My Parents Were Members of a Cult †This is My Story :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Parents Were Members of a Cult – This is My Story There, in the far corner of the room, crouched a little girl. She had sad, brown eyes that were welling over with enormous tear drops. Whats wrong? I asked soothingly. Her only response was a sniffle as if she didn't hear. I couldn't reach her; I didn't know how. Frantically, I began screaming and yelling, waving my arms violently in the air. Why wouldn't she look at me? What was wrong with this child? My parents were divorced when I was only two. I was too young to realize what had happened. Their separation had little effect on me at the time, but I would later realize how much this had hurt me. I was left to live with my mother and my older sister. Within a few years, my mom met a man named Arthur. He was a musician. They began seeing a lot of each other and eventually decided to tie the knot. I dressed in pink with pig tails holding my golden locks back from my face. I looked like an angel, but behind this angelic face was pain and suffering that would eventually surface as a teenager. "This little piggy ran all the way home!," teased my new step-father as he tickled me. It didn't take long to warm up to this guy. Being so young, I don't think I realized that he wasn't my father. I was a kid, nothing affected me so when my mother stopped coming home at night, I didn't worry. Church became a regular routine at the Drummond household. Prayer in the morning, at night, chapters and chapters of the Bible, speaking in tongues, the Holy Spirit. These were things that we became accustomed to. I would hear my mother speaking in tongues. To me, it sounded like a foreign language. I could never understand what she was saying. It was almost scary to see my mother screaming these strange words, but I eventually got use to it. Day after day, I started seeing less and less of my mother. She and my stepfather devoted all of their time to the church. It was called "Christ Church in Action." Before long, we were packing our bags and heading to Smithfield. It was a place I had never heard of, but would later learn to love. We moved so that we could be closer to the church.

Locke and Hobbes Essay

How does the founders’ view of power affect the framers’ reactions to John Locke? According to Locke, how does man enter the political society and what is the purpose of that society? What obligations does the government have in the civil society? What obligation does the individual have? How do Hobbes and Locke differ? Do you think Americans would agree with Locke? You may read the first paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence to assist you. What evidence do you have to support your view? The founders believed that the power of government should be limited, so it doesn’t trample on peoples’ natural rights. The framers thus wrote in guarantees that the government could not usurp individual freedoms. Locke believed that citizens gave their consent to the government so that society would operate freely and safely. Government should ensure equal opportunity and protection of political and property rights. The individual is obligated to participate in the political process, but abide by the government’s rules. Hobbes is more pessimistic about how violent the state of nature would be and is therefore willing to give the government more power than Locke is. Yes, Americans seem happy that the government has power, but individuals retain rights as well. Unlike many countries, the United States has never had a revolt against its government in the last 200 years (The Civil War was something very different.)

