The 20 Best Video Game Design Schools in the US

The 20 Best Video Game Design Schools in the US SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you a gamer who dreams of one day getting paid to create video games? Have you ever played a video game and thought that you could do a better job coming up with the characters, dialogue, or rules? Maybe you should consider studying game design and entering a growing and lucrative field. In this article, I'll explain game design, provide a list of the best video game design schools, and let you know how to use the list to help you find the right college for you. What Is Game Design? Game design is the field of making video games. Game designers help imagine and create the characters, plots, rules, interfaces, and environments for video games.The field of game design combines computer programming, creative writing, and graphic design. Just because you like playing video games doesn’t necessarily mean you’d like designing them. I really enjoy eating, but I don’t like to cook. Game design combines technical and creative skills. You have to be skilled in math, art, and writing to be a competent game designer. The Best Colleges for Video Game Design Game design schools are colleges where you can study game design. At some of these schools, you can get a degree in game design. At others, you can study game design, but you’ll get your degree in a related field like computer science or interactive media. For each school that made the list of the best video game design colleges, I linked to its programs that are most closely related to game design. Some of these programs are majors while others are minors or concentrations in related majors. Click on the link to read about the program, the school’s facilities, the program requirements, and the course offerings for the program. Also, I wrote a few sentences on what makes each program unique. The best programs have extensive facilities dedicated to game design, provide thorough instruction in game design, and have a history of helping undergraduates land a quality job when they complete the program. There are very few rankings of game design programs. The most referenced rankings come from Princeton Review, so my list comes from the Princeton Review rankings. More than 60 data points were weighted to determine the rankings. The criteria to determine the rankings focused on curriculum, facilities, technology, and career services. Results were determined based on survey responses from school administrators on topics such as academic offerings, faculty credentials, graduates’ employment history, and starting salaries. According to the survey, undergrads who study game design earn an average starting salary of $58,000, a 20% increase from last year and 28% more than the average starting salary for all 2014 undergrads. You can check out all of the survey questions here. Below you’ll find the top 20 undergraduate schools to study game design in the United States. The Princeton Review list included international schools like The Art Institute of Vancouver in Canada and Abertay University in Scotland, but I excluded them from this list so that it focuses on the best programs in the US. Game design grads can make good money. (Steven Depolo/Flickr) About the Schools on This List The schools that made the list are from every region of the US and represent diverse types of colleges. There are large public colleges like the University of Utah and Michigan State, smaller public colleges like Shawnee State, tech colleges like Worcester Polytechnic, small private colleges like Hampshire College and Becker College, larger private colleges like the University of Southern California and Drexel, and a small for-profit university, DigiPen Institute of Technology. The 20 Best Game Design Schools in the United States From my research, USC and the University of Utah have the most prestigious programs, but all of these schools have well-regarded game design programs and impressive facilities where you can play and design games. 1. University of Southern California Acceptance Rate: 16% Location: Los Angeles, CA Undergraduate Enrollment: 19,170 Programs: Animation and Digital Arts Interactive Media Computer Science (Games) Game Design About: USC's location in Los Angeles gives it a distinct advantage in helping students gain employment after graduation because many of the top game design jobs are in LA. Students who want to focus on design and production can pursue the Interactive Media and Game Design degrees through the school of Cinematic Arts. Those who are more interested in the technical aspects of designing and developing games can pursue the Computer Science (Games) degree through the Viterbi School of Engineering. The breadth and depth of game design offerings separate USC from other game design schools. The USC marching band. (David Yu/Flickr) 2. New York University Acceptance Rate: 28% Location: New York, NY Undergraduate Enrollment: 26,417 Programs: Game Design About: NYU initiated its game design program in 2015. The program is already well-regarded because NYU offers its students access to advanced technology, it has a reputable computer science department, and the game design program is located in the famous Tisch School of the Arts. Not only does NYU offer a game design major and minor, but there is an entire department dedicated to game design. 3. Becker College Acceptance Rate: 66% Location: Worcester, MA Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,824 Programs: Interactive Media Design About: Becker is home to the Massachusetts Digital Game Institute, which is a think tank related to the video game industry. Massachusetts is also a favorable location for jobs in game design. Students at Becker have access to a high-performance computer lab, a six-camera video motion capture system, and 3D design software. Dom Sagolla/Flickr 4. DigiPen Institute of Technology Acceptance Rate: 57% Location: Redmond, WA Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,067 Programs: Computer Science and Game Design Game Design About: DigiPen is a for-profit school that specializes in preparing students for careers in the video game industry. It began enrolling students in 1994, and it has received substantial support from Nintendo. Class sizes are small with a faculty to student ratio of 1:13. Students from DigiPen have won more awards at the Independent Games Festival than those from any other school. DigiPen's Redmond campus is near more than 96 game development studios. 5. Hampshire College Acceptance Rate: 63% Location: Amherst, MA Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,268 Programs: Game Design and Development About: Students at Hampshire are given a great deal of freedom in designing their own course of study. Many game design and development students create their own games with the help of peers and advisers. Some game design courses you can take at Hampshire include pixel bending and analog game design. One downside is that Hampshire has been going through a lot of financial struggles recently, making its future as an independent institution of higher education uncertain. Keep this in mind if you're particularly interested in the video game design program at Hampshire- you can easily cross-register at (and in the worst-case scenario, can transfer to) Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and UMass Amherst as a Hampshire student, but you won't find the same game design classes at these schools. 6. Drexel University Acceptance Rate: 77% Location: Philadelphia, PA Undergraduate Enrollment: 15,667 Programs: Game Design and Production Interactive Digital Media Computer Science About: At Drexel, the game design program is a collaborative effort between the digital media program and the computer science department. Drexel's game design program offers some impressive resources including an 80-seat 3D theater, a green screen/motion capture studio, and audio recording studios. For the Tetris game he created in 2014, Professor Frank Lee was given a Guinness World Record for the largest architectural video game display. Main Building at Drexel. (Tom Ipri/Flickr) 7. Michigan State University Acceptance Rate: 78% Location: East Lansing, MI Undergraduate Enrollment: 39,423 Programs: Game Design and Development About: Michigan State offers an undergraduate specialization in game design and development. Michigan State is also home to the Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab, an association of game research and design faculty and students at Michigan State whose mission is to "design innovative prototypes, techniques, and complete games for entertainment and learning and to advance state of the art knowledge about social and individual effects of digital games." 8. Rochester Institute of Technology Acceptance Rate: 57% Location: Rochester, NY Undergraduate Enrollment: 13,515 Programs: Game Design and Development New Media Interactive Development 3D Digital Design About: Rochester Institute of Technology incorporates cooperative education into its game design program. Cooperative education is a full-time, paid work experience that provides students with an opportunity to learn on the job in a real-world industry setting. Graduates of RIT's game design and development programs have gone on to work at top gaming companies including Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Vicarious Visions, and Nickelodeon. 