37 Top Scholarships for High School Sophomores and Freshmen

37 Top Scholarships for High School Sophomores and Freshmen SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips It's never too early to start saving up money for your college education. Even if you are only in your first or second year of high school, there are plenty of opportunities to start bringing in money that will pay for your tuition, books, fees, and living expenses a couple of years down the line. You might be surprised to learn that there are actuallyhundreds of scholarships available to underclassmen.If you're just starting your hunt, use this list of the 37 best scholarships for high school freshmen and sophomores to get started. This list includes a variety of scholarshipsforfreshmen and sophomores. I've broken them down into the following categories: Essay Scholarships Special Interest Scholarships Creative Scholarships Hobby- and Activity-Based Scholarships Location-based Scholarships Easy Scholarships These scholarships arenot limited to one college or university,so students who win these awards will be able to use them for a variety of schools. How to Use This List of Scholarships for Sophomores and Freshmen Before we go over the scholarships you can apply for, let's quickly review the best ways you can use this list of scholarships for sophomores and freshmen. Rule 1: Play to Your Strengths Start out by looking at the different categories below. Are you creative? Then consider applyingto some of the scholarships that require artwork or a movie for their applications. If you're a strong writer, on the other hand, consider applying to scholarships that require essays. Rule 2: Apply to Many Scholarships The beauty of starting your scholarship hunt early is that you have a lot oftime! So use it wisely to apply to as many scholarships as possible. We recommend applying to anywhere between five and 30 scholarships.Most scholarships on this list and beyond are competitive, meaning many students will be applying for them. You'll increase your chances of winning money if you don't put all of your eggs in one basket! Rule 3: Pay Attention to Details Make sure you read all the rules carefully before you apply for a scholarship, and be certain that your essays and other application materials address what is being asked. It's a waste of time to apply to scholarships if you're going to end up disqualified simply because you failed to follow the instructions. Similarly, make sure tostay on top of important deadlines. You don't want to miss out on a great scholarship because you accidentally missed adue date! Rule 4: Do Your Own Research Keep in mind that this list is just a starting point. There are many more scholarships available to younger students, and there very well might be some that are more suited to your talents and interests. Don't be afraid to dosome Google searches to see whether there are any scholarships out there that correspond to one of your unique traits. Remember, the more obscure a scholarship is,the better your chance of winning it will be! Essay Scholarships To start, let's take a look at scholarships that require students to write and submit essays as part of their applications. Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum Student Essay Contest The Oklahoma City National Museum hosts an essay contest for students in grades 5-12. Topics revolve around ideas related to the Oklahoma bombings in 1995. Students ingrades 9 and 10 can submit 500-word essays. Prizes: 1st place: $200 2nd place: $150 3rd place: $100 Ayn Rand Essay Contest High school freshmen and sophomores can write an essay on one of several topics related to the bookAnthem by Ayn Rand. The deadline to apply is April 25, 2019. Prizes: 1st place: $2,000 (one winner) 2nd place: $250 (three winners) 3rd place: $100 (five winners) Finalists: $25 (50 winners) NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Essay Contest To enter this contest, high school students must write a 1,000-word essay answering the question, "What does the second amendment meant to you?" The deadline is December 31, 2018. Prizes: 1st place: $1,000 2nd place: $600 3rd place: $200 4th place: $100 Fleet Reserve Association Essay Contest Students in grades 7-12 can enter this essay contest by submitting an essay of no more than 350 words on "What Freedom of Speech Means to Me."The deadline is December 1, 2018. Prizes: Grand national prize: $5,000 1stplace: $2,500 2ndplace: $1,500 3rdplace: $1,000 Unigo $10K Scholarship Students 13 or older can apply for a chance to win one grand prize of $10,000. Your application must include a 250-word response to the prompt: "Imagine a historical figure is brought back to life. Who is it? What's their favorite mobile app?"The deadline is December 31, 2018. Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship High school studentscan submit a 250-word essay on a topic of their choice for the chance to be entered into a competition to win a $1,000 prize. There are two contests per year. The fall contest deadline is December 31, 2018, and the spring contest deadline is July31, 2019. Young Patriots Essay Contest All US high school students can apply to win. They must submit an essay of no more than 1,500 words on a topic related to current events and/or public policy. Prizes: 1stplace: $5,000 2ndplace: $2,500 3rdplace: $1,500 Profile in Courage Essay Contest Students in grades 9-12 can submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay about "an act of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born." Essays must have at least five sources.The deadline for this year's contest is January 18, 2019. Prizes: 1stplace: $10,000 2ndplace: $3,000 Finalists: $1,000 (five winners) Semifinalists: $100 (eight winners) We the Students Essay Contest US students enrolled in grades 8-12 can apply to this scholarship to win one of 15awards ranging from $500 to $5,000.You must complete the online application and submit an essay of no more than 800 words on the topic cited on the website. The deadline is February 14, 2019. Prizes: 1stplace: $5,000 Runners-up: $1,250 (six winners) Honorable Mention: $500 (eight winners) Optimist International Essay Contest US students under the age of 19 can submit an essay on the topic "When All the World’s Problems are Solved, is Optimism Still Necessary?" Club winners advance to the District contest to compete for a $2,500 scholarship. The deadline for submission is February 28, 2019. Visionary Scholarship Program Any currently enrolled US high school student can apply to receive a prize from $1,000 to $5,000. Applicants must submit a completed application, a copy of their most recent (unofficial) high school transcript, and a 500-word essay on "Why College is Important to Me." The deadline for this year's contest is May 1, 2019. Special Interest Scholarships These next scholarships require a special action on the part of the applicant, from volunteering to playing an online game. Humanity Rising Service Challenge High school students who volunteer for a non-profit that meets Humanity Rising’s criteria may apply for this scholarship by sharing their service story. You must make an account in order to access the scholarship details and apply for the challenge.Awards range from $500 to more than $2,000, and all deadlines are rolling. HR Block Budget Challenge US students in grades 9-12can apply to win one of 10 $20,000 scholarships. Students must play an online game that simulates adult life in terms of financial literacy. While students can't register themselves, teachers may register classes as well as individual students. Creative Scholarships Are you the creative type? This next set of scholarships for freshmen and sophomores is all about artistic ability and creativity. For these contests, you'll need to submit a piece of art, whether that's a story, painting, video, photograph, etc. Create Real Impact Contest Any student between the ages of 14 and 22 can submit either a piece of writing (100-600 words), a video, a work of art,or a piece of music they've composed on the topic of how to address reckless driving. Voting on entries begins October 2, 2018. Prizes: Grand prize: $1,500 (four winners, one per category) Top Schools prize: $1,000 (three winners) Top Online Vote Getter prize: $500 (four winners, one per category) Spanish Category Award: $1,500 (one winner) Sports Team Award: $1,500 (one winner) TeenDrive365 Video Challenge All US high school students at least 13 years of age canenter this contest by creating a unique 30- to 60-second video that highlights safer teen driving. The video must end withthe TeenDrive365 Video Challenge Call to Action slide, which you can download from the TeenDrive365 website. The submission deadline is in February 2019. Prizes: 1stplace: $15,000 2ndplace: $10,000 3rdplace: $7,500 People's Choice: $5,000 4th-10th place: $2,500 Regional prizes: $1,000 (four winners) Doodle 4 Google Students from kindergarten to 12thgrade can apply for this scholarship. Applicants must submit a Google Doodle related to this year's theme. All submissions are divided and judged by age group. The deadline is in March 2019. Prizes: National Winner: $30,000 (plus a $50,000 technology award for the winner's school) National Finalists: $5,000 (four winners, one per age group) Scholastic Art Writing Award Students ingrades 7-12with a keen interest in writing or art may apply to win a Best-in-Grade Award. Students in 12th grade only can also apply to win a Portfolio Award. Deadlines vary by region. Prizes: Portfolio Award–Gold Medal: $10,000 (16 winners) Portfolio Award–Silver Medal: $1,000 (30 winners) Best-in-Grade Award: $500 (24 winners, four per grade level) AutoPetsâ„ ¢ Out-of-the-Box Thinking Scholarship All current high school students can apply for this scholarship. Applications must include a 400-word essay about an innovative pet product idea. The deadline is in July 2019. Prizes: Grand prize: $1,250 First runner-up: $500 Second runner-up: $250 Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest US students who are at least 14 years old may applyfor this scholarship of $10,000. You must design a greeting card using a photo, piece of artwork, or computer graphic for the front image. Submissionsmust be submitted as JPEGs (.jpg). The deadline is March 1, 2019. Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest US high school students interested in art can apply to win one of eight national awards. Applicants must submit an original piece of art with a patriotic theme.The first-place winner receives $15,000 and a plaque as well as airfare to and two nights' lodging at the VFW Auxiliary National Convention. The winner's art will also be featured on the cover of the VFW Auxiliary magazine and the Auxiliary website. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2019. Prizes: 1st place: $15,000 2nd place: $7,500 3rd place: $3,500 4th place: $1,500 5th-8th place: $500 Hobby- and Activity-Based Scholarships If you've got a long-term hobby or activity you like to do, these next scholarships are right up your alley. WIA Student Pilot Scholarship Any high school student who is an active member of Women in Aviation International (WAI) may apply for this $3,000 scholarship. You must submit a completed WAI form, two recommendation letters, a 500-word essay, a resume, copies of all aviation licenses and medical records, and the last three pages of your pilot logbook, if applicable. The deadline for submission is November 12, 2018. Marine Band Concerto Competition for High School Musicians US high school students who play a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument canapply for this scholarshipby submitting a completed application form, a recommendation letter, and an audio recording of their performing a piece of music chosen from a list of works. All submissions are due by November 15, 2018. Prizes: 1st place: $2,500 Runner-up: $500 SBO Magazine Music Student Scholarship Students ingrades 4-12can apply for this essay contest to winone of 10 $1,000 prizes.Essays must be250 words or less and answer the contest's theme: "What role has your music program played in bringing you closer to your school mates, friends and the community at large?" The deadline is December 31, 2018. Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship US high school students can apply to this for a chance to win a $1,000 prize. Applications must be submitted along with a 140-character message that completesthe following statement: "Instead of spending time with technology, I'd rather ... " The top 10 applicants will be contacted and invited to write a 500- to 1,000-word essay on technology addiction. The winner will be selected from this 10. Applications for this year's contest are due January 30, 2019. Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Any full-time student aged 8-18 can apply to win one of 20 $10,000 scholarships. Applicantsmust show outstanding classical music achievement and demonstrate financial need. You must submit at least two audio samples of your music along with tax forms, transcripts, and other supporting documents. There are three application cycles each year, and this year's deadlines are October 1, 2018; January 7, 2019; and March 4, 2019. Davidson Fellows Award US students aged 18 or younger who have completed a "significant piece of work" in one of the categories listed here can apply to win a large scholarship. The deadline is February 13, 2019. Prizes: 1st place: $50,000 2nd place: $25,000 3rd place: $10,000 BMI Student Composer Awards Program Both US and international students (in the Western Hemisphere) younger than 28 can apply to win a scholarshipof up to $5,000. Each applicant must submit an audio recording of an original music composition along with legible manuscripts. Eagle Scout of the Year Award US students aged 15 or older who are active members of a Boy Scout Troop, Varsity Scout Team, or Venturing Crew can be nominated to win a $10,000 scholarship. Applicants must be active in their religious institutions and have received the corresponding Boy Scout religious emblemand Eagle Scout Award; they must have also shown practical citizenship in their churches, schools, Scouting groups, and communities. Nomination and application forms must be received by the applicant's corresponding department (state) headquarters by March 1, 2019. Prizes: 1st place: $10,000 Runners-up: $2,500 (three winners) National High School Oratorical Contest US high school students under the age of 20 can apply to receive a maximum scholarshipof $18,000. Students must first compete in their local oratorical contests and deliver a prepared speech on a particular topic. Winners will then advance to the national competition. Prizes: 1st place: $18,000 2nd place: $16,000 3rd place: $14,000 State winners who participate in the national contest's first round will receive $1,500, and those who advance past the first round will receive an additional $1,500. Location-Based Scholarships Some scholarships are only for students who live in particular areas. Check out the following list of scholarships to see whether there are any contests in your region. Meriwest Annual High School Essay Competition Applicantsmust beingrades 9-12, havea GPA of at least 2.0,and live in one of these California counties: Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, orSan Francisco. Students who live in Arizona'sPima County are also eligible. If you live outside these counties, you can still enter the contest if you're a member of the Meriwest Credit Union. The scholarship competition awards 12 prizes annually, or three per grade level. The deadline to apply is in January 2019. Prizes: 10th grade 1st place: $300 2nd place: $250 3rd place: $150 9th grade 1st place: $250 2nd place: $150 3rd place: $100 Take Stock in Children Scholarship Any students in grades 6-9 who attend a public school in Hillsborough County, Florida, have a 2.5 GPA or higher, and qualify for free or reduced lunches may apply. The application period will open in November 2018. Diverse Minds Writing Challenge Applicants must be US students in grades 9-12and attend a school in the metro area of New York City (all five boroughs); Washington, DC; Atlantic City, New Jersey; or the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware and Maryland).To enter, applicantsmust create a children’s book that addresses themes of tolerance and diversity, and promotes a greater understanding of different cultures, lifestyles, and beliefs. The bookcan be either fiction or non-fiction and should target children between kindergarten and 5thgrade.It must also include full-color illustrations. The