Mechanical Engineering Graduate School Personal Statement

Mechanical Engineering Graduate School - Personal Statement Example I have taken courses in advanced mathematics as well as engineering physics classes. I have also had research experience which is a critical component in master’s programs. In particular, I have been on two research projects dealing specifically with the construction of different types of robots and looking at the future of commercial production of robots for daily household use. I have also had experience in the industry as well. I worked at H.C. Starck Inc. as an intern where I learned essential skills that were important to work there, but also give me foundational knowledge going into the masters program. In particular, I learned about maintenance and quality control of the products produced as well as data basing. My goals are very compatible with your program in mechanical engineering. My short term career goal is to receive a position on or start managing an interdisciplinary research and development team. I believe that I can successfully accomplish this by focusing on research in the master’s program by facilitating cooperation in engineering teams as well as learning how to overcome engineering obstacles in research. Eventually, I would like to teach and become a professor of robotics or human factor engineering so that I can pass down the experience and knowledge that I have learned to the next generation of engineers.

Sophisticated narrative review of Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret life of Essay

Sophisticated narrative review of Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret life of Bees - Essay Example is a major character or merely an asterisk to the action, the white woman is, by virtue of her symbolic importance in Southern history and culture, a significant presence in novels about the Civil Rights Movement. This might be counterintuitive since the white man would seem the likely arch-adversary in the civil rights dilemma—or worse, focus on the white woman might appear as an attempt to usurp the centrality of African Americans in favor of the group furthest removed from civil rights issues. And yet, the white woman was at the center of those issues. The white woman is central to civil rights issues and to fiction that specifically and substantially depends upon the Civil Rights Movement for material because she was the supporting beams and pillars of the culture the Movement sought to dismantle. That the relationship between the white woman and the Civil Rights Movement has been neglected suggests only that the significance of this relationship has been somehow overshadowed, not that it is insignificant. In 2002, a novel hit the New York Times best-seller list. The setting was the rural South in the late sixties, just after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. The main characters, take refuge with a family of women who live in a house on the outskirts of town. The book is Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees. Its heroine, Lily Owens, thus achieves spiritual transcendence through communal living with a family of women, self-styled religious rituals, and racial integration. Kidd’s novel exemplifies the two trends that have emerged most clearly in American women’s fiction over the last quarter of the twentieth-century: the move on the part of women writers to a creative and individualized religious practice rather than a traditional institutionalized one, and the examination of the intersections of religion, gender and race as they shape identity. Everything from the novel line to the references of the Civil Rights Movement occurring in 1960’s