9. Worcester Polytechnic Institute Acceptance Rate: 42% Location: Worcester, MA Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,688 Programs: Interactive Media and Game Development About: Worcester Polytechnic's Interactive Media and Game Development program focuses on merging art with technology. Like many of the other top programs, WPI encourages a hands-on approach to learning that allows students to create their own games and collaborate with their peers. (Sean/Flickr) 10. University of Utah Acceptance Rate: 67% Location: Salt Lake City, UT Undergraduate Enrollment: 24,743 Programs: Entertainment Arts and Engineering About: For its undergraduate program, the School of Computing and the Department of Film and Media Arts offer interdisciplinary emphases in Entertainment Arts and Engineering. Students with a computer science emphasis focus on the technical aspects of video games. Students with a film and media arts emphasis focus on the tools and techniques required for game design, drawing, and storyboarding. The program culminates with a year-long senior project where students build a video game from the ground up. 11. Miami University Acceptance Rate: 75% Location: Oxford, OH Undergraduate Enrollment: 17,327 Programs: Interactive Media Studies About: Miami University's Interactive Media Studies program is an interdisciplinary major that allows studies to study design, business, and technology. Students can declare a concentration in applied or digital interactive media studies, with the aim of positioning themselves as digital experts in their fields post-graduation. This is a highly competitive program with limited openings for applicants. Miami University is also working to launch a Games and Simulation major, which focuses on all aspects of creating and interpreting games. 12. Bradley University Acceptance Rate: 67% Location: Peoria, IL Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,606 Programs: Game Design About: Bradley University offers a game design major and minor. At Bradley, game design is part of both the Department of Interactive Media and the Department of Computer Science Information Systems. Bradley also offers concentrations in game design, animation, and computer game technology. Bradley University. (Bradley University/Flickr) 13. University of Central Florida Acceptance Rate: 43% Location: Orlando, FL Undergraduate Enrollment: 58,913 Programs: Interactive Entertainment About: Florida Interactive Game Entertainment Academy at UCF offers a video game production concentration. Students have the opportunity to study the main skills all game producers need. You'll learn about design, scripting, and project management. This major is for people looking to explore multiple facets of game production, including management, creative, and technical skills. 14. Cogswell College Acceptance Rate: 39% Location: San Jose, CA Undergraduate Enrollment: 595 Programs: Game Design and Development About: Cogswell College offers a Bachelor of Art in Game Design Art for students looking to focus on the creative elements of game design, and a Bachelor of Science in Game Design Engineering for students who want to focus on the technical elements like development. The program is big on hands-on experience, and encourages all students to work on teams that create and develop their own games. 15. Ferris State University Acceptance Rate: 81% Location: Big Rapids, MI Undergraduate Enrollment: 11,885 Programs: Digital Animation and Game Design About: At Ferris State, all students in the Digital Animation and Game Design program are required to complete an internship to get real-world experience and make connections to help them professionally after they graduate. Ferris State also offer a Peer Mentor Program where sophomore, junior, and senior Digital Animation and Game Design majors serve as role models and help first-years students succeed academically. The Digital Animation and Game Design program is focused on helping students reach their career goals. Students are given instruction on how to prepare a professional portfolio and demo reel and how to find a job in their chosen field. 16. Laguna College of Art and Design Acceptance Rate: 39% Location: Laguna Beach, CA Undergraduate Enrollment: 613 Programs: Game Art About: LCAD's BFA in Game Art focuses on getting students ready for the gaming workforce. Students get hand-on experience working in the programs that they will use throughout their career, and get to work with teams to create games from scratch. LCAD students also benefit from the many industry experts that teach at the college. 17. Champlain College Acceptance Rate: 75% Location: Burlington, VT Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,129 Programs: Game Design Game Art and Animation Game Programming About: Champlain offers a game design major for students. Also, Champlain has a dedicated Game Studio where students can collaborate and build their own video games. Champlain has new multimedia, 3D art, and game production labs. Furthermore, game design students are given the opportunity to study abroad in Montreal, home of the Montreal Game Summit and the Montreal International Game Developers Association. Courses in Montreal are taught by game industry professionals in collaboration with game faculty at the main campus. 18. Shawnee State University Acceptance Rate: 74% Location: Portsmouth, OH Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,114 Programs: Game and Simulation Development Arts Digital Simulation and Gaming Engineering Technology About: Shawnee State offers a bachelor's degree in gaming and simulation, which is a computer science degree. Also, it offers a bachelor's degree in gaming arts, a Bachelor of Fine Arts program with a concentration in 3D modeling and texturing. Furthermore, it offers a minor in game design. The game design program graduated its first class in the spring of 2008. 19. University of Wisconsin: Stout Acceptance Rate: 86% Location: Menomonie, WI Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,116 Programs: Game Design and Development About: The BFA in Game Design and Development offers top-knotch equipment and professional tools as students learn the ins and outs of game design. Students work with computer science students and professors to get the most out of their degree, and to ensure that they have a well-rounded base of knowledge as they go out into the workforce. UW-Stout was the national co-champion at the E3 College Game Competition. 20. North Carolina State University Acceptance Rate: 47% Location: Raleigh, NC Undergraduate Enrollment: 25,199 Programs: Computer Science: Digital Games Initiative About: Under the umbrella of their computer science department, the NC State program works with students to build a strong foundation in computer science, and launch their creativity. Students have a strong focus in graphics, writing, and storytelling, and are required to complete a senior design project in their game design concentration. How Should You Use This List? If you want to go to a top game design school, you should research the schools on this list that interest you to determine if they’re schools you should apply to or attend. Figure out whether you prefer a program that focuses solely on game design or if you want to attend a school that will offer you a broader, more interdisciplinary education. What aspects of game design interest you the most? Which schools offer you opportunities to reach your specific academic and professional goals? Even if you know you want to pursue game design, there are many factors to consider to help determine if a college is a good fit for you including size, location, selectivity, and cost. Look at the school’s website and game design programs and use guidebooks, college finders, and other ranking lists to help you in the college selection process. If possible, consult with teachers, counselors, parents, current students, and alumni. Also, keep in mind that many students change their majors or career goals while they’re in college. Even though you may be determined to pursue game design now, after taking game design classes in college or an inspiring course in another field, you may change your plans. Therefore, you should consider attending a school where you’ll be happy, receive a good education, and be able to pursue your interests even if you eventually decide not to study game design. What's Next? Want to dip your toe into the world of design? Learn about the 7 principles used in design across many different fields (including game design!) here. If you want to go to a school that focuses on art, check out the 10 best art schools in the United States. Also, you may be interested in the 17 best fine arts colleges in the US or our walkthrough of how to draw contour line art. If selectivity is an important factor for you in choosing a college, take a look at the colleges with the lowest acceptance rates. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Distinct, Distinctive, and Distinguished

