Shakespeare And Catholicism Essays - Bible Translations Into English

Shakespeare And Catholicism By researching the life and writings of William Shakespeare, it can be shown that many Christian values and beliefs are displayed through his literary works. In order to understand the religious content in Shakespeare's work it is helpful to first understand what the religious environment in England was like around Shakespeare's time. England, ever since it was ruled by the Romans, had been a Catholic nation. Before Shakespeare's lifetime, a drastic change occurred that completely upended the existing Catholicism of the English people. During King Henry VIII's reign, the English people were, for the most part, content with Catholicism. Through a series of very complex political maneuvers, Henry eventually seized power of the English church. The benefits of this control were enormous for the state. First of all, Henry obtained his divorce from his first wife. Second, the state received the tithes and taxes from church property, thus making the break very profitable for the state. Finally, with the closing of all of the monasteries, England gained large tracts of land to sell to land owners and tax heavily. The break with the Church of Rome, on the other hand, was not welcomed by the people. Through various laws and ordinances the monarchy effectively closed down the Catholic church in England, but this did not stop the people from being loyal to Catholicism in their hearts. One of the effects of the break from Rome was the welcoming of an English translation of the Bible. One of the first English translations of the Bible was written by William Tyndale. Known as Cranmer's Bible or the Great Bible, this Bible along with the Geneva Bible would have been the two translations used widely during Shakespeare's lifetime (Milward 85). With the invention of the printing press before this time, the Bible was becoming a household item. Access to Scripture was at it highest point in history to that time. The accessibility of the Bible greatly impacted the work of Shakespeare because he had such a resource at his disposal. Along with these two translations of Scripture already available to Shakespeare came a new translation authorized by King James I. Today this translation is known as the King James Authorized Version (Milward 86). At this point in time, the climate was right for Shakespeare to learn a great deal about Christianity directly from Scripture, even if the church in England was still in upheaval. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford, England. Being a small town meant that these religious changes occurred more slowly and later than they did in London. As with the majority of English towns, Stratford did not welcome the reformations of their religion imposed by the state (Milward 17). In time, the town bore these mandated changes out of necessity. There is some evidence that Shakespeare's parents were Catholic before the Reformation and remained so at heart after it. John Shakespeare, William's father, held a high position in Stratford. At one point in his life, in order to receive a promotion, John had to take an oath that was anti-Catholic in nature and affirmed Queen Elizabeth I as the head of the Church of England (Milward 18-19). Later in his life, when John's fortunes had slipped some, his attendance in Protestant meetings stopped (Milward 19). Other evidence of John's adherence to Catholicism comes from an archaeological find. A spiritual testament of John Shakespeare was found after his death. Spiritual testaments were popular among English Catholics of that time. They were professions of adherence to the Catholic faith (Milward 21). Shakespeare's mother, Mary, came from a devout Catholic family that held positions throughout the Catholic church before its demise in England (Milward 21). Shakespeare's family appears, at most, nominally Protestant, merely for the purpose of remaining a functioning part of Stratford (Milward 22). Once John's fortunes ran out, he no longer identified with the church of the state. Religious topics are encountered throughout all of Shakespeare's work. Topics such as prayer, judgment, justice, Satan, Hell, Heaven, faith, repentance, sin, man's responsibility, mercy, atonement, redemption, Jesus Christ as Savior, and providence are found numerous times in his writing (Ackermann 82). One Shakespeare scholar believed that Shakespeare's works were so full

