Humpback Whales Essay Example for Free

Humpback Whales Essay General Description: A. Body Symmetry: Bilateral B. Special Pigments or Coloration: Dark grey with lighter underbelly; flippers and flukes are grey and spotted with white C. Habitat: (Zone) Benthic and coastal (Geographic): From Alaska to the Caribbean D. Specific Characteristics: 1) Reproduction: Polygamous; Seasonal breeding 2) Feeding Techniques: Filter feeders; Bubble netting, Ring of foam, Lunging. 3) Defense Techniques: Humpbacks have few predators other than humans, and don’t have any defensive techniques. Some of the largest animals on Earth are the gentlest. The humpback whale is a stellar example of gentle, with its diet, behavior, and complete lack of natural predators. Whales as a species are typically depicted as large animals, understandable with the smallest member of the species, the dwarf sperm whale, measuring on average 9 feet and weighing in at around 400 pounds. The humpback, however, is one of the largest whales, coming in just behind the finback and blue whales. Humpbacks are anywhere from 48 to 63 feet long and weigh an average of 40 tons. They’re recognizable by their large, dark grey bodies with a â€Å"hump† shaped dorsal fin and unusually long white pectoral fins. The humpback’s genus name, Magaptera Novaengliae, means â€Å"big-winged, New Englander† because the largest colony of whales was along the northeast coast of the United States in the Atlantic. But humpback whales are also found vastly between California and Russia. They are migratory marine mammals, and often spend their summers in high latitude areas such as the Gulfs of Maine or Alaska, and then swim south to breed in the subtropical waters in the Dominican Republic and Hawaiian Islands. The humpback actually holds the record for farthest migration of any mammal. The longest recorded migration was 5,160 miles from Costa Rica to Antarctica by a pod of 7 whales. The big-winged New Englander’s diet consists of mostly small organisms even though they are such large animals. Humpbacks belong to the branch of whales known as Mysticeti or baleen whales. Baleen whales do not have teeth, they have baleen which are teeth-like bristles that help the whale to filter small fish and crustaceans from the water for the whale to eat. Baleen whales like the humpback live on a diet of small fish, salmon, herring, krill, and other crustaceans. To compensate for its size, a humpback whale must intake about 3000 pounds of food per day. Humpbacks are very social creatures that travel in pods, and in order to get this much food for the entire pod, they hunt as a group. They don’t hunt like toothed whales, but viciously attacking their prey, but they will lunge at their prey when the confused organisms are trapped in a giant bubble net. Bubble netting is when a pod of whales swim around a school of fish and exhale through their blowholes, producing bubbles, and scaring their prey into a small ball by slapping their flippers and creating loud vocal sounds. Speaking of humpbacks being very social animals, they are also highly recognized by their impressive aerial displays across the surface of the water in spite of their immense weight. Breaching is a popular and well-known trick of all whales. It is when a whale la unches themselves above the water, often twisting in midair, and splashing back down on their sides. Scientists aren’t exactly sure why, but it is speculated that it could be an alternative method of communication as well as an alternative to spyhopping. Spyhopping is when a whale swims vertically to the surface and exposes only as much of their head so as to have their eyes above water in order to check their surroundings. This could very well be why tourist ships get so many photos of whales breaching. Other whale behaviors include slapping the water with its overtly large pectoral fins and belly-flipping. Belly-flipping is simply when a whale lies on its back in the water and slaps the water with one flipper at a time. These behaviors have been seen during courtship and feeding. Humpback whales are polygamous animals, with the males competing for aggressively for oestrous females. Breeding takes place in the winter and in tropical waters. The gestation period for humpbacks is 11 to 12 months, but the mother only gives birth to one calf at a time. The calf will stay by its mother’s side for 2 to 3 years, and reach sexual maturity at around 4 to 5 years old. Females typically produce offspring every 2 years but can birth 2 calves in 3 years. Since the whales are mammals, the female gives birth to a live calf and then breastfeeds for about 5 months. Humpbacks are not territorial, but calves are also to be protected at all costs. Therefore, it makes sense that these gentle giants are only ever not so gentle when competing for a mate, and when they believe an outside whale poses a threat to the pod’s calves’ safety. In the pod, â€Å"Escort† whales may swim with a calf and its mother. The Escort whale, (most are male), may blow bubbles to create a ‘screen’ when outside humpbacks get too close. They also show aggression on occasion when boats and ships get too close. Such aggressive behavior may include body thrashing, horizontal tail-lashing, and lobtailing. Lobtailing is basically tail slapping, which can do a lot of damage considering the strength in the humpback’s large white and grey flukes. Generally speaking, pods are more aggressive than individual whales. Humpback’s are perhaps most well-known for their hauntingly beautiful and mysterious whale songs. They are the only whales that do so, and scientists have yet to decipher what they mean. However, we are aware that their melodic whalesong are obviously means of communicating to fellow whales. The songs can last for over 20 minutes and continue for more than 24 hours per session. Male humpbacks have also been known to sing in order to attract mates. For a scary century, humpback whales were high on the endangered species list. It is only recently that these graceful and gentle giants have accumulated once again to a healthy population of at least 80,000 whales. Economically, humpbacks are wonderful tourist attractions for the coastal states as they’re the favorites of whale watchers. It is better that money is made from watching them than money being made for their meat, baleen, skin, and oil, as well as their very existence.

