How To Get Merit Scholarships and Honors at State Schools

How To Get Merit Scholarships and Honors at State Schools SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Don't get lost in the crowd. Do you want to stay close to home for college, but don’t want to get lost in the crowd of a large state school? Or do you want to know how to make the most of your experience at large university? It’s possible to get a selective, small college experience at a large university, through programs like honors colleges and merit scholarships. But how can you find these programs, and how can you ensure you'll be considered for merit scholarships and honors colleges? We will give you the info you need to make sure you don’t miss out on opportunities near you. Think Beyond the "Safety School" Many people don’t stress out about applying to their local state schools because they have application deadlines later in the year – sometimes as late as May or June. In some cases, since students consider state schools their â€Å"safety schools† where admission is all but guaranteed, they don’t put as much effort into their state school applications. However, many of the deadlines for honors colleges and merit scholarships at large universities are much earlier – sometimes as early as October of your senior year. And some of these programs and scholarships have special applications. If you’re not aware of deadlines before senior year starts, it’s easy to miss out on scholarships and other programs that can really enrich your college experience. Many of these programs are as competitive as getting into selective colleges, so it’s also important to put together a competitive application. In short, you should treat these applications like you’re applying to a selective school. So how do you find these programs, and how can you make sure you’re competitive? We will answer those questions here. Why Apply for Special Programs? By special programs, we mean merit scholarships, honors programs or honors colleges, or any programs that require extra or early applications. We will focus on merit scholarships and honors colleges in this post, since they are the most common special programs at larger universities, but make sure to check out the website of any school you’re interested in and see what extra options they have for undergraduates. So why apply to these programs? There are three main reasons. Make College Cheaper College is expensive. Even if you stay in state, tuition, room, board, textbooks, and other fees can add up quickly. You should definitely apply for need-based financial aid if you need it, but getting a merit scholarship can often fill in where financial aid falls short. Many merit scholarships cover half or all of tuition. Some even cover room and board as well. Also, many honors colleges offer their students opportunities for research or study abroad funding. This can help finance experiences that can otherwise be expensive or otherwise unattainable. It's hard to turn down money, especially when it can help you get a college education. Get a Small-School Experience Going to large university is great because of all the resources and classes available to you, but it’s easy to feel lost in the crowd, especially as a freshman. Being a part of a smaller program or merit scholarship cohort can give you a small-school experience within a larger university. These programs often have special advising or mentor systems that can also help you acclimate to college life. Many have special housing options that will allow you to get to know other people in your program easily. This can make it easy to build a community, even as a freshman. Distinguish Yourself for Jobs Although this seems really far away, graduating with honors or having a merit scholarship can really set you apart when it comes time to apply for jobs and/or graduate programs during your senior year of college. You can take steps now to give yourself a huge leg up when it’s time to enter the â€Å"real world.† So how do you get merit scholarships? How do you get into honors colleges? We will explain how to find these programs and how to apply. Merit Scholarships: How To Apply Unlike financial aid, merit scholarships are given based on student achievement – your test scores, GPA, and the overall strength of your application. The amount of a merit scholarship can vary widely – anything from a $1,000 stipend to full tuition, room, and board. To be considered for merit scholarships, you often have to meet an earlier deadline or submit an additional application. For example, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,you have to apply by the early action deadline of October 15 to be considered for the Pogue Scholarship (which covers tuition, room, and board). Additionally, there is another separate application for the Robertson scholarship (which covers tuition, room, board, fees, and expenses for up to three summer experiences), which you have to complete by November 15th to ensure you will be considered for it. To look at another example, University of Colorado, Boulder has a separate scholarship application that requires, at a minimum, an extra essay, but could also require extra letters of recommendation and eligibility materials based on which scholarships you apply to. The window to apply is December through March, with a deadline of February 15th for the presidential scholarship. For more on merit scholarships, including some with automatic funding based on test scores, see our article. Also note that some of those have earlier deadlines as well. How to Research Merit Scholarships For any state schools you are applying to, search to see if they have a merit scholarship program, and take note of any extra application materials or earlier deadlines. (We will give you a table at the end of this post you can use to organize dates and deadlines.) For example, to find the University of Colorado Boulder scholarships, I searched â€Å"University of Colorado Boulder Merit Scholarships.† I clicked on the third result and was able to read about individual scholarships, and also find the page about the general scholarship application. Read more on UC Boulder's Scholarships here. Honors Colleges and Honors Programs: How To Apply Many larger universities have smaller honors programs or honors colleges within them, to give a smaller college experience within a larger university. Honors colleges often have special classes, housing, and sometimes even funding opportunities for research or study abroad. For example, the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University offers special classes, exclusive study abroad opportunities, and research placements. Furthermore, this program offers special housing, and that housing is guaranteed housing for four years. This isn’t always the case at large universities! But to get these benefits you have to put in more work. Honors colleges are usually much more competitive than general university admission, and often require extra application components. They typically have much earlier deadlines than general University admission, as well. For example, the Schreyer Honors College has a separate application other than the general Penn State application. They recommend completing your application by November 30, with a firm deadline of January 15, to be considered for the program. (The regular university application isn’t due until January 31.) Next Steps For any large universities you are applying to, search to see if they have an honors college or honors program, and take note of earlier deadlines or application materials. To find honors programs, search â€Å"[Name of College/University] Honors College† or â€Å"[Name of College/University] Honors Program.† I found the honors college at Penn State by doing the following search: Just entering in that search time brought up Schreyer’s main website, as well as links to admission and aid on the first page. If you can’t find information on an honors college or honors program through searching, you can contact the admissions office via phone or email and ask if they have any honors programs. How To Put Together a Competitive Application Finding these programs is one thing. How can you make sure you are a competitive applicant when you apply to honors colleges and merit scholarships? Maximize Your ACT/SAT Score For many merit scholarships and honors programs, the standardized score ranges are much higher than general university admission. This means that having a high SAT or ACT score will help you get into honors programs and win scholarships – and in some cases, you need a minimum score. For example, at the University of Nebraska, an ACT score of at least 20, or an SAT score of at least 950 (Math and Critical Reading) are the benchmarks given for admission. But you can be considered for the Honors Program if you have either an ACT composite score of 30 or an SAT of 1300 (Math and Critical Reading). Notice the large difference between regular admission and honors admission score benchmarks. It’s important to choose either the SAT or ACT and to study so you can get the best possible score. Don’t split your time between the two tests. It’s likely that you will do better on one that the other, so you should spend all of your time preparing for that test. (If you need help deciding between the SAT and ACT, see our post.) Also, make sure you give yourself enough time to study. We recommend at least five weeks, but the longer, the better! The more time you can put in, the better your score outcome will be. Take the Most Challenging Classes Possible Another important factor in making your application competitive is having an impressive transcript and GPA. However, a high GPA alone does not mean much – it’s important you have also been challenging yourself with hard courses. Whether that means taking IB, AP, or honors, find the hardest classes at your school and take them. Be careful not to overload your schedule with tons of AP and IB classes and burn yourself out. Prioritize taking tough classes in