Crime and Society

There is no society that has never experienced crime in its lifetime. For example, it is argued that just as the human body has some organs which tend to cause problems to people, the same case applies to societies. There are those people who always engage in activities that cause problems to other people who live within the same society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Crime and Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, just as some organs in the body can be removed in order to improve the health of a person, the people who cause problems in the society can also be removed so that the society can be peaceful (Fitzgerald, 2010). Most of the tribes that are characterized by trust and close family ties also encounter similar challenges. There are those people who disobey the traditions that are set by the society. Most civilized societies describe people who do things contrary to the expectations of other people as criminals. The government is a very important body that plays a very important role with respect to combating crime. It is therefore true that there can be no government if there is no crime (Alice, 2010). People normally have different opinions on whether crime is healthy for any society (Susan, 2011). There are those people who describe their society as healthy while others regard it as unhealthy. This view depends on their opinion on crime. However, most people see their societies as healthy despite the fact that there are incidences of crime which happen inside those societies. This indicates that some forms of crime are important for a society to grow. If there was no crime, there would be no need to govern people. A criminal is a person who needs to be punished, controlled and stopped because his actions bring undesirable effects to the society (Why Care, 2012). In the modern society, people have become too much dependent on laws and regulations. People have develop ed the habit that they must be governed and regulated so that they can live in harmony with each other (Vito Maahs, 2011). For example, most of countries which do not have stable governments are characterized by various forms of violence. It is therefore important for such countries to have a stable government which would regulate the inhuman activities that people in such countries engage in (Why Care, 2012). Every culture has criminals and it is the duty of the people to make sure they eradicate all the criminal deeds observed in the area.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the fatal mistake that people make is to think that they have powers which enable them to differentiate between good and evil. This then makes them to think that it is their responsibility to punish others for the crimes committed. However, almost every person in every society has at one time engaged in a criminal activity. This therefore means that before people judge others for committing criminal activities, they should also ensure that they completely refrain from criminal activities. This would make it easy for them to combat crime easily in the societies where they live (Zen, 2009). However, since not everybody is able to refrain from committing crime, crime has therefore been accepted as way of life in different societies. The various measures that people adopt to reduce crime in their areas include electing a government that is committed to handle criminals, practice community policing, or having a group of people who are adequately trained to guard the society from any criminals who might attack the society (Susan, 2011). It is accepted that there is no society where crime does not exist. The people who engage in criminal activities are therefore said to inflict punishments upon themselves. Despite the fact that crime is an acceptable reality in every society, people e ngage in activities aimed at regulating the criminal activities which criminals engage in. This is because, if criminals are allowed to continue in harmful activities without anybody intervening, there is likelihood that the good people in the society would suffer huge losses. To minimize the losses that people encounter as a result of criminal activities therefore, it becomes important for governments and the people to invest resources and time in order to ensure that criminal activities are easily manageable (Vito Maahs, 2011). The different crimes that criminals commit include murder, robbery, rape, and drug dealings. All these crimes inflict huge losses to the victims (Viviene Cree, 2010). It therefore becomes important to have a body such as the government which would regulate all the activities of criminals. It is the responsibility of the government to take care of its population. It is supposed to ensure that there is peaceful coexistence among the people in the country (S usan, 2011). To do this, the government ensures that the security personnel such as the police and the army are hired and given relevant training in order to ensure that criminal activities are brought down as much as possible within a country (Vito Maahs, 2011). The government therefore invests a lot of funds and time in training and equipping the police and the army with the relevant tools so that they can tackle criminal activities easily and effectively.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Crime and Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Any criminal activity is normal in every society (Zen, 2009). This statement serves as a guide to many people by helping them understand that crime is present everywhere and people should therefore adopt all the measures possible to ensure that bring down all crime incidences significantly. This would enable the members of every society to live in peaceful coexistence with ea ch other. References Alice, C. (2010). Interesting Perspective- Crime is Normal. Web. Fitzgerald, M. (2010). Crime and Society: Readings in History and Theory. New York: Routledge. Susan, E. F. (2011). Is it a Waste Time for Government to Spend Money on Criminals? Web. Vito, G. F., Maahs, J. R. (2011). Criminology: Theory, Research, and Policy. London: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Viviene, C., Cree, E. (2010). Sociology for Social Workers and Probation Officers. New York: Taylor Francis. Why Care. (2012, March 6). What are the Causes of Crime. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Zen, K. L. (2009). Why is Crime Healthy for Society? Web. This essay on Crime and Society was written and submitted by user Jefferson Burt to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

