The West African Regional War Essay Example For Students

The West African Regional War Essay The West Africa Regional WarFor observers of the West Africa regional war, the recent calm in the war-torn Mano River Union (MRU) states Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea has given rise to optimism. Guarded, as this optimism might be, the decrease in violence in West Africa during the second half of 2001 is an important development given the scope and intensity of fighting that gripped these states earlier in the year. While observers agree that the current absence of widespread violent conflict in the MRU is a much-welcomed development, it must not mask the profound cleavages within these societies, the tenuous nature of the UN-imposed peace in Sierra Leone, and the continued serious threat of renewed warfare in the region. A brief overview of the horrendous and persistent conflicts that have engulfed the MRU over the past decade underscores the need for vigilance by the international community in its pursuit of lasting peace in West Africa. The past dozen years of violent conflict in West Africa have led to the death, injury, and mutilation of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions more. Conservative estimates place the total number of war-related deaths during the seven-year civil war in Liberia (1989 1996) at 150,000, more than 5 percent of Liberias estimated population (SIPRI Yearbook, 1996). We will write a custom essay on The West African Regional War specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now But this number only begins to tell the story of the horror that civil war brought to this small nation of 2.8 million United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Human Development Report, 1995. Hundreds of thousands more Liberians were injured, displaced, and terrorized by the conflict, and today the tiny state remains the hostage of its corrupt and brutal dictator, Charles Taylor. After the war spread into Sierra Leone in 1991, it had a similarly devastating effect. As in Liberia, armed insurgents preyed on the rural populations, raping, pillaging, and forcefully inducting children into their ranks. During the eight years of warfare that followed, it is estimated (conservatively) that over 60,000 of Sierra Leones estimated 4.2 million inhabitants were killed and hundreds of thousands more injured, mutilated, and displaced (SIPRI Yearbook, 2001; UNDP, Human Development Report, 1995). The 2001 UNDP Human Development Report ranks Sierra Leone last out of the 162 nations rated on the human development index (HDI), a composite measure based on life expectancy, education, and gross domestic product per capita. Most of the refugees sought shelter in neighboring Guinea. The end of the 1990s housed over 500,000 refugees housed in hundreds of camps and settlements in Guinea, one of the largest refugee populations in the world (U.S. Commission for Refugees, Guinea: Country Report 1999, www. refugees.org/world/countryrpt/africa/1999/guinea.htm). While the destabilizing effects on Guinean society of large numbers of Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees was profound throughout the 1990s, sustained cross-border conflict did not break out between Guinea and her neighbors until 2000. Cross-border attacks into Guinea by Sierra Leones Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and various Liberian-based rebel groups precipitated a harsh military response from the Guinean military, which led to thousands of militia and civilian casualties. Of course, fighting in West Africa during the 1990s was not confined to the MRU states. Serious bloodshed occurred in Guinea-Bissau (1999), the southern Casamance region of Senegal (ongoing), and Nigeria (ongoing) and conflict threatens to engulf c?te dIvoire. Sometimes referred to as the arc of conflict in West Africa, these wars escape simple classification. While the war that started in 1989 in Liberia has become regionalized in the rest of the MRU, the other areas of instability in West Africa are based on intra-state phenomena. Nevertheless, the broader and deeper that instability grows in West Africa, the greater the risk that conflicts will merge and spread, further exacerbating conditions that make West Africa the most impoverished region in the world. The Big PictureIn light of this fighting and the gloomy specter of a growing regional war in West Africa, the United States Institute of Peace convened a group of experts on the conflicts in West Africa and formed a working group to bring together individuals from various national and international agencies and organizations to shed light on the nature of the conflicts in West Africa and recommend appropriate American responses. In this way, the group endeavored to inform itself and support the Bush administrations new Africa team that was confronted with complex and difficult polic y choices. This effort led to four gatherings of the West Africa Working Group (WAWG) between March and August. From the outset, the working group adopted a big picture analytical focus. That is, the group quickly agreed that the series of conflicts in the MRU stretching over the 1990s and into the 2000s should be looked at as a whole. Conceptually, the MRU conflict was therefore seen as a regional war with regional dimensions. Thus, what started in Liberia in 1989 is related to the war in Sierra Leone and to the fighting that broke out in Guinea in 2000. And while different dynamics are responsible for the instability radiating beyond the MRU into other parts of West Africa today, these conflicts further menace regional peace and complicate efforts to find a lasting peace across the West African region. The working group attracted a diverse array of U.S. and foreign specialists that varied depending on the topic of the particular session. The group included representatives from Capitol Hill, British and French governments, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Georgetown University, intelligence agencies, International Peace Academy, Interaction, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), National Security Council, Pentagon, Physicians for Human Rights, State Department, United Nations, and United States Agency for International Development. The views expressed here represent a summation of issues examined by the WAWG, highlighting the most salient findings and policy recommendations. There were few points of disagreement during the many hours of discussions, both over what has led to the current crisis in West Africa and how the United States should move forward in the region. Perhaps the most significant and sustained point of contention within the WAWG was the degree of optimism/pessimism shared over the current process of demobilization, disarmament, and resettlement (DDR) in Sierra Leone. While some WAWG members were cautiously optimistic that the RUF is finished as a military force, others believed that the rebel group will dig up its guns and resist expulsion from the diamond fields. These group members also concluded that the UN mission lacks the will to confront the RUF if such a scenario plays out. Causes of the ConflictThe group quickly reached a consensus that there are many deleterious forces at play in the region, beyond Charles Taylor and the RUF, that have led to violent conflict in the MRU. .