Rousseau Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rousseau - Essay Example Rousseau was among those social philosophers who explored the paradox that radical political theorists, remain unable to raise to democratic politics, a duality of social interests and diverse conceptions for a modern man in the form of ‘democracy’ and ‘totalitarian’ context. He was such a versatile in his opinion that on one hand he held the opinion to experience democracy, while on the other he felt the urge to be totalitarian. No doubt Rousseau’s ideal of a self-sovereign people along with the conception of democratic control over social life, informed the moral and political vision of nineteenth and twentieth century democratic mass movements, as well as non-democratic variants thereof.Although Rousseau have been the first political theorist to outline the form of a democratic social contract, his obsession with social solidarity precluded his conceptualizing the content of modern democratic political life . What he believed was a modern democrati c policy within which general will involved the establishment of a democratic consensus, among divergent social interests and distinct moral conceptions of the good, on those shared constitutional practices and public goods that reach beyond one’s identity with a particular sub community.Rousseau was among the very few political philosophers and theorists who gave a touch of taste of totalitarian to a full democratic region. He comprehend that if democracy were to be a stable and viable order, a commitment to its political practices and public goods would have to be an integral part of the will of each of its citizens, regardless of their propertied status. Although Rousseau acknowledged that in a free society the existence of such a shared "general will" should not obliterate individual wills, his attitude toward the role of associational life in a democratic order was profoundly ambivalent. Perhaps because he never witnessed a functioning pluralist democracy and vigorously opposed the status and economic inequalities of a commercial, monarchical society, Rousseau could not envision a democracy in which the political interactions of divergent interests forged a commitment to a common political life 3. In his day, status-based interests were a profound barrier to the creation of an egalitarian, democratic order; thus Rousseau never witnessed free associations playing a central role in the life of a demo cratic polity. Although Rousseau is theoretically committed to the sovereign authority of the people, he could be thought of as such a political symbol that severely curtailed the arena for democratic politics by denying any role for particular interests groups or sub communities in political deliberation. He believed a democratic society to be partly constituted through popular participation in the election of government and in popular deliberation about the constitutional structure of society, the nature of the basic laws. But it is also shaped by particular interests defending their concerns in both civil society and the political arena. In a vigorous and egalitarian democratic order, a complex dialectic would persist between the activities of secondary associations and their regulation by broader democratic cultural norms and legislative practices. Although the citizens of a democracy must at times achieve a measure of reflective distance from their particular attachments in order to reason ab out shared institutions and practices, a complete distancing from particular identities will never be fully achieved 4. This mediation between particular and collective identities, and between partial interests and the common good, can only occur politically. There is no Archimedean resolution to this inherent democratic dilemma. For Rousseau the essence of both "natural freedom" and "civil freedom" was the absence of personal dependence on others. In a society characterized by a healthy civic culture, all

Linking the Balanced Scorecard to Strategy Essay Example for Free

Linking the Balanced Scorecard to Strategy Essay â€Å"Balanced Scorecard† is the tool for motivating and measuring business unit performance with four perspectives financial, customer, internal business processes, and learning and growth. These days, it becomes so complicated and complex to navigate competitive environment, thus some people figured out that balanced scorecard could be used as the tool for linking multiple strategies. It contains both financial and non-financial measures. It was revealed that the measure should include both outcome measures and the performance drivers of those outcomes. It turns out that there are strategic measures for the four perspectives each. First of all, Financial performance measures define the long-run objectives of the business unit. Business units can be categorized into three different stages simply rapid growth, sustain, and harvest. During rapid growth stage, businesses make rational amount of investments to develop and enhance new products and services. During sustain stage, they still attract investment and reinvestment, furthermore they are demanded to earn magnificent returns on their invested capital. During harvest stage, they only focus on maximizing cash flow back to the corporation rather than investment. Moreover, there are financial themes that can be linked to the strategies – revenue growth and mix, cost reduction/productivity improvement, and asset utilization/investment strategy. Secondly, in the Customer perspective, managers identify the customer and market segments. It includes customer satisfaction, customer retention, new customer acquisition, customer profitability, and market and account share in targeted segments. Customer retention defines that retaining existing customers in the segment is the way for maintaining or increasing market share in targeted segments. Customer acquisition identifies acquiring new customers as the way. Customer satisfaction is the matter of meeting customers’ needs and it is the measurement of the feedback. Customer profitability means that businesses want to measure not only the satisfaction of the customer, but also the profitability that customers can evoke. Thirdly, in Internal Business Process perspective, executives identify the critical internal processes in which the organization must excel. It enables business unit to deliver on the value propositions of customers in targeted market segments, and to satisfy shareholder expectations of excellent financial returns. On the other hand, it means there are the process that customer need turned into customer need satisfaction through innovation cycle, operations cycle, and post-sale service cycle. Fourthly, in Learning Growth perspective, it identifies the infra-structure that the organization has to build to create long-term growth and improvement. It comes from three sources that people, systems, and organizational procedures. As I mentioned above, it has been the trend to link and mix multiple scorecard measures into a single strategy. The multiple measures on a properly constructed balanced scorecard should consist of a linked series of objectives and measures that are both consistent and mutually reinforcing. The scorecard should incorporate the complex set of cause-and-effect relationships, outcomes performance drivers and linked to financial. Cause and effect relationships can be expressed by a sequence of if-then