Du Bois vs. Washington Professor Ramos Blog

Du Bois vs. Washington Mark Galle Professor Ramos ENG 261 February 16, 2019 Culture Conflict Essay In â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others† from The Souls of Black Folk ,W.E.B. Du Bois details Washington’s rise to success and the effects it has on America. It contains Du Bois’ political opinions and beliefs regarding the ideas of Washington. While reading Du Bois’ opinions on Washington it is important to look at both of their lives leading up to when each man rose to fame to understand why they believed the things they did because of how different their views are. Washington was seen as more submissive while Du Bois was more active and strong willed. Du Bois starts â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others† by writing â€Å"Easily the most striking thing in the history of the American Negro sine 1876 [when reconstruction ended] is the ascendancy of Mr. Booker T. Washington† (Du Bois PG. 538).It’s filled with compliments and critiques dissecting Washington’s politics and the Washington’s Atlanta Exposition. While discussing the Atlanta Exposition he calls the ideas unoriginal. He also criticized Washington for not demanding equality for black people, though it was granted in the 14th amendment. An issue Du Bois had was also that Washington proposed a compromise stating black Southerners should avoid seeking social and political equality with white people.He writes that both sides approved it because â€Å"the south interpreted it in different ways: the radicals received it as a complete surrender of the demand for civil and political equality; the conservatives, as a generously conceived working basis for mutual understanding† (Du Bois Pg. 539). He’s laying out exactly why he believes it was so widely accepted by all, and it’s that everyone had a different understanding of what he said. His personal distaste for this idea seemed to be because of his thirst for equality and because he didn’t see it as something that black people should wait to have, but something they should already have. These two men were total opposites in their ideas regarding equality and the rights of Black Americans of their times. But, to understand Washington and where he came from with his beliefs and ideas it is important to understand where he came from. Booker T Washington was born into slavery in 1856 by the name of Booker Taliaferro Washington to his mother Jane and an unknown white father. He worked from a young age carrying sacks of grain and was beat on occasion when he wasn’t doing his job to the standards of the slave owners (Norrell). He first experienced education watching kids in a schoolhouse near the plantation from the outside. He and his mother moved to Malden, Massachusetts after the civil war where his mother married Washington Ferguson. At 9 he worked in a salt furnace instead of going to school. His mother got him a book and he got up early in the morning to practice reading and writing. In 1872 he left home and did odd jobs where he could find them to support himself and get through college where he also worked as a janitor to help pay for his tuition. He was eventually offered a scholarship by the schools headmaster. He went on to graduate in 1875 and for some time taught at his elementary school and was chosen to speak at Hampton’s graduation ceremonies. He was then offered a teaching job at Hampton by the headmaster. Then in 1881 Alabama approved for a colored school and Booker was recommended by General Armstrong to run the new school. Washington went all over the countryside promoting the school and to raise money for it. He made sure to assure white people that the school would not threaten them, bring harm to them, or hurt them economically. Tuskegee became a leading school in the country while under Booker T. Washington and by the time of his death had more than 100 buildings and 1,500 students in attendance. His eagerness for education from such a young age and continuous support from schools and the headmaster are factors as to why he valued education for black people so much so that he made it his main issue in regards to black people’s struggle. Life for W.E.B. Du Bois was very different than Washington’s. He was born William Edward Burghardt Du Bois in 1868. He was born to his two parents Mary Silvina Burghardt and father Alfred Du Bois, but after two years his father left (Lewis). He grew up in a mainly white area in Massachusetts. He went to school with white children and was supported by his white teachers and was the first in his family to attend high school. In 1885 he attended Fisk University in Tennessee and encountered Jim Crow laws for the first time. He began analyzing racism in America at this time. After getting his bachelor’s degree he went to Harvard and paid his way through summer jobs, loans, and scholarships. He then participated in a study abroad program in Berlin. He then became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University and then became a doctoral student at Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat and was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in 1958. Back in 1897 he was offered a job to lead several studies on black southern households in Virginia to uncover how slavery still affected the personal lives of African Americans. He then went on to do two more studies in Alabama and two more in Georgia. During this time he wrote â€Å"The Strivings of the Negro People† to explain to white people how it felt to be a victim of racism. He moved to Atlanta where he taught sociology at Atlanta University. He taught summer school at Washington’s Tuskegee University but joined Washington’s rivals the Niagara Movement, after friction between the two men. The Niagara Movement focused on seeking justice and equality for black Americans. However Washington’s opposition led to the failure of the group. Du Bois’s background of studying sociology and not experiencing racism as early as Washington are factors into why his ideals were so different than Washington’s. Though he did also value education he was much more eager to gain rights and equality rather than starting with seeking education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Du Bois’s commentary and opinions show how life experiences can shape political views. The lived experiences of both Du Bois and Washington had lasting effects on both men’s political views. Their politics clashed as did the two men. The lives they both lived before rising to fame and social status showed how they came to be the men they were, one was more focused on waiting for equality while the other didn’t believe in waiting. Both valued education but for one, equality didn’t have to wait for it.

