Talking testing with UPenn Dean of Admission on SiriusXM show The Process

One of the benefits of having relocated to New York City to support our office here is being more readily available and able to say yes when media opportunities arise. A few weeks ago I was invited to join UPenn’s Dean of Admission, Eric Furda and Dwight-Englewood School’s Director of College Counseling, Eileen Cunningham Feikens on their call-in radio show â€Å"The Process.† The shows airs monthly on SiriusXM  and covers all things college admissions. I arrived at the bustling studio in Rockefeller Center for my half-hour slot, was whisked into the soundbooth, threw on a set of headphones, and off we went on a wide-ranging conversation that was peppered with questions from callers all over the country. I was impressed with Dean Furda’s openness and candor throughout our conversation. Please feel free to give it a listen on their Soundcast channel. I come on at 30 minutes in and finish out the hour. Or if you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing, below are some portions of the transcript that may be of interest. The Process (10-26-18) Eileen Cunningham Feikens:   Hey, welcome back to The Process on SiriusXM Stars. This is Eileen Cunningham Feikens. Im the director of college counseling at the Dwight-Englewood School. Im joined by my partner on The Process, Eric J. Furda, Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. We have some callers on the line. I want to remind everyone that we have a great guest here on our second half of the show, Adam Ingersoll, founder and principal of Compass Education Group, which provides the highest quality one-on-one test prep and academic tutoring. Before we go to Adam, I want to go to the calls. We have Meghan in Chicago. Eric J. Furda:   Welcome to The Process, Meghan. Meghan:   Hi. Thank you for taking my call. One of the reasons I decided to call today was my son went Early Decision. Hes a senior in high school. He applied Early Decision at the University of Pennsylvania. Eric:   Here we go. What am I doing up in New York? I should be down reading your sons application right now. Eileen:   Youre in the hot seat right now, Furda. Meghan, whats your question? Meghan:   This summer we went to another topnotch institution and heard their admission chair speak. He flat-out said that if something is listed as optional, it simply isnt. That its that competitive, that even though it says its optional, you should do it. Regarding University of Pennsylvania, when it came to the SAT subject tests, we did call the office and ask, Is this truly optional? Yes, your admissions department said it is truly optional. Eric:   They better have. Otherwise Id have to go to the phone room and figure out whats going on. Eileen:   Heads would be rolling. Eric:   Meghan, its a great question. We know how families read into this. Adam, as you see this testing landscape, what do you think? Adam Ingersoll:   A classic example of â€Å"recommended† being coded language for â€Å"expected† would be Georgetown and their position on Subject Tests. They are very reluctantly I might add only â€Å"strongly recommending† subject tests. They would prefer to flat-out require them, but no one in their peer group does so it’s politically and competitively untenable for them to do so. Eric:   Thats interesting. Adam:   On this question of formal policy versus unofficial expectations, University of Chicagos new test-optional policy is maybe the real 800 pound gorilla to talk about. On the one hand its a sincere position on their part, they want to lower barriers for underrepresented kids. On the other hand, the language in their press release said explicitly that they still expect to see and like to see scores from the vast majority of their applicants. Eric:   How do you think that will play out this year as youre working with families and just the behavior? What behaviors are in play? Adam:   The assumption, correct or incorrect, by families, especially affluent families who are approaching this process knowing they need to get in based on grades and scores relative to their peers in the pool of overrepresented kids, they would look at Chicagos position and say, Thats probably not as much for me. If I do apply to Chicago without scores, theyll make the logical assumption that my scores would not have been competitive.† It better be something else that makes a student in that part of the pool a compelling candidate. Eileen:   Got it. What Im hearing between the lines is if youre a strong tester youre going to send those scores. Its really affecting those students who dont feel that they can present their strength through the tests. There lies the rub. Adam:   I love the test-optional movement for the students that it is most primarily designed to serve, students who are underrepresented, who dont have access to the kind of things (sophisticated intensive test prep) that Compass provides. Its wonderful. For students who do have access to those advantages, but aren’t able to show strong scores, everyone knows whats going on. It’s great that they have the option to withhold scores too, but then they need to be especially competitive on every other front. Adam:   Meghan, great question. Obviously, theres