Incarceration in the Views of Kaysen and Abbott Essay

Imprisonment in the Views of Kaysen and Abbott - Essay Example Susanna Kaysen was the writer of the book Girl, Interrupted, which was distributed in 1994. The book was about her life while she was limited to the premises of McLean Hospital. She was detained in the medical clinic since she was determined to have marginal character issue. During her time in the medical clinic, Kaysen felt being denied of the opportunity she once had. She felt that she was put in a â€Å"parallel universe that is detached to the outside world†. She felt defenseless being a patient in McLean Hospital since they might have the option to have constantly they need, however the incongruity is that they are likewise hostages of time. As patients, their lives were administered by the standards of the medical clinic. Their self-assurance was expelled from them, permitting the clinic to drive their confidence and security. Likewise, they were checked by the emergency clinic staff each 15 or 30 minutes, which intrudes on them in whatever they are doing. Likewise, the experience to be distant from everyone else, not at all like in the outside world, implies being deny of opportunity and placed into the isolation room. Likewise, before all else, she contrasted the emergency clinic entrance comparable with a jail, and that patients were secured their rooms like detainees. Moreover, the emergency clinic staff turned to prescriptions so as to control and abstained them from acting up. Be that as it may, toward the end, Kaysen â€Å"accepted the way that she is intellectually ill,† and that her stay in the clinic will in the end shed light on her disease and recuperation (Klemens 2-4; Kaysen). Then again, Jack Henry Abbott wrote In the Belly of the Beast, which was about his life in jail. During the 20 years that he was imprisoned, he depicted his experience as an unnerving one. Beside his youth encounters, he was detained in Utah State Penitentiary and was condemned to serve for a long time in a government jail. Consistently, he had encountere d eating cockroach so as to endure, beaten genuinely and verbally, and infused with medications to quiet or control them. In addition, he refered to that there was an unbiased treatment between races which was exemplified by the officials. Additionally, murder was inescapable inside the jail, despite the fact that there were monitors inside the premises. He expressed that more often than not, the gatekeepers permitted revolt inside the jail for them to abstain from being bugged by the detainees. He considered the To be correctional framework as a degenerate one which made the detainees lived by its principles. Besides, he was likewise in isolation, where he abided into the nothingness of the world that necessities to â€Å"justify himself as a human being† (White House 32-33; NY Book Time; Abbott). Be that as it may, Susanna Kaysen and Jack Abbott are two people who are of two distinct foundations who combat against their imprisonment encounters as being portrayed in their bo oks. Susanna Kaysen was from a wealthy family and was additionally accomplished. Before her admission to the McLean Hospital, she had a brilliant future in front of her in view of her training and basically on the grounds that she had a place with a well-off family. Notwithstanding, at eighteen years old, Kaysen chose to murder herself, and therefore, she was sent to McLean

Myra Hindley :: essays research papers

A savage flirt, the guide and plausible brief of an insidious and wanton executioner. Or then again a 'political detainee being utilized as a substitute by lawmakers and the media'? This is a delicate subject and individuals frequently react with dread and nervousness when we choose to look at things like the Moors murders. We are informed that our interest is 'undesirable', and that needing to know,or transparently banter about an issue which is 'normally' shut, must be the craving of a wiped out psyche. We are urged to deliberately ignore and disregard well. It is clear to me that to wish to analyze something isn't to excuse it. However when someone attempts to pose inquiries about no-no subjects today, they are thought to be thoughtful to the subject, perhaps somewhat disturbed, and absolutely suspect. They become an untouchable, and this coming untied from the group is likewise something which many dread. Many express better to be believed to be a piece of the lynch-crowd than to turn into its quarry yet these are the individuals who don't have the quality of character to try and endeavor to be the quarry. During their preliminary, neither Hindley nor Brady demonstrated regret. Both were condemned to life. They are still in jail as of now. The appointed authority has expressed that she will to be sure spend the remainder of her days in jail with no possibility of ever being paroled, so for what reason does she despite everything contend against the adjudicators choice ? A great deal of weight is put on Governments to keep Hidley inside and whether she is to be discharged is currently regularly expressed in party political articulations preceding decisions, as it is expected that the abrogating pubic assessment could win or lose races. On November the twenty - first supporters of Hindley required an audit of condemning methods after Jack Straw reaffirmed the choice of his antecedent, Michael Howard, of never discharging Hindley from jail. The decision went under prompt assault from correctional reformers and common freedoms campaigners. Myra Hindley is as yet requesting of for her discharge On October the seventh, 1998 Hindley closed a meeting at the Court of Appeal attempting to overrule her "whole-life tariff." In her new endeavor at toppling her lifelong incarceration and win the privilege to a parole hearing, Hindley guaranteed that she can demonstrate that she partook in the Moors kills simply because Brady manhandled her, and took steps to murder her mom, grandma and more youthful sister in the event that she didn't conform to his desires.