Women of dystopias

Women of dystopias Women of dystopias prevailing female stereotypes in Huxleys and Orwells fiction Dystopias as a genre present an interesting aesthetic and psychological challenge. Their view of the future is fixed in the past or the present, and as such, are in danger of not transcending the limitations of their own cultural and sociological context. A certain aspect of dystopias is the ever-present human trait of wishing to â€Å"solve problems†. By projecting the issues of the present into the future, by removing the specific factors surrounding ones quandary, one wishes to see a clearer image, to achieve some sort of enlightenment. Dystopias are the perfect genre for that other common human trait (connected to the aforementioned penchant for problem-solving) of presenting the worst that may come to pass (sometimes metaphorically pointing a finger and yelling â€Å"I told you so!†). Yet in such exercises of the mind, the subject of authorial objectivity inevitably arises when writing a dystopia, how far removed should the subject matter be from ones perceived r eality? Since a dystopia is to significant degree a heavily satirized transmogrification of ones â€Å"real world†, this seems a contradiction in terms. Yet in not being sufficiently willing or able to remove oneself from the conventionally perceived notions and ideals of ones society, one runs the risk (as the author of a dystopia) of compromising the authenticity of ones fictional universe. An argument could be made that this is the case with George Orwells 1984 and Aldous Huxleys Brave New World; the fashion in which female characters are portrayed in both novels conjures up a sense of the misogyny of the authors, rather than a truly dystopian perception of women. The post-war (WWI in the case of Huxley, WWII in the case of Orwell) mentality and internalized misogyny of both Huxleys and Orwells time is palpably present in the characters of Linda and Lenina, respectively Winstons mother and Julia. By examining these crucial mother and lover characters in their most signific ant scenes, several interesting parallels can be drawn between the authors treatment of their female characters. The fact that both Huxley and Orwell focus primarily on the female archetypes of lover and mother is in itself quite revealing. The use of these archetypes is not limited to the figures of Linda, Lenina or Winstons mother and Julia; in Brave New World, every woman falls into either category. All women of the â€Å"modern world† are potential lovers their â€Å"pneumatic† bodies (an adjective interestingly enough only used in conjunction with womens bodies and furniture[1]) free for the taking (and freely offered up, at that). â€Å"Mother† as a term is used to describe everything that is the opposite of a carefree, lustful existence aging, sagging, embarrassment and taboo. No corresponding term exists to embarrass men as Huxley puts it, the term â€Å"father† is a â€Å"scatological rather than a pornographic impropriety†[2]. This hierarchy of shame resurfaces during Bernard and Leninas visit to Malpais the old man (the first old person whom Le nina sees) is described in three lines, whilst Linda, the Savages mother, is described in a lengthy paragraph, containing visual, olfactory and tactile references. This â€Å"grotesque† mother-figure is apparent in 1984 as well, although described in a rather more oblique fashion. The reference to â€Å"monstrous women with brick-red forearms†[3] (p.86), and the nomer â€Å"Mrs.† which â€Å"with some women one used () instinctively†[4] (p.22), all point to an internalized image of â€Å"motherhood† which Orwell uses to juxtapose with the virginal (and insipid) Katherine, and the lustful (and cunning) Julia. Motherhood, or rather the absence of any true motherhood (in the sense of being allowed to openly care for, and show affection for ones children) are central themes in 1984, thus one understands the need to extrapolate on the concept yet the occasionally dropped adjective, such as the aforementioned â€Å"monstrous† and the categorizati on of women into â€Å"Mrs.† and â€Å"non-Mrs.† types points to an external, rather than any internal set of values that could exist in the universe of 1984. The characters described in the novel have all grown up in â€Å"the system† (perhaps with Winston having a slight remembrance of life before Big Brother), thus it seems odd that for example Julia should use terms like â€Å"a real womans frock†[5] (p.149) accepting that these items (frocks and high-heels instead of the overalls and practical shoes of the Party) could be found amongst the proles, one is tempted to ask why Julia would refer to them as â€Å"real†. The term â€Å"real woman† is incredibly relative, and has through time come to refer to everything from Rubenesque figures and unpainted faces to willowy, dramatically made-up women. In this context, â€Å"real woman† could by default only refer to the overall and flat-shoe wearing, chaste women of the Party. This cognitive dissonance becomes an issue in Brave New World as well the Savages view of women is problematic at best. Having grown up amongst the people of Malpais, it is strange that he should become so completely enamoured with Lenina, to the point of regarding her beauty as not only exquisite, but normative. His world-view is explained through him having come into contact with Shakespeares works at an early age, yet this does not explain the curious exclusion in his consciousness of anything lustful, ribald or â€Å"risquà ©Ã¢â‚¬  in the very plays that he idolizes. His mother-complex is more explicable (at least in a psychological sense), yet becomes rather distracting in its one-sidedness. John is a protector-figure, a budding knight in white armour who unsuccessfully tries to rescue his mother from her self-initiated sexual behaviour. His attempted murder of Popà © is symbolical of a masculinity which is again a projection of an external masculinity onto that of the wor ld of Brave New World. â€Å"Mother, monogamy, romance ()†, the mantra that the â€Å"brave new world† has rejected is the one that he metaphorically repeats again and again to himself. Thus, the true conflict arises between him, and Mustafa Mond, arbiters of these two masculinities rendering the women secondary characters, objects of either feelings of lust, or protectiveness. As Goldstein rightly points out by quoting Easthope, this is present in 1984 as well, in the dynamics of Winston and OBriens relationship: â€Å"Winston, who frequently shows misogynist feelings, disavows Julia and heterosexual desire, accepts his unconscious homosexuality, and loves OBrien and Big Brother† (p.52).