deadline varies by region. Prizes: Grand prize: $5,000 (one winner per contest city/region) Oklahoma's Promise - Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program Oklahoma students currently enrolled in grades 8-10 and whose families make $55,000 or less annually can apply for thechance to receive full tuition for an Oklahoma public two-year college or four-year university, or partial tuition for an accredited Oklahoma private college. The application must include the first two pages of the applicant's most recent federal tax return. The deadline to apply is July 1, 2019. Easy Scholarships This final section of scholarships for sophomores and freshmen includes those that are extremely easy to apply for- all you have to do is register for a website or submit an online application and you're good to go! $2,000 "No Essay" College Scholarship Any student can apply by simply registering on the website. Awinner is chosen each month to receive $2,000. The deadline to apply is the last day of each month. $1,000 Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship Any high school student who registers and completesa profile at Cappex.com willbe entered into a monthly drawingto receive $1,000. The deadline to apply is the end of each month. Top Ten List Scholarship Any US student 13 or older can apply for thechance to win a $1,500 scholarship. Applicants must respond to the following statementin no more than 250 words: "Create a Top Ten List of the top ten reasons you should get this scholarship."The deadline is December 31, 2018. Wells Fargo CollegeSTEPS Program Sweepstakes Students aged 14 or older canapply for this scholarship by simply registering for the CollegeSTEPS program. Awards are $5,000 each. What's Next? Too old for these scholarships?Check out these scholarships that you can apply to in your senior year of high school! Need more money than what these scholarships offer?Then check out our list of amazing full-ride scholarships and 80+ colleges that offer full-ride scholarships. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Project Management - Essay Example Besides allotting the tasks unvaryingly among the project team members the project manager has to monitor the progress of the project on a regular basis. The remaining activities have to be scheduled depending on the current progress of the project. Such a thorough supervision will enable the project manager to ensure that the project is finished well before deadline albeit leaving the team with enough time to test the project outcome rigorously (Kerzner, 2013). It is the duty of the project manager to create a robust interconnectivity between the project team members so that information can be channelized effectively between project team members. Effective communication of information will allow the project manager to learn about the issues that arise in between the different assignment levels within the project subsequent to which they can be addressed appropriately. The project manager will also have to have foresightedness about the probable risk exposures of the project. In that way the individual will be able to make sure that proper contingency plans are at place in order to shield the project from such risks (Kelly, et al., 2013). The fundamental trait of a transformational leader is that the individual goes beyond managing just the everyday operations and makes every effort to formulate strategies that are aimed towards taking the organization, functional department and the team members to the furthest level of performance and success. Leaders following this leadership style emphasize a lot on team building, collaboration, motivation and coordination between employees at several levels of the workflow within the organization (Wang, et al., 2011). This enables transformational leaders to bring the best out of their subordinates thereby enabling them to enhance their productivity and efficiency. By doing so they are able to

Utilising theory, concepts and tools explored in the module, Essay

Utilising theory, concepts and tools explored in the module, critically evaluate the strategic marketing of a product, service or business offering of your choice - Essay Example nder the segment of beverages is enhancing its brand image and portfolio to a significant extent thereby amplifying their portfolio and reputation in the entire globe. One of such reputed organizations operating successful in the segment of beverage is Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is one of the reputed organizations, operating in the segment of carbonated soft drinks, since 1886. It is introduced in the region of Atlanta of Georgia, but expanded its wings in the entire globe very quickly and rapidly (Coca-Cola, 2014). It became possible mainly due to the presence of numerous product lines such as Caffeine-free coca-cola, Parsi Cola, Virgin Cola, Coca-Cola-Vanila, Coca-Cola Cherry etc (Coca-Cola, 2014). Due to which, it attained the reward of best global brand in the year 2011. Other than this, within a very small time frame, it enhanced its profit margin by 15.31 percent in 31st March, 2014 (Ycharts, 2014). Along with this, the market share and brand image of the organization of Coca-Cola enhanced with a significant extent that amplified its position and sustainability as well (Coca-Cola, 2014). The rationale of this essay is to analyse critically the strategic marketing policies used by the organization of Coca-Cola in order to promote its product, diet coke in the entire globe among other competing firms. Moreover, the essay also comprises of varied types of marketing concepts, theories and tools in order to evaluate the effective strategies used. Strategic marketing is the procedure to cope up with the policies and strategies of the existing competitors so as to amplify the brand value of an organization. Similarly, the process of strategic marketing is performed for the organization of Coca-Cola, in order to analyse the demands and requirements of its target market so as to fulfil it. Only then, the organization of Coca-Cola might become successful in amplifying its image and reputation in this aggressive market among many other rival contenders (Beall, 2010, pp.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Essay Example for Free

