Free College Admissions Essays: High School Reunion :: College Admissions Essays

College Admissions: What will you be like at your high school reunion? Â   An automobile, a vibrant yellow sport scar, pulls up to the front of the school. Its mirrored windows reflect the faces of a large crowd, waiting breathlessly for the car door to open. A man steps out of the driver's side, dressed in a formal suit, with the roguish appeal and smile of James Bond, the famous 007 agent. He walks around the front of the car and helps his date get out. The two of them stride hand in hand towards the school as flashes go off and people point at them. As the beautiful couple enters the building, an old station wagon chugs its way through the parking lot. I get out, wearing a jacket and tie, and run toward the school. My hair is disheveled, and my socks are mismatched. I am running late because I had started reading a good book earlier that evening and lost track of time. Â   I reach the front doors of the school, and glance at the glass reflection. A thin, slightly balding man stares back at me through black-framed glasses. He is wearing a corny tie, which is a little too small, and a belt, cinched up tight. He pats down his hair, smiles, and a little glint of suppressed laughter appears in his eye. Happy with the world, I open the glass paned door and enter. Â   I catch sight of some of my friends, grouped in a circle, each sharing the story of where they had been since graduation. I step right in and listen in on the trials of the Bar Exam, the little things a wife can do to annoy you, and a chance encounter with the President, before she had become President. My turn comes, and I begin my story. Â   I had gone to college, as most of my friends had, but I stayed longer than I originally planned. The company that hired me for my first Co-op was so impressed, that they offered me a job right then. I loved it there, helping to design new products for people, and I loved the challenge of working on many projects at once, but I loved school more. I arranged to Co-op with them each year while I worked my way up to a masters in Mechanical Engineering. Free College Admissions Essays: High School Reunion :: College Admissions Essays College Admissions: What will you be like at your high school reunion? Â   An automobile, a vibrant yellow sport scar, pulls up to the front of the school. Its mirrored windows reflect the faces of a large crowd, waiting breathlessly for the car door to open. A man steps out of the driver's side, dressed in a formal suit, with the roguish appeal and smile of James Bond, the famous 007 agent. He walks around the front of the car and helps his date get out. The two of them stride hand in hand towards the school as flashes go off and people point at them. As the beautiful couple enters the building, an old station wagon chugs its way through the parking lot. I get out, wearing a jacket and tie, and run toward the school. My hair is disheveled, and my socks are mismatched. I am running late because I had started reading a good book earlier that evening and lost track of time. Â   I reach the front doors of the school, and glance at the glass reflection. A thin, slightly balding man stares back at me through black-framed glasses. He is wearing a corny tie, which is a little too small, and a belt, cinched up tight. He pats down his hair, smiles, and a little glint of suppressed laughter appears in his eye. Happy with the world, I open the glass paned door and enter. Â   I catch sight of some of my friends, grouped in a circle, each sharing the story of where they had been since graduation. I step right in and listen in on the trials of the Bar Exam, the little things a wife can do to annoy you, and a chance encounter with the President, before she had become President. My turn comes, and I begin my story. Â   I had gone to college, as most of my friends had, but I stayed longer than I originally planned. The company that hired me for my first Co-op was so impressed, that they offered me a job right then. I loved it there, helping to design new products for people, and I loved the challenge of working on many projects at once, but I loved school more. I arranged to Co-op with them each year while I worked my way up to a masters in Mechanical Engineering.

Sinking Into Society Essay -- World History

In any nation mistakes have been the source of change. Whether it is safety or governmental reform or a revolution in the nation’s lifestyle and customs, those mistakes have made a lasting imprint on the minds of their people. The sinking of one of history’s maiden voyages, the Titanic, has made such impact on the American people; Titanic cannot be mentioned without stirring deep emotions for those who have perished. It is one of history’s most devastating catastrophes but it is also the first ship to send the new SOS distress call instead of the original CQD signal meaning â€Å"all stations: distress†. Titanic â€Å"was the ship of dreams, whose passengers scrounged up their life savings to purchase a ticket abroad the maiden ship† (Titanic). Constructed with millionaire suites and private promenade decks, Titanic â€Å"was the largest moving object ever made by the hand of man in all history† (Titanic). However, in its determination to mak e the journey across the Atlantic the fastest ever recorded, it ultimately sank to the bottom of the ocean, leaving behind a legacy still found in America today. Titanic’s infamous flounder has affected America’s culture in unthinkable ways; its legacy can be found in American media, the spawning of new technological advancements, and in the world’s current maritime policies. News of Titanic’s sinking reached America quickly. It was front-page news for months and the first time that â€Å"a major news event was reported to the public primarily through electronic means, the wireless telegraph† (Titanic as Popular Culture). The US National Newspaper stated that â€Å"coverage of the Titanic disaster transformed New York Times into a global voice because of its integrity, accuracy, and immediate coverage† (Titanic as ... ... the minds of the American people. It has transformed America in astonishing ways, and its legacy will continue to impact American culture for years to come. Works Cited Minichiello, Ray. "Titanic Tragedy Spawns Wireless Advancements." Audio UK Is the Webs Best Directory for Audio HiFi Dealers and Manufacturers in the UK. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. "Titanic as Popular Culture." Media Awareness Network | Rà ©seau à ©ducation Mà ©dias. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. Titanic. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and Billy Zane. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 1997. IMDb. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. "Titanic Disaster." Emergency Medical Paramedic. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. Wikipedia contributors. "Changes in safety practices following the RMS Titanic disaster." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free–Encyclopedia, 13 Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.

