Enlightenment philosopher Essay

John Locke (1632-1704) was an Enlightenment savant. A few creators characterize him as â€Å"the rationalist of freedom† and â€Å"the father of English observation and liberalism†. His thoughts and ideas about social structure, social assent and human normal rights decided advancement of political way of thinking and republican popular government. John Locke was an Oxford researcher. His educators were well known British researchers including scientific expert Robert Boyle who likely showed him atomism. John Locke was clinical scientist and doctor, thinker and instructor, financial specialist and ideologue for a progressive development. His profession was related with name of the First Earl of Shaftesbury who was a Lord-Chancellor of England. At the point when Locke emigrated to the mainland Europe he examined Cartesian way of thinking in France and become familiar with William of Orange who later became English King. Locke returned to England just in 1689 and took up numerous official posts however dedicate considerably more an ideal opportunity to his logical examinations. Counterparts knew Locke as a monetary essayist and restriction political dissident. Locke was an ideologue of established government and division of forces. He was an adversary of speculations of awesome starting point of the regal force. He was a companion of Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle and an early individual from the Royal Society. The standards of Locke’s theory were the ideological storm cellar for Great French and American Revolution. John Locke along with Francis Bacons was an author of experimentation hypothesis. He accepted that human brain at the birth resembles â€Å"blanc paper† and just encounters through preliminaries and mistakes structure thoughts and information. This hypothesis was depicted in Locke’s â€Å"Essay Concerning Human Understanding† and had sway on the advancement of behaviorism. Lock began to compose his fundamental work â€Å"Essay Concerning Human Understanding† in 1671, yet distributed it just in 1690. Why he composed it? Paper present the crucial standards of his way of thinking, it’s the perfection of his appearance on the roots of human information. Article contains of four books: â€Å"Of intrinsic notions†, â€Å"Of ideas†, â€Å"Of words† and â€Å"Of information and probability†. This thoughtful treatise is written in age-old style however it still simple to peruse due to the utilization of discourse structure and clear argumentation. Locke committed a significant part of the Essay to an all-inclusive contention that human thoughts and comprehension are at last gotten for a fact. Before researchers proposed that a few thoughts could be intrinsic. All things considered, Locke proposed new hypothesis of information. Paper is a response to the inquiry: â€Å"Where do we get thoughts which are the substance of our insight? † The primary part of the main book is named as â€Å"No natural theoretical Principles†. It comprises of twenty eights passages. The name of section mirrors its substance. The section is opened with conversation â€Å"how men, scarcely by the utilization of their regular offices, may achieve all the information they have without the assistance of any inborn impressions†. Locke expounded on the significance of theoretical and handy standards and gave instances of them to show that â€Å"universal content demonstrates nothing innate†. He utilized cleverness to show that nothing on the brain is normally engraved when talk about youngsters understanding. To show inconceivability of natural ideas and sensations he utilized logic that helped peruser to comprehend that no one but experience could produce thoughts. Simply a few instances of his rationale. In the passages 6-12 he clarified that if all individuals have natural thoughts yet later they will come to know things upon the utilization of own explanation then characteristic is loosing its sense. He expounded on eccentricities of child’s mind: â€Å"after they go to the utilization of reason, those general dynamic thoughts are not confined in the brain, about which those general adages are, which are confused with inborn standards, however are in reality disclosures made, and verities presented, and brought into the psyche by a similar way, and found by similar strides, as a few different suggestions, which no one has unrestrained as to assume innate†¦ † In fifteenth area of the section creator traces his hypothesis of information beginning. He indicated the sketch of new hypothesis and how it could be applied to the specific and general thoughts, to the memory, names, reflection and language. He noticed that widespread ideas originated from self-proof, not nature (Ch. 1, 18) and that less broad thoughts (he called them â€Å"propositions†) are known â€Å"before. all inclusive sayings. He demands that hypothesis of natural thoughts is unbeneficial on the grounds that characteristic can't be applied to science and other entangled fields of human information. In 24-27th segments he composed that thoughts can't be inborn in light of the fact that they are not â€Å"universally consented to†. In the last passage of the section Locke composed: â€Å"Upon the entire issue, I can't perceive any ground to think †¦ theoretical Maxims inborn: since they are not all around consented to; and the consent they so for the most part find is no other than what a few recommendations, not permitted to be intrinsic, similarly participate in with them: and since the consent that is given them is delivered another way, and comes not from characteristic engraving, as I question not however to make show up in the accompanying Discourse. What's more, if these â€Å"first principles† of information and science are seen not as intrinsic, no other theoretical proverbs can (I assume), with better right claim to be so. † Locke