What is Early Action and Early Admission

What is Early Action and Early Admission SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Shakespeare once wrote, "Better three hours too soon than a minute too late." If you're someone who likes to get things done ahead of schedule, then you might consider applying about two or three months sooner than regular deadlines under an early action program. Early action lets you apply early to one or more colleges, and you find out if you got accepted earlier too. This guide will go over the ins and outs of early action and the schools that offer it. Read on to figure out whether applying early action is right for you. What is Early Action? Early action is an admission plan offered by some colleges in addition to regular decision. Asthe name indicates, you apply by an earlier deadline. This deadline is often, but not always, November 1. This November deadline is months earlier than the regular decision deadline, which is usually in January. When you apply early action, you don't have to do anything special except for make the deadline. You'll still apply the normal way, usually through the Common Application. You'll fill out your application with information, such as yoursenior year courses and extracurricular activities. You'll send your official test scores through College Board or the SAT, invite your teachers and counselor to upload their recommendation letters, and submit your personal essay. Once you send everything in, you don't have too long to wait before hearing back from the admissions office. Most early action applicants hear back in mid-December. This opens up the awesome possibility of getting a college acceptance only halfway through senior year! Besides getting accepted, the other less welcome outcomes could be that you're denied or deferred. If you getdenied, you can't apply again for that academic year. If you're deferred, then your application will be pushed forward into the regular applicant pool to be reviewed again in the next round. If this happens, then you might want to call the school to see if you can get any more information. You could alsosend your mid-year grades or more recent test scores if they'll help your cause. Early action, unlike its counterpart early decision, is not binding. If you're offered a spot in the upcoming class, you don't have to accept it right away (unless you want to!). Instead, you can wait until May 1 before telling your EA school whether or not you plan to enroll. This policy allows you to compare admissions and financial aid offers from other schools that you applied to. You can apply elsewhere under regular decision, but can you apply to more than one school under early action? That all depends on the school. So many options! A little guidance here, please! Can You Apply to More Than One School Early Action? In most cases, the answer to this question is yes. You can apply to as many schools as you want under early action or regular decision. Some schools that allow you to apply early action anywhere include Boston College, CalTech, Georgetown, MIT, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Chicago, University of Virginia, and Villanova. For a few schools, however, the answer to the above question is a firm no. Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, and the University of Notre Dame, for example, only have a restrictive or single choice early action plan. As Harvard says, "If you apply...under our Early Action program, you may also apply at the same time to any public college/university or to foreign universities butyou are restricted from applying to other private universities' Early Action" programs. Basically, single choice early action means you can only apply to that one school early. So if you're applying to a restrictive early action school, make sure it's your top choice! Even though restrictive early action prevents you from applying under other schools' early action programs, you can still submit applications elsewhere under the regular decision deadlines. Again, this policy allows you to compare offers and financial aid throughout the spring before committing to a college. Early action is a great way to get a jumpstart on your college applications and ideally have your plans finalized ASAP senior year. While this can save you from a lot of the stress of the college notification waiting game, what benefit does it give to colleges? Why do colleges offer early action? Why Do Colleges Offer Early Action? Colleges have all different approaches, philosophies, and priorities when it comes to building a student body (and these can change from year to year). It makes sense that they offer different admissions plans as well. A few of the main reasons for an EA deadline are... To Space Out the Work One logistical reason for early action is that it allows admissions officers to space out their work. With more and more students applying to college, offering two deadlines lets schools stagger the review process over the year, rather than lumping it all together in one crazy month. To Control Enrollment Numbers Another reason that early action candidates appeal to admissions officers is that they're statistically more likely to accept an offer than are regular decision candidates. Think about it: if you apply early to a school, then you're probably really excited about that school. You're motivated to prepare months earlier than normalto get your application in one time. Students who apply under RDmight be applying to six or more schools on their college list, some safeties and some that are big reaches. That's largely why RD candidates less predictable in terms of where they'll enroll than EA candidates. For colleges, being able to predict their enrollment numbers and maximize their student yield is a big plus. To Discover Qualified Students Finally, colleges appreciate that EA applicants tend to be some of the most qualified candidates. A few years ago, Harvard, Princeton, and UVA eliminated their early action programs, citing evidence that early admissions predominantly benefited white, more affluent students with access to better resourced college counseling. Harvard's interim president in 2007, DerekBok,said,"Early admission programs tend to advantage to advantaged. Students from more sophisticated