Gwen Harwood free essay sample

All the news we hear, whether it’s on television, in class or even a conversation will always have conflicting and different beliefs, theories and responses. For example last night my husband and I were watching the premier of â€Å"Angry Boys† a mockumentary by Chris Lilley. He described the series to be a comment on what it means to be a boy in the 21st century by putting representations of the male of the species under the microscope. To me the program sounded intellectual when in fact it consisted of a variety of comedic representations ranging from the racist â€Å"Gran†, a juvenile prison officer to Nathan and Daniel† identical twins (one of whom is deaf). As we sat on the lounge watching the program our laughter peeled from the room in tandem to each other; we didn’t agree on what was or wasn’t humorous. Chris Lilley obviously wants characters within the scene to be perceived as humorous and from last night I can now appreciate that not everyone will have the same response to a text. We will write a custom essay sample on Gwen Harwood or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We all react in our own unique way bringing our various life experiences to the piece. A composer’s intent for a text often differs from the audience’s response. Another example of differing responses to texts is offered in Gwen Harwood’s poem, â€Å"At Mornington†. While I perceive the poem to be one that reflects on her youth and reminisces on the wonderful memories she shared with her family and the feeling of protection and safety gained from them, others may read it differently. For example a colleague of mine proposed the idea that Harwood was now an older women, depressed and trying to find or remember a time in her life when she was in fact happy, that she is trying to escape the inevitability of death by escaping to her youth. Either way her poems offer the responder a variety of readings, which, I think, offer her work an integrity that is not eroded by time. Gwen Harwood was an Australian poet who wrote most of her poetry between the 1950’s and 1960’s. During this era, Australia was entering a time of change. The women’s liberation had spread, and the traditional, stereotypical ideals of what it means to be a woman, wife, mother etc. were beginning to be challenged. Through Harwood’s poetry â€Å"At Mornington† and â€Å"Father and Child† we are able to see Harwood’s values and attitudes she obtained. â€Å"Father and Child† reflects some of Harwood’s feminist ideas that in her personal context challenged existing values, such as men overriding women. The fact that the persona disobeyed her father by stealing his gun to perform such a selfish and horrific act to an â€Å"innocent owl† alone challenges the ideals of the innocence of young women. This era was currently familiar to the values and religious views Harwood shared. The poem â€Å" At Mornington† reflects how much religion was apart of her life. The biblical allusion of â€Å"Peter walking on water† compared to her naive belief as a child that you could â€Å"balance† on water. It mostly focuses on the motif of water, with the cleansing process of Baptism, implying and emphasizing the importance and greatness of God. This idea coincides with that of her context. The idea and importance of family is most likely never going to differ in any context. In both poems â€Å"At Mornington† and â€Å"Father and child†, the importance of family to her is highly valued. Both explore and share memories of her youth, with her family, and both also suggest some form of regret and send a disguised message of how important it is to appreciate what you have. A friend of mine is a psychoanalyst and as such values the role dreams play in our lives and as a result her reading of the poem â€Å"At Mornington† (and if you have read other poems by Harwood you will notice it is similar to her others) offers an invitation into a deeper meaning, and conversely for me the meaning was enclosed within the contextual understanding of her references to pumpkins and Halloween as metaphors for life. The persona often shifts to the past focusing on her joyful childhood memories. The fact that she does this creates the idea that she may have regrets now and wishes she could return to the innocence and safety of her youth. Given that Halloween is perceived as the celebration of lost souls, those awaiting their rite of passage of heaven, her references to this time of year for me are seen to serve a greater purpose then I originally recognized. I see now that she may have been religious or spiritual woman as she discusses the idea that souls â€Å"linger† or are eternal. Her references to Halloween I perceive as symbolic of the transformation between life and death, as emphasised in â€Å"avenues of death† and the situational context of the graveyard. I now see Harwood as comparing herself to the lost souls of Halloween finding herself in a transitional state in her life where she is confronted with the in inevitability of death yet buoyed by memories of childhood innocence. The Halloween reference gaining further currency as it also becomes evident of the beginning of autumn. Autumn itself if associated with Halloween nationally. Autumn has often been thought as melancholy as people become lethargic with the conclusion of summer and the creeping up of winter. This can be symbolic of Harwood’s aging and incapability to put a stop to time. The