is a propagator of thoughts that theoretical guideline can't be natural. He assaulted the hypothesis that human psyche is brought into the world knowing certain things. It was progressive for the late XVII century and John Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding have had incredible effect on the historical backdrop of reasoning and society. His investigations of the nature and grounds of information particularly concerning its cutoff points and legitimacy and his polemics with followers of stale perspectives on the idea of information animated advancement of epistemology as well as all fields of science. Locke’s thoughts had probably some influence in the development of progressive idea in France and American settlements. Obviously, not just â€Å"Essay Concerning Human Understanding† affected on social history of those and numerous different nations however this quality freed brain of different specialists. References 1. Paper Concerning Human Understanding <http://oregonstate. edu/teach/phl302/messages/locke/locke1/Book1a. html#Chapter%20I> 2. Johne Lock Wikipedia on-line <http://en. wikipedia. organization/wiki/John_Locke> 3. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy <http://plato. stanford. edu/sections/locke>

TCP-IP Data Encapsulation and Decapsulation †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Talk about the TCP-IP Data Encapsulation and Decapsulation. Answer: Presentation: In any association, a legitimate example or structure is followed, the design that is generally followed while interfacing PCs in a given system is what is known as a physical or system topology (Zandbergen, 2017). In our conversation, we will feature three examples; star, transport and work topology Management and their comparing favorable circumstances. A topology where every single gadget is associated with a focal gadget, for example, a switch (Certification packs, 2017). It is the most usually utilized format as its flexible and vigorous in its tasks, model LAN associations in workplaces where PCs are associated with a focal server. Favorable circumstances Its a straightforward structure that is anything but difficult to introduce. Since every gadget is autonomous (associated with the focal gadget) there are no disturbances when gadgets are evacuated. A straightforward diagram structure that encourages deficiencies identification. Impediments It requires broad assets to set up for example links. Vulnerable to essential issue disappointments. By and large its progressively costly when contrasted with different models. In this topology, all gadgets or hubs are associated with a focal link or even system (the transport). Basically, this transport goes about as the correspondence medium utilized by gadgets to impart (Omnisecu, 2017). Model homeroom association of PC tapping from a focal Ethernet line. Points of interest Its typically simple to associate a gadget to a straight association for example a transport. When contrasted with the star topology, it requires less assets to introduce. Impediments The whole system is lost if the focal link fizzles. Its hard to build up the base of an issue if the system falls flat. It can't be utilized as an independent alternative Work An excess topology where all gadgets are associated with one another utilizing different associations Management . True to form its an extravagant topology yet it offers the best answer for an excess and versatile association necessities. Model the web. Favorable circumstances Amazingly flexible and strong, bombed associations don't influence the system. Including new gadgets has no impact on the general system. It can deal with a lot of traffic. Detriments Its extremely difficult to oversee and keep up. Besides, it requires a ton of capital venture (Nizam, 2014). Initially, the TCP/IP is a layered association of conventions that are utilized in correspondence today especially on the web. Its comprised of various layers whose progressive conventions are made of intelligent modules that perform explicit functionalities. Along these lines, every upper layer or convention level is bolstered by the functionalities and administrations of more than one other layer. Presently, exemplification and decapsulation are a procedure that is utilized to bundle information for transmission or gathering. Exemplification and decapsulation A demonstrated as follows, as information moves from the upper layer to the lower layers of the TCP/IP model, each layer includes a heap of significant control data. This control data is known as header documents and at each ensuing layer will turn into the healthy information where at lower layers is repackaged to shape an extra header record. This advantageous information is utilized at the less than desirable end to separate information at the planned layer. Hence, in switch, decapsulation will unload the information dependent on the control data gave (Omnisecu, 2017). While epitome and decapsulation include the expansion or expulsion of control data (header documents), multiplexing and de-multiplexing include the transmission of real information. Truth be told, multiplexing is a strategy used to transmit different signs or data streams over a solitary correspondence channel. Then again, de-multiplexing is the procedure used to recuperate and isolate these signs at the less than desirable end (Nizam, 2014). In this manner, epitome and decapsulation will include control information while multiplexing and de-multiplexing will have the genuine information or be it numerous occasions of (information streams). Given qualities: Bandwidth 6.8 MHz and SNR 132 Nyquist bit rate equation: 2 x Bandwidth x Log2 Signal level (L) Utilizing Shannon limit equation: Capacity (Shannon limit) = bit rate = B x Log2 (1 + SNR) = B x Log2 SNR = 6800000 x Log2 132 Bit rate = 47901880.01 = 47.9019 MHz Sign can be acquired