backgrounds and affluent high schools often apply early to increase their chances of admission, while minority students and students from rural areas, other countries, and high schools with fewer resources miss out." Other schools didn't follow suit, though, and all three colleges brought back their EA programs. Why? According to Harvard, they realized that students withall backgrounds wanted an early option. Realistically, though? They probably realized they were missing out on some of the most qualified students, who just applied early action somewhere else. Besides gaining more insight into how college admissions work, does any of this matter for you as a student? Well, by understanding that colleges are looking for qualified candidates andare looking to improve their yield, you could conclude that applying EA cangive you some strategic advantage. By demonstrating both your competitiveness and your commitment to the school (perhaps by saying it's your first choice in a supplemental essay, if possible), then you might curry more favor with admissions officers than would an RD candidate, whose commitment might not be perceived as equally strong. Let's break this down in more detail as we try to answer the much debated question - Is There an Advantage to Applying Early Action? There are a lot of rumors that you have a better shot of getting in if you apply EA. Sometimes students feel pressured to apply early, thinking it will increase their chances of admission. So does applying early help you? Now for the frustrating answer: yes and no. Data does show that a greater percentage of early action candidates are accepted over regular decision. Plus, as more and more students apply early, colleges have begun to raise their early acceptance rates too. In this past year, Harvard increased the percentage of EA acceptances from 6% to 17% That's a whole lot higher than its overall (and extremely selective) acceptance rate of 5.9%. You might conclude from this that you do have a better chance of getting accepted as an EA applicant. But there could be another explanation. The greater acceptance rate could reflect the greater number of qualified EA candidates. Perhaps students who apply early, especially to selective schools like Harvard, contain a higher proportion of well-qualified candidates than students who apply RD. MIT has this to say about its early action program: "There is no positive or negative prejudice associated with or conferred by applying during either cycle. We do not have a preference, and there is no strategic benefit to be had. We have two cycles for two reasons: 1) it helps us spread our work out over a longer period, devoting more time to each application and 2) it provides applicants with more options sothey can choose which works best for them." So is there any advantage to applying early? I would suggest the answer lies somewhere in the middle of Harvard's data and MIT's statement. Colleges do seem to appreciate the greater yield of EA candidates and their enthusiasm about attending. On the other hand, the EA pool could be even more competitive than the RD pool. Applying early won't make weaker grades or test scores look any stronger; in fact, compared to other early applicants, they could look even less up to scratch. So what conclusion can we drawhere? I'd say your number one priority should be sending the strongest application you can. If you've done careful planning in advance of your November deadline (more advice on how to do this below), then by all means, go for it! Apply early action. If you feel like you're doing a rush job, consider holding off and applying in January. Don't apply EA because you feel like you "should" if you think you're not ready. Take control of your college planning and go with the option that feels right to you. To cover all possible bases, you could call up or visit the admissions office of your school of interest and ask them about their EA program. Ask how selective EA is, or what their process is on denying versus deferring an applicant. Find out if there's any differences in financial aid processes and packages for EA vs. RD candidates. While you may be starting to have a sense of whether EA is right for you in terms of your readiness, what else do you need to think about when deciding to apply early? What steps do you need to take throughout junior and senior year? IsEarly Action is Right for You? Early action pushes your college planning timeline earlier by a few months.When deciding whether or not to apply early, you should think about your readiness and the strength of your credentials at that point. If you're already a senior, you could evaluate your readiness based on the info below. If you're a younger student, you can use this timeline to guide your college planning as you get ready to apply early action. Let's break down your planning byeach application component and your timeline for completing it, starting with your course grades. How Are Your Junior Year Grades? If you apply EA, your application will reflect your academic record up through the end of junior year. This differs from regular decision, when you'll send your mid-year senior grades as part of your transcript. If you're satisfied with your grades and GPA up until that point, then EA could be a great choice. If your grades are improving and you want to show that momentum in your college app, then you might wait until a January deadline. Remember that applying EA means that the admissions committee will focus on your freshman, sophomore, and junior years. If you'd benefit from adding the first half of senior year to the mix, then it might be to your advantage to wait for RD. How Are Your SAT or ACT Scores? If you apply EA, then your last chance to take the ACT or SAT would be in September or October of senior year. It could be pretty nerve-wracking if you're relying on these fall test dates to achieve your target scores. To ease the pressure, you could leave yourself two or three test dates in sophomore and/or junior year. For instance, you could take the SAT or ACT in the spring of sophomore year, fall of junior year, and again in the spring of junior year. With this schedule, you'd have three opportunities to achieve your target score, plus an additional date in the fall of senior year, just in