Children s Theatre An Activity I Have Positive, First...

Children’s theatre is an activity I have positive, first-hand experience in. I have participated in shows and productions in my community and school for as long as I can remember, and I loved every second of it. Since I have a history with the topic, I believed it would be a smart idea to volunteer my time with some sort of children’s theatre organization. I have always known how beneficial children’s theatre has been to me in my own life, however, I will show how everyone’s involvement in community children’s theatre bears a multitude of positive effects. I decided to volunteer with the Portsmouth Area Arts Council Children’s Theatre, or PACT for short. After this assignment is due, I will still be volunteering with them, helping backstage with their latest production, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr, which will be performed on the Vern Riffe Center’s main stage in November. However, for the few weeks I was with them recently, I was able to help at rehearsals for the show. I did everything from helping children with homework to making sure the kids in the cast were behaving and paying attention to what was happening. These responsibilities, along with observing the kids behaviors, allowed me to see how being a part of a production can positively impact children’s lives. Perhaps the greatest and most apparent benefit to children involved in children’s theatre is the friendships that they make. You do not even have to spend a full rehearsal time at the theater toShow MoreRelatedMy Experience At A Gym s Kids Club Essay1410 Words   |  6 Pagesyear and a half ago I was terrified of children. I was afraid that I would screw them up in the brain. I thought I was a bad influence and I would be the type of parent who is never there for their kid. I was desperately looking for a career change when an old coworker passed by me at the mall, she told me about her great job at a gym s kids club. 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How the Beatles Changed a Generation Free Essays

Ali GreerResearch PaperHST 367 How One Band Changed a Generation The 1960’s is a decade remembered for its counterculture, social revolution and an emergence of a new kind of popular culture. If you asked me what my first thoughts were when I hear the decade 1960s, I automatically think about the Beatles. Has a decade ever had such a defining musical group that represents not only a shift to more rebellious music such as Rock n Roll, but an influence so great that they are still talked about to this day? The Beatles not only changed music but they affected culture in ways that had not been challenged by a musical group before. We will write a custom essay sample on How the Beatles Changed a Generation or any similar topic only for you Order Now I asked my mom what she remembers about the Beatles. She was only 6 when they performed on the Ed Sullivan Show but she still remembers. She said that, â€Å"The Beatles didn’t define a generation, they created one†. The first way that the Beatles challenged everyday popular culture was that the fact that they were British. Before the Beatles traveled across â€Å"the pond†, the U. S. had been a tough break for aspiring British pop groups. The Beatles wanted to teach the world that pop music could be intelligent and that British groups could do that just as well as American music groups. Some could argue that the Beatles did not start a phenomenon, they somehow perfected the cultural significance of 1950’s musicians before them like Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. Before settling with their signature rock sound, The Beatles started in the Skiffle genre, a type of music with jazz, blues and roots influences. By 1960, Lennon wanted to move away from Skiffle to more of a Rock n Roll sound. Lennon and McCartney perfected their writing skills and relied less and less on on outside material. This was a groundbreaking ideal in the music industry and it had a lasting impact on culture. It urged other big name music acts such as the Rolling Stones to start writing their own music. Lennon and McCartney would eventually become one of the most famous songwriting partnerships in music history. The Beatles first appeared on American television on February 9, 1964 on The Ed Sullivan Show. 40 % of the country, about 73 million viewers tuned in to see Paul, John, George and Ringo perform for the first time in America. This is still considered one of the most important moments in television history. Now one may ask, how did so many people know about this little band from Britain? The record I Want to Hold Your Hand was leaked in advance to American radio stations. The record label could not prevent DJs from the playing the record therefore the album was officially released on December 26, 1963. 