Distinct, Distinctive, and Distinguished Though they are related, each of these three adjectives- distinct, distinctive, and distinguished- has its own meaning. Definitions The adjective distinct means separate, clearly defined, and easily distinguishable from all others. Distinct also means notable or highly probable. The adjective distinctive means having a quality that makes a person or thing noticeably different from others. The adjective distinguished means impressive, eminent, and/or worthy of respect. (Distinguished is also the past form of the verb distinguish, which means to demonstrate or perceive a difference, to see or hear [something] clearly, or to make [oneself] noteworthy.) Examples The human species, according to the best theory I can form of it, is composed of two distinct races, the men who borrow and the men who lend.(Charles Lamb, The Two Races of Men, 1813)It is from the blues that all that may be called American music derives its most distinctive characteristics.(James Weldon Johnson)Dr.  Jger was a distinguished child psychiatrist, a music lover, and, I remember, a dog loverhe had two dachshunds, Sigmund and Sieglinde, whom he was extremely fond of.(Walker Percy,  The Thanatos Syndrome. Farrar, Straus Giroux, 1987) Usage Notes Anything that is distinct is clearly distinguishable from everything else; something distinctive is a quality or characteristic that makes it possible for us to distinguish one thing from another. Distinct speech is clear; distinctive speech is special or unusual. So a pileated woodpecker is a woodpecker distinct from most other woodpeckers, distinguishable from other woodpeckers; its large size is distinctive, helping us distinguish it from most other woodpeckers.(Kenneth G. Wilson, The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Columbia University Press, 1993) Practice (a) The mirror was positioned so the receptionist could survey the entire waiting room from behind her desk.  It showed a _____-looking woman  in a fawn-colored suit, with long, auburn hair and a timeless gaze.(Davis Bunn, Book of Dreams. Simon Schuster, 2011)(b) Suhye let out her abrupt, _____  laugh. Her laugh was like an enormous, swollen soap bubble bursting. He could identify that laugh of hers with his eyes closed.(Jung Mi Kyung,  My Sons Girlfriend, trans. by Yu Young-Nan.  Ã‚  Columbia University Press, 2013)(c)  His face was lined with weariness and his eyes were red. There were two _____  grooves running down his cheeks from his eyes where his tears had fallen.(Alexander Godin, My Dead Brother Comes to America.  Windsor Quarterly, 1934) Answers to Practice Exercises: Distinct, Distinctive, and Distinguished (a) The mirror was positioned so the receptionist could survey the entire waiting room from behind her desk.  It showed a distinguished-looking woman  in a fawn-colored suit, with long, auburn hair and a timeless gaze.(Davis Bunn,  Book of Dreams. Simon Schuster, 2011)(b) Suhye let out her abrupt, distinctive  laugh. Her laugh was like an enormous, swollen soap bubble bursting. He could identify that laugh of hers with his eyes closed.(Jung Mi Kyung,  My Sons Girlfriend, trans. by Yu Young-Nan.  Ã‚  Columbia University Press, 2013)(c)  His face was lined with weariness and his eyes were red. There were two distinct  grooves running down his cheeks from his eyes where his tears had fallen.(Alexander Godin, My Dead Brother Comes to America.  Windsor Quarterly, 1934)