a lot of different pieces to consider here. For the University of Pennsylvania, the Subject Tests are optional. You dont have to take them. Its up to you. [Note that UPenn continues to require either the SAT or ACT of all applicants.] Eileen:   [laughs] Eric has a really big smile on his face right now when hes like, Whew. Eric:   We really thought about this policy. Meghan, thanks for the call. Adam, while we have you here and before we go back to the calls, my fifth-grade son and I know you have some children around the same age what about some of their testing? Because with your work, you also look at some of these independent school exams as well, the ERBs required for independent school admission in lower grades. Adam:   Three months ago, I moved my family from Iowa City, Iowa to the upper-west side of Manhattan. So what used to always be theoretical or something I experienced vicariously via our clients suddenly became very personal. All four of my kids went through the independent school admission process, including the tests. It was very surreal for me to experience this with my own kids after helping other families through it for two decades. It was interesting that my youngest child, now a fourth grader at Horace Mann, had to take what was was the most intense of any standardized test that Ive ever seen a kid have to take. It was extremely expensive, and it actually had a live one-on-one evaluative component with a teacher. And that evaluation was specifically trying to suss out whether the kid had been formally prepped! Eric:   Interesting. Adam:   The testing actually gets a little less crazy as you get older. At least in places like Manhattan. Eileen:   Hopefully, some of our students and families out there will take comfort in the fact that they dont have to go through that and that hurdle is behind them. Speaking about some other test questions here, how do you think that students should face and this is going back to maybe sophomores, juniors deciding which test to take, either the SAT or the ACT. Im sure you get this question a lot. How do you handle it? Adam:   Its in the top two questions that we get. Its critical not to rely on generalizations. You may have heard classic ones such as that a student whos a certain type of learner will be better at one test or the other. That kind of stuff holds no water, useless myths. You need to take practice tests as baselines and compare them very carefully. For many students, the SAT baseline is a PSAT they take at school. Many of them need to then find an opportunity to take a practice ACT. You look at what you have, and usually, those scores are enough to make a decision. Its critical to do that in advance and choose to specialize in one test, not both, rather than diving into dealing with both tests. Eileen:   When do you think is the best time for a student, perhaps freshman, sophomore, junior, to take advantage of any test prep options that might be available to them? Adam:   The trend that I see in the mostly affluent populations that we work with are to start too soon, prep over too long a period of time and ultimately, do too much. Eric:   Interesting. Adam:   Of course, there are many test prep companies that push that kind of behavior. The thing is, the data show that most students dont peak on these tests until late in 11th grade or early fall of 12th grade. So if you are trying to do this efficiently and have your test prep really be leveraged against when youre most developmentally-ready to take the test, then you would defer test prep until into 11th grade. And yet, the trend in my practice is families are calling us in 9th and 10th grade begging to get started. Eric:   They want to get started. Adam:   I feel test prep in 10th grade is really too early for most kids. The summer before 11th is typically the earliest you want to dive into it. Eileen:   The earliest. Great information. Eileen:   Ok, we have Gia in Los Angeles. Gia:   Yes, I have a senior who just took his third and final SAT. He needed, like, 50 more points in math to get his superscore where he wanted for his number one school. He just got his scores on Monday, the 19th, I believe it was. He is telling me, and this is what Im hearing from his friends, they got more questions right on this test in both subjects, and yet, his score went down. Eileen:   Crazy. Gia:   Hes telling me there is a down curve because, rumor has it, it was an easier test, and therefore, people were scoring higher, so they curved down. [crosstalk] Eileen:   Im so glad you called in. Adam, whats your take on this? Adam:   Your sons absolutely right. Theres some nuance here that we cant cover in detail (see Compass blog article for a complete explanation) but, yes, he’s onto something.. Every SAT has differing levels of raw difficulty. Its impossible to assemble a test that has exactly the same statistical difficulty across all the items. So, each test has a conversion of a raw score to a scaled score. The easier the raw level of difficulty of the test, the harsher the conversion is, so to speak. This goes to what happened with the June test. The June test was a debacle. Eileen:   There was a lot of press about that. Adam:   The June SAT was basically easier than a