Themes of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure Revealed in Angelo’s Solilo

Themes of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure Revealed in Angelo’s Soliloquies Angelo’s soliloquies (2.2.161-186; 2.4.1-30) express themes of the tragicomic form, grace and nature, development of self-knowledge, justice and mercy, and creation and death as aspects of Angelo’s character. By the theme of the tragicomic form I mean that which â€Å"qualified extremes and promoted a balanced condition of mind [†¦] It employed a ‘mixed’ style, ‘mixed’ action, and ‘mixed’ characters—‘passing from side to side, it works amongst contraries, sweetly tempering their composition’.† (Guarini’s Compendio della Poesia Tragicomica (1601) cited in Lever lxi-lxii). I take Measure for Measure’s tragicomic form as its major theme, or perhaps meta-theme, because it reinforces the value of the via media, of moderation over zealotry. Angelo swings from one extreme to the other before, by the play’s conclusion, prompted by the orchestrations of the duke, he adopts a middle way. In Angelo’s first two soliloquies we see him transition from believing himself immune to earthly love (2.3.185-186) to believing he is ruled by his blood (2.4.15). This transition suggests a theme of development of self-knowledge. In the first soliloquy Angelo refers to himself as a saint (2.2.179) and speaks of physical love in a condemning tone (2.2.173). In the second soliloquy Angelo has adjusted his self-image (2.4.16) to be consistent with his experience, and he describes his experience of love without spending equal time condemning it. He realizes he took sinful pride in his severity (2.4.9-10), and now compares that quality with an idle plume in a cap—an aspect of appearance, not being. Development of self-knowledge does not show up clearly in other characters however... ...ing between them, was virtue. This signified a beneficent use of natural function which merited the gift of grace as a concomitant; correspondingly, it implied a ‘going forth’ of grace which might comprehend the conscientious payment of nature’s debt. [†¦] Throughout the main action, however, the properties of grace and nature are dissociated and juxtaposed. ‘Strict restraint’ and ‘immoderate use’, the distorted attitudes of convent and brothel, of precisian and libertine, are presented as jarring disparates inducing a process of psychic disruption. In the absence of virtue as a moderator, sexual function turns into the abuse of lechery [†¦] At the spiritual level, excessive zeal is corrupted to pride [†¦] Most alarming of all, there are the sudden slips from level to level, landslides of the soul which transform zealot into lecher and saint into sadist. (lxxii-lxxiii)