The Irish Image in Contemporary Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Irish Image in Contemporary Society - Essay Example In 19th century newspaper cartoons, however, those same qualities are portrayed as negative, as the irresponsible antics of a mentally inferior people. This is a stereotype that has managed to survive into modern politically correct society. Before emigrating to America during the Famine years of the mid 19th century, the Irish had long endured racial intolerance from the British. In a letter to his wife, Charles Kingsley wrote, "...I am haunted by the human chimpanzees I saw [in Ireland]... I don't believe they are our fault...But to see white chimpanzees is dreadful; if they were black, one would not feel it so much," (Curtis, 1968). Phrenology, the study of cranial shapes and characteristics, became highly popular between 1800 and 1850 (Wohl, 1990), and asserted that the Irish skull shape was not that of a human being's, but closer to that of an ape's. The Irish were "primitive." John Beddoe, president of the Anthropological Institute from 1889 to 1891, wrote in his book The Races of Britain (1862), that all intelligent men were orthognathous, meaning they had smaller jaw bones, while the Irish were prognathous (more prominent jaw bones) and were thus more akin to Cromagnon man (Wohl, 1990). Punch cartoons of the Iri sh reflect this belief, depicting them with long, drooping upper-lips and apelike features. The circumstances that the Irish went on to face would often be linked with this belief. In the 1840s, a fungus infected the crops of Ireland and an estimated one-fourth of the population died of starvation (The History Place, 2000). Reports were made of finding bodies lying in the road with green foam oozing from the mouth because the deceased had been eating grass to stave off hunger (The History Place, 2000). Thus, in 1847, the United States saw the largest mass immigration in history. Boston, which had a population of 115,000, was suddenly inundated with 37,000 Irish immigrants (The History Place, 2000). New York City, which had a population of 372,000, saw 52,000 Irish in 1847 (The History Place, 2000). In Boston, the Irish were greeted with scorn by the English Puritans, who saw their rural manners and poverty as boorish. Of all of the foreign immigrant groups, the Irish were the poorest (The History Place, 2000). As soon as they stepped off the boat, they were herded into large houses that had been subdivided into apartments, often with no water or ventilation (Th e History Place, 2000). There were so many Irish arriving, however, that many actually slept in the gardens, backyards, and alleys surrounding the house (The History Place, 2000). A Boston Committee of Internal Health reported these houses as: "a perfect hive of human beings, without comforts and without common necessaries; in many cases, huddled together like brutes, without regard to age or sex or sense of decency. Under such circumstances, self-respect, forethought, and all the high and noble virtues soon die out, and sullen indifference and despair or disorder, intemperance and utter degradation reign supreme," (The History Place, 2000). That could be why the city's crime rate increased by a breathtaking 400 percent (The History Place, 2000). The Irish gained such a notorious reputation for rowdiness and violence that many

Federal Election Commission 558 U.S Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Federal Election Commission 558 U.S - Assignment Example As the report declares  apprehensive about the â€Å"possible civil and criminal penalties for violating  §441b,† it filed a â€Å"declaratory and injunctive relief,† claiming that  §441b is unconstitutional when applied to the said documentary and that the disclaimer, disclosure, and reporting requirements under BCRA, BCRA  §Ã‚ §201 and 311, were unconstitutional when â€Å"applied to Hillary and the ads†. With this, â€Å"the District Court denied Citizens United a preliminary injunction and granted appellee Federal Election Commission (FEC) summary judgment†.From this   paper it is clear that  the Court reversed in part, affirmed in part, and remanded. They considered the â€Å"continuing effect of the speech suppression† in the Austin case since the issue involves the application of  §441b to the Hillary. The Court overruled the Austin case stating that there is â€Å"no basis for allowing the Government to limit corporate indepen dent expenditures†. It ruled that such restrictions on expenditures under  §441b â€Å"are invalid and cannot be applied to Hillary†. Given this, the Court also overruled the part which â€Å"upheld BCRA  §203’s extension of  §441b’s restrictions on independent corporate expenditures†. However, â€Å"BCRA  §Ã‚ §201 and 311 are valid insofar as applied to the ads for Hillary and to the movie itself†.  The Court considered  §441b’s facial validity claiming that â€Å"any other course would prolong the substantial, nationwide chilling effect caused by  §441b’s corporate expenditure ban†.

