The Judiciary Act of 1801 and the Midnight Judges

The Judiciary Act of 1801 reorganized the federal judicial branch by creating the nation’s first circuit court judgeships. The act and the last-minute manner in which several so-called â€Å"midnight judges† were appointed resulted in a classic battle between the Federalists, who wanted a stronger federal government, and the weaker government Anti-Federalists for control of the still-developing U.S. court system. Background: The Election of 1800 Until ratification of the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution in 1804, the electors of the Electoral College cast their votes for president and vice president separately. As a result, the sitting president and vice president could be from different political parties or factions. Such was the case in 1800  when incumbent Federalist President John Adams faced off against incumbent Republican Anti-Federalist Vice President Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 presidential election. In the election, sometimes called the â€Å"Revolution of 1800,† Jefferson defeated Adams. However, before Jefferson was inaugurated, the Federalist-controlled Congress passed, and still-President Adams  signed the Judiciary Act of 1801. After a year filled with political controversy over its enactment and implantation, the act was repealed in 1802. What Adams’ Judiciary Act of 1801 Did Among other provisions, the Judiciary Act of 1801, enacted along with the Organic Act for the District of Columbia, reduced the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices from six to five and eliminated the requirement that the Supreme Court justices also â€Å"ride circuit† to preside over cases in the lower courts of appeals. To take care of the circuit court duties, the law created 16 new presidentially-appointed judgeships spread over six judicial districts. In many ways the act’s further divisions of the states into more circuit and district courts served to make the federal courts even more powerful than the state courts, a move strongly opposed by the Anti-Federalists. The Congressional Debate Passage of the Judiciary Act of 1801 did not come easily. The legislative process in Congress came to a virtual halt during the debate between Federalists and Jefferson’s Anti-Federalist Republicans. Congressional Federalists and their incumbent President John Adams supported the act, arguing that more judges and courts would help protect the federal government from hostile state governments they called â€Å"the corrupters of public opinion,† in reference to their vocal opposition to the replacement of the Articles of Confederation by the Constitution.   Anti-Federalist Republicans and their incumbent vice president Thomas Jefferson argued that the act would further weaken the state governments and help Federalists gain influential appointed jobs or â€Å"political patronage positions† within the federal government.  The Republicans also argued against expanding the powers of the very courts that had prosecuted many of their immigrant supporters under the Alien and Sedition Acts. Passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress and signed by President Adams in 1789, the Alien and Sedition Acts were designed to silence and weaken the Anti-Federalist Republican Party. The laws gave the government the power to prosecute and deport foreigners, as well as limiting their right to vote. While an early version of the Judiciary Act of 1801 had been introduced before the 1800 presidential election, Federalist President John Adams signed the act into law on February 13, 1801. Less than three weeks later, Adams’ term and the Federalist’s majority in the Sixth Congress would end. When Anti-Federalist Republican President Thomas Jefferson took office on March 1, 1801, his first initiative was to see to it that the Republican-controlled Seventh Congress repealed the act he so passionately detested. The ‘Midnight Judges’ Controversy Aware that Anti-Federalist Republican Thomas Jefferson would soon sit as his desk, outgoing President John Adams had quickly—and controversially—filled the 16 new circuit judgeships, as well as several other new court-related offices created by the Judiciary Act of 1801, mostly with members of his own Federalist party. In 1801, the District of Columbia consisted of two counties, Washington (now Washington, D.C.) and Alexandria (now Alexandria, Virginia). On March 2, 1801, outgoing President Adams nominated 42 people to serve as justices of the peace in the two counties. The Senate, still controlled by Federalists, confirmed the nominations on March 3. Adams began signing the 42 new judges’ commissions  but did not complete the task until late in the night of his last official day in office. As a result, Adams’ controversial actions became known as the â€Å"midnight judges† affair, which was about to become even more controversial. Having just been named Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, former Secretary of State John Marshall placed the great seal of the United States on the commissions of all 42 of the â€Å"midnight justices.