Community Service Essay

Before actually partaking in community service, I always thought of it as a means of overworking students for the employers to save money, but after actually getting myself involved in it†¦I realized that doing community service is actually a privilege for us the volunteers. It gives us an opportunity to gain experience, widen our skills and get a better understanding of the hard labour and it is a process that essentially goes into the outcome of a product or service. Community service has literally made me realized how little I contribute to my country, how little I know about my country and has brought to my attention and conscience that I should try my best to assist more—free of wage—in the continuous growth of my economy. Doing my service at St. Rose Nursery, has opened my eyes to the not so easy process of growing flowers, plants and trees; for example how important fertilizers are and what a big difference the right fertilisers make—and also the diff erent types of fertilizers and their functions . Before I never really understood the beauty of them nor did I realize how much work went into nurturing and harvesting them, but now I am more aware and more concerned about the health of trees and how they are treated and even situated in a pot or the ground. On my first day at St. Rose Nursery, I was given a tour of the compound and while getting the tour, I could not help but feel relaxed and free. The ambience of the nursery changed my mood and thought completely; it had me wondering why do we stress out ourselves? Also it made me realize that I should take time to get in touch with nature and myself. After being introduced to the employees, I felt intimidated because I was the only female surrounded by five males so I saw that as a challenge in terms of them underestimating me and my abilities but after talking to them for a little I felt right at home and was able to be myself and even challenge myself by learning to pot plants, fertilize them and water them all in one day. They were all so helpful and very explanatory and took the time to show me exactly what to do before I did it, at the end of the day I excelled and  accomplished far more than they expected; the good energy at the nursery led me to spend longer hours there than I actually expected to spend per day. Throughout my time at St. Rose nursery, I would like to believe that I have brought a youthful and eager emotion to the compound; despite the fact that we worked in separate areas. I believe that I have shown them that a woman can be productive in the nursery field and can also keep up with their speed and even surpass them; I stared of potting only 1 plant per 2 minutes and by the end of the day, I was able to plant 2 plants per minute—it was fun and we turned it into a game—I observed the workers fertilizing the plants and heard the headman tell him that he was applying too much so I made an attempt to fertilize the next batch of plants and was told that I had done a good job! Not too much and not too little; I felt pleased and proud of myself—I had done better than someone who had much more experience in that field than me. It is funny how one can assume that plant nurturing to be a simple and senseless skill, well I learned the hard yet interesting way that it is far from simple and a lot of thought and precision goes into the whole process, from the pot the plant goes into, the climate & atmosphere and type of soil that it is planted in. I have learned from this experience that it is possible to push myself a bit further when trying to accomplish a certain task in a given amount of time, I have learned that I am far more patient than I thought and most importantly I have learned that I personally stress myself over minor issues instead of taking time to breathe, relax and find a solution for it; through this I have come to the conclusion that I should find more time to clear my mind and possibly do something that I find interesting, productive and selfless to release my stresses of life. I have learned that even though I am an introvert, working with people is not that bad after all it just takes gett ing used to them and knowing how to work to suit all their different personalities. I also learned that working with other people really helps to get more work done faster. I honestly can say that I enjoyed the interaction with people who were not of my norm; I enjoyed the whole learning about new trees and their fruits,  smells, blooming and reproduction time. I enjoyed planting and reposting plants and most importantly I enjoyed the view of the surroundings. This endeavour was a challenging one in terms of patience and precision but in the end it all paid off, because I was blessed with the opportunity to enhance my gardening skills and was given the opportunity to be social with people who I would normally be afraid to talk to or even be around. Before transposing myself into the real life community service equation, I thought to myself and made an oath to myself that my main aim was to simple complete my thirty hours of community service as fast and as soon as possible, but after starting and observing the nursery, I realized that it would provide me with far more knowledge and far more fun and experience than I expected and I realized that it would be in my best interest to use it to my advantage to gain a greater skill. I believe that service to others is important because it is a good way to give back to the community and also to increase one’s level of experience and variation. I believe in my distant future I would once again volunteer my time to another estate to expand my comprehension and also to help improve my community and help improve myself as a person. The people at the St. Rose Nursery are very hospital and down to earth, to the point where I can honestly say that there is nothing I would change about their mannerism. To potential volunteers, I would like to advice them to go into the experience open minded and willing to learn. I would also suggest that they find something that is within their comfort zone or something at that they at least have a strong interest in learning or have a passion for, simply because if one does something that they do not like or will not like, then they will not enjoy the experience to the fullest and similarly if one does something that seemed interesting to them before they actually partook in it, then they would draw from that experience that it is simply not something they would like to do in the future and would have learned a valuable lesson.

