In what ways did the New Right attempt to undermine social democratic Essay

In what ways did the New Right attempt to undermine social democratic approaches to poverty and welfare provision - Essay Example The beliefs were allowed to shape all the political, economic and social policies following strict Darwinism (Neoliberalism, n.d). Neo-liberalism is a political dimension consisting of two detached aspects that occasionally complement or say the opposite of each thought. The new political belief by the neo-liberals emphasizes the significance of the market mechanism being superior as an avenue for the allocation of resources. On the other hand, there is an emphasis on the significance entity conscientiousness and freedom as a way of allocation, apart from the market forces. Thus, their notion supports limited intervention in the financial system by the regime. The suggestion affronted by the neo-conservatives premises on the formulation of conditions for the optimum efficiency of the private sector in the economy. Neo-conservatives are likely to be inclined on calling for a repeat in affirmation of conventional values on driving societal issues and oppose multicultural setting of the society (Wedd, 2000). The documentation above is evidence that while the neo-conservatives are against government intervention in the market, they would support government interference on issues related to the way of life, which include morals and the way of life. For the market neo-liberals, the mechanism of the market can adequately address these issues. On poverty, the social democratic hold that a welfare state is brought about by the existence of a capitalistic societal setup. Further, it is believed that a capitalistic setup creates the stage for inefficiency and wastage. In such a state, the profits margins from businesses do not account for the welfare of the destitute, the poor and the disabled who end up suffering. The general belief of the social democratic approach is that the societal members who are strong ought to take care of weak societal members. For this reason, the social democrats have a