case. Alternatively, since not everyone wants to take the SAT or ACT three or four times, you could take your test in the fall and spring of 11th grade. The main takeaway here is that you'll need to prep and plan for the SAT or ACT a long time before your EA deadline. If you find that you've run out of available test dates and still aren't satisfied with your scores, then you might decide to wait until RD. That way, you'd have one more opportunity to test in the fall of 12th grade. Do You Know Who to Ask for Recommendations? According to Emily Post's rules of manners and etiquette (probably), you should give your recommenders at least three weeks to a month's notice before your deadline. Be thoughtful about who you ask, and take the time to fill out a detailed "brag sheet" with your reflections on your goals andvalues. A lot of students ask their junior year teachers, so it can be a good idea to ask them at the end of junior year. At the very least, you should have your brag sheet ready and ask your teachers by October of senior year in order to apply EA. Meeting and talking to your counselor is important too. Share your plans and get to know her so she can write you a detailed and insightful rec letter. The keypoint here? To apply EA, fill out your brag sheet, talk to your recommenders, and make your rec letter requests at the end of junior year or by October of senior year at the latest. Are You Working On Your Personal Essay? Just like with your test scores and recommendations, you also want to start preparing your personal essay a few months in advance of your EA deadline. Even though it's a short essay (only 650 words for the Common App), it takes a lot of time, thought, and careful revising to produce an effective personal statement. To apply EA, you should start working on your college essay over the summer, and give significant time to drafting, eliciting feedback, and revising. Finding the time to work on your essay and balancing it with your other schoolwork and activities is another challenge to applying early, but one that you can manage if you get a head start and set deadlines for yourself. These are a few of my favorite schools... Is the EASchool Your Top Choice? This last question is most important for restrictive or single choice early action. Since restrictive EA only lets you apply early to one school, you should make it your top choice. How can you figure this out? For one thing, you can research the school, its programs, and its culture and social scene online and in person. Visit campus, speak to people in the admissions office, and speak to students about their experience. Maybe you can even do an overnight visit. Make sure that the school appeals to you and that you have concrete, significant reasons for wanting to spend the next four years of your life and education there. If you're really excited about attending the school, then this could motivate you to accomplish all of the steps described above in time to create an impressive application by the EA deadline. In closing, let's review the most important pieces of info you need to remember about choosing and applying early action. Key Takeaways About Early Action If I had to distil all the information above into the most important points for you to remember, they would be these: Some schools offer early action deadlines. They're usually in November, and you'll hear back whether you were accepted, denied, or deferred in mid-December. A small number of schools have restrictive or single choice early action, meaning you can't apply EA anywhere else. Applying early action isn't binding. You can apply to other schools and compare admission and financial aid offers before responding by May 1. If you're planning to apply EA, then you should prepare your application months in advance, payingspecial attention to your SAT or ACT scores, recommendations, and personal essay. Remember, applying EA can be a great option if you're excited about one or more schools and ready to apply. Don't rush and send off a weaker application just for the sake of applying early, but if you demonstrate that you're a qualified candidate, then you could have great success applying EA. If you're lucky, you could have your college plans all set before the new year! Then instead of anxiously awaiting college decisions, you could spend the spring relaxing and shopping for dorm room furniture. What's Next? Now that you know all about how early action works, check out the full list of schools with early action and their deadlines. Are you curious about how early decision differs from early action? Learn more about applying ED with this in-depth guide, plus a full list of schools with early decision and their deadlines. 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:

Commonly Confused Homophones Fir and Fur

Commonly Confused Homophones Fir and Fur The words fir and fur  are  homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. The noun fir refers to an evergreen tree with needle-shaped leaves. The noun fur refers to the soft, hairy coat of an animal or to a garment made of fur. Examples In an area where spruce and fir mingle with quaking aspen, in a cool shady well-watered place, I discover a blue columbine, rarest and loveliest of mountain flowers. (Edward Abbey)The longing for the silences of the Cascades, the smell of fir boughs at night, the touch of the chinook as it blew over the ridges -   these longings were almost irresistible in the oppressiveness of my New York City rooming house. (William O. Douglas)The main target of the fur trade initially was the beaver, whose soft fur was hammered and compressed to make felt hats for the European gentry. (Miron Heinselman)In winter, to keep out the pervasive Low Countries chill, men and women alike donned elegant fur-lined dressing gowns that were worn over all the other clothing at home and at the place of work. (Mike Dash) Practice Exercise (a) A cool evening breeze brought with it the smell of _____ trees and wild honeysuckle.(b) Beavers need a thick _____ coat to maintain an adequate body temperature in winter. Answers to Practice Exercise (a) A cool evening breeze brought with it the smell of  fir  trees and wild honeysuckle. (b) Beavers need a thick  fur  coat to maintain an adequate body temperature in winter.