repetition of the water motif is seen as a metaphor of her life as a child, suggesting that she was free and pure. It is also one of Harwood’s focuses as it shows her fear for the progression of time, another constant theme throughout her poetry. â€Å"At Mornington† recounts on Harwood’s memories of childhood. It illustrates a strong sense of family and the innocence and purity of her youth. The imagery of this is when she â€Å"leapt† and â€Å"was caught† by a wave and â€Å"tossed around like a doll†. The fact that she is a child, and the naive belief that she has the ability to â€Å"walk on water† highlights that she believed she was indestructible. I then explores the power of memory, whilst continuing with the motif of water. This water imagery is passed throughout the poem as the land â€Å"arose out of earth’s seamless waters†. She describes her father’s rich smile as â€Å" as light in a sea-wet shell† signifying she respected and admired him. The sudden contrast of the memory of childhood shifts to the entrance of â€Å"quick of autumn grasses† symbolizing the reality of age creeping up to you and our eventual death. The persona is accepting the reality of death with the passage; â€Å"two friends stand respectively and at peace among the avenues of death†. The use of present tense establishes the present context. Autumn is the season of decline and reinforces the passage of time and again their approaching death. The cemetery they are in is comforting with the gravestones â€Å"parting the quick of autumn grasses†. This idea is increased again by the reference to the â€Å"wholeness of day† that they must share together. This idea is finally reinforced with the reference to floods, signifying our memories flooding toward us. The following stanza is centralized around the metaphor of a pumpkin vine, being a â€Å"parable† of herself, relating to her own journey of seeking a deeper understanding. Imagery of intense growth of the vines are contrasted against death and mourning. The persona discovers a link between herself and the pumpkin, as she remembers (in her childhood) pumpkins that grew â€Å"above their humble station† and flourished. Su Langker, a English teacher from Sydney Boys High School, states the poem to be â€Å" the past and present intertwining† † the pumpkins growing in defiance of nature, mirroring that child leaping into her fathers arms†.

Louvre and Louvre Geneviève Bresc

Louvre and Louvre Genevià ¨ve Bresc Louvre and Louvre Genevià ¨ve Bresc-boutier Essay | The Louvre: A National Museum in a Royal Palace by Genevià ¨ve Bresc-Bautier Chief curator of National Heritage, Genevià ¨ve Bresc-Bautier has been responsible for the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French sculpture collections of the Louvre Museum since 1976. She has published a number of articles and catalogues in this field. In addition, since 1989, she has been in charge of the history of the Louvre and ensures the management of the halls exhibiting paintings and sculptures that were part of the Louvre’s decor, served as models for the decor, or represent the palace or the museum’s halls. Originally a castle, the Louvre has witnessed the achievements of eight centuries of history. It has been a museum for the past two centuries. Open to the public in 1793, the museum did not include the whole of the palace until 1993. It is thus after a long process of transformation that art and culture have slowly kept up with politics. It was necessary to take into consideration centuries of history, architectural transformations, and immemorial customs attached to the place, in order to make a modern museum that offers the public prestigious collections of internationally recognised quality, presented, highlighted, and restored according to rigorous norms; but also one that provides visitors, whose numbers keep growing – more than 5,700,000 in 2002 – with all the facilities they require: escalators and elevators to comfortably access the floors, restaurants and cafeterias to rest at, guided visits, workshops, publications, and earphones to help guide, understand and go further, in the discovery of civilisations, of art and world cultures. museum INTERNATIONAL ISSN 1350-0775, no. 217 (vol. 55, no. 1, 2003) Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ (UK) and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148 (USA) 61 BEYOND THE BORDERS History of the palace Originally a fortress close to the edge of the city, the Louvre was a dungeon surrounded by a thick wall mounted with towers, a place of defence which made it possible to shelter, when necessary, the royal treasure or prestigious prisoners. Constructed to defend Paris while King Philippe-August left for the Crusades at the end of the twelfth century, the castle experienced the first transformation into a royal residence around 1360, under Charles V. Becoming one of the residences of a monarchy in constant movement, the Louvre housed what one could consider as the starting point for its future: a library of manuscripts, which the King, considered to be a scholar, would consult in his ‘library tower’. In the history of the Louvre, this medieval castle has been nothing but a memory, known only through illuminations and paintings, and an archaeological survey conducted in 1860. Partially destroyed in 1528, and then totally destroyed in the middle of the seventeenth century, it was brought back to life in 1984–85 by excavations undertaken while the