PSAT. It was completely without historical precedent. Eileen:   Really? Adam:   The way to think about it is on the June test, and slightly less so on the October test, there were not nearly enough hard questions to differentiate between students at the top. What you have are students who, as they miss one problem, two problems, they see much steeper drops from 800 than they are used to seeing on practice tests or other tests historically. Frankly, its unfair. I think it reflects some real weaknesses right now within College Boards test development processes. The SAT is supposed to be extremely transparent; that was one of the key promises when the test was drastically overhauled a few years ago. Unfortunately, what we saw on the June test does not reflect transparency. Eileen:   Its also a reminder that its one data point. Its one data point in the admissions process. Eric:   Youre working with students on a day-in and day-out basis, Adam. Youre working with students and families, Eileen. Gia, great question. Im glad that you brought it up. It was something that we were chatting about prior to the show. The college admission officers have to keep this in their view and understand that there are some differences with the test, which many on our staff know, while also understanding from June until now, just really the experience students are having and how families are feeling. Adam:   Eric, heres the challenge. It really goes to the heart of something very interesting right now in the college admissions world. I have tried for years to assure families that colleges use scores responsibly and one of the responsible things you must do is not split hairs finely. Eric:   [crosstalk]like within a 40-point range? Adam:   Its 40 points each side of the test on the SAT and its one to two points on the ACT. If you see a college that seems to be splitting hairs between a student whos a 33 or a 34, even a 33 and a 35, theres no statistical justification for that. We had Dean Fitzsimmons who I respect tremendously in a courtroom in Boston last week, defending Harvards practice. For the most part, I agree with his defense but, they revealed that they split hairs finely. Internally they have these groupings of applicants, and 36 is considered part of the â€Å"Magna cum laude† group, and 34 and 35 is â€Å"summa†, and 33 and 32 is â€Å"cum laude† etc. Thats absurd. Eric:   From a testing standpoint, that is. Adam: The SAT is not that precise a test at its best. And when the SAT is having a hard time being consistent from test date to test date, its really not that precise. Eileen:   That just muddies the water further. Eric:   It really exacerbates it. Adam:   I did not give Gia a reassuring response other than to say, I hope folks in Erics shoes are aware of this and thinking of test scores as in a band or a range, even more than they historically have, rather than as precise. Eileen:   I agree. Thank you. Eric:   I think thats exactly it on all sides of the desk, really putting this in the proper context and using these tests responsibly, as with everything. Eric:   Congratulations, too. Lets go back to the lines. Susan, in DC, you have a question for The Process. Susan:   I do, hello. My children go to a private school in Washington DC and a lot of the top-tier private schools are pulling away from offering AP courses. My worry is that my children may be at a disadvantage when theyre applying to colleges, not having taken those classes. Eileen:   Are you talking about a disadvantage in terms of their previous education and preparation for college or are you talking about for admission? [crosstalk] Susan:   If colleges are looking at two students with all things equal, my child doesnt show [crosstalk] Eileen:   Im going to stop you right there. This is such a great question. Im so glad you called in. Colleges are going to look at a student and review that student in the context of what is available at his or her or their school. Eric:   These are all rigorous schools, by the way, that are doing this. Eileen:   Very rigorous. Theyre not going to count it against a student that they dont have APs if APs are not offered at the school. They cant do that. There are no two students, even within the same school, that are going to be identical. Susan, thank you so much for the question. Its something that I think a lot of parents are concerned about, but I dont think you have to worry about it. Eric:   Thank you, Susan. Adam, let me ask you this question. I think with so many of the questions that weve received today across The Process is the connection between high school curriculum, learning and testing because I think that gets at part of Susans question, too. What are you seeing in terms of what students are exposed to in their high school and then, when they come to you in 10th or 11th grade, what their testing preparation is like? Adam:   Let me parse that a bit. Our clients are mostly affluent families with kids who attend very competitive public high schools or to rather elite private schools. The basic curricular experience, the core academic development that they need to be ready to prepare for these tests, thats almost always there. Not an issue with our typical client. However, broadly, what the