School Does Not Prepare You for Life

It is argued that school is designed to teach individuals how to teach themselves, but many scholars who study the state of academia would argue this is not the case. It is a common belief that the western private schools and universities are industrialized markets more focused on their profit margins, and pleasing parents, than preparing their students for the real world. The public school system is even worse off in that their infrastructure and supplies are largely dependent on the average income tax of their local communities, which in most urban areas barely makes the grade. Not often considered to be a home for organizations, the schooling industry in the United Kingdom has become a major source of profitable income. A national curriculum is mandatory in all state schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and for virtually every student up to the age of 16. It is organized by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and its partner authorities, the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales and the Northern Ireland Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) (HayGroup, 2006). The main aim of the national curriculum is to raise standards, making sure all children have a broad and balanced education up to the age of 16. In the past, many students dropped important subjects like modern language or science at 13 or 14 (Boone, 2006). If these mergers become successful, no different from major corporations, they mean expanded profit margins for whoever holds the asset. These schools are already considered financial assets, through the increase in property value around them, whether the property is owned by the government or privately owned (Boone, 2006). This is not a major issue for public schools, but when you consider privately owned schools, or Universities, the profitability of these corporations pedaling degrees must be realized. More often than not, these Universities are considered to be doing a common good, and therefore held in the charitable status tax bracket, where they are to very minimally taxed. This leads to more profit gains, and less reason to complicate the curriculum even if it fails to serve its purpose. In her essay, From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work Jean Anyon identifies the hypocrisies in the education system. One of her major points is that in the higher income classrooms the majority of the students’ parents are executives, and only 10% are minorities. A common finding in her research is that the working class schools lack the necessary materials, or faculty, to be considered equal with the other school systems. Anyon also argues that the curriculums are different. students in different social-class backgrounds are rewarded for classroom behaviors that correspond to personality traits allegedly rewarded in the different occupational strata – the working classes for docility and obedience, the managerial classes for initiative and personal assertiveness. (Anyon, 1980) The defining line of the difference between what Anyon considers to be the executive curriculum and the working class is that the use of efficient learning methods verses inefficient forms. Historically, the most efficient form of learning used in the west, more so than textbooks, is the field trip; this is also known as project based learning (B. I. E. , 2002). It is also a very expensive learning tool, which is why most lower class curriculums are deprived of it. Project based learning has a long lived tradition of learning through the use of field trips, labs, investigations and other projects. It is considered to be a substantial method of teaching. The belief that drives this form of instructions revolves around the idea that students will be more liable to gain interest in curriculum that they can connect to their surroundings. Just studying the work in a text can grow to be mundane. When she analyzes elementary and secondary classroom curriculums, she finds a methodology very different from what is inherent in Project based education. Anyon discovers that the majority of contemporary textbook instruction is designed for the working class. PBL programs are usually not supported in public schools because they are too expensive. This difference is usually applicable to public schools and whether one is located near high income housing or low income housing. In sum, the school system in the U. K. suffers from capitalist interests, so much so that it fails to prepare its students for the real world. A lack of project based learning in lower income schools deprives the majority of the U. K. population of having real life instruction. Likewise, the upper class institutions that Anyon refers to, while they prepare students for executive positions, they handicap the students from ever being able to handle manual labor in the real world (Anyon, 1980). The end result is a generation of students that are socioeconomically segregated and that lack the necessary resourcefulness to survive on their own. School systems today produce students who are reliant on major corporations to employ them for skills they were predisposed to having.

SUNY Geneseo Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

SUNY College at Geneseo is public liberal arts college  with an acceptance rate of 65%. Located on the western edge of New York States Finger Lakes region, and part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, Geneseo receives high marks for its value for both in-state and out-of-state students. Strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned the college a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa. The Geneseo Knights compete in the NCAA, within the Division III SUNY Conference. Popular sports include soccer, basketball, track and field, and swimming. Considering applying to SUNY College at Geneseo? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, SUNY College at Geneseo had an acceptance rate of 65%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 65 students were admitted, making Geneseos admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 10,548 Percent Admitted 65% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 20% SAT Scores and Requirements SUNY College at Geneseo requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 82% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 560 650 Math 560 650 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of Geneseos admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Geneseo scored between 560 and 650, while 25% scored below 560 and 25% scored above 650. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 560 and 650, while 25% scored below 560 and 25% scored above 650. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1300 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Geneseo. Requirements SUNY College at Geneseo does not require the SAT writing section or SAT Subject tests. Note that Geneseo participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. ACT Scores and Requirements SUNY College at Geneseo requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 19% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile Composite 24 28 This admissions data tells us that most of Geneseos admitted students fall within the top 26% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Geneseo received a composite ACT score between 24 and 28, while 25% scored above 28 and 25% scored below 24. Requirements SUNY College of Geneseo does not require the ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, Geneseo superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered. GPA In 2018, the middle 50% of SUNY College at Geneseos incoming class had high school GPAs from 90 to 95. 25% had a GPA above 95, and 25% had a GPA below 90. The mean GPA for incoming freshmen was 93. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Geneseo have primarily A grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph SUNY College at Geneseo Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to SUNY College at Geneseo. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances SUNY College of Geneseo, which accepts fewer than two-thirds of applicants, has a selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. However, Geneseo has a  holistic admissions  process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong  application essay  and glowing  letters of recommendation  can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful  extracurricular activities  and a  rigorous course schedule. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and test scores are outside Geneseos average range.  If SUNY College of Geneseo is your first choice, note that the school has an Early Decision option than can improve your chances of admission and demonstrate your interest in the college. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. The majority of successful applicants had high school averages of B or better, combined SAT scores of 1200 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 25 or better. Youll have a much better chance of acceptance with test scores above these lower numbers. Interested in SUNY College at Geneseo? You May Also Like These Schools: Stony Brook UniversityIthaca CollegeBinghamton UniversityUniversity of RochesterColgate University All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and SUNY College of Geneseo Undergraduate Admissions Office.