NBC 4 has a lot of different departments where cer Essays

NBC 4 has a lot of different departments where cer Essays NBC 4 has a lot of different departments where certain people share different interest in. We have had multiple speakers come and discuss what they do at NBC 4 and what you may have to accomplish to get there. There was one speaker in particular whom I want to discuss because she talked about multiple topics. Our speaker was the President and General Manger Jackie Bradford who spoke about numerous topics about the news industry. Whenever someone is working in the field they learn lessons along the way and everything counts. There are 4 most important weeks during the learning process and that is the first 2 weeks and the last 2 weeks. Whenever you want to stand out more then others take more risk doing something out your comfort zone. When you learn lessons along the way, people also learn to own up to whatever you do and take responsibility. Working in the industry make sure you answer questions before they're asked, as far as doing more research doing. As far as questions, you want to ask questions that are not to distinct. First impressions are always good that include dressing professionally. NBC also is looking for people who has explanations of their background, knows their goals, and has a short, and long term plan. Must be genuine and ready for questions, and to be confident about your responses. Our speaker also spoke about digital media and how you can take advantage of it and even though it isn't your major. As long as you can do the work you are okay with doing digital media. In digital media you can have flexibility and have more input and get feedback on your stories. When you work in Digital Media being a great writer is very beneficial to you because you will have lighter years ahead of you. The best way to be a writer is just thinking of writing as a craft. Big media organizations are still arrogant about the future. Media companies will change a lot, but the smarter ones will change the way that gets them a position by cutting enough jobs to sustain themselves on a business level. Also working with Digital Media its good to have some type of investigation of information and work with database. When it comes to Sports Entertainment reporting you should know the business such as contracts and the salary. You should always be careful for working for free because the company can be u using and it won't be beneficial. Whenever somebody works in this field and others make sure that you show that you can learn throughout your career, and invest in yourself. Applying to a job in this field make sure that your looking for companies that who are looking for people who are different because you want to stand out more. We also had a speaker talk about speech communication majors and what it consists of. Speech communication money comes 95% from advertisement and little money comes from sub fees. Doing their ads, most if them come from other countries, while little that's left to come from the United States. They also talk about how the automotive commercials have the most revenue on TV. The speaker that we had gave us a lot of information about different jobs in the news industry, that didn't just have to do with NBC, but other companies as well. They told us what to do to make you a better person in the industry and what to look out for in the industry. I learned that NBC-4 had eight million viewers and I didn't know that it's Washington's television leader in the metropolitan region. In order to be in this industry you have to be aggressive and to never say no. There is nothing much better then to have good personality in this industry, and from you having a good personality then there is positive energy. If you don't understand something you should never be afraid to ask questions, because the more you know the more insight you have on the topic. I learned in this industry diversity is important because you want to be heard by every race. If you want to