statements and pervade all four perspectives of balanced scoreboard. It can be described as the process â€Å"employee skills(learning growth)→process quality/process cycle time(internal) →on-time delivery→customer loyalty(customer) →ROCE(financial)†. Outcomes and performance drivers reflect the common goals of many strategies, as well as similar structures across industries and companies. Therefore, a good balanced scoreboard should have a mix of core outcome measures and performance drivers, that’s why businesses care both outcomes and performance drivers. Even though the strategy should have to emphasize both financial and non-financial measures, in the sense of improving business unit performance, we have to consider financial measures little bit more. Ultimately, causal paths from all the measures on a scorecard should be linked to financial objectives. In conclusion, the balanced scorecard is more than a collection of financial and non-financial measurements. It is the translation of the business unit’s strategy into a linked set of measures that identify both the long-term strategic objectives, as well as the mechanisms for achieving and obtaining feedback on those objectives. This thesis could be applied on the Metro Bank case and National Insurance Company case.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Presidency Essay -- President Franklin D

Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Presidency Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigorous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Despite an attack of poliomyelitis, which paralyzed his legs in 1921, he was a charismatic optimist whose confidence helped sustain the American people during the strains of economic crisis and world war. "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people," said Franklin Roosevelt. With that he was elected President in November 1932, to the first of four terms. By March there were 13,000,000 unemployed, and almost every bank was closed. In his first "hundred days," he proposed, and Congress enacted, a sweeping program to bring recovery to business and agriculture, relief to the unemployed and to those in danger of losing farms and homes, and reform, especially through the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The most important reform was the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), instituted in 1933. This public corporation built multipurpose dams to control floods and generate cheap hydroelectric power. It manufactured fertilizer, fostered soil conservation, and cooperated with local agencies in social experiments. The TVA reflected Roosevelt's commitment to resource development and his longstanding mistrust of private utilities. At first, his legislative requests were conservative. He began by securing passage of an emergency banking bill. Instead of nationalizing the banks--as a few reformers wished--it offered aid to private bankers. A few days later the president forced through an Economy Act that cut $400 million from government payments to veterans and $100 million from the salaries of federal employees. This deflationary measure hurt purchasing power. FDR concluded his early program by securing legalization of beer of 3.2% alcoholic content by weight. By the end of 1933, ratification of the 21st Amendment to the U. S. Constitution had ended prohibition altogether. A series of measures took the nation off the gold standard, thereby offering some assistance to debtors and exporters. He also got Congress to appropriate $500 million in federal relief grants to states and local... ...ing the war he relied too heavily on his charm and personality in the conduct of diplomacy. Still, Roosevelt's historical reputation is deservedly high. In attacking the Great Depression he did much to develop a partial welfare state in the United States and to make the federal government an agent of social and economic reform. His administration indirectly encouraged the rise of organized labor and greatly invigorated the Democratic party. His foreign policies, while occasionally devious, were shrewd enough to sustain domestic unity and the allied coalition in World War II. Roosevelt was a president of stature. These early measures displayed Roosevelt's strengths and weaknesses as an economic thinker. On the one hand, he showed that he was flexible, that he would act, and that he would use all his executive powers to secure congressional cooperation. Frequent press conferences, speeches, and fireside chats--and the extraordinary charisma that he displayed on all occasions--instilled a measure of confidence in the people and halted the terrifying slide of 1932 and 1933. These were important achievements that brought him and his party the gratitude of millions of Americans.

Langston Hughes and the Civil Rights Movement Essay

During the early 1930s many black writers begin to produce works that helped to shape and define the Civil Rights movement. Among them was Langston Hughes whose poems and writing contributed directly to the rhetoric of the day and inspired many African-Americans, both in and out of the Civil Rights movement. Much of this grew out of what was called the Harlem Renaissance, which emerged during turbulent times for the world, the United States, and black Americans. World War I and the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 had left the world in disorder and stimulated anti-colonial movements throughout the third world. In America, twenty years of progressive reform ended with the red scare, race riots, and isolationism throughout 1919 and led to conservative administrations through the twenties. While blacks were stunned by racial violence near the end of the decade and were frustrated by the lack of racial progress that progressivism had made, they were now armed with new civil rights organizati ons and confronted the approaching decade with new hope and determination. Education and employment opportunities had led to the development of a small black middle class, and few blacks thought that their future lay in the economically depressed rural South, resulting in hundreds of thousands migrating to seek prosperity and opportunity in the North. As these more educated and socially conscious blacks settled into New York’s neighborhood of Harlem, it developed into the cultural and political center of black America. It is out of this environment that Langston Hughes developed. In 1926, professor Alain Locke (1969) observed, â€Å"The younger generation is vibrant with a new psychology,† which was shown by a shift from â€Å"†¦social disillusionment to race pride.† Locke noted that this new psychology rejected the old stereotypes of black â€Å"aunties, uncles, and mammies† and substituted instead self-respect, self-dependence, and racial unity, and much of that is the core of Hughes writings. Emerging from social and inte llectual upheaval, the Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance marked a change in the attitude of blacks in the United States. While the Harlem Renaissance was not a political movement, its participants, including Hughes were affected by the political world around them and responded in varying ways to their political environment. Perhaps the most direct way that black writers addressed political issues was through political and protest writings, and Hughes made protest a significant element in his works, especially in his somewhat radical poetry of the early 1930’s. In his poem â€Å"Mulatto†, Hughes (1994) writes, â€Å"Because I am the white man’s son, his own / Bearing his bastard birth-mark on my face, / I will dispute his title to the throne, / Forever fight him for my rightful place.