test is supposed to do is, first and foremost, reveal which students are college ready. In the big picture, this is what the tests are trying to do. This is the SATs growth in the last five years, selling the test as a product to entire states or large public school districts as an assessment that reflects basic college readiness, literally, based on x score, this student has a y chance of getting at least C’s in introductory first year college coursework. At the high end of colleges, to be quite frank, Eric, at your school, minimal college readiness is not what your folks are screening for. Thats a given. Eric:   Certainly. Do you see, Adam, having these state-wide tests, starting in the eighth grade, I believe, maybe seventh, eighth, and then, the PSAT? Is this driving good learning behavior? What do you see? Adam:   It does drive up test scores. To the extent the scores still are hard currency in the college admission process, you are helping those kids in that way. Youre getting them to be even just more aware of the college process because theyve taken a test. Eileen:   And, acclimated to taking standardized tests in a way, as well, correct? Adam:   But are you teaching them what they really should learn? In the big picture, whats the most valuable use of their time at school? Training for standardized tests? Eric:   Lets go back to the lines. Katie, in LA. You have a question for The Process. Katie:   Hi, kind of along the same lines, my question. I have a mediocre student. Shes a freshman in high school. Is it better to send her to a smaller, private high school where were paying a lot of money on Cs and Bs or a larger, public high school where were not wasting our money? How does a college look at that, the size of the school and their grades? Eric:   Absolutely, and its a great question. There is an investment in not only the curriculum but, then also, the type of learning that your childs having. Adam, given that were wrapping up the show, a thought on this? Adam:   Its funny. This question gets to the heart of why test scores exist. The test scores will simply give colleges some additional context relative to her transcript. I think, honestly, with this question, youre maybe trying too hard to reverse engineer things. I would try hard to figure out right now, in which environment will she be more comfortable and successful? That will tee her up for success in the college process three or four years from now. Trying to figure out whether it is better to be a slightly bigger fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond? Wildly speculative as far as how thats going to play out for her in college admissions in three to four years. Eric:   Katie, thanks for the call. Eileen, any final second thoughts? Eileen:   My gosh, its October 26th. Eric:   Its the end of October, you have a deadline. Did you write all your letters? All the letters are written? Eileen:   My letters have been written. My letters are totally all done. I just want to say for every student out there who might be applying to a college under an early deadline, please dont wait until 11:30 the night before its due. Please, promise me. Eric:   11:30? 11:59 were seeing. Eileen:   No, no, no. I want at least the day before. At least a day before. You dont know what the traffic is going to be like on those websites. Good luck, everyone. Eric:   Thank you so much for tuning into The Process. Adam, great to have you.

Prehistoric Life During the Carboniferous Period

The name Carboniferous reflects the most famous attribute of the Carboniferous period: the massive swamps that cooked, over tens of millions of years, into todays vast reserves of coal and natural gas. However, the Carboniferous period (359 to 299 million years ago) was also notable for the appearance of new terrestrial vertebrates, including the very first amphibians and lizards. The Carboniferous was the second-to-last period of the Paleozoic Era (541-252 million years ago), preceded by the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods and succeeded by the Permian period. Climate and Geography The global climate of the Carboniferous period was intimately linked with its  geography. During the course of the preceding Devonian period, the northern supercontinent of Euramerica merged with the southern supercontinent of Gondwana, producing the enormous super-supercontinent Pangea, which occupied much of the southern hemisphere during the ensuing Carboniferous. This had a pronounced effect on air and water circulation patterns, which resulted in a large portion of southern Pangea being covered by glaciers and a general global cooling trend (which, however, didnt have much effect on the coal swamps that covered Pangeas more temperate regions). Oxygen made up a much higher percentage of the Earths atmosphere than it does today, fueling the growth of terrestrial megafauna, including dog-size insects. Terrestrial Life During the Carboniferous Period Amphibians. Our understanding of life during the Carboniferous period is complicated by Romers Gap, a 15-million-year stretch of time (from 360 to 345 million years ago) that has yielded virtually no vertebrate fossils. What we do know, however, is that by the end of this gap, the very first