University of Chicago college essay free essay sample

University of Chicago extended essay, application for the 2012-2013 school year Prompt Dont write about reverse psychology. Don’t you dare read this essay. Don’t dangle on every word, do not devote your full attention to it because it is not worth it. So why are you still reading? I did not spend much time on it anyway. I did not think about it in the shower, about whether I should obey the spirit or the letter of the prompt. I did not challenge myself. I never thought about how much fun it is to do chores as long as no one has told you to do them. I did not think about whether fewer kids would drink if it were legal, or if I would have eaten my broccoli if my mom had told me not to. See, I did not put much thought into this at all, so do not read another word. We will write a custom essay sample on University of Chicago college essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is a mind trick; a lie told as a means to an end; an easy way out. It is mysterious and dangerous communication. Especially between parents and children, it is extremely confusing and lays a foundation for distrust. After all, if you tell your child not to go outside every day because you really want him to, he will end up playing in the backyard during a lightning storm. Why should he listen to you at all if he has disobeyed you before and you encouraged it? I am not saying that there is no place in the world for untruth. I am old enough to know that life is not a Disney movie, and that sometimes the value of the truth can be beaten by the consequences of telling it. If you need a little mind trick to get your child to eat her vegetables once or twice, it is not the end of the world. But I worry about the misuse of communication. I visualize a baby holding a loaded gun. What is scary about the image is not that the baby is malicious and wants to kill someone, but that the baby cannot possibly comprehend the power it holds. Communication is as powerful as that loaded gun, and just as dangerous in immature hands. Today more than ever, you often cannot read the face at the other end of a conversation. You cannot hear the stutter or wavering words within a text or instant message. You cannot tell what is a lie. You also cannot see the effect of your actions. You cannot see the hurt in someone else’s eyes after you press send. The destructive power of communication snarls behind the names people call each other and the words people use to tear each other down. But I believe in the constructive power of communication. I believe that the best discoveries will be sculpted from collaboration, using communication in pursuit of common goals as opposed to selfishly as a means to an end. I believe that you can only confidently understand your own ideas when others have challenged them. I believe that one person’s words to others can change the world. I just hope that they think before they speak.