Exploring the Allegorical Nature of the Faerie Queen Essay Example for Free

Exploring the Allegorical Nature of the Faerie Queen Essay An allegory – a form of extended metaphor in which objects, persons and actions in a narrative, in this case, The Faerie Queen, are equated with meanings lying outside the narrative itself – represent an abstraction in the guise of a concrete image, with characters often personifying abstract qualities. One way of looking at The Faerie Queen is that it is allegorical in a complex manner. As a mode of writing in a still largely religious society (15th century England), viewing The Faerie Queen as an allegory allows the reader to perceive nature and history as in possession of hidden divine meanings capable of being revealed to the diligent, worthy seeker. Similar to the concept of a â€Å"sugar-coated pill† The Faerie Queen’s allegorical nature allows the author (Edmund Spenser) to conceal (largely moral) ideas from his readers and reveals them only to a deserving few who are able to go beyond appearances and recognize the truth for what it is. One needs to work hard in unlocking the hidden meanings for comprehension brought about by diligence would be valued more by the human mind than one that is easily understood, i. e. Una had veiled herself until the Red Cross Knight had proven himself worthy of seeing her face at their betrothal. In the case of Duessa, the name itself seems to represent duality, duplicity in contrast to the one (Una) truth, as her role varies from one book to another. In Book I she embodies religious falsehood while in Book V it is political falsehood, appearing in the guise of fair creatures until the facts of her foulness are uncovered much like literature’s Circe the witch and her cup of poison capable of altering her shape in her aim to entice and imprison her lovers. Spenser’s Duessa is distinctly English as she appears to be the fusion of the enchantress Circe with the biblical Whore of Babylon, i. e. Catholicism in the eyes of Protestant (Elizabethan) England. Her role is largely limited to deceiving appearances and seducing the Red Cross Knight, supposedly representing the â€Å"false† religion of the Roman Catholic Church. As for Una, her identity is clarified with vices parodying â€Å"true† religion as she appears to represent the one, noble truth among the wilderness, a ‘woman clothed with the sun’ and whose beauty is a manifestation of Christ’s alluring grace. As the personification of the â€Å"true† Church (the Church of England), she travels with the Red Cross Knight (supposedly representing England as its patron Saint George was said to have been a dragon slayer) in order to save her parents from a dragon. In keeping with the work’s religious tone, Una’s wanderings in the wilderness could be viewed in the biblical tradition as the Church fleeing the antichrist. Upon meeting her, the character of Abessa flees in terror of Una and her lion, which likely represents the justice wielded by Christ through the earthly executors of His will. Una plays the role of the romantic heroine in need of a brave knight to rescue her from a moral and fickle fortune. She is the â€Å"truth† to the Red Cross Knight’s â€Å"nobility† yet they are separated, until such a time when they overcome their respective obstacles and prove themselves worthy of a blessed union. Her character is made to wander, and in Cantos 3 and 6 it is made clear that her progress through the natural world is upward. Her encounter with Arthur helps her better understand her plight and what needs to be done for her to be able to transcend her suffering and misery. In a way, one could argue that Arthur represents divine intervention or simply providence lending a hand to strengthen our moral resolve at the time of darkest human frailty. Whereas Una represents the one truth, Duessa is the living, breathing duplicity in Faerie Queen. The Red Cross Knight as he descends the world of society (Cantos 4 and 5) in the company of Duessa is capable of seeing only surfaces. She is deceptive, but does that make her necessarily evil? There is no doubt that Una personifies the good yet though Duessa might be her antithesis, it is harder to ascertain whether she is out rightly evil or merely duplicitous. After all, human beings certainly err from time to time, we are both deceived and deceivers in our own way, yet we are not condemned so easily as evil personified or offspring of Satan. But since we are talking of allegories in The Faerie Queen written to glorify the reign of Elizabeth I of England, one has to note the seeming need to vilify Catholicism, symbolized by Duessa, as the deceptive enemy to England’s Anglican Church symbolized by Una. Representing truth, Una remains veiled for most of the poem, uncovering herself only when the Red Cross Knight is finally betrothed to her (Canto 12) and when she is all by herself ‘farre from all mens sight’ (3:4). In the same way as that of the House of Holiness, her ‘gates’ remain closed for fear of being raped for her beauty. The rationale for this is that truth as a prize of great worth remains vulnerable to exploitation, epitomized in the image of Una’s virginity, ‘that stubborn forte’ (6:3) which needs to be safeguarded until such time when she is ready to relinquish it to someone worthy of her. When she is finally unveiled, her beauty is described as blinding – ‘The blazing brightness of her beauties beame’ (12:23) – to lend credence that truth is not for the faint-hearted, and in the occasion that it appears to the common people is needs to wear a veil as truth cannot be conveyed directly for it tends to blind its audience. Finally, for all its power truth is clothed in simplicity and naturalness. In contrast to Duessa’s garb of garments ‘gilt and gorgeous gold arayd’ (5: 26), Una enters ‘under a vele, that wimpled was full low. ’ Duplicity is fond of shows and of parading itself – Duessa is set upon a seven-headed beast – yet truth does not need fancy outer garments to conceal its natural splendor. She is able to tame the lion, which recognizes Una’s beauty and goodness and responds to her overtures accordingly, while it seems to be able to discern Duessa’s true nature despite her lovely appearance. 15th century Elizabethan England placed great value on a woman’s virtues, e. g. chastity, fidelity, etc. and this is appropriately manifested by Una who steadfastly safeguards her virginity, in contrast to Duessa who takes great pleasure in seducing men with her feminine wiles. Una represents chaste love which waits for the right time, that is, in the context of marriage, before engaging in sexual liaisons. Duessa is an entirely different matter she takes pleasure in her power over men through her sexuality. Of course for the conservative sexual mores of the time this was despicable in a woman – she would easily be labeled as a whore. A woman during those times was viewed slightly better than property, first as belonging to her father, then to her husband, and her worth in the marriage market was often viewed in relation to her maidenhood, aside from the size of her dowry. Nowadays though, society has a more liberal view on the roles of women, their functions in society and how they are expected to act, and it would be harder to categorically generalize women as simply being the marriageable kind or those whom men should only dally with. Also, the influence of religion has significantly waned – it no longer plays such a central role in the lives of most people. Thus, modern-day interpretations of The Faerie Queen would not necessarily take a kind view of Spencer’s illustration of women, particularly if one utilizes the feminist perspective in critically analyzing the said work. Work Cited: Spencer, Edmund. The Faerie Queen. London: Penguin Classics, 1979.

Grammer :: essays papers

Grammer ADVERBS & HELPER VERBS ~the purpose is to show where, when, how, or to what degree ~adverbs are words ending in ly Adverbs not ending in ly: all, almost, also, always, away, ever, forward, later, maybe, most, never, nevertheless, now, not, often, only, onward, perhaps, sometime(s), soon, then, too, very, up helper verbs: be, am, is, are, was, were, have, has, had, have been, has been, had been, shall, will, do, did, may, can, must, might, could, would, should PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES some of the most common prepositions: about, above, according to, across, after, against, along, among, as, at, because of, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, but, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, into, like, near, of, off, on, on account of, outside, outside of, over, past, since, through, to, toward, under, until, up, upon, with, within, without, Examples: 1. (For many years) the lighthouse has been the most famous landmark (along the coast.) 2. It has warned (ships at sea)(of the countless dangers)( from the fog storm.) PRONOUNS subject: Object: I me he him