America as a Christian Nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

America as a Christian Nation - Essay Example And that they do it only by necessity. According to him "injustice is more profitable to an individual than justice." (360 B.C.) However, it has been a popular teaching in Christianity that God gave men free will. And according to C.S Lewis, it is that same free will that made evil possible. (1943) Men are then free to do good as well as evil. Therefore, because of this free will, in my opinion, it doesn't matter whether or not men are born just or not. Nor is the reason why men are unjust, whether by whim or necessity. All that matters is that men have the capacity to be unjust. And it is that capability for injustice that should be constrained, but how It has been argued that the best of all things is "to do injustice and not be punished," the worst is "to suffer injustice without power of retaliation," (Devine 2004) hence the middle ground is what we call justice as imposed by government. And I agree. I believe that it is the existence of the government that constrains this capability of evil. It provides for laws, renders judgment and imposes punishment. I agree with Rousseau when he stated that even if God did not have a hand on the legitimacy of the government, it is God that gave the individuals inalienable rights. (Devine, 2004) And this includes the right to form a unified body to govern them. You need not be Christian. You can be Muslim or Jewish. You may even call your God different names. But I think, if one believes that all men has inalienable rights, he or she must believe that there is a higher power bestowing that right. Because if the contrary was true, that there is no higher power, then men would be the highest power. We are all gods. I don't think that's right. If we are all gods, that would lead to chaos. As such, since the power of the American government emanates from the people, America as a nation must believe in a higher power, a religion. Why Christianity One main reason why America leans towards Christianity more than the other religions is because of history. We have learned in the readings that through conquests, Christianity was spread from Europe, to the American continent. However, there are also other religions brought by immigrants inside America. There is also the fact that there are many who prefers not to believe in any religion at all. But despite that, I still believe that America is still a Christian nation. Why Because of its teachings. No matter if you call yourself an atheist or declare that you believe in some other god, if you practice what Christianity preach, I call you a Christian. So what are these teachings Firstly, Christianity teaches us to be just, to respect and to do no harm to another. These are the basic virtues that lead to the very goal of our Constitution: the protection of life, liberty and property. Secondly, Christianity t

Love Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Love - Assignment Example The main activities of the program that will be undertaken within Bonnie Brae Residential Facility include counseling, parental training, individual and group mentoring among others. Some of the key parties that this project will rely on are parents, clinical officers, law enforcers, mentors, local support agencies, residential staffs and members of the community. With the financial assistance from the federal government, the program is focused at attaining positive outcomes that include improved skills, behavior change, high self esteem, determination and increased income for the adolescent males. Proper planning, controlling, management and effective coordination are some of the major aspects that determine the success of a project. One of the duties of a project manager is to oversee proper use of financial resources that are given by federal government or grant making foundations. In addition, project managers must ensure that the objectives of their projects are in line with the needs of the target population. In this way, projects will enjoy the support of the members of the community as well as the government. Based on the wide range of activities that are undertaken to make a project successful, it is paramount for regular evaluation of the goals to avoid deviation and loss of resources. In the contemporary world juvenile delinquency has become a major security threat. In their efforts to curb the negativities associated with illegal behaviors by young people, various rehabilitation centers have been established. Although government authorities allocate adequate funds to oversee the running of the treatment centers, crime rate in many countries remain high. This means that there is a gap that exists in the process of transforming the young people to become responsible adult. This paper analyzes the major aspects that will be covered by a program that aims at improving

Historical Investigation Essay Example for Free

Historical Investigation Essay Assess the impact of the period from 1969 1982 on the IRA/Sinn Fein and their development into a significant political force in Northern Ireland Assess the impact of the period from 1969 1982 on the IRA/Sinn Fein and their development into a significant political force in Northern Ireland During the period from 1969-1982 both the IRA and Sinn Fein underwent significant change. Sinn Fein moved from a fringe role, in the nationalist movement of Northern Ireland, to a dominant political position. During a time of intense violence in the region an internal discussion was taking place, deliberating on the value of armed resistance versus political engagement. The ideals that rose out of this transformed the movement and laid the basis for the central role it would play in the eventual Good Friday Agreement of 1998. The re-emergence of the nationalist movement led to the rise and resurrection of groups such as the IRA. Naturally this caused much tension, and incidences of violence began to rise. Acts of exceptional protest showed the incomparable power of politics over violence and led to international recognition of the issue. Ultimately Sinn Fein developed into one of the most powerful political forces in Northern Ireland. After years in the dark the nationalist movement began to rapidly gain momentum when