Opinion Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Opinion Portfolio Essay 1. Are the media a real cause of violence and crime, or do they simply report what they see? The Media does not create the news it merely reports it.   It sensationalizes events, but cannot take responsibility for its impact on viewers.   In general the media has a responsibility which is married to society’s right to the free flow of information.   The irresponsible manner in which the media reports information can have both a deterrent and encouraging impact on the masses. But in the end criminal conduct is a creature of conscience and each member of society is responsible for his own conscience.   The greatest fault that can be attributed to the media’s role in reporting violence and crime is one of desensitizing the viewing public. 2. Should the media be used to fight crime? The media is viewed as an instrument of social control and in that sense it can and should be used to fight crime.   The key to successful detection, investigation and prosecution of criminal conduct is primarily attributed to information sharing.   The mere nature of the mass media’s role in information sharing puts it in a unique position to influence the commission of crimes.   The freedom of the press can be exploited to such an extent so as to reduce recidivism in a number of useful arenas and to deter criminal conduct in general. 3. Should the exclusionary rule be abolished? The exclusionary rule exists as a safeguard against public abuse of powers in respect of innocent persons.   All evidence presented at a criminal trial is required to be relevant.   If evidence is collected in an arbitrary manner it becomes suspect and therefore not relevant to the issue of guilt or innocence.   This is so because its probative value is outweighed by its prejudicial effect. When one piece of evidence is tainted it has the capacity to taint all other evidence no matter how relevant it is even if that other evidence was collected and preserved with integrity.   It is therefore essential that the exclusionary rule remain a part of the criminal justice process. Does a racial disparity exist in regard to the application of the death penalty? Many surveys conclude that blacks are more likely to receive the death penalty than whites while just as many surveys reveal that whites are more likely to receive the death penalty than blacks.   The end result is that the surveys merely reflect the demographic variables relative to the specific surveys conducted and do not reflect a prejudiced criminal justice system. 5. Are sexual assault cases under prosecuted? Sufficient data exist to support a contention that sexual assault cases are indeed under prosecuted.   This fact is married to the fact that sexual assault cases are by and large under reported.   Experts conclude that the under reporting and under prosecuting of sexual assault cases is directly linked to society’s general view that sexual assault only happens to others and the survivor’s reputation and credibility becomes as central to any sexual assault prosecution as does the suspect’s. 6. Should parole be abolished? Parole by its very nature is an important tool for the reintegration of the offender into society.   A prisoner has to meet very structured requirements in order to be eligible for parole. If parole is abolished a very important element necessary for the success of rehabilitation within the criminal justice system would be compromised. 7. Does the Patriot Act infringe on civil liberties? The Patriot Act was passed in response to national security issues following the September 11 terrorist attacks on US soil.   It is fails to adequately balance the need for increased protection of the homeland and citizens ‘right to protection of the law in respect of civil liberties.   Under the fear of increased statutory government powers of surveillance, search, seizure and arrests the Patriot Act may have by application given citizens more reasons to fear acts of terrorism against a government who has as its agenda the deterrence, detection and prevention of terrorism. 8. Is the US prepared for acts of terror or national emergencies? The United States is as prepared for acts of terror or national emergencies as much as it is possible to be prepared.   The requisite laws have been passed increasing police and government powers and certainly the United States has in place a military and medical response mechanism that can cope with practically any level of national emergencies. The unpredictable nature of terrorism and national emergencies makes it impossible for any nation to have a perfect response system in place.   The United States is no exception.

Rap Vs Poetry :: essays research papers

What is hip hop? What are some of the common stereotypes and generalizations by which hip hop is conceived? Is it a music that is for only one group of people? Does hip hop promote violence and negativity? Many people claim that it is a disgraceful, mea ngless din. Antagonists often claim that hip hop is offensive to many groups of people. I will agree that unfortunately these are sometimes true with certain varieties of hip hop. The fact is that so many artists out there are in the industry simply for the love. These artists are not â€Å"sellouts† that are only in the industry for the money and fame. Also, there are many artists out there in the hip hop world that promote positivit As time goes on hip hop culture is integrating many different racial and ethnic groups. It is now socially acceptable for people of all races to enjoy the many aspects of hip hop. Hip hop was spurred in the late 70’s. The man credited as being the first rapper ever, DJ Afrika Bambataa, was the first to â€Å"talk† to his music. His unorthodox style quickly became very popular in the disco and funk clubs. For the lack of a better word, rap† was the term given to the music. As more and more rappers came about, the term MC, or Master of Ceremonies, was associated with rappers. Break dancing actually originated a few years prior to DJ Afrika Bambataa. Break dancers (B-Boys and B-Girls), would dance during the breaks in the music while steady beats were played. Eventually rap and break dancing united and hip hop began. The area in which hip hop first became a popular music was the Bronx. The Bronx is often labeled as the birthplace of hip hop. In its early stages hip hop was mostly a black and hispanic thing. As hip hop has evolved over the past 20 some odd years its n base has dramatically broadened. Not only has its area of influence broadened, but the race and ethnicities of hip hop lovers have also. If you go to a hip hop concert nowadays you will almost always see a mixture of races. Groups such as A Tribe Called Quest, and The Roots welcome this ethnic mixing in their music. On the contrary, most â€Å"gangster rappers† do not promote this mixture. Th preach about racial tension, therefore further distancing the posibility of tranquility between races.