Human Suffering: Preventing Humans From Achieving True Happiness Essay

There is a very commonly held belief that life is difficult. More to the point, life consists of a lot of suffering. It is common to hear comments such as, life is a constant struggle, life is an uphill battle, a never-ending fight. These comments raise many questions about the nature, or even the very existence of absolute happiness. Is it possible for a human being to ever achieve complete happiness? Answering this question completely is impossible because humans are very complex and each one of us has a different definition of happiness. Sigmund Freud took a different approach to the question of human happiness. In an excerpt from his book, which is titled Civilization and Its Discontents, Freud identified what he felt were the three main sources of human suffering. He says â€Å"...the three sources from which our suffering comes: the superior power of nature, the feebleness of our bodies and the inadequacies of the regulations which adjust the mutual relationships of human being in the family, the state and society† (Zwann, Junyk, & Zielinski, 2010). That is to say that Freud identified the origins of human suffering in rejecting and controlling our natural human instincts, the limitations of our human bodies, and the conflict between being true to ourselves and being a civilized individual. Furthermore, Freud was of the opinion that though we eventually accept, though are dissatisfied with the first two components of struggling, we are constantly at war with ourselves due to the last attribute. I find that I can agree with Freud on quite a few topics in his discussion, but that a lot of questions are ultimately raised from his thoughts. I plan on discussing and addressing all of these issues in this paper. Let us take a loo... ...ence with hardly a moment's notice. Suffering also arises in the knowledge of our own mortality and our physical limitations. The human being is well aware that the body will one day fail in one way or another. Finally, there is the suffering that comes from the struggle between the individual existence trying to fit with the existence of civilization. Due to the fact that human beings require social connections for both protection and emotional support, the formation of societies and civilizations is inevitable. Human suffering is ultimately an unavoidable aspect of life. Works Cited taboo. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Web. 23 November 23, 2014. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/taboo Zwann, V., Junyk, I., & Zielinski, G. (Ed.). (2010). Cust 1000Y Introduction to the study of modern culture. Toronto, Ontario: Canadian Scholars' Press Inc Human Suffering: Preventing Humans From Achieving True Happiness Essay There is a very commonly held belief that life is difficult. More to the point, life consists of a lot of suffering. It is common to hear comments such as, life is a constant struggle, life is an uphill battle, a never-ending fight. These comments raise many questions about the nature, or even the very existence of absolute happiness. Is it possible for a human being to ever achieve complete happiness? Answering this question completely is impossible because humans are very complex and each one of us has a different definition of happiness. Sigmund Freud took a different approach to the question of human happiness. In an excerpt from his book, which is titled Civilization and Its Discontents, Freud identified what he felt were the three main sources of human suffering. He says â€Å"...the three sources from which our suffering comes: the superior power of nature, the feebleness of our bodies and the inadequacies of the regulations which adjust the mutual relationships of human being in the family, the state and society† (Zwann, Junyk, & Zielinski, 2010). That is to say that Freud identified the origins of human suffering in rejecting and controlling our natural human instincts, the limitations of our human bodies, and the conflict between being true to ourselves and being a civilized individual. Furthermore, Freud was of the opinion that though we eventually accept, though are dissatisfied with the first two components of struggling, we are constantly at war with ourselves due to the last attribute. I find that I can agree with Freud on quite a few topics in his discussion, but that a lot of questions are ultimately raised from his thoughts. I plan on discussing and addressing all of these issues in this paper. Let us take a loo... ...ence with hardly a moment's notice. Suffering also arises in the knowledge of our own mortality and our physical limitations. The human being is well aware that the body will one day fail in one way or another. Finally, there is the suffering that comes from the struggle between the individual existence trying to fit with the existence of civilization. Due to the fact that human beings require social connections for both protection and emotional support, the formation of societies and civilizations is inevitable. Human suffering is ultimately an unavoidable aspect of life. Works Cited taboo. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Web. 23 November 23, 2014. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/taboo Zwann, V., Junyk, I., & Zielinski, G. (Ed.). (2010). Cust 1000Y Introduction to the study of modern culture. Toronto, Ontario: Canadian Scholars' Press Inc