subjects you are passionate about. And finally, don’t blow off senior year. Colleges will see your senior year schedule when you apply, so it’s important to keep up your momentum and take a challenging senior year schedule. Obviously you need to leave room for college applications, but don’t slack off and take three free periods. Get Involved with Activities and the Community Having a competitive college application isn’t just getting good grades and high test scores. You also need to get involved in your community in some way. Whether that’s joining clubs or sports at your high school, doing service work, or being involved in a local youth group, find something you are passionate about and get involved. And remember to emphasize breadth over depth. It’s much better to be very involved in two clubs than to join ten clubs but barely show up. Aim for leadership positions and awards wherever possible. Don't treat extracurriculars like a list to be checked off. The goal isn't to have the longest list of clubs. Choose a few things that are important to you and get really involved! When it comes time to apply, list your extracurricular involvements in order of the time spent on them. And remember to emphasize leadership positions, awards, or other recognitions you have earned for each activity. Don’t Ignore the Essay(s) A final, crucial component of your application will be the essay. Many honors programs or merit scholarships have a separate essay – or essays! – to write. Sometimes they will give you a specific prompt, or other times they will want to learn more about you and give an open-ended prompt. For example, the Schreyer Honors College has three additional essays, with new prompts every year. The University of Michigan has a list of topics to choose from. So while the prompt and length of the essay or essays can vary from program to program, and the prompts can even be quite playful, it’s very important not to wait until the last minute to write your essays. The essay will be the main opportunity for you to share your personality, passions, and intellectual interests. If you’re aiming to get into an honors college or get a merit scholarship, having a strong essay will be crucial. To write the best essay possible, start early – at least a month before the deadline. Write a draft, and then take time to edit it so it’s true to your own voice. You can also have friends or teachers look over it to see if they think it sounds like you – just make sure it is 100% your own work. Get Good Recommendation Letters Although not all universities require letters of recommendation for admission, most honors programs and merit scholarships will require at least one, but more likely two. When asking teachers for recommendations, try to find teachers who have taught you recently – junior year is ideal – and can give specific praise about your academic abilities. Sometimes, giving the teacher a sample of work you did in their class to jog their memory or give them something to refer to in the letter can be helpful. Also, try to get your letters from teachers in different subjects. Being an impressive student in both science and English is more impressive than getting rave reviews from two English teachers. Final Touches on Your Application Make sure to report any strong SAT Subject Test, AP, or IB test scores you have. Even if they are not required anywhere on the application, including these scores can give the admissions committee more information on your academic abilities and achievements. This also goes for any academic awards like National Merit or being on the honor roll. If you know someone – like a coach, boss, youth group leader, or mentor – who could write an additional letter of recommendation, it’s worth asking for one. Often, people who know you outside of school can give more information about your work ethic, abilities, and passions than your teachers can. Don’t feel pressured to submit an extra letter if you don’t have someone like this, but if you know someone will write you a strong letter, strongly consider asking them. The Bottom Line Being part of an honors program and/or getting a merit scholarship can really enrich your college experience and make you a more competitive job or graduate school applicant. For any university you’re applying to, check to see if they have any honors programs or merit scholarships. To get into these programs you have to be aware of earlier deadlines and extra applications. You can use a table like the one below to organize your list of prospective colleges. Name of College/ University Regular Application Deadline Honors Program? (Yes/No) Honors Program Deadline Merit Scholarships? (Yes/No) Merit Scholarship Deadline And finally, you should aim to submit the best application possible. Treat these opportunities like you are applying to selective schools – write the best possible essays, get great letters of recommendation, and maximize your scores. If you do this, you can get a selective college experience close to home. What’s Next? Want to aim for a perfect SAT score, or quite close? See our guide to getting a 1600 by our full scorer. Speaking of maximizing your scores, learn how to improve a low SAT math score, or if you’re taking the ACT, get math tips from our full scorer. Need some tips for your college essays? Learn what not to do. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: How To Get Merit Scholarships and Honors at State Schools SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Don't get lost in the crowd. Do you want to stay close to home for college, but don’t want to get lost in the crowd of a large state school? Or do you want to know how to make the most of your experience at large university? It’s possible to get a selective, small college experience at a large university, through programs like honors colleges and merit scholarships. But how can you find these programs, and how can you ensure you'll be considered for merit scholarships and honors colleges? We will give you the info you need to make sure you don’t miss out on opportunities near you. DUMMY CTA 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: Think Beyond the "Safety School" Many people don’t stress out about applying to their local state schools because they have application deadlines later in the year – sometimes as late as May or June. In some cases, since students consider state schools their â€Å"safety schools† where admission is all but guaranteed, they don’t put as much effort into their state school applications. However, many of the deadlines for honors colleges and merit scholarships at large universities are much earlier – sometimes as early as October of your senior year. And some of these programs and scholarships have special applications. If you’re not aware of deadlines before senior year starts, it’s easy to miss out on scholarships and other programs that can really enrich your college experience. Many of these programs are as competitive as getting into selective colleges, so it’s also important to put together a competitive application. In short, you should treat these applications like you’re applying to a selective school. So how do you find these programs, and how can you make sure you’re competitive? We will answer those questions here. Why Apply for Special Programs? By special programs, we mean merit scholarships, honors programs or honors colleges, or any programs that require extra or early applications. We will focus on merit scholarships and honors colleges in this post, since they are the most common special programs at larger universities, but make sure to check out the website of any school you’re interested in and see what extra options they have for undergraduates. So why apply to these programs? There are three main reasons. Make College Cheaper College is expensive. Even if you stay in state, tuition, room, board, textbooks, and other fees can add up quickly. You should definitely apply for need-based financial aid if you need it, but getting a merit scholarship can often fill in where financial aid falls short. Many merit scholarships cover half or all of tuition. Some even cover room and board as well. Also, many honors colleges offer their students opportunities for research or study abroad funding. This can help finance experiences that can otherwise be expensive or otherwise unattainable. It's hard to turn down money, especially when it can help you get a college education. Get a Small-School Experience Going to large university is great because of all the resources and classes available to you, but it’s easy to feel lost in the crowd, especially as a freshman. Being a part of a smaller program or merit scholarship cohort can give you a small-school experience within a larger university. These programs often have special advising or mentor systems that can also help you acclimate to college life. Many have special housing options that will allow you to get to know other people in your program easily. This can make it easy to build a community, even as a freshman. DUMMY CTA 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: Distinguish Yourself for Jobs Although this seems really far away, graduating with honors or having a merit scholarship can really set you apart when it comes time to apply for jobs and/or graduate programs during your senior year of college. You can take steps now to give yourself a huge leg up when it’s time to enter the â€Å"real world.