Irelands Repeal Movement

Ireland's Repeal Movement The Repeal Movement was a political campaign spearheaded by Irish statesman Daniel OConnell in the early 1840s. The goal was to break political ties with Britain by repealing the Act of Union, legislation passed in 1800. The campaign to repeal the Act of Union was considerably different than OConnells earlier great political movement, the Catholic Emancipation movement of the 1820s. In the intervening decades, the literacy rate of the Irish people had increased, and an influx of new newspapers and magazines helped to communicate OConnells message and mobilize the populace. OConnells repeal campaign ultimately failed, and Ireland would not break free from British rule until the 20th century. But the movement was remarkable as it enlisted millions of Irish people in a political cause, and some aspects of it, such as the famed Monster Meetings, demonstrated that the majority of Irelands population could gather behind the cause. Background of the Repeal Movement The Irish people had been opposed to the Act of Union since its passage in 1800, but it wasnt until the late 1830s that the beginnings of an organized effort to repeal it took shape. The goal, of course, was to strive for self-government for Ireland and a break with Britain. Daniel OConnell organized the Loyal National Repeal Association in 1840. The association was well-organized with various departments, and members paid dues and were issued membership cards. When a Tory (conservative) government came into power in 1841, it appeared obvious that the Repeal Association would not be able to achieve its goals through traditional parliamentary votes. OConnell and his followers began to think of other methods, and the idea of holding enormous meetings and involving as many people as possible seemed like the best approach. The Mass Movement During a period of about six months in 1843, the Repeal Association held a series of enormous gatherings in the east, west, and south of Ireland (support for repeal was not popular in the northern province of Ulster). There had been large meetings in Ireland before, such as anti-temperance rallies led by the Irish priest Father Theobald Matthew. But Ireland, and probably the world, had never seen anything like OConnells Monster Meetings.   It is unclear exactly how many people attended the various rallies, as partisans on both sides of the political divide claimed different totals. But its clear that tens of thousands attended some of the meetings. It was even claimed that some crowds numbered a million people, though that number has always been viewed skeptically. More than 30 large Repeal Association meetings were held, often at sites associated with Irish history and mythology. One idea was so instilled in the common people a connection to Irelands romantic past. It can be argued that the goal of connecting people to the past was accomplished, and the large meetings were worthwhile achievements for that alone. The Meetings In the Press As the meetings began to be held across Ireland in the summer of 1843 news reports circulated describing the remarkable events. The star speaker of the day, of course, would be OConnell. And his arrival in a locality would generally consist of a large procession. The enormous gathering at racecourse in Ennis, in County Clare, in the west of Ireland, on June 15, 1843, was described in a news report which was carried across the ocean by the steamship Caledonia. The Baltimore Sun published the account on its front page of July 20, 1843. The crowd at Ennis was described: Mr. OConnell had a demonstration at Ennis, for the county of Clare, on Thursday, the 15th ult., and the meeting is described as more numerous than any that preceded it- the numbers are stated at 700,000! including about 6,000 horsemen; the cavalcade of cars extended from Ennis to Newmarket- six miles. The preparations for his reception were most elaborate; at the entrance to the town whole trees were plants, with triumphal arches across the road, mottoes, and devices. The Baltimore Sun article also referred to a large meeting held on a Sunday which featured an outdoor mass held before OConnell and others spoke of political matters: A meeting was held at Athlone on Sunday- from 50,000 to 400,000, many of them women- and one writer says that 100 priests were on the ground. The gathering took place at Summerhill. Before it, mass was said in the open air, for the benefit of those who had left their distant homes too soon to attend morning service. News reports appearing in American newspapers noted that 25,000 British troops had been stationed in Ireland in expectation of an uprising. And to American readers, at least, Ireland appeared on the verge of a rebellion. The End of Repeal Despite the popularity of the large meetings, which mean the majority of Irish people may have been directly touched by OConnells message, the Repeal Association eventually faded away. In large part, the goal was simply unattainable as the British population, and British politicians, were not sympathetic to Irish freedom. And, Daniel OConnell, in the 1840s, was elderly. As his health faded the movement faltered, and his death seemed to mark the end of the push for repeal. OConnells son tried to keep the movement going, but he did not have the political skills or magnetic personality of his father. The legacy of the Repeal Movement is mixed. Though the movement itself failed, it kept alive the quest for Irish self-government. It was the last great political movement to affect Ireland before the horrific years of the Great Famine. And it inspired younger revolutionaries, who would go on to be involved with Young Ireland and the Fenian Movement.