Utopia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Perfect world - Essay Example In actuality, I believe its extremely distant from being Utopia. However, what is Utopia I would believe that it is where there is harmony and love among all men. Be that as it may, as per Plato's The Republic, he thought about an ideal state to have two things: the ideal man and the ideal equity. An ideal world can't exist if the individuals that comprises it are defective. I should concur but reluctantly, on the grounds that on second thought, the world is only the aggregate of the individuals which comprise it. Thus, to make an ideal world, the men that structure it must be flawless also. Despite the fact that we have made some amazing progress since our brute predecessors, we are not immaculate still. As indicated by Charles Darwin, men may have respectable characteristics and god-like insight but men despite everything bears in his substantial edge the unappetizing stamp of his modest starting point. Since it is our body that confines us and keeps us from being great, Plato has recommended in The Republic that in the advanced world, debilitated and disfigured kids are isolated and killed so they don't taint nor trouble the rest. They are imperfect, and there is no space for defects ideally. Plato proposed that ideally, there is solidarity among men and they are unified with the state. Men stop to be minor people and rather they are viewed as individuals from the state. I concur with this line of reasoning in such a case that men today would think along these lines, they would waver before doing mischief to another, in such a case that they harm another, they harm the State. Also, as it were, they harm themselves. In any case, to accomplish this unity with the State, Plato recommends shared property heavily influenced by the state. Similarly, it recommends that the State raises the kids without guardians knowing their posterity. These are planned to forestall gathering of riches, minds, excellence and different characteristics of birth. Once more, I should consent to this line of reasoning. Since to have a total solidarity with the State, one must acquiescence everything to it, in any case, riches will be thought uniquely to specific people, excellence and minds would just be constrained to just a single family. This is what's going on now. Furthermore, as we see, it prompts disparity and bad form. Would we be able to Attain Utopia As I would see it, it will be about difficult to achieve Utopia. Most importantly, we are defective men. What's more, as things are going as for human rights support, I don't think it is conceivable to isolate the distorted and debilitated and put them to death. Such would be in opposition to all precepts of human rights. In like manner, while it's increasingly conceivable to have a network of property as such exists in certain socialist countries today. I don't think it is feasible for the State to raise kids. No parent would consent to surrender their youngster. We all are raised in a family domain and we are instructed how significant family ties are. In crafted by Rene Descartes, he presumed that a piece made by one individual out of scratch is more flawless than a piece that developed from various pieces consolidated. We are the last mentioned. Mankind advanced and our general public is the thing that it is presently founded on different encounters. Along these lines, it is less great. To accomplish flawlessness, we should begin once again. Devastate what we have now and manufacture it

Measurements Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Estimations Paper - Essay Example At long last the paper closes with the announcement of present research's factors and depict the kinds of unwavering quality and legitimacy that is proposed to be utilized in regard of such factors. The objective object of the proposed examine is to assess administration quality execution versus client desires for the equivalent. A variable is an information that can expect at least one characteristics called its qualities. The degree of estimation alludes to the relationship among the qualities that are relegated to the characteristics for a variable. Level of estimation is significant as it encourages scientist to conclude how to decipher the information from that variable. It additionally causes the specialist to choose what measurable examination is generally proper on the qualities that were appointed. As is commonly placed four degrees of estimations are distinguished i.e nominal(here the numerical qualities simply name the trait extraordinarily; no requesting of the cases is implied),ordinal( here estimation of the properties can be rank-requested and removes between characteristics don't have any meaning),interval(in such estimates separates between properties do have significance) and ratio(in such estimation there is consistently a flat out zero that is important; this implies you can develop an imp ortant division (or proportion) with a proportion variable).