† Throughout his poetry, he directly and indirectly referred to vigorous hatred for the white man, of his people’s dreams deferred too long. He used literature to protest the inequality faced by blacks nationwide. Hughes’ writing put a level of anger into the early Civil Rights movement and he and other black writers felt that black literature could be used as a key weapon in the fight for civil rights. Hughes, though his writings also incorporated a little bit of communist philosophy in to the early Civil Rights movement, and Hughes wasn’t alone in his ideas. The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 drew cheers from many black Americans who were thrilled to see a revolutionary organization pledged to racial and ethnic equality and proletariat brotherhood rise up and seize control. Seeing an opportunity to build a strong foundation on black Americans, the Communist Party of the United States pledged itself to encourage social interaction and intermarriage as a movement policy, and the organization proclaimed that African Americans had the right to self-determination in the South. Although the movement never really took hold or was able to sustain itself in America, Hughes and fellow black writer Claude McKay were angered by racial problems in the United States and enticed by the organization’s pledge to uphold equality. Though never an official member of the Communist Party, H ughes, supported communism and defended the USSR through the 1940s. Hughes focused much of his effort into describing the life and experience of the black masses. He believed that social and racial problems were closely related to class conflicts, and that racial prejudice was only a manifestation of capitalism. In the early 1930s, a radical tone was pervasive in many of his works, especially in his volume of poetry entitled A New Song. One of the poems in the collection, for example, called for workers to rally in revolution with the words (1986): â€Å"Better that my blood makes one with the blood / Of all the struggling  workers of the world – / Until the Red Armies of the International Proletariat / Their faces, black, white, olive, yellow, brown, / Unite to raise the blood-red flag that / Never will come down!† Because of many his views, and his impact on the black community, the white society of America at the time of the Harlem Renaissance and even years after labeled him as a radical. Interestingly enough, Hughes with his lifelong commitment to racial integration was rejected by 1960s radicals who considered him to be a part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. While visiting the Soviet Union, Hughes acknowledged the problems the nation faced in letters written back to the United States, but also claimed that he had not seen any traces of segregation or racial prejudice. He then, for a time, began to share the view that literature needed to be viewed in terms of its potential political gain. According to Witz (1988) he wrote that, â€Å"Writers who have the power to use words in terms of belief and action are responsible to that power.† Hughes began to insist that writers have to demonstrate an awareness of the social and political realities with which they have to live and to take full advantage of the power and effect that their literature may have. Like McKay, he ultimately rejected Communism because of the absence of literary freedom that he observed. He proceeded to express publicly his disillusionment with communism and loyalty to the United States. Still, as with McKay, one must recognize that the political ideology of communi sm significantly impacted his works and ideas for a time and that those works and ideas impacted those involved in the Civil Rights movement who were taken up by his words. In the early 1940s Hughes also established a character in his short story writings named Jesse B. Semple. Through these short stories he used this character to represent the black man of his times. Hughes began writing the, â€Å"Simple† stories in 1943. It started as a weekly column in the Negro Newspaper, the Chicago Defender. During the 1940s there were many authors creating poems and stories to try and uplift the spirit of the black community in New York. However, Langston Hughes felt inspired to write about a fictional character, which in he attempted to represent all of the feelings of the black man without being blatant or bold. As Klotman (19)  wrote, â€Å"Jesse B. Semple is certainly no romantic hero, protest victim or militant leader, no charismatic character for the young to emulate† yet his influence on the black community and their thoughts about civil rights could not be underestimated. He created Jesse B. Semple, a character that would make an effort t o represent the common man. His characteristics were that he had little formal education, but he had a lot of common sense and could see the truth in many situations. Langston Hughes used Semple and his stories to project the voice of all the black men of that time. Semple touched on issues such as racism, interracial marriages and any other important issues that showed what it meant to be black during that period. Hughes took every issue that he felt was necessary in the accurate representation of the Negro man, and projected through the life of Semple. The events Jesse B. Semple went through in his stories and his opinions and views of what was going on in the world showed a certain irony that the society of that time had for them. With the stories of Jesse B. Semple and his, â€Å"simple† life, he captured the mindset of every black man of the 1940s. Overall, that seems to be Hughes’ biggest influence, that he pictured the black America as black American’s saw themselves and then tried to install hope, and pride and a sense of entitlement into them. In poems such as â€Å"I Too†, Hughes dwells upon a theory that blacks had to be separate from others in society. He refers to himself as singing, America and then being America significantly referring to the end of segregation and discrimination. His use of creative imagery shows the kitchen as being a place of distinct yet individual strength. The author implies that by being separated from the rest of society he wasn’t of quality to be among the guests of the house, but never the less he demonstrates how being separate made him more of a stronger human being in accepting what others were, and putting aside the ignorance of others, which also demonstrated and ironic twist to the poem, as well as showing the reader that the speaker was â€Å"Proud to be B lack†. In addition to those techniques use by the author, he also uses the structure of the poem to set up the reader and show them how the speaker was going from what he is now presently, and what he will accomplish to be in the future. In a nutshell, this is what the Civil Rights movement promised and the fact that Langston Hughes set it all down on paper at the very  beginning, makes the influence undeniable. Bibliography Berry, Faith. Langston Hughes: Before and Beyond Harlem.Westport, Conn.: Lawrence Hill, 1983. Hughes, Langston â€Å"A New Song†. International Working Order. New York: Viking Penguin, 1968. Hughes, Langston. The Best of Simple. New York: Hill and Wang, 1961 Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Mulatto,† The Portable Harlem Renaissance Reader, ed, David Levering Lewis. New York: Viking Penguin, 1994 Klotman, Phyllis R. â€Å"Jesse B. Semple and the Narrative Art of Langston Hughes.† Critical Essays on Langston Hughes. Boston, Mass.: G. K. Hall & Co., 1986 Locke, Alain. The New Negro, New York: Atheneum Press, 1969. Meltzer, Milton. Langston Hughes: A Biography. New York, NY: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1968 Mullen, Edward J. Critical Essays on Langston Hughes.Boston, Mass.: G. K. Hall, 1986. Wintz, Cary D, Black Culture and the Harlem Renaissance. Houston, Rice University Press, 1988