At the end of the play, Othello has agreed to the death of Cassio and Essay

At the end of the play, Othello has agreed to the death of Cassio and has himself killed Desdemona. In 750 words, explain how iago has managed to lead othello to this position - Essay Example Iago influences Cassio which leads the latter into dishonoring himself and insists on Roderigo to murder him. In his attempt to revenge Othello, Iago also convinces him of Desdemona's disloyalty and influences him into slaying his wife. Therefore, all through the play, Iago is involved in plotting his plans and maneuvering his revenge. Othello, by the end of the play, agrees to Iago to the death of Cassio while he himself kills Desdemona. It is mainly due to the intriguing plans of the character Iago that such tragic situations occur in the life of Othello. Iago manages to influence the other characters of the play in his natural way and his wicked designs determine the destiny of the other characters. Over the several years in the office as ensign to Othello, Iago is has achieved the trust of the general to become his most faithful advisor. It is on the basis of this unquestionable trust that the character develops all his plans and he becomes successful in persuading Othello to relegate Cassio and later to cause the downfall of the Major himself. An understanding of the plot of the play confirms how effectively Iago manipulates the other characters to believe and trust him completely and to play the roles in his revenge plot, as designed by him. Thus, he achieves the trust of his Major, and maneuvers Emily, his wife, to get hold of Desdemona's handkerchief which Othello had presented to her. Totally aware of Othello's 'tragic flaw', i.e. his jealousy, Iago manages to convince him that the handkerchief, the most valued gift of Othello to Desdemona, was in Cassio's possession. Iago then focuses on arousing Othello's jealous rage, and asks him to hide behind to listen to the conver sation between Iago and Cassio. Iago also manages to make Othello believe that the lewd conversation between Iago and Cassio about the latter's mistress, Bianca, was all about Desdemona. Therefore, Iago's success is in the plot in which he manages to manipulate facts to suit his purposes, and the resulting jealousy in the character Othello helps Iago to take his revenge on Cassio and the Major himself. The influence of this character over the characters in the play, especially Othello, is evident from the fact that everything moves according to the plot of Iago and ultimately he is given the opportunity to take his revenge. The final scene of the play illustrates how effectively this character manipulated the other characters and the situation. Therefore, his plots to take his revenge succeed when Othello slays Desdemona who was in fact guiltless of the charges by Iago. Iago is able to change the identity of Othello thanks to his intriguing skill in manipulating facts, and this change of identity caused Othello to face the ultimate tragedies of his life. In his ability to create the most effective situations for his plot, by misdirecting the other characters, Iago becomes successful in making a change in the identity of other characters, especially Othello. He is able to influence the identity and personality of other characters and is effective in completely altering the direction of the story by changing the other characters. Thus, it becomes clear that Iago, in the play's downward movement, employs his instrumental reason to influence Othello and

Assault and battery Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assault and battery - Coursework Example It is clear that contact sports imply random injuries. The difference is that when injuries are the result of deliberate, unfair, unacceptable and excessive use of violence, it becomes assault and/or battery, depending on the result. This is the case of aggressive players. In order to establish the existence of assault, the next test is applied: 1. Intentional, unlawful threat to hurt somebody; 2. The threatened person felt a well motivated fear of imminent attack and 3. The possibility of realizing the threat is undoubtful. A similar test is applied in order to establish battery: 1. The existence of a violent act towards the plaintiff; 2. The defendant willingfully used the violence and 3. The causation: the violent act hurt the plaintiff. Therefore, I believe that the user of a deliberate elbow to the face or a knee to the groin in basketball, the deliberate use of spikes by a runner in baseball, eye gouging in football, or other violence that causes unnecessary injuries in sports can be held liable for assault and/or battery, the key words in all this being deliberate and unnecessary.