(Trochim,2006-a). These estimations must be solid and legitimate in an incorporated way and dependent on obvious score hypothesis of estimation. to guarantee top notch (Trochim, 2006-b). Unpretentious measures will be measures that don't require the analyst to encroach in the exploration setting. Direct and member perception necessitates that the analyst be truly present.Reseracher nearness can influence respondent conduct and reaction. Three sorts of inconspicuous measures are typically utilized in sociology look into: Indirect Measures, Content Analysis and Secondary Analysis of Data(Trochim,2006-c).In short, unpretentious estimation work to diminish the inclination brought about by specialist's quality yet bring about lesser authority over the information. The previous paper on connections had distinguished the essential builds as: unwavering quality, responsiveness, affirmation, sympathy, physical assets, and business accomplishment comparable to administrations' quality. Build legitimacy alludes to how much surmisings can truly be produced using the operationalizations in your examination to the hypothetical develops on which those operationalizations were based. Build legitimacy includes summing up from the program or measures to the idea of such program or measures (Trochim, 2006-d). Dangers to build legitimacy might be brought about by not appropriately characterizing operationally the develops; utilizing just a single rendition of your treatment; deficiency of utilizing a solitary measure to take a gander at a specific idea; collaborations between various medications; cooperation of the testing and the treatment; unexpected results and so on.( Driebe ) It is set here that responses to the proposed

Violence in Hockey

Presentation Human creatures and driven by feelings that begin from profound inside them. Fury is one of the enthusiastic reactions that people have while reacting to an occurrence or a circumstance (Andrews 21). During the time spent communicating their fierceness, people as a rule go out to savagery or rough like behaviors.Advertising We will compose a custom research paper test on Violence in Hockey explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Violence from anger can emerge in various circumstances. Brutality experienced in homes, open spots, amusement zones and even in sports. Various occurrences have been accounted for in regards to the ejection of savagery over the span of a game. This is exceptionally basic in rugby, b-ball, football, and soccer. Be that as it may, viciousness is a one of a kind marvel in a game. This game is ice hockey. Ice hockey is one of the mainstream indoor games in the United States of America and Canada. The game pulls in colossal hordes of f ans from these two countries just as the remainder of the world who follow the game. Groups appreciate the quick pace of the game and the abilities and procedures that players use to score and win matches. Furthermore, fans likewise appreciate the emission of brutality between players who battle to settle down any distinctions that may have ascended between them. Because of this, hockey has consistently been viewed as one of the forceful games in the where brutality is excused. Savagery in Hockey Violence has been a necessary piece of ice hockey. Because of its significance in the game and the effect that it has, brutality has formed into a solid culture of the game that has been passed starting with one age then onto the next. Brutality in hockey start during the principal half of the twentieth century (Andrews 32). As indicated by Andrews (2003), 1904 saw the demise of 4 players in hockey games because of the brutality and fights (71). This was nevertheless only a presentation of savagery and brutal related acts into the game. In present day times, savagery has ejected in the game under various events. The most widely recognized reasons for brutality in the game emerge from fights. Savagery additionally ejects therefore from the end purpose of fans. Furthermore, quarrels additionally come over because of authorities being genuinely mishandled and players purposely harming one another. There are decides and guidelines that have been created to control the round of hockey. As per these standards, any type of savagery is denied. Should viciousness happen, the people who are associated with the battle and somewhat, their clubs endure punishments (Andrews 67).Advertising Looking for investigate paper on wellbeing medication? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This may incorporate fines and suspension from messing around. Subsequently, acts, for example, kicking rivals from behind or wrong swinging of sticks are restricted. What's more, fisticuffs are additionally punished. Be that as it may, this is the most widely recognized type of savagery in hockey. Be that as it may, players and enthusiasts of the game believe this type of viciousness to be so energizing. Somewhat, a portion of these people feel that viciousness is a piece of the game. As indicated by numerous individuals, fisticuffs is a successful methods through which rival players of rival groups can settle down any distinctions that may have been available between them. Hence, to direct the viciousness and other savage acts in the game, a few principles and guidelines have been created. In course of the game, the arbitrators as a rule execute these principles. Hence, a ref has the ability to punish players who are associated with vicious acts over the span of the game. The discipline that an arbitrator decides to take relies upon the level of viciousness. Nonetheless, the force that arbitrators have is restricted. Off the ga me, the National Hockey League (NHL) controls the demonstrations activities of player. This remembers their association for brutality. The NHL along these lines has the ability to direct examination, charge or even convict players on the grounds of being engaged with brutality. The NHL likewise has the ability to fine, suspend and even oust players