museum was undergoing modernisation. Now visible, the castle moat and thick walls, the foundations of the dungeon and the lower hall with its ribbed vaulting, form a tour of the ‘Medieval Louvre’ which allows the presentation of different objects found during the excavations. The Renaissance was the second great period of its history. Franà §ois I decided to build a palace in a new style for his capital. While he was not able to finish the project of an entirely new building, which was entrusted to the architect Serlio, he nevertheless had the dungeon and a wing of the old quadrilateral building knocked down. Under the reign of his son, Henri II, the task of 62 constructing a new wing was given to the architect Pierre Lescot, assisted by the sculptor Jean Goujon. This project included a large pavillion to house the King’s apartments, and then another wing for the apartments of the Queen. During this period, a certain type of architecture and decor developed which would serve as a reference to all the architects that

Negotiation, Plane Crash flight 232 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Negotiation, Plane Crash flight 232 - Essay Example When the pilot alerted her to the flight deck for the first time, she was very quick to recognize that there was an emergency – she immediately embarked on emergency response activities including preparation of the passengers for a crash-landing. After realizing there was an emergency, the crew was very quick to acknowledge that much communication was not necessary since this could have disrupted high level co-operation, which was highly needed at that moment (Boehm-Davis, Holt, & Seamster, 2001). The crew members were also very good at communication – one of the biggest factors that contributed to a large number of survivors. The crew in the cockpit was very skillful in communicating with the Sioux City approach control & control tower and the air traffic control in the Minneapolis Centre. Once it was realized that the aircraft was heading for a serious danger, the crew within the cockpit built up. For example, Dudley Dvorak rushed to the radio and spent all the time t alking with the aircraft’s SAM facility, which was comprised of a group of experts. The level of cooperation and expertise that the crew exercised in such an incident, which they had never practiced in their lives before, was particularly laudable. The crew called for advance emergency services, something that worked very well because by the time the aircraft land-crashed, all the emergency service providers including firefighters, and hospitals were already prepared (Boehm-Davis, Holt, & Seamster, 2001). Describe at Least Three Factors That Affected the Resolution of the Problem Luck Although being involved in such a flick accident can be understood to be a bad lack, the fact that two thirds of the passengers and crew onboard survived is a good luck. For example, the fact that the crew was able to get the aircraft to Sioux City with a failed engine was nothing but a sheer luck. When they touched on the ground, the aircraft had no steering, no brakes and no nose wheel or tail . The elevators, too, were out of control. Running a plane without all these parts and having some survivors following the crash-landing were a tremendous piece of luck. Another piece of luck was the fact that the plane experienced mechanical problems when it went over the relative flatlands over Iowa. This means that even if they had missed the airport, they could have probably landed on some fair level ground and still manage to get some survival. The weather was also an amazing piece of luck. It could have been extremely hard to fly the F-15 under any kind of turbulence, but fortunately, during the time of the crash the skies were clear and the visibility was excellent. Lastly, the fact that this fateful disaster occurred during the daytime was an amazing luck because the crew was able to control the aircraft well considering that they could observe the ground properly. Preparation Preparation was extremely important for such a disaster. The emergency response crews in Sioux City had a disaster response simulation every three years, which prepared them for any disaster. For example, during 1987, the organizers pretended that an aircraft that did not serve the city had crashed on its runway. After running the drill, areas of improvements were detected and changes made accordingly. Ideally, the preparation by Sioux Gateway Airport laid down a plan, which was very helpful for the crew of Flight 232. The repeated training

Performance management and high performance working Essay

