and skills of a student may then be tested here. The trend of becoming an effective teacher changes nowadays. From the time of the ancient teachers, they are said to be functioning really well despite the criticism they receive from the on-lookers. They even get no payment in return with the significant facts they contribute to the minds of their student. Wages for teachers are a problem today making the number of the people who ought to be helping the nation in molding the youth decreases. If teachers ability to pound ideas to their student depends on how many followers and teachers they can make after a number of lectures, the effectiveness of teachers today vary. Academically speaking, teachers are obliged to be teaching the young of the facts they need in order to understand the concept of day or the basic operations in math. However, morally, the strength of their teaching prowess may be measured through the number of youth that commits crime after schooling. Generally, there should be set standards to measure their effectiven ess thus devising ways to improve teaching strategies. It is important that teachers are given their specific roles in the society. Evaluating performances of teachers 30 years ago up to now is a very important part of fulfilling the nations needs in the learning process of every child. This study will deal in gathering the standards of measuring the effectiveness of every primary school teacher. Psychology and school journals must be used in giving the important things to consider in teaching. Moreover, facts in retaining memory must be noted thus suggesting more effective ways in giving the youth a good grasp of information in their primary school years. This study will be conducted at the start of the academic year, taking note some observations of the students and the teachers. They will be given of no clue that they are being observed in order for them to act naturally on the day of the survey. The activities they make with their will then be evaluated thus giving the evaluator the idea of how the teachers are giving the students ideas regarding the subject and for instance about life situations. It must be noted that the evaluator will need to ask permission to the principal but not with the teachers who will be observed for the study. This study will take a year for completion since the primary school students will also be observed. The main observation must go with the academic status of the students thus evaluating their personalities at home. The only limitation for this research is the availability of the author in the execution of the plans. At the end of the year, there must be a questionnaire or survey that will determine the methods of the teacher that are effective in the learning process of the students. Moreover, there should be a target number of teachers to be observed so as not to complicate gathering of data. Teachers roles are very important in our society for they are the sources of the youths foundation in relating and dealing with life. List of Reference Effective Teaching.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

How to Tell Which Version of PHP You Have

How to Tell Which Version of PHP You Have If you cant get something to work and think it might  be because you have the wrong version of PHP, theres a really simple way to check the current version.   Different versions of PHP may have different default settings, and in the case of newer versions, might have new functions. If a PHP tutorial is giving instructions for a particular version of PHP, its important to understand how to check the version you have installed. How to Check the PHP Version Running a simple PHP file will not only tell you your PHP version but an abundance of information about all your PHP settings. Just put this single line of PHP code in a blank text file and open it on the server: ?php phpinfo() ? Below is how to check the locally installed version of PHP. You can run this in Command Prompt in Windows or Terminal for Linux/macOS. php -v Heres an example output: PHP 5.6.35 (cli) (built: Mar 29 2018 14:27:15)Copyright (c) 1997-2016 The PHP GroupZend Engine v2.6.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2016 Zend Technologies Is the PHP Version Not Showing in Windows? Given that you actually are running PHP on your web server, the most common reason for the version of PHP not showing up is if the path to PHP is not set up with Windows. You might see the error like this if the correct environment variable isnt  configured: ‘php.exe’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. In a Command Prompt, type the following command, where the path after C: is the path to PHP (yours may be different): set PATH%PATH%;C:\php\php.exe

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

The Benefits of Learning Latin

The Benefits of Learning Latin Erras, mi Lucili, si existimas nostri saeculi esse vitium luxuriam et neglegentiam boni moris et alia, quae obiecit suis quisque temporibus; hominum sunt ista, non temporum. Nulla aetas vacavit a culpa. Seneca Epistulae Morales XCVII You probably wouldnt be reading this Ancient/Classical History feature if you thought classical culture should be confined to museums and dusty tomes. But taking the next step, reading the classics in the original, demands commitment and can take years. Latin Grammar is the Best Grounding for Education Unlike their parents, your school-aged children have time to devote to acquiring a skill that will last them a lifetime. But why should they learn Latin? Dorothy Sayers says it best: I will say at once, quite firmly, that the best grounding for education is the Latin grammar. I say this not because Latin is traditional and medieval, but simply because even a rudimentary knowledge of Latin cuts down the labor and pains of learning almost any other subject by at least 50 percent. From the National Review. Latin Helps With English Grammar While neither the language nor grammar of English derives from Latin, many of our grammatical rules do. For instance, since you CANT have a dangling preposition in Latin, certain purists consider it bad form in English. Latin Makes You More Careful in English In Latin, you have more to worry about than whether a plural pronoun refers to a singular noun (as in the politically correct - grammatically incorrect: each student has their own workbook). In Latin, there are 7 cases with which not only pronouns  but adjectives - not to mention verbs -   must agree. Learning such rules makes the student careful in English. But more important is the fact that traditional study of Latin starts out with a grammatical framework... As American students begin Latin, they become acquainted with the Latin grammar system, which they can indirectly transfer to their work in English. What it gives them is a standardized set of terms in which to describe words in relations to other words in sentences, and it is this grammatical awareness which makes their English writing good.William Harris Latin Helps You Maximize SAT scores This sells Latin programs. Through Latin, test takers can guess at the meanings of new words because they already know the roots and prefixes. But its not just enhanced vocabulary. Math scores also increase. Latin Increases Accuracy This may be due to the increased accuracy Professor Emeritus William Harris notes:​ From another point of view, the study of Latin does foster precision in the use of words. Since one reads Latin closely and carefully, often word by word, this focuses the students mind on individual words and their usage. It has been noticed that people who have studied Latin in school usually write quite good English prose. There may be a certain amount of stylistic imitation involved, but more important is the habit of reading closely and following important texts with accuracy.