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Essay My topic is a rally car made by the Japanese company Mitsubishi. This machine is considered one of the best rally cars in the world. And they are used as cars in our everyday life. The car I am going to be focusing on is the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in Short Evo. The evolution is a racing car modern transportation car. | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution short (evo) is a product of Japan. It was created as a separate branch to the lancer. The Evolution was intended as a Professional Rally car. The car turned out so well that there were numerous requests for a road car. The evolution was then turned into a sports sedan. The reason I love Evolution so much and would like others to know is because of the way the car was created. If for example you are a driver that loves a sporty car but has a family the Evolution is perfect it has five seats so that the whole family can go. The car is also 4by4 which means that it can go through stormy weather and the drive can feel confident. The Evolution has great prices as well so that means that you can get almost up to three hundred horsepower and a turbo for an affordable price. One of the reasons that the Evolution is so famous is for its handling it was created for rally racing which means that even though the sedan may be different it is still similar. The handling on an Evolution is one of the best in the world for a sedan. Due to the Gentlemen’s Agreement which stated in Japan that no production car would have more than 300 horsepower the Evolutions in Japan, Europe and North America some of the versions of the Evolution where different. In the future Mitsubishi is planning on making more Evolutions but it is still unclear about the look of the car. Mitsubishi claims that the car is going to have some medications and Versions of it might run on Electricity and there probably will be Hybrids. The Conclusion that I came up with is that if you are a family person but always wanted something sporty under $30,000 and something the whole family can go on this would be your choice. The car has magnificent handling and it is very safe. It has a very flashy look and enough power under the hood to keep you going for a long time. In my personal opinion if you have a family a two setter sports car would not go as good with the family, but a sports sedan would.

Binge Drinking Among College Students :: Alcohol Abuse Essays

Binge Drinking Among College Students   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We all know what it is like to wake up in the morning, with our head aching, and our body feeling like it was just hit by a train. College students world wide know this feeling. These are the results of binge drinking. The question of why college students continue to submit themselves to alcohol is unknown. While many reasons are given, the cause generally falls into one of three categories, peer pressure, insecurity, or to help solve there problems. But the one thing students don’t realize are the consequences and effects that binge drinking can have, health and social problems are just a few.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the main reasons students feel the need to binge drink is peer pressure. They do this because their peers are doing it and they want to fit in better. College dorm rooms offer many different places for students to drink. Dorm rooms give a great place for a few people to get together, and before you know it â€Å"everybody’s doing it†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insecurity is another incentive to why students binge drink. Drinking alcohol has been a large part of society for many years. People find that it is easier to meet people when they have been drinking. Drinking has also been used as a way to get close to some one. There are also many social events drinking has created. There are cozy bars â€Å"where every body knows your name,† cocktail parties, and the high school favorite, house party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Students also binge drink to help them solve there problems. They turn to alcohol to aid themselves with hiding their feelings and numbing there pain for a while â€Å"We’ll talk over a beer,† is something that people will say when they need to talk about something. In english terms this means lets have a beer and forget all our problems. Problems that range from, stress from school work, stress from a significant other, or even stress of home life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The effects of binge drinking go far beyond short term memory loss and â€Å"hangovers†. Binge drinkers miss class, get behind on school work, engage in unplanned sexual activity, have run-ins with police, and get injured or hurt.