Performance management and high performance working - Essay Example Therefore, performance is the process which adds to the effective management of individuals and teams so as to attain levels of organization performance. In addition, performance management initiates a shared understanding about what is to be attained and a vital approach to leading and improving peoples’ skills that will ensure achievement of company’ objectives (Foster, 2008). Therefore, performance management is a strategy which is related to every activity of the organization set up in the perspective of its human resources culture, policies, style and communication systems. The character of the strategy majorly relies on the organizational context and is dynamic from one organization to another. Consequently, the way in which employees are managed at work place tends to make a big difference in organizational performance (Jesuthasan, 2011). In today’s organizations, there is considerable evidence that a coherent style to manage people provides the foundation for significant gains in performance. Recently, a modern approach to manage organizations has cropped up that places employees and their skills at centre stage. This approach is referred to as high performance working. ... In addition, there should be fair treatment for individuals who leave the company as it changes and engages in the demands of the external community thus showing trust and commitment based on relationships within and outside the organization. A high performance working entails embracing greater employee involvement in order to achieve high levels of performance. The correct dimension this takes varies, however it entails activities in human personnel management for example, appraisal, workforce development, pay and incentives (Jesuthasan, 2011). It also involves work organization such as job design and team working, employment relations, management and leadership activities encompassing strategic management and business advancement as well as line management and organizational development. In high performance work places, all of these practices and policies are underpinned by a philosophy of individuals’ management that emphasizes on learning participation and autonomy. Many o rganizations have already initiated a high performance working approach and are harvesting the fruits of doing so, otherwise for those who have not; it can sometimes seem an expensive and discouraging possibility (Foster, 2008). In spite of the proven gains, the perceived difficulty of enhancing such comprehensive transformation can be a real obstacle. Skill utilization involves maximizing the contribution that individuals can make in the work place and the level of which people’s abilities have been deployed, developed and harnessed optimizes organization output capacity. Whatever takes place at work place is thus considered crucial to utilization of the available skills and this justifies why various organizations should run to achieve a high performance working (Foster, 2008).

Ethics and whistleblowing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics and whistleblowing - Essay Example Introduction ‘Whistleblowing’ basically refers to make any kind of disclosure in the general interest of public. The term is more commonly referred as ‘blowing the whistle’. If the employee working in any organisation feels that there is wrongdoing in their workplace, then they can report this to the management by following the correct processes. By doing so, their employment rights can be protected. It is worth mentioning that the whistleblowers are shielded for the public interest in order to encourage the people to speak out if they feel that any kind of malpractice is going on in the organisation (DirectGov 2011). The statistics published in public interest reveals that the people’s attitude towards the whistle blowing has improved to a great extent. The survey conducted by ‘Public Concern at Work’ in the year 2007 indicated that 85% of the people informed that they would raise a concern with regards to the malpractices that is taking place with the employers. It was further made evident that 31% of the people would go to the regulatory bodies or to the police if the ‘internal route’ was not considered as the option (Public Concern at Work n.d.). Growing awareness of employee rights, Public Interest Disclosure Act (1998), Health and Safety Executive, PR practices, CSR and Internal Codes of Practices have resulted in improving the condition for whistleblowing. UNISON, a public service union collaborated with Public Concern at Work in order to conduct survey to ask 2000 NHS staffs if whistleblowing was working or not. It was found that around 90% of them had blown the whistle at times when they were concerned about patient safety. 50% were not aware of the fact that their ‘Trust’ had a whistleblowing policy. 33% revealed that their ‘Trust’ wanted to blow the whistle despite being aware of the fact that it would result to bad publicity. 30% revealed that their ‘Trustâ₠¬â„¢ didn’t want them to be told that there was a severe problem while 25% said that the culture was improving (Public Concern at Work n.d.). This statistics can be shown graphically with the help of the chart below: Source: (Public Concern at Work n.d.). Source: (Public Concern at Work n.d.). Other Statistics on Whistleblowing Source: (NWC 2008). The figure that is demonstrated above depicts the companies that report operating a whistleblowing system and the percentage of those companies that consider it to be effective (NWC 2008). It has been found from the report that approximately 5678 cases of whistleblowing were received in the fiscal year 2009, which was up by nearly 2000 over the prior fiscal year (Worldwide ERC 2011). The major aim of this study is to evaluate how the organisations can develop an effective approach to the workplace whistleblowing taking into account the needs of its stakeholders. Research Question The main objective of the research is to evaluate how the organisation can develop an effective approach to workplace whistleblowing that takes into account of the needs of their stakeholders. Therefore, the whole assignment

Case Studies on Architectural Design Methodologies