from Nyquist recipe Signal level: 47901880.01 = 13600000 x Log2 L 3.52219706 = Log2 L, consequently, L = 23.52219706 = 11.48912529 Levels The OSI (Open frameworks interconnection) model is a standard made to layout the division of work in a given correspondence organize, this division will include both programming and equipment collaborations (Burke, 2017). Then again, TCP/IP are arrange guidelines that are utilized to characterize correspondence over the web. Fundamentally, IP characterizes the strategy PCs secure information from one another in a directed system. While the TCP characterizes the directs utilized in the correspondence procedure. As a model, the OSI model characterizes a wide and more extensive assortment of functionalities when contrasted with the TCP/IP model that possibly works when managing the web. In addition, the TCP/IP was made during the 1970s to take care of explicit issues and not functionalities. In this way, at the time there were insignificant factors to consider when contrasted with when the OSI model was created. Be that as it may, numerous correspondence conventions all the more thus, those utilized on the web, for example, HTTP (Hypertext move convention) are based on the TCP model. This result requires the need of the TCP/IP model which despite everything disrupts the general flow of the OSI model (Frenzel, 2013). Preferences and inconveniences of OSI model For one, the OSI model is a genuine conventional model that recognizes layers dependent on administration, conventions Management and interfaces. In addition, it has improved adaptability to interface with whatever other convention which makes it conceivable to help both associated and connectionless administrations. At long last, it has unique activity standards along these lines changes in a single layer never influence another. In any case, it has a few deficiencies; for example, it never characterizes any activity conventions. Moreover, its hard to present new conventions as it was made before the creation of conventions. Furthermore, there is broadened interdependency between correspondence layers (Chaudhari, 2016). When all is said in done, the TCP/IP model works freely of the activity frameworks which makes it simple to set up association paying little heed to the kind of PC utilized. Besides, it supports a few conventions including significant routeing conventions. In addition, its a versatile engineering that can suit new ideas and gauges. Be that as it may, this model is additionally hard to build up because of its perplexing nature. Besides, different models, for example, IPX are quicker when contrasted with it lastly, it has a higher overhead which requires additional transmission assets (Jayasundara, 2017). Qualities given: edge of size 5 million bits, 10 switches, lining time of 3.5 s, handling time of 1.8 s, interface length 1900 km, speed of light 2.2 x 108 m/s and data transfer capacity of 8 Mbps Accordingly, from these parameters we can have: Deferral/dormancy = Processing time + lining time + transmission time + proliferation time Consequently Preparing time (for 10 switches) = 10 x 1.8 = 1.8 x 10-5 s Lining time (10 switches) = 10 x 3.5 = 3.5 x 10-5 s Transmission time = Frame size/Bandwidth = 5000000/8000000 = 5/8, around 0.625 s Engendering time = Link length/speed of light = 1900000/2.2 x 108 = 8.636364 x 10-3 s Idleness = 1.8 x 10-5 + 3.5 x 10-5 + 0.625 + 8.636364x10-3 = 0.63369 s Transmission time is predominant (greater parcel size). Though, Processing time and lining time are immaterial. Mail station Protocol 3 (POP3) is a mail recovering convention that is utilized to get to post boxes facilitated on remote servers. These servers for the most part hold all the clients messages until they demand for them. Moreover, not at all like IMAP4 it will just get the sent messages (mail) which layout its restricted abilities. In any case, in its activity, POP3 will utilize three unique stages or meetings to execute its functionalities, they are Closed, Authorization, Transaction and Update (Netscape Communications Corporation, 1998). When all is said in done terms, POP3 is typically characterized dependent on a limited state machine with each relating meeting moving between three general states during its lifetime. Approval In this express, the server will give a thumbs up signal known as a welcome to the customer. This welcome will flag the servers goal to get resulting activities for example orders. Accordingly, the customer gives the fundamental confirmation techniques or data to permit it to get to its assigned post box. Exchange After giving the essential verification, the customer is offered power to direct different exercises and activity inside a given post box. These activities will incorporate a posting of every single accessible message just as the recovering activity. Additionally, it will diagram messages that are to be erased. Update Finally, in the wake of being finished with all the exercises in question, the customer will give a quit order and accordingly, the general meeting will enter the update state naturally. In this express, the server erases all messages assigned for erasure. Taking everything into account, the meeting is ended and the TCP association set between the two (customer and server) is additionally ended. Shut this state exists not long before the approval state when no association exists. Its shut on the grounds that no operational exercises are directed and are in reality now and then not thought about an operational meeting or state (Kozierok, 2015). References Burke. J. (2017). What is the distinction between TCP/IP model and OSI model? Tech target. Recovered 01 May, 2017, from: https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/answer/What-is-the-distinction between-OSI-model-and-TCP-IP-other-than-the-quantity of-layers Accreditation Kits. (2017).