† However, under the law at the time, judicial commissions were not considered official until they were physically delivered to the new judges. Mere hours before Anti-Federalist Republican President-elect Jefferson took office, Chief Justice John Marshall’s brother James Marshall began delivering the commissions. But by the time President Adams left office at noon on March 4, 1801, only a handful of the new judges in Alexandria County had received their commissions. None of the commissions bound for the 23 new judges in Washington County had been delivered and President Jefferson would start his term with a judicial crisis. The Supreme Court Decides Marbury v. Madison When Anti-Federalist Republican President Thomas Jefferson first sat down in the Oval Office, he found the still undelivered â€Å"midnight judges† commissions issued by his rival Federalist predecessor John Adams waiting for him. Jefferson immediately reappointed the six Anti-Federalist Republicans who Adams had appointed, but refused to reappoint the remaining 11 Federalists. While most of the snubbed Federalists accepted Jefferson’s action, Mr. William Marbury, to say the least, did not. Marbury, an influential Federalist Party leader from Maryland, sued the federal government in an attempt to force the Jefferson administration to deliver his judicial commission and allow him to take his place on the bench. Marbury’s suit resulted in one of the most important decisions in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court, Marbury v. Madison. In its Marbury v. Madison decision, the Supreme Court established the principle that a federal court could declare a law enacted by Congress void if that law was found to be inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution. â€Å"A Law repugnant to the Constitution is void,† stated the ruling. In his suit, Marbury asked the courts to issue a writ of mandamus forcing President Jefferson to deliver all of the undelivered judicial commissions signed by former President Adams. A writ of mandamus is an order issued by a court to a government official ordering that official to properly carry out their official duty or correct an abuse or error in the application of their power. While finding that Marbury was entitled to his commission, the Supreme Court refused to issue the writ of mandamus. Chief Justice John Marshall, writing the Court’s unanimous decision, held that the Constitution did not give the Supreme Court the power to issue writs of mandamus. Marshall further held that a section of the Judiciary Act of 1801 providing that writs of mandamus might be issued was not consistent with the Constitution and was therefore void. While it specifically denied the Supreme Court the power to issue writs of mandamus, Marbury v. Madison greatly increased the Court’s overall power by establishing the rule that â€Å"it is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.† Indeed, since Marbury v. Madison, the power to decide the constitutionality of laws enacted by Congress has been reserved to the U.S. Supreme Court. Repeal of the Judiciary Act Of 1801 Anti-Federalist Republican President Jefferson moved swiftly to undo his Federalist predecessor’s expansion of the federal courts. In January 1802, Jefferson’s staunch supporter, Kentucky Senator John Breckinridge introduced a bill repealing the Judiciary Act of 1801. In February, the hotly debated bill was passed by the Senate in a narrow 16-15 vote. The Anti-Federalist Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed the Senate bill without amendment in March and after a year of controversy and political intrigue, the Judiciary Act of 1801 was no more. Impeachment of Samuel Chase The fallout from the repeal of the Judiciary Act resulted in the first and, to date, the only impeachment of a sitting Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Chase. Appointed by George Washington, the staunchly Federalist Chase had publicly attacked the repeal in May 1803, telling a Baltimore grand jury, â€Å"The late alteration of the federal judiciary ... will take away all security for property and personal liberty, and our Republican constitution will sink into a mobocracy, the worst of all popular governments.† Anti-Federalist President Jefferson responded by persuading the House of Representatives to impeach Chase, asking lawmakers, â€Å"Ought the seditious and official attack on the principles of our Constitution go unpunished?† In 1804, the House agreed with Jefferson, voting to impeach Chase. However, he was acquitted by the Senate of all charges in March 1805, in a trial conducted by Vice President Aaron Burr.