the Belfast Troubles began in 1969. The IRA had been deeply divided since 1921 when Dail Eireann chose to ratify the Anglo- Irish treaty. The treaty established the autonomous Irish Free State whilst the province of Ulster remained under the direct control of the United Kingdom. Despite the fact that IRA member Michael Collins had played a role in writing the treaty there was still a major difference of opinion between members of the IRA.1 They were divided between those who were for the establishment of the Free State and those who believed it was illegitimate and illegal. The Split over the treaty led to the Irish Civil War from 1922-3. Many of the opposing leaders had been close friends and comrades during the Irish War of Independence. The civil war split the IRA and this rift would continue to haunt Irish politics for many years to come. In the 1960s the IRA was further marginalised as it came under the influence of left wing thinkers. This caused a split between the factions of the IRA based in Dublin and Belfast.2 In 1969 the wounds of old were once stirred again when Northern Ireland was rocked by bloody sectarian rioting. The bloodiest rioting was in Belfast where seven people were killed and hundreds injured.3 Violence escalated sharply after these events and new paramilitary groups came into existence on either side of the conflict. The Provisional IRA received an upsurge in membership. It was from here that The Troubles, one of the most infamous periods in Irish history began. The violence was characterised by armed campaigns of paramilitary groups. Conflict hit the streets and many innocent people were often attacked. Alongside the violence there was deadlock between the major political parties of Northern Ireland over how the province would be administered and governed. 1972 saw an explosion of political violence in Northern Ireland in which many people lost their lives. The nationalist community saw the Provisional IRA as their defenders, who began an armed campaign in reaction to loyalist provoked violence. During this period the party Sinn Fein had no interest in electoral politics.4 They voiced the need for military opposition to British rule in Northern Ireland. They gained control of the Republican movement and began to focus on flooding nationalist propaganda throughout Northern Ireland. Membership began to skyrocket as anti-British sentiment ran rife. The Republican political party Sinn Fein built the foundations for a movement which in ten years would expand to have branches in every town in Ireland. Atrocities by loyalists and British forces themselves were used to justify the IRA as a movement and inspired many to stand up and fight for the cause they all believed in. On 30 January 19725 in the city of Derry, Northern Ireland border, perhaps one of the largest single atrocities of the Troubles period occurred. During a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march in the bogside area of the city members of the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute regiment opened fire on many unarmed protestors. Twenty seven people are known to have been shot and fourteen of those were killed with at least five of the latter confirmed as being shot in the back. 6 Witnesses, including bystanders and British journalists, testify that all those shot appeared to be unarmed. Many individual atrocities occurred that day witnessed by hundreds of people. Eye witness Michael McCallion testified that A fellow came out with a white flag, no sooner had he done this when the middle of three British soldiers pulled the trigger and shot him through the head.I have witnessed this as God is my judge and I say that it was cold blooded murder.7 Testimonies such as this confirm the extreme acts of violence the British committed unnecessarily on that day. One paratrooper who gave evidence testified that they were told by an officer to expect a gunfight and we want some kills.8 The reason for the uproar over such killings was the British soldiers were essentially not an occupying force but a measure of peace between nationalist and loyalist paramilitary groups. As Catholic Bishop of Derry Edward Daly commented What really made Bloody Sunday so obscene was the fact that afterwards at the highest level British justice justified it.9 Acts such as this by official British forces reaffirmed the belief of many that the British Government was still the real enemy and behind the problems that continued in Northern Ireland. This justified the cause of the nationalist movement and subsequently the IRA and Sinn Fein as well. Both organisations had now developed a strong following throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. Whilst such occurrences did cause much suffering and pain they proved useful to both the IRA and Sinn Fein in acquiring widespread support for the movement. Sinn Fein and the IRA were not officially linked but both strived for the same goal. The Provisional Irish Republican Army was a paramilitary organisation that considered itself a direct continuation of the IRA that had fought in the Irish war of Independence.10 Its stated objective was to end British rule in Ireland and withdraw Northern Irelands status as part of the United Kingdom. The Provisionals advocated for armed defence of Catholic communities in the north and an offensive campaign to end British rule. As the violence in Northern Ireland steadily increased the IRA began to call for a more aggressive campaign against British loyalists. Sinn Fein was a political party of the Republican movement. It was formed in 1970 but has traces back to the original party founded in 1905.11 The party is believed to be directly associated with the IRA. Both Sinn Fein and the IRA played different but converging roles in the war for liberation. Whilst the movements were not officially linked it was widely thought that they were different faces of the same movement. In 2005 the British Government stated We had always said all the way through that we believed the IRA and Sinn Fein were inextricably linked and that had obvious implications at leadership level.12 Throughout the early seventies there was much internal argument between factions of the IRA and Sinn Fein over whether their movements primary role should chiefly military or political, although both