Assignment Executive Summary on Risk Analysis Essay

In the given scenario of being the system support tech at the Premier Collegiate School, performing a risk analysis of the school infrastructure is highly important when wanting to secure the network. The school has two servers, one for administration and the other for students which seems kind of odd. And has a wireless access for the students with their own laptops. There is also one computer lab that is dedicated for the students to perform their computer science studies. The first portion that comes to mind is the access control security on the servers, sure they have 2 servers dedicated for separate values, but I would rather have the AD all on one computer with the permissions sorted out, and have the secondary computer to host the student information and patch management software since that will be a heavier load. If the school is looking into how much money in saving, purchasing a stronger server with VMWare Workstation will give the school multiple servers in one build that can save them much money on one unit. As for the wireless access given to anonymous laptops, the students should be placed on a separate domain or at least given access with limited access. Limited access in a school seems so small, but this is because the school should filter out what needs and does not need access while the students are in session. If there is a breach in the network, tracking the students may be a bit difficult, unless we can provide the wireless access like how ITT does their network. Even though the students can only log into the computers within school grounds using their ID, they can also use their ID to access the wireless network. In another portion of a risk, the staff only has the given amount of computers for them to share. The security risk for this is that some teachers may leave their user ID logged in which may pose as a threat for privacy. Having some sort of rule for a timeout when the computer is not use would decrease the issue of invasion of privacy and would increase security to where another person should log in with a different identity.