Becoming a U.S. Soldier

The United State Army was founded to defend our country, the United States of America, two hundred and thirty-three years ago. The U. S. soldiers had been in different battles; from the Revolutionary War to the global effort to combat terrorism, they have remained Army Strong, drawing their commitment to their values and beliefs.The U. S. Army has achieved and is continuing to achieve excellence both here and abroad. They have shown willingness to make sacrifices in order to build a better future for our country (â€Å"The 233rd United States Army Birthday†). The U.S. Army’s mission is to provide prompt and sustained land dominance over a full range of military operations in order to fight and win our country’s wars. They operate across a spectrum of conflict, supporting combatant commanders. Title 10 and Title 32 of the United States Code direct the U. S. Army to equip, organize and train forces in order to conduct sustained and prompt combat operations on land. The U. S. Army is tasked to accomplish missions that are assigned by the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders.(â€Å"Mission†) A key component of the U. S. Armed Forces, the army is made up of the most dedicated, most respected, and best-trained soldiers in the world. They protect America’s freedom both home and abroad, secure our homeland, and defend democracy worldwide (â€Å"About the Army: Overview†). The army is one of the three components of the U. S. military. The other two are the navy and the air force. These three report to the Department of Defense. The U. S. Army has two major components of equal importance. They are the Active Duty and the Army Reserve (â€Å"Organization†).Those who work in the two distinct components of the army, the active and the reserve components, are enlisted soldiers, warrant officers, commissioned officers, and non-commissioned officers (â€Å"About the Army: Personnelà ¢â‚¬ ). In either component, the army conducts both institutional and operational missions. The operational army is consisted of numbered armies, divisions, corps, brigades and battalions, which conduct extensive operations around the world. On the other hand, the institutional army provides support for the operational army.They provide the necessary infrastructure to train, raise, deploy, equip, and ensure the readiness of the army forces. Military skills, as well as professional education, are provided by the training base to every soldier, together with members of allied forces. The institutional component of the army also allows the army to expand in a rapid manner during time of war. The army is provided with world-class logistics and equipment by the industrial base. Power-projection platforms are provided by the army installations.These are required to position land forces readily to provide support to combatant commanders. Once the forces are positioned, they are provided w ith needed logistics by the institutional army (â€Å"Organization†). The army is composed of a large number of soldiers. There is a necessity to organize the army into units because of its large number. Each unit has its own leader and reporting structure. Each unit was created in order to respond to any mission, regardless of complexity or size (â€Å"About the Army: Personnel†).According to the Soldiers Almanac, soldiers are grouped into units, each with specified numbers. A squad is composed of 9 to 10 soldiers; a platoon consists of 16 to 44 soldiers; a company has 62 to 190 soldiers, a battalion is composed of 300 to 1,000 soldiers; a brigade has 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers, a division consists of 10,000 to 15,000 soldier; and the corps is consisted of 20,000 to 45,000 soldiers (â€Å"About the Army: Personnel†). Becoming a soldier is both a challenging and a rewarding life. There are three primary steps on how to become a soldier. The first one is to work wit h a recruiter.The next step is to attend the Basic Combat Training after you have signed up and sworn in. After that the Basic Combat Training, a soldier will learn valuable skills by attending the Advanced Individual Training (â€Å"Soldier Life: Becoming a Soldier†). Basic Combat Training (BCT) is a training course that transforms civilians into Soldiers. Over the course of nine weeks these recruits learn about the Seven Core Army Values, how to work together as a team and what it takes to succeed as a Soldier in the U. S. Army. A civilian is transformed into a soldier by attending the Basic Combat Training.This is a nine-week training course where recruits are taught of the Seven Core Army Values, working together in a team, and succeeding in the U. S. Army (â€Å"Soldier Life: Basic Combat Training†). After soldiers complete the Basic Combat Training, they will attend the Advanced Individual Training to learn the necessary skills to perform their army job. They rec eive hands-on training, as well as field instructions, to make them experts in a specific career field. In this training, they gain discipline and work ethic (â€Å"Soldier Life: Advanced Individual Training).When the Congress passes the Defense Authorization Act each year, they indicate how many soldiers can be on active duty