† So how do you get merit scholarships? How do you get into honors colleges? We will explain how to find these programs and how to apply. DUMMY CTA 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: Merit Scholarships: How To Apply Unlike financial aid, merit scholarships are given based on student achievement – your test scores, GPA, and the overall strength of your application. The amount of a merit scholarship can vary widely – anything from a $1,000 stipend to full tuition, room, and board. To be considered for merit scholarships, you often have to meet an earlier deadline or submit an additional application. For example, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,you have to apply by the early action deadline of October 15 to be considered for the Pogue Scholarship (which covers tuition, room, and board). Additionally, there is another separate application for the Robertson scholarship (which covers tuition, room, board, fees, and expenses for up to three summer experiences), which you have to complete by November 15th to ensure you will be considered for it. To look at another example, University of Colorado Boulder has a separate scholarship application that requires, at a minimum, an extra essay, but could also require extra letters of recommendation and eligibility materials based on which scholarships you apply to. The window to apply is December through March, with a deadline of February 15th for the presidential scholarship. For more on merit scholarships, including some with automatic funding based on test scores, see our article. Also note that some of those have earlier deadlines as well. How to Research Merit Scholarships For any state schools you are applying to, search to see if they have a merit scholarship program, and take note of any extra application materials or earlier deadlines. (We will give you a table at the end of this post you can use to organize dates and deadlines.) For example, to find the University of Colorado Boulder scholarships, I searched â€Å"University of Colorado Boulder Merit Scholarships.† I clicked on the third result and was able to read about individual scholarships, and also find the page about the general scholarship application. Read more on UC Boulder's Scholarships here. Honors Colleges and Honors Programs: How To Apply Many larger universities have smaller honors programs or honors colleges within them, to give a smaller college experience within a larger university. Honors colleges often have special classes, housing, and sometimes even funding opportunities for research or study abroad. For example, the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University offers special classes, exclusive study abroad opportunities, and research placements. Furthermore, this program offers special housing, and that housing is guaranteed housing for four years. This isn’t always the case at large universities! But to get these benefits you have to put in more work. Honors colleges are usually much more competitive than general university admission, and often require extra application components. They typically have much earlier deadlines than general University admission, as well. For example, the Schreyer Honors College has a separate application other than the general Penn State application. They recommend completing your application by November 30, with a firm deadline of January 15, to be considered for the program. (The regular university application isn’t due until January 31.) Next Steps DUMMY CTA 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: For any large universities you are applying to, search to see if they have an honors college or honors program, and take note of earlier deadlines or application materials. To find honors programs, search â€Å"[Name of College/University] Honors College† or â€Å"[Name of College/University] Honors Program.† I found the honors college at Penn State by doing the following search: Just entering in that search time brought up Schreyer’s main website, as well as links to admission and aid on the first page. If you can’t find information on an honors college or honors program through searching, you can contact the admissions office via phone or email and ask if they have any honors programs. How To Put Together a Competitive Application Finding these programs is one thing. How can you make sure you are a competitive applicant when you apply to honors colleges and merit scholarships? Maximize your ACT/SAT Score For many merit scholarships and honors programs, the standardized score ranges are much higher than general university admission. This means that having a high SAT or ACT score will help you get into honors programs and win scholarships – and in some cases, you need a minimum score. For example, at the University of Nebraska, an ACT score of at least 20, or an SAT score of at least 950 (Math and Critical Reading) are the benchmarks given for admission. But you can be considered for the Honors Program if you have either an ACT composite score of 30 or an SAT of 1300 (Math and Critical Reading). Notice the large difference between regular admission and honors admission score benchmarks. It’s important to choose either the SAT or ACT and to study so you can get the best possible score. Don’t split your time between the two tests. It’s likely that you will do better on one that the other, so you should spend all of your time preparing for that test. (If you need help deciding between the SAT and ACT, see our post.) Also, make sure you give yourself enough time to study. We recommend at least five weeks, but the longer, the better! The more time you can put in, the better your score outcome will be. Take the Most Challenging Classes Possible Another important factor in making your application competitive is having an impressive transcript and GPA. However, a high GPA alone does not mean much – it’s important you have also been challenging yourself with hard courses. Whether that means taking IB, AP, or honors, find the hardest classes at your school and take them. Be careful not to overload your schedule with tons of AP and IB classes and burn yourself out. Prioritize taking tough classes in subjects you are passionate about. And finally, don’t blow off senior year. Colleges will see your senior year schedule when you apply, so it’s important to keep up your momentum and take a challenging senior year schedule. Obviously you need to leave room for college applications, but don’t slack off and take three free periods. Get Involved with Activities and the Community Having a competitive college application isn’t just getting good grades and high test scores. You also need to get involved in your community in some way. Whether that’s joining clubs or sports at your high school, doing service work, or being involved in a local youth group, find something you are passionate about and get involved. And remember to emphasize breadth over depth. It’s much better to be very involved in two clubs than to join ten clubs but barely show up. Aim for leadership positions and awards wherever possible. Don't treat extracurriculars like a list to be checked off. The goal isn't to have the longest list of clubs. Choose a few things that are important to you and get really involved! When it comes time to apply, list your extracurricular involvements in order of the time spent on them. And remember to emphasize leadership positions, awards, or other recognitions you have earned for each activity. DUMMY CTA 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: Don’t Ignore the Essay(s) A final, crucial component of your application will be the essay. Many honors programs or merit scholarships have a separate essay – or essays! – to write. Sometimes they will give you a specific prompt, or other times they will want to learn more about you and give an open-ended prompt. For example, the Schreyer Honors College has three additional essays, including the prompt, â€Å"You are required to spend the next year of your life either in the past or the future. What year would you travel to and why?† The University of Michigan has a list of topics to choose from, including â€Å"Tell us about a great recipe† and â€Å"Discuss the concept of ‘random.’† So while the prompt and length of the essay or essays can vary from program to program, and the prompts can even be quite playful, it’s very important not to wait until the last minute to write your essays. The essay will be the main opportunity for you to share your personality, passions, and intellectual interests. If you’re aiming to get into an honors college or get a merit scholarship, having a strong essay will be crucial. To write the best essay possible, start early – at least a month before the deadline. Write a draft, and then take time to edit it so it’s true to your own voice. You can also have friends or teachers look over it to see if they think it sounds like you – just make sure it is 100% your own work. Get Good Recommendation Letters Although not all universities require letters of recommendation for admission, most honors programs and merit scholarships will require at least one, but more likely two. When asking teachers for recommendations, try to find teachers who have taught you recently – junior year is ideal – and can give specific praise about your academic abilities. Sometimes, giving the teacher a sample of work you did in their class to jog their memory or give them something to refer to in the letter can be helpful. Also, try to get your letters from teachers in different subjects. Being an impressive student in both science and English is more impressive than getting rave reviews from two English teachers. Final Touches on Your Application Make sure to report any strong SAT Subject Test, AP, or IB test scores you have. Even if they are not required anywhere on the application, including these scores can give the admissions committee more information on your academic abilities and achievements. This also goes for any academic awards like National Merit or being on the honor roll. If you know someone – like a coach, boss, youth group leader, or mentor – who could write an additional letter of recommendation, it’s worth asking for one. Often, people who know you outside of school can give more information about your work ethic, abilities, and passions than your teachers can. Don’t feel pressured to submit an extra letter if you don’t have someone like this, but if you know someone will write you a strong letter, strongly consider asking them. DUMMY CTA 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: The Bottom Line Being part of an honors program and/or getting a merit scholarship can really enrich your college experience and make you a more competitive job or graduate school applicant. For any university you’re applying to, check to see if they have any honors programs or merit scholarships. To get into these programs you have to be aware of earlier deadlines and extra applications. You can use a table like the one below to organize your list of prospective colleges. Name of College/ University Regular Application Deadline Honors Program? (Yes/No) Honors Program Deadline Merit Scholarships? (Yes/No) Merit Scholarship Deadline And finally, you should aim to submit the best application possible. Treat these opportunities like you are applying to selective schools – write the best possible essays, get great letters of recommendation, and maximize your scores. If you do this, you can get a selective college experience close to home. What’s Next? Want to aim for a perfect SAT score, or quite close? See our guide to getting a 2400 by our full scorer. Speaking of maximizing your scores, learn how to improve a low SAT math score, or if you’re taking the ACT, get math tips from our full scorer. Need some tips for your college essays? Learn what not to do. 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:

Section 2 of principles of corporate social responsibility Essay

Section 2 of principles of corporate social responsibility - Essay Example ocial responsibility can be defined as continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large (Baker). As a person that values the benefits that businesses bring to our community I am motivated by companies that do the right thing. I once worked in a company that was very involved in the community. Employees were encouraged to participate in community service. The firm would provide economic incentives for people that wanted to get involved in the community. Employees were eligible to get paid their normal day salary for doing community service once a month. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model help me understand the things that motivated people and me. When I worked in a homeless shelter I realized the importance of first order need of physiological. These poor people were very motivated when they received a meal from the shelter. The third need in Maslow’s pyramid is social. When I was working for a Saudi Airline I was motivated by my manager due to the fact that we talked about different things with each other. Corporate social responsibility is a strategy that must be implemented in order to comply with the expectation of the customers. Back in the 1990’s the apparel giant Nike Corporation got involved in some bad business practices. The firm established several sweetshops in developing countries. A sweetshop can be defined as a business establishment that makes its employees work under harsh and hazardous conditions and pays only minimal wages that are barely enough for the employee to meet its physiological needs (Businessdictionary, 2010). When the scandal was reveal to the general public Nike took a big hit. The firm lost millions of dollars in revenue due to the bad press it received in the aftermath. Despite the rotten apples that exist in the corporate world there are many companies that

Product and Place with Nutritional Supplements Assignment

Product and Place with Nutritional Supplements - Assignment Example Product and Place with Nutritional Supplements Introduction Product, place (distribution), promotion and price are the four most important marketing considerations. According to Nevin, the nature of a product and how it appeals to customers determine its marketability. The distribution of the product in the market can be done selectively, exclusively or over a large area depending on the choice of the producer. The sale of the product is also influenced by its price and consumers probably go in for cheaper products. Moreover, customers tend to be attracted by marketers who give them appropriate promotions (Nevin, 2002). 1.) An Overview of Distribution Channels A distribution channel can be defined as a pathway through which goods and services move from the producer to the consumer (Frazier & Summers, 2000). It involves all the institutions through which goods and services must pass from the point of their production to the point of their consumption (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius, 2011). Lyndon and Sally argue that any meaningful definition of a distribution channel should include the flow of payments (generated from the sale of goods and products) from the consumer to the producer (Lyndon & Sally, 1998). Thus as Nevin notes, a distribution channel is an element of marketing mix that is effected through two directions: from the producer to the consumer and from the consumer to the producer (Nevin, 2002). 1. A) Channel Levels: Direct versus Indirect Distribution A distribution channel is effected at two levels: the direct and indirect distribution channels (Frazier & Summers, 2000). In a direct distribution channel, the producer delivers goods and services to the consumer without using intermediaries or middlemen (Nevin, 2002). Thus the producer sells goods and services directly to the consumer. On the other hand, in an indirect distribution channel, the producer delivers goods and services to the consumer through the assistance of intermediaries (Nevin, 2002). Thus in this case, producers use a third party in selling their products in the market. Examples of intermediaries include wholesalers, agents and retailers among others (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius, 2011). Using intermediaries normally results in greater sales than selling directly from the point of production to that of consumption (Lyndon & Sally, 1998). 1. B) Channel Organizations: Conventional, Vertical, Horizontal and Multichannel Marketing Systems There are four main forms of marketing systems along which most distribution channels are organized. Firstly, we have a conventional marketing system which involves one or more producers, wholesalers and retailers acting independently and separately in efforts to maximize their own gains (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius, 2011). Secondly, we have a vertical marketing system in which producers, wholesalers and retailers function as a unified unit. Here, one of the channel members acts as the owner of all the others and exercises power over them ( Frazier & Summers, 2000). Thirdly, there exist horizontal marketing systems in which two or more business companies at the same level combine their financial and marketing resources in pursuit of marketing opportunities (Lyndon & Sally, 1998). Finally, we have a multichannel marketing system where the producer uses two or more marketing channels in distributing goods and services (Nevin, 2002). 2.) Analyze your target market's needs Customers in different target

The Taming of the Shrew Essay Example for Free

The Taming of the Shrew Essay Act IV begins by starting the taming process. Petruchio leaves Katherine outside the house in the rain and cold while he sits down pretending he has forgotten about her until she starts to knock on the door repeatedly. The next few days in Petruchios household are the continuation of the taming process by keeping Katherine from eating or sleeping, pretending that he loves her so much he cannot allow her to eat his inferior food or sleep in his poorly made bed. Tis burnt, and so is all the meat. While studying the Taming of The Shrew I have watched two film productions, read the book, and also viewed a production at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, this has allowed me to gain lots of viewpoints about the play and how they all complement each other. I enjoyed Act IV the most for many reasons. There is lots of action and more violence than the other acts, which makes it stand out. There are also a lot of subtle lines and going ons that make you think hard about the actions and how they are contributing to the whole play. At the beginning of the Act Petruchio constantly verbally and physically abuses the servants in front of Katherine to show off and prove he has power, she tries to stick up for them and protect them but Petruchio does not allow this. I believe that this livens up the play as the taming process has begun. Petruchio was striking and shouting at the servants for a purpose, directed at Kate, as she tries to protect them she realises that she has stopped thinking only about herself and begins to feel for the others. Another amusing aspect of the Act was when Lucentio needed a father so that his marriage can go through. He came across an old man and told him a story of how their two towns hated each other and if someone found out about him, he would be killed. It was risky but also a bit stupid of the man to accept. In this Act but there is one scene that is especially comical. Petruchio continuing the taming process begins to tease Katherine with new clothes. He introduces a tailor and a haberdasher who both present the most stylish of clothing, which Katherine loves immediately, however Petruchio realising this, disapproves of everything saying it is not fit for her and is poorly made. He starts ruining the clothes and ordering the men to leave. Katherine however picks up a hat and puts it on and she wants it so much, All gentle women on the streets wear such a beautiful piece of clothing However immediately Petruchio replies When you are gentle, you shall have one too, and not till then. This is obvious without any subtlety. It hits you in the face and points out to Katherine what Petruchio is trying to do. However amongst all the humour and action surrounding the Act at the moment there comes a point in the Act where all of this seems to disappear. All of scene IV is rather lifeless and fails to entertain the audience as previous scenes had. It becomes more serious and I think rather loses the attention of the audience and distracts their attention away from the play.