because of their rough practices. Ordinarily, these choices are shown up at after cautious examinations and contemplations have been put on the current issue. The image underneath shows linemen isolating players from a battle. History of Violence in Hockey Even during its initial days, hockey has been considered as a savage game. During the early long periods of the game, brutality was a typical wonder in the game. It was until after the demise of two players that solid measures were set up to limit the event of savagery and brutal acts in the sport.Advertising We will compose a custom research paper test on Violence in Hockey explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More To show cause, the people who had been answerable for the homicides were taken to preliminary. Nonetheless, in spite of the endeavors that were put to bring these individuals into equity, the blamed were all vindicated for their violations. Notwithstanding this choice be that as it may, setting up of firm standards and guideline was viewed as a need as the game confronted a danger of being prohibited. This would have put hockey on the degrees of sports, for example, cockfighting. The guidelines and guidelines that have been set by the NHL have enormously decreased the event of savagery in hockey games. Be that as it may, there are rates in which players and additionally fans participate in fisticuffs and stick-swinging delivering agony and injury to other people. In such occasions, solid disciplines as fines, suspensions have been shown up at after cautious examinations have occurred. Up to the current second, just a single individual has ever been restricted for life from hockey. During a Stanley Cup game, Billy Coutu ambushed one ref and handled another (Andrews 133). Likewise, Coutu began a seat clearing fight. After an examination of the issue, Coutu was ousted for life by the leader of the NHL in 1927. Be that as it may, after meetings, the boycott was lifted by the NHL more than two years after the fact in spite of the fact that Coutu never played again. A few different frequencies of this nature have been accounted for as of late. Savagery in hockey doesn't just happen in the NHL alone. Battles additionally break out in lower groups. A prime model is the battle that broke out on August first 2012 in Texas, USA (Moore 11). The battle emitted in a grown-up hockey game when a player hit his adversary with a hockey stick on the face. Because of the seriousness of the injury, paramedics were called to the scene to spare the life of the person in question. Witnesses expressed that the demonstration was intentional s ince the aggressor swung the hockey stick straight into the casualties face likewise as one would swing a play club. The case is still under scrutiny. Then again, there are those individuals who bolster viciousness in hockey. The procurement of John Scott by the Buffalo Sabers is a prime model (Palumbo 13). Being close of 7 feet tall and weighing more than 270 pounds, Scott is viewed as perhaps the best contender in the class. It has been estimated that the Sabers procured Scott as a terrorizing measure. The Sabers have been confronting a great deal of terrorizing particularly from their adversaries, the Boston Bruins.Advertising Searching for examine paper on wellbeing medication? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Find out More The Sabers have been confronting a ton of analysis from the media and general society on the grounds of weakness. The group has been reprimanded for neglecting to react to blackouts that have consistently been emerging against them. Subsequently, the onetime pleased establishment has been battling with embarrassment particularly during the last season. It is in this way accepted with a player like Scott, the group will react to such circumstance. This won't just threaten their adversaries yet it will likewise spur and lift the confidence of different players prompting expanded triumphs and a took shots at the national title. At the current second, the degree of battling during hockey games has extraordinarily decreased. This may be because of the exacting usage of the guidelines and guidelines against battling. Then again, the quantity of blackouts has incredibly expanded. Be that as it may, in contrast to battles, blackouts as a rule emerge unintentionally. In any case, examinations are now in progress to build up the reasons for blackouts and means through which they can be managed to enhance the nature of the game. End Hockey has consistently been viewed as one of the most fierce games on earth. Because of these vicious demonstrations, various people have wound up with genuine wounds while other have wound up dead. To mediate, the NHL has concocted rules, guidelines, and various types of disciplines. This has attempted to decrease the degree of brutality in the game albeit rough occurrences do emerge once in a while. Works Cited Andrews, Lamar. Savagery: Not Part of Youth Hockey. New York: Sage Publications, 2003. Print Moore, Marcus. â€Å"Violence closes North Texas Hockey.† KHOU 3.2 (2012): 9-14. Print Palumbo, Lenny. â€Å"Fighting is Good for Hockey and Sabres.† The Sports Journal, 12.1 (2012): 13-15. Print This examination paper on Violence in Hockey was composed and presented by client Madeline Albert to help you with your own examinations. You are allowed to utilize it for research and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; be that as it may, you should refer to it likewise. You can give your paper here.