Controversial issues of traditional arts Essay

â€Å"Ulek Mayang† could be haunted. – it is a Malay traditional dance from the state of Terengganu in Malaysia accompanied by a unique song called Ulek Mayang – the lyrics were changed (no one knows the real lyrics) – the song remains popular and there are several contemporary interpretations of the song – the original dance is to honor the spirit of the sea. The modern dance has no elements of worship, it’s more to music and dance. – After the arrival of Islam, such practice has been stopped and the Ulek Mayang dance is only preserved to be part of the Malay culture. – Even now, Ulek Mayang is nicknamed the ‘Most Haunted Culture in Malaysia’.- However, some fishermen still practice this ritual. Agree: – Some people claim that the song is haunted because it gives goosebumps and creepy feelings especially when it is performed at sunset by the beach – People tend to avoid practising it nearby any beaches around the world, as according to the ancients’ beliefs; those 7 Sea-Princesses shall always guard the 7 Seas. Whoever that breaks certain rules, no matter where they are, will pay the price. There has been cases of tourists jumping into the sea for no reason after they performed Ulek Mayang along the north-eastern beaches of Peninsular Malaysia. Some cases happen on land too. Going missing and receiving ‘visits’ were the greatest fear whenever one performs Ulek Mayang. Disagree: – According to ustaz, Ulek Mayang is not a ghost or jin. It’s a popular song in Terengganu and is a type of â€Å"lagu rakyat†. – The Ulek Mayang song used nowadays has been shortened as Malays count the full song as ‘worshipping spirits’ which is syirik in Islam. – The Malaysian rock diva, Ella once sung the song in a rock version Poco poco – dance choreographed with sequence of steps. – it is a type of aerobic dance – believed to originated in Indonesia more than 20 years ago – Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Perak banned poco- poco because they believe it is derived from Christianity. Agree: – The dance originated from Jamaica and is actually a cult dance – There are many Christian rituals to it as the moves reflect the making of a cross and so is unacceptable in Islam Disagree: – The Malaysian Muslims are confused. – There is no any literature or practical evidence showing that poco-poco is derived from Christianity either in Indonesia, Philippine or Jamaica. – Poco poco movements with cross design can not be a sufficient justification because movement of left and right sides is a natural human movement. Even when human stretch his hands, it can be considered illegal if the method resembles the cross. Mahsuri’s curse: Myth or Legend? Summary: One day while Mahsuri’s husband was away fighting a war, Mahsuri offered shelter to a wandering minstrel. For that, Mahsuri was accused of committing adultery by the village chieftain’s wife. The village chieftain who was still smarting over Mahsuri’s rejection of his earlier marriage proposal, ordered Mahsuri to be condemned to death. It was said that at her execution Mahsuri bled white blood signifying her innocence. At her last breath, Mahsuri was said to utter a curse on Langkawi for which the island will remain barren for seven generations. Agree: – Many locals of Langkawi believe the legend to be true due to failed crops after Mahsuri’s death. – According to recorded history, the Siamese invaded Langkawi not long after Mahsuri’s death and razed the island to the ground with a scorched earth policy. And coincidentally, Langkawi did not become a major tourist hotspot until the birth of Wan Aishah bt Wan Nawawi, the seventh generation descendant of Mahsuri. Disagree: – Some people think Mahsuri’s story most likely is real and the killing of Mahsuri most likely took place, but the curse of Langkawi and her white blood must be a part of myth because there is no prove or evidence. – in this modern and science world, people think it’s logically untrue for a normal human being to have white blood

Who Should I Ask to Write My College Recommendation Letter

Who Should I Ask to Write My College Recommendation Letter SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you debating who to ask for recommendation letters for college? Letters of rec are a very important part of your application, and strong ones can go a long way toward making you stand out among the competition. That's why you should choose your recommenders with the same thought and care that you put into your personal essay, SAT or ACT prep, and other parts of your application. Before we dive into the key questions to ask yourself when choosing a recommender, let's review what separates the good letters from the bad ones. What Makes a Good Letter of Recommendation? Strong letters of recommendation communicate what makes you a distinct and special student. While applicants may share certain interests, grades, and activities (especially at selective schools, where a large number of applicants are highly qualified), your letters of recommendation can differentiate you from other candidates with similar profiles. Reference letters should discuss your academic ability and potential, but they should also shed light on your character and personality. They should illuminate what drives you and what experiences have shaped who you are today. Admissions officers want to get a holistic sense of what kind of person would arrive at their campus and how she would contribute in and out of the classroom. The best recommendations highlight your key characteristics and demonstrate those traits through specific anecdotes and observations. Those reading the letters should get the sense that the recommender was excited to write about you and inspired to help you on your path to college. Your recommender can rave about you while having the stories and examples to back up their praise. A recommendation can especially speak in your favor if it ranks you highly compared to other students. A phrase like, "one of the top three students I've ever taught in my career" can be a powerful statement, especially if it comes from a teacher who has taught for twenty years at your school. Finally, the strongest letters are eloquent and well-crafted. They show that your recommender took the time and thought to develop a powerful statement of support. They add something unique and interesting to your application and catch the eyes of admissions officers, many of whom read through hundreds or even thousands of applications. Now that you have a sense of what makes an effective evaluation - personal, specific, enthusiastic, and well-written - what about the flip side? What qualities make a recommendation letter not so impressive? If your teacher's face looks like Grumpy Cat's when you ask for a