groups viewed Britain as a colonial occupier and therefore viewed the political process as illegal. Until 1973 Sinn Fein had little interest in politics as the party was still deemed illegal by the British Government. Political activity began in 1973 when Sinn Fein opened the Republican press centre on Falls Road. In 1973 the first attempt at negotiations to resolve the situation led to the Sunningdale Agreement, which devised a power sharing system in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Although this did no include Sinn Fein and quickly collapsed under pressure from loyalist strikes.13 In May 1974 British secretary of State Merlyn Rees legalised Sinn Fein as a political party.14 This was perhaps the beginning of tacit recognition by the British Government that negotiations were only meaningful if they were directly with the IRA. Whilst local politicians such as John Hume, of the Nationalist Party, were respected they did not command enough power to have any effect. Secret meetings between Provisional IRA leaders Ruairi OBradaigh and Billy McKee with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees resulted in a ceasefire which began in February 1975.15 The truce proved to be disastrous for the IRA; leading to infiltration by many British informers into their ranks. After a build up of tensions and a series of sectarian killings the ceasefire broke down in January 1976.16 It was clear that the original aims of the IRA leadership for a quick military victory were receding. It was acts of violence by British authorities that justified the military side of the movement and ensured tensions would continue for years to come. As Sinn Fein began to move into the political process so did many former revolutionaries and IRA members. One such person was Gerry Adams; after being in prison for alleged IRA membership17 he turned himself in a new direction a moved towards the political process. In 1978 he was elected as the vice president of Sinn Fein. This most likely came as a result of the realisation by many senior figures that it was becoming more and more unlikely that a military victory could be achieved. Whilst significant events such as Bloody Sunday lead to anti-British sentiment to sky rocket many turned away from violence and embraced the political system. Protests by a number of imprisoned IRA members in Long Kesh gaol showed the power of political tactics, leading to the dominance of Sinn Fein as a political force. The 1981 hunger strike was the climax of a five year protest by Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest originally began in 197618 when the British Government removed its special category status for convicted paramilitary prisoners. This status had provided them with Prisoner of War privileges as specified in the Geneva Convention.19 Prisoners did not have to wear prison uniforms, do prison work and were allowed to be housed within their own paramilitary factions. They were also entitled to receive extra food parcels and have extra visits. When these rights were removed by the British Government, as recommended by the Gardiner Committee20, the prisoners began a protest to gain them back. It started with a blanket protest in which prisoners refused to wear uniforms but instead wrapped themselves in prison blan kets; they stated that they were not criminals but political prisoners. In 197821 the dispute escalated into a dirty protest in which prisoners refused to wash and covered their cell walls with excrement. In 1980 the first hunger strike took place but to no avail ending after 53 days.22 The second strike in 1981 is perhaps one of the best know instances of protest throughout the campaign. The strike was lead by former IRA Officer Commanding in the prison, Bobby Sands.23 At the beginning of the strike there was little progress and it didnt receive much outside support. But after five days the strike received a much needed boost; the Independent Republican MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone died and a by-election was called to appoint his replacement. It was decided that Bobby Sands would stand against the Ulster Unionist Party candidate Harry West.24 On 9 April 1981 Sands won a narrow victory and was elected to the British House of Commons.25 The victory attracted worldwide attention and thousands of media personnel descended on Belfast. On the sixty sixth day of the hunger strikes, May 5, Sands died causing riots across Northern Ireland. One hundred thousand people lined the route of his funeral a few days later.26 In the weeks after Sands death three more hunger strikers died,27 and another by-election had to be held for the seat of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Due to the fact that the British Government had rushed through the Representation of the People Act,28 which meant prisoners serving more than one year could not run for parliament, so Sands election agent Owen Carron had to run instead. He claimed a similar victory gaining a larger percentage of the votes. The success of hunger strike created a firm platform for Irish republicanism and paved the way for the formal entry of Sinn Fein into electoral politics the following year. It was also around this period that the British Government began reforming its policies in relation to the IRA and Sinn Fein. They now viewed Sinn Fein as a legitimate political movement who would be included in official negotiations. The achievements of the hunger strikers proved the power of political activism as opposed to violence; they also exposed the falseness of the British Governments claim that the Republican movement had no support. The events of 1969-82 transformed the Republican movement from a violence orientated force to a significant political force. As Sinn Fein began to grow as a political force the IRA slowly, and with considerable internal difficulties, changed its ways. This eventually paved the way for an official ceasefire in 1994. Their agreement to decommission their weapons meant that Sinn Fein was allowed to come to the negotiation table and play a significant role in the Good Friday agreement of 1998. That agreement resulted in a devolved power sharing structure of self government for Northern Ireland, whilst it still remained within the United Kingdom.29 In 2007 Martin McGuiness of