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking Addiction Nicotine Use Nicotine Withdrawal Print 101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking Distract yourself and the urge to smoke will pass By Terry Martin facebook twitter Terry Martin quit smoking after 26 years and is now an advocate for those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction. Learn about our editorial policy Terry Martin Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD on January 21, 2020 Sanja Jelic, MD, is board-certified in sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine.   Learn about our Medical Review Board Sanja Jelic, MD on January 21, 2020 More in Addiction Nicotine Use Nicotine Withdrawal After You Quit How to Quit Smoking Smoking-Related Diseases The Inside of Cigarettes Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Coping and Recovery As of Dec. 20, 2019, the new legal age limit is 21 years old for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products in the U.S. Quitting smoking is tough, theres no doubt about that. When a craving hits, its often best to redirect your attention and find something to do that will replace that cigarette.  The majority of the time,  the urge to smoke will be gone within moments. There are countless things you can do to get through the first stages of withdrawal. From chores around the house to exercise, or even taking up a new hobby, the key is to find the distractions that work for you. Even the simplest things can jolt you out of a certain mindset and break any negative thought patterns that come up when trying to break a nicotine addiction. Lets explore some of the many activities that ex-smokers have used to help them quit. After reading these, youll probably come up with a few of your own. Embrace those and turn to them every time you feel like smoking. With time, practice, and diligence, it becomes easier. Verywell / Jessica Olah 5-Minute Craving Busters Its always good to have something quick and easy that you can do at a moments notice and these five-minute craving busters can do the trick. They dont take a lot of effort or time, but theyre enough to replace the habit of grabbing for a cigarette. Drink a glass of water. Its surprising how well this works.Eat a dill pickle.Suck on a piece of tart candy.Eat a popsicle or wash and freeze grapes on a cookie sheet for a healthy frozen snack.Floss and brush your teeth.Chew gum.Eat a hot fudge sundae.Whistle or hum for  a while.Do three sets of ten jumping jacks.Run in place.Crank up the radio and sing at the top of your lungs (works great while driving).If music is playing, dance like no one is watching.Slather on rich, creamy hand lotion and rub, rub, rub! It keeps fingers busy  and reminds you how nice it is that they dont smell like tobacco. Work on Not Smoking Whenever youre changing a habit, it can be easy to dwell on the things youll miss, which only heightens your feelings of being deprived. Turn the tables on that thinking and concentrate on the things you will gain by not smoking instead. Educating yourself about the good things you have to look forward toâ€"or the bad things you might avoidâ€"by not smoking is a great reminder of why youve made this decision. Learn  what to expect when you quit smoking.Make lists of  pros and cons of smoking.Research the  facts and statistics about smoking  and tobacco use.Write a  goodbye letter to cigarettesMake a list of treatsâ€"no matter how smallâ€" youll give yourself  every day of your quit.Start a reward fund. Put away the amount you spend on smokes every day and use it for those daily treats.Create your own list of craving-buster activities. Avoid Isolation Its very easy to isolate yourself, especially when youre trying to tackle such a big change in your life. Do your best to avoid this and take some time to interact with people. You can talk about what youre going through if you like, but its not required. Sometimes a simple conversation about everyday life can be just the lift you need. Call a friend.Give someone you love a huge hug and tell them how much they mean to you.Spend time with a child.Write an old-fashioned, hand-written letter to someone you care about.Volunteer somewhere in your community.Call your mother or grandmother. You know theyd love to hear from you!Write a list of