Disorder Paper: Depression

In some points in our life, we feel a very deep sadness; feel lethargic and unable to deal with the everyday demands of our existence. However, after a few days of wallowing in sadness, self-pity and negative thoughts, human nature dictates that we recover from this episode and go back to our lives. But the truth is, some people do not recover and becomes enslaved with his/her sadness, uncertainty, depressive thoughts and feelings of uselessness and diminished zest for life that the person is said to be suffering from depression.Depression is a psychological disorder wherein the person’s depressed state is not in proportion to the event that caused the depressive feelings and when it continues past the point of which he/she is expected to recover. Depression is often caused by the stress of major life events like losing someone you love, failing in school or in one’s work, death, or terminal illnesses. Depression is characterized by four symptoms, this include emotional , cognitive, motivational and physical symptoms (Wood, Wood & Boyd, 2006).The most common emotional symptom when a person is depressed is the generalized feeling of sadness and dejection. The individual feels unhappy, hopeless and loses interest in life and previous daily activities. The cognitive symptoms are composed of negative thoughts wherein they have low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy and engage in self-blame when they think of their predicaments and failures.Motivation is very low during depression, the depressed person tend to be passive and difficulty in interacting with others or in participating in activities that require human contact and exchange of ideas. The physical symptoms of depression include the difficulty in sleeping, changes in appetite either an increase or decrease from the normal eating behavior, lethargy, low energy and complains of body aches.There is still help for depressed individuals, treatments like psychotherapy and drugs have helped people br eak away from their depression. Antidepressant drugs help to elevate the mood of depressed individuals. These drugs energize rather than tranquilize, apparently by increasing the availability of two neurotransmitters called norepinephrine and serotonin that are deficient in some cases of depression (Wood, Wood & Boyd, 2006). Antidepressant drugs act in different ways to increase the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine.Some drugs block certain enzymes from destroying the two neurotransmitters; others prevent the neurotransmitters from returning to its nerve terminals of origin. However, these drugs are more effective in treating depression caused by biological factors, and like any synthetic drug, there are serious side effects. The most common side effects include dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation and urinary retention, others experience severe drop in blood pressure, disruption in cardiac rhythm and rate and may be fatal when taken in excessive doses.A number of new antide pressants called serotonin reuptake inhibitors prolong the serotonin level in the body and have proved effective in treating depression with minimal side effects. Psychotherapy is another treatment method, wherein the depressed individual seeks help from a qualified and licensed therapist. The therapist establishes a helping relationship with the depressed client and may use a number of therapeutic approaches like psychoanalysis, behavior-modification, cognitive behavioral therapies and humanistic therapies (Wood, Wood & Boyd, 2006).The psychotherapeutic technique employed by the therapist would depend on his/her counseling orientation and the needs of the client. However, one that has gained prominence is cognitive behavioral therapy. This method use behavioral modification techniques and at the same time help people take control of their disturbing emotional reactions by teaching them more effective ways in interpreting and thinking about their experiences. Reference Wood, S., Wood, E. & Boyd, D. (2006).   Mastering the World of Psychology 2nd ed.   Boston: Pearson Education Inc.

ambush journalism essays

ambush journalism essays Ambush is the act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise. Journalism is the occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or broadcasting news. Ambush Journalism is commonly seen in American public affairs and tabloid programs. Ambush Journalism has been around for as long as we can remember and will continue to be around in the future. The question however is if Ambush Journalism is ethical or not. This is a very hard question to answer! First who decides what is ethical? That judgement is left in the hands of both journalist and the public. Some journalists use this technique to obtain the latest and hottest news the outcome can sometimes be damaging or viewed as unethical. Other journalists refuse to use this technique because they feel that it violates the basic journalistic standards of balance and fairness (Day, pg.136). The public on the other hand wants to know everyones private business so much that they sometimes do not care how it might affect the person or persons that the news is about. However if they were to be the subject of Ambush Journalism themselves they would most likely not like it at all. Is this subject a gray area? Yes it is a gray area because there is no set line or black and white answer of what is right or wrong. Take a murder trial for instance. If a murder trial is covered in one way that shows the emotions of the victims family in an interview, after a not guilty verdict is decided, then this could be viewed as unethical. This form of Ambush Journalism can be very rewarding and destructive at the same time. While getting the raw emotions of the family could be good, it could also be viewed as an invasion of the familys privacy as well as disrespectful. However if the same trial is covered so that the emotions of the victims family are not used to spur unreasoned answers then this form of journalism could be viewed a...