recommendation letter, she might not write you the best one. What Makes a Bad Letter of Recommendation? Generally speaking, no recommendation letter is going to be outrightly critical or accusatory. If a teacher, counselor, or other person doesn't feel qualified or able to provide you with a letter, then she should respectfully decline and/or suggest someone who might be in a better position to help you. That being said, there can still be bad letters of recommendation. The reason that they're bad is usually that they're mediocre, generic, and don't add anything special to your story. One major pitfall for letters of rec is that they simply repeat a student's resume. If a letter states your grades, activities, and honors, then it's basically a reiteration of the rest of your application. As discussed above, a letter should shed light on your character and personality. Otherwise, it does little to differentiate you from other applicants with similar academic and extracurricular profiles. Another quality of poor recommendations is that they don't provide specific anecdotes or examples. Listing adjectives like hard-working, driven, or generous is not that convincing. Instead, the recommender should describe situations in which you demonstrated these qualities. Like the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Also discussed above is the power of a high ranking. Conversely, a mediocre ranking, like calling a student "above average" or "relatively hard-working" could do more harm than good. On a similar note, a short letter, like less than a page, could suggest that the recommender doesn't know a student too well or doesn't have much to say in her favor. Some students ask a principal, department head, or even someone famous or in goverment to provide them with a letter of recommendation. While this kind of letter can stand out if the recommender knows the student well, it won't necessarily impress admissions officers just by virtue of the person's authority or fame. This is only a good idea if you have a good relationship with the person. Otherwise, it could seem like meaningless name dropping. Considering what makes a letter good and what makes a letter bad, does anyone come to mind that could write you a strong, specific, and enthusiastic letter of recommendation? That's better. Who Can Write You a Strong Letter of Recommendation? Now that you know what makes a letter of recommendation especially strong, you can think about who you know that could fulfill these expectations. The first deciding factor is the requirements of your application, as these can differ from school to school. What is Required? Many colleges ask for one letter of recommendation from and a teacher and one evaluation, often called the "secondary school report," from your counselor. More selective schools, including Ivy League schools, want two teacher recommendations and one from your counselor. Dartmouth and Davidson are unique in that they ask for a peer recommendation from a close friend, classmate, or relative. Finally, some students choose to send an additional supplemental letter, like from a coach or employer, if they feel their teachers or counselor don't know them very well or it can add an important dimension. Schools typically want to see letters of recommendation from teachers of core subjects, like English, math, science, and history. If you're applying for a certain major, then it's a good idea to get a recommendation from a relevant teacher. Students applying to study engineering or at technical schools like MIT or CalTech should probably get recommendations from math and/or science teachers. Students applying to art schools should ask their painting, drawing, or photography teachers. Once you know the requirements of your schools, you can start to think about whose class you did well in. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Were you best in show in any of your classes? Whose Class Did You Excel In? Teachers are in an especially good position to comment on your academic skills and collaboration with classmates. Schools selecting for academic ability especially like to see that students have a love of learning and strong intellectual curiosity. In choosing teachers, think about whose class you excelled in, in terms of grades, participation, and effort. Which teachers taught you a lot or inspired you? Did you impress them with your commitment to group work or interest in taking on extra projects? Did you surpass expectations by taking on a sustained project, like a long term research paper or thesis? Did you show growth or effort in an area that didn't come naturally to you? Even if you weren't "best in show," you could impress them with your dedication to a challenging subject. You might also consider whether you knew this teacher in other contexts, like if she was the advisor of a club or had you for more than one class. Junior year teachers are typically the best choice for recommenders, because they had you recently and for a whole year. Senior year teachers likely don't know you that well yet, and freshman and sophomore year teachers are not very recent. Along similar lines, you want to choose a teacher who knows you well. Even if you didn't get top grades in her class, you can likely get a strong vote of confidence from a teacher who got to know your personal strengths. Who Knows You Well? Apart from considering how you performed academically in a teacher's class, you also should consider how well you know her. If you got an A but didn't speak to your teacher all year, then she can't write much for you beyond the grade you achieved. As discussed above, a strong letter should have specific stories and give insight into your character that admissions officers might not know from reading the rest of your application. Think about teachers who you've gotten to know or had meaningful conversations with. Can they speak to your effort, humor, hard work, or resilience? Do they have a sense of how you analyze and solve problems or approach challenges? Unfortunately, schools have major differences in class size and teacher to student or counselor to student ratios. Some students barely meet their counselor or have trouble connecting with individual teachers in large classes. For the most part, admissions officers should have a sense of your school profile. If this is the case, you might consider adding a supplemental recommendation. It's also a good idea to share information with your recommenders so they can more thoroughly personalize your recommendation. Whether your recommender knows you well or not, it's a good idea to help them out with a "brag sheet," or a document where you reflect on your strengths, goals, and significant experiences and challenges. You (and in most cases, your parents) can and should share your reflections and resume with your recommenders to help them write an effective letter. You can bring this information with you when you request the recommendation and discuss it with your recommender. You can also make an appointment with your counselor so she can get to know you even better and talk about your plans. Finally, you also want to consider who has the time and experience to write a strong letter. Simply put, who can write well? This kid clearly knows what he's doing. What about your teachers? Who Can Write a Good Letter of Recommendation? Your letters of recommendation don't have to win any Pulitzer Prizes, but they do need to be