Morality and Ethics Essay

Morality and ethics are terms often used as if they have the same meaning. At other times, they are used as if they have no relationship to one another. I think most people realize ethics and morality have something to do with the concepts of good and bad. However, English is not like French, which has the Academic Fantasies acting as its linguistic jury – establishing what proper French is. English changes at the impulse of the crowded. One can bomb, and that’s bad, but if one is the bomb, and that’s good. The word â€Å"morality† has been co-opted by groups, such as the Moral Majority, making us think morality only deals with acts these religious groups think aren’t proper, or are therefore immoral. The meanings of the terms â€Å"ethics† and â€Å"morality† can be differentiated based on their origins in ancient Greek and Latin, respectively. As a result, words that come into the English language from the Greeks often have meanings that are primarily philosophical study, while the Latin-derived words imply â€Å"doing the thing. † Ethics comes from the Greek word ethos – moral character or custom. Morality comes from the Latin word moralist – custom or manner. The words both deal with the customs or the manner in which people do things. Their modern meanings relate to the way people act – either good or bad. Morality, strictly speaking, is used to refer to what we would call moral conduct or standards. Morality is looking at how good or bad our conduct is, and our standards about conduct. Ethics is used to refer to the formal study of those standards or conduct. Sometimes, one refers to the study of conduct as moral philosophy, but that is less common than just saying â€Å"ethics. † One might say that morality is ethics in action, but in the end, the two terms can be used interchangeably. The study of ethics or moral philosophy can be divided into three broad areas: descriptive, normative and analytical or met ethics. Ethics deals with such questions at all levels. Its subject consists of the fundamental issues of practical decision making, and its major concerns include the nature of ultimate value and the standards by which human actions can be judged right or wrong. The terms ethics and morality are closely related. We now often refer to ethical judgments or ethical principles where it once would have been more common to speak of moral judgments or moral principles. These applications are an extension of the meaning of ethics. Strictly speaking, however, the term refers not to morality itself but to the field of study, or branch of inquiry, that has morality as its subject matter. In this sense, ethics is equivalent to moral philosophy. Although ethics has always been viewed as a branch of philosophy, its all-embracing practical nature links it with many other areas of study, including anthropology, biology, economics, history, politics, sociology, and theology. Yet, ethics remains distinct from such disciplines because it is not a matter of factual knowledge in the way that the sciences and other branches of inquiry are. Rather, it has to do with determining the nature of normative theories and applying these sets of principles to practical moral problems. Virtually every human society has some form of myth to explain the origin of morality. In the Louvre in Paris there is a black Babylonian column with a relief showing the sun god Shamash presenting the code of laws to Hammurabi. The Old Testament account of God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai might be considered another example. In Plato’s Protagoras there is an avowedly mythical account of how Zeus took pity on the wretched humans, who, living in small groups and with insufficient teeth, weak claws, and lack of speed, were no match for the other beasts. To make up for these deficiencies, Zeus gave humans a moral sense and the capacity for law and justice, so that they could live in larger communities and cooperate with one another. There is some difficulty, already known to Plato, with the view that morality was created by a divine power. In his dialogue Euthyphro, Plato considered the suggestion that it is divine approval that makes an action good. Plato pointed out that if this were the case, we could not say that the gods approve of the actions because the actions are good. Why then do the gods approve of these actions rather than others? Is their approval entirely capricious? Plato considered this impossible and so held that there must be some standards of right or wrong that are independent of the likes and dislikes of the gods. Modern philosophers have generally accepted Plato’s argument because the alternative implies that if the gods had happened to approve of torturing children and to disapprove of helping one’s neighbors, then torture would have been good and neighborliness bad. That morality should be invested with all the mystery and power of divine origin is not surprising. Nothing else could provide such strong reasons for accepting the moral law. By attributing a divine origin to morality, the priesthood became its interpreter and guardian, and thereby secured for itself a power that it would not readily abandon. This link between morality and religion has been so firmly forged that it is still sometimes asserted that there can be no morality without religion. According to this view, ethics ceases to be an independent field of study. It becomes, instead, moral theology.

Wilmot Proviso

It could be said that the American Civil War was brought on by Americans need to expand its territories and the one sided Mexican War. The whole debate or controversy over this expansion was David Wilmot’s (and his squad of backers: Hamlin, Brinkerhoff, and King) trying to implement the Wilmot Proviso into the funding for the Mexican territories we acquired. The proviso actually fueled the debate over slavery into the newly acquired territories by trying to make the territories slave free acquisitions. The Wilmot Proviso was a simply desire to make newly acquired territories free from slavery.As pointed out in the opening of this discussion however, banning slavery in these territories was a mute point in the fore front. So what impact did the Wilmot Proviso have on the debate over slavery in America? It actually seemed to create a debate were one did not actually exist. The debate or desire to ban slavery was created by Democratic House members (anti-slavery members) who were afraid that the Whig party would spin the War with Mexico into their desire to expand slavery. [1] So the very party that supported slavery issues had the desire to ban slavery in the new territories anyway.Although these few anti-slavery Democrats did not represent the whole, the desire was there and they wanted the territories to be free. Given, this move was to keep the Whig party from making the accusations that the Democrats were moving to expand the real estate for slavery. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, even points out that Congressman from the northern states tried to enact a proviso banning from the territories acquired by a war in which two-thirds of the volunteer soldiers had come from slave states. General Taylor was a slaveholder but opposed the expansion of slavery when he became president. 2] McPherson examines the irony of this fact as well as many other ironies that were to do with the Mexican War and the Civil War.Another point that McPherson makes is that the men won the Mexican War because of the marksmanship and elan of their mixed divisions of regulars and volunteers and above all because of the professionalism and courage of their junior officers. Yet the competence of these men foreshadowed the ultimate irony of the Mexican War, for many of the best of them would fight against each other in the next war. 3] This is pretty powerful stuff that McPherson is feeding us, pointing out the fact that nearly the same group of men who fought the Mexican War would face one another again during the Civil War. The fact that they were so successful in the first led them to face one another in the second partly due to the Wilmot Proviso and other factors that revolved supposedly around the slavery issue. Taking a different avenue of approach on the supposed fact that slavery and the Wilmot Proviso was the cause and sole factor of the Civil War.During and in the heat of the Wilmot Proviso debate, many southern lawmakers began to question the right of Congress to determine the status of slavery in any territory. According to John Calhoun, the territories belonged to all the states. Why should a citizen of one stated be denied the right to make his property, including slave, into territory owned by all? This line of reasoning began to dominate the southern argument. [4] So here now enters the government encroaching on the rights of the southern states and overreaching its authority to tell them what they could and could not do in their territories.So, although slavery was the catalyst, the southerners began to turn the whole issue into â€Å"rights† issue that revolved around properties. The federal government began meddling in the rights of the states to govern its domain. So the fact that the Wilmot Proviso was trying to govern who and who â€Å"could not† have slaves was a violation of the state’s rights. The issue moved from one of abstraction to one involving practical matters. The n ature of the Constitution, slavery, the value of free labor, political power, and ultimately political realignment were all involved in the debate. 5] The southerners started to become enraged at the fact they were being told what to do and how to do it. So what was the impact of the Wilmot Proviso on the debate over slavery in America? Some would say that the Wilmot Proviso is one of the top five reasons or causes for the Civil War and I might have to agree with that as well. In my opinion, the proviso just fueled the fire on the slavery debate simply due to the fact that it was pointless in the sense they were trying to impose a ban on in area that would have not really benefited from the use of slaves anyway.The areas of Texas, Arizona, and California were not geographic areas where slaves would have made a great deal of difference anyway so the proviso was pointless to them. The proviso was trying to impose a ban on slavery in areas where there was to be little need for slaves a nyway. So the proviso was just a platform to them to impose slavery bans in the south and expand their agenda on the issue. The southern states saw the proviso as an insult to the Southern states and their stand on slavery.Of course, I do think they were moving in the right direction from a humanitarian standpoint they were going about it the wrong way. The debate should have been over the constitutionality of the issue all together and the rights of all men/women. They even entertained the thought of popular sovereignty but that would just have let the issue as is because the southern states would have left it like it was and the northern states would have moved to abolish it all together. Let us not forget that the southern states were not the only areas that possessed slaves.The northern states and citizens did indeed possess slaves in large numbers and many of the politicians pushing the issue of banning it were slave owners themselves. So, in a hypocritical fashion, they were p reaching one thing and practicing another. This could not have been favorable to their standpoint at all. Sounds a lot like our politicians today and the way they practice government of late. The point made and known today is that slavery was wrong, inhuman, and unjust and we know that today. The reasons or thought process they used then to justify what they were doing boggles the mind and makes you wonder.It should have been made law without question and the Wilmot Proviso was a move towards that fact. The only ones that were offended or involved were the ones that were practicing this and most of those were wealthy farmers and beau crates and the most common of people could have cared less.[1] http://blueandgraytrial. com/event/Wilmot_Proviso [2] James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford Press 1988, p. 4 [3] Ibid, p. 4 [4] www. ushistory. org/us/30b [5] Michael F. Holt, The Political Crises of the 1850 s. 1978, p. 50