Sinn Fein was appointed deputy first minister and held equal power alongside Ian Paisely of the DUP in the Northern Ireland Assembly Government.30 From the split in the nationalist movement in 1969 to its reemergence throughout the seventies, alongside the IRA, there was much change. Events such as Bloody Sunday increased the military overtone of the movement but ultimately peaceful political power prevailed. Acts such as the 1981 hunger strike proved the power of political protest as compared to violence. Ultimately Sinn Fein grew into a legitimate political party and as of 2009 they became the largest party in Northern Ireland following European Parliamentary elections.31 _______________________________________________________ Bibliography Literary Sources English, Richard (2003), Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, Pan Books, Stuttgart, Germany ________________________________________________________________________ Geraghty, Tony (2000), The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict Between the IRA and British Intelligence, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Maryland, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Hastings, Max (1970), Ulster 1969 The Fight for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland, Victor Gollancz LTD, London, United Kingdom ________________________________________________________________________ McEvoy, Kieran (2001), Paramilitary Imprisonment in Northern Ireland: Resistance, Management, and Release, Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom ________________________________________________________________________ Moloney, Ed (2002), A Secret History of the IRA, Penguin Books, New Jersey, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Mullan, Don (1997), Eyewitness Bloody Sunday The Truth, Wolfhound Press, Dublin, Ireland ________________________________________________________________________ OBrien, Brendan (1995), the Long War, the IRA and Sinn Fein, Syracuse University Press, New York, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Electronic Sources BBC (2009), on this day 9 Decmeber1973 (online), BBC, London, United Kingdom. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/9/newsid_2536000/2536767.stm (Accessed 26 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ BBC (2009), Profile: Martin McGuinness (online), BBC, London, United Kingdom. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1303355.stm (Accessed 29 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ CAIN Web Service (2009), A chronology of the conflict (online), University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom. Available from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch76.htm (Accessed 27 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ Lord Gardiner (1975), Report of a Committee to consider, in the context of civil liberties and human rights, measures to deal with terrorism in Northern Ireland Extract (online), University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom. Available from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/gardiner.htm#1 (Accessed July 28 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ McClean, Raymond, The Road to Bloody Sunday Extracts (online), University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom. Available from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bsunday/mcclean.htm (Accessed 28 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ National Archives of Ireland (no date), Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Series: text of the Anglo-Irish Treaty (online), Irish Government, Dublin, Ireland, Available from http://www.nationalarchives.ie/topics/anglo_irish/dfaexhib2.html (Accessed 1 August 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ Prime Ministers Office (2005), Briefing from the Prime Ministers Official Spokesman on: Anti Terror Law, President Bush/EU, Foreign Doctors in NHS, Hunting and Northern Ireland (online), British Government, London, United Kingdom, Available from http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page7148 (Accessed 29 July 20090 ________________________________________________________________________ Sinn Fein Official Website (2009), History made Sinn Fein is now the largest party in the six counties (online), Belfast, United Kingdom, Available from http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16580 (Accessed 29 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ University College Cork (2009), Multitext project in Irish History Movements for Political and Social Reform, 1870 1914 (online), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, Available from http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Ireland_politics__administration_1870-1914#12TheFirstSinnFeacuteinParty (Accessed 25 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ 1 National Archives of Ireland, Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Series: text of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, n.d, http://www.nationalarchives.ie/topics/anglo_irish/dfaexhib2.html (1 August 2009) 2 Moloney, Ed (2002), A Secret History of the IRA, Penguin Books. p. 246 3 English, Richard (2003), Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, Pan Books. p. 136 4 OBrien, Brendan, the Long War, the IRA and Sinn Fein (1995) 5 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA. p. 80 6 McClean, Raymond, The Road to Bloody Sunday Extracts, 1997, http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bsunday/mcclean.htm (28 July 2009) 7 Mullan, Don, Eyewitness Bloody Sunday The Truth, Wolfhound Press 8 Geraghty, Tony, The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict Between the IRA and British Intelligence, unknown p. 65 9 Mullan, Don, Eyewitness Bloody Sunday The Truth 10 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA. p. 432 11 University College Cork, Multitext project in Irish History Movements for Political and Social Reform, 1870 1914, 2009, http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Ireland_politics__administration_1870-1914#12TheFirstSinnFeacuteinParty (25 July 2009) 12 Prime Ministers Office, Briefing from the Prime Ministers Official Spokesman on: Anti Terror Law, President Bush/EU, Foreign Doctors in NHS, Hunting and Northern Ireland, 21 February 2005, http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page7148 13 BBC, On this day 9 Decmeber1973, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/9/newsid_2536000/2536767.stm (26 July 2009) 14 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA 15 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA 16 English, Richard, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, p. 136 17 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA p. 140. 