The Glass Menagerie By Tennessee William - 1185 Words

The play â€Å"The Glass Menagerie,† written by Tennessee William in 1945, recounts around a family trying to escape the limitations of time and their difficulties coping with life. The main character Tom is the man of the house watching over his mother and sister since his dad left. He is to stay home and fulfill the duties of working at a warehouse but his dream is to leave and be adventurous. Laura, Tom’s sister viewed as crippled and stuck in the present of her disability and shyness stopping her from doing things in her life. Amanda, Tom’s mother lives in a world that is sensitively bound to the past. William portrays Amanda, Tom’s mother lives in the world that is sensitively bound to her past life. She stays talking about herself younger and pretty getting gentleman callers. In the play Amanda states, â€Å"This is the dress in which I led the cotillion. Won the cakewalk twice at Sunset Hill, wore one spring to the Governor’s ball in Jackson! See how I sashayed around the ballroom, Laura? I wore it on Sundays for my gentlemen callers! I had it on the day I met you father—(6,412-13).† Amanda can never fairly remove herself from the past to arrange the stipulations with the course of life in the current events or what that present promise for the future. Since the past dominates the present, the future is invalid in malice of her worries for Laura’s future. She suggest that Tom finds a gentleman caller at the warehouse for Laura. In the play Amanda states, â€Å"Find out one that’sShow MoreRelatedThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams9 85 Words   |  4 Pageshardly catch it going. ¨ This quote by the author of The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams, describes both The Glass Menagerie, a memory play, and the life of Tennessee Williams himself, for whom memories played a large role in his life. Within the play, many parallels can be drawn between the life of Williams and the life of Tom, the main character, such as a disdain for factory work. In addition, several characters in The Glass Menagerie have a difficult time fitting into the roles that theirRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams Essay940 Words   |  4 PagesTennessee Williams was a renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning playwriter for his numerous plays throughout his career. One of such plays is The Glass Menagerie. After perfecting his play for many years, The Glass Menagerie was first introduced to Broadway on March 31, 1945. As a young writer, Williams lived vicariously through his plays. Throughout this play in particular, there are severa l allegories that pertain to Williams life. Although Williams had a relatively happy childhood, his life changedRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams986 Words   |  4 PagesTennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, is a classic drama about a young man who is tired of his dull and boring existence. Tom, the main character, struggles to deal with his family, who is apparently holding him back in life. With the use of powerful writing techniques, Williams is able to captivate his audience and create a play that has stood the test of time. An excellent writing technique employed by Williams that contributes to The Glass Menagerie’s success is his use of plot. ThroughoutRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams932 Words   |  4 Pages THE GLASS MENAGERIE Name Instructor Institution Course Date The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams, the author in the play †The Glass Menagerie† that is based on his life that presents characters that, as caught animals in an cage, live in woeful states and just wish to unravel themselves from this state (Fisher, 2010). The primary clash in the story emerges through their longing to encounter a different world, but their condition opens them to life s unforgiving realities. LifeRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams1249 Words   |  5 Pagesthe outside world The Glass Menagerie is very interesting because William s play relates to alot of people and their situations, people can learn alot from it alot whether they connect to Amanda and her past or to Laura and her lack of confidence and being in a world of her own or to Tom and his internal conflict about abandoning his family or staying with them. Laura s life is all about her glass menageries what happens when her glass unicorn breaks? What happens when a gentlemanRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams1619 Words   |  7 PagesIsolation is prevalent in â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† by Tennessee Williams. This is presented in symbols such as blue roses and the glass unicorn, for they are imagined objects and only existent in another fantasy world. Williams incorporates such arcane symbols to draw out his characters, Amanda, Laura, and Tom, and how they cope with confinement. Most importantly, the symbols of the play represent how isolation debilita tes them psychologically in an attempt to connect with reality. The jonquils representRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee William1014 Words   |  5 PagesIn the play â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† of Tennessee William, he wrote a drama play to emphasize readers about the life is at a standstill the Wingfield family. Through of the Wingfield family, he uses many symbols which represent many things, but the important main symbolization is fire escape that shows three main characters; Tom Wingfield, his fire escape is the way out of Amanda and Laura. Amanda Wingfield, hope gentlemen callers to enter their lives, and Laura Wingfield, who wants in her own worldRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams1534 Words   |  7 PagesThe Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Tennessee Williams, born Thomas Lanier Williams, wrote The Glass Menagerie, a play which premiered in Chicago in 1944. This award winning play, autobiographical in nature, represented a time in which Williams felt the obligation of his responsibilities in regards to the care of his