things you are grateful for. Distract Yourself at Home When youre not spending so much time smoking, you will be amazed at what you can get done. This is your chance to knock off your to-do list around the house and theres probably plenty to keep you busy. Some of these chores are just busy work and they might not even need to be done. However, they will keep your hands busy and offer an hour or two of distraction. Besides, when things are clean and organized, youll feel better. Wash the car.Wax the car.Check your cars tire pressure.Clean the inside of the car.Clean the basement or garage.Scrub the floor.Do the laundry.Clean out a closet in the house.Organize your boxes of pictures.Alphabetize your bookshelves.Organize the junk drawer.Paint a room in the house.Go outside and do some gardening.Start a vegetable garden.Make a to-do list for the week ahead.Start a home budget.Shred that pile of paper youve been meaning to get to.Start planning a vacation that will be funded by the money saved by not smoking for a year.Plan next weeks dinners and make a shopping list to match.Try a new recipe.Bake a cake.Chop up veggies for a stir-fry or quick, healthy snacking.Wash the dog.Play with the cat.Read a book.Watch a funny movie on TV. Keep Your Hands and Mind Busy Many ex-smokers find that they not only need a mental distraction, but they also need to find ways to keep their hands busy. Cigarettes are interactive, after all, and this can be one of the biggest obstacles you face. Now may be a great time to take up a new hobby. There are plenty of options available and it doesnt have to be anything too involved or long-term. Yet, you may find that youre really good at something you never thought of pursuing before. Take up a new hobby or interest.  Get your camera out and take some pictures.Knit a scarf. Learning to knit or crochet is one of the top recommendations from ex-smokers.Start a sewing project.Write a poem.Write a short story.Paint a picture.Grab crayons or colored pencils and color a picture.Make a greeting card.Spend some time scrapbooking.Digitize the family photos or print out your digital photos.Create a puzzle from a family photo.Create a family cookbook.Build something with wood.Refinish or reupholster a piece of furniture.Make a terrarium.Make homemade candles or soap.Do a jigsaw puzzle or find one online at  Jigzone.com.Do a crossword puzzle.Play a game of internet scrabble. Be Active One thing that deters many people from quitting is the fear of gaining weight. You can help avoid that while distracting yourself by doing small things to stay active. If youre going to pick up a new habit to replace the old, it might as well be a healthy one, right? Go for a walk.Go to the gym and work out.Try a new exercise routine.Jump on the  treadmill and work up a sweat.Ride a bike. Get Out and About There are times when a change of scenery can do wonders for the mind. When youre tired of hanging around the house, step outside and find somewhere to go. Its a lot of fun and can be very relaxing. Window shop at the mall. Its a great place to walk, too.Grab your pole and tackle and head out to the pond for some fishing.Take a day trip.Go out to lunch or dinner.Go antique shopping.Get out into nature.Go play mini-golf.Go out to the movies.Watch the sunset.Donate blood. Embrace Relaxation and Treat Yourself Possibly more important than anything else, do what you can to take care of your mental and physical health. Learning how to relax (and actually enjoy it) can do wonders for your outlook during this transition. Take some time for yourself and enjoy the moment, the rest you get will do you good. Practice smiling in the mirror because it releases endorphins that make you happy.Stop and really smell the roses.Turn your bathroom into a spa to relax and rejuvenate.Take a shower.Take a candle-lit bath.Listen to a relaxation tape or some favorite music.Do some deep breathing for a few minutes.Practice meditation.Take a nap.Treat yourself to a  massage.Give yourself a manicure and pedicure.Color your hair.Let your partner cook supper for you. A Word From Verywell Be patient with yourself and you will get through this phase, just as others have. You may even emerge from nicotine withdrawal with a new hobby or interest that you can pursue with the time youre no longer devoting to cigarettes.

