Graduation Speech Essay Example for Free

Graduation Speech Essay â€Å"The heights by great man reach and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept were toiling upwards through the night. †   (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  ) Members of the school board, principal and staff, distinguished guests in the audience and on the platform, parents, guardians, graduate, good afternoon. Our guest speaker for this afternoon is Mrs. Merlette Barrett-Fender. She was born in the parish of St. James. There, she attended the Salt Spring All Age School- later the Mt. Alvernia High School then went on to further her education at Shortwood Teachers’ College. She has worked at the Jamaica Telephone Company as an international operator. She later acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Grades Administration offered by Western Carolina University, at the Montego Bay site. Her zeal for leadership led her to access the Master of Science in Educational Leadership just two years later with the Jamaican Programme of Central Connecticut State University. She has worked at the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels of the education system, having the experience as class teacher, subject teacher of English Language and Literature at Cornwall College and as Principal. She presently holds the position of Academic Vice-Principal of Knox Community College. Mrs. Barrett-Fender posses a great love for her country and as a result has made the decision to remain in Jamaica. She takes great pleasure in working amongst Jamaica’s poorest, to help train and educate them and being the voice for some who are voiceless. As a member of the Upper St. James Consultative Committee, she conducts motivational talks to students and teachers. She is the lay preacher of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. She is dedicated to spreading the work of God for the upliftment of people. She possesses a vibrant personality, loves the outdoors, loves good company and enjoys helping others. Mrs. Barrett-Fender believes in having a sound character thus her everyday life is grounded in integrity. Her community involvement includes being a member of the Friends of the Hospital, the founder of Salt Spring All Age Past Students’ Association, past president and fund raising committee member, speaking at graduation exercises, Patron of the Knox Early Childhood Institute, motivational speaker, mentor and counselor. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls; please put your hands together as I introduce to some and present to the others Mrs. Barrett-Fender.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenstein Shelley Essays

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" In order to illustrate the main theme of her novel â€Å"Frankenstein†, Mary Shelly draws strongly on the myth of Prometheus, as the subtitle The Modern Prometheus indicates. Maurice Hindle, in his critical study of the novel, suggests, â€Å"the primary theme of Frankenstein is what happens to human sympathies and relationships when men seek obsessively to satisfy their Promethean longings to â€Å"conquer the unknown† - supposedly in the service of their fellow-humans†. This assertion is discussed by first describing the Promethean connection. Thereafter, the two forms of the myth, Prometheus the fire-stealer and Prometheus the life-giver are reviewed in the context of Shelly’s use of the myth in her novel and their relationship to the main theme. Finally, the character of Frankenstein as a modern Prometheus of the scientific age is discussed in the context of English Romantic literature. This â€Å"Promethean longing† mentioned by Hundle, is the connection between Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. They both seek to gain knowledge of the unknown. Victor Frankenstein’s obsession with occult scientific knowledge results in the destruction of his family and friends, whilst Walton, the narrator of the story, causes many deaths by his obsessive journey to the North Pole. Shelly’s use of the Prometheus myth combines the two versions of the legend, Prometheus the â€Å"fire-stealer† and Prometheus the â€Å"life-giver†. According to the Ancient Greeks, in the first version of the myth, the Titan, Prometheus, in rebellion against Zeus, took fire from the sun and gave it to humankind to warm them and enable them to make tools and weapons, thereby allowing them to rise above other animals. Zeus was incensed by Prometheus’ disobedience, and as punishment, ordered Prometheus chained to a rock, where his liver was eaten by eagles each day and restored each night so that his torment could be prolonged for eternity. The second, Roman version of the myth, comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, which, according to Newey (1993), Mary Shelly read in 1815. In this version Prometheus was the Creator who made man from clay and breathed life into him. This relates directly to the quotation on the title page of Shelly’s book. â€Å"Did I request thee Maker, from my clay to mould me man. Did I solicit thee from darkness to promote me? Although a quotation from Milton’s... ...fe-giver. However, it could be argued that Frankenstein is better connected to Prometheus the fire-stealer. Frankenstein’s experiments with the two edged sword of forbidden knowledge had the possibility of bestowing great good upon humanity or perhaps the destruction of humankind. Shelley has utilised both versions of the myth to great effect in the development of the main theme. Her character, Frankenstein, effectively destroyed all he held dear as a consequence of his obsession with the pursuit of forbidden knowledge. Works Cited: Griffith, G. V. 1997 Frankenstein in the Context of the Romantic Era. Retrieved April 2004 from http://www.enotes.com Hindle, M. 1994, Mary Shelley Frankenstein Penguin Books, London Hunter, J. P. (ed.), 1996, Mary Shelley Frankenstein. The 1818 Text, Contexts, Nineteenth-Century Responses, Modern Criticism, W.W. Norton & Company, New York Newey, K. 1993, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Sydney University Press, Sydney Schmidt, A. 1999, The Myth of Prometheus, Retrieved April 2004 from http://www.enotes.com Oates, J.C. 1984 Frankenstein’s Fallen Angel, in Critical Inquiry, Vol 10 No.3. Retrieved April 2004 from http://www.enotes.com