Hydrogen Gas Lab Essay

* For the mass, an uncertainty of0.01g was used, as the uncertainty was stated on the weighing machine. * For the volume, an uncertainty of0.05mL was used, as it was half the smallest increment on the graduated cylinder. * For the temperature, an uncertainty of0.5 was used, as it was half the smallest increment on the thermometer. Sample Calculation Converting mL to L Data Processing: Magnesium+HCl Reaction -Finding the molar volume at STP of hydrogen gas when HCl is reacted with magnesium. Finding Pressure of (Pressure of H2O at 21=0.02763) Finding Volume of at STP 0.002 Sample Calculation Finding Uncertainty for Finding moles of Moles of Finding Molar Volume of at STP. Zinc+HCl Reaction – Experimentally calculating molar mass of zinc using the ideal gas laws. Finding Pressure of (Pressure of H2O at 21=0.02763) Finding Moles of Determining Molar Mass of Zn Conclusion: In conclusion it was found that the molar volume of hydrogen gas that was produced when hydrochloric acid reacted with magnesium was 19L/mol3. Ideally it should be 22.4L/mol according to the ideal gas laws. There is a percent difference of 15% between the two values. But if uncertainties are considered the percent difference is reduced to 2%. This is an acceptable value because the actual value of 22.4L/mol is an approximation in ideal conditions according to the ideal gas laws. The ideal gas laws don’t take into consideration the attractive forces between atoms, or the volume of the atoms. And most likely if those factors were considered then the percent difference would be 0%. For the second part of the experiment it was experimentally found using the ideal gas laws that the molar mass of zinc is 124 g/mol. When compared with the actual value of 65g/mol, there is a percent difference of 90%. And even if uncertainties are considered, the percent difference is only reduced to 64%. This is too big; therefore the data is rendered unreliable. There were quite a few weaknesses and limitations in this lab. First of all the volume of H2O mixed in with the H2 gas was not considered. Had it been considered, then the volume found at STP would have been lower, and it would give a more accurate measurement to what the experimental value is. Another weakness in this lab was the fact that the molar mass of zinc was twice as big as its accepted value. The most likely reason for this is that when the zinc reacted, it is likely that some of the hydrogen gas was not in the beaker, but the hydrogen gas escaped into the air. That is why when the formula n=PV/RT was used, the volume in the numerator was half as big as it should be, which in turn caused the calculated molar mass to double. So it can be assumed that approximately half the hydrogen gas escaped into the air. Another weakness was the fact that the apparatus was left over night, and so if there was a microscopic hole or crack, then the chances of the hydrogen escaping is very high. This would be true because, and since hydrogen has the lowest molar mass of all the elements, it would have a very high velocity, and so it is possible that the hydrogen gas was able to escape through a microscopic hole at a fast rate because it has such a high velocity. Not only that, but since it was left overnight, it would have had more time to escape the beaker. There are a number of ways that this lab could be improved. First of all, a new graduated cylinder should be used to ensure that there are no cracks or holes through which the hydrogen gas can escape. Along with that the apparatus should not be left out overnight, but instead the reaction should be speeded up by heating up the apparatus, and then taking the measurements of the volume of gas every 1 minute. This in turn would decrease the amount of energy lost to the environment, and it would end up giving more accurate results. Next time, the volume of should also be considered. A percentage value can be used, since we know the pressure that gives, that pressure can be converted into a percent, and multiplies by the total volume, and then inversed. This in turn will in turn give the volume of .This will hold true because V=nRT/P, so pressure and volume are inversely proportional, and since nRT is a constant V and P have to change accordingly.

Descartes’ First Trademark Argument Essay

Descartes argues that our idea of God is innate, meaning it is something inside us from birth, something that has always been there and will always be there. He believed that everybody has an idea of God being a supremely perfect being, and comes to the conclusion in his argument, that God himself put this idea there, he even said that our idea of God is like â€Å"the mark of the craftsman stamped on his work† – us being the work, the mark being our knowledge of God himself. For Descartes, the fact that everybody has this innate idea of a supremely perfect God is in itself, proof of his existence; and the fact that this is an a priori argument, makes this argument appealing for all rationalists, as it relies on knowledge, and not sense experience – which Descartes never trusted. The foundation for Descartes argument is the causal adequacy principle, this is the idea that something (for example, A cannot exist unless it is produced or caused by something else that contains formally or eminently everything that is found in A. Formal reality refers to the basic properties that a thing possesses. However, this alone would cause problems for Descartes argument, because God obviously does not possess all of the properties, of all of the objects on earth, take for example a stone, its properties are hard, round, rough. God is not these things. The way Descartes gets round this is by saying that something say again, a stone, can be caused by something that contains the properties eminently. To contain something eminently, means for the cause to not necessarily have the same properties as the effect, but to have a greater property. So God may not possess the qualities of a stone (say hardness) however he possesses a quality greater then this. In other words, the causal adequacy effects means the cause of something can be no less then the effect. Descartes then takes this principle, and believes he can apply it to ideas, in particular the idea of God as a maximally/supremely perfect being, the cause of this idea, must therefore must contain formally or eminently maximum perfection, so therefore the cause of the idea of God must itself be maximally perfect. Descartes then uses deductive reasoning to decide where the idea came from, he first asked, could he be the source of the idea? However concludes that he can’t be, because he himself is not supremely perfect, and therefore he can’t be the cause of a supremely perfect being. He then considers if the idea of a supremely perfect being could have come through his senses, however he decides this isn’t possible, as he knows he has never seen (heard, smelt, tasted) a supremely perfect being. He then asks if he could have imagined a supremely perfect being, again he concludes he couldn’t have, because his idea of God is too clear and distinct to have come from his imagination. He therefore deducts that the cause of the idea of a supremely perfect being, is actually an existing supremely perfect being who ‘placed’ this idea in his mind; so therefore, God exists. There are however, a number of criticisms to this argument, firstly, many philosophers have raised doubts as to whether the causal adequacy principle is actually true to real life, as there are a number of examples in everyday situations where the cause at least appears to be less then the effect, for example, a match causing a roaring bonfire, or a whisper causing an avalanche. Further examples include chaos theory – the idea that a flutter of a butterfly’s wing can cause an earthquake. If indeed causal adequacy principle isn’t true, Descartes’ whole argument is flawed, as if the cause can be less great then the effect, then Descartes indeed could have created him himself. The second criticism is David Hume’s argument, that you cannot know a cause a priori, but only by experience. He says you cannot determine the cause of something, simply by using reasoning, for example, if a window is broken, you know it must have been something big enough to produce enough force to break it by our past experiences, not by using a priori reasoning. He concludes that you have to have to have observed the cause and the effect to truly know what happened, and therefore the cause must be in existence. The third criticism questions whether we can actually have an idea of a supremely perfect being, Thomas Aquinas doubts our imaginings of God, because he is too great, and that it is impossible for us to understand some of his qualities, particularly the idea of God being infinite, as it is beyond out understanding to understand what such qualities actually mean, and therefore we don’t have a genuine idea of God. The forth criticism of Descartes’ argument is that the idea of God is incoherent, there are attributes which appear to be just plain contradictory, for example God is both immanent and transcendent. There is also doubt raised over Gods supposed omnipotence, can he make a rock so heavy that he can’t lift it? It seems either way his omnipotence will be compromised. There is also the problem of evil, if God is all good, omniscient and omnipotent, then why does he allow suffering in the world? It would therefore seem that the idea of God is unclear, and if so it is likely the cause isn’t that great, and so would make sense that the cause could in fact have been Descartes himself. Another criticism is that the idea of God is not universal, as many other religions do not have an idea of one all powerful God, and therefore the idea of God cannot be innate, as if it was, it would be inside all of us. Also, it is put that the idea of omnipotence cannot be divine, as it can be traced back to having historical routes as tribes fought over who had the greatest God, they would start with ‘our God is powerful’ until one tribes got to ‘our God is maximally powerful’ – and therefore cannot be beaten by the other tribe. Descartes would argue that the fact other religions don’t acknowledge one maximally perfect God does not mean the innate idea is not in us, it just means they have chose to ignore it, or haven’t been made aware of it. He compares it to maths, in the way that we may not have used its truths and laws (i. e. that a triangles interior angles add up to 180) however they are still truths none the less. The last criticism is the empiricists account for the idea of God, that we have experienced attributes such as power, knowledge and goodness in people around them and simply extended them to the idea of God, therefore the cause is less great then the effect, and the idea is not innate. One thing it has in it’s favor, is that it is an a priori argument, and therefore uses reasoning, something rationalist would find very appealing, it means that if the premise can be accepted that it can give 100% certainty. Overall, I feel Descartes’ argument has too many valid criticisms for it to be considered as a successful argument, and its foundation- casual adequacy principle, is itself flawed, leaving the whole argument to fail.