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 , .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 .postImageUrl , .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 , .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825:hover , .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825:visited , .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825:active { border:0!important; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 { 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; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825:active , .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 .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; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825 .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u34400184f7bf6551aa3d8359cf9dd825:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Problem of Sustainability Essay Internal factors stemming from poverty, lack of economic opportunity, ethnic animosities, and a history of political abuse and corruption have fueled the brutal conflicts. External factors have also had a major impact on the duration and ferocity of the conflict, especially the interventions of Burkina Faso and Libya (states that have reportedly trained and armed Taylor and the RUF) and the activities of non-state actors, mostly profiteers such as diamond, timber, and arms traffickers. Working group participants also reached the early conclusion that while the poor socio-economic factors in the regions West Africa contains 11 of the worl ds 20 poorest states were exacerbating both the duration and intensity of the regional conflict, efforts to change the state of underdevelopment in West Africa will be fruitless until the security aspects of the problem are addressed (UNDP, Human Development Report, 2001). Accordingly, the group focused its analysis on containing and ending the fighting. U.S. Interests in West AfricaThe working group agreed that underlying the proliferation of the so-called soft threats (non-traditional security threats to the United States, like the spread of contagion, international criminal networks, and terrorism) is the growing phenomenon of state collapse. In Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, and Somalia, the deleterious effects of the crumbling state are plain to see. In each of these cases, instability and violence have ultimately led to the weakening, and in some instances the failure, of central government and to direct costs for the United Stateseconomically, militarily, in terms of regional stability, and in humanitarian terms. While each of the above cases has elicited a strong policy response from past and current administrations, U.S. policy toward the war in West Africa is still taking shape. Yet state collapse in Liberia (1989) and Sierra Leone (1991) now threatens to spread to a number of West African states including the bordering nations of Guinea and c?te dIvoire. A review of what is at stake for the United States in West Africa illustrates the importance and urgency of developing a policy to stop the spread of the conflict in the region and to cut the legs out from under the wars two main vectors: Liberias Charles Taylor and Sierra Leones RUF. The cycle of state collapse now occurring in the three member states of the war-torn MRU places the entire West African region at risk. Indeed, this area is home to numerous military dictatorships and simmering ethnic rivalries. And as we have already witnessed in other parts of the world, as fighting and instability spread in West Africa, so too does the growth of terrorist networks and international criminal organizations; the destruction of the environment; the spread of disease, refugees, poverty, and ethnic strife; and the general unraveling of living conditions for the regions nearly 240 million people. Nowhere in West Africa is stability more important to the United States than in Nigeria, the continents most populous nation (estimated to be 126 million in 2001, according to the World Fact Book, www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ni. html) and our most important regional ally. Not only does the United States rely on Nigeria as a major source of oil (10 percent of U.S. imports in 2000), but Nigeria is also one of two (along with South Africa) focal points of American foreign policy in sub-Saharan Africa. The United States has strongly supported the democratic government of President Olusegun Obasanjo and has established a strong military cooperation program with Nigeria that has led to the training of five battalions of Nigerian soldiers. Moreover, the United States clearly has an interest in supporting the success of next years important local elections (scheduled for April) and state and federal elections in 2003. The partnership with Nigeria therefore presents an important test case for the United States: support for our friend will not only increase the chances for domestic and regional stability in West Africa, it will demonstrate to other friendly African states that the United States is engaged on the continent. Indeed, increased U. S. engagement in the region is also necessary to counter the deleterious effects of the activities of corrupt non-state actors, the potential growth of militant Islam, and Libyan expansionism in West Africa. The United States should also maintain a keen interest in the success of the United Nations Armed Mission to Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). Since its near collapse in 2000, UNAMSIL has regrouped with the strong support of the British and today appears to be more coherent and effective. The success of this mission is essential to the strengthening of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operationsa development that is clearly in the interest of the United States. Moreover, the United States has invested heavily in the mission. In fiscal year 2000, the United States contributed over $128 million to UNAMSIL, a figure that grew to nearly $190 million in fiscal year 2001. This accounts for a significant proportion of the U. S. humanitarian aid budget, funds that are desperately needed elsewhere. Finally, the intangible costs of American inaction in the region would be substantial. The marginalization of African crises from