History Of The Scientific Method

History Of The Scientific Method Do scientists need the Scientific Method to perform a meaningful experiment? It is undeniable that the best way to solve a problem in science is through a series of steps that lead to the solution. Since early stages in the development of Science, scientists have had the need of following certain steps in order to solve problems they were curious about to research. According to historians, Isaac Newton was the first researcher to complete the early process of the scientific method. (Yahoo Answers , 2006) The history of the scientific method begins in the Greeks civilization.greeks were the first ones who used observation and measurement to learn about the world. Aristoteles was the founder of the empirical science, but the muslims were the ones who developed the scientific process. They became the promotors of the scientific method. Galileo Galilei is given all the credit for being the creator of The Scientific Method. Meanwhile Brtish, Italians, French, and the Germans contributed to the methodology during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Among them are James Bacon, Renee Descartes, and Isaac Newton. It was between 19th and 20th century when scientists such as John Dewey and Morris R. Cohen spoke about the scientific method in America. (Edmund, 2000-2009) The scientific method is the process of asking and answering a specific question by performing experiment and observing the results obtained. It involves a series of steps that go from identifying a problem to a conclusion and, therefore, the publishing of the work to the scientific community around the world. This process includes the following steps: Identify a problem, or ask a question. Gather information, which consist in researching about the topic. Find relevant information about the theme being investigating. Develop a hypothesis, which is an educated guess or prediction of what the researcher thinks might happen. Perform an experiment to prove the hypothesis, or educated guess. Record and analyze data to see if the hypothesis was right or wrong. If your hypothesis is wrong, the researcher has to go back the process and restate the hypothesis. When the hypothesis is right the scientist draw conclusions and then publishes his work. (Science Buddies, 2012) Identifying a problem and asking a question are the base of the scientific method. Without a question to answer there is no need to develop a hypothesis or develop an investigation. The research question, the problem observed is the base. The researcher questions himself why a phenomenon occurs. From this, the other steps in the scientific method develop. (Science Stuff, 2007) When gathering information, observation is fundamental. Observation includes the use of the five senses to collect data. In this step it is important to record the information that is relevant to the investigation. It also includes research about the topic. (Science Stuff, 2007) The hypothesis is an explanation of why the phenomenon occurs; it is the educated guess. It proposes a statement in the Ifà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Thenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Because format. It is the scientists proposal to answer the question formulated at the beginning of the investigation. The hypothesis can be conceived as a prediction of what the scientist expects it is going to happen. (Science Stuff, 2007) The experiment is the step where scientists perform their tests and observe everything and figures out if the experimentation is going as they planned. In this step, different factors play important roles. These factors or variables are of great relevance in experiments. The variables can be independent, dependent, constants, and control. The independent variable is the factor that changes throughout the experiment. The dependent variable is the one that is being measured. In other words, the dependent variable could be the impact of the antibiotic on the bacteria. An independent variable is the presumed cause, whereas the dependent variable is the presumed effect. For example, if a scientist is investigating the effect of antibiotics on specific bacteria, the independent variable could be the amount of antibiotic used. The control is the standard of measurement in the experiment. It is a standard of comparison, the reference investigators use to compare their results. As scientists investigate, they need to record data while they observe the experiment progressing. They use different tools to record this data. Sometimes it is useful to keep a journal to record in a more detailed way what is going on in their experiment. Another important tool used by scientists when recording and analyzing data is charts and graphs. Bar graphs and pie charts get used frequently in science. These tools help visualize and display the information in a more effective way. (Science Stuff, 2007) The last step of the scientific method, draw a conclusion. In this step, scientists approve or reject the hypothesis formulated at the beginning. They conclude if their conjecture was right or wrong. In other words, the conclusion is a summary of the statements that have being proved throughout the experiment to answer the original question. In this step, it is required to have an answer, to tell if the hypothesis was true or false. In this conclusion scientists include the data that helped them confirm the hypothesis, but if the hypothesis was not confirmed scientist need to evaluate the process to find out what was the error. They should review everything that might cause a difference in results from what it was expected. (Science Stuff, 2007) In order to obtain a valid or reliable, scientists should repeat the experiment many times to see if the results are the same. This process could be tedious, but it will help confirm that the experiement is accurate. This helps find out if there was an error in the first experimentation. Performing an experiment only once does not provide enough information to comfirm or reject a hypopthesis. Scientist have used the scientific method to figure out explanations to different phenomenon. The scientist used the scientific method to come up with scientific laws and scientific theories. A scientific theory is an explanation of a phenomenon obtained by reasoning, observing , and experimenting. An example of scientific theory is Darwins theory of evolution. On the other hand, a scientific law tries to describe a phenomenon that occurs in nature. An example of Scientific law is E = mc ² referring to the speed of light in a vacumm. In most cases, scientists do not have the technology to model the phenomenon in study. But by studying and investigating it, they can conclude and formulate a scientific law. They have also used the scientific method to discover how technology affects the results in an experiment. When following the scientific method, technology has an important role. As technology has developed, scientists have had the opportunity to use it in their doings, being able to perform actions that facilitate the process. Technology affects science in a positive way, helping people gain knowledge. There are innumerable processes that are possible today thanks to the use of technology that were inimaginable long time ago. Many of the phenomenon that have been observed since ever have finally found their explantions just because of the application of technology in science. The scientific method is extremely important for researchers and scientists. They use the scientific method everytime they have a new discovery in science. The scientific method has 5 steps that are required for an investigation: identify a problem, research about the topic, formulate a hypothesis, perform an experiment, and record and analyze data from the observations made during the experiment. An extremely interesting fact about science is that it is not affected negatively by technology; on the contrary, technology is a useful tool in todays generation. As Robert M. Pirsig Traditional scientific method has always been at the very best, 20 20 hindsight. It is good for seeing where you have been. Its good for testing the truth of what you think you know, but it cant tell you where you ought to go. (Thinkexist, 1999-2012)