Class Conflict in Pakistan Society Essay

Conflict theorie Conflict theories are perspectives in social science that emphasize the social, political, or material inequality of a social group, that critique the broad socio-political system, or that otherwise detract from structural functionalism and ideological conservativism. Conflict theories draw attention to power differentials, such as class conflict, and generally contrast historically dominant ideologies. It is therefore a macro level analysis of society. Karl Marx is the father of the social conflict theory, which is a component of the 4 paradigms of sociology. Certain conflict theories set out to highlight the ideological aspects inherent in traditional thought. Whilst many of these perspectives hold parallels, conflict theory does not refer to a unified school of thought, and should not be confused with, for instance, peace and conflict studies, or any other specific theory of social conflic Elite Class Def:- A group or class of persons or a member of such a group or class, enjoying superior intellectual, social, or economic status:- First, The fact is that the term and concept, ‘elite’, is misrepresented and misunderstood in this country. Intriguingly, those who are part of the elite themselves carry out most of the anti-elite commentary. In fact, castigating the elite at popular forums is a way to gain legitimacy that could lead to acquisition of greater power. While there is no doubt about the fact that Pakistan’s elite is irresponsible towards itself and the people, it was more interesting to see the gentleman refer to Asif Ali Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Nawaz Shrif as part of the elite. Second, ‘elite’ is not a static concept but is forever evolving. What constituted elite yesterday may not be the same today or even tomorrow. Historically and popularly, the elite referred to the landed-feudal group because this was the dominant group in an agrarian economy like Pakistan’s. Later, as mentioned earlier, other groups were formed. The evolutionary process also meant that newer elite groups emerged almost every decade due to state patronage that replaced the traditional elite and the older ones merged into the newer formations. Third, the elite are not just a group, but also the name of a process that facilitates a constant cycle of change in a society. In case of a powerful, yet easily manipulated state like Pakistan, the process of elite formation is directly linked with the ability of a group to manipulate the state, its power and resources. This means that what may be the middle class or lower middle class of yesterday can be the elite of today. For instance, who could imagine a few decades ago that one day, people belonging to lower middle or middle class backgrounds, like Altaf Hussain, Qaim Ali Shah, Malik Riaz, Humayun Akhtar, Ijazul Haq, or Arsalan Iftikhar will be powerful millionaires and part of the elite. Middle class The middle class is a class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class. The common measures of what constitutes middle class vary significantly among cultures. As Dr Nayab postulates, to answer that question one first has to define what one means by middle class. She starts off by looking at standard economic definitions of what constitutes the middle class and applies a range of these definitions to the data to see how Pakistan fares. She uses 15 formulae, ranging from the definition of the middle class as those with 75 to 125% of the median income, to expenditure from $2 to $20 per person per day, to double the poverty line. Her results differ widely, ranging from a finding that there is no middle class in Pakistan, to the finding that 60% of the population can be defined as middle class. This composite index yields results that seem more intuitive. Dr Nayab found that in 2007/08, 41.9% of the population of Pakistan belonged to the â€Å"lower-lower class† or to be more blunt, the poor. This proportion rose to 55% when only rural areas were considered. Aspirants to â€Å"middle-classism† constituted 23% of the population, while â€Å"climbers† who are likely to get there constituted another 15% or so. The â€Å"hard-core† middle class remained small at 4.3% of the population. But Dr Nayab’s multiple classification of middle class makes more sense sociologically, as it seems more realistic to think of the middle class itself as a series of â€Å"layers.† lower class Working class (or lower class, labouring class, sometimes proletariat) is a term used in thesocial sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs (as measured by skill, education and lower incomes), often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes. Working classes are mainly found in industrializedeconomies and in urban areas of non-industrialized economies. Injustic Injustice is, the idea of not giving each person his or her fair due as a matter of right. Commonly Found Social Injustices †¢ A few commonly found social injustices in our society are: – 1. Unequal distribution of resources 2. Restricted access of common people to the quality education 3. Monopoly of rich class in the political system of the country 4. Lack of basic health facilities to poor5. Non availability of necessary commodities to major portion of the population Place of Women in Society/Gender Violence. With the erosion of social values, the place of women in our society has also been lost sight of. It is most regrettable that gender violence is a common norm of our social culture; more so in backward and less educated segments of our society. Marriage System. Owing to lack of education and following outdated traditions, the system of marriage in Pakistan is being run on the primitive terms of ignorance. Place of women in society makes her rather a scape-goat for any matrimonial affair. She does not have any liberty to make decisions for her life partner less to decide about others. Violation of Human Rights. Pakistan’s record of human rights does not make her qualify to stand high in the comity of civilized nations. Due to lack of education, poor social system and backwardness, violation of human rights is a common norm in Pakistan. And the worst affected of this are the women, children and the poor masses. Class Division of Society. Pakistani society is highly polarized and divided into various castes, classes, religious affinities and political affiliation. This makes it highly vulnerable to be exploited by the elements working against Pakistan. Intolerant Society. We are an intolerant society. This intolerance manifests itself in our social, religious and political activities. Our relationships are characterized by unthinking support. There is little sense of accommodation for rivals or competitors or those who belong to another sect, region or ethnic group, political crisis The political crisis in Pakistan threatens to trigger yet another period of instability in the country. The three-way power struggle between the military, the government and the courts once again exposes the weaknesses of the country’s democratic institutions, say German commentators. The political drama playing out in Pakistan this week took another twist Tuesday when the country’s high court ordered the arrest of Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on