Ten Facts About the State of Missouri

Ten Facts About the State of Missouri Population: 5,988,927 (July 2010 estimate)Capital: Jefferson CityLand Area: 68,886 square miles (178,415 sq km)Bordering States: Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and IllinoisHighest Point: Taum Sauk Mountain at 1,772 feet (540 m)Lowest Point: St. Francis River at 230 feet (70 m) Missouri is one of the 50 states of the United States and it is located in the Midwestern portion of the country. Its capital is Jefferson City but its largest city is Kansas City. Other large cities include St. Louis and Springfield. Missouri is known for its mixture of large urban areas such as these as well as its rural areas and farming culture.The state has most recently been in the news however because of a large tornado that destroyed the town of Joplin and killed over 100 people on May 22, 2011. The tornado was classified as an EF-5 (the strongest rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale) and it is considered the most deadly tornado to hit the U.S. since 1950.The following is a list of ten geographic facts to know about the state of Missouri: Missouri has a long history of human settlement and archaeological evidence shows people living in the area since before 1000 C.E. The first Europeans to arrive in the region were French colonists descended from French colonists in Canada. In 1735 they founded Ste. Genevieve, the first European settlement west of the Mississippi River. The town quickly grew into an agricultural center and trade developed between it and surrounding regions.By the 1800s the French began arriving in the region of present-day Missouri from New Orleans and in 1812 they founded St. Louis as a fur trading center. This allowed St. Louis to grow quickly and become a financial center for the region. In addition in 1803 Missouri was a part of the Louisiana Purchase and it subsequently became the Missouri Territory.By 1821 the territory had grown considerably as more and more settlers began to enter the region from the Upper South. Many of them brought slaves with them and settled along the Missouri River. In 18 21 the Missouri Compromise admitted the territory into the Union as a slave state with its capital at St. Charles. In 1826 the capital was moved to Jefferson City. In 1861, the Southern states seceded from the Union but Missouri voted to remain within it but as the Civil War progressed it became divided on opinions regarding slavery and whether it should remain in the Union. The state did stay in the Union however despite a secession ordinance and its being recognized by the Confederacy in October 1861. The Civil War officially ended in 1865 and throughout the rest of the 1800s and into the early 1900s Missouris population continued to grow. In 1900 the states population was 3,106,665.Today, Missouri has a population of 6.114 Million (2017 estimate) and its two largest metropolitan areas are St. Louis and Kansas City. The 2010 population density of the state was 87.1 people per square mile (33.62 per square Kilometer). The main demographic ancestry groups of Missouri are German, Irish, English, American (people who report their ancestry as Native American or African American) and French. English is spoken by the majority of Missourians.Missouri has a diversified economy with major industries in aerospace, transportation equipment, foods, chemicals, printing, the manufacture of electrical equipment and beer production. In addition, agriculture still plays a large role in the states economy with major production of beef, soybeans, pork, dairy products, hay, corn, poultry, sorghum, cot ton, rice and eggs. Missouri is located in the mid-western United States and it shares borders with eight different states (  map). This is unique because no other U.S. state borders more than eight states.The topography of Missouri is varied. The northern parts have low rolling hills that are remnants of the  last glaciation, while there are many river bluffs along the major rivers of the state - the Mississippi, Missouri and Meramec Rivers. Southern Missouri is mostly mountainous due to the Ozark Plateau, while the southeastern part of the state is low and flat because it is part of the Mississippi Rivers alluvial plain. The highest point in Missouri is Taum Sauk Mountain at 1,772 feet (540 m), while the lowest is the St. Francis River at 230 feet (70 m).The  climate of Missouri is humid continental and as such it has cold winters and hot, humid summers. Its largest city, Kansas City, has a January average low temperature of 23ËšF (-5ËšC) and a July average high of 90.5ËšF (32.5ËšC). Uns table weather and tornadoes are common in Missouri in the spring. In 2010 the U.S. Census found that Missouri was home to the  mean population center of the U.S. near the town of Plato. To learn more about Missouri, visit the states official website.ReferencesInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Missouri: History, Geography, Population, and State Facts - Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0108234.htmlWikipedia.org. (28 May 2011). Missouri- Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri

Prevention against African American Male Drop outs in high school Research Paper

Prevention against African American Male Drop outs in high school - Research Paper Example Education, therefore, remains an important tool by which many persons become empowered and the social, economic and private well-being of the people in particular country increases. A high rate of drop-outs in a country decreases the number of qualified citizens from varied backgrounds who eventually enter the political and professional ranks that make significant public policy decisions. Educating students and equipping them to become responsible, knowledgeable, socially skilled and contributing citizens should be a mission for every school. The fact that very many students never complete their high school studies has a deep and a broad impact on the long-term economic goals of U.S. The education department in U.S, the NCES (National Center for education statistics) states that the central income of people of ages eighteen to sixty-seven who had not finished high school was estimated around twenty-five thousand in 2009. Currently, a significant section of the same population is beli eved to remain in poverty while a global scale of competitiveness of the American struggle lags behind.A certain percentage of the number of students enrolled in private or public high schools in a particular year demonstrate this. For example, four percent of the total number of students enrolled in high school both in public and private school in the year 2008 left school before their second year was completed. An equivalent number of students drop out of school before the completion of their high school course.... There was not a significant difference on the year 2009 event for the rates of drop outs for both females and males. With respect to age, twenty to twenty four years aged students are more affected than the fifteen to seventeen aged students. A big question lies on the event of school drop outs with respect to why a greater percentage is made for the African American students. Although dropping out from school has been a disaster which strikes many students indiscriminatevely, the African American students are found to be greatly absorbed in the ruin. This poses a question which seeks to find out WHY or to determine the reasons behind this issue of school drop outs. This document is meant to determine the problems associated with school drop outs with respect to the African American boy child. The African American boys are greatly affected with this event since they are found to be the most affected with dropping out of school. According to researches, there are some associated reaso ns behind the problem of dropping out from school in America. This has been determined by carrying out many researches relevant to the problem. The research has been conducted through the use of certain qualitative and quantitative research methods. On the quantitative analysis, the paper describes the expected number of school drop outs in America. This includes carrying out an estimated or actual numbers of the school dropouts with respect to the race, color and age. As it has been depicted earlier, there are some varied percentages of the students who drop out of school in America. This has been analyzed with accordance to race and age. Broken down by race, the rates of the estimated event drop outs were recorded

Texas Is the First State To Approve Modified Test Essay

Texas Is the First State To Approve Modified Test - Essay Example According to Zyskowski and O’Malley (2009), TAKS vertical scale allows scores to be compared across grade levels for a subject.   In this manner, it is very much useful for tracking a student's progress in performance across years, at the same time, its performance standards (i.e. Met Standard and Commended) can be numerically compared across grade levels (Zyskowski and O'Malley, 2009). Texas created the so-called vertical scale per Section 39.036 of Senate Bill 1031, which required TEA to develop a vertical scale for assessing student performance on the TAKS assessments (Zyskowski and O'Malley, 2009; TEA, 2009). On the other hand, the Texas projection measure (TPM) is a multi-level regression-based projection model that is applied to TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), and linguistically accommodated versions of TAKS. Furthermore, it projects student performance separately for each subject in the next high-stakes grade (defined by the Texas legislation as grades 5, 8, and 11) (Zyskowski and O'Malley, 2009, p. 25). The figure below illustrates the TPM: (taken from Zyskowski and O'Malley, 2009, p. 26. According to the stipulations in the Texas Education Agency's Accountability System for 2009 and Beyond - Standard Procedures (Commissioner of Education Final Decisions April 2009), the following quotations revealed the determination of the accountability rating for 2009: Standards for 2009 were published in the 2008 Accountability Manual and adopted as commissioner rule to provide districts and campuses with advance notice before the 2008-09 school year began.The 2009 Academically Acceptable standards are 70% for reading/ ELA, writing, and social studies; 55% for mathematics; and 50% for science. These standards represent increases of five percentage points to the Academically Acceptable standards for four of the five subjects (writing, social studies, mathematics, and science.)The 2009 Recognized standard of 75%, which applies to all subjects, is unchanged from the prior year. (p. 2) Still according to the Texas Education Agency's Accountability System for 2009 and Beyond - Standard Procedures, the following are quoted statements regarding the changes in accountability rating for 2010: Standards for 2010 will be published in the 2009 Accountability Manual and adopted as commissioner rule before the 2009-10 school year begins.The 2010 Recognized standard will increase by five percentage points to 80% as previously planned.The 2010 Academically Acceptable standards will increase by five percentage points for both mathematics and science to 60% and 55%, respectively.The reading/ELA, writing, and social studies standards will remain