Is the new SAT really the PARCC in disguise

In the spring of 2015, when the College Board was field testing questions for rSAT, a student made an offhand remark to me that didnt seem like much at the time but that stuck in my mind. She was a new student who had already taken the SAT twice, and somehow the topic of the Experimental section came up. Shed gotten a Reading section, rSAT-style.   Omigod, she said. It was, like, the hardest thing ever. They had all these questions that asked  you for evidence. It was just like the state test. It was horrible.   My student lived in New Jersey, so the state test she was referring to was the PARCC.   Even then,  I had a pretty good inkling of where the College Board was going with the new test, but the significance of her comment didnt really hit me until  a couple of months ago, when states suddenly starting switching from ACT to the SAT. I was poking around the internet, trying to find out more about Colorados abrupt and surprising decision to drop the ACT  after 15 years, and I  came across a couple of sources reporting that not only would rSAT replace the ACT, but it would replace PARCC as well. That threw me a little bit for a loop. I knew that PARCC was hugely unpopular and that a number of states had backed out of the consortium, but still†¦ something smelled a little funny about the whole thing. Why would states allow PARCC to be replaced by rSAT? They were two  completely different tests†¦right? I mulled it over for a while, and then  something occurred to me:  Given that any exam that Colorado administered would have to be aligned with Common Core (or whatever it is that Colorados standards are called now),  it seemed reasonable to assume that the switch  from PARCC to rSAT could only have been approved if the two tests werent  really that different. At that point, it made sense to actually look at the PARCC. Like most people in the college-admissions test  world, I had really  had no reason to look at the PARCC  before; state tests were uncharted territory for me. Luckily, PARCC had recently released a broad selection of 2015 items on its  website   more than enough to provide a good  sense of what the test is about. After a modicum of fruitless  hunting around (not the easiest website to navigate!), I managed to locate the eleventh grade sample ELA questions. When I started looking through them,  the overlap with rSAT was striking. Despite some superficial differences, the similarities between the two tests were impossible to miss. Even if there were some differences in the lengths of the passages and way in which the questions were worded, the two tests were definitely cousins. Close cousins. I asked a couple of other  tutors about the Math portion, and they more or less concurred not identical, but  similar enough. On one hand, that wasnt  at  all surprising. After all, both are products of Common Core, their development overseen by Coleman and Co. As such, its hardly surprising that they embody  the hallmarks  of Colemans, shall we say, heavy-handed  and amateurish idiosyncratic  approach to analysis of the written word. On the other hand, it  was quite surprising. The PARCC, unquestionably, was developed as a high school exit test; the SAT was a college entrance test. Why should the latter  suddenly bear a strong resemblance to the former?   Just as interesting as what the tests  contained was what they lacked or at least what they appeared to lack, based on the sample questions posted on the PARCC website. (And goodness knows, I wouldnt want to pull a Celia Oyler and incur the wrath of the testing gods.) Consider, for example, that both rSAT and PARCC: Consist of two types of passages: one literary analysis passage  and several  informational texts, consisting of science/social topics but, apparently, no humanities (art, music, theater). One passage or paired passage from a U.S. historical document. Focus on a very limited  number of question types: literal comprehension, vocabulary-in-context, and structure. Remarkably, no actual ELA content knowledge (e.g. rhetorical devices,  genres, styles) is tested.   Rely heavily  on two-part evidence questions, e.g. Select  the answer from the passage that supports the answer to Part A vs. Which of the following provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?  The use of these questions, as well as the questionable definition  of evidence they entail,  is probably the most striking similarity between rSAT and PARCC. It is also, I would argue, the hallmark of a Common Core test. Considering the number of Standards, the obsessive focus on this one particular skill is quite significant. But more about that in a little bit.   Test simple, straightforward skills in bizarrely and unnecessarily convoluted ways  in order  to compensate for the absence of  substance and give the impression of rigor, e.g. which detail in the passage serves the same function as the answer to Part A? Include texts that are relatively  dense and include some advanced  vocabulary, but that are fairly straightforward in terms of structure, tone, and point-of-view: claim, evidence; claim, evidence, etc. There is limited  use of they say/I say, or the type of  sophisticated rhetorical maneuvers (irony, dry humor, wordplay) that tend to appear in actual college-level writing.  That absence is a notable  departure from the old version of the SAT and, contrary to claims that these exams test college readiness, is actually  misaligned with college work. Here Id like to come back to  the  use of two-part evidence questions?  Why focus so intensely  on that one question  type when there are so many different  aspects of reading that  make up comprehension? I think there are a few major reasons: First, theres the branding issue.  In order to market Common Core effectively, the Standards needed to be boiled down into an easily digestible set of edu-buzzwords, one of the most prominent of  which was EVIDENCE. (Listening to proponents of CCSS, you could be forgiven for thinking  that not a single teacher in the United States indeed, no one anywhere had ever taught students to use evidence to support their arguments prior to  2011.) As a result, it was necessary to craft a test that showed its backers/funders that it was testing whether students could use  EVIDENCE. Whether it was actually doing such a thing was beside the point.   