family. Robert DiYanni, Adjunct Professor of Humanities at New York University, rated it as, â€Å"One of his best-loved plays...a portrayal of loneliness among characters who confuseRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams Essay876 Words   |  4 PagesIn Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, there is a collection of glass animal figurines that belong to Laura. Laura uses those figurines to escape her reality. The â€Å"glass menagerie† is also a metaphor because all of the characters have a metaphorical glass menagerie that they use to escape their reality. Tom escapes his reality by going to the movies, drinking, and writing poetry. Tom says, â€Å"I go to the movies because – I like adventure†¦ something I don’t have much of at work† (Williams 33)Read MoreThe Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams867 Words   |  4 Pagesdraw the line between getting what you want and doing what you are obligated to do? In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the main characters are torn between fulfilling their desires and aligning with their role in society. On the surface, Amanda Wingfield plays the role of a caring mother that would do anything in her children’s best interest. However, according to the play, â€Å"The Glass Menagerie†, you should never be fooled by the â€Å"Illusion of the truth.† She indeed values her children’s

Project Quality Progress and Evluation

Questions: 1.Describe how the Project Quality Plan has been Developed, In Particular.2.Describe the Primary Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Team and Other Key Stakeholders as related to Project Quality Management.3.Add Information about your overall approach to QA and QC: do you have Identified Key Points to undertake QA and QC Activities? 4.List and Define the Quality Tools that will be used to Measure Project Quality and Level of Performance to Defined Quality Standards/Metrics. 5.Discuss Your Plan for QA: timing, tools and techniques that will be utilised, key Personnel that will perform QA. Any relevant Information on how you will Analyse the Data.6.Your Plan for QC: at what time it will be Performed, tools and techniques that will be utilised, key personnel that will Perform QC. Any relevant Information on how you will Analyze the Data.7.The Table below is your Quality Planning Register. Review your plan and complete the table making sure that you address all the deliverables for your Project.8. What are the Steps to assure the Quality when a Deliverable is not met9.Remedial Action to Ensure the Performance of the Quality Assurance Activities. Answers: 1.Quality Management Approach Quality management is considered as the procedure for guaranteeing that all project maneuvers important to configuration, plan and actualize a project are successful and proficient regarding the motivation behind the objective and its execution. For this specific construction project the selected quality management approach is PMIs PMBOK. PMBOK considers the ISO standards for managing the quality of the projects: how much the inherent characteristics are able to satisfy the predefined requirements of the project. Prerequisites of a project are dictated by its different stakeholders. Satisfying stakeholders prerequisites, or at the end of the day extend quality administration is one of PMBOK's nine project administration information or knowledge areas. It comprises of three procedures (as expressed in verb-thing builds), Perform Quality Assurance, Plan Quality and Perform Quality Control. In the different sections of this report, the accompanying quality administration approach components are characterized and portrayed: Quality Planning, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control Quality exercises and measures significant to [Project Name] Appropriate quality measurements and measures for benchmarks for the processes the project, deliverables and testing. 2.Organisation, responsibilities and interfaces Project Organisation chart Name Roles Quality Responsibilities [PLEASE FILL] Project manager Managing different risks, coordination in the design for the project and change management through the control of the information. [PLEASE FILL] Architect Planning, designing, and development are the main responsibilities of a architect. Additionally, architect might be required to give predesign figures, for example, a natural effect or possibility think about, cost investigation and land-utilize ponder. [PLEASE FILL] Procurement manager A procurement manger must assess planned providers before marking them up to guarantee they address the projects requirements. [PLEASE FILL] Safety officer In any construction project security officer guarantees that laborers are taking after built up arrangements and wellbeing controls. A development security officer may go up against extra parts and duties, yet their essential occupation is making more secure development destinations. Development wellbeing officers work intimately with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The security officer is likewise in charge of exploring and meeting all state and government wellbeing standard necessities for record-keeping. Damage logs and other documentation is finished and submitted to related government organizations as a component of these necessities. The security officer likewise presents the, which is a synopsis of all wounds that brought about lost work time, confined obligations or occupation exchanges 3.Quality Planning Recognizing the standards and metrics for the management of the quality of the project is a basic action is a fundamental piece of any development procedure to enhance the quality and consistency of the project. The requirement for setting up the standards and performance matrices in this project can significantly as of late due to huge changes, headways in innovation and elevated requirement of the clients. The matrices keep up consistency in development prepare and guarantee more efficient use of materials bringing about critical decrease in cost to the clients. The extra taken a toll required to enhance quality by distinguishing the standards is straightforwardly