tetrapods of the late Devonian period, themselves only recently evolved from lobe-finned fish, had lost their internal gills and were well on their way toward becoming true amphibians. By the late Carboniferous, amphibians were represented by such important genera as Amphibamus and Phlegethontia, which (like modern amphibians) needed to lay their eggs in water and keep their skin moist, and thus couldnt venture too far onto dry land. Reptiles. The most important trait that distinguishes reptiles from amphibians is their reproductive system: The shelled eggs of reptiles are better able to withstand dry conditions, and thus dont need to be laid in water or moist ground. The evolution of reptiles was spurred by the increasingly cold, dry climate of the late Carboniferous period. One of the earliest reptiles yet identified, Hylonomus, appeared about 315 million years ago, and the giant (almost 10 feet long) Ophiacodon only a few million years later. By the end of the Carboniferous, reptiles had migrated well toward the interior of Pangea. These early pioneers went on to spawn the archosaurs, pelycosaurs,  and therapsids of the ensuing Permian period. (It was the archosaurs that went on to spawn the first dinosaurs  nearly a hundred million years later.) Invertebrates. As noted above, the Earths atmosphere contained an unusually high percentage of oxygen during the late Carboniferous period, peaking at an astounding 35%. This surplus was especially beneficial to terrestrial invertebrates, such as insects, which breathe via the diffusion of air through their exoskeletons, rather than with the aid of lungs or gills. The Carboniferous was the heyday of the giant dragonfly Megalneura, the wingspan of which measured up to 2.5 feet, as well as the giant millipede Arthropleura, which attained lengths of almost 10 feet. Marine Life During the Carboniferous Period With the extinction of the distinctive placoderms (armored fish) at the end of the Devonian period, the Carboniferous isnt especially well known for its marine life, except insofar as some genera of lobe-finned fish were closely related to the very first tetrapods and amphibians that invaded dry land. Falcatus, a close relative of Stethacanthus, is probably the best-known Carboniferous shark, along with the much bigger Edestus, which is known primarily by its teeth. As in preceding geologic periods, small invertebrates like corals, crinoids, and arthropods were plentiful in the Carboniferous seas. Plant Life During the Carboniferous Period The dry, cold conditions of the late Carboniferous period werent especially hospitable to plants—but that still didnt prevent these hardy organisms from colonizing every available ecosystem on dry land. The Carboniferous witnessed the very first plants with seeds, as well as bizarre genera like the 100-foot-tall club moss Lepidodendron and the slightly smaller Sigillaria. The most important plants of the Carboniferous period were the ones inhabiting the large belt of carbon-rich coal swamps around the equator, which were later compressed by millions of years of heat and pressure into the vast coal deposits we use for fuel today.

Communication and Crisis Essay - 1425 Words

RUNNING HEAD: Communication and Crisis paper Communication and Crisis Paper University of Phoenix HCS/320 August 6, 2012 According to this Scenario: In 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor malfunctioned, releasing radiation into the environment. There were no immediate deaths or injuries resulting from the incident; however, the accident drew much media attention and created concerns in the local area and beyond. The major forms of communication used to report these events were the three major television networks and local radio stations. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area and immersed a significant part of the city in water. Local citizens and their families were affected. In contrast to the†¦show more content†¦It is very important that the President is involved and verifies that this is not terrorism, for a biological agent could cause much harm to the community. 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Biography of Louis Armstrong Essay - 1236 Words

Louis Armstrong was born in one of the poorest sections in New Orleans, August 4, 1901. Louis a hard-working kid who helped his mother and sister by working every type of job there was, including going out on street corners at night to singing for coins. Slowly making money, Louis bought his first horn, a cornet. At age eleven Armstrong was sent to juvenile Jones Home for the colored waifs for firing a pistol on New Year’s Eve. While in jail Armstrong received his first formal music lesson from one of the friends he met their, he later played in Home’s brass band that was located in the same facility. Armstrong gained experience from the band. After a year and six month he was released. After being released he considered himself as a†¦show more content†¦Armstrongs health began to fail him and he was hospitalized several times over the remaining three years of his life, but he continued playing and recording. In 1968 he recorded his last song, What A Wonderful World, before becoming one of the greatest Jazz hits in America, Louis’ â€Å"number one hit† gained popularity in the U.K April 1968. It later gained popularity in America after 1987 when it was used in the film Good Morning, Vietnam July 6th 1971 the worlds greatest Jazz musician died in his sleep at his home in Queens, New York. After his death Louis kept his spirit buried in each and everyone of us. â€Å"Louis is not dead for his music is and will remain in the hearts and minds of countless millions of the world’s people, and in the playing of hundreds of thousands of musicians who have come under his influence†(Dizzy Gillespie, July, 17 1971). Louis buried a long lasting affect in everyone’s heart with his smooth playing and brilliant use of his trumpet. Many people felt the same pain as President Richard Nixon,† Mrs. Nixon and I shared the sorrow of millions of Americans at the death of Louis Armstrong. 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Capital Punishment And Juvenile Punishment - 1631 Words

Capital punishment is the term used when an individual is put to death by the state or government for the commission of a crime. Until recently, juveniles were not exempt from this punishment, however they would generally need to commit a more serious offense compared to their adult counterpart. Then there was the decision ruling the execution of mentally handicapped individuals was unconstitutional, using the 8th amendment as their authority, while taking into account the diminished capacity of the individual. Succeeding that ruling, in 2005 the Supreme Court ruled that putting a child to death was unconstitutional using the 8th amendment as their rationalization, and the juvenile’s lack of maturity as one of the reasoning. I have chosen†¦show more content†¦This subject is also important because much like many other issues, even though it is considered obsolete at the moment, it may not always be that way. The Supreme Court ruling in the 2005 case that ruled juvenil e executions unconstitutional, passed by a majority of five to four. Since that time we have had two of the five majority leave the Court, two of the minority leave, and added four new justices, including the chief justice. This is important to this subject because the ruling was made based on the interpretation of the information by nine individuals. If this ruling is ever challenged again, we may see a different outcome, thus having a need for research on the topic. By researching the broader subject matter of capital punishment, I am able to collect data from adult cases and compare them the juvenile equivalent, while at the same time evaluate theories that may have fallen short in research for adults, such as deterrence, and determine if they would apply to younger offenders. I will be able to do this by using data prior to the 2005 Supreme Court case which ruled juvenile capital punishment unconstitutional, and comparing it to data in the years following. I will also be able to evaluate the data where the death penalty could have been used prior to 2005, but was not, and compare that to more recent data of juvenile being sentenced to life without parole. Evaluating cases warranting the death penalty compared

Unfoldingone art Essay Example For Students

Unfoldingone art Essay After quick scan of the poem One Art, the reader should recognize the poem as having the closed form. The poem is regular, symmetrical, and falls into stanzas. The first five stanzas have three lines and the last stanza contains four lines. A longer peruse of One Art will help the reader identify the villanelle form. The first line of the poem is repeated in the 2nd, 4th and 6th stanzas, while the last word of the first stanza (3rd line) is repeated in the 3rd, 5th, and 6th stanzas. The poem appears to have the powerful music effect that is usually associated with a villanelle. The poem hints at being autobiographical after reading about Elizabeth Bishops life in the Lives of the Poets section of the text- Literature an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. The personal voice also hints at the poem being autobiographical. Further analysis of the poem and Bishops life leads to the discovery of confessional poetry. Researching The Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia tells us that Elizabeth Bishops works will usually highlight the sense of strangeness that can underlay ordinary events(Elizabeth Bishop). The text (Literature an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama) makes reference to Bishops use of metaphor. Elizabeth Bishop refers to losing as an art. The American Heritage Talking Dictionary defines art as a skill that is practiced (art). One Art makes specific reference to practicing losing (line 7). Loss is defined as a condition of being deprived or bereaved of something or someone (loss).Loss is not something done intentionally (such as the word practice might suggest) but it is something that is inherent to humans. Perhaps Bishop uses the metaphor of loss being an art to confess the different types of loss in her life. In the first six lines, the poem refers to losing small things. The purpose of some small items is to be lost. With the second and third lines: so many things seem filled with the intent/ to be lost(lines 2/3), the reader can quickly