250,000 copies were sold in the first three days of its release. It’s unclear who actually leaked the record beforehand, but this publicity stunt was hugely successful for the Beatles. Mobs of people were waiting for the Beatles when they arrived at JFK airport. When asked how did you find America, Ringo Starr jokingly said â€Å"Turn left at Greenland. † The media took to covering this frenzy as best as it could. Newsweek printed an article on February 24 ,1963 reviewing the Beatles’ performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The last paragraph ended with this, â€Å"the odds are they will fade away, as most adults confidently predict. † No one could predict the upcoming effects that the Beatles would have on American culture. The Beatles had arrived in America during a confusing time. President Kennedy had been assassinated just a few months prior, the threat of a war in Vietnam was eminent and Americans needed something new. And the Beatles were just what they needed. They rejuvenated pop music for Americans. They were seen as modern and sleek. â€Å"Beatlemania was so strong because the times and the youth of America were simpler and more naive. † This simplicity of society would play a big role in the Beatles influence on culture because it would allow them to change their style so freely without doubt from the nation. Society would accept it as popular no matter what. When the Beatles arrived in America, parents of teenagers hated them. They hated their relationship themed lyrics, their sex appeal, etc. The Beatles influenced a generation to not do what their parents told them to and helped Rock n Roll gain its rebellious reputation. Naturally, The Beatles are best known for their music. Not only did they have a large number of hit songs, but their music also evolved very rapidly through the group’s brief career, embarking on territory not previously explored by pop music groups. Released in 1967, â€Å"Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band† was a huge breakthrough album in pop music with its use of orchestras, harpsichords, circus sounds and other effects that were largely created in the studio. No longer did pop groups just have to be guitars, a bass, drums and vocals — nor were they limited to what could be performed live. The Beatles still influence music years after their breakup. â€Å"Beatlesque† is â€Å"a term used by critics to describe music that has one or more traits or characteristics of the music made by the Beatles. There are also hundreds of Beatles tribute bands out there paying tribute to the Fab 4. â€Å"The Beatles sold a lot of records not because they were the greatest musicians but simply because their music was easy to sell to the masses: it had no difficult content, it had no technical innovations, it had no creative depth. They wrote a bunch of catchy 3-minute ditties and they were photogenic†. Th e Beatles were immensely popular during the 1960s and they helped feminize a culture. The baby boom began in 1946 and ended in 1964 which meant that ? f the nation’s population was in the teen or pre teen bracket. When the the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, hundreds of teenage girls were lined up, screaming. An important factor to Beatlemania was the fans. There was something slightly feminine about the Beatles. Their slightly tousled hair, their tailored suits. The Beatles had the perfect mix between masculinity and femininity. The Beatles persistent feature of women and love in their songs left teenage girls swooning and a culture that was more sexually driven than ever. As Steven Stark points out in his book Meet The Beatles, they also â€Å"challenged the definition that existed during their time of what it meant to be a man. †   Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"The Beatles were not only selling records, they were selling trends. † Featured in the Time All Time 100 Fashion Icons, the Beatles were always evolving when it came to style. You could say that it’s normal for musicians to change their appearance to keep up with society and the latest trends. The Beatles were the trend. Whatever they did, society copied. When the Beatles first traveled to America, they wore black collarless suits. They even popularized a haircut called the â€Å"moptop† The moptop was a straight cut, collar length in the back and over the ears on the sides. The public went crazy for this cut. McCartney writes in a letter, â€Å"George explained in a 60s interview that it was John and I having our hair cut in Paris which prompted him to do the same†¦. We were the first to take the plunge. † The Beatles were not afraid of taking risks. They took what they liked from popular culture and took it to a new extreme. Towards the end of Beatlemania, the Beatles embraced more of a psychedelic style, with bright patterns and colors. They even let their signature hairstyles grow out and even experimented with facial hair. John Lennon even established his own trend, wearing tea shade glasses which ended up being called â€Å"Lennon† glasses. The Beatles were not hesitant when it came to change, even when it dealt with changing their own fads and this is important to their success as culture icons. The Beatles did not merely stay in the music industry. They dabbled in the movie business too. Their film, Yellow Submarine was a colorful trendsetter in the world of animation. Producers used techniques that had never been used before. Although Yellow Submarine was produced on a small budget, the film was met with mostly positive reviews. Talking about the film, Time Magazine stated that it, â€Å"turned into a smash hit, delighting adolescents and esthetes alike†. The aftermath of Yellow Submarine was that animation was being taken as a more serious form of art. Previously, animation had been described as silly or goofy. The Beatles changed this perspective. Josh Weinstein, a former writer for the animated series The Simpsons wrote an article describing how Yellow Submarine affected modern animation today. Weinstein states, â€Å"Without Yellow Submarine there would never have been The Simpsons, no Futurama, no South Park, no Toy Story, no Shrek No animated anything that enables us to laugh at ourselves while being highly entertained. †   As you