[6] In fact, in the light of this statement, what becomes increasingly obvious is the complete lack of intellectual women in either Brave New World or 1984. Women are incapable of introspection in either novel Julia is described as cunning and shrewd, but also as having a shor t attention span, and no real powers of analysis. Schweickart rightfully states that â€Å"Smiths question: â€Å"Julia, are you awake?† could very well be the title of a feminist retelling of 1984.†[7] (p.4), seeing as how Julia sleeps through Winstons perusal of Goldsteins book, and in general shows no interest in notions not concerning her sexuality. â€Å"Othering† women thus becomes a subconscious but constant theme in both Brave New World and 1984. What is not explained in BNW for example is why lust is exclusively sought by male bodies in female bodies homosexuality is mentioned once in the novel, in the past tense, by Mustafa Mond, referred to as the result of a monogamous, obsessive and repressed lifestyle. Yet surely, in a society where cumulative lust is valued beyond all, the gender-binary and heteronormative system of values described by Huxley would make no sense. This again points to a transposed, external set of values, which reference Huxleys world view, rather than anything objectively dystopian. The aforementioned comment of Julias (â€Å"real woman†) poses a similar dilemma rather than referencing the instances of illicit behaviour committed by Julia, it seems to reference Orwells concept of real womanhood. As Patai points out, Orwells oeuvre contains â€Å"a tension between his occasional appre ciation of women and his dislike of them, especially the abstraction that is usually referred to as the â€Å"feminine†[8](p.867). She extrapolates, saying that â€Å"although men [in the world of 1984] fear women because they may be spies, in general the assumptions of male centrality and female â€Å"otherness† have survived intact. Julias love for Winston makes him healthier, whereas OBriens attentions destroy him physically; but Winstons true alliance, as we have seen, is with OBrien, who engages him as a worthy opponent a recognition that means more to Winston than Julias love.† [9](p.867). This covert dismissal of his and Julias love is apparent in the terms that Winstonchooses to describe it with; it is a â€Å"hopeless fancy†, â€Å"yet he also dismisses the washerwomans song about such a hopeless fancy because he considers the song and the woman mindless and mechanical†[10] (p.46). The Savage is equally fanciful in his relationship with L enina he constructs an ideal to which she unsurprisingly fails to live up to, and goes from considering his hand unworthy to touch her to quoting Othello at her, and getting physically violent. Yet his disappointment is in her moral nature in her refusal to be passive, and to be worshipped by him. True kinship is masculine, in both 1984 and Brave New World. There seems to be a rather disturbing notion in connection with this male kinship; it is somehow connected to absent mothers, or rather mothers who could never truly live up to the ideal of motherhood (both a physical, and spiritual ideal, as we shall see). Winston keeps connecting his mother (who was first described as a statuesque, brave woman) to various â€Å"grotesque† (term as used by Orwell) figures of womanhood, most notably the woman who vomits copiously next to him in the preliminary detainment cell (â€Å"She might, thought Winston, be his mother.† (p.240)). The Savages mother, Linda, is also presented as the most grotesque female figure in the narrative of Brave New World (â€Å"grotesque† both as defined by the internal system of values of the novel, and the external ones of the author and readership). These absurd instances contain something of the freak-show within them a voyeuristic, almost fetishistic obsession with the female form, and within that category, the most â€Å"sacred† one, that of the mother. Within the context of the archetype, it is understood that â€Å"mothers† are not sexual beings thus the reference to the prostitute that Winston visits as being his mothers age, or to Linda sleeping with Popà © are playing with taboo, trying to titillate the readers sense of the inappropriate through reference to the heteronormative sense of order. Overall, one experiences a striving on the part of both authors to order women into easily identifiable categories (mothers and (m)others), thus not really challenging or redefining their own societies respective views on women. Thus, regardless of the fact that both Huxley and Orwell manage to create complex fictional universes (arguably Orwells being more sophisticated than Huxleys), their views on women are seemingly transposed in their entirety without conscious criticism or willingness to challenge the reader. Works consulted * Goldstein, Philip, Orwell as a (Neo)conservative: The Reception of 1984, The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Winter, 2000), pp. 44-57 Published by: Midwest Modern Language Association, Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1315117 * Patai, Daphne, Gamesmanship and Androcentrism in Orwells 1984. PMLA, Vol. 97, No. 5 (Oct., 1982), pp. 856-870, retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/462176 * Schweickart, Patsy, Orwell Revisited, The Womens Review of Books, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Nov., 1984), pp. 3-4,Published by: Old City Publishing, Inc. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4019466 * Orwell, George, 1984, London, Penguin Books (1989) * Huxley, Aldous, Brave New World, http://www.hedweb.com/huxley/bnw [1] Huxley, Aldous, Brave New World, (http://www.hedweb.com/huxley/bnw/four.html â€Å"the pneumatic sofas† [2] Ibid, http://www.hedweb.com/huxley/bnw/ten.html [3] Orwell, George, 1984, London, Penguin Books (1989) [4] Ibid [5] Ibid [6] Goldstein, Philip, Orwell as a (Neo)conservative: The Reception of 1984, The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Winter, 2000), pp. 44-57 Published by: Midwest Modern Language Association, Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1315117 [7] Schweickart, Patsy, Orwell Revisited, The Womens Review of Books, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Nov., 1984), pp. 3-4,Published by: Old City Publishing, Inc. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4019466 [8] Patai, Daphne, Gamesmanship and Androcentrism in Orwells 1984. PMLA, Vol. 97, No. 5 (Oct., 1982), pp. 856-870, retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/462176 [9] Ibid [10] Goldstein, Philip, Orwell as a (Neo)conservative: The Reception of 1984, The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Winter, 2000), pp. 44-57 Published by: Midwest Modern Language Association, Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1315117