18 McClean, Raymond, The Road to Bloody Sunday Extracts 19 McEvoy, Kieran, Paramilitary Imprisonment in Northern Ireland: Resistance, Management, and Release, Oxford University Press 20 Lord Gardiner, Report of a Committee to consider, in the context of civil liberties and human rights, measures to deal with terrorism in Northern Ireland Extract, 1975, http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/gardiner.htm#1 (July 28 2009) 21 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict, 2009, http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch76.htm (27 July 2009) 22 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 23 English, Richard, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA p. 196 24 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA p. 211 25 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 26 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 27 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 28 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 29 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 30 BBC, Profile: Martin McGuinness, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1303355.stm (29 July 2009) 31 Sinn Fein Online, History made Sinn Fein is now the largest party in the six counties, 2009, http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16580 (29 July 2009)

Should Animals be Used for Scientific Research? Essay -- Animal Rights

Every year, millions of animals experience painful, suffering and death due to results of scientific research as the effects of drugs, medical procedures, food additives, cosmetics and other chemical products. Basically, animal experimentation has played a dominant role in leading with new findings and human advantages. Animal research has had a main function in many scientific and medical advances in the past decade and is helping in the understanding of several diseases. While most people believe than animal testing is necessary, others are worried about the excessive suffering of this innocent’s creatures. The balance between the rights of animals and their use in medical research is a delicate issue with huge societal assumptions. Nowadays people are trying to understand and take in consideration these social implications based in animals rights. Even though, many people tend to disregard animals that have suffered permanent damage during experimentation time. Many people try to misunderstand the nature of life that animals just have, and are unable to consider the actual laboratory procedures and techniques that these creatures tend to be submitted. Animal experimentation must be excluded because it is an inhumane way of treat animals, it is unethical, and exist safer ways to test products without painful test. Through many years, companies have tested animals to help prove that their products are safe for humans. This has become a very inhumane practice in which many animals are subjected to intolerable cruelty. Animals are treated cruelty because they are kept in cages with unhealthy conditions. Important aspects must be considered in the inhumane treatment of animals in research facilities. These aspects are focused in th... ...s, Animal Welfare, and the Slavery Analogy. 4 Jan. 2012. . Gargaro, Carolyn. â€Å"Animals Used for Medical Research.† Web blog post. Gargaro. July 1991. Gericke, Corina.â€Å"Why Animal Experiments are not Necessary.† Doctors against animal experiments Germany. 2005. "Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals." AALAS Foundation. 2005. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. 2012 . Lin, Doris. â€Å"Why it’s Wrong to Test on Animals.† Animal rights Guide. April 2012.

Battle Of The Somme

The Battle of the Somme started in July 1, 1916 and lasted until November 1916 between France and Germany. History considers this battle as the bloodiest of all battles in World War I. In the article â€Å"The Battle of the Somme†, the historical perspective of the Battle is outlined. This battle traces its origins from the many severe losses that the French had been experiencing at Verdun – to the east of Paris.The British Allied High Command, taking sympathy with the French losses, decided to attack the Germans to the north of Verdun thereby driving the Germans away from the Verdun battlefield.The battle at the Somme started with a weeklong artillery bombardment of the German lines where an estimated 1. 7 million shells were fired. By November 1916, when the battle ended, the British had lost 420,000, the French lost nearly 200,000 men and the Germans 500,000. (â€Å"The Battle of Somme†) Many historians agree that the neither the French and British nor the Ger mans won in this costliest battle to date. For many years, those who led the British campaign have received a lot of criticism for the way the Battle of Somme was fought – especially Douglas Haig.(â€Å"The Battle of the Somme†). This criticism was based on the many lives that were lost in the battle and the insignificant gains that either parties got in exchange for those massive losses. The British and French captured only a little more than five miles (8 km) at the deepest point of penetration—well short of their original objectives. The British themselves had gained approximately only two miles and lost about 420,000 soldiers in the process, meaning that a centimeter cost about two men.(â€Å"Battle of Somme†) What does this tell us? There are no victors in wars, only losers. This fact bears tremendous implications not only on Western civilization but on all civilizations that wage wars against one another. BIBLIOGRAPHY Battle of the Somme. Wikipedia. 2000. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Somme) Sheffield, Gary. The Somme, Cassell, 2003. The Battle of the Somme. 2000. (http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/somme. htm)