Shinto and its relationship with China and Buddhism

Shinto and its relationship with China and Buddhism Buddhism and Shinto are religions which are largely practiced in the South East Asia and other countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Japan, China, South and North Korea among other countries within and outside the region. The origin of these two religions dates back to about 2,500 years (Ellwood and Pilgrim 4). The Buddhist religion and its practices such as meditation way of the religion have continued to spread across many parts of the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Shinto and its relationship with China and Buddhism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Shinto practices have existed for several centuries and are common among the Buddhists. Shinto is a term used to describe a set of indigenous spirituality practices of the Japanese. The earliest records of the Shinto practices were made in the 8th century. These records are found in The Record of Ancient Things, 712 (Kojiki) as well as The Chronicles of Japan, 72 0 (Nihon Shoki). The practices are conducted to connect the Japanese people to their ancient past. Today, the term is generally used to refer to public shrines which are used for harvest festivals and war memorials among other religious practices. The word Shinto which means way of the gods (Sokyo 2) is derived from Chinese words shà ©n do. These two words are combined so that they produce â€Å"shin† and â€Å"tÃ… Ã¢â‚¬ . â€Å"Shin† means kami; which refers to innate supernatural force which includes deities, spirits, as well as, essences which occur in many forms and may exist in human-like or animistic form or in abstract natural forces (Ellwood and Pilgrim 7; and Sokyo 2). Kami can sometimes be associated with lightning, mountains, trees, wind among other natural forces. â€Å"tÃ… Ã¢â‚¬  in Chinese means a philosophical path or could also mean a philosophical study (Sokyo 2). Thus, Shinto generally means ways, beliefs and practices adopted by the Japanese p eople to worship kami. The origin of Shinto was influenced by the Japanese contacts with the Chinese religions. For example, the term itself is of Chinese origin. Besides, the codification of its mythology was done in such a way that it responds to the Chinese influence. Most mythology applied in Shinto practices were acquired from Chinese doctrines. As a result, both religions have had an influence on each other. Most people who practice Shinto rituals especially in Japan also profess Buddhism. In both faiths, one does not have to identify with a particular faith to be a believer. This means that many people who practice Shinto rituals are also Buddhists and vise versa. This includes the Chinese people who live in Japan and even those who live in China. Because of this, it is difficult to distinguish between Buddhist and Shinto beliefs regarding the world as both have greatly influenced Japanese religious culture. Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's s ee if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While Shinto beliefs emphasize what happens while one is still alive, which is finding happiness in life, Buddhism puts emphasis on life after death (Herbert 17). Thus, although the two religions have varied perspectives on the world, they have continued to co-exist. Accordingly, it is not unusual to find people who engage in Shinto practices in life being accorded Buddhist funeral. Japanese have had an affiliation with both Shinto and Buddhism religions. Shinto religion has its origin in China and Chinese religions; however, the two religions have been blended together in practice even though have distinct differences. As such, those who identify with the two religions have continued to engage in practices of the Buddhist and Shinto faiths either knowingly or unknowingly. Ellwood, Robert and Pilgrim, Richard. Japanese Religion, 1st edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 1985. Pr int. Herbert, Jean. Shinto: At the fountainhead of Japan. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1967. Print. Sokyo, Ono. Shinto: The Kami Way, 1st edition. Rutland, VT: Charles E Tuttle Co., 1962. Print.