Children and Criminal Intent

Contextual analysis #1 James M. Bufford Liberty University Online 11/18/12 This week’s contextual analysis was intriguing from a formative viewpoint. It is by all accounts a somewhat cover proclamation of our legitimate framework to state that youngsters under 7 are not considered answerable for violations and that a multi year-old can't shape criminal goal. My genuine belief is that kids contrast in their development levels (some may demonstration more seasoned, others more youthful, formatively). Notwithstanding, with that sentiment, I can see the contention of: Who discovers that development level? What is that assurance based upon?What inquire about has been done to demonstrate this? Along these lines, we should allude to what has been demonstrated through the numerous long stretches of research of biosocial improvement. As indicated by our content, the prefrontal cortex (here and there called the frontal cortex or frontal projection) is supposed to be the official of the mind since the various territories of the cortex are governed by the arranging, organizing and appearance in the prefrontal cortex. All things considered, this territory must be created or full grown throughout the years; this advancement happens through hereditary qualities and early experience (Berger, 2011, pg. 15). For this situation, it appears the early experience of growing up around those that were in all probability thoughtless and untrustworthy with weapons, majorly affected the young men life. Perhaps he was educated to shoot in the lawn? The entirety of this could be viewed as what Vygotsky viewed as â€Å"Social Learning†-which could likewise prompt the kid being interested about firearms and attentive about how they are to be utilized, just as being â€Å"mentored† by his friends and family who were additionally in jail on weapon related charges (Berger, 2011, pg. 240). Perhaps he dreaded his classmate?This may have prompted him taking the weapon to class , fearing encounter. The communication of the amygdala and the hippocampus can make dread be either useful (making a kid utilize trustworthiness); or, for this situation, damaging, permitting dread and lost displeasure to assume control over their feelings and carry on what he’s seen other relatives do (firing a firearm) (Berger, 2011, pg. 217). Perseveration, the propensity to continue on in, or stick to, one idea or activity for quite a while (Berger, 2011, pg. 216), may have likewise assumed a job in the kid completing this activity of shooting his classmate.The certainty that he had the option to recollect for the time being to take the weapon to class and use it the following day. Recognizing, by and by, the childs’ childhood, perhaps he was urged to resemble his other relatives? This could be a natter of increasing outward inspiration, which is a drive, or motivation to seek after an objective, that emerges from the need to have one’s accomplishments compe nsated outside, maybe by getting material belongings or another person’s regard (Berger, 2011, pg. 267). This, also, is critical to consider when taking a gander at all the elements that went into the youngster carrying out this crime.Who knows to what extent this way of life was implanted into his young, naive brain! There were such a large number of factors that added to this heartbreaking circumstance. The way that he pursued into the corner pulling the trigger shows that perhaps when he got in a tough situation at home, he was sent to the corner as a method of discipline. His activities after the wrongdoing indicated he carried on as a youngster, not understanding the criticalness and threat of what just happened because of his lack of caution at the time of outrage. REFERENCES Berger, 2011. The Developing Person Through The Life Span. New York, NY. Worth Publishers

Machiavelli's view of human nature in The Prince Essay

Machiavelli's perspective on human instinct in The Prince - Essay Example Machiavelli's perspective on human instinct in The Prince In part 15, Machiavelli composes, â€Å"men†¦and princes†¦, are amazing for a portion of those characteristics which bring them either fault of praise† (Machiavelli, 1961). The sovereigns show those characters that won't deny him of his state. For this situation, men follow what brings them advantage regardless of whether it is a bad habit †â€Å"it will be discovered that something which resembles a goodness, whenever followed, would be his ruin; while something different, which appears as though a bad habit, yet followed brings him security and prosperity.† Being in the most noteworthy situation of the land, and with the most noteworthy power, the sovereign should place as a result approaches that will serve his wellbeing (Machiavelli, 1961). This shows Machiavelli upheld any activity of sovereigns that will give them fulfillment, regardless of whether it will hurt the residents. He accepted that the prince’s supporters are now and then problematic, and the ruler may lose their dependability. This is demonstrated in section 11: â€Å"For such a sovereign can't depend upon what he sees in calm occasions, when residents have need of the state, since then everybody concurs with him; they all guarantee, and when demise is far removed they all desire to bite the dust for him; however in pained occasions, when the state has need of its residents, at that point he finds yet few† (Machiavelli, 1961). The sovereign ought to along these lines guarantee that at each second residents are needing the state, and they will consistently b e dedicated to him.