How US Public Land Is Surveyed and Distributed

How US Public Land Is Surveyed and Distributed Public land in the United States is land that was originally transferred directly from the federal government to individuals, to be distinguished from land that was originally granted or sold to individuals by the British Crown. Public lands (public domain), consisting of all land outside the original 13 colonies and the five states later formed from them (and later West Virginia and Hawaii), first came under government control following the Revolutionary War with the enactment of the Northwest Ordinance of 1785 and 1787. As the United States grew, additional land was added to the public domain through the taking of Indian land, by treaty, and by purchase from other governments. Public Land States The thirty states formed from the public domain, known as public land states, are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The original thirteen colonies, plus Kentucky, Maine, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and later West Virginia and Hawaii, form what is known as the state land states. Rectangular Survey System of Public Lands One of the most significant differences between land in the public land states and state land states is that public land was surveyed prior to being made available for purchase or homesteading, using the rectangular-survey system, otherwise known as the township-range system. When a survey was done on new public land, two lines were run at right angles to each other through the territory - a base line running east and west and a meridian line running north and south. The land was then divided into sections from the point of this intersection as follows: Township and Range - Townships, a major subdivision of public lands under the rectangular survey system, measure approximately six miles on a side (thirty-six square miles). Townships are then numbered from the base line north and south and then from the meridian line east and west. The east/west identification is known as the Range. A Township is identified by this relationship to a base line and a principal meridian.Example: Township 3 North, Range 9 West, 5th Principal Meridian identifies a specific township that is 3 tiers north from the baseline and 9 tiers west (Range) of the 5th Principal Meridian.Section Number - Townships were then further broken down into thirty-six sections of 640 acres each (one square mile) called sections, which were numbered with reference to the baseline and meridian line.Aliquot Parts - Sections were then further subdivided into smaller pieces, such as halves and quarters, while still (generally) keeping the land in a square. Aliquot Parts were used to representing the exact subdivision of each such section of land. Halves of a Section (or subdivision thereof) are represented as N, S, E, and W (such as the north half of section 5). Quarters of a Section (or subdivision thereof) are represented as NW, SW, NE, and SE (such as the northwest quarter of section 5). Sometimes, several Aliquot Parts are required to describe a parcel of land accurately.Example: ESW denotes the east half of the southwest quarter of a section, containing 80 acres. What a Township Is In general: A township contains 23,040 acresA section contains 640 acres,A half section contains 320 acres,A quarter section contains 160 acres,A half of a quarter contains 80 acres,A quarter of a quarter contains 40 acres, etc. A legal land description for the public land states might, for instance, be written as: the west half of the northwest quarter, section 8, township 38, range 24, containing 80 acres, usually abbreviated as W ½ of NW ¼ 8T38R24, containing 80 acres. Public lands were distributed to individuals, governments, and companies in some ways, including: Cash Entry An entry that covered public lands for which the individual paid cash or its equivalent. Credit Sales These land patents were issued to anyone who either paid by cash at the time of the sale and received a discount or paid by credit in installments over four years. If full payment was not received within the four-year period, title to the land would revert to the Federal Government. Because of the economic hardship, Congress quickly abandoned the credit system and through the Act of April 24, 1820, required full payment for land to be made at the time of purchase. Private Land and Preemption Claims A claim based on the assertion that the claimant (or his predecessors in interest) derived his right while the land was under the dominion of a foreign government. Pre-emption was a tactful way of saying squatter. In other words, the settler was physically on the property before the GLO officially sold or even surveyed the tract, and he was thus given a pre-emptive right to acquire the land from the United States. Donation Lands To attract settlers to the remote territories of Florida, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, the federal government offered donation land grants to individuals who would agree to settle there and meet a residency requirement. Donation land claims were unique in that acreage granted to married couples was divided evenly. Half of the acreage was placed in the husbands name while the other half was placed in the wifes name. Records include plats, indexes, and survey notes. Donation lands were a precursor to homesteading. Homesteads Under the Homestead Act of 1862, settlers were given 160 acres of land in the public domain if they built a home on the land, resided there for five years, and cultivated the land. This land did not cost anything per acre, but the settler did pay a filing fee. A complete homestead entry file includes such documents as the homestead application, homestead proof, and final certificate authorizing the claimant to obtain a land patent. Military Warrants From 1788 to 1855 the United States granted military bounty land warrants as a reward for military service. These land warrants were issued in various denominations and based upon the rank and length of service. Railroad To aid in the construction of certain railroads, a congressional act of September 20, 1850, granted to the State alternate sections of public land on either side of the rail lines and branches. State Selection Each new State admitted to the Union was granted 500,000 acres of public land for internal improvements for the common good. Established under the Act of September 4, 1841. Mineral Certificates The General Mining Law of 1872 defined mineral lands as a parcel of land containing valuable minerals in its soil and rocks. There were three kinds of mining claims: Lode Claims for gold, silver, or other precious metals occurring in veinsPlacer Claims for minerals not found in veinsMill Site Claims for up to five acres of public land claimed for processing minerals. Created and maintained by the US Federal Government, records of first transfer of public domain lands are available in multiple locations, including the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and some State Land Offices. Land records related to subsequent transfers of such land between parties other than the Federal Government are found at the local level, usually a county. The types of land records created by the Federal Government include survey plats and field notes, tract books with records of each land transfer, land-entry case files with supporting documents for each land claim, and copies of the original land patents. Survey Notes and Field Plats Dating back to the 18th century, government surveys were begun in Ohio and progressed westward as more territory was opened for settlement. Once the public domain was surveyed, the government could begin to transfer title of land parcels to private citizens, companies, and local governments. Survey plats are drawings of boundaries, prepared by draftsmen, based on data in the sketches and field notes. Survey field notes are records that describe the survey performed and are completed by the surveyor. The field notes may contain descriptions of land formations, climate, soil, plant and animal life. Land Entry Case Files Before the homesteaders, soldiers, and other entrymen received their patents, and some government paperwork had to be done. Those purchasing land from the United States had to be given receipts for payments, while those obtaining land through military bounty land warrants, preemption entries, or the Homestead Act of 1862, had to file applications, give proof about military service, residence on and improvements to the land, or evidence of citizenship. The paperwork generated by those bureaucratic activities, compiled into land entry case files, is held by the National Archives and Records Administration.   Tract Books The best place to being your search when youre looking for a complete land description, tract books for the Eastern States are in the custody of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). For the Western States, they are held by NARA.  Tract books are ledgers used by the U.S. federal government from 1800 until the 1950s to record land entries and other actions related to the disposition of  public domain land. They can serve as a useful resource for family historians who want to locate the property of ancestors and their neighbors who lived in the 30 public land states. Especially valuable, tract books serve not only as an index to patented land but also to land transactions that were never completed but may still contain useful information for researchers.