Helen Gurley Brown and Second Wave Feminism Essay

Helen Gurley Brown and Second Wave Feminism - Essay Example The second wave feminism battled against domestic violence, giving proposals on the establishment of marital rape laws, divorce laws and establishing shelters for battered women. As put by Scanlon, it was a movement of obsession with â€Å"women’s professional opportunities† and â€Å"about their dating prospects† (2009, x). It is believed to have ended in the early 1980s, paving way for third-wave feminism. The work and life of Helen Gurley Brown was observed as being impertinent and daring. It entailed a celebration of feminism and the sexual practices that women enjoyed, thus giving an appropriate understanding of the second wave movement and further providing a vantage point to view the third wave feminism. Born in 1922 in Green Forest, Arkansas, Brown never noticed as she inherited some aspects of her young life and traditions (Scanlon 2009, 1). Her father died when she was young, something that caused her mother a lot of bitterness, claiming that the husban d had enslaved her through motherhood and marriage and later left her alone even after she had quit her job to undertake these responsibilities. The realization of her mother’s feelings opened up Brown to feminism (Scanlon 2009, 11). She grew up to author an international best-seller in 1962 titled, Sex and the Single Girl. Additionally, she became the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine for over thirty years, giving her audience articles such as â€Å"if you're not a sex object, you're in trouble† and â€Å"good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere† that brought out her feminist ideologies. Even so, Brown faced criticisms from various second wave feminists with regard to the messages carried in her books and the Cosmopolitan. First, Brown was criticized of focusing on her individuality as opposed to the group identity of the body of women. Having come from a background of no education and poverty, Brown worked herself up the economic ladder and secured herse lf employment. She did not allow herself to be held back by structural barriers which she fought against on her way up from a secretary to a copywriter and further to a popular magazine editor (Scanlon 2009, 25). She did not prescribe to overthrowing systems but working towards change. This saw her succeed in her career at Cosmopolitan, earning her a loyal movement of women who prescribed to her philosophies. The women and men equality that Brown prescribed to differed from what other feminists taught. Brown believed that the equality of women to men was in the sexual desire of women. She further alluded to their right to be sexual whether outside or inside marriage. In Cosmopolitan, Brown wrote articles promoting not just economic access equality but also sexual freedom equality. She was an ardent supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, ERA alongside her support for rights to abortion (Scanlon 2009, 256). The second-wave feminists considered men in the then patriarchal society as enemies because they limited opportunities for women. These men took advantage of the caring and nurturing nature of women to confine them to motherhood, denying them their chances in the professional world. These feminists perceived marriage and children as tools used by men to oppress women. On the contrary, Brown did not consider men as enemies, choosing to perceive women as being equal to men in all aspects including their ability to abuse power and playing the games men play in dating. She was therefore criticized of having been absorbed into a system that was oppressive to women. However, Brown argued that she was being a realist and appreciated that if men made rules, then women should have

Choose a criminal case that has been covered by the media Research Paper

Choose a criminal case that has been covered by the media - Research Paper Example However, it is essential to highlight here that the paper also dissects the case as well as theoretically analyzes it. Introduction Sexual abuse has existed since time immemorial. What is intriguing about the molesters is that they have crept in to church molesting innumerable people. The media reveals that while selecting a new pope, Archdiocese of Los Angeles reached a $10 million defrayal after four men accused the former priest of sexually abusing them. It was also highlighted that the former priest was also criminally convicted in another case (Medina, 2013). It is essential to highlight here that Michael Baker was accused of molestation of minimum 23 boys over a period of 30 years. Moreover, in 2007 he was convicted for sexually abusing two boys. Certain internal documents revealed that Cardinal Mahony and some of his assistants helped the accused priests by protecting them against law enforcement. Priests accused of such a hideous act were sent to treatment centers and were la ter allowed to take by ministry (Medina, 2013). After the release of the internal document additional proofs surfaced that unveiled that the Archdiocese in 1987, signed a plan proposed by one of his most earnest of advisors that emphasized on sending Baker to a psychiatrist to which he agreed. Many officials such as Mr. Fanaldi expressed that such a minor action was taken so that they would know that Baker was in safe hands. He also highlighted that Mahony was apparently aware of the Mr. Baker’ crime than he seemed to acknowledge it. Nevertheless, the lawyer of church, Mr. Hennigan accepted that Mr. Baker was perhaps one of the most serious offenders and that the church should not have given him the ministry back he was accused of such heinous crimes (Medina, 2013). Theoretical Analysis of the Case The case has been presented in the paper time again until the people were thoroughly aware of the case and the justice was done with the molested victims. Basing on the manner of m entioning the case in the article, it is not incorrect in saying that the writer uses a liberation theory through the coverage of the case. However, before the case theoretically explained it is imperative to under the theory journalism. In accord with libertarian theory, the articles usually reflect the truth bearing in mind that individuals are very well aware of it. Hence, the theory implies that individuals are rational beings and it is not easy to cover a crime from them (Biagi, 2010). If the example of the mentioned case is taken, the New York Times presents the article in a libertarian manner to its readers. Like in the article, the writer quotes the lawyer of the church who accepts the crime and quotes the plaintiff Mr. Fanaldi. Both people quoted in the article were very direct and suggestive of the fact that the church’s ministry was involved in the case to the extent where they were able to influence the charges against the accused priest. Moreover, it can also be said that the writer felt that it is the social responsibility to provide the people with a true picture of the case. Perhaps because it will make them aware of the fact that such pedophiles are not only limited to the streets but are present everywhere (Biagi, 2010). Media Involvement in the Case The media generally plays a vital role in the coverage of events