The Making of Embrace

The Making of Embrace A few weeks ago, Ayomide F. 18, better known to longtime blogreaders as our own personal  Riri Williams, sent me a copy of a new video she had helped choreograph, perform, and produce. It was (and is) incredibly arresting and compelling video, and I asked Ayo if shed write up how it came to be so I could post it. She did, and I have reproduced it, unedited, immediately below. I put my first pair of heels on when I was 6. Maybe even younger. I charged into my mother’s shoe closet and beelined for these crimson-colored wonders that I’d been eyeing for a while. I strutted around for a bit before my ankles buckled and I knocked over a jewelry box. The clatter of pearls and gold sent my mom rushing into the room, ready to scold me. But when she saw the mess I made, she only laughed. “So when is the fashion show?” I smiled up at her as I struggled to get back on my feet and cheekily replied, “Tonight! After dinner.” She beamed radiantly at me with her makeup perfectly blended, her business suit impeccably ironed, the first definition of beauty I ever knew. It was not odd that I wanted to look like her, that I wanted to wear heels and put on a fashion show. Hers was an expression of beauty that was well-recognized and well-respected. It would have been odd though, if I had been born male. If a little six year old boy had worn those heels and told themselves that they looked beautiful, the world would not have agreed. I wasn’t thinking about all of this when my friend Chheankgea (aka CK) ‘17 approached me about working on a heels concept video with him. What is a concept video you ask? And what do heels have to do with them? Well, within the dance community, concept videos are this really fun way to tell a story through choreography. (Here’s a cute how-to on them). The heels were involved because well Dancing in heels is fun, It’s hard as hell but the best part about being a dancer is making your body do things that it didn’t know it was capable of, and As 6 year old me already discovered, heels make some of us feel really beautiful. Anyway, I met CK at the very beginning of my freshman year. We were both dancers on Mirchi (MIT’s Bollywood fusion dance team) and both obsessed with being extra. We quickly bonded over complaining about boys, practicing choreography, and embarking on adventures that involved impromptu photoshoots. That same year I met the 3rd star of our video, Shruthi ‘16. She was one of the first dancers to ever truly inspire me. I always joke that I’m her biggest fan because every time I watch her dance, I have a conniption and start screaming uncontrollably. Shruthi was Course 6 (computer science) and danced on both MIrchi and hip-hop team Mocha during her time at MIT. CK was Course 4 (architecture) but he realized late in his junior year that he didn’t want to pursue graduate studies in that field. He wanted to go to film school. He’s been building his portfolio ever since and currently works at MIT’s International Design Center. So when he approached me this past spring about wanting to do a dance video, I knew it couldn’t be just any old video of us shimmying. It would have to be worthy of a film school submission. The initial plan was to dance to Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae. It had just come out at the time and we loved the way it colorfully explored the topic of bisexuality. I really resonated with the image of hiding one’s homosexuality behind heterosexuality, denying a part of yourself because being honest with the world isn’t always something we’re capable of. At the end of the day, we ended up not going with the song (it was too pop funk to really fit any of our dance styles) but we stuck with the theme of hiding. When we finally stumbled on Magnets by Lorde/Disclosure, it felt too good to be true. The song was sultry and full of emotion. It also had pretty sick backbeats and clicks that sent our minds into creative overdrive. We added I Do by Cardi B to the mix because we wanted something with a grimy feel to it, something that screamed bad bitch. Once songs were decided, fully defining the story took a while. Shruthi had already made the music cut so we had to make sure each scene had a specific correlation to each section of music. There was a point when I was stuck on the murderous nature of I Do and wanted a storyline that involved the double homicide of a bisexual woman and her new male lover by her jealous female ex We decided this was a bit too petty and a bit too violent so we scrapped it. At some point, I don’t know when, a line from the Magnets chorus mosied into my brain and refused to leave me alone. I knew that somehow our story’s thesis had to be about “embracing the point of no return.” I wanted to explore shame but also celebrate that amazing moment when we relinquish shame and accept our identities. I must have telepathically communicated this to Shruthi and CK because at our next meetup, we spent a significant amount of time discussing the parts of our identities we had trouble embracing. CK reminded us of the first time he painted his nails and how beautiful he had felt until someone made a discouraging comment. Eventually, I told the story of the day I had to save my best friend from