Compare the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke Essay -- Faith Re

Compare and contrast the birth narratives in the Gospel of Matthew and that of the Gospel of Luke. The birth narrative of Matthew begins with a long genealogy of Jesus, which basically shows how Jesus is son of Abraham who is the father of the nation of Israel, and David the King of the Jews. This may not seem important but this genealogy shows how Jesus is connected to the Davidic line. Then we have Mary, who just found out she was pregnant and Joseph decides it is best to divorce her because he wanted to break his union with someone who is pregnant, by someone else. But behold the angel comes down and reassures Joseph that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and that he should take her back into his house. The angel also said to name the child Emmanuel. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and King Herod heard of this new newborn king of the Jews and he ordered that all boys under the age of 2 be killed. The magi gave Jesus the gifts and left. In a dream, the angel of the lord told Joseph to take the child and go to Egypt and hide, Herod then died, and Jesus was safe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The birth narrative of Luke begins with the announcement of the birth of John, whose mother was Elizabeth. An angel came to Zechariah, Elizabeth?s husband and the angel said that his son John would be in great sight of the Lord that he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mother womb and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel...

Art Imitates Life; Life Imitates Art Essay

Super Columbine Massacre RPG (SCMRPG) is a case of art imitates life. Danny Ledonne patterned his game after the infamous Columbine tragedy. He created characters and situations which are very similar to those that transpired on that fateful day. The question is, up to what extent does art start and stop imitating life? Are there any boundaries that should not be crossed? Are there any rules that should not be broken? These were some of the questions that Ledonne has been trying to answer regarding his game. He was criticized for being morally insensitive towards the feelings of those who were involved in Columbine. In this case, with regards to moral grounds, should a filmmaker or developer cease to create anything inspired by actual events? According to the one of the posts in Ledonne’s website, SCMRPG is one of the most important games in gaming history. It has discussed a significant awakening that no matter what anyone had done, in reference to the quote â€Å"we should have checked their rooms† voiced by one of the gunmen’s parents – there is nothing that could stop Harris and Klebold in their plan. It also showed how things started for the two boys and this sociological way of representing Harris and Klebold through SCMRPG might be a first step towards acceptance of video games as a legitimate medium for the expression of serious thoughts. SCMRPG also comprehensively dealt with the psychological profiles of both Harris and Klebold, which no one had ever done before (www. columbinegame. com). It has been said that the actions of Harris and Klebold were brought about by watching violent video games, which is an example of life imitates art. The pattern of execution and the detailed plan of going about the killing were blamed on the detailed video games as well as the music these boys listened to. But up to what extent can we blame art for the actions of a spectator? As Ledonne answered this question in relation the Dawson College shooting incident, he emphasized that merely playing a game that looks archaic does not encourage someone like Kimveer to go out and kill. In fact the game was devoid of all the gory details that gamers would typically want. Games do have effect on teenager violence but it’s not the only one to blame for it. The columbine massacre was a disaster waiting to happen. It just so happened that the 2 kids who committed the atrocious act were playing video games and that their favorite band was Marilyn Manson. The increasing incident of kids committing suicide due to bullying is alarming. As a coping mechanism for these 2 kids they wanted to hurt those people who hurt them but as kids, they made a very bad decision and very bad planning that they hurt other people as well. Klebold and Harris lost their direction in life and were not appropriately guided on how to overcome teenage emotions such as inadequacy and inferiority complex. Conclusion Super Columbine Massacre RPG was created to give gamers a feel of what Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold felt, with the intent of preventing another Harris or Klebold. However, moving aside artistic expression and the intent to save â€Å"potential† Harris or Klebold through human contact, looking at the game as an avid fan of computer games – there is not much to see actually. The 16-bit image that moves up and down and jumps from time to time gets a little bit boring. Nonetheless, the conversation between Klebold and Harris are a must-read. Ledonne had thoroughly researched the game that 80 percent of the dialogues were taken from Harris and Klebold’s own writings. The sounds used are a bit better than regular midi since it utilizes popular music which could actually make the â€Å"thinking† moments of the characters very effective. Too many literature have been written about the reasons why Harris and Klebold created such mayhem, but too little had been said about how these two boys were as much as a victim like those people they gunned down in Columbine. Almost as always, issues were being discussed in forums, articles were being published and documentaries were being aired. But, one media form that hasn’t been utilized till now was the gaming world. Ledonne wanted to change that by turning the silly world of gaming into a platform of more serious topics. He did so by creating SCMRPG. Ledonne on an interview by the Washington Post said that he would not create another game. SCMRPG was created with the intent of generating discussion and presenting a unique perspective on the events of Columbine. This may not be the future of gaming, but it is a step towards the future of how games will be treated and viewed in our culture–as artful, meaningful objects which represent the thoughts, ideas, dreams and nightmares of a unique creator (http://alt-games. com/? p=28). With regards to the objective of the game, I believe that it has amassed the intended attention and created an awareness regarding video games and violence. Ledonne had successfully generated a forum where families and loved ones of the Columbine incident could air their grievances (even though at the expense of the game). Works Cited Crecente, Brian (September 20, 2006). â€Å"Columbine RPG Creator Talks about Dawson Shooting†. Kotaku. http://www. kotaku. com/gaming/danny-ledonne/feature-columbine-rpg-creator-talks-about-dawson-shooting-201829. php. Retrieved on December 8, 2008. Dugan, Patrick (March 13, 2007). â€Å"Soapbox: Why You Owe the Columbine RPG (page 2)†. Gamasutra. http://www. gamasutra. com/features/20070313/dugan_02. shtml. Retrieved on May 8. , 2009. Holmes, T. J. ; Betty Nguyen (November 7, 2007). â€Å"Transcripts – CNN Sunday Morning†. CNN. http://edition. cnn. com/TRANSCRIPTS/0711/11/sm. 01. html. Retrieved on May 8, 2009. Stuart, Keith (January 11, 2007). â€Å"Gamesblog: Sorry, Boris, these ‘blasted gizmos’ are here to stay†. The Guardian: p. 3. Retrieved May 8, 2009. Thompson, Clive (January 15, 2007). â€Å"I, Columbine Killer†. Wired. http://www. wired. com/gaming/gamingreviews/commentary/games/2007/01/72491? currentPage=all. Retrieved on May 8, 2009. Vargas, Jose Antonio (May 20, 2006). â€Å"Shock, Anger Over Columbine Video Game†. The Washington Post: p. C6. http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/19/AR2006051901979. html. Retrieved on May 8,2009