can see, The Beatles accomplishments in popular culture are still talked about today. The religious allure of the Beatles was a vital factor in allowing the group to endure. John Lennon was onto something in 1966 when he compared the group’s popularity with that of Jesus Christ. Multitudes flocked to them and even brought sick children to see if the Beatles could somehow heal them. Thus, those who have seen elements of religious ecstasy in Beatlemania are not wrong. â€Å"Religion, it must not be forgotten, has its roots in spiritual bonding. And the Beatles had a powerful appeal to a generation in calling forth a spiritual bonding. It was so intoxicating that it created mass hysteria. In this way, the Beatles—especially with their elevation to a kind of sainthood—have become modern counterparts to the religious figures of the past†. John Lennon once stated that, â€Å"The Beatles are more popular than Jesus† and this remark caused quite the controversy in the United States. It led to fans to protest the band and to burn their albums. This was different than the attitudes of society during Beatlemania. Society was actually challenging something the Beatles did. This was a momentous event because it showed that the Beatles were immune. They made mistakes too. They didn’t have a perfect image. But that lack of perfect image was the catalyst to the Beatles success. Society saw the Beatles as four men trying to change he face of music. The Beatles did not only influence religion, but political views as well. Lennon in an interview to Rolling Stone talks about the song â€Å"Revolution†, â€Å"I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India. I still had this ‘God will save us’ feeling about it, that it’s going to be all right (even now I’m saying ‘Hold on, J ohn, it’s going to be all right,’ otherwise, I won’t hold on) but that’s why I did it, I wanted to talk, I wanted to say my piece about revolution. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say ‘What do you say? This is what I say. † Revolution was the Beatles first overtly public political song. Revolution dealt with the War in Vietnam. New Left publications called the song a â€Å"betrayal†. Besides it blatant political undertones, Revolution went on to become a hit single. The Beatles were and still are so successful because of their infiltration of different media outlets. Music, television, movies, magazines, radio, etc. They knew that they needed not only to sell music but to sell a legacy. The Beatles influenced a whole generation during the 1960s and they are still influencing new generations to this day. This multi decade success is a clear example of their powerful grasp on American culture during the 1960s. Bibliography http://www. guardian. co. uk/film/2012/nov/19/beatles-yellow-submarine-simpsons-shrek http://www. edsullivan. com/artists/the-beatles/ http://www. beatles-tribute-band-uk. co. uk/history. htm http://www. time. com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2110513_2110627_2110708,00. html http://www. scaruffi. com/vol1/beatles. html#sgt http://beatle. wordpress. com/2008/08/23/history-the-beatles-started-a-revolution-that-changed-us-all-forever/ http://www. thebeatles. com/ How to cite How the Beatles Changed a Generation, Papers

Al Azhar University free essay sample

Al-Azhar University Brief Description Al-Azhar University also known as Jamiat Al Azhar al Saif, meaning the noble Azhar, is a center of learning in Cairo, Egypt. It was established as an Islamic Institute or a madrasa in 972 and specialized in offering courses pertaining to the field of Arabic Literature and Sunni theology and sharia. It is regarded as the second oldest University both around the world and in Egypt. It was initially established as the Al Azhar mosque. However, it slowly developed into an Islamic educational institute over the years.Al Azhar’s main aim involves spreading Islamic faith and culture around the world. To this day, Islamic scholars at the institute issue fatwas based on arguments and situations put forward to them from around the Sunni world. These fatwas cover a wide range of topics such as Islamic law, appropriate behavior for individual Muslims, etc. In 1961, following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and the establishment of Gamal Abdel Nasser’s government, Al Azhar started offering programs apart from Islamic subjects such as science, engineering, pharmacy medicine, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Al Azhar University or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page That same year, a women’s department was also established as part of the university. Today, al-Azhar has positioned itself as a profoundly significant institution in Egypt and around the world. History Initially established as a mosque by the Fatimid dynasty, it slowly evolved into a university over the years. Its construction was authorized by the fourth leader of the Fatimid Dynasty, Al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah, in Cairo which at that time was the newly founded capital city of Egypt. It was the first mosque to be constructed in Cairo, and took approximately two years to build.It was completed in the year 972, after which it opened for prayers during the month of Ramadan. Since the Fatimid dynasty was descendant from Fatima, daughter of the Prophet P. B. U. H. , it is widely thought that the university was named after her. Fatima was also known as Az Zahra (the brilliant or the shining one), thus, giving the university its name. Another theory regarding how