corresponding to the event. Standards Metrics/Measures 450MPa Shear Strength 300MPa Tensile Strength 8/10 Customer Satisfaction Defect rate 4.Tools, environment and interfaces Tool Description QA/QC Application cause effect diagram To find out the cause for a Control charts. To maintain the standards for the different processes and their outcomes The control chart is a chart used to study how a procedure changes after some time. Information are plotted in time arrange. A control diagram dependably has a focal line for the normal, an upper line for the upper control constrains and a lower line for the lower control restrain. These lines are resolved from verifiable information External interface To manage the flow of the information in the project team. Meeting the desired level of the quality of the project. In this project the interface administration can be thought as the physical, legally binding and organizational interfaces. Physical interfaces are genuine, physical associations between at least two building components or parts. Legally binding interfaces are between works bundles when all is said in done connected with authority temporary workers. Hierarchical interface is the collaboration between different stakeholders involved in this project. Organizational interface can be internal and or external. The cause effect diagram is used in this as the project consist of large number of stakeholders and thus if any issue or conflict between the different stakeholders the source of the conflict and the cause of the issue in the project can be easily identified using this diagram. Control charts are utilized to routinely screen quality. Contingent upon the quantity of process qualities to be observed, there are two essential sorts of control outlines. The initially, alluded to as a universal control chart, is a graphical show (diagram) of one quality trademark. The second, alluded to as a multivariate control graph, in this project we have used the multivariate control charts. Divided nature of construction projects makes it testing in uniting multidisciplinary groups, materials, frameworks, spending plan and timetable for clear term .The crumbling can be under three areas viz. partners, information and innovation. 5.Quality Assurance Quality assurance activities are managed by the owner of the project or specialists in checking the quality control program built up and controlled by others. Generally these activities concentrate on organization and observation capacities. Observation capacities envelop the observing of the contractual worker's techniques materials, work force and any assessment and testing exercises. For this project this includes, The field testing of the used construction material and finished works. Surveying the contractors consistence with determinations, prerequisite for development techniques and personals, and materials. Maintaining the quality assurance manuals developed for the project. Analyzing, initiating and outline elucidation or changes in contract records for the project. b) Documenting al related tests, examination and visits by authority guests. c) Maintain photos of development advance and other important development occasions 6.Quality Control The essential function of the quality is the effective execution of a practical arrangement to guarantee that the required measures of value development are met at the end of the project. In quality control, the contractor characterizes methodology to oversee and control his own, architect, expert, all subcontractor and all provider exercises so that the finished project consents to contract prerequisites. For configuration manufacture gets this incorporates giving and keeping up a Design Quality Control arrange as a piece of the general contract for quality control. Periodical meetings and inspection of the construction process will ensure the control on the quality of the project. 7.Quality Planning Register Project Deliverables Quality Requirements Quality Standards QA Activities QC Activities Design drawings Must be met with the owner prerequisites Must be compatible with the international standards. Approval from the owner of the project After the completion of the project the verified with the plan of the project. Site investigation report NA NA NA NA Improvedprocess efficiency Project should be completed in time The tests should be completed in deadlines. Change in the tasks between the different personnel. To assign more skilled personnel to complete the project. New equipment or tools As per PMBOK As per the contract. NA NA Completed product As per PMBOK As per the contract NA NA. 8.Steps to assure the quality when a deliverable is not met This situation occurs due to neglecting the dependencies in the different deliverables for this, continuing without accomplishing past deliverables can be tricky for clear reasons. Deliverables that have conditions are distinguished and sequenced for particular and required reasons, making it deplorable to by-go without calculating in the effect and incorporating that in the change control prepare. It's imperative to perceive that there are conditions with regards to deliverables, and also a colossal effect if these are not met preceding progressing to the following. Different other factors that are to be considered in this phase incorporate contractor relationship management - constraining assertion terms and courses of action may convert into acquirement issues. Contractual worker relationship contemplations are another element to consider as genuinely necessary outsourced staff may fundamentally obstruct deliverable achievement if staffing requirements for the venture surpass accessible assets. 