suspicions of corruption and nepotism. The suspicions have followed Ashraf for years, but the timing of the announcement now threatens to light a match on the country’s smoldering political crisis. Since Sunday self proclaimed revolutionary leader Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has been leading a protest march calling for the ouster of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zadari. Qadri, a moderate clergyman who has denounced corruption among the political class, has seen a meteoric rise to popularity over the last months. On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators joined his protest and packed Islamabad’s streets. The court’s announcement came in the middle of Qadri’s speech on Tuesday and the crowd broke out in cheers at the news. On Wednesday, Qadri once again called for the end of the government. â€Å"If these thieves hadn’t ruled Pakistan, today every child in the country would have a smile on their face,† he shouted to his followers. Meanwhile the country’s normally meddlesome military has been strangely silent in the midst of chaos. That silence has led some observers to believe that the country’s generals are behind Qadri’s campaign. The turmoil comes just weeks before Pakistan’s government was set to complete its five year term, a milestone in a country that normally experiences volatile shifts of power. At the same time violence has been growing with extremists attacking the government and religious minorities.. THE PLANETARY CHALLENGE If an alternative future for Pakistan is not created, the pendulum will continue with collapse always being in the background. Moreover, in the world we now live in, a weakness or pathology in any part of the planetary system threatens us all. Pakistan’s futures are part of the planet’s futures – we all need to transform. Great Game. Pakistan remains a pawn, moved around for the strategic and ideological purposes of the great powers. Whether in proxy wars against the Russians or against 9/11 jihadis or whoever may be next, Pakistan’s capacity to influence its future is low or non-existent. At best, it can only rent out its military, or territory, for others’ battles. In this future (as in the current present), the rental receipts do not lead to even development –they merely enrich those getting the rent, generally the military. The national game becomes not how to transform the great game but how to get a piece of the action, legitimately or illegitimately. Those not part of the money game sing songs of grand conspiracies. These songs take away agency. While Pakistan has a dependency relationship with the rest of the world, citizens have a dependency – child/adult – relationship with the government, expecting it to solve each and every problem, without taking responsibility for their own actions and blaming the government when it fails. At the collective level, Pakistan remains rudderless, evoking the words of the founder, but unable to follow through with action. Economic Injustice A few weeks ago the news was published that the Punjabgovernment had allotted 4,000 yards (or more) for Rs1,000 per person to armygenerals, including Gen Pervez Musharraf. The given argument was that they got cheap land because the area was not developed. The history of this country reveals that undeveloped areas get developed quickly where generals and army officials get land. Are army personnel the only bureaucrats serving this country? What about other people who are working in civil bureaucratic institutions and private organizations? Do they also get so many benefits as do the army personnel?Economic Progress, Stability are key to Pakistan’s future Army interfering in Pakistani politics Many political parties claim that they do not want army to interfere in political issues and that army should be on borders doing its job. Recently there was a long march started by the lawyers and some political parties for the restoration of the deposed Chief justice. the protest became violent when the protesters started beating policemen. Later that night General Ashfaq pervaiz kiyani talked to Prime minister Yousuf raza gilani and asked him to restore the deposed chief justice immediately. After which the prime minister yousuf raza gilani took the decision to restore the deposed cheif justice in front of the people of Pakistan. The decision was welcomed by parties like plmn and pti.All these parties which in past claimed that army should not interfere in politics did not even said a word against General Kiyani pressurizing an elected prime minister instead they welcomed the decision. Source: http://www.defence.pk/forums/national-political-issues/23722-army-interfering-pakistani-politics.html#ixzz2IR33Mi2j

Suicide And Suicidal Behaviours Health And Social Care Essay

AbstractionSuicide is a major cause of mortality worldwide. It is a human calamity that accounts for an estimated one million deceases yearly. This translates to at least one decease ensuing from self-destruction every 40 seconds. The magnitude of the job is farther compounded by the fact that the incidence of attempted self-destruction is about 25 times more than that of completed self-destruction. Every act of suicide impacts on at least six other persons. Suicide rates have increased by approximately 60 % over the last 45 old ages, therefore representing a major public wellness load. These rates are grossly underreported globally and many developing states, including Nigeria, do non hold meaningful records of deceases and their causes. There is dearth of information as respects the incidence of self-destruction and self-destructive behavior in Nigeria, with the exclusion of a few recent surveies. A systematic online reappraisal of published literature on self-destruction and self- destructive behavior in Nigeria was conducted and relevant articles reviewed. This article chronicles the development of research on self-destruction and self-destructive behavior in Nigeria, from isolated studies in the 1960s to more recent, large-scale epidemiological studies in the last decennary. It farther high spots the demand for an efficient system of wellness records with efficient certification of deceases and their causes, and a alteration in the state ‘s statute law with regard to suicide and suicidal behaviors.WritersDr. J. O. AbdulmalikConsultant Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.Dr. O.O. Ayinde,Senior Registrar, Department of Psychiatry, University College Hospital, Ibadan.Alabi Omolabake OluwadamilolaConcluding Year Medical Student, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.Alabi Adeleke Ifeoluwa,Concluding Year Medical Student, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. All correspondence to: jfutprints @ yahoo.com, labek125 @ yahoo.comIntroductionMental, neurological and substance usage upsets make a significant part to the planetary load of disease ( GBD ) , which is estimated with the disability-adjusted life old ages ( DALY ) metric, assigned to each disease/disorder. The DALY is the amount of two composite steps: the old ages lived with disablement ( YLD ) and the old ages of life lost ( YLL ) due to a specified disease within the entire population. Suicide accounted for 1.8 % of the entire disease load as at 1998, but is projected