Index Numbers of Commodity Prices and Industries

Index Numbers of Commodity Prices and Industries In India index numbers are constructed for a wide range of economic subjects and their use is constantly increasing. The construction of index numbers started in India as early as the last quarter of 19th century. The main use of index numbers is to facilitate the assessment of average changes over the years with regard to wide range of economic activities. Many official and non-official agencies compile and publish index numbers of various kind. Index number of industrial production The Index Number of Industrial production was first compiled by the Office of theEconomic Adviser to the Government of India with base 1937 = 100. The index has been revised from time to time with respect to the base year, the basis of weighing and the coverage of items. The current index number is with base 1970 = 100 and the items covered are divided into four groups, viz. , i. Basic industries, it. Capital goods industries, iii. Intermediate goods indus tries and ‘v. Consumer goods industries. Index numbers of commodity prices Index Number of commodity prices may be broadly classified as index number of wholesale prices and index number of retail prices. ) Index number of wholesale prices- The wholesale price index number are of two types: i. The general purpose index is constructed with a view to reflect the changes taking place in the general price level; hence it includes a large number of commodities. i'. A sensitive index on the other hand serves as an indicator of the movements of the general price levels and it includes only few important commodities which generally react quickly to the market trends. The current index number of wholesale prices has 1970-71 as the base year. (b) Index number of retail prices- The chief retail price index numbers ompiled in India are i.Labour bureau index number of retail prices for urban centres and it. Labour bureau index number of retail prices for rural centres. The Labour Bureau, M inistry of Labour, Government of India, compiles and publishes the index number of retail prices for 18 selected urban centres and 11 selected rural centres in various parts of the country on monthly basis. The index number initially had 1944 as the base. Now the construction of this index number is discontinued and it is replaced by simple price relatives of certain selected articles of consumption ith the calendar year 1960 as base year. c) Consumer price index numbers- The consumer price index number compiled and published by the Labour Bureau are important indicators of the changing economic situation in the country. At all India level three different series of consumer price index numbers are compiled. They are: i. Consumer price index of industrial workers, it. Consumer price index for non-manual employees and iii. Consumer price index for agricultural labourers. http://classofl . com/homework-help/statistics-homework-help/