The eNotes Blog A Day in the Life of a StudentResearcher

A Day in the Life of a StudentResearcher Are you studying for a career in the sciences? Not sure where to begin to gather that lab experience that is oh so important for obtaining your degree and landing a great job? Our Math and Science intern Wilson shares his experiences of finding his place as a student researcher and shares the four lessons hes learnt both inside and outside of the lab. Lab work doesnt always involve looking down the lens of a microscope, one thing I learnt in my work as a student researcher studying autism spectrum disorders in children. For almost 2 years now, I have been a student researcher at UCLA studying the physiology of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders. This position has opened my eyes up to the professional, research-oriented community and taught me to dismiss some of the common misconceptions I had before I received this opportunity. Here are a few things I learned on my way to becoming a student researcher. The application process is not  that  difficult.  Where do I begin to look? This is common problem that many people have, and I had as well. Do I just search online for labs? How do I know if they are looking for student researchers? The answer is a lot easier and more straight-forward than one would think. The most common method for an undergraduate is to use the university website and find their page of open research positions. In a way, finding a research position is a lot like finding a job position, except your chances of success are much higher. Many professors and graduate students at universities are constantly looking for enthused students to help out at their lab, so the list of open positions is almost limitless and is constantly being updated.Heres another effective method: just look up the department that you want to research for and email all the professors in that department asking if they have any room on their team for a student researcher. From my experience ( I applied using both methods), they will usually respond within a day, and more often than not, one of them will welcome you to their lab. Perhaps the hardest part of this relatively simple process is being able to effectively convey your interest and enthusiasm for their field of study. Needless to say though, the resources are all right there. There’s no need to dig around. Theres no need to feel intimidated. Although they may seem intimidating at first, at the end of the day, scientists are just ordinary people. When an interview was set in date for my position, I felt very nervous. One reason was because I only just finished my first year and felt as if I knew nothing about lab work or any of the more in-depth concepts of the human body. A second was because I didn’t want to be rejected, meaning I had to put on a best first impression for a figure of authority, an actual scientist who is so much more knowledgeable than I am. At the interview, I was expecting them to test me on the basic techniques of lab and the concepts of autism. I got very little sleep the night before because I was so busy studying up for this test that I thought was going to happen; however, there was no test. The scientist, or principal investigator (PI) of my lab, was very friendly and happy that I would be able to help out. They happily explained to me the paradigm of t he study and what would be expected out of me. Most scientists, who are recruiting undergraduate students, understand that we may not have the most experience and exposure to research and laboratory procedures so they are very willing to educate and train us for whatever work we may be doing. Not all scientists wear long, white lab coats and nerdy-looking goggles.  My earliest impression of what a scientist wears comes from the show, â€Å"Dexter’s Laboratory.† Long, white lab coats and nerdy-looking goggles. At the very least, I’d thought we would be wearing professional attire, which is what I showed up in at our first group meeting, but soon learned that it was all very casual. If we weren’t dealing with the subjects (children with autism) and their family that day, almost anything goes. Most of us often wear t-shirts and jeans in the lab (I wear shorts because I can’t stand the feel of pants). Test tubes, chemicals, and microscopes are not necessarily the essentials in every research lab.  What?! No chemicals?! Not test tubes?! No microscopes?! What kind of lab is this? I had always thought that research consisted of mixing chemicals together or staring into a microscope, looking at cells, but not all labs involve working with dangerous chemicals or biohazards, which is why casual clothing is appropriate for our lab instead of personal protective equipment (PPE) like lab coats and goggles. Our research study involves a startle (have the subject experience several different situations that might cause anxiety, such as having a sudden puff of air blown near the face or being read a scary story), collection of salivary cortisol (a hormone that is released during states of anxiety), and surveys. As a student researcher, I get to assist during the startle with the subject (a child ages 7-14), such as attaching electrodes onto their skin to detect muscle contraction, monitorin g their reaction through a camera, and running them through one of the nature reserve paradigms to observe their reaction to negative information. The interactions we have with the children and families at these startles are incredibly enlightening and inspirational, providing a sense of purpose in what we do and in all the hours we put forth to better understand this disorder. Outside of the laboratory, my responsibilities include entering data, analyzing electromyograms to validate each trial of the startle, or leading discussions regarding recent research findings on autism. Although less technical than a laboratory that requires the mixing of chemicals or analysis of biomolecular substances, this position has exposed me to how research in the â€Å"real world† is conducted, the process of applying for funding, and all the precautions and rules that a scientist must follow in dealing with human subjects. My position as  a student researcher at UCLA studying the physiology of anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorders gave me a different look into the realm of scientific research. Although it may not be an ideal research position for a biochemist, such as myself, I am enjoying the role that I play in helping this team progress and reach our goal of better physiological understanding of this disorder so that a more valid diagnosis may be available. This just goes to show that there are lots of meaningful research opportunities out there for all different types of fields, whether it be in the applied sciences, arts, life sciences, social sciences, or engineering. So if you are currently an undergraduate or about to become one, take full use of your available resources, experience what it’s like to actually work in your field, and have fun doing it.