to lift to 2.4 % by the twelvemonth 2020. [ 1 ] Mental and behavioral upsets are common, and will impact one in every four individuals at some clip during their lives. [ 2 ] The World Health Organization ( WHO ) defines suicide as ‘the act of killing oneself, intentionally initiated and performed by the individual concerned in the full cognition or outlook of its fatal result ‘ . [ 3 ] While several definitions exist, suicide merely means the knowing act of stoping one ‘s ain life. Suicide is the 3rd prima cause of decease among immature people, aged 15 to 44 old ages, and ranks second for striplings between ages 15 and 19 old ages old. [ 4 ] These studies have prompted the WHO to go smartly involved in runing to convey the public wellness load and impact of self-destruction to the attending of authoritiess, policymakers and the populace through the bite and airing of statistics, and the development of preventative plans. It is estimated that globally, about one million deceases occur from self-destruction every twelvemonth ; which approximately translates to one self-destruction decease every 40 seconds. The incidence of attempted self-destruction is 25 times more common than completed self-destruction. It is besides the most of import cause of violent decease worldwide, accounting for 49 % of all instances. Other major subscribers to violent deceases worldwide include homicide ( 32 % ) ; with struggles and wars doing up the staying 19 % . It should be borne in head that the act of perpetrating self-destruction, is neither a disease nor a pathological status ; but mental upsets are often found to be associated with it, particularly depression. [ 5 ] Beyond numbering the Numberss of self-destruction and suicidal efforts nevertheless, is the frequently undiscovered psychological load from feelings of guilt, sorrow and torment, which is frequently experienced by the household members and close associates of persons who commit self-destruction. Every act of self-destruction, affects averagely six other people, at the really minimal. [ 5 ] This impact becomes amplified, when a self-destruction occurs in a public state of affairs, such as in a school or work environment. Non-fatal suicidal ideas and behaviors normally precede successful suicide Acts of the Apostless and should be seen as of import calls for aid and intercession, when they occur. They may be classified into three classs: Suicidal ideation, which refers to ideas of prosecuting in behaviour, aimed at stoping one ‘s life. Suicidal program, which refers to the preparation of a specific method and readyings towards stoping his ain life. Suicidal effort, which refers to engagement in potentially self-injurious behavior with some grade of uttered purpose to decease.EtiologyThe undermentioned factors have been found to be associated with self-destruction. [ 6 ] Sociable: These include factors such as the absence of meaningful household ties or societal interactions which could ensue in egocentric self-destruction. Alienation or a interruption in the relationship between an person and the society due to societal or economic diverseness may ensue in alienated self-destruction ; while inordinate integrating and submergence into a given society may take to selfless self-destruction, supposedly for the greater good of that society. Psychological: This includes aggression and ill will turned inward against the ego, as stated by Sigmund Freud ; overpowering feelings of hopelessness as suggested by Aaron Beck ; and cognitive bottleneck of picks as observed by Edward Scheidman among persons with self-destructive inclinations. Biological: Self-destructive behaviors have been linked with lessened degrees of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the cardinal nervous system. Post mortem findings besides indicate low degrees of 5-hydroxytryptamine and some non-specific alterations in the noradrenergic system of self-destruction victims. Familial: Suicidal behaviours may run in households. A positive household history of self-destruction increases the hazard both for attempted and completed self-destruction. Medical: Chronic and enfeebling physical unwellnesss may increase the hazard for self-destruction. Mental upsets besides belong to this class and represent the most of import associated factors in self-destruction. Examples include depression ( associated with over 90 % of instances ) , intoxicant maltreatment, personality upsets, and schizophrenic disorder. Completed self-destruction is more common in males ; nevertheless suicide efforts and consider self-harm ( DSH ) are commoner among females and include Acts of the Apostless of toxic condition, cutting, and firing. Suicide is barely of all time the effect of a individual ground, but may instead result as a consequence of a multiple factors moving in concert to convey about such an act. These hazard factors have been classified into single, socio-cultural and situational factors, as depicted in Table 1. [ 1 ] Table 1: Hazard factors for suicidea? °IndividualSocio-culturalSituationalMental upset Stigmatization of health-seeking behaviour Fiscal troubles Alcohol or drug maltreatment Lack of entree to healthcare services, including mental wellness Social losingss and dislocation of important emotional relationships Hopelessness Cultural and spiritual beliefs lauding self-destruction as a baronial mercantile establishment in the face of personal troubles Ready entree to lethal agencies Previous self-destruction effort Exposure to suicidal behaviours, through the media and the influence of others who have died by self-destruction Nerve-racking life events Isolation and deficiency of societal support Aggressive inclinations Impulsivity History of injury or maltreatment Acute emotional hurt Major physical or chronic unwellnesss Family history of self-destruction a? °Modified from the WHO publication, â€Å" Public wellness action for the bar of self-destruction: a model, WHO ; 2012 † .GLOBAL SITUATION AND TRENDSSuicide rates have increased by 60 % worldwide, in the last 45 old ages, with an estimated planetary incidence rate of 16 per 100,000. [ 7 ] This tendency is happening despite the betterments in the acknowledgment and direction of depression and other mental upsets, and the increased handiness of newer medicines with better and more tolerable side effects. The incidence of self-destruction is normally reported as a rate per 100,000 on a state footing. States such as Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Russia and Belarus which record 30 or more deceases per 100,000 are classified as high rate states. States with Numberss runing from 10 to 29 per 100,000 such as Japan, Hungary, and China have in-between rates ; while those states with fewer than 10 suicide deceases per 100,000 ( e.g. Syria, Jamaica, Egypt ) are classified as low rate states. [ 7 ] However, these rates may really be misdirecting as they do non convey the true extent of the job. For illustration, China has a suicide rate of about 25/100,000, which places it in the in-between scope but it accounts for the largest figure of human deceases from self-destruction yearly, with 287,000 reported suicide deceases ; therefore accounting for about a 3rd of the planetary mortality from self-destruction in a twelvemonth. [ 8 ] Similarly, India ‘s rate of 10/100,000 topographic points it marginally in front of states with low rates, but India is 2nd to China in the figure of suicide deceases recorded per twelvemonth, with reported figures of about 110,000 suicide deceases. [ 9 ] Khan, illustrated the deceptive nature of trusting wholly on these rates, without seting them in the larger context of the state ‘s population. He utilized comparative analysis utilizing the available figures, and showed that four states with high self-destruction rates: Lithuania, Russia, Estonia and Latvia have a combined entire figure of suicide deceases that is less than the entire figure of suicide deceases from India entirely, which is hardly above a low rate state. [ 10 ] Unfortunately, similar country-wide informations is non uniformly available across the Earth. Indeed, several states, including Nigeria, do non routinely cod decease records and have no describing systems to document the causes of decease. These non-reporting states exceed 50, and include states with populations totaling over 100 million people such as Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. [ 11 ] There is a dearth of research on self-destruction from developing states. Very small is known about self-destructions in many African states, including Nigeria. [ 12 ] Mental unwellness is seldom mentioned or is implicated in merely a little figure of self-destructions. The bulk of available studies in developing states are based on hospital necropsy studies or constabularies informations, neither of which would normally document psychological factors involved in self-destructions. Suicide is no longer a condemnable offense in any developed state but continues to be criminalized in many developing states, including Nigeria. Religious and societal factors besides continue to act upon the diagnosing and registering of self-destructions. Families do non unwrap the true nature of the act, for fright of torment by constabulary and the attendant societal stigma that would accrue from such revelations. Alternatively they are more likely to declare the decease an accident or in some instances, a homicide. [ 13 ]THE NIGERIAN CONTEXTThere is dearth of information about the epidemiology of self-destruction in Nigeria. Suicides are by and large reported to be rare in less developed states. This is partially attributable to the routinely hapless records of decease and its causes. In a survey that evaluated medical examiners ‘ studies over a four-year period ( 1957-60 ) in the Western Region ( now broken down into several provinces ) of Nigeria, Asuni concluded that the self-destruction rate in Western Nigeria was really low. He reported higher rates of self-destruction in the rural countries compared to urban parts. [ 14 ] Some of import hospital-based surveies have besides provided utile penetration into this job. A reappraisal of reported instances of attempted self-destruction from the three largest infirmaries in Benin City ( Specialist, Uselu Psychiatric Hospital and the University Teaching Hospital ) indicated that the incidence had non increased over the four-year period crossing 1978 to 1981, during which the norm petroleum suicide effort rate was 7 per 100,000. The commonest age group was among adolescents aged 15-19 old ages ( 39.4 % ) , while about nine out of 10 triers ( 87 % ) were aged 30 old ages and below. The most of import predisposing factors reported were mental unwellness ( 32 % ) and parental struggle ( 24 % ) . There was no important gender difference. [ 15 ] In a six-month prospective survey of 39 instances of deliberate ego injury reported in the three major infirmaries in Ibadan, Nigeria ; Odejide et al. , found that about eight in 10 ( 76.9 % ) were under the age of 30 old ages ; and merely over half ( 51.3 % ) were pupils, while 25.6 % were manual workers. The commonest methods used were consumption of chemicals and psychotropic drugs. [ 16 ] Nwosu and Odesanmi, in a survey carried out in the Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, that was based on medico-legal necropsy studies, reported the self-destruction rate as 0.4 per 100,000 populations, with about four times as many males perpetrating self-destruction when compared to females ( ratio of 3.6:1 ) . The bulk of the self-destructions were committed by the consumption of Gammalin 20 and usage of the local Dane gun. [ 17 ] Large-scale epidemiological surveies have been late conducted among grownups. A nationally representative epidemiological survey, covering 21 out of the 36 provinces in Nigeria was conducted by Gureje et al. , among 6752 grownups, to measure for self-destruction related results, and their association with mental upsets and a history of childhood hardship. They reported prevalence of self-destructive ideation, program and efforts were 3.2 % , 1 % and 0.7 % severally. The presence of mental upsets, particularly temper jobs significantly correlated with suicide results, while a history of early childhood hardship was identified as a hazard factor for life-time self-destruction effort. [ 18 ] Uwakwe and Gureje besides examined the relationship between comorbid mental and substance usage upsets with self-destructive behaviors in the Nigerian study of mental wellness and wellbeing. They found that individuals with lifetime self-destruction efforts were more likely than those without efforts to hold experienced lifetime DSM-IV upsets. Lifetime triers were besides more likely to hold comorbid conditions. Eleven per centum of individuals with a lifetime history of self-destructive effort had three or more co-occurring upsets, as compared with merely 0.4 % of individuals with no history of life-time efforts. Controling for the effects of comorbid conditions suggests that while temper upsets may be independently associated with self-destructive results, comorbidity partially explains the association of anxiousness upsets and about to the full histories for the association of substance usage upsets with self-destructive results. The writers hence concluded that comorbidity is an of import factor in the association of mental and substance usage upsets with self-destructive behaviour in this environment. [ 19 ] Furthermore, Oladeji and Gureje, besides established a relationship between parental mental upsets and suicidal behavior in their progeny. The presence of panic upset and substance maltreatment in the parents were found to be associated with self-destructive ideation in the progeny, but merely parental panic upset was found to be related to suicidal efforts. The suggestion therefore, is that upsets of anxiousness and impulse control may play some function in the ascertained form of familial suicidal behaviors in their progeny. [ 20 ] Large graduated table surveies have besides been conducted among immature people in Nigeria. Omigbodun et al. , conducted a survey to set up the prevalence and associated psychosocial correlatives of self-destructive ideation and efforts among immature Nigerians, which revealed that, of the 1,429 young persons who were assessed, over 20 % reported self-destructive ideation and about 12 % reported that they had attempted suicide in the preceding twelvemonth. The survey reported the rates of both self-destructive ideation and efforts as care towards the