9.remedial action to ensure the performance of the quality assurance activities Quality Control investigations might be directed in an auspicious waytoward the start of a quantifiable element of work. A check of the preparatory work will figure out if or not the Contractor, through his Contractor Quality Control experts and the specialists included, completely comprehends and is equipped for finishing the work as determined. A each step it is important to document the progress and the activities conducted for assuring the predetermined quality. Additionally, it is important to look out the errors amongst arrangements and details; Check arrangements and particulars against prerequisites of which issues happened on comparative occupations; Analyze rises, evaluations and points of interest appeared on arrangements as existing, with those at the genuine site; and Report all blunders, oversights, errors, and insufficiencies to the Design Office Manager and Project Manager of the project. Lessons learned After the completion of the project it is evident that, in any project the quality control has a major role in client satisfaction. For this in the future projects we need to, Envision the development contractors operations by auditing the arrangements and details for every operation before it starts. Ina addition to that it is also important to discuss contract necessities in each Preparatory Phase Meeting with the development contractual worker before every operation start. Bibliography Alzahrani, J. I., Emsley, M. W. (2013). The impact of contractors attributes on construction project success: A post construction evaluation.International Journal of Project Management,31(2), 313-322. Chen, L., Luo, H. (2014). A BIM-based construction quality management model and its applications.Automation in construction,46, 64-73. Dionis, A., Len, S. L., Padrn, F., Adrin, M. C. (2014). Technical Management of Guarantee as Part of Quality Control in Construction of a Ship.Journal of Maritime Research,10(3), 23-28. Hallowell, M. R., Konrath, L., Molenaar, K. R., Oechler, E. F., Scott III, S. (2016). State of the Practice for Risk-Based Quality Assurance in State Departments of Transportation. InTransportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting(No. 16-2485). Wetherill, G. B. (2013).Sampling inspection and quality control(Vol. 129). Springer. Zhong, W. (2015). Construction Quality Control Measures of Conversion Layers in Ultra High-Rise Buildings.World Construction,4(4), 40-42.

So You Want to Be an Engineer free essay sample

Even though my sister lives in Washington DC now, I still find myself marveling at the Discovery Channel – my favorite shows being â€Å"Mythbusters† and â€Å"Discovery Project Earth. We will write a custom essay sample on So You Want to Be an Engineer? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † These programs hold my attention in ways that allow me to focus my aptitude for and interest in science and engineering. By watching â€Å"Mythbusters,† I have witnessed how a working knowledge of science and engineering can work as the foundation on which to build an exciting, versatile, and productive career in engineering. Additionally, the entire cast of â€Å"Mythbusters† constantly reveals their unique personalities and senses of humor all while carrying out their responsibilities. The ability to be creative, use my intellect, and maintain my sense of humor are very important aspects of my education and future career that I can see resulting from an engineering degree. Not only has â€Å"Mythbusters† served as a significant influence on my future aspirations, but so has â€Å"Discovery Project Earth.† This miniseries relays information about the new technology and methods that scientists are creating and utilizing to reduce global warming and dependency on fossil fuels. While watching each episode religiously, I became aware of my concern for the environment and its protection. I watched the new methods being developed and could picture myself carrying out research of this nature in hopes of making a positive difference in the world and in people’s lives. I realized that I do not merely want to skate by in life behind a desk; I want to accomplish something, to continually be intrigued by and interested in my career, and to make a difference in the world – all through engineering. Additionally, I have never been shy about my passion for science and engineering as I have been involved in many science clubs and competitions throughout high school. The Junior Engineering Technical Society allowed me to think like an engineer and try to solve problems that engineers face on a daily basis. Then through the Toshiba NSTA Awards Competition, I worked with two other classmates interested in engineering to invent a product that would improve on past technology; furthermore, we actually received recognition as being in the top 10% of all entries. This project was very eye opening and exciting because I was once again given the opportunity to put on the shoes of an engineer. Not only did these competitions further my interest in becoming an engineer, but I began to realize that not many girls were involved in theses activities. This understanding seemed strange to me because I attend an all girls’ school where I am surrounded by girls interested in science. However, I realize that is not the case across the state and nation. As a result, I would love to change the stereotype that men are brainier and more adept at math and science so they should become engineers. Also, I have talked with my sister about her experience studying mechanical engineering in college, a very male dominated field. She felt a little underrepresented and that the men did not always take her seriously, but she says that this feeling motivated her to do better and prove them wrong in the end. Thus, I would like to change people’s minds about engineering as well. Everyone wants to make a difference in the world; however, I believe that as an engineer, the possibilities to make improvements are far greater. Because of my sister’s and my teachers’ guidance, I have developed a true passion for math, science, and problem solving. Thanks to these amazing people in my life, I have focused my talents towards engineering and even more specifically on energy and the environment. In a world, where consumption of energy and natural resources is continually climbing, I believe that it is our responsibility to attempt to lessen this dependency on finite resources. As a result, I hope to make a difference by developing new, more efficient, and more cost effective technology that uses renewable resources.