Equal Education in US

How many times has the United Negro College Fund aired the commercial including the phrase: â€Å"A mind is a terrible thing to waste? † The world would be rich to equate the repetitions with dollar bills. This famous slogan was a means to promote higher education. Unfortunately, there are many people who do not fit the description of a college student due to poverty. An uneducated parent feels powerless in this society. A young teenage mother may feel that there is no feasible schedule possible to fulfill her dreams. An elementary student looks to his parents and teachers for answers to the question marks surrounding his environment of lack. The people that are in these types of situations are held down by poverty. Children who have financial hardship comprise a sizeable portion of Texas public schools. According to an article published in Family Circle magazine, teenage births increased by more than sixty-five percent during the 1980†³s. There have been studies that prove persons receiving government assistance i. e. welfare have high illiteracy rates. What is the solution for the people suffering from these impoverished circumstances? It is of utmost importance that we prioritize and organize to set forth change . Our immediate attention as a nation will only make our economy stronger by putting a halt to the cycle. Poverty has the power to stagnate achievement. However, knowledge is power no matter where one may live. In order to break the power of poverty we need to educate our parents, offer vocational training for young single mothers, and encourage pursuit of higher education through the community. â€Å"Children of poor and poorly-educated parents are often caught in a vicious circle of educational failures. † (Block 72) Their rate of success is much lower than the rate of their middle-class peers. This is largely contributed to the level of education one receives and is able to pass on to his children. Many under privileged people are unarmed with the necessary knowledge to steer their child towards educational improvement. There are also many people are unaware of scholarship programs and what it takes to apply for one. If the information were readily available many would still be unable to adhere to a specific goal plan due to the absence of strategic planning and the high illiteracy rate of adults. These ideals must be instilled at an early age by the parent. Failure to do so results in an immediate disadvantage to the child. According to a 1993 federal report: Only about forty-five percent of high-poverty homes receive a newspaper, nearly half the rate of higher-income homes. About fifteen percent lack dictionaries compared to three percent for more affluent families. Poor parents spend more time doing chores with their children, while other parents take their children on educational outings. Poor parents are less likely to have finished high school. ( Bazeley 727) These facts come with great consequence for the child and are great examples of what happens in the average low income home. The time is overdue for parents of poor homes to become more active in their child†s education from early childhood. There are open Senate meetings and hearings that the common citizen can sit in on and react to but it takes someone who is willing to obtain drive to react for the sake of their future in America. It should become natural instinct for a parent to become actively involved in the pursuit of education for their child to excel. It is important for parents to get strong and learn in order to insure that their child will not experience life the same way they did. When people use the literary skills they are learning in their work , they not only improve their literacy and productivity levels but also increase their language use with their children and in their communities. † (Lewis 186) This supports the need for vocational training for mothers on welfare who are usually teenagers. Offering education to single parents and teenage mothers would also give them a better foundation in which to build their family upon. The real key to helping the young mothers is early prevention. There is a high mortality rate among teenagers who experience early pregnancy. It is a signal for an automatic start on the road to government dependency such as subsidized housing and welfare. Usually the children are born with drug and/or alcohol dependencies which automatically puts them in a negative position when it comes to their education. This escalates the need to reach the teen mothers when they are about to reach their sexual peak. The main focus is to guide the teenager into practicing abstinence delaying sexual activity. This job ties into the need for the parent to be more involved with the education process and progress. However once a child is born into that situation the young mother is placed in the position to be responsible. Vocational training would provide the foundation and confidence that the mother on welfare needs. This will allow her to boost her self esteem and will automatically affect the child in a positive way. The most important of all things is to offer encouragement while the child is young. It is very rare that a child will possess the drive to overcome adversity while he is young. It is the parents† responsibility to offer the goal of a higher education. Through the attainment of higher education the walls of poverty will start to come down one at a time. Parents play a critical role in offering cushion for school performance â€Å"†Time and time again studies show that being ready to learn before school starts is the best predictor of educational success,† says Dan Keating, director of the Human Development Program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. † (Dwyer 70) Teachers and counselors also play a critical role. Linda Garcia is a neighbor and a single parent of three teenagers. Her oldest daughter is already a mother of two, on welfare and has a boyfriend who is a drug dealer. The other two are in high school. After discussing her children†s educational goals with school counselors, Linda became aware of the lack of concern that seemed prevalent. It appeared that counselors mostly encourage students who are naturally bright to excel past high school. Many counselors set up career plans with students who are high achievers and fail to respond to the students who are â€Å"just making it. † Inadvertently, these particular counselors are helping to suppress the desire that the below-average student may have to advance to college or beyond. Linda is a high school drop out and encourages her children but without additional forms of reinforcement her children may never excel past high school. We need to increase community and school participation in low-income families. Failure to recognize this problem denotes refusal to accept the economic changes that occur due to lack of education. Once we face this problem we will be able to grow more economically as a nation. Poverty is a very difficult position to be in. Many times there is not enough food to feed the family. So many other times our children turn to gangs and violence instead of better education. Not only does poverty effect education but it affects health as well. Many people in poverty are unable to visit doctors. Children lose focus in school from lack of sleep due to the surrounding environment. These factors magnify the need to put a halt to poverty. More people have to be able to identify this major concern of our nation for the good of America. Without the help of society as a whole it may become impossible to put an end to poverty in the United States. Not all stories have horrible endings so there remains a faint hope. For example, consider a young woman who grew up in low-income housing and on welfare. She had to deal with lack of transportation, adequate clothing, and many time no food in the pantry. Her environment consisted of firing guns, fighting, drugs, and constant visits from the police. Her greatest responsibility was taking care of her little brothers and sometimes missing school because her mother had no sitter. As a young child she had drive and ambition. Her inability to actively participate in school functions intensified her drive to overcome her surroundings. Her biggest dream was to help others to overcome. Where is this woman now? She has begun her long awaited dream and is finally in college full time. What does she desire to attain from a higher education? The answer is simple†¦.. she wants to be a teacher. She wants to leave a legacy and provide encouragement to others who may have experienced the same misfortune as a small child. No longer struck down by poverty she pursuing a degree in mathematics. Now her potential accomplishments are endless. Had she ever received encouragement from her mother? No. Just imagine how much closer her dreams would have been if her parents had given encouragement. â€Å"Education remains the key to both economic and political empowerment. † Barbara Jordan, 1991.