Skyscrapers Essay -- essays research papers

skyscraper architecture "http://www.coshe.com/search/" The architectural design of the 20th century skyscrapers has been redefined due to the advancement of our modern technology. Benny Louie Humanity 450 Dr. Maureen Schmid 17 May 1999 The architectural design of the 20th century skyscrapers has been redefined due to the advancement of our modern technology. In our modern society, the architectural design of skyscrapers is changing the downtown landscape of metropolitan areas. Due to the change of technologies, it has changed the architectural design of skyscraper dramatically in terms of the its function, design structures, heating and cooling systems and it social status in society. The basic function of the architecture is to provide a roof over peoples’ head. The main purpose of architecture is to act as a shelter for people to protect themselves against Mother Nature. As civilization development advances, we increased our knowledge and became more creative. Peo ple start to design buildings for means of displaying wealth and social status. The skyscraper fits the criteria to show the social status of such building with great height and elegance to the society. According to O’Gorman, â€Å"architecture is a form language, of communication.† (P.89) This communication is represented in the forms of texture, shape and style that reflects certain period of time. In the early period, architectures were associated with style and culture. â€Å"The Greeks built marble temples with Doric, Ionic or Corinthian columns. Egyptian architecture used heavy lotus columns, massive battered walls and pyramidal forms. The Gothic style used point arch, vast areas of stained glasses, pointed rib-vault construction.† (P. 92) Each had its unique characteristic feature to express its message. In the 20th century architectural design, architecture is no longer viewed as simple shelter to provide a roof over peoples’ head. Architectures a re designed with a more environmental conscious issue like cost, energy conservation and practicality of the structure. The interior environment is designed according to the space function of the structures. For example, â€Å"a dance hall, needs a large open-space with sufficient room for the band and a bar and maybe for tables and chairs around the edge so that people can sit and chat.† (Conway & Rowan) This concept always applies to real life s... ...e is a sense of prestige for having offices or shops in these skyscrapers. Modern skyscrapers are being redefined by the use of advance technologies. Due to the advancement in technology, skyscrapers are able to reach new height easily. It changes the way architects design the structure of these buildings. The new function of the skyscraper is to provide great views, house antennas for communications, telebroadcasting and for entertainment purpose. The use of computer climate control system made the building a more comfortable environment for everyone. The great height of the skyscraper like the Sears Tower, it associates itself with the prestige of being the tallest of all. With the rapid advancement of technology and the influence of fame and wealth, sky is limit for the next generation of skyscrapers. Work cited Bennett, David. Skyscrapers Form & Function New York 1995 Conway, Hazel and Rowan, Roenisch. Understanding Architecture: An introduction to Architecture and archit ectural History. London and New York: Routledge 1994. O’Gorman, James. ABC of Architecture Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998 Online www.infoplease.com May 15, 1999 Word Count: 1429

Forward the Foundation Chapter 18

13 â€Å"Yes,† said Hari Seldon wearily, â€Å"it was a great triumph. I had a wonderful time. I can hardly wait until I'm seventy so I can repeat it. But the fact is, I'm exhausted.† â€Å"So get yourself a good night's sleep, Dad,† said Raych, smiling. â€Å"That's an easy cure.† â€Å"I don't know how well I can relax when I have to see our great leader in a few days.† â€Å"Not alone, you won't see him,† said Dors Venabili grimly. Seldon frowned. â€Å"Don't say that again, Dors. It is important for me to see him alone.† â€Å"It won't be safe with you alone. Do you remember what happened ten years ago when you refused to let me come with you to greet the gardeners?† â€Å"There is no danger of my forgetting when you remind me of it twice a week, Dors. In this case, though, I intend to go alone. What can he want to do to me if I come in as an old man, utterly harmless, to find out what he wants?† â€Å"What do you imagine he wants?† said Raych, biting at his knuckle. â€Å"I suppose he wants what Cleon always wanted. It will turn out that he has found out that psychohistory can, in some way, predict the future and he will want to use it for his own purposes. I told Cleon the science wasn't up to it nearly thirty years ago and I kept telling him that all through my tenure as First Minister-and now I'll have to tell General Tennar the same thing.† â€Å"How do you know he'll believe you?† said Raych. â€Å"I'll think of some way of being convincing.† Dors said, â€Å"I do not wish you to go alone.† â€Å"Your wishing, Dors, makes no difference.† At this point, Tamwile Elar interrupted. He said, â€Å"I'm the only nonfamily person here. I don't know if a comment from me would be welcome.† â€Å"Go ahead,† said Seldon. â€Å"Come one, come all.† â€Å"I would like to suggest a compromise. Why don't a number of us go with the Maestro. Quite a few of us. We can act as his triumphal escort, a kind of finale to the birthday celebration. Now wait, I don't mean that we will all crowd into the General's offices. I don't even mean entering the Imperial Palace grounds. We can just take hotel rooms in the Imperial Sector at the edge of the grounds-the Dome's Edge Hotel would be just right-and we'll give ourselves a day of pleasure.† â€Å"That's just what I need,† snorted Seldon. â€Å"A day of pleasure.† â€Å"Not you, Maestro,† said Elar at once. â€Å"You'll be meeting with General Tennar. The rest of us, though, will give the people of the Imperial Sector a notion of your popularity-and perhaps the General will take note also. And if he knows we're all waiting for your return, it may keep him from being unpleasant.† There was a considerable silence after that. Finally Raych said, â€Å"It sounds too showy to me. It don't fit in with the image the world has of Dad.† But Dors said, â€Å"I'm not interested in Hari's image. I'm interested in Hari's safety. It strikes me that if we cannot invade the General's presence or the Imperial grounds, then allowing ourselves to accumulate, so to speak, as near the General as we can, might do us well. Thank you, Dr. Elar, for a very good suggestion.† â€Å"I don't want it done,† said Seldon. â€Å"But I do,† said Dors, â€Å"and if that's as close as I can get to offering you personal protection, then that much I will insist on.† Manella, who had listened to it all without comment till then, said, â€Å"Visiting the Dome's Edge Hotel could be a lot of fun.† â€Å"It's not fun I'm thinking of,† said Dors, â€Å"but I'll accept your vote in favor.† And so it was. The following day some twenty of the higher echelon of the Psychohistory Project descended on the Dome's Edge Hotel, with rooms overlooking the open spaces of the Imperial Palace grounds. The following evening Hari Seldon was picked up by the General's armed guards and taken off to the meeting. At almost the same time Dors Venabili disappeared, but her absence was not noted for a long time. And when it was noted, no one could guess what had happened to her and the gaily festive mood turned rapidly into apprehension. 