Sound Scripting - Word Stress and Intonation

Sound Scripting - Word Stress and Intonation Word stress and intonation within sentences is very important to correct English pronunciation. In Mark Powells book Presenting in English, there are sound scripting exercises which help learners become more expressive by taking sentence intonation skills to the next level. These examples use a method of bolding key content words and CAPITALIZING the most important words chosen for the best emotional impact. This starts off with a simple sentence paragraph that an intermediate student might use to practice and ends with a more advanced selection that is typical of a presentation. Paragraph 1 Our school is the best in town. The teachers are friendly, and very knowledgeable about English. Ive studied at the school for two years and my English is becoming very good. I hope you will visit our school and try an English class. Maybe we can become friends, too! Paragraph 1 With Sound Scripting Markup Our school is the BEST in town. The teachers are friendly, and VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE about English. Ive studied at the school for two years and my English is becoming VERY GOOD. I hope you will visit our school and try an English class. MAYBE we can become FRIENDS! Listen to Example Paragraph 2 In this day and age, facts, statistics, and other numbers are used to prove everything. Intuition, gut feelings and personal preferences are all out the door. Of course, there are some who are trying to battle this trend. Recently, Malcolm Gladwell wrote Blink, a best-seller which explores the usefulness of making split-second decisions based on intuition rather than careful consideration of all the facts and figures. In this book, Gladwell argues that initial impressions - or gut-feelings - are quite rational. However, that this split-second thinking process moves faster than what we usually associate with thinking. If you are one of these people - and there are many of us - Blink provides proof that youre actually quite a rational human being. Paragraph 2 With Sound Scripting Markup In this day and age, facts, statistics and other numbers are used to prove EVERYTHING. Intuition, gut feelings and personal preferences are all OUT THE DOOR. Of course, there ARE some who are trying to battle this trend. Recently, Malcolm Gladwell wrote BLINK, a best-seller which explores the USEFULNESS of making SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS based on INTUITION rather than careful consideration of all the facts and figures. In his book, Gladwell argues that INITIAL IMPRESSIONS - or GUT-FEELINGS - are quite rational. However, that this split-second thinking process moves FASTER than what we usually associate with thinking. If YOU are one of these people - and there are MANY of us - Blink provides PROOF that youre actually quite a RATIONAL HUMAN BEING. Listen to Example You can  practice this type of exercise further with help from our lesson on using a focus word to help with English pronunciation in general.

Functionalist and intentionalist explanations of mass murder cases Essay

Functionalist and intentionalist explanations of mass murder cases - Essay Example Genocide is thus the result of ideology, as opposed to structure. With the functionalism, it is the opposite – the structures – political, environmental, etc. - are what influences the individual to act, or the group to act. A person might have an ideology that Jews are the cause of the problems of the world, and they must be eradicated, and this is what drove the Holocaust, say some historians, along with Hitler's overall mental problems. Others state that the structure is what drove the Holocaust – the recession that Germany was in, which made the people desperate enough to latch onto the ideas of Hitler. The functionalist argument could also be what explained why the individuals under Hitler, and the groups as well, would do what they did in carrying out the orders. With Rwanda, the functionalist argument is almost the entire argument, as no one individual had the ideology to carry out the genocide. However, if group ideology can be considered in the intention alist argument, then this is one way that intentionalism can be used to explain what happened in Rwanda as well. This paper will explore these two theories, as well as explore how they fit into the parameters of these two tragedies. Intentionalism According to Crane (2007), the theory of intentionalism questions whether all mental states are intentional. Thoughts are intentional, in that they have an object (Armstrong, 1968). Or they might have multiple objects (Husserl, 1901). In other words, people who are thinking are thinking about something – there cannot be a thought about nothing. Since thoughts, by definition, are about something, they are said to be intentional thoughts (Chalmers, 2004). Crane (2007) asks the question of whether there are similar objects for emotions, sensations and perceptual experiences. Crane (2007) also explains what intentional objects are, and the intentional states of mind that are focused upon these objects. If one hopes for something, then t his is an intentional mode. If one thinks of the object in different ways – champagne can also be thought of as sparkling wine, for instance – then this would be considered intentional content. The thing in the mind must be represented in one way or another, according to Crane (2007). Therefore, one must have intentional mode and content (Parsons, 1980). Crane (2007) also asks if the contents of all intentional states are true or false, which means that they are propositional. Or, the contents of an intentional state might be conceptual or non-conceptual (Martin, 2002). This means that the â€Å"state of mind has conceptual content when a subject needs to possess the concepts definitive of its content in order to be in that state† (Crane, 2007, p. 8). Nickel (2007) explains intentionalism as visual experiences that have phenomenology and content. Phenomenology is â€Å"what it is like to have it,† and content â€Å"is how the experience represents the wo rld as being† (p. 1). He states that if two experiences differ in phenomenology, then they differ in content. Or, as Byrne (2001) understands it, one has a representation of a thought, and a sensation about the thought. The representation is the intentional part of the thought (Stalnaker, 1998). The intentional part of the thought may become separated from the sensation, according to some philosophers (Robinson, 1994). Nickel gives some helpful examples to compare and contrast when he speaks about the concepts. He explains phenomenology as being â€Å"