the Baker dining hall. He had borrowed some of my clothes and put together a spectacularly fabulous outfit, only to enter his dorm and be laughed at by the dining staff. And so all of a sudden we had a story, one we all knew far too well. Next, we had to make decisions about costumes and locations. The first decision was easy. We had to dance in heels. And if Shruthi and I were to play diva fairy godmothers, we had to look supremely extra. The first and last place we looked for costumes was my closet. Why do I own two feathered headpieces you ask? why not? I spread every extra piece of clothing I owned on my bed and got to work mixing and matching. There was a point when I wanted desperately for CK to wear a bright green corset that I’d worn as the Joker for Halloween. He was vehemently opposed to that idea. Eventually we settled on looks that were just the right amount of extra. Then we got to work trying to encapsulate the anger felt during the I Do segment of the story. Faux black leather ended up being our saving grace. Glitter was also paramount. We used it every day of filming. Shruthi and CK had to tell me more than a few times to go easy on the glitter, but why listen when you can glow, you know? Me being the definition of grunge in an alleyway at 1am. Looking this good while staying up that late is a special skill. Since embracing one’s identity (~#pride~) was at the core of the video, we wanted each scene to be as colorful as possible. We toyed around with the idea of a nightclub setting, drawn in by the possibility of bright neon lights, but this proved to be logistically unfeasible. So, instead we opted for a “nightclub bathroom” (aka the huge bathroom in the basement of Stata). We bought some really fancy lights and lit the place up with pinks and yellows. Our other filming spots were Walker Memorial and the alleyway behind the MIT Museum. The Stata bathroom always wanted to be pink and I’m glad we helped it discover itself. Rehearsing and filming were very challenging processes for us. At the time I was apprenticing with the Boston Beautease, a local Burlesque troupe, on Wednesday and Sunday evenings while also taking two evening Theater classes. Shruthi was working 9am to 6pm at Google, so scheduling was an absolute nightmare. We spent many nights in the studio past midnight, teaching each other choreo and cleaning until we achieved synchronization. Our film “crew” consisted of us and one other person, our dear friend Faraaz ‘19, a total camera novice. We wanted dynamic shots with crazy closeups and wild angles. Easier said than done. Faraaz stayed with us till 3am some nights, retaking shots where we’d messed up the choreo, or blanked on facials, or accidentally stepped out of the light. His dedication really reminded me of the magic of MIT. It’s the kind of place where people will take time out of their days to help you celebrate your passions. Doing CK’s makeup was one of my favorite parts of the filming process. He has perfect skin and amazing cheekbones, such a good canvas ugh. When the time finally came to release the video, a latent panic set in. The fear of discovery finally manifested and we found ourselves making lists of family members we would have to block on FaceBook and Instagram before releasing. These were people who wanted the best for us but wouldn’t understand why a young architecture major would yearn for a pair of heels. Or why a NIgerian chemical engineer would dance so provocatively in so little clothing for the whole world to see. “Which descent man will marry her now?” “Which company will hire her after seeing this?” I could already hear them huffing and puffing. It took a lot not to feel slightly ashamed of the video. As our most extrinsic emotion, shame stems from the external reactions to the internal decisions we make. We learn what’s “good” from our families. And then some of us spend our lives redefining good until we no longer see ourselves as bad. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family to death. So do Shruthi and CK. But it puts an incredible weight on us to think we are disappointing them by being ourselves. Shruthi was so paranoid about being discovered via a Google name search that we almost resorted to code names for this blog post. I share her trepidation to some extent. I don’t know what my mom will say when she sees this video. I haven’t made efforts to hide it from her but I haven’t gone out of my way to show it to her either. I feel this constant pressure to be wholesome, ladylike, a good woman, respectable. Shrouded by this crowdsourced idea that a respectable life requires working a respectable job while adhering to respectability politics. Why can’t I just be respected? I’ve loved watching as our generation destroys this old paradigm and asks this question of our elders. Why can’t we just be respected. I know drag queens who moonlight as field engineers and amazing twerkers who work on dev teams at tech startups. I watch my friends free themselves, follow their passions, create absolutely brilliant content, and I can’t help but wonder when their families will be just as proud of them as I am. The video is here. Free and open to all who have access to the interwebs. I hope it’s as meaningful to you as it is to me.

