INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It can be small -- trying to get people to clean up after their animals, for example -- or large -- trying to eliminate the sales tax on groceries in your state. Keep in mind that the smaller the issue, the better chance you have at making a difference. Local government necessarily includes fewer people, and because you are one of those people, your voice can make a difference in a way that it can’t among the millions on a state or national level. Is it a national law? Then you might want to enlist the help of a Senator or Congressman. Is it a state law? Then your state house representative or a state senator is the person to see. Finally, if the law is a county or town ordinance seek out the local councillor, supervisor, mayor, or county executive. How old is it? Which person or group was responsible for writing it or changing it last time? It is important to know the history of the law so you have a better idea about how to change it. Knowing how it was made or changed before tells you who needs to be involved this time. If it was a vote by the city council before, chances are it will be changed by a vote by the city council again. Ask them about the feasibility of your idea.   Can they change or repeal it in the same way? If not, what will be different this time? If it was a ballot measure (this is only true for some states), ask how to get your changes on the ballot again. You’ll need to know when to file your measure and how many signatures (often 1,000+) it will take to get it back to the voters.

SUMMARY: Discover an issue that you are passionate about. Know what level of government is responsible for the law. Read the laws governing your issue. Talk to the people or group that made or changed the law last time.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: One of the most crucial parts of choreographing a dance is picking out the music. Pick a piece that you love, that makes you feel emotional and that inspires you to want to dance yourself.  Don’t worry about how long the piece is – you can always edit it to be longer or shorter using a program like GarageBand. Take a long walk and listen to the music you have on your iPod or phone. Make sure to pick a song that you like listening to. You’re going to be hearing it a lot. Your audience, in this case, is who you will be teaching the dance to. Your audience is important because it will guide your choreographic  choices, based on the audience's preference and skill levels.  For instance, you wouldn't teach the same dance to a group of experienced ballerinas that you would to an informal senior citizen's dance group. Consider tailoring your dance to a specific group. If you're trying to create a new dance fad, you may want to go on the simple side, as most people's dance skills are amateur. Dances don’t just appear out of nowhere – they are born from a choreographer’s thoughts and points of view. There are many ways to go about getting inspired to create a dance. Here are a few options:  Look at abstract designs and try to create movement that mimics what’s on the paper. Read a book and let a line from the book inspire movement. Try listening to the music you selected over and over and improvising a dance. Pick a mood or emotion and let that inspire the dance. Watch a movie and try to recreate a scene from the movie through movement. Let a story, a relationship or an abstract concept serve as the inspiration for the piece. The age and skill level of your dancers will determine a great deal about the dance. After all, it’s almost impossible to teach a hip hop routine to a bunch of 5-year-olds who have only ever taken ballet.  Think about how old the dancers are and how much dance experience they have. Then pick a style of dance that the dancers will be able to confidently execute. It’s okay to add in moves from different styles of dance. Decide how many people will be performing in the dance. Is it going to be a solo or a duet? Will there be a whole line of people? Decide if you yourself will be dancing or just choreographing. It’s much harder to choreograph an entire dance piece in one go. Instead, try breaking the song into verses or measures and creating sequences of movement for these smaller portions.  If you have a distinct movement, try to bring it back at different intervals throughout the piece. Make sure the movements you’re choreographing aren’t too hard for your dancers to perform. Write your notes down so you don’t forget them! Instead of fruitlessly trying to come up with new movements, assign yourself a simple task, like walking the dog or eating breakfast. Then improvise movements based on that task.  Once you have the movements for your simple task down, try drawing them out or speeding them up so they feel more like dance. Rearrange the moves to create a new, more interesting sequence of movements. Dance, like all art, is subjective. Don’t get caught up in whether your dance looks like every other dance – just create a dance that showcases your point of view as a choreographer.  It’s okay to be inspired by other dances, but don’t steal a dance move for move. Don’t get upset if your dance doesn’t come out exactly how you envisioned – there’s no such thing as a perfect dance.

SUMMARY: Pick a piece of music. Figure out your audience. Find your inspiration. Determine the style of the dance. Choreograph in short spurts. Give yourself a dance prompt. Have fun and be true to yourself.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You can start your search for adoption agencies online. Public and private adoption agencies have websites. Use these as a jumping-off point to learn more about each agency and its adoption process.  The process for private agencies may be a bit more involved than if you go through a state agency, and also may cost a little more money. In exchange, you may have more control over the adoption process or more guidance and assistance after the adoption is complete. State adoption services can be a good source of information about the legal and financial assistance available to adoptive parents. While there are plenty of American children looking for forever homes, you may also adopt a child of another race directly from their home country. Look for an agency headquartered in the United States if you want to explore international adoption.  Agencies headquartered in another country could be a scam, and you may not have the ability to adequately research their background and reputation. Check adoption alert notifications on the State Department's website regularly. These will let you know if there are any problems with adoptions in specific countries. Once you have a list of three or four different potential adoption agencies, make appointments to visit each of them and talk to the people who work there. Then you can compare to choose the best agency for you.  Get an understanding of costs up front, but don't base your decision solely on the amount of money it will cost to complete your adoption. You want to choose an agency where you feel comfortable and at home. Since you want to adopt a child of another race, find out if any of the agencies offer cultural or language support, or if they have classes or other resources available for transracial families. Most agencies have prospective adoptive parents attend an orientation session or an introductory class so you can learn more about the adoption process and the policies of that particular agency.  Pre-service training is required in most states, whether you are using a public or private adoption agency. Focus on the presentation, and make note of any questions you have so you can ask agency staff later. While you certainly don't have to be wealthy to adopt a child, you will have to be able to demonstrate that you have the space to house the child and the financial means to support the child.  Home and community environment are also important. Talk to your family and friends, and evaluate the multicultural resources available in your area. Make sure those close to you accept your decision to adopt a child of another race. You also want to make sure there are no legal restrictions that would prevent you from adopting a child. If you're thinking about adopting internationally, you want to look at the laws in the child's home country as well.

SUMMARY:
Research nearby adoption agencies. Expand your search abroad. Interview agency staff. Go to an orientation meeting. Assess your ability to care for a child.