American foreign policy concerns perpetuates the perception within the international community that the United States does not care about the plight of Africans. This undercuts our status as the international leader for democracy, human rights, and peace and damages our national credibility abroad. Just as the marginalization of West Africa jeopardizes U.S. interests, targeted American engagement in the region could bear ample fruit. U.S. engagement in the region in cooperation with our French and British allies could provide an important test case and perhaps a model of Western cooperation that could be called upon elsewhere on the continent (notably in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC) to address war and state collapse. The working group agreed that the key to future collaborative efforts in the region between the United States and its Western European allies will be to identify ways to harness Frances considerable regional influence and elicit policies from Paris that are more compatible with our own. In addition to working more closely with our Western allies on the formation of Africa policies, U.S. cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) could also set an important precedent for future cooperative actions on the continent.U. .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff , .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff .postImageUrl , .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff , .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff:hover , .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff:visited , .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff:active { border:0!important; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff { 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; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff:active , .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff .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; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue5ccffcfcc098c99239563cc610a5bff:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The World of Culinary Arts EssayS. Policy toward the RegionAccording to administration sources, Americas policy toward Africa is based on three goals: increasing peace and stability, spreading democracy, and increasing economic prosperity on the continent. Within this approach there are several substantive policy priorities: addressing disease (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria), opening markets (Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, AGOA, and perhaps the creation of AGOA II designed to increase the number of items covered by the free-trade agreement), political liberalization, and ending wars on the continent (especially in the DRC, Sierra Leone, and Sudan). The government intends to do this while at the same time supporting African states such as Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, and Botswana, where socio-economic progress has been made. In West Africa this policy undergirds a number of U.S. programs. First, the United States has continued to support UNAMSIL financially and through military training of African peacekeepers. The U.S. government has also worked closely with the United Kingdom and supported Britains lead role in restoring peace in Sierra Leone. Finally, the United States continues its military and financial support to the Cont? government in Guinea. These efforts comprise part of a broader U.S. strategy in West Africa designed to support our regional allies and contain the spread of the war. The main target of this policy has been the Charles Taylor government in Liberia. The administration has thus attempted to break the link between the Taylor regime and the sale of conflict diamonds through the support of legislation in the United States and of UN sanctions on diamond exports and arms sales and a travel ban on Liberian government officials. In addition to its containment policy toward Taylor, the United States has also attempted to shore up regional allies like Presidents Kufour (Ghana), Konar? (Mali), Wade (Senegal), and Obasanjo (Nigeria). It is also clear that the United States has little choice but to work with President Gbagbo (c?te dIvoire), despite his contested rise to power, to preserve stability. Challenges to U. S. PolicyBeyond these policy thrusts, the working group identified several challenges to the administrations policy and important questions that have yet to be addressed. Short-Term Issues How can the United States best support the United Kingdoms lead role in Sierra Leone? What else should the United States do to bring about a more democratic regime in Liberia? How can the United States avert increased instability in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and c?te dIvoire while fostering socio-economic liberalization in these states? How should the United States collaborate with the French to foster economic development and good governance in West Africa? How will the administration prepare the political terrain in Washington to win support for these initiatives on the Hill? ong-Term Issues What are our long-term commitments to UNAMSIL and how will the United States define an exit strategy? How does the U.S. government envisage moving from DDR to economic growth in Sierra Leone and the rest of the West African region? ConclusionThe working group agreed that the international community, striving to end the horror of West Africas regional war, must begin by overseeing the successful resolution of conflict in Sierra Leone. Yet despite recent progress made in ending that war and the implementation of DDR, a number of unpleasant realities remain, making policy formation for the United States and the rest of the international community extremely difficult. UNAMSIL thus must be seen for what it is: a quick-fix, capacity-building effort that is not sustainable over the long run. The economies, political organs, and state institutions in Sierra Leone and Liberia are in a shambles and human capital is entirely depleted. The Kabbah government is a shell, and as one WAWG member put it, There is no there there in Sierra Leone. Still more troubling is the possibility of further violence and destabilization in the region: the RUF continues to menace the peace process; the Cont? and Gbagbo governments lack legitimacy at home and are threatened from within their own states; and tensions remain high between northern Muslims and southern Christians in c?te dIvoire after several years of divisive ethnic politics that have set the groups against one another. More broadly, profound socio-economic problems grip the entire West Africa region, making it fertile ground for future violent conflict. This reality points to several fundamental questions for the U. S. government: have the events of September 11 given rise to a renewed appreciation of the dangers of collapsed states? Or, will the current war on terrorism continue to draw attention and resources away from the crises in West Africa? And finally, can the United States work with its European (especially French) and African allies to help manage conflict and build economic prosperity in the region? Recommendations1.Provide strong support to British leadership in Sierra Leone. 