make a mental note of small items that have been lost. For example, the reader could have lost marbles or doll clothes as a child. Line four makes the simple statement: Lose something everyday. It is not hard to lose or misplace something, which line six: The art of losing isnt hard to master. suggests. People misplace or lose possessions, such as keys, all the time. Accept the fluster/of lost door keys, the hour badly spent(lines 5/6) tells the reader to accept small losses, such as keys, and the time spent looking for them. After all, losing things is not hard to do (line 6). These losses are small and happen all the time (every day-line 4). Perhaps, bishop had trouble minding the small articles in her life. In the third stanza, a racing mind is pictur ed in line 7(losing farther, losing faster). A persons experiences, memories, and ambitions are depicted in lines 8/9. Forgetting friends, memories and travel plans is not a problem (line 9). As Bishop moved from place to place, forgetting about or losing the previous places must have become commonplace (practice-line 7). As she got older or moved onward, she experienced different types of loss. Another type of loss is shown in the fourth stanza. Bishop confesses about sentimental loss in this stanza. The loss of her mothers watch (line 10) and homes she lived in-And look! My last, or/next-to-last, of three loved houses went(lines 10/11). But again, these losses are easy (line 12). Bishop continues this type of loss into the fifth stanza. The fifth stanza contains references to the different places that Bishop has lived. She moved from different places or two cities(line 13)-Worcester as a child and Key West as an adult (1166). She confesses to missing (line 15) these places as well as South America (a continent-line 14). Now Bishop moves on to another type of loss. The loss in the last stanza is that of a loved one. In the final stanza, there is the symbolic reference of a person to a joking voice(line 16). It is ironic that the author would downplay a person to a voice. The joking voice is someone that she felt strongly about or for: a gesture/I love(lines 16/17). Perhaps, downplaying is Bishops way of mastering the loss or masking the hurt. Losing is hard to get over, especially when the loss is a loved one. In the last two lines, losing is not hard to do (or master) even if the loss looks like a disaster. The poem ends with the word: disaster. Disaster brings to mind great loss or tragedy; yet, none of the losses that Bishop confesses to are really major losses. Loss as an art and disaster are echoed through the six stanzas of One Art. How is the art of loss mastered? Bishop answers this question with two words (Write it!) (Line 19). Perhaps Bishop is telling the reader how to master the art of loss. Writing something down is a great way to remember things. People keep organizers with notes and dates every day. So maybe losing something just appears to be a disaster (line 19). As long as a memory, experience or place is written down the art of loss can be mastered.

Reaction of the Audience Essay Example For Students

Reaction of the Audience Essay The costumes were, at the start, simply grey, plain jumpsuits. However, as the play progressed and more characters emerged, tiny significant details began to appear. The main idea, I think, of the jumpsuits, was to show that in 1984 individualism was over run by society. However, as we learned more about different people and their views, little pieces of their personality are seen in the costumes. For example, Julias red sash symbolized danger, love, and her bold nature, while Winston wore a jumpsuit that was a slightly different color to the rest of the characters, which symbolised however hard Winston tried to be good and follow the rules, there would always be parts of him that didnt want to be the same as everybody else. For a more understandable reason, the slight changes of costume helped identify the different characters the actors played. They helped us relate well to the characters, and understand their actions better, which makes the performance so much easier to follow. Lighting  Although during 1984 lighting never seemed important, or even noticeable, remembering the changes of brightness and color for each scene reminded me just how much it contributed to the mood of the performance. Blackouts were used not only in the short pauses between scenes, but also in the scene in the Ministry of Love. It was an extremely effective use of blackouts, and not only did it symbolise time moving very elegantly, but it also set the mood for the torture scenes: creepy, and very disturbing. Throughout the rest of the performance, the lights used were quite dim, suiting well with the bleak set, and the only strong, pure lights came from the screens in the background. This made sure that the screens at the back, and Big Brother, were never forgotten. Characterisation  My favorite actor has to be Carolyn Tomkinson. She had such a constant, brilliant quality throughout all the characters she played, including the cook, Mrs Parsons, Winstons mother, and the prostitute, who was, overall, my favorite. I loved the way Carolyn, with only small changes of costume, completely transformed from a