Case Studies on Architectural Design Methodologies How We Build: The Parts and the Whole Precedent Case Studies The two philosophies introduced above, mechanism and systems thinking, have influenced many aspects of our lives. One can arguably note their influences in our built environment, as can be seen in the variety of design methodologies present in architectural design. Both academics and practitioners in the design field have often argued that the architectural practice can be classified as a holistic enterprise. This argument is founded on the fact that many players have a key role in the process of designing a building: the architect, the client, the consultants, the engineers, the planners, the builders and so on. In this context, holism does indeed propel an all-inclusive design process realized as a result of the many members collaborating on a given project. In fact, this trait is even said by many to be unique to architecture as a profession. However, when analyzing the conventional design methodologies employed in architecture, one cannot ignore the hierarchical and sequential separation of design, detailing, documentation, modeling and fabrication that has become prevalent in todays day and age. This type of hierarchical separation and compartmentalization of processes can be seen in many aspects of design, but more specifically between material, form and structure. In order to explain this phenomenon more clearly, two built architectural projects have been chosen for analysis based on these two ideologies in architecture. Analyzing the two built examples below may shed more light on the ways in which machine thinking and systems thinking have influenced architectural design philosophies and methodologies. The first project is considered by many as being the most contemporary technological application of timber construction. The second project was completed approximately three decades ago and continues to be an inspirational precedent regarding the use the inherent material properties of wood, specifically Tiber. Distinguishing between these two projects and their approaches is of great relevance to this research. The aim is not to assess the two projects with the intention of promoting one over the other, but rather to identify the contrasting design methodologies. For this comparison, the focus will lie namely on the design and realization of the roof structures. The inspiration for the roof of the Centre Pompidou in Metz, designed by Shigeru Ban, Jean de Gastines and Ove Arup Partners, was a traditional Japanese straw hat (ill.3). The form that resulted from this inspiration was based on two components: a specified freeform surface with a hexagonal edge, and a flat, kagome lattice consisting of triangles and hexagons that is projected onto the free-form surface. The lattice structural grid was developed using digital processes such as CAD software (ill.4). The digital model created from this step was then developed into a highly complex geometric construction in which every element of the structure was unique in its curvature and shape. The digital form-giving process was used only to establish the geometry of the roof structure. Following this design phase, engineers and consultants working in the realm of computer-based geometry optimized the design of the structure and rendered it buildable. The actual physical construction of this roof structure involved a series of glue-lam girders arranged in three layers (ill.5). Each of these girders is comprised of several segments, fastened to one another in order to achieve the curved appearance of the girders. In total, the entire roof assembly is made up of 1,790 segments, which were classified into three categories (straight, single curved, double curved) (ill.6). The 1,790 individual segments were fabricated by a computerized numerical control (CNC) joinery machine. In order to achieve the final form of the structure, it was necessary to mill away fifty percent of each individual glue-lam beam to obtain the required building component geometry (ill7). In the next phase of the project, the individual components making up the complex geometry of the roof were transported from the fabrication shop with trucks and were assembled incrementally using scaffolding and cranes to make up the final form of the structure (ill.8). This project followed a relatively linear flow of data, beginning with the initial design inspiration, and working up towards a formal design, the development of a CAD model, the refinements and optimization achieved by engineers in rationalizing the process, and finally ending with the computer aided manufacturing of the highly specified components. A similarly linear approach then took place on site for the duration of the incremental assembly process. Overall, this design approach is a direct reflection of mechanistic ideologies. The second project is the â€Å"Multihalle† located in Mannheim and designed by Frei Otto, Carlfried Mutschler, and Ove Arup and Partners (1975). Like the Centre Pompidou this project consists of a double-curved lattice shell, but the design was not the result of a form-giving process (ie. one in which the form was pre-conceived by the designer and a structural system was developed to actualize the form). Instead, this project consists of a more integrated form-finding process informed by material experimentation, material behaviours and constraints along with an extensive series