2. Successfully marry the administrations West Africa program with the ambitious conflict prevention/development programs being articulated at the U.S. Agency for International Development. 3. Consider Sierra Leone a model for learning how the United States should approach complex humanitarian crises, state collapse, and regionalized conflict in Africa. 4.Increase U.S. domestic political will to engage in the region through public education and awareness building. 5.Find a middle ground for working with the French on the role Liberias Charles Taylor will play in the future of the region. 6. Develop a mid- and long-term regional plan for West Africa that accounts for big-picture economic and human development trends. 7.Implement the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act as soon as possible and draft and then implement AGOA II, thus extending the number of products covered by the legislation. 8. Buttress socio-economic development in Nigeria, the most populous and perhaps most important U.S. ally in sub-Saharan Africa. 9. Cut off financial resources to warlords who gain sustenance from non-state profiteers like diamond and timber buyers as well as from state actors intent on creating instability to further their own political and economic goals. 10.Continue military assistance to the key regional armies to professionalize them and build linkages with the United States. 11. Speed up debt forgiveness, especially for those countries that play by the rules and are in the process of socio-economic liberalization. 12.Increase aid to the region as an investment in stability, socio-economic development, and the creation of new markets for the United States and to help prevent state collapse. Words/ Pages : 3,186 / 24

Historical SAT Percentiles New SAT 2016, 2017, and 2018

Historical SAT Percentiles New SAT 2016, 2017, and 2018 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you took the new SAT in 2016, 2017, or 2018, you might be wondering what percentile your score is in. Is a 700 on Math in 2016 the same as a 700 in Math in 2018? How much do percentile scores change from year to year? In this article, I'll explain what new SAT percentile scores are and how they've changed over time. I'll also provide percentiles for SAT combined and section scores for 2016, 2017, and 2018. What Are SAT Percentile Scores? Your SAT percentile score tells you how well you did compared to other students who took the SAT. If you scored in the 97th percentile, then you scored higher than 97% of the people who took the test. If you scored in the 50th percentile, you did better than 50% of the people who took the test. Every year, the College Board determines that year's SAT percentile scores based on how college-bound high school seniors that year scored on the SAT. The higher the percentile your SAT score is in, the better you scored compared to other high school seniors. Special Note: Nationally Representative Sample Percentiles vs. SAT User Percentiles On your score report, you'll see information about two different kinds of percentiles: Nationally Representative Sample Percentiles and SAT User Percentiles. For this article, when we talk about percentiles we'll be exclusively referring to SAT User Percentiles, which are based on only actual SAT scores of students in the classes of 2016-2018 who took the new SAT. Read this article to find out more about the differences between the two percentile types on your SAT score report. Do Percentile Scores Change? In the past, SAT scores stayed pretty much at the same percentile, year over year. For instance, on the old SAT, a score of 1880 was in the 87th percentile for 20, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. That SAT percentile scores haven't changed much over time is intentional- the whole idea behind the SAT scoring system is that colleges can know that a student who got a 1880 SAT score in 2010 performed about the same as a student who got a 1880 SAT score in 2006 or 2015. If an 1880 was in the 80th percentile in 2010 and the 95th percentile in 2015, the scores would be meaningless for comparison purposes on their own. Because the SAT in its current format has only been administered for a few years, however, new SAT scores aren't quite as tied to specific percentiles. As an example, a 1280 new SAT score was in the 83rd percentile in 2016, 86th percentile in 2017, and 84th percentile in 2018. The biggest differences changes in percentiles on the new SAT happened for students who scored between 860 and 1200, with the same score differing by as many as six percentile points between 2016 and 2018 (for instance, a 950 was in the 25th percentile in 2016 and 31st percentile in 2018). As the new SAT is administered to more students over more years, these differences will no doubt shrink, making it easier to compare the same scores. For now, though, if you're scoring in the 860-1200 range, you can expect the percentile of your score to shift by up to six percentile points compared to past years. How Should You Use This Info and Why Does It Matter? Because the same SAT scores have had such varying percentiles in the last couple of years, your percentile score is the easiest way to figure out how well you did on the SAT. If you scored higher than 50 percent of test-takers, then you're above average; if you scored higher than 75 percent of test-takers, then you did very well indeed. When you apply to college, however, you're not being compared to all students who took the SAT, but to all students who took the SAT and are applying to that school. To help students figure out how they stack up against past successful applicants, colleges usually publicly post 25th and 75th percentile scores of admitted students. If you want to be a competitive candidate for a school, your target SAT score should be around or above a school's 75th percentile score. On a section level, percentiles can help you put your scores in context. It might seem like you're doing about equally well on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math if you get a 690 on ERW and a 640 on Math. However, a 690 ERW score is in the 93rd percentile, while a 640 Math score is in the 83rd percentile. Raising each section score by 100 points would raise your Math percentile ranking by 13 points and your ERW percentile ranking by only 6+ points. If you're thinking about retaking the SAT and