Short writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Short writing - Essay Example government and its Border Patrol are constructing a steel wall ten feet high to span sections of the border with Mexico†(Silko, 2013, p.122). The vivid descriptions of the situation at the border come because of the narratives being personal experiences of the situation. The narratives have a significant difference in that most of the events described by Biss occur in Mexico while Silko describes events occurring in the border. While crossing the border Biss was not subjected to the dehumanizing search, but observed that Mexicans were being mistreated, resulting in the development of hatred for Americans, while staying in Mexico. Silko was personally subjected to the ill treatment while attempting to move across the border, and realized that all individuals moving across the border were subjected to similar actions. Sometimes, the treatment was worse, as the officers might have beaten them. The experience through which Silko underwent leads to the conclusion that the patrols cannot stop the migration since this is a natural event. For Biss, however, the experience was different and was based on the observation of lifestyles of the Mexican people. This resulted in a retaliation act by hating Americans for mistreating the Mexican

Preparation For Providing Effective And Efficient Mentorship Nursing Essay

Preparation For Providing Effective And Efficient Mentorship Nursing Essay In preparation for this assignment searches have been conducted using the following databases: Cinahl, Pubmed and Medline search terms Learning theories, Learning styles, Mentorship and Practice Education Facilitator were used singularly or in combination. Manual searching of relevant nursing journals and publications have been performed. Articles published in English in the last 10 years were reviewed. This assignment will examine the issues and processes that need to be considered whilst facilitating and supporting a student to meet their learning outcomes in a practice placement, there will be discussion regarding the assessment strategies available as a mentor, which contribute to the overall assessment of students. Furthermore learning styles and theories will be discussed, along with the clinical setting as an environment to facilitate the learning needs required to achieve success in completing the practice placement learning outcomes. A brief overview of the clinical setting will be provided to capture the ambiance of the learning environment. The setting for this location is an Elective Orthopaedic Unit within the Northwest and in conforming to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC (2008); any names used will be pseudonyms to protect identification, confidentiality and dignity will be maintained at all times. NMC (2008) states that a mentor is a registered nurse who has completed the approved mentorship programme and meets the criteria set out in NMC (2008) standards for mentors, practice teachers and teachers. Whereas Gopee (2008) argues the term mentor is frequently used to mean trusted friend, guide and advisor. There is also identified the eight mandatory standards that must be achieved to become a mentor, the author will be referring to these standards to support learning and development in practice. To ensure the student who will be named as Lucy for the purpose of this assignment has a positive learning experience it is paramount that learning environment is supportive for Lucy and for those who work alongside her. An orientation pack and welcoming letter are provided with useful information and an introduction to the allocated mentor is provided when ever possible on attendance the first shift. Kenworthy and Nicklin (2000) support the view that the more comfortable and welcome a student feels within the working environment, the more likely it is that effective learning will take place which is a key factor in successful learning. Pearcy and Elliot (2004) found that students who have had negative experiences with their mentor and placements, tend to leave the course before qualifying however Beskine (2009) advocates that starting off with a positive approach promotes the students experience as well as the quality of the placement. Adhering to the mandatory standards set by the NMC (2008) Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice; and in order to establish the stage of Lucys training and her learning needs and style a mutually agreed time and location is identified for the initial meeting to take place. This meeting provides the opportunity to co-ordinate off duty and to identify another team member who will be available to support Lucys learning needs in the absence of her mentor. Once Lucys learning style had been established, then negotiating the best way forward to facilitate the learning experiences relevant to the placement can take place This provides the opportunities for Lucy to meet all of the learning outcomes and needs. Direction towards self-management of learning should be encouraged to help promote professional development, and to instil the importance of responsibility and accountability. At the half way point Lucy and her mentor will have a formative assessment, evaluation of her progress this will determine any action plans or adjustments necessary to enable Lucy to meet her learning outcomes. NMC standards for mentors (2008) state that a mentor must contribute to evaluation of student learning and assessment experiences, suggesting aspects for change resulting from such evaluation. A summative assessment would usually take place when completing student documents whilst focusing on the whole of the placement. In a study by Hart and Rotem (1994) it is indicated that the qualities of a mentor are a vital factor in providing and achieving a positive and valuable learning environment; moreover the study found that stressful events for nursing students during clinical practice have shown the initial clinical experience was the most anxiety producing part of clinical experience Cahill (1996) acknowledges that the single most crucial factor in creating a positive learning environment is the relationship between staff and the student nurse; it is also discussed that a common problem that arises for a student is that they are regularly unable to work with their mentor. Many nurses and nursing students in the past found themselves to be autonomous practitioners, learning their skills within the situations they found themselves in without adequate guidance or support (Bray Nettleton, 2008). Whereas Higgins et al (2009) suggest the success of any nursing student in any program in any clinical setting is complex, enhancing the complicated nature of education and the perception of competencies whether student or mentor. This is an important concept to be sensitive to, as the process of moving forward with the knowledge and skills needs to be supported and nurtured in order to facilitate the standard of care that is safe, accountable, and competent. Honey and Mumford (1992) Identified If mentors are to teach students effectively they must be aware of different learning styles and the importance of them; furthermore Honey and Mumford explore four different styles of learning and is a variation on Kolbs learning cycle, which was originally adapted from Kolb and Fry (1975). It is thought whenever possible, it is essential to allow the students individual style of learning determine the choice of teaching. Within Kolbs model there are four different styles of learning they describe, activist, theorist, pragmatist, and reflector. They also propose that although many people can be a mixture of the four styles, they primarily have a preference for only one. However Clark (2007) suggests that labelling such as activist versus reflector has no scientific justification. Downie and Basford (2003) believe, that to identify the learning outcomes at the beginning of the placement is of great benefit to the student, knowing the stage of training that the student is currently at helps to support a student