upper bounds of acceptable rates for young persons. [ 21 ] The 2nd survey evaluated the presentation and psychosocial issues associated with preadolescent suicidal attempts utilizing the ‘hanging ‘ method in Nigeria, and reported the being of the undermentioned mental wellness jobs: depression, behavior jobs, oppositional defiant upset and impulse control jobs. Other factors found to be associated with these self-destructive behavior included nerve-racking life events such as household break, physical maltreatment, and strong-arming at school. [ 22 ] The form of attempted self-destruction in the Nigerian military context has besides been studied by Okulate. He described the features of patients who attempted self-destruction and examined the differences between the self-destruction triers and a group of non-suicidal, affectional upset patients at the Department of Psychiatry, Military Hospital, Yaba, Nigeria. The survey revealed that self-destructive effort patients constituted 0.37 % of all admittances during a five-year period, and 60.8 % of them were under the age of 30 old ages. The Numberss of male and female patients were about the same. Depression and acute emphasis reaction were the normally associated diagnosings. While military dependants often ingested substances in their self-destruction efforts, military forces used more violent methods such as hanging and self-stabbing, but none used pieces. Compared with non self-destructive patients, suicide triers were more likely to be single and to hold a household history of m ental upset. [ 23 ] The highest hazards for passage from self-destructive ideation to planning, and from be aftering to attempted self-destruction normally occurs within the first twelvemonth of holding either the ideation or program. Other hazard factors for a life-time self-destructive effort include dysfunctional household backgrounds ; such as drawn-out separation from biological parents, high degrees of domestic struggles, childhood hardship, physical maltreatment and being nurtured by a adult female with a history of depression, anxiousness or self-destructive effort. [ 18 ] Refering the hazard and methods of suicide employed in Nigeria, new forms appear to hold emerged. HIV/AIDS has emerged as an extra hazard of self-destruction. [ 24,25 ] Other emerging hazards include the cyberspace and societal media every bit good as terrorist act and self-destruction bombardment which though foreigner to Nigerian society, appears to hold come to remain. Burning with kerosene [ 26 ] , cutting one ‘s pharynx [ 27 ] and bring downing perforating abdominal stab hurt on oneself [ 25 ] are besides new but upseting methods of trying and finishing self-destruction in Nigeria.Prevention STRATEGIESSuicide bar is having increased attending in many developed states, but remains mostly ignored in developing states like Nigeria. There are no easy solutions to the job of self-destruction in developing states, given the serious deficiency of resources and low precedence given to mental wellness. There is besides the extra job of limited research on self-destruction in develo ping states, doing it imperative to trust on bar schemes that have been proven to work elsewhere but non in developing states. Furthermore, due to the unfavorable attitude towards self-destruction and mental unwellness, every bit good as the punitory legal demands for self-destructive behavior, self-destruction continues to be under reported in developing states, doing it hard to carry on research or develop and prove bar schemes. The World Health Organization has identified suicide as an progressively of import country of public wellness and has issued guidelines to member provinces in order to develop and implement coordinated and comprehensive national and international schemes. It has besides included self-destruction as one of the nine precedence conditions in the late launched mhGAP Intervention manual for scaling up services for mental and neurological conditions globally. The mhGAP manual is designed to function as a preparation manual for non-specialists in the designation and proviso of intercession for precedence mental wellness conditions, as a manner of cut downing the immense intervention spread in several parts of the universe. [ 28 ] There is grounds for the effectivity of two major schemes for forestalling self-destruction. [ 29 ] These include limitation of entree to lethal agencies and developing programmes for primary attention physicians to heighten early acknowledgment and intervention of depression with or without self-destructive ideation. Both attacks should be utile in our scene, but the latter attack to heighten the ability of general practicians, primary wellness attention workers and all other cells of wellness professionals to acknowledge and offer intercessions for depressive upsets is of important importance. Suicidal behaviors are besides strongly associated with the presence of mental upsets. In a underdeveloped state like Nigeria an of import measure towards suicide bar will be to cut down the stigma associated with mental wellness jobs. A reappraisal of the state ‘s Mental Health Policy and Legislation, to comprehensively turn to the current challenges of mental upsets, and their complications, including self-destruction and self-destructive behavior is long delinquent. These attempts should besides take for the decriminalisation of self-destructive behaviors in our Torahs. These stairss will be meaningless, if our wellness records and describing systems are non reformed to include mortality rates and the certification of the causes of deceases. This should assist in determining the self-destruction rates in the state, and supply a platform for utile planning and the execution of suicide bar schemes. Focused research in this country should be promoted, particularly with regard to placing hazard factors, get bying mechanisms, protective factors and possible intercessions to minimise the calamity of self-destruction and self-destructive behavior in this environmentDecisionIn this work, the writers have demonstrated that self-destruction and suicidal behavior are a public wellness issue, merely like in other states of the universe. Like in other parts of the development universe merely a modest volume of research has been conducted on the topic in Nigeria, reflecting the deficiency of involvement of clinicians, research workers, policy shapers and, possibl y, research grant suppliers on the topic. For better self-destruction research which should ensue in better bar schemes, it is imperative that self-destruction be decriminalized. Cultural and spiritual factors forestalling people from describing and stigmatising self-destruction should besides be addressed through public enlightenment runs. An betterment in the mortality records, that besides specifies the causes of decease should be ensured at all degrees of attention. It might besides be helpful if the WHO could leverage on member states to roll up and supply one-year self-destruction rates in their legal powers. Finally, self-destruction is a public wellness job that requires a multidisciplinary attempt at question, bar and direction. The earlier this is realized in the Nigerian context, the better for our emerging mental wellness attention..