14 Dors Venabili had lived on the Imperial Palace grounds for ten years. As wife of the First Minister, she had entry to the grounds and could pass freely from the dome to the open, with her fingerprints as the pass. In the confusion that followed Cleon's assassination, her pass had never been removed and now when, for the first time since that dreadful clay, she wanted to move from the dome into the open spaces of the grounds, she could do so. She had always known that she could do so easily only once, for, upon discovery, the pass would be canceled-but this was the one time to do it. There was a sudden darkening of the sky as she moved into the open and she felt a distinct lowering of the temperature. The world under the dome was always kept a little lighter during the night period than natural night would require and was kept a little dimmer during the day period. And, of course, the temperature beneath the dome was always a bit milder than the outdoors. Most Trantorians were unaware of this, for they spent their entire lives under the dome. To Dors it was expected, but it didn't really matter. She took the central roadway, into which the dome opened at the site of the Dome's Edge Hotel. It was, of course, brightly lit, so that the darkness of the sky didn't matter at all. Dors knew that she would not advance a hundred meters along the roadway without being stopped, less perhaps in the present paranoid lays of the junta. Her alien presence would be detected at once. Nor was she disappointed. A small ground-car skittered up and the guardsman shouted out the window, â€Å"What are you doing here? Where are you going?† Dors ignored the question and continued to walk. The guardsman called out, â€Å"Halt!† Then he slammed on the brakes and stepped out of the car, which was exactly what Dors had wanted him to do. The guardsman was holding a blaster loosely in his hand-not threatening to use it, merely demonstrating its existence. He said, â€Å"Your reference number.† Dors said, â€Å"I want your car.† â€Å"What!† The guardsman sounded outraged. â€Å"Your reference number. Immediately!† And now the blaster came up. Dors said quietly, â€Å"You don't need my reference number,† then she walked toward the guardsman. The guardsman took a backward step. â€Å"If you don't stop and present your reference number, I'll blast you.† â€Å"No! Drop your blaster.† The guardsman's lips tightened. His finger began to edge toward the contact, but before he could reach it, he was lost. He could never describe afterward what happened in any accurate way. All he could say was â€Å"How was I to know it was The Tiger Woman?† (The time came when he would be proud of the encounter.) â€Å"She moved so fast, I didn't see exactly what she did or what happened. One moment I was going to shoot her down-I was sure she was some sort of madwoman-and the next thing I knew, I was completely overwhelmed.† Dors held the guardsman in a firm grip, the hand with the blaster forced high. She said, â€Å"Either drop the blaster at once or I will break your arm.† The guardsman felt a kind of death grip around his chest that all but prevented him from breathing. Realizing he had no choice, he dropped the blaster. Dors Venabili released him, but before the guardsman could make a move to recover, he found himself facing his own blaster in Dors's hand. Dors said, â€Å"I hope you've left your detectors in place. Don't try to report what's happened too quickly. You had better wait and decide what it is you plan to tell your superiors. The fact that an unarmed woman took your blaster and your car may well put an end to your usefulness to the junta.† Dors started the car and began to speed down the central roadway. A ten-year stay on the grounds told her exactly where she was going. The car she was in-an official ground-car-was not an alien intrusion into the grounds and would not be picked up as a matter of course. However, she had to take a chance on speed, for she wanted to reach her destination rapidly. She pushed the car to a speed of two hundred kilometers per hour. The speed, at least, eventually did attract attention. She ignored radioed cries, demanding to know why she was speeding, and before long the car's detectors told her that another ground-car was in hot pursuit. She knew that there would be a warning sent up ahead and that there would be other ground-cars waiting for her to arrive, but there was little any of them could do, short of trying to blast her out of existence-something apparently no one was willing to try, pending further investigation. When she reached the building she had been heading for, two ground-cars were waiting for her. She climbed serenely out of her own car and walked toward the entrance. Two men at once stood in her way, obviously astonished that the driver of the speeding car was not a guardsman but a woman dressed in civilian clothes. â€Å"What are you doing here? What was the rush?† Dors said quietly, â€Å"Important message for Colonel Header Linn.† â€Å"Is that so?† said the guardsman harshly. There were now four men between her and the entrance. â€Å"Reference number, please.† Dors said, â€Å"Don't delay me.† â€Å"Reference number, I said.† â€Å"You're wasting my time.† One of the guardsmen said suddenly, â€Å"You know who she looks like? The old First Minister's wife. Dr. Venabili. The Tiger Woman.† There was an odd backward step on the part of all four, but one of them said, â€Å"You're under arrest.† â€Å"Am I?† said Dors. â€Å"If I'm The Tiger Woman, you must know that I am considerably stronger than any of you and that my reflexes are considerably faster. Let me suggest that all four of you accompany me quietly inside and we'll see what Colonel Linn has to say.† â€Å"You're under arrest† came the repetition and four blasters were aimed at Dors. â€Å"Well,† said Dors. â€Å"If you insist.† She moved rapidly and two of the guardsmen were suddenly on the ground, groaning, while Dors was standing with a blaster in each hand. She said, â€Å"I have tried not to hurt them, but it is quite possible that I have broken their wrists. That leaves two of you and I can shoot faster than you can. If either of you makes the slightest move-the slightest-I will have to break the habit of a lifetime and kill you. It will sicken me to do so and I beg you not to force me into it.† There was absolute silence from the two guardsmen still standing-no motion. â€Å"I would suggest,† said Dors, â€Å"that you two escort me into the colonel's presence and that you then seek medical help for your comrades.† The suggestion was not necessary. Colonel Linn emerged from his office. â€Å"What is going on here? What is-â€Å" Dors turned to him. â€Å"Ah! Let me introduce myself. I am Dr. Dors Venabili, the wife of Professor Hari Seldon. I have come to see you on important business. These four tried to stop me and, as a result, two are badly hurt. Send them all about their business and let me talk to you. I mean you no harm.† Linn stared at the four guardsmen, then at Dors. He said calmly, â€Å"You mean me no harm? Though four guardsmen have not succeeded in stopping you, I have four thousand at my instant call.† â€Å"Then call them,† said Dors. â€Å"However quickly they come, it will not be in time to save you, should I decide to kill you. Dismiss your guardsmen and let us talk civilly.† Linn dismissed the guardsmen and said, â€Å"Well, come in and we will talk. Let me warn you, though, Dr. Venabili-I have a long memory.† â€Å"And I,† said Dors. They walked into Linn's quarters together. 15 Linn said with utmost courtesy, â€Å"Tell me exactly why you are here, Dr. Venabili.† Dors smiled without menace-and yet not exactly pleasantly, either. â€Å"To begin with,† she said, â€Å"I have come here to show you that I can come here.