A Profile on Bruce Westerman - Free Essay Example

Bruce Westerman is currently running for his third term in the US House of Representatives for the state of Arkansas. Previously an engineer for Mid-South Engineering in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Westerman now serves on the Committee on the Budget. He is also currently Chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee for the Committee of Natural Resources.1 Though some would accuse Westerman of attacking groups that dont support him, he seems to be genuinely concerned about how those groups go about doing the jobs they are supposed to. From what information I have gathered about Westerman, he seems to be passionate about getting his job done as best he can, and is realistic about challenges he is faced with. I think this makes him an atypical member of Congress because people in positions of great power tend to lose sight of realistic occurrences. Bruce Westerman represents the fourth district of Arkansas. The fourth district is located in the Southwestern portion of Arkansas and includes towns such as Hot Springs, Texarkana, and El Dorado. Much of the district seems to be suburban with the larger area of this district in comparison with the others in the state of Arkansas. The population of this district is primarily white, with a mean household income of $54,779.3 The area covered by this district also seems to pride itself on its rich history and natural landscapes. In the 2016 elections, Bruce Westerman ran against Libertarian Kerry Hicks and won with seventy-five percent of the popular vote. I would say that he has a pretty safe seat even though he will be running against both the Democrats and Libertarians, along with three individuals, in the 2018 election because he has gained popularity ever since he joined the political spectrum. The Democratic party candidate running against Westerman is Hayden Shamel, who has previously been a teacher for both high schools and colleges. The Libertarian candidate running against Westerman is Tom Canada, who seems to have started getting into politics just last year. Bruce Westerman has voted with his party in almost every issue he has voted for and has only missed a handful of votes in total over his several years in the US House of Representatives.6 In these terms, I would say he is quite loyal to his party. In regards to Agriculture and Food votes, different issue groups rated him on opposite ends of the spectrum with half rating him very high, and the other half rating him low.7 There are no interest groups that rated him more than twenty-five percent on his Animals and Wildlife policies. Almost all of the polled interest groups rated him quite high on his Business and Consumers policies. None of the interest groups rated him above twenty-five percent on his Environmental policies. His tax policies are generally rated high, though some interest groups dip farther than others. For the 2018 election cycle, Bruce Westerman has raised $1,561,039, spent $947,195, and has $958,377 remaining on hand.8 His largest source of funding so far this year is from the Forestry and Forest Products industry which has donated $196,591. There is no funding data given for three of the candidates, but Hayden Shamel has raised $140,096, and one of the independent candidates, Lee McQueen, has raised $1,121.9 The top industries that help fund Westerman are the Forestry and Forest Products, Oil and Gas, Retired, Health Professionals, and Air Transport industries. There is a relevant correlation between the funding received from the Forestry and Forest Products industry, and his recent attempts to pass the Resilient Federal Forests Act. After doing this research on Westerman, I think I would vote for him. He seems to be a man that still regards his job mostly as a public service to the citizens of his district.

Changes to Common App Essay Prompts for 2017-18

Changes to Common App Essay Prompts for 2017-18 This week, The Common Application essay prompts underwent their most substantive changes since 2013. While two prompts remained unchanged, three were revised, one was introduced, and one oldie-but-goodie was resurrected. The team at College Transitions will walk you through the changes and tell you what it means for current juniors who want to get a jump-start on the most important 650-word essay of their young lives.Staying the SameThere are no revisions to the following prompts:#1. Some students have a background, identity, interest or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.#4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma — anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to i dentify a solution.RevisedThree prompts were revised. Changes are italicized and our analysis follows:#2. The lessons we take from  obstacles we encounter  can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a  challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?The key change here is that â€Å"failure,† a harsh and perhaps off-putting term in the eyes of many applicants, is now softened to include the more sanitized â€Å"challenge† or â€Å"setback.† We are fans of this prompt and believe it can be refreshing for admissions officers to hear someone willingly talk about their shortcomings and less-proud moments. Subsequent growth in the wake of failure can give insight into your character, resilience, and depth. In brainstorming this one, reflect on your life’s setbacks and whether they led to maturation or enlightenment. Also try starting with periods of growth in your life, and work ba ckward to what rejections/disappointment/failures led to your personal development.#3. Reflect on a time when you  questioned  or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your  thinking? What  was the outcome?This prompt now asks for the â€Å"outcome† of the situation. Don’t be enticed to enter the world of exaggeration and hyperbole when describing the consequences of your actions. Colleges do not expect you to have brought down a dictatorship, brokered peace in the Middle East, or single-handedly eliminated the gender pay gap. In literary terms, this is The Society vs. The Individual type of conflict and it needn’t take place on a grand stage.   Standing up to peer pressure, going against a family tradition, taking part in a local protest, or not following a directive you found to be immoral or unjust are just a few of the â€Å"real life† examples that can make for a gripping storyline.#5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or  realizatio n  that  sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.Jettisoned are the phrases â€Å"transition to adulthood† and â€Å"culture, community, or family.† Perhaps colleges grew tired of slogging through tales of bar mitzvahs, facial hair growth, and awkward, early romantic experiences. This prompt is now conducive to the sharing of more meaningful growth that showcases your growing self-awareness and/or connection to large-scale human events. We do caution against using this prompt to talk about your trip to South America where you highlight obvious linguistic, cultural, or culinary differences. Remember not to write a travelogue—the essay should be revealing about you.Brand New/ReturningThe folks at The Common App generously gave us one newborn prompt and one brought back from the dead. We present them below along with our reaction:#6.  Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all t rack of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?This one is all about your greatest passion and the ways in which you pursue knowledge. Whether it’s aerospace engineering, classical guitar, British Monarchs, the French language, lacrosse, or vintage arcade machines, this newbie offers a solid platform for showing off your unique interests as well as what makes you tick. Elite colleges adore students whose love for learning extends well beyond the classroom. This is a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate your most lovable, nerdy obsessions and the verve with which you independently pursue them.#7.  Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one youve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.  It’s back—the college essay version of a free-write! Previously, we recommended that students who had a topic that was off the beaten path find a way to connect their i dea to prompt #1. Now, applicants are free to mold their essays from a formless, lump of clay into, literally, whatever shape they desire. Just be sure to read our Five Essay Topics to Avoid before finalizing your topic.College Transitions’ Quick TakeThe revisions made to The Common Application raise the expectations for depth and substance for existing prompts and open the door to increased creativity and imagination through the introduction of brand new topics. With the return of the â€Å"topic of your choice† option, there is no reason to force yourself to answer one of the other prompts unless it is a 100% perfect launching-pad for your strongest, most revealing composition.