trying to figure out where you should focus your studying efforts, your percentile scores can help identify how you can improve the most. Finally, percentile scores also tell us that a small increase in your composite score can have a large impact on your percentile score, particularly if you're scoring around or even a little below the middle of the pack. For instance, in 2018 an SAT score of 1050 was at the 49th percentile, but a score of 1210 was at the 76th. Increasing your score by just 160 points can take your score from below average to the top quarter of all SAT scores. Composite Score Percentiles, 2018, 2017, and 2016 SAT Composite Score 2018 Percentile 2017 Percentile 2016 Percentile 1600 99+ 99+ 99+ 1590 99+ 99+ 99+ 1580 99+ 99+ 99+ 1570 99+ 99+ 99+ 1560 99+ 99+ 99+ 1550 99+ 99+ 99+ 1540 99 99+ 99 1530 99 99+ 99 1520 99 99 99 1510 99 99 99 1500 99 99 98 1490 98 99 98 1480 98 99 98 1470 98 98 98 1460 97 98 97 1450 97 98 97 1440 96 97 96 1430 96 97 96 1420 95 96 95 1410 95 96 95 1400 94 95 94 1390 94 95 94 1380 93 94 93 1370 92 94 92 1360 92 93 91 1350 91 92 91 1340 90 91 90 1330 89 90 89 1320 88 90 88 1310 88 89 87 1300 87 88 86 1290 86 87 85 1280 84 86 83 1270 83 85 82 1260 82 83 81 1250 81 82 80 1240 80 81 78 1230 79 80 77 1220 77 78 76 1210 76 77 74 1200 74 76 72 90 73 74 71 80 72 73 69 70 70 71 67 60 68 69 65 50 67 68 64 40 65 66 62 30 63 64 60 20 62 63 58 10 60 61 57 00 58 59 55 1090 56 57 52 1080 54 55 50 1070 52 53 48 1060 51 51 46 1050 49 49 44 1040 47 47 42 1030 45 45 40 1020 43 43 38 1010 41 41 36 1000 39 40 34 990 37 38 32 980 36 36 30 970 34 34 29 960 32 32 27 950 31 31 25 940 29 29 24 930 27 27 22 920 26 26 20 910 24 24 19 900 23 22 18 890 21 21 16 880 20 19 15 870 18 18 14 860 17 17 13 850 15 15 12 840 14 14 830 13 13 10 820 12 12 9 810 8 800 10 9 7 790 9 8 7 780 8 8 6 770 7 7 5 760 6 6 4 750 5 5 4 740 4 4 3 730 4 4 3 720 3 3 2 710 3 3 2 700 2 2 2 690 2 2 2 680 1 1 1 670 1 1 1 660 1 1 1 650 1 1 1 640 1 1 1- 630 1- 1- 1- 620 1- 1- 1- 610 1- 1- 1- 600 1- 1- 1- 590 1- 1- 1- 580 1- 1- 1- 570 1- 1- 1- 560 1- 1- 1- 550 1- 1- 1- 540 1- 1- 1- 530 1- 1- 1- 520 1- 1- 1- 510 1- 1- 1- 500 1- 1- 1- 490 1- 1- 1- 480 1- 1- 1- 470 1- 1- 1- 460 1- 1- 1- 450 1- 1- 1- 440 1- 1- 1- 430 1- 1- 1- 420 1- 1- 1- 410 1- 1- 1- 400 1- 1- 1- Sources: SAT Understanding Scores 2016, SAT Understanding Scores 2017, SAT Understanding Scores 2018 Section Score Percentiles Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score 2018 Percentile 2017 Percentile 2016 Percentile 800 99+ 99+ 99+ 790 99+ 99+ 99+ 780 99+ 99+ 99+ 770 99+ 99+ 99 760 99 99 99 750 99 99 99 740 98 98 98 730 97 98 97 720 97 97 96 710 96 96 95 700 94 95 94 690 93 94 92 680 92 92 91 670 90 91 89 660 88 89 86 650 86 87 84 640 84 85 81 630 81 82 78 620 78 79 75 610 75 77 72 600 72 73 69 590 69 70 66 580 66 67 63 570 63 64 60 560 59 60 56 550 56 57 52 540 52 53 49 530 49 49 45 520 45 46 42 510 42 42 38 500 38 39 35 490 35 35 31 480 31 32 28 470 28 28 25 460 25 25 22 450 22 22 20 440 19 19 17 430 16 16 15 420 14 14 13 410 12 400 9 10 9 390 8 8 7 380 6 6 6 370 4 5 5 360 3 4 3 350 2 3 3 340 2 2 2 330 1 1 1 320 1 1 1 310 1 1 1 300 1- 1 1- 290 1- 1- 1- 280 1- 1- 1- 270 1- 1- 1- 260 1- 1- 1- 250 1- 1- 1- 240 1- 1- 1- 230 1- 1- 1- 220 1- 1- 1- 210 1- 1- 1- 200 1- 1- 1- Sources: SAT Understanding Scores 2016, SAT Understanding Scores 2017, SAT Understanding Scores 2018 Math Score 2018 Percentile 2017 Percentile 2016 Percentile 800 99+ 99+ 99+ 790 99 99 99 780 98 99 98 770 98 99 98 760 97 98 98 750 96 97 97 740 96 97 96 730 95 96 95 720 94 95 95 710 93 94 94 700 92 94 92 690 91 92 91 680 89 91 89 670 88 89 88 660 86 88 87 650 85 86 86 640 83 84 83 630 81 82 81 620 79 81 79 610 77 78 76 600 75 76 73 590 72 73 70 580 69 70 67 570 66 67 64 560 64 65 60 550 61 61 57 540 57 58 53 530 53 54 49 520 49 49 45 510 44 45 40 500 40 40 34 490 37 37 30 480 34 34 27 470 31 32 24 460 28 29 21 450 25 25 18 440 22 22 16 430 20 20 14 420 17 17 12 410 15 14 10 400 13 12 8 390 10 7 380 9 8 5 370 7 7 4 360 6 5 3 350 4 4 3 340 3 3 2 330 2 2 1 320 1 1 1 310 1 1 1 300 1 1 1 290 1 1- 1- 280 1- 1- 1- 270 1- 1- 1- 260 1- 1- 1- 250 1- 1- 1- 240 1- 1- 1- 230 1- 1- 1- 220 1- 1- 1- 210 1- 1- 1- 200 1- 1- 1- Sources: SAT Understanding Scores 2016, SAT Understanding Scores 2017, SAT Understanding Scores 2018 What's Next? How do you compare to other students in your state? Find out with our regularly updated list of average SAT scores by state. Where does your SAT essay score fit into all this? Learn more about SAT essay scoring and what the average SAT essay score is here. Would you be able to score in a higher percentile on the ACT? We help you figure out if the ACT or SAT is a better test for you with this foolproof method. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

National Lewis and Clark Corporation Case Study

National Lewis and Clark Corporation - Case Study Example In this respect, diversity within Nest is viewed as an opportunity, which enables the company's managers to fully adapt to its 86 foreign markets by integrating a diverse set of cultures, allowing them to become more responsive to its customers' needs. Thus, Nestl's philosophy focuses on developing a diverse workforce, which mirrors the needs of its equally diverse consumer. Furthermore, Nestle, together with other European companies, views diversity as "inseparably intertwined" with leadership development (Reichlin, 2004). Hence to effectively incorporate diversity, Nest focuses on more than just developing a diverse workforce, but on integrating diversity with leadership training and advancement and workforce retention and recruitment. 2. Two notable diversity initiatives implemented in Nest lies in its value-added leadership approach and emphasis on the company's leadership training program focused on honing its internal workforce for top management positions (Reichlin, 2004). First, through its value-added leadership, Nestle successfully develops a highly-motivated workforce, where minor employees are given the chance to excel and play larger roles within the organization. As Reichlin (2004) explains it, everyone, regardless of their position, is given responsibilities within the company insofar as they add value to the firm, hence fostering inclusiveness. Its leadership training program, on the other hand, fosters collaboration and cooperation across the management spectrum. One characteristic of this program is its focus on mentoring. By giving one-on-one attention and monitoring potential leaders' development and maturity, Nest succeeds in maintaining its employees' original cultures while integrating individu als into their corporate culture and honing them for advancement to top-management positions. Furthermore, company executives also gain better knowledge regarding its workforce, allowing them to make better decisions with regard to diversity.