during that year. Congress also places a limit on what percentage of the whole active duty force can serve as warrant officers, how much percentage of the total active duty force can be posted as enlisted officers for the positions of sergeant and above. However, there are no statutory limits on positions of private, private first class, and corporals (Powers, n. d. ) For the positions of sergeant and above, there must be a vacancy in the next level in order for them to get promoted.However, soldier ranking private first class, and corporal are promoted through decentralized promotions. Decentralized promotion means that the unit is in-charge of promotions; h ence they are the promotion authority. The commander decides who should get promoted based on the promotion criteria set by the U. S. Army to preserve the promotion flow (Powers, n. d. ) There are 146,000 American troops in Iraq, including service and support personnel. The soldiers stationed in Iraq play various roles. Some of them are stationed as combat troops.Combat soldiers, according to the military, â€Å"those whose primary mission is to engage the enemy with lethal force. † However, these combat troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by June 30, 2009. This is in accordance with the agreement between Iraq and the United States, as stated in status-of-forces agreement (Bumiller, 2008). In spite of the agreement that combat troops will leave Iraqi cities, many military men are will be left behind as advisers and trainers. This new set of troops will be tasked to train and offer support to the Iraqi people so as not to risk the â€Å"fragile and relative Iraqi stabilityâ₠¬  (Bumiller, 2008).Truly, the United States Army have played and continuously playing a vital role in our society. They have assured us of our liberties and made an effort to assure the liberties as well of those who are offshore. The soldiers in the U. S. Army have dedicated themselves in the service of the American nation and there is no reason available for us not to be proud of them. References: â€Å"About the Army: Overview. † Army Strong. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from http://www. goarmy. com/about/index. jsp. â€Å"About the Army: Personnel. † Army Strong. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from http://www. goarmy. com/about/personnel. jsp.Bumiller, E. (2008). â€Å"Trying to redefine role of U. S. military in Iraq. † International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from http://www. iht. com/articles/2008/12/22/america/22combat. php. â€Å"Mission. † The Official Homepage of the United States Army. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from http://www . army. mil/info/organization/. â€Å"Organization. † The Official Homepage of the United States Army. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from http://www. army. mil/info/organization/. Powers, R. â€Å"Army Enlisted Promotion System. † Enlisted promotions made simple. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from file:///D:/httpusmilitary. about.com-cs-armypromotions-a-armypromotions. htm. â€Å"Soldier Life: Advanced Individual Training. † Army Strong. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from http://www. goarmy. com/life/advanced_individual_training. jsp. â€Å"Soldier Life: Basic Combat Training. † Army Strong. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from http://www. goarmy. com/life/basic/index. jsp. â€Å"Soldier Life: Becoming a Soldier. † Army Strong. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from http://www. goarmy. com/life/becoming_a_soldier. jsp. â€Å"The 233rd United States Army Birthday. † The Official Homepage of the United States Army. Retrieved 21 February 2009, from http://www. army. mil/birthday/233/.

History of the Quiché Maya - Popol Vuh

The Popol Vuh (Council Book or Council Papers) is the most important sacred book of the Quichà ©; (or Kiche) Maya of the Guatemalan Highlands. The Popol Vuh is an important text for understanding Late Postclassic and Early Colonial Maya religion, myth, and history, but also because it also offers interesting glimpses into Classic Period beliefs. History of the Text The surviving text of the Popol Vuh was not written in Mayan hieroglyphics, but rather is a transliteration into European script written between 1554-1556 by someone said to have been a Quichà © nobleman. Between 1701-1703, the Spanish friar Francisco Ximenez found that version where he was stationed in Chichicastenango, copied it and translated the document into Spanish. Ximenez translation is currently stored in the Newberry Library of Chicago. There are numerous versions of the Popol Vuh in translations in various languages: the best known in English is that of Mayanist Dennis Tedlock, originally published in 1985; Low et al. (1992) compared the various English versions available in 1992 and remarked that Tedlock immersed himself in the Mayan point of view as much as he could, but by and largely picked prose rather than the poetry of the original. The Content of the Popol Vuh Now it still ripples, now it still murmurs, ripples, it still sighs, still hums and is empty under the sky (from Tedlocks 3rd edition, 