† â€Å"Yes. My husband was taken to his interview with the General in an official ground-car under armed guard. I myself left the hotel at a the same time he did, on foot and unarmed-and here I am-and I believe I got here before he did. I had to wade through five guardsmen, including the guardsman whose car I appropriated, in order to reach you. I would have waded through fifty.† Linn nodded his head phlegmatically. â€Å"I understand that you are sometimes called The Tiger Woman.† â€Å"I have been called that. Now, having reached you, my task is to make certain that no harm comes to my husband. He is venturing into the General's lair-if I can be dramatic about it-and I want him to emerge unharmed and unthreatened.† â€Å"As far as I am concerned, I know that no harm will come to your husband as a result of this meeting. But if you are concerned, why do you come to me? Why didn't you go directly to the General?† â€Å"Because, of the two of you, it is you that has the brains.† There was a short pause and Linn said, â€Å"That would be a most dangerous remark-if overheard.† â€Å"More dangerous for you than for me, so make sure it is not overheard. Now, if it occurs to you that I am to be simply soothed and put off and that, if my husband is imprisoned or marked for execution, that there will really be nothing I can do about it, disabuse yourself.† She indicated the two blasters that lay on the table before her. â€Å"I entered the grounds with nothing. I arrived in your immediate vicinity with two blasters. If I had no blasters, I might have had knives, with which I am an expert. And if I had neither blasters nor knives, I would still be a formidable person. This table we're sitting at is metal-obviously-and sturdy.† â€Å"It is.† Dors held up her hands, fingers splayed, as if to show that she held no weapon. Then she dropped them to the table and, palms down, caressed its surface. Abruptly Dors raised her fist and then brought it down on the table with a loud crash, which sounded almost as if metal were striking metal. She smiled and lifted her hand. â€Å"No bruise,† Dors said. â€Å"No pain. But you'll notice that the table is slightly bent where I struck it. If that same blow had come down with the name force on a person's head, the skull would have exploded. I have never done such a thing; in fact, I have never killed anyone, though I have injured several. Nevertheless, if Professor Seldon is harmed-â€Å" â€Å"You are still threatening.† â€Å"I am promising. I will do nothing if Professor Seldon is unharmed. Otherwise, Colonel Linn, I will be forced to maim or kill you and-I promise you again-I will do the same to General Tennar.† Linn said, â€Å"You cannot withstand an entire army, no matter how tigerish a woman you are. What then?† â€Å"Stories spread,† said Dors, â€Å"and are exaggerated. I have not really done much in the way of tigerishness, but many more stories are told of me than are true. Your guardsmen fell back when they recognized me and they themselves will spread the story, with advantage, of how I made my way to you. Even an army might hesitate to attack me, Colonel Linn, but even if they did and even if they destroyed me, beware the indignation of the people. The junta is maintaining order, but it is doing so only barely and you don't want anything to upset matters. Think, then, of how easy the alternative is. Simply do not harm Professor Hari Seldon.† â€Å"We have no intention of harming him.† â€Å"Why the interview, then?† â€Å"What's the mystery? The General is curious about psychohistory. The government records are open to us. The old Emperor Cleon was interested. Demerzel, when he was First Minister, was interested. Why should we not be in our turn? In fact, more so.† â€Å"Why more so?† â€Å"Because time has passed. As I understand it, psychohistory began as a thought in Professor Seldon's mind. He has been working on it, with increasing vigor and with larger and larger groups of people, for nearly thirty years. He has done so almost entirely with government support, so that, in a way, his discoveries and techniques belong to the government. We intend to ask him about psychohistory, which, by now, must be far advanced beyond what existed in the times of Demerzel and Cleon, and we expect him to tell us what we want to know. We want something more practical than the vision of equations curling their way through air. Do you understand me?† â€Å"Yes,† said Dors, frowning. â€Å"And one more thing. Do not suppose that the danger to your husband comes from the government only and that any harm that reaches him will mean that you must attack us at once. I would suggest that Professor Seldon may have purely private enemies. I have no knowledge of such things, but surely it is possible.† â€Å"I shall keep that in mind. Right now, I want to have you arrange that I join my husband during his interview with the General. I want to know, beyond doubt, that he is safe.† â€Å"That will be hard to arrange and will take some time. It would be impossible to interrupt the conversation, but if you wait till it is ended-â€Å" â€Å"Take the time and arrange it. Do not count on double-crossing me and remaining alive.† 16 General Tennar stared at Hari Seldon in a rather pop-eyed manner and his fingers tapped lightly at the desk where he sat. â€Å"Thirty years,† he said. â€Å"Thirty years and you are telling me you still have nothing to show for it?† â€Å"Actually, General, twenty-eight years.† Tennar ignored that. â€Å"And all at government expense. Do you know how many billions of credits have been invested in your Project, Professor?† â€Å"I haven't kept up, General, but we have records that could give me the answer to your question in seconds.† â€Å"And so have we. The government, Professor, is not an endless source of funds. These are not the old times. We don't have Cleon's old free-and-easy attitude toward finances. Raising taxes is hard and we need credits for many things. I have called you here, hoping that you can benefit us in some way with your psychohistory. If you cannot, then I must tell you, quite frankly, that we will have to shut off the faucet. If you can continue your research without government funding, do so, for unless you show me something that would make the expense worth it, you will have to do just that.† â€Å"General, you make a demand I cannot meet, but, if in response, you and government support, you will be throwing away the future. Give me wile** and eventually-â€Å" â€Å"Various governments have heard that ‘eventually' from you for decades. Isn't it true, Professor, that you say your psychohistory predicts that the junta is unstable, that my rule is unstable, that in a short time it will collapse?† Seldon frowned. â€Å"The technique is not yet firm enough for me to say that this is something that psychohistory states.† â€Å"I put it to you that psychohistory does state it and that this is common knowledge within your Project.† â€Å"No,† said Seldon warmly. â€Å"No such thing. It is possible that some among us have interpreted some relationships to indicate that the junta may be an unstable form of government, but there are other relationships that may easily be interpreted to show it is stable. That is the reason why we must continue our work. At the present moment it is all too easy to use incomplete data and imperfect reasoning to reach any conclusion we wish.† â€Å"But if you decide to present the conclusion that the government is unstable and say that psychohistory warrants it-even if it does not actually do so-will it not add to the instability?† â€Å"It may very well do that, General. And if we announced that the government is stable, it may well add to the stability. I have had this very same discussion with Emperor Cleon on a number of occasions. It is possible to use psychohistory as a tool to manipulate the emotions of the people and achieve short-term effects. In the long run, however, the predictions are quite likely to prove incomplete or downright erroneous and psychohistory will lose all its credibility and it will be as though it had never existed.