the institution got its name is that the mosque was surrounded by large mansions and palaces during the year it was established. Al Azhar was originally established as a base for spreading the Ismaili sect of Shiite Islam.The Fatimid Dynasty used it as a means to publicize the teachings of the Ismaili school of law. This sect of Islam was taught at both the caliph’s palace and at al Azhar. It became a leading institution for Islamic learning in the world and was used as a center for issuing all religious judgments. In 973, the mosque was designated as the official place of congregational gathering for the Eid ul Fitr prayers in Cairo. In 988, Al Muiz appointed Yaqub ibn Killis, a person with extensive knowledge of Islamic law as one of the prominent instructors at Al Azhar.Yaqub bin Killis is mainly credited with advancing Al Azhar as a center for Islamic learning. The next year, the authorities at Al Azhar appointed several other instructors and religious scholars to teach at the mosque, thus, forming a base for the institution to become the most prominent Islamic university in the world. From 975 to 996, during the reign of Al Muiz’s son al Aziz, the mosque expanded even further. These expansions were carried out till the remaining of the Fatimid dynasty. The Fatimid dynasty is also credited with establishing Al Azhar’s library by providing it with numerous Ismaili manuscripts.A Mamluk leader However, following the overthrow of the Fatimid dynasty by the Ayyubid Empire led by Saladin in 1171, the mosque saw a period of negligence. The Ayyubid dynasty was a firm Sunni empire and disapproved of the Shiite teachings taught at the university. The manuscripts provided by the Fatimid dynasty were destroyed, and funding for the students and professors was stopped. However, the policies of this dynasty are regarded as a key factor for converting Al Azhar to a Sunni center of learning.Following the disestablishment of the Ayyubid Empire, the mosque saw large advancements and expansions during the Mamluk Sultanate as a key Sunni educational institution. The Mamluk and Ottoman leaders sought political rulings from the institute, whereas the general public sought security and solutions during the time of economic and political turmoil. Area of specialization Classes commenced at Al Azhar during the month of Ramadan in 975. According to some sources, the university is said to have added faculties in Islamic law and jurisprudence (sharia), Islamic astronomy, Islamic philosophy, logic and Arabic grammar durng the same year.However, the academy mainly offered subjects regarding Arabic Literature and Islamic jurisprudence (sharia). The main purpose of Al Azhar was to advance everyone’s knowledge of the Islamic faith and help them become stronger Muslims. In its syllabus and academic activities, Al Azhar sought to reinforce the sacred ties and bring about a religious sense of pride among the Muslim nation. Today Al Azhar’s syllabus mainly consists of religious studies which include Quranic sciences and the Sunnah of the Prophet (p. b. u. h). Furthermore, it offers other subjects such as science, medicine, etc.In 1961, faculties of medicine and engineering, among other faculties, were added to the university. These departments are unique in the sense that they teach all non- religious subjects from an Islamic perspective. Al Azhar’s student population includes students not just from Egypt but also from all over the world. The University of Al-Azhar seeks to endow the Muslim world with religious scholars and experts, by providing them with extensive knowledge about Islamic laws, culture and morals so that they can serve their people better, and help develop their nations on the foundation of faith and science.Important Islamic Events During this Time The university was established sometime in the midst of the golden age of Islam. A few centuries before the university was set up, the Abbasid dynasty had conquered the Umayyad dynasty and rose to power in the year 750 AD. The Abbasid dynasty also managed to conquer some parts of Europe, hence, spreading Islam to those areas. The Islamic civilization is said to have prospered most during this reign and was, thus, called the golden age of Islam (750 AD – 1258 AD). This period saw several developments in Arabic literature, commerce and industry, arts and sciences, and medicine among other areas.Furthermore, there were a lot of scientific and technological achievements witnessed during this period. During the Abassid rule, a lot of the Umayyad rulers fled to Muslim Spain. The following centuries witnessed some of the Umayyad rulers rise back to power in Spain. Towards the end of the 10th century, the Umayyad dynasty eventually took control of the Iberian Peninsula (then known as Al Andalus), by running the region from Cordoba, Spain. During the period 912-961 AD, Abd al Rahman III became the emir of Cordoba, succeeding his grandfather after his death.This era witnessed the development of Cordoba across several fields such as economic, agricultural, etc. However, the Umayyad dynasty fell apart again in 1031 resulting in the division of Al Andalus into smaller independent states. Around the same time, the Shiite Fatimid Empire was founded in 909 by Ubaid Allah al-Mahdi Billah. This dynasty claimed to be descendent from the Prophet (p. b. u. h)’s daughter Fatima Az Zahra. Their reign soon expanded to several parts of North Africa and, in addition, included countries like Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, the Red Sea, Africa, Yemen Hejaz, and Sicily.