of models and prototyping. It is important to note that the form finding process for the Multihalle involved upside-down hanging chain models (ill.10). This was important because it allowed the architects to determine the three-dimensional geometry of the shell. These models were especially effective in creating pure tension shapes due to gravitys pull on the chains. When an appropriate geometry was a chieved, the model was then inverted to create a pure compression shell. This resulted in a geometry that was structurally stable, devoid of in-plane shear stresses in the lattice structure. In the development of this project, the lattice shell structure was based on two fundamental questions: 1) Could a shell structure be constructed with a tensile uniform mesh and be capable of supporting its own weight without buckling and causing no moment bending? 2) Could a shell structure be constructed using the natural bending properties of wood laths, which were initially assembled as a flat system? The structure of Multihalle is called a grid shell. A grid shell is a double curved surface formed from a lattice of timber laths bolted together at uniform spacing in two directions.†[1] There are two types of lattice shells systems: strained and unstrained. The difference between strained and unstrained shells is that the unstrained shells are made of pre-bent members. In the unstrained shell, curved members experience no strain during the erection process because they have been previously curved to the desired shape. This method was used for the Centre Pompidou in Metz. The Multihall shell structure however, consists of a strained lattice shell, comprised of a 2 double-layer wooden lath system, assembled flat in a square diagrid pattern (ill.11). The initially flat grid is held together by pinned joints (ill.12) that permit the laths to move parallel to one another (ill.13). This allows the grid one degree of movement when flat. However, once the structure is erected and the grid takes on the double-curved geometry of the shell, the forces will deform the square grids into parallelograms (ill.14). In this manner, the structural web can take on specific forms by changing key parameters in the assembly such as scissor-like deformation, adjustable pins, cambering and edge definition of the system. As a result of this double curved design, the members increase in strength and stiffness.[2] Erecting the shell on site required that the entire flat system be lifted at a number of key points with the aid of cranes. Once the web was lifted at these points, the network of wood laths naturally took on the desired geometry due to the flexible bending behaviour of the continuous wood members and the deformation of the network (ill.14). The systems joint connections were then tightened to obtain shear-resistant connections that would maintain the desired shape of the structure (ill.15). Next, steel cable ties were added to provide diagonal stiffness to the shell (ill.16). The grid shell was then fastened to the substructure at specified support points, thereby stabilizing the complex roof The critical difference between these two projects is that one was designed and geometrically defined by the designer and subsequently rationalized for construction, while the other was a result of an extensive form-finding process based on material behaviours, experimentation and structural behaviours. The Centre Pompidou is often referred to as a state-of-art, digitally designed wood construction project. It required six layers of glue-lam beams with cross section of 140 x 440 mm to achieve a 50m clear span. In addition, it was necessary that 50 percent of the glue-lam material be milled off during the CNC fabrication process in order to achieve the desired shape of each member. In contrast, the double layered grid of the Multihalle in Mannheim spans up to 60m and consists of members that only measure 50 x 50 mm in cross section. As a result, the â€Å"Multihalle† project emerged as a grid shell that was extremely cost-effective and material efficient. It also proved much ea sier to construct than many of todays contemporary lattice structures like the Centre Pompidou in Metz. The intention of this comparison is to demonstrate the differences which exist between these two design methodologies. One is the digital continuation of the long-standing hierarchical process in which form-giving takes precedence over rationalization. The other concerns a design process which undergoes constant transformations due to an integrated and informed approach that can anticipate the possibilities of materialization. Frei Otto’s work with lightweight structures as well as the design methodologies employed in his projects serve as exemplary precedents in demonstrating the theory and design methodologies adopted in this research. Similar to Frei Ottos approach, this research will propose a lightweight structural system that seeks to incorporate an integrative approach to form-finding using the material properties and behaviours of wood. In order to fully understand the capabilities of this material, the following chapter explores the material science and characteristics of wood. [1] Happold and Liddell, â€Å"Timber lattice roof for the Mannheim Budesgartenshau,† The Structural Engineer 53 (1975): 99-135. [2] Burkhardt Berthold and Frei Otto. IL 13: Multihalle Mannheim (Stuttgart: Freunde und FoÃÅ'ˆrderer der Leichtbauforschung, 1978).