† â€Å"Enough! Tell me straight out! What do you think psychohistory shows about my government?† â€Å"It shows, we think, that there are elements of instability in it, but we are not certain-and cannot be certain-exactly in what way this can be made worse or made better.† â€Å"In other words, psychohistory simply tells you what you would know without psychohistory and it is that in which government has invested uncounted piles of credits.† â€Å"The time will come when psychohistory will tell us what we could not know without it and then the investment will pay itself back many, many times over.† â€Å"And how long will it be before that time comes?† â€Å"Not too long, I hope. We have been making rather gratifying progress in the last few years.† Tennar was tapping his fingernail on his desk again. â€Å"Not enough. Tell me something helpful now. Something useful.† Seldon pondered, then said, â€Å"I can prepare a detailed report for you, but it will take time.† â€Å"Of course it will. Days, months, years-and somehow it will never be written. Do you take me for a fool?† â€Å"No, of course not, General. However, I don't want to be taken for a fool, either. I can tell you something that I will take sole responsibility for. I have seen it in my psychohistorical research, but I may have misinterpreted what I saw. However, since you insist-â€Å" â€Å"I insist.† â€Å"You mentioned taxes a little while ago. You said raising taxes was difficult. Certainly. It is always difficult. Every government must do its work by collecting wealth in one form or another. The only two ways in which such credits can be obtained are, first, by robbing a neighbor, or second, persuading a government's own citizens to grant the credits willingly and peaceably. â€Å"Since we have established a Galactic Empire that has been conducting its business in reasonable fashion for thousands of years, there is no possibility of robbing a neighbor, except as the result of an occasional rebellion and its repression. This does not happen often enough to support a government-and, if it did, the government would be too unstable to last long, in any case.† Seldon drew a deep breath and went on. â€Å"Therefore, credits must be raised by asking the citizens to hand over part of their wealth for government use. Presumably, since the government will then work efficiently, the citizens can better spend their credits in this way than to hoard it-each man to himself-while living in a dangerous and chaotic anarchy. â€Å"However, though the request is reasonable and the citizenry is better off paying taxes as their price for maintaining a stable and efficient government, they are nevertheless reluctant to do so. In order to overcome this reluctance, governments must make it appear that they are not taking too many credits, and that they are considering each citizen's rights and benefits. In other words, they must lower the percentage taken out of low incomes; they must allow deductions of various kinds to be made before the tax is assessed, and so on. â€Å"As time goes on, the tax situation inevitably grows more and more complex as different worlds, different sectors within each world, and different economic divisions all demand and require special treatment. Me result is that the tax-collecting branch of the government grows in size and complexity and tends to become uncontrollable. The average citizen cannot understand why or how much he is being taxed; what he can get away with and what he can't. The government and the tax agency itself are often in the dark as well. â€Å"What's more, an ever-larger fraction of the funds collected must be put into running the overelaborate tax agency-maintaining records, pursuing tax delinquents-so the amount of credits available for good, and useful purposes declines despite anything we can do.** â€Å"In the end, the tax situation becomes overwhelming. It inspires discontent and rebellion. The history books tend to ascribe these things to greedy businessmen, to corrupt politicians, to brutal warriors, to ambitious viceroys-but these are just the individuals who take advantage of the tax overgrowth.† The General said harshly, â€Å"Are you telling me that our tax system is overcomplicated?† Seldon said, â€Å"If it were not, it would be the only one in history that wasn't, as far as I know. If there is one thing that psychohistory tells me is inevitable, it is tax overgrowth.† â€Å"And what do we do about it?† â€Å"That I cannot tell you. It is that for which I would like to prepare a report that-as you say-may take a while to get ready.† â€Å"Never mind the report. The tax system is overcomplicated, isn't it? Isn't that what you are saying?† â€Å"It is possible that it is,† said Seldon cautiously. â€Å"And to correct that, one must make the tax system simpler-as simple as possible, in fact.† â€Å"I would have to study-â€Å" â€Å"Nonsense. The opposite of great complication is great simplicity. I don't need a report to tell me that.† â€Å"As you say, General,† said Seldon. At this point the General looked up suddenly, as though he had been called-as, indeed, he had been. His fists clenched and holovision images of Colonel Linn and Dors Venabili suddenly appeared in the room. Thunderstruck, Seldon exclaimed, â€Å"Dors! What are you doing here?† The General said nothing, but his brow furrowed into a frown.

The Learning Capabilities Through Video Games - 954 Words

The next topic we will cover is the part that we are most excited about. The console will have the ability to educate and train students, military personnel, and police force. I will also be discussing the various peripherals we have developed to aid in education and training. We have gotten in contact with many different educators to ask what they thought about the learning capability through video games. †Video games are playing an increasing role in school curricula as teachers seek to deliver core lessons such as math and reading—not to mention new skills such as computer programming—in a format that holds their students’ interests. Some herald this gamification of education as the way of the future and a tool that allows students to take a more active role in learning as they develop the technology skills they need to succeed throughout their academic and professional careers.† (Malykhina 1) Most all of these educators had flashbacks to times when they played games such as â€Å"School House Rock† and â€Å"The Oregon Trail† either when they were in school or while teaching in their early years. We were reassured that they thought gaming could be used a pivotal tool in the educating of young students. We developed the Ninesis Gaming System to link up as many controllers as needed for a whole class; along with this we have developed a projector peripheral that links with the system through Bluetooth that would be placed at the vertices between the wall and theShow MoreRelatedPositive Outcomes Of Video Games1576 Words   |  7 PagesOutcomes of Video Games Video games are the fastest growing form of entertainment in the world and many adolescents play video games for hours every day. According to a survey conducted by Gallagher, 58% of Americans play video games and 43% of game players believe that computer and video games give them the most value for their money, compared with DVDs, music or going out to the movies (2-3). However, in the past few decades there has been debate over the positive and negative effects of video gamesRead MoreU.s. 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