Engineering drawings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Engineering drawings - Essay Example These manuscripts speak about the science of mechanics, laws of movement. The manuscripts give details about how Leonardo understood each small components individually that goes into the making of big machines. When he studied screws, he studied its varied forms and methods to fabricate them. In this list are the components such as hoists, rollers, pulleys, flywheel, winches and many more. It is his remarkable understanding of these components in those days that made it possible for him to create many functional machine designs. War Machines Leonardo developed many war machines when he was in the long service of Lodoviko Sforza, a duke at Milan. He displayed his abilities as a civil and mechanical engineer designing many useful devices. Some of the devices such as cannons, a giant wheel were developed by him as his military activities during the time. Leonardo developed a drawing of a bridge as a civil engineering project that spanned 240 meter. Though its real construction never mat erialized, it continued to inspire engineers that followed him. His note books spoke about war machines that included a tank that could be operated through crank shafts. The design and mechanics though were not fully developed – perhaps his intention was not to allow it to fall in the hands of wrong people. He developed cannons that would spew small pebbles on the enemy to prevent them inflicting a frontal attack. A Device Resembling Flywheel Leonardo designed an engine kind device that is currently known as flywheel and crank. It is important to note here that when James Watt developed a steam engine, he never made use of flywheel – a wheel that provides high angular momentum. It was much later that a design expert added flywheel to achieve steadiness in the shaft operation. A Device for Lifting Loads Lifting loads has been always a most cherished requirement of humans since time immemorial. No wonder than that Leonard worked on a system to lift heavy loads. What he d esigned in those days is known as the worm gear in current parlance. The device employed an endless screw that is turned by a crank to mesh with the teeth of a gear rotating and raising the load. His device provides more safety that usually a single tooth gear design lacks. Worm gear as prevalent in current times came into existence much later. That shows Leonardo’s genius in designing a device that has hundreds of application in the modern machines including analog clocks. Bicycle Design One of the vehicle designs that he has drawn is a two-wheeled vehicle with spokes. Two wheels are joined by a single rod gives an indication that his vehicle takes a shape of a bicycle for an easy movement by humans. Rear wheel is attached to a cogged-wheel through a chain and cogged-wheel has pedals as found in the modern bicycles in current times. Flying Design He studied motion and movements in depth. While building canals and locks he tried to understand the water flow and whirlpools. In the same way, he tried to understand the flying of birds – the operations and anatomy of the wing. That helped him to build flying designs. Many of the Leonardo's drawings present theoretical understandings or initial intuitions before an idea takes some concrete shape. One of the design looks like a helicopter provided with a huge spiral. It is not understood what idea he had in his mind to

Discussion M4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion M4 - Essay Example Alternatively, they liaise up with a re-known grocery store in the neighborhood and make direct orders should they require food supply. Most airline companies like designing containers that carry the foodstuffs with their own specifications. Therefore, this influence the warehouse requirements in that they have to locate it near or in the airport for easy packaging, branding, and reduce labor and transportation costs. Demand-facing warehouse requirements is a primarily dependant on customer preferences and tastes. The airline company will be tasked to construct a warehouse and store relevant food stuffs in accordance to demand so that it avoids running out stock. Alternatively, it can link up with suppliers to make sure there is a fresh delivery each time there is need. Through Just-In-Time approach, the company can avoid piling up inventory that can go to waste or lead to high storage costs. Foodstuffs meant for human consumption should be delivered fresh and of right quality. This is a standard requirement by the public health departments to avoid chances of food poisoning. In addition, since it is not the main business for airline companies, avoiding keeping food stock can be important in reducing storage costs and creating space for other important

Relationship Between Humans And Colour In Architectural Spaces

Relationship Between Humans And Colour In Architectural Spaces Colour can clarify and define space, form and structure, yet in many architectural practices is often considered only at the final stages of the design process. This tendency to subordinate colour reflects an attitude held by many design professionals since the Renaissance. The premise that colour is secondary to form, the disegno colore theory, was established by Aristotle in his Poetics during the Renaissance. Further reinforcing this belief, the architect Le Corbusier influenced the role of colour in architectural design still upheld by many today. He considered whiteness to convey order, purity, truth and architecture. His views were further supported by contemporaries such as Adolf Loos who considered white to be the colour of heaven, while Theo van Doesburg believed it the spiritual colour of the period (Minah 2008). White became the epitome of modern architecture. While Le Corbusier latterly modified his attitude toward the relationship of colour in architecture, the colour rules established in his work Purism, co-written with Amà ©dà ©Ãƒ © Ozenfant, were never as influential as his earlier beliefs (Batchelor 2000). The following paper examines the importance of colour within architectural space and its ability to influence mental well-being through its sensory and physiological properties. Experiencing Colour What is fundamental in understanding the use of colour and light in interior space? Why do some spaces bring joy, while other do not? Many would judge it simply a matter of taste, while others an expression of artistic