The Making of Embrace

The Making of Embrace A few weeks ago, Ayomide F. 18, better known to longtime blogreaders as our own personal  Riri Williams, sent me a copy of a new video she had helped choreograph, perform, and produce. It was (and is) incredibly arresting and compelling video, and I asked Ayo if shed write up how it came to be so I could post it. She did, and I have reproduced it, unedited, immediately below. I put my first pair of heels on when I was 6. Maybe even younger. I charged into my mother’s shoe closet and beelined for these crimson-colored wonders that I’d been eyeing for a while. I strutted around for a bit before my ankles buckled and I knocked over a jewelry box. The clatter of pearls and gold sent my mom rushing into the room, ready to scold me. But when she saw the mess I made, she only laughed. “So when is the fashion show?” I smiled up at her as I struggled to get back on my feet and cheekily replied, “Tonight! After dinner.” She beamed radiantly at me with her makeup perfectly blended, her business suit impeccably ironed, the first definition of beauty I ever knew. It was not odd that I wanted to look like her, that I wanted to wear heels and put on a fashion show. Hers was an expression of beauty that was well-recognized and well-respected. It would have been odd though, if I had been born male. If a little six year old boy had worn those heels and told themselves that they looked beautiful, the world would not have agreed. I wasn’t thinking about all of this when my friend Chheankgea (aka CK) ‘17 approached me about working on a heels concept video with him. What is a concept video you ask? And what do heels have to do with them? Well, within the dance community, concept videos are this really fun way to tell a story through choreography. (Here’s a cute how-to on them). The heels were involved because well Dancing in heels is fun, It’s hard as hell but the best part about being a dancer is making your body do things that it didn’t know it was capable of, and As 6 year old me already discovered, heels make some of us feel really beautiful. Anyway, I met CK at the very beginning of my freshman year. We were both dancers on Mirchi (MIT’s Bollywood fusion dance team) and both obsessed with being extra. We quickly bonded over complaining about boys, practicing choreography, and embarking on adventures that involved impromptu photoshoots. That same year I met the 3rd star of our video, Shruthi ‘16. She was one of the first dancers to ever truly inspire me. I always joke that I’m her biggest fan because every time I watch her dance, I have a conniption and start screaming uncontrollably. Shruthi was Course 6 (computer science) and danced on both MIrchi and hip-hop team Mocha during her time at MIT. CK was Course 4 (architecture) but he realized late in his junior year that he didn’t want to pursue graduate studies in that field. He wanted to go to film school. He’s been building his portfolio ever since and currently works at MIT’s International Design Center. So when he approached me this past spring about wanting to do a dance video, I knew it couldn’t be just any old video of us shimmying. It would have to be worthy of a film school submission. The initial plan was to dance to Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae. It had just come out at the time and we loved the way it colorfully explored the topic of bisexuality. I really resonated with the image of hiding one’s homosexuality behind heterosexuality, denying a part of yourself because being honest with the world isn’t always something we’re capable of. At the end of the day, we ended up not going with the song (it was too pop funk to really fit any of our dance styles) but we stuck with the theme of hiding. When we finally stumbled on Magnets by Lorde/Disclosure, it felt too good to be true. The song was sultry and full of emotion. It also had pretty sick backbeats and clicks that sent our minds into creative overdrive. We added I Do by Cardi B to the mix because we wanted something with a grimy feel to it, something that screamed bad bitch. Once songs were decided, fully defining the story took a while. Shruthi had already made the music cut so we had to make sure each scene had a specific correlation to each section of music. There was a point when I was stuck on the murderous nature of I Do and wanted a storyline that involved the double homicide of a bisexual woman and her new male lover by her jealous female ex We decided this was a bit too petty and a bit too violent so we scrapped it. At some point, I don’t know when, a line from the Magnets chorus mosied into my brain and refused to leave me alone. I knew that somehow our story’s thesis had to be about “embracing the point of no return.” I wanted to explore shame but also celebrate that amazing moment when we relinquish shame and accept our identities. I must have telepathically communicated this to Shruthi and CK because at our next meetup, we spent a significant amount of time discussing the parts of our identities we had trouble embracing. CK reminded us of the first time he painted his nails and how beautiful he had felt until someone made a discouraging comment. Eventually, I told the story of the day I had to save my best friend from