10 Types of Marriage Records for Family History

10 Types of Marriage Records for Family History The different types of marriage records that might be available for your ancestors, and the amount and kind of information they contain,  will vary depending on the location and time period, as well as sometimes the parties religion. In some localities, a marriage license may include the most details, while in a different locality and time period more information might be found in the marriage register. Locating all available marriage record types increases the chance of learning additional information- including confirmation that the marriage actually took place, the names of parents or witnesses, or the religion of one or both parties to the marriage. Records of Intentions to Marry Marriage Banns - Banns, sometimes spelled bans, were public notice of an intended marriage between two specified persons on a particular date. Banns began as a church custom, later proscribed by English common law, that required the parties to give advance public notice of their intention to marry over three consecutive Sundays, either in church or a public place. The purpose was to give anyone who might have an objection to the marriage, to state why the marriage should not take place. Usually, this was because one or both of the parties was too young or already married, or because they were more closely related than allowed by law.Marriage Bond - a monetary pledge or guarantee given to the court by the intended groom and a bondsman to affirm  that there was no moral or legal reason why the couple could not be married, and also that the groom would not change his mind. If either party declined to go through with the union, or of one of the parties was found to be ineligible- for example, already married, too closely related to the other party, or underage without parental approval- the bond money was generally forfeit. The bondsman, or surety, was often a brother or uncle to the bride, although he could also be a relative of the groom, or even a neighbor of  a  friend of either of the two parties. The use of marriage bonds was especially common in the southern and mid-Atlantic states through the first half of the nineteenth century. In colonial Texas, where Spanish law required colonists to be Catholic, a marriage bond was used in a slightly different fashion- as a pledge to local authorities in situations where there was no Roman Catholic priest available that the couple agreed to have their civil marriage solemnized by a priest as soon as the opportunity came available.Marriage License -   Perhaps the most commonly found record of a marriage is the marriage license. The purpose of a marriage license was to ensure that the marriage conformed to all legal requirements, such as both parties being of lawful age and not too closely related to one another.  After confirming there were no impediments to the marriage, a  license form was issued by a local public official (usually the county clerk) to the couple intending to marry, and granted permission to anyone authorized to solemnize marriages (minister, Justice of the Peace, etc.) to perform the ceremony.  The marriage was usually- but not always- performe d within a few days after the granting of the license. In many localities both the marriage license and the marriage return (see below) are found recorded together. Marriage Application - In some jurisdictions and time periods, law required that a marriage application to be filled out before a marriage license could be issued. In such situations, the application often required more information than was recorded on the marriage license, making it especially useful for family history research. Marriage applications may be recorded in separate books, or might be found with the marriage licenses.   Consent Affidavit - In most jurisdictions, individuals under the lawful age could still be married with  the consent of a parent or guardian as long as they were still above a minimum age. The age at which an individual required consent varied by locality and time period, as well as whether they were male or female. Commonly, this might be anyone under the age of twenty-one; in some jurisdictions, lawful age was sixteen or eighteen, or even as young as thirteen or fourteen for females. Most jurisdictions also had a minimum age, not allowing children under the age of twelve or fourteen to marry, even with parental consent. In some cases, this consent may have taken the form of a written affidavit, signed by the parent (usually the father) or legal guardian. Alternatively, the consent may have been given verbally to the county clerk in front of one or more witnesses, and then noted along with the marriage record. Affidavits were also sometimes recorded to affirm that both individuals were of legal age. Marriage Contract or Settlement - While much less common than the other marriage record types discussed here, marriage contracts have been recorded since colonial times. Similar to what we would now call a prenuptial agreement, marriage contracts or settlements were agreements made prior to marriage, most commonly when the woman owned property in her own name or wished to ensure that property left by a former husband would go to his children and not the new spouse. Marriage contracts might be found filed among the marriage records, or recorded in the deed books or records of the local court.In areas governed by civil law, however, marriage contracts were much more common, used as a means for both parties to protect their property, regardless of their economic or social status. Marriage licenses, bonds,  and  banns all indicate that a marriage was  planned  to take place, but not that it actually happened. For proof that a marriage actually took place, youll need to look for any of the following records: Records Documenting That a Marriage Took Place Marriage Certificate  - A marriage certificate confirms a marriage and is signed by the person officiating at the marriage. The downside is, that the original marriage certificate ends up in the hands of the bride and groom, so if it hasnt been passed down in the family, you may not be able to locate it. In most localities, however, the information from the marriage certificate, or at least verification that the marriage actually took place, is recorded at the bottom or on the back of the marriage license, or in a separate marriage book (see  marriage register  below). Marriage Return / Ministers Return  - Following the wedding, the minister or officiant would complete a paper called a  marriage return indicating that he had married the couple and on what date. He would later return it to the local registrar as proof that the marriage occurred. In many  localities,  you can find this return  recorded at the bottom or on the back of the marriage license. Alternatively, the information may be located in a Marriage Register (see below) or in a separate volume of ministers returns. The lack of an actual marriage date or  marriage  return does not always mean the marriage didnt take place, however. In some  cases,  the minister or officiant may have simply forgotten to drop off the return, or it wasnt recorded for whatever reason. Marriage Register  - Local clerks generally recorded the marriages they performed in a marriage register or book. Marriages performed by another officiant (e.g.  minister, justice of the peace, etc.) were also generally recorded, following receipt of the  marriage  return. Sometimes marriage registers incorporate information from a variety of marriage documents, so may include the names of the couples; their ages, birthplaces, and current locations; the names of their parents, the names of witnesses, the name of the officiant and the date of marriage. Newspaper Announcement  - Historical newspapers are a rich source for information on marriages, including those which may predate the recording of marriages in that locality. Search  historical newspaper archives  for engagement announcements and marriage announcements, paying special attention to clues such as the location of the marriage, the name of the officiant (may indicate religion), the members of the marriage party, the names of guests, etc. Dont overlook religious or ethnic newspapers if you know the ancestors religion, or if they belong to a specific ethnic group (e.g. the local German-language newspaper).