skill, use of precise colour theory or scientific research. It is a complex combination of many factors, both human and scientific. Colour is perceived by the eye through different wavelengths of light carried to us by our surroundings and interpreted by the brain (Nassau 1998). Without light there would be no colour. Light reflects off surfaces, triggering an electromagnetic response in the eye, which in turn translates into colour within the brain (Miller 1997). Our perception of colour is dictated by its hue (actual colour), its intensity or depth of tone (saturation) and its brightness, creating shade and shadow (Miller 1997). An academic interest in the psychological meaning of colour has been prevalent for centuries. Philosophers from ancient Greece dating back to Aristotles time, artists post da Vinci, the early 19th century poet Goethe and subsequent latter day psychologists, anthropologists, biologists, etc, have theorised and investigated the complexity of human response to, and use of colour (Birren 1978; Sharpe 1980). Shown in Table 1. are the six categories believed by Graham, to be key to the human responses to colour within the built environment (Pierman 1978). The scope of the subject is so huge that for the purpose of this paper my main focus will be physiological, mood and associative response to colour and its implications on our experience of interior space. Biological Reactions of a Colour Stimulus There is a reoccurring theme in published literature on human response to colour, namely, the association of hues at the long or warm end of the visible spectrum (red, orange and pink) with arousal and excitation, and those at the short or cool end (green, blue violet) with calmness and relaxation (Goldstein 1942; Gerard 1958; Wilson 1966; Jacobs and Hustmyer 1974) which crosses multi-cultural boundaries (Oyama, Tanaka et al. 1962; Adams and Osgood 1973). Although not all results have shown identical outcomes in respect of systolic blood pressure, skin conductance, respiration, heart rate, eye-blink frequency and electrical brain activity, the emotional responses have been similar. Further studies have used word associations with colour, such as blue being associated with tender, soothing, secure and comfortable and orange with disturbing, distressed, upset (Wexner 1954). A more recent study attempted to replicate the findings of Gerrard, with a focus on the effect on cardiovascular function (Yglesias, Stewart et al. 1993). Whilst the effect on the heart could not be replicated the individuals mental expectations of the consequence of the colours was in accord with previous literature. Jacobs and Seuss similarly found the effects of 4 primary colours projected onto a large screen produced high anxiety levels for red and yellow, consistent with earlier studies (Jacobs and Hustmyer 1974) Schauss claimed that pink colours acted as a natural tranquilizer and had successfully subdued prison inmates (Schauss 1979), but this has not been substantiated in further studies (Pellegrini, Schauss et al. 1981). The earlier findings may have been more to do with the Hawthorne effect, particularly as such a result would contradict the prevalent red/blue spectrum theory. Whilst all of the above research with its consequent design implications was carried out using coloured light, slides, patches, or words, KÃ…Â ±ller et al experimented using full scale decorated rooms. Those decorated with colours from the long visible spectrum created greater arousal than those from the short spectrum. Additionally, introverts or those in a negative mood became more affected than others, impacting their performance (KÃ…Â ±ller, Mikellides et al. 2009). Similarly, Kwallek found that an individuals ability to screen colours for irrelevant stimuli had an impact on the effect of colour. High screeners were more productive in a red working environment, while low screeners performed better in a blue-green office (Kwallek, Soon et al. 2006) (Kwallek, Soon et al. 2007) (Kwallek, Woodson et al. 1997). In addition, Kwallek et al found saturation of colour was a significant predictor of differences in mood between males and females. Ainsworth contrarily found no difference in performance between red and blue offices (Ainsworth, Simpson et al. 1993). However, In a study of almost 1000 workspaces in four countries, interior colour was recognised as an important influencing element of mood and performance (KÃ…Â ±ller, Ballal et al. 2006). A key article by Kaiser reviews the varied literature on non-visual physiological responses by humans to colour, (Kaiser 1984a), concluding that there are reliable physiological responses to colour recorded, but that some of the results may have been effected by cognitive response to colour (Kaiser 1984a). The preceding review shows that, despite considerable interest and research, studies have yet to provide a thorough and empirically proven set of rules for the relationship between colour and emotions (Valdez and Mehrabian 1994). Cognitive Response to Colour The way we respond to colour can also be a result of conscious symbolism or associated actions. Yglesias et al showed that we have expectations in respect of our response to certain colours (Yglesias, Stewart et al. 1993), regardless of involuntary physiological responses. These may be learned through culture or tradition, memory, preferences or fashion. Colour associated with actions can be seen in the red, amber and green of traffic lights conveying stop, yield and go, respectively. When these colours are used in isolation from their connection with traffic, they can still influence their association (Hutchings 2004). Red is commonly used to signify danger, or to command attention and is the most pervasive colour signal in nature (Humphrey 1976). It can, however, have a somewhat ambiguous meaning as it is the colour of edible berries, signifies love, lust, anger and blood; a combination of both positive and negative symbolism. Culture and tradition can connect specific emotions with certain colours. Typically, white is worn by Western brides for its connection with purity, whereas in India the preferred colour is red (Hutchings 2004) and in other countries black, which is in stark contrast to its commonly accepted association with mourning (Kaya and Crosby 2006). White continues its connection with purity through its use in kitchens and bathrooms, translating into cleanliness and hygiene. It can also be seen in its association with hospitals and specifically