drunk, cackling, cockney woman to Winstons beautiful mother. This is a prime example of how the actors morphed into other people, with the prostitutes body tension low, and her gestures wide and exaggerated, and Winstons mother standing up right, arms by her sides, and a gentle smile on her face. The body language of the prostitute was easy and carefree, while Winstons mother was reassuring. Carolyn says, it is quite a challenge in the sense that I have to pay many different roles, and then, I need to find a clear distinction between each character, Chris Gardener, the actor who had the role of OBrian, also says, Multi-role playing throws up many challenges clarity of thought, quick rounded characters speed from scene to scene, lines! They clearly show their concern on making sure the individual characters stands out, and the audience follows each of them and understand the quick, sharp changes that make the play so unique. The Ensemble  Northern Broadsides, the Theatre Company behind the production, is very well known for producing Greek Theatre. An element of this shown in 1984 was the use of choral speaking by the chorus. At any one time, most actors were present, either as characters involved in the scene or members of the chorus, either narrating the feelings of the characters or simply standing and watching, portraying the aspect of Big Brother, of never being alone. Props  In the overall performance, the number of props used was very small. To name a few, I remember clearly the briefcase, the diary and the piece of coral in the glass ball. The briefcase was where Winston kept his secret diary and Gold Steins book, it drew the audiences attention whenever he carried it with him, making them wonder what else he kept in there, what other secrets he had hidden. The second prop, Winstons diary, was the trigger of his lust to know. .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 , .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 .postImageUrl , .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 , .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900:hover , .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900:visited , .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900:active { border:0!important; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900:active , .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900 .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub2dc3e44a95ee87f3d957a042c560900:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A Streetcar named Desire EssayBefore he wrote down his thoughts and realised they were not his own, he had kept his head down, knowing something in the world was not right, but too scared to act upon the gut feeling. Without realising it, having the diary was his first act against Big Brother, a life changing move. The piece of coral was sold by the antique shop owner, whom Winston had trusted, and I believe the coral was a symbol of hope for not only him and Julia, but also for the individuals inside the society of 1984. The coral followed the story Winston went through, from understanding the government was corrupt, to being arrested by the police, the coral smashing ont o the floor, all hope shattered. Reaction of the Audience  The general reaction of the audience towards the performance was awe. The quality of the acting was taken into account and its pure brilliance kept the audience silent. However, as the scenes got braver, and the torture and room 101 scenes played out, the reaction shifted to shock, and pity towards Winston. Most members of the audience were not used to the brutality of the torture scenes, however, I loved them, and one of my friends said, its better than some pantomime, which I agreed with. The oranges and lemons fiasco gained a laugh, which was lovely to have behind the depressed atmosphere. The majority of the time, the audience was silent out of respect of the seriousness of the play. Most of my peers enjoyed it, some of them not quite used to the openness of the play, but while some see it as a negative, I think it as a huge positive. Movement  Movement was a vital part of the performance. It had to be beautifully executed, but used well, which the actors in 1984 did. Some uses included the movements the actors did in cannon, for example when Winston was in his work cubical, the other characters did individual actions that created a very realistic setting. Characters also used movement to make their personalities stand out, like their posture, or their walk. The actors also used movement to show their emotions, for example the prostitute slumped and leaned in all directions, giving subtle hints that she was possibly drunk. Throughout the whole show, movement was used excellently. Conclusion  Overall, I believe the strongest aspect of the performance was the actors, and the way they changed from character to character. It was unique, and made the play special. I have seen performances before that use the same technique, however I have never seen it so expertly done, and so many character changes in such a short amount of time. The show 1984 was a pleasure to watch and unique. Not holding back made the performance truly incredible and will remain one of my favorites.