the Baker dining hall. He had borrowed some of my clothes and put together a spectacularly fabulous outfit, only to enter his dorm and be laughed at by the dining staff. And so all of a sudden we had a story, one we all knew far too well. Next, we had to make decisions about costumes and locations. The first decision was easy. We had to dance in heels. And if Shruthi and I were to play diva fairy godmothers, we had to look supremely extra. The first and last place we looked for costumes was my closet. Why do I own two feathered headpieces you ask? why not? I spread every extra piece of clothing I owned on my bed and got to work mixing and matching. There was a point when I wanted desperately for CK to wear a bright green corset that I’d worn as the Joker for Halloween. He was vehemently opposed to that idea. Eventually we settled on looks that were just the right amount of extra. Then we got to work trying to encapsulate the anger felt during the I Do segment of the story. Faux black leather ended up being our saving grace. Glitter was also paramount. We used it every day of filming. Shruthi and CK had to tell me more than a few times to go easy on the glitter, but why listen when you can glow, you know? Me being the definition of grunge in an alleyway at 1am. Looking this good while staying up that late is a special skill. Since embracing one’s identity (~#pride~) was at the core of the video, we wanted each scene to be as colorful as possible. We toyed around with the idea of a nightclub setting, drawn in by the possibility of bright neon lights, but this proved to be logistically unfeasible. So, instead we opted for a “nightclub bathroom” (aka the huge bathroom in the basement of Stata). We bought some really fancy lights and lit the place up with pinks and yellows. Our other filming spots were Walker Memorial and the alleyway behind the MIT Museum. The Stata bathroom always wanted to be pink and I’m glad we helped it discover itself. Rehearsing and filming were very challenging processes for us. At the time I was apprenticing with the Boston Beautease, a local Burlesque troupe, on Wednesday and Sunday evenings while also taking two evening Theater classes. Shruthi was working 9am to 6pm at Google, so scheduling was an absolute nightmare. We spent many nights in the studio past midnight, teaching each other choreo and cleaning until we achieved synchronization. Our film “crew” consisted of us and one other person, our dear friend Faraaz ‘19, a total camera novice. We wanted dynamic shots with crazy closeups and wild angles. Easier said than done. Faraaz stayed with us till 3am some nights, retaking shots where we’d messed up the choreo, or blanked on facials, or accidentally stepped out of the light. His dedication really reminded me of the magic of MIT. It’s the kind of place where people will take time out of their days to help you celebrate your passions. Doing CK’s makeup was one of my favorite parts of the filming process. He has perfect skin and amazing cheekbones, such a good canvas ugh. When the time finally came to release the video, a latent panic set in. The fear of discovery finally manifested and we found ourselves making lists of family members we would have to block on FaceBook and Instagram before releasing. These were people who wanted the best for us but wouldn’t understand why a young architecture major would yearn for a pair of heels. Or why a NIgerian chemical engineer would dance so provocatively in so little clothing for the whole world to see. “Which descent man will marry her now?” “Which company will hire her after seeing this?” I could already hear them huffing and puffing. It took a lot not to feel slightly ashamed of the video. As our most extrinsic emotion, shame stems from the external reactions to the internal decisions we make. We learn what’s “good” from our families. And then some of us spend our lives redefining good until we no longer see ourselves as bad. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family to death. So do Shruthi and CK. But it puts an incredible weight on us to think we are disappointing them by being ourselves. Shruthi was so paranoid about being discovered via a Google name search that we almost resorted to code names for this blog post. I share her trepidation to some extent. I don’t know what my mom will say when she sees this video. I haven’t made efforts to hide it from her but I haven’t gone out of my way to show it to her either. I feel this constant pressure to be wholesome, ladylike, a good woman, respectable. Shrouded by this crowdsourced idea that a respectable life requires working a respectable job while adhering to respectability politics. Why can’t I just be respected? I’ve loved watching as our generation destroys this old paradigm and asks this question of our elders. Why can’t we just be respected. I know drag queens who moonlight as field engineers and amazing twerkers who work on dev teams at tech startups. I watch my friends free themselves, follow their passions, create absolutely brilliant content, and I can’t help but wonder when their families will be just as proud of them as I am. The video is here. Free and open to all who have access to the interwebs. I hope it’s as meaningful to you as it is to me.