Admissions Essay: I Spoon-fed Her Each Day :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

I Spoon-fed Her Each Day    Watching my grandmother get progressively weaker; not wanting to believe the doctors' diagnosis of terminal cancer and the prediction that she would live only for another year; separated by thousands of miles from my parents, who had moved to the United States while I stayed in China with my grandmother-I lived a life so different from that of the average seventeen-year-old.   In addition to caring for my grandmother, I was going to school and preparing for my final exams, the equivalent of the SATs.  Ã‚   Grandmother died on the day that I took the exam.   Of the one million students who took the exam that day, I was ranked thirty-fourth and won the national merit scholarship.   And yet I was in a state of complete shock: my grandmother was gone and I felt paralyzed. But eventually my memories of her inspired me to make a genuine difference in the lives of others. I decided to pursue a career in medicine.    I joined the rest of my family in the U.S. and within six months was enrolled in the honors program at Mississippi State.   Since there is no pre-med major, I was able to major in any subject and still complete the pre-med requirements; I was advised to major in Philosophy or Drama to boost my GPA.   Instead, I decided to major in Math, a subject I've always enjoyed.   Though many people told me I must be crazy and that my background would not have sufficiently prepared me for the difficulty ofthe pre-med classes, I have earned A-plusses in all of the ten math courses I have taken so far, five of which were advanced classes.    I have concentrated on opportunities that will prepare me for studies in clinical medicine, oncology and geriatrics.   I learned of a prestigious research fellowship at Harvard and, although it was open only to upperclassmen, I applied and was accepted.  Ã‚   I have taken honors classes in biology and have enjoyed the research work I've done.    Keeping in mind that my goal is ultimately to help people, I've also devoted a portion of my time to volunteer opportunities: I tutored math for high school students in my neighborhood and recently became a part-time volunteer at Memorial Hospital.   It was terribly difficult for me to leave China and create a completely new life after the death of my grandmother. Admissions Essay: I Spoon-fed Her Each Day :: Medicine College Admissions Essays I Spoon-fed Her Each Day    Watching my grandmother get progressively weaker; not wanting to believe the doctors' diagnosis of terminal cancer and the prediction that she would live only for another year; separated by thousands of miles from my parents, who had moved to the United States while I stayed in China with my grandmother-I lived a life so different from that of the average seventeen-year-old.   In addition to caring for my grandmother, I was going to school and preparing for my final exams, the equivalent of the SATs.  Ã‚   Grandmother died on the day that I took the exam.   Of the one million students who took the exam that day, I was ranked thirty-fourth and won the national merit scholarship.   And yet I was in a state of complete shock: my grandmother was gone and I felt paralyzed. But eventually my memories of her inspired me to make a genuine difference in the lives of others. I decided to pursue a career in medicine.    I joined the rest of my family in the U.S. and within six months was enrolled in the honors program at Mississippi State.   Since there is no pre-med major, I was able to major in any subject and still complete the pre-med requirements; I was advised to major in Philosophy or Drama to boost my GPA.   Instead, I decided to major in Math, a subject I've always enjoyed.   Though many people told me I must be crazy and that my background would not have sufficiently prepared me for the difficulty ofthe pre-med classes, I have earned A-plusses in all of the ten math courses I have taken so far, five of which were advanced classes.    I have concentrated on opportunities that will prepare me for studies in clinical medicine, oncology and geriatrics.   I learned of a prestigious research fellowship at Harvard and, although it was open only to upperclassmen, I applied and was accepted.  Ã‚   I have taken honors classes in biology and have enjoyed the research work I've done.    Keeping in mind that my goal is ultimately to help people, I've also devoted a portion of my time to volunteer opportunities: I tutored math for high school students in my neighborhood and recently became a part-time volunteer at Memorial Hospital.   It was terribly difficult for me to leave China and create a completely new life after the death of my grandmother.