Independent Study in Ornithology Essay

The year is wrapping up and so is my ornithology class†¦ And now we have to evaluate a credit flex that as no scale†¦. dun dun dun. This way of grading was actually a really good idea because I can actually explain what all I did over this semester and try to have it make a bit of sense (instead of just having diagrams and babblings of bird-stuff). I’ll try my best to stay away from the dry regurgitations of facts and such, but still get the point across that I feel my project should merit an A. In all seriousness, I did put in a lot of time and effort into this course—even more so than all of my honors classes so far this year. Just the nature of this credit flex shows I really care about what I’m doing. It doesn’t make sense numbers wise for all the effort; even if I received an A+, it still lowers my GPA. I don’t need any extra science credit either. This project was mainly to demonstrate that I will take the initiative to go above and beyond what is required in order to achieve something spectacular. Okay, maybe many do not care one way or another that I pursued a credit flex and would not consider it a particularly spectacular feat, but at least I can look back proudly at all that I have accomplished over the year. The bulk of my ornithology class was actually following lecture notes from a college professor. Dan Tallman posted almost 120 pages of lecture notes broken into sections. I grouped these sections into manageable topics that all seemed related and proceeded to summarize everything that I was learning in 28 parts. This alone was a painstaking process; it was like reading a textbook and pulling out the facts from each page. If I ran across unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts, I looked them up until I understood them (unlike some students†¦ erm†¦ that just skip the stuff they don’t know and move on just to get the assignment done). Next I started familiarizing myself with the different topographies of birds. I started with the general body of a bird, then worked into the specifics of wings, beaks, legs, feet, toes, and even claws. Okay, so that’s cool. But then I actually applied what I learned to a real life example—my cockatiel—and put what I learned to use. I combined the different diagrams and types and compared them to those of my bird. Drawings can only get you so far; determining what exactly I was looking at was a great way to test what I knew! Most ornithology courses require labs along with study material. As a â€Å"lab† I dissected an owl pellet (which as I was looking through my folder, I do not think I included a copy—whoops! That is why it’s attached along with a new table of contents). As a second lab, I learned to identify species of North American birds through a quiz provided by Cornell. It showed a ten second video clip of a bird and you would have to type in its name (no multiple choice!!). Finally, as the cherry on top, I revised a report on ivory-billed woodpeckers I had done as a freshman. The freshman research project was on John Audubon and any topic that related to him; naturally, I chose a bird. I revisited the essay on this woodpecker species and expanded the research on the bird itself (instead of the man). I did not create this course as a GPA booster or to earn a class credit, but because I honestly felt I could learn something from it. This course is a lot like sports—you get out of it only what you put into it. It would have been easy to print off the lecture notes and say I read them all, etc. Instead, I spent a lot of time an effort planning and carrying out this project because it was important to me, and that is why I feel it deserves an A.