effectively within the clinical setting; moreover they suggest that most students prefer the traditional learning method described as pedagogy which is where the mentor or teacher has full responsibility for what the student learns. Andragogy is described by Knowles (1990) as adult learning where the student is motivated and applies life experiences to learning, therefore this suggests the use of andragogy teaching method would be beneficial to Lucy as she is very motivated in learning outside if the learning outcomes. When establishing Lucys learning style, formal teaching sessions were introduced to demonstrate how theory is applied in practice. A taxonomy frequently used in nursing is the framework by Benner (1984) in which there are five levels; novice, beginner, competent, proficient and expert. According to Benners stages of clinical competence, which shows the journey of a novice to an expert then Lucy appears to be an advanced beginner as signs of understanding NMC The code: standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwifes have been identified along with previous experience in other clinical areas. As required By NMC (2008) Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice along with fostering professional growth, the mentor encourages Lucy to reflect on her practice and empowered Lucy to be autonomous within the limitations of the supervised role, whilst being fair and accurate in the assessment of the student. Validity is the most crucial aspect of any assessment; it shows the extent to which the assessment measures and what it is expected to measure. A valid assessment is one that assesses learning outcome; it is set out to assess and not to target other outcomes that may not have been learnt adequately at that point. Reliability is also a key factor to be considered in assessments, the term reliability is used to indicate the consistency of which an assessment measures and what it is designed to measure. However Goding (1997) suggests that reliability and validity are inappropriate indicators of nursing practice and that they reduce practice to a list of objectives, which holds very little relation to the intricacy of practice. The NMC (2006) advocate that assessment is said to be reliable, if it gives similar results when used on different occasions, and with different assessors. It is suggested by Hand (2006) that continuous assessment allows the student to achieve their target through progressive goal setting. Whereas Clifford (1994) explains continual assessment of practice, implies the students performance is monitored on a daily basis during clinical practice, which would be done on a day-to-day basis. Regular meetings between Lucy and her mentor allow discussions with mutual respect to evaluate the progress she is or may not be making, enabling action plans to be implemented if necessary. According to NMC (2008) the mentor should provide the student with constructive feedback and assist them in identifying future learning needs and actions. Employing evidence-based practice, observation and communication equips the mentor with some of the necessary tools to identify the strengths and weaknesses and provide feedback; remaining objective when assessing the student to meet the required outcomes also means being objective when completing student documentation. It could be tempting when assessing Lucy to overeat her performance causing the halo effect, although by underrating her performance could cause the horn effect; this could happen if there is a clash of personalities between a student and a mentor. Krech et al (1962) document that human tendencies can influence a manager or mentors point of view causing stereotyping and the halo and horn effect Research by Watson Harris (1999) that examines support of students in practice placement established that some student nurses are being allowed to pass clinical assessments without having demonstrated sufficient competence; the study revealed that some Practioners did not feel it was their responsibility to fail students. Moreover Duffy (2003) reports that it is inevitable that some students will not be able to meet the required level of practice and it is essential that mentors do not avoid the difficult issue of having to fail these students. Duffy (2003) identified that weak students tend to have poor interpersonal skills, are disinterested in practice learning and are frequently late, and that they also lack personal insight and the awareness of professional boundaries. Duffy goes on to recommend that early intervention is essential if mentors or the clinical team notice an issue or concern about students, time must be made to discuss the issues. There may be other factors affecting performance and these mitigating circumstances may need to be considered, however performance must meet the required standard. The NMC (2008) Standards to support learning and assessment in practice state the mentor is accountable and responsible for assessing the total performance of the student including attitude, skills and behaviour. There are fundamental individuals that can offer support and guidance to the mentor. The mentor can access support in assessing a student by way of the links to the Practice Education Facilitator (PEF), whose multidimensional role includes; according to Salvoni (2001) helping to support and enhance clinical practice and teach student nurses practical skills within the academic setting, in recognition of the theory-practice relationship. In addition to this Rowan Barber (2000) and Richards et al (2001) support the view that the PEF furthers staff in the development of their teaching and assessment skills. The PEF, University Link Lecturer and The Academic Adviser are pivotal in supporting and guiding both the mentor and the student if there have been concerns expressed in a students progress within the placement. There is a potential that a mentor could be mentoring a student who is not able to achieve within the placement, if a mentor has concerns it is essential that this concerns be acted upon in the appropriate and in a timely manner. Duffy (2003) recognised mentors do not always identify and deal with problems early enough in students placement, they find it difficult to fail a student, in order to prepare a mentor for their role and the responsibilities in failing the student it is vital that they are supported and backed up by the PEF. The NMC (2008) states mentors should manage failing students to enable them to enhance their performance and capabilities for safe and effective practice. The student should also understand their failure and the implications of this for their future. NMC (2006) states students must evaluate their placement as part of the educational audit process. Also as the named mentor you are responsible for making the final assessment and are accountable for passing or failing the student. It is inescapable that some students will not be able to achieve the required level of competence whilst in the practice placement and it is essential that mentors do not evade the difficult issue of having to fail a student. In conclusion this assignment has examined a plethora of evidence, research, reviews and studies to elicit discussions and reflection surrounding what issues and processes have to be considered whilst supporting a student in a practice placement along with comparing the range of assessment strategies accessible to mentors which, contributes to the overall assessment of students. Wilkinson (1999) argues liasing between clinicians and educationalist enhances the quality of assessment and promotes a practice based learning culture. Learning styles and learning theories have been investigated. It is important to assess each student as an individual in the context of their learning needs to strengthen the integration of theory and practice within the clinical setting likewise it is imperative that the mentor has an understanding of the learning outcomes. The mentor was able to pass Lucy in her practice placement and maintained professional boundaries throughout the experience.