the doctors coat, further reinforcing its sterile status (Blumhagen 1979). In China white is associated with righteousness. Black is associated with dullness and stupidity in Indian culture, while red implies ambition and desire (Kreitler and Kreitler 1972). Colours can also be steeped with religious meaning through association. For instance, green is the sacred colour of Islam (Kaya and Crosby 2006), and was also considered sacred by the Celts up until the Christian church introduced white (Singh 2006). In addition to white, purple is the symbolic colour used in Christian churches throughout Lent for drapes and altar frontals, while orange is considered the most sacred colour in Hindu religion. Red and white is a combination used for ritual decorations in Melanesia and for representing the Sacred Heart of the Catholic Church in Mexico (Singh 2006). Colours with religious connotations and subsequent emotional connection can have a profound effect on an interior if inappropriately used and could cause offence, or negative feelings. Colour associations also appear to rely on an individuals previous knowledge and experience, combined with personal emotional connections. Kaya and Crosby found colour schemes were remembered in alliance with known interiors, such as restaurants, schools or their homes and, subsequently deemed appropriate colours for specific building types or rooms. For example, some related the colour blue with feelings of relaxation, calmness, comfort and peace, with an associated link to hotels and residences (Kaya and Crosby 2006). Red, a colour frequently aligned with stimulation and arousal, was often coupled with places of entertainment, such as restaurants (Kaya and Crosby 2006). Conclusion A complex collection of factors combine to dictate an individuals perception of colour within the built environment. Despite decades of research into our physiological response to colour and its implications, scientific results have been contradictory and sometimes inconclusive, albeit with a general consensus on reaction to colours within the short and long visible spectrum. For example, as highlighted earlier, red wavelengths can influence biological rhythms, with green wavelengths being weaker. These results are a direct physiological response. A human does not have to have any knowledge of the colour red for a biological response. However the result may be compounded by an indirect physiological response to the colour based on cognition. For instance, an individual may have a strong mental association of red with blood, violence, fire or hatred. We all have our own personal knowledge of colour, based around culture, tradition and memory, which serve to guide our choice and experi ence of colour and light. In addition, response to colour can also be influenced by our immediate environment, such as whether we are alone or in a group, or how we are feeling at the time and its effect on our ability to screen colours. A person in a depressed mental state may not respond in the same way as someone in a more positive mood. Colour is a powerful force which can be used in different way to motivate and stimulate, to control our actions, to create an environment of joy or misery. In making colour choices for interior space, it is crucial to understand the nature and culture of the users, in conjunction with scientific research. It is important to discern whether the chosen colour has a direct physiological impact on a particular biological function, or if the colour effect depends on cognitive learning or emotional associations. Selection should also consider the implications of hue and saturation of colour, which play a strong part in eliciting positive feelings and a sense of well-being when appropriately chosen. Interiors should not be devised purely for reasons of fashion or aesthetics, if the aim is to elicit a positive emotional response from the user; a more considered approach should be undertaken. 1876

History of the Trumpet Essay

Trumpets are one of the oldest instruments. In ancient times, people used animal horns or shells like a trumpet. It was first used for signaling in ancient China (2000 BC), Egypt (1500 BC), and Scandinavia (1000 BC). It was long and had no valves. In Roman times, the trumpet was played at military and civilian ceremonies. The first musical use of the trumpet was in the late 1300’s where it had acquired the folded shape similar to today’s. In the 1500’s, Nuremberg, Germany became the center of trumpet making. During that time, the first music for trumpets was written. In the late 1700’s, the trumpet became a regular member of the orchestra. Short pieces of tubing called ‘crooks’ were invented and used to lengthen or shorten the trumpet so it could play more notes. In the 17th to 18th century, trumpets were mostly in the key of D of C for courtly purposes and E flat or F in the military. The valve trumpet was invented in 1815, making crooks unnecessary. Today, trumpets are usually played in orchestras, jazz bands, brass ensembles, popular music and bands. Different sized trumpets have different pitches and are used in different musical groups. Most trumpets in bands are in the key of B flat major. Historically, trumpets were used for many different things but music was not thought of until the late 1300’s. Louis Armstrong , born in 1901 and died in 1971, was a trumpet player. He was one of the most famous and influential trumpet player in Jazz history. Many people thought he was the greatest jazz cornet and trumpet player in the world. He was born in New Orleans and he learned to play the trumpet while serving a sentence for delinquency in the Home for Coloured Waifs. Dizzy Gillespie, born in 1917 and died in 1993, was also a trumpet player. He was an American trumpet player, composer, and band leader. Dizzy Gillespie’s real name is John Birks Gillespie. He was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. Dizzy co founded the bebop jazz movement with Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. I have chosen a recording to listen to, from a CD called Trumpets in Modern Jazz. It is called ‘Kush’ and the performer is Dizzy Gillespie. I chose this recording because I knew Dizzy Gillespie was famous and I wanted to hear how he played the trumpet and to see if he really is as good as everyone says. Trumpets may be loud and annoying sometimes but they have survived through the years so treat trumpets with respect and it might let out the best music in the world.