clear, strong, and powerful pieces of writing. You want someone who is going to take the time to craft an eloquent statement of support. The best recommenders have both experience writing letters of rec and familiarity with various colleges and their expectations. Often, students have a sense of who writes good letters through word of mouth. Your counselor may also be a good resource, as she might be able to recommend some teachers as good choices. Teachers with experience are often a good choice, although a relatively new teacher can be great too if she knows you well. You may be able to share guides on recommendation letters with your teachers, but you'd have to gauge whether they could benefit from and be open to these resources. You don't want to cause offense or suggest they don't know what they're doing. At the very least, you can share your resume, brag sheet, and information about the colleges you're applying to and future plans. While the skill and experience of the teacher is an important, if difficult to measure, factor when deciding who can write your recommendation letters, it is secondary to considering who knows you well and admires your academic skills and personal qualities. Now that we've gone over who you should ask for a recommendation letter, what about the flip side? For the purposes of avoiding the earlier described bad letter, who shouldn't you ask for a letter of recommendation? Who You Shouldn't Ask for a Letter of Recommendation As mentioned above, it's unlikely that anyone is going to write you a purposely bad recommendation and sabotage your application. However, recommenders can still unintentionally hurt your chances with a mediocre letter. So that you don't end up with a lukewarm, boring, or meaningless reference, you should make sure to avoid asking certain people. First, don't ask teachers who don't know you well. If you've barely exchanged three words with a teacher all year, then they won't have much to say. Even if they're well aware that the best recommendations letters give stories and examples, they might not have any to share. Then their letters will end up being a restatement of facts and figures, which doesn't communicate much to admissions committees. On a similar note, don't ask your principal or an influential person on the local or national level just because of her authority. If she doesn't know you as a person, then her letter will add little to your application. If you do know the person well, though, then go right ahead. Showing that you got to know your principal well as a high schooler speaks to your outstanding presence at the school. Since colleges want to see your academic ability and potential, you also shouldn't ask a teacher in whose class you performed poorly and didn't put forth effort. If you demonstrated an unwillingness to learn, challenge yourself, or improve, then the teacher won't have many positive things to say about your potential to succeed in college. Finally, consider your counselor's suggestions and general reputation of teachers as letter writers. When I was in high school, I asked a teacher who ended up giving me a generic form letter and wanted me to go through and change all the "he's" to "she's." Needless to say, I immediately asked someone else. If your teacher isn't going to take the time to write you a personalized letter, or if she doesn't know what makes a good rec letter and isn't open to feedback, then she is not the person to ask. You need familiarity combined with strong writing skills to truly communicate who you are as a student and person and stand out as an intriguing document on your behalf. While you may ask for your recommendation at the end of junior year or beginning of senior year, I would recommend starting even earlier in terms of preparing to request recommendation letters. Read on to find out how. Start early. Start Early in Planning Your Recommendation Letters College planning starts years ahead of actually applying to schools. In terms of the recommendation letters, it's a good idea to consider who you might ask at the beginning of junior year. If you usually don't participate much, push yourself to contribute more in class. If you know you're applying as an engineer, consider accepting your science teacher's invitation to join her Robotics Club or ask about designing your own independent project. The most important thing you can do is to push yourself to get to know your teachers and develop a connection with one or more of them. To some students, this comes naturally, while others prefer to work more independently. If you consider yourself the latter, then you might prefer to show your eagerness to learn and contribute with a supplemental project. Pushing yourself to participate more will come in handy when you reach college too, as many of your classes may expect debate and discussion. While you should ask your recommender at least a month before your deadline, many students choose to ask at the end of junior year. You'll still be fresh in the teacher's mind, plus it will show how motivated and proactive you are. You can also schedule meetings with your counselor to discuss your plans as they develop. You don't have to wait for her to call you down. Starting early will help you take an active and intentional stance throughout junior year, plus it will give you extra time in case your plans change or you need to ask a different recommender. Remember, if your teacher seems hesitant or overwhelmed with work, then it might be a good idea to ask someone else. To Sum Up... When deciding who to ask for a recommendation letter, you should think about whose class you did well in (grades, effort, etc), who knows you well, and who's an experienced and qualified writer of recommendation letters. Your counselor and general word-of-mouth can help fill you in on who's going to write a strong letter and who, unfortunately, might just phone it in. Avoid asking teachers in whose classes you showed little effort or interest, or with whom you barely spoke all year. The best letters are insightful and personal, so a teacher who feels like a total stranger probably won't be able to provide that, no matter how detailed your brag sheet is. Make an effort throughout high school, and especially junior year, to go above and beyond to connect with teachers in the classroom or in after school clubs and activities. The more they see you in different contexts working towards your goals and pursuing your interests, the more colorful and specific their letters can be. If you go into junior year with these goals in mind, as well as a strong idea of what your schools are looking for (whether it's strong academic potential or skills for a specific field of study), then you should have a clear sense of which people can best advocate for you with a sincere, inspired, and demonstrative letter of recommendation. What's Next? Before your teachers and counselors can upload their recommendations to the Common Application, you'll be asked about waiving your right to see your letters. Is it a good idea to sign this waiver? (Spoiler: yes). Read all about FERPA and why you should waive your right of access. Applying to college is a complex process that requires a lot of thought, energy, and planning. Now that you have a strong sense of who to ask for letters of recommendation, you can approach the rest of your application with the same awareness. Check out this article to learn more about how to build the most versatile college application. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 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:

Biography of Eva Perón, First Lady of Argentina

Biography of Eva Perà ³n, First Lady of Argentina Eva Perà ³n (May 7, 1919–July 26, 1952) was the wife of Argentine President Juan Perà ³n and the First Lady of Argentina. Fondly known as Evita, she played a major role in her husbands administration. She is widely remembered for her efforts to help the poor and for her role in helping women win the right to vote. Fast Facts: Eva Perà ³n Known For: As the First Lady of Argentina, Eva became a hero of women and the working class.Also Known As: Marà ­a Eva Duarte, EvitaBorn: May 7, 1919 in Los Toldos, ArgentinaParents: Juan Duarte and Juana IbargurenDied: July 26, 1952 in Buenos Aires, ArgentinaSpouse: Juan Perà ³n (m. 1945-1952) Early Life Maria Eva Duarte was born in Los Toldos, Argentina, on May 7, 1919, to Juan Duarte and Juana Ibarguren, an unmarried couple. The youngest of five children, Eva (as she came to be known) had three older sisters and one older brother. Juan Duarte worked as the estate manager of a large, successful farm, and the family lived in a house on the main street of their small town. However, Juana and the children shared Juan Duartes income with his first family, a wife and three daughters who lived in the nearby town of Chivilcoy. Not long after Evas birth, the central government, which had previously been run by wealthy and corrupt landowners, came under the control of the Radical Party, made up of middle-class citizens who favored reform. Juan Duarte, who had benefited greatly from his friendships with those landowners, soon found himself without a job. He returned to his hometown of Chivilcoy to join his other family. When he left, Juan turned his back on Juana and their five children. Eva was not yet a year old. Juana and her children were forced to leave their home and move into a tiny house near the railroad tracks, where Juana made a meager living from sewing clothes for the townspeople. Eva and her siblings had few friends; they were ostracized because their illegitimacy was considered scandalous. In 1926, when Eva was 6 years old, her father was killed in a car accident. Juana and the children traveled to Chivilcoy for his funeral and were treated as outcasts by Juans first family. Dreams of Being a Star Juana moved her family to a larger town, Junin, in 1930, to seek more opportunities for her children. The older siblings found jobs and Eva and her sister enrolled in school. As a teenager, young Eva became fascinated with the world of movies; in particular, she loved American movie stars. Eva made it her mission to one day leave her small town and life of poverty and move to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, to become a famous actress. Against her mothers wishes, Eva made the move to Buenos Aires in 1935 when she was only 15 years old. The actual details of her departure remain cloaked in mystery. In one version of the story, Eva traveled to the capital on a train with her mother, ostensibly to audition for a radio station. When Eva succeeded in finding a job in radio, her angry mother then returned to Junin without her. In the other version, Eva met a popular male singer in Junin and convinced him to take her with him to Buenos Aires. In either case, Evas move to Buenos Aires was permanent. She only returned to Junin for short visits to her family. Older brother Juan, who had already moved to the capital city, was charged with keeping an eye on his sister. Life in Buenos Aires Eva arrived in Buenos Aires at a time of great political change. The Radical Party had fallen out of power by 1935, replaced by a coalition of conservatives and wealthy landowners known as the Concordancia. This group removed reformists from government positions and gave jobs to their own friends and followers. Those who resisted or complained were often sent to prison. Poor people and the working class felt powerless against the wealthy minority. With few material possessions and little money, Eva found herself among the poor, but she never lost her determination to succeed. After her job at the radio station ended, she found work as an actress in a troupe that traveled to small towns throughout Argentina. Although she earned little, Eva made certain that she sent money to her mother and siblings. After gaining some acting experience on the road, Eva worked as a radio soap opera actress and even secured a few small film roles. In 1939, she and a business partner started their own business, the Company of the Theater of the Air, which produced radio soap operas and a series of biographies about famous women. By 1943, although she could not claim movie star status, 24-year-old Eva had become successful and fairly well-off. She lived in an apartment in an upscale neighborhood, having escaped the shame of her impoverished childhood. By sheer will and determination, Eva had made her adolescent dream something of a reality. Meeting Juan Perà ³n On January 15, 1944, a massive earthquake struck western Argentina, killing 6,000 people. Argentines across the country wanted to help their fellow countrymen. In Buenos Aires, the effort was led by 48-year-old Army Colonel Juan Domingo Perà ³n, the head of the nations labor department. Perà ³n asked Argentinas performers to use their fame to promote his cause. Actors, singers, and others (including Eva Duarte) walked the streets of Buenos Aires to collect money for earthquake victims. The fundraising effort culminated in a benefit held at a local stadium. There, on January 22, 1944, Eva met Colonel Juan Perà ³n. Perà ³n, a widower whose wife had died of cancer in 1938, was immediately drawn to her. The two became inseparable and very soon Eva proved herself Perà ³ns most ardent supporter. She used her position at the radio station to feature broadcasts that praised Perà ³n as a benevolent government figure. The Arrest of Juan Perà ³n Perà ³n enjoyed the support of many of the poor and those living in rural areas. Wealthy landowners, however, did not trust him and feared he wielded too much power. By 1945, Perà ³n had achieved the lofty positions of minister of war and vice president and was, in fact, more powerful than President Edelmiro Farrell. Several groups- including the Radical Party, the Communist Party, and conservative factions- opposed Perà ³n. They accused him of dictatorial behaviors, such as censorship of the media and brutality against university students during a peaceful demonstration. The final straw came when Perà ³n appointed a friend of Evas as secretary of communications, enraging those in government who believed Eva had become too involved in affairs of state. Perà ³n was forced by a group of army officers to resign on October 8, 1945, and taken into custody. President Farrell- under pressure from the military- ordered that Perà ³n be held on an island off the coast of Buenos Aires. Eva unsuccessfully appealed to a judge to have Perà ³n released. Perà ³n himself wrote a letter to the president demanding his release and the letter was leaked to newspapers. Members of the working class, Perà ³ns staunchest supporters, came together to protest Perà ³ns incarceration. On the morning of October 17, workers all over Buenos Aires refused to go to work. Shops, factories, and restaurants stayed closed, as employees took to the streets chanting Perà ³n! The protestors brought business to a grinding halt, forcing the government to release Perà ³n. Four days later, on October 21, 1945, 50-year-old Juan Perà ³n married 26-year-old Eva Duarte in a simple civil ceremony. President and First Lady Encouraged by the strong show of support, Perà ³n announced that he would run for president in the 1946 election. As the wife of a presidential candidate, Eva came under close scrutiny. Ashamed of her illegitimacy and childhood poverty, Eva was not always forthcoming with her answers when questioned by the press. Her secrecy contributed to her legacy: the white myth and the black myth of Eva Perà ³n. In the white myth, Eva was a saint-like, compassionate woman who helped the poor and disadvantaged. In the black myth, she was depicted as ruthless and ambitious, willing to do anything to advance her husbands career. Eva quit her radio job and joined her husband on the campaign trail. Perà ³n did not affiliate himself with a particular political party; instead, he formed a coalition of supporters from different parties, made up primarily of workers and union leaders. Perà ³n won the election and was sworn in on June 5, 1946. Evita Perà ³n inherited a country with a strong economy. Following World War II, many European nations, in dire financial circumstances, borrowed money from Argentina and some were forced to import wheat and beef from Argentina as well. Perà ³ns government profited from the arrangement, charging interest on the loans and fees on the exports from ranchers and farmers. Eva, who preferred to be called Evita (Little Eva) by the working class, embraced her role as the first lady. She installed members of her family in high government positions in areas such as the postal service, education, and customs. Eva visited workers and union leaders at factories, questioning them about their needs and inviting their suggestions. She also used these visits to give speeches in support of her husband. Eva Perà ³n saw herself as a dual persona; as Eva, she performed her ceremonial duties in the role of the first lady; as Evita, champion of the working class, she served her people face-to-face, working to fill their needs. She opened offices in the Ministry of Labor and sat at a desk, greeting working-class people in need of help. She used her position to get help for those who came in with urgent requests. If a mother could not find adequate medical care for her child, Eva saw to it that the child was taken care of. If a family lived in squalor, she arranged for better living quarters. European Tour Despite her good deeds, Eva Perà ³n had many critics. They accused her of overstepping boundaries and interfering in government affairs. This skepticism toward the first lady was reflected in negative reports about her in the press. In an effort to better control her image, Eva purchased her own newspaper, the Democracia. The newspaper gave heavy coverage to Eva, publishing favorable stories about her and printing glamorous photos of her attending galas. Newspaper sales soared. In June 1947, Eva traveled to Spain at the invitation of fascist dictator Francisco Franco. Argentina was the only nation that maintained a diplomatic relationship with Spain following World War II and had given financial aid to the struggling country. But Perà ³n would not consider making the trip, lest he be perceived as fascist; he did, however, allow his wife to go. It was Evas first trip on an airplane. Upon her arrival in Madrid, Eva was welcomed by more than three million people. After 15 days in Spain, Eva went on to tour Italy, Portugal, France, and Switzerland. After becoming well-known in Europe, Eva was also featured on the cover of Time magazine in July 1947. Perà ³n Is Reelected Perà ³ns policies became known as Perà ³nism, a system that promoted social justice and patriotism. The government took control of many businesses and industries, ostensibly to improve their production. Eva played a major role in helping to keep her husband in power. She spoke at large gatherings and on the radio, singing the praises of President Perà ³n and citing all of the things he had done to help the working class. Eva also rallied working women of Argentina after the Argentine Congress gave women the right to vote in 1947. She created the Perà ³nist Womens Party in 1949. The efforts of the newly formed party paid off for Perà ³n during the 1951 election. Nearly four million women voted for the first time, many for Perà ³n. But much had changed since Perà ³ns first election five years earlier. Perà ³n had become increasingly authoritarian, placing restrictions upon what the press could print, and firing- even imprisoning- those who opposed his policies. Foundation By early 1948, Eva was receiving thousands of letters a day from needy people requesting food, clothing, and other necessities. In order to manage so many requests, Eva knew she needed a more formalized organization. She created the Eva Perà ³n Foundation in July 1948 and acted as its sole leader and decision-maker. The foundation received donations from businesses, unions, and workers, but these donations were often coerced. People and organizations faced fines and even jail time if they did not contribute. Eva kept no written record of her expenditures, claiming that she was too busy giving the money away to the poor to stop and count it. Many people, having seen newspaper photos of Eva dressed in expensive dresses and jewels, suspected her of keeping some of the money for herself, but these charges could not be proven. Despite suspicions about Eva, the foundation did accomplish many important goals, awarding scholarships and building houses, schools, and hospitals. Death Eva worked tirelessly for her foundation and therefore was not surprised that she was feeling exhausted in early 1951. She also had aspirations to run for vice president alongside her husband in the upcoming November election. Eva attended a rally supporting her candidacy on August 22, 1951. The following day, she collapsed. For weeks thereafter, Eva suffered abdominal pain. She eventually agreed to exploratory surgery and was diagnosed with inoperable uterine cancer. Eva was forced to withdraw from the election. On election day in November, a ballot was brought to her hospital bed and Eva voted for the first time. Perà ³n won the election. Eva appeared only once more in public, very thin and obviously ill, at her husbands inaugural parade. Eva Perà ³n died on July 26, 1952, at the age of 33. Following the funeral, Juan Perà ³n had Evas body preserved and was planning to put it on display. However, Perà ³n was forced into exile when the army staged a coup in 1955. Amidst the chaos, Evas body disappeared. Not until 1970 was it learned that soldiers in the new government, fearing that Eva could remain a symbolic figure for the poor- even in death- had removed her body and buried her in Italy. Evas body was eventually returned and re-buried in her family’s crypt in Buenos Aires in 1976. Legacy Eva remains an enduring cultural icon in Argentina and Latin America, and in many places people still honor the anniversary of her death. Among some groups, she has attained an almost saint-like status. In 2012, her image was printed on 20 million Argentine 100-peso notes. Sources Barnes, John.  Evita First Lady: a Biography of Eva Perà ³n. Grove/Atlantic, 1996.Taylor, Julie. Eva Perà ³n: The Myths of a Woman. University of Chicago Press, 1996.