1996, describing the primordial world before creation) The Popol Vuh is a narrative of the cosmogony, history, and traditions of the Kiche Maya before the Spanish conquest in 1541. That narrative is presented in three parts. The first part talks about the creation of the world and its first inhabitants; the second, probably the most famous, narrates the story of the Hero Twins, a couple of semi-gods; and the third part is the story of the Quichà © noble family dynasties. Creation Myth According to the Popol Vuh myth, at the beginning of the world, there were only the two creator gods: Gucumatz and Tepeu. These gods decided to create earth out of the primordial sea. Once the earth was created, the gods populated it with animals, but they soon realized that animals were unable to speak and therefore could not worship them. For this reason, the gods created humans and had the animals role relegated to food for humans. This generation of humans was made out of mud, and so were weak and were soon destroyed. As a third attempt, the gods created men from wood and women from reeds. These people populated the world and procreated, but they soon forgot their gods and were punished with a flood. The few who survived were transformed into monkeys. Finally, the gods decided to mold mankind from maize. This generation, which includes the present human race, is able to worship and nourish the gods. In the narration of the Popol Vuh, the creation of the people of corn is preceded by the story of the Hero Twins. The Hero Twins Story The Hero Twins, Hunahpu, and Xbalanque were the sons of Hun Hunahpu and an underworld goddess named Xquic. According to the myth, Hun Hunahpu and his twin brother Vucub Hunahpu were convinced by the lords of the underworld to play a ball game with them. They were defeated and sacrificed, and the head of Hun Hunahpu was placed on a gourd tree. Xquic escaped from the underworld and was impregnated by the blood dripping from Hun Hunahpu’s head and gave birth to the second generation of hero twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Hunahpu and Xbalanque lived on the earth with their grandmother, the mother of the first Hero Twins, and became great ballplayers. One day, as had happened to their father, they were invited to play a ball game with the Lords of Xibalba, the underworld, but unlike their father, they were not defeated and stood all the tests and tricks posted by the underworld gods. With a final trick, they managed to kill the Xibalba lords and to revive their father and uncle. Hunahpu and Xbalanque then reached the sky where they became the sun and moon, whereas Hun Hunahpu became the god of corn, who emerges every year  from the earth to give life to the people. The Origins of the Quichà © Dynasties The final part of the Popol Vuh narrates the story of the first people created from corn by the ancestral couple, Gucumatz and Tepeu. Among these were the founders of the Quichà © noble dynasties. They were able to praise the gods and wandered the world until they reached a mythical place where they could receive the gods into sacred bundles and take them home. The book closes with the list of the Quichà © lineages up until the 16th century. How Old is the Popol Vuh? Although early scholars believed that the living Maya had no recollection of the Popol Vuh, some groups retain considerable knowledge of the stories, and new data have led most Mayanists to accept that some form of the Popol Vuh has been central to the Maya religion at least since the Maya Late Classic Period. Some scholars such as Prudence Rice have argued for a much older date. Elements of the narrative in the Popol Vuh argues Rice, appear to predate the late Archaic separation of language families and calendars. Further, the tale of the one-legged ophidian supernatural who is associated with rain, lightning, life, and creation is associated with Maya kings and dynastic legitimacy throughout their history. Updated by  K. Kris Hirst Sources Dictionary of Archaeology.Carlsen RS, and Prechtel M. 1991. The Flowering of the Dead: An Interpretation of Highland Maya Culture. Man 26(1):23-42.Knapp BL. 1997. The Popol Vuh: Primordial Mother Participates in the Creation. Confluencia 12(2):31-48.Low D, Morley S, Goetz D, Recinos A, xe, Edmonson M, and Tedlock D. 1992. A Comparison of English translations of a Mayan text, the Popol Vuh. Studies in American Indian Literatures 4(2/3):12-34.Miller ME, and Taube K. 1997. An Illustrated Dictionary of The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. London: Thames and Hudson.Paulinyi Z. 2014. The butterfly bird god and his myth at Teotihuacan.  Ancient Mesoamerica 25(01):29-48.Rice PM. 2012. Continuities in Maya political rhetoric: Kawiils, katuns, and kennings.  Ancient Mesoamerica 23(01):103-114.Sharer RJ. 2006. The Ancient Maya. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.Tedlock D. 1982. Reading the Popol Vuh over the shoulder of a diviner and finding out whats so funny. Conjunctions 3:176-185.Tedlock D. 1996. The Popol Vuh: Definitive Edition of the Maya Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings. New York: Touchstone.Woodruff JM. 2011. Ma(r)king Popol Vuh.  Romance Notes 51(1):97-106.