Relevance Of Legal Intention Of Contracts - 1258 Words

RELEVANCE OF LEGAL INTENTION IN CONTRACTS INTRODUCTION: The main contention of the case is revolving around the legal intention and social agreement and the interconnection between them. Kailash and Samar are good friends. Kailash wants to watch a movie and have dinner at a famous joint. He accordingly requests Samar to give him company. Samar agrees and promises to meet Kailash at 6:00 pm sharp. However at 5:30 Samar decides not to go and accordingly informs Kailash. Kailash is upset. Also it is to be adjudged whether there was legally enforceable contract or not between Kailash and Samar based on the legal intention in domestic agreement. ISSUES: †¢ Whether there was legal intention to form a contract? †¢ Whether there was a valid consideration between Kailash and Samar? †¢ Whether the promise between Kailash and Samar constitutes a contract? ARGUMENTS FOR PLAINTIFF: The contract between the plaintiff and the defendant here is a valid contract as per the offer and acceptance rule. As per the Indian contracts act, 1872 when the person to whom the proposal is made signifies his assent thereto, the proposal is said to be accepted. A proposal when accepted becomes a promise . In this case Kailash made an offer to Samar and Samar by accepting his offer signified his assent and the said proposal became a promise. The parties are said to consent when they agree upon the same thing in the same sense i.e. consensus ad idem .In the case Mohd. Abdul Hakeem per Lrs. v Naiyaz Ahmed andShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Law In The Common Law1247 Words   |  5 Pagesform a valid contract consist of an offer, a subsequent acceptance and consideration. However, since the nineteenth century, another requirement concerning the existence of an intention to create legal relations was added . 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