College Admissions Essay: Music is Life :: College Admissions Essays

Music is Life    Music has always been an important part of my life. During high school I have developed areas of service and leadership through interests in children and gardening, which will continue to be major parts of my life.    I began taking violin lessons at the age of four and have since shared my music with others in many ways. I have been in the community orchestra at Jacksonville University and am in the first violin section of the University of North Florida's string ensemble. When I performed on violin for 4-H's Share the Fun event, I placed first at the county and district levels and second at the state level, and was later asked to play at the 4-H Foundation Dinner and two Volunteer Recognition Dinners. The most unusual playing job I have had was when I played for a sale at Rhode's Furniture!    I have had several wonderful opportunities to work with children. At my school I enjoyed helping teach a young children's music class by playing songs for them, telling them about the violin, and helping them develop a love of beautiful music. I would enjoy continuing this as an adult. Last year I helped a kindergarten teacher in an underprivileged school, stapling papers and supervising children. I most enjoyed helping small groups learn the alphabet, supervising two children at a time as they tried to match the capital and lowercase letters and identify each letter.    My interest in plants came through watching and helping my grandmother in her gardens. Last summer, Jacksonville's historic Cummer Gardens needed workers, so I began volunteering there for several hours each week, planting new flowers, removing old ones, mulching, and weeding. My work there has inspired me to volunteer in other public gardens, such as those in libraries and nursing homes, in the future.    Several years ago I became involved in 4-H and entered their Horticulture Identification and Judging Competition. This program helped me learn how to identify many plants by their leaves, flowers, and other distinctive parts. I placed high in both county and district events, leading my team to the state level competition two years in succession.    Last year I put my expertise to practical use when I organized a 4-H community service project and volunteered in the Cummer Gardens in Jacksonville. In my community service project I taught two 4-H clubs how to plant and take care of potted pothos vines.