As Ive written about before, it is flat-out  impossible to truly test this  skill in a multiple-choice format. When students write papers in college, they  will be asked to formulate their own arguments and to support them with various pieces of information. While their professors may provide a reading list, students will also be expected to  actively seek sources out in libraries, on the Internet, etc., and they themselves  will be responsible for judging for whether a particular source is valid and for connecting it logically and convincingly to  their own, original argument. This skill has  only a  tangential relationship to even AP-style synthesis essays and almost zero relationship to the ability to  recognize whether a particular line from paragraph x in a passage is consistent with main idea y. It is also very much  contingent upon the students understanding of the field and topic at hand. So what both the PARCC and rSAT are testing is really not whether students can use evidence the way theyll be asked to use it in college/the real world, but rather whether they can recognize when two pieces of information are consistent with one another, or whether two statements expressed different ways express the same idea. (Incidentally, answers to many PARCC evidence question pairs can actually be determined from the questions alone.)   The problem is that using evidence the way its used in the real world involves facts, but facts = rote learning, something everyone agrees should be avoided at all costs.   Besides, requiring  students to learn a particular set of facts would be so politically contentious as to be a non-starter (what facts? whose facts? who gets included/excluded? why isnt xyz group represented†¦? And so on and so forth, endlessly.) When you  only allow students to refer back to the text and never allow them  make arguments that involve anything beyond describing  the words on the page in fanciful ways, you sidestep that persnickety little roadblock. Nor, incidentally, do you have to hire graders who know enough about a particular set of facts to make reliable judgments about students discussions  of them. That, of course, would be unmanageable  from both a logistical and an economic standpoint.  Pretending that skills can be developed in the absence of knowledge (or cheerily acknowledging that knowledge is necessary but then refusing to state  what knowledge) is the only way to create a test that can be scaled nationally, cheaply, and quickly. Questions whose answers  merely quote from the text are also extraordinarily easy to write and fast to produce. If those questions make up half the test, production time  gets a whole lot shorter.   The result, however,  is that you  never  actually get to deal with any  ideas that way. You  are  reduced to stating and re-stating what a text says, in increasingly mind-bending  ways,  without ever actually arriving at more than a glancing consideration of its significance.  If high school classes become dedicated to this type of work, thats a serious problem: getting  to knock around with ideas that are a little bit above you is a big part of getting ready to go to college.   You  cant even do a good old-fashioned rhetorical analysis because you dont know enough rhetoric to do that type of analysis, and acquiring  all that rhetorical terminology would involve rote learning and thus be strictly  verboten anyway. The result is  a stultifying mish-mash  of formal skills that tries to mimic something kinda high level, but that ends up being  a big bucket of nonsense.   There is also, I think, a profound mistrust of students baked into these tests. A friend of mine who teaches high school tells me that the administrators at her school have, for several years now, been dogging the teachers with the question how do you know that they know? Translation:  what  data have you collected to prove to the powers that be that your students are appropriately progressing toward college and career readiness?  In addition to vaguely mimicking a high-level skills, forcing students to compulsively justify their answers in multiple-choice format gives those powers that be quite a lot of data. There also seems to be  a latent fear that students might be  trying to pull one over on the their teachers, on the administration pretending to understand  things when theyre actually just guessing. That, I suspect, is a side-effect of too many multiple-choice tests: when students actually write things out, its usually a lot clearer what they do and dont understand. But of course its a lot harder to reduce  essays to data points. Theyre far too messy and subjective. So the result is to try to pin students down, force them to read in ways that no one  would possibly read in real life (oh, the irony!), and repeatedly prove that they understand that the text means what it means because it says what it says  There is something almost pathetic about the grasp for certainty. And theres something a good deal more pathetic about teachers who actually buy into the idea that this type of low-level comprehension exercise is  some sort of advanced  critical thinking skill that will magically make students college ready.   But to return to my original point: one of the most  worrisome aspects of the whole discussion about the SAT and the PARCC in regards to the state testing market is that the former is presented as a genuine alternative to the latter. Yes, the SAT is a shorter test; yes, its produced by the College Board rather than Pearson (although who knows how much difference there is at this point); yes, its paper-based. But its  really just a different version  of the same thing. The College Board is banking on the fact that the SAT name will deter people from asking too many questions, or from noticing that its just another shoddy Common Core test. And so far, it seems to be working pretty well.