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Edit: I changed the order a bit and thus the comments might not reflect the right numbers.I have put about 15 things here. India Dreams Collection. Here are the 20 things I think we should focus in the nearby future.LandNetwork: Digitize all land records and provide public access. Most of India's corruption, black money, lawsuits and mafia activity relate to land. Have a massive land survey and digitize records all across India so that you know of the name of the owner of every single square feet of land.HelpNetwork: Revolutionize volunteering with location devices. Let's say I'm waiting at a railway station in Jaipur. I get a mobile notification from the local government asking for volunteers to spend 1 hour teaching the local kids algebra. I respond, spend that 1 hour helping the kids and then go on do my job. With location information in smartphones, the governments can tap the citizens substantially. They could divide complex governance work into simpler chunks and send notifications for volunteering among people in that location. Maybe I could help clean a national monument or deliver books or help in other ways. If the time requirement is short and the gratification instantaneous, a lot would join. Other citizens could also add tasks that they find ("A pregnant woman in need of help"). This will make for highly involved citizenry and greatly expand the Do feature in MyGov.GovernanceNetwork: Turn post offices into e-governance hubs: We have 155,000+ post offices and 90% of those are in rural areas. That is a huge asset. Turn these into e-governance hubs with kiosks containing every government form & video instructions for filing them. Where physical stuff is needed - signing a paper form, sending photographs etc can all be made there. Almost everything you can do in any government office, should be enabled there.MonitorNetwork: Put a CCTV in every school class, every government office and give public the access. Let's say sitting anywhere in the world, I could instantly look at a classroom in rural Tamil Nadu and find what the teacher is teaching [if there is any teacher at all]. I could then keep track of the government where it really matters - in education and basic governance. An army of slactivists can just look at these video feeds and identify quality issues in far flung corners of India. Not just monitoring, the public can also give useful inputs in fixing issues. Some state governments have already started putting CCTVs in government offices although the public don't have access yet.DisasterNetwork: Effectively implement a single emergency number. In the US, a single call to 911 is sufficient in case of any emergency. This requires build a lot of infrastructure - an army of telephone operators and a huge number of disaster response infrastructure.CleanNetwork: Create clean zones across India. Just like Special Economic Zones, there could be a Special Clean Zone where laws and execution are different. While cleaning India is a gargantuan task that people give up quickly, we can divide and conquer by starting small. It could be as small as an urban street or a railway station. Create these pockets across India where there is zero tolerance for littering & waste. There is instant punishment and cleanup in such zones. These will become the blueprint for a clean India.SecurityNetwork: Triple the police force. Right now there are only about 1 policeman for every 760 people [http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-police-to-people-ratio-3-cops-for-every-vip-but-just-1-for-761-commoners-1879695]. This is especially alarming the north, where states like Bihar and West Bengal have 1 cop every 1500 people. Police count is a good indicator of how secure a state is. South India for instance has far more police per person than the north. Drastically increase recruitment and get the new lads with the new tech.RailNetwork: From Manipur to Singapore: Prioritize the rail & road links to southeast asia. Kohima to Singapore is shorter than Kohima to Mumbai. We can easily link across southeast Asia through Myanmar. This is a project that has been sleeping for years [India's Trans-Asian rail goes slow]. We need to link quickly to South East Asia that can rapidly unlock value in India's northeast. As trade explodes, terrorism will shrink as the youth would have something better to do.EducationNetwork: Go all-in on tele-education. There is no way for India to educate 1200 million people in the conventional way. Right now online education still in infancy. Spend a massive amount money to provide broadband network to every single school in India, provide tablets and in parallel develop a large body of quality content for every school board. Let us make tele-education a key way to deliver education to the poor. This would also let us monitor how the education is being delivered and the outcomes by measuring teacher attendance, student progress etc.WaterNetwork: Develop inland waterways. Despite having a large number of rivers and long coastline, very little of goods and people move through water. Moving stuff through water is practically free compared to roads and trains. Massive economic growth can result from this. The key strength of US economy is through the tapping of its inland waterways. The Inevitable EmpireTap railway lands and infrastructure substantially. Indian railways have over 43000 hectares of vacant land. Besides there is a lot of land that is built, but under-utilized. I can't stand the image of Indian railways having enormous amount of lands in key locations that are under-utilized. Have a major plan to fully utilize the railways land for hotels, warehouses and other economic ideas.HealthNetwork: Build a public health service army. We need a massive army of public health workers who can be at the forefront of healthcare. Sort of what China did with barefoot doctors. We cannot afford to train a lot of doctors in a short time and thus we need to launch an army of these workers who can provide the basic services across India. Use the scarce resources of doctors on mobile to handle the complex cases.TechNetwork: Identity 10 cutting edge industries and put enormous funding behind them. Rather than attempting to take sunset industries left behind by other countries, we should look to build strength in 10 key cutting edge industries. Just as Uber finds India as its key market, there are a variety of new tech that could find home in India. These could be IOT, Solar tech, 3D printing, robotics, augmented reality, wearables, nanomaterials, space tech, tele-education and telemedicine. There are entrepreneurs already in these fields, but there could be a gargantuan push from the government. By leapfrogging, we could unlock jobs for the aspiring middle class.Get female workforce participation above 50%. In China, Indonesia and most other countries nearly 60% of the women work. In India, it is 27% - among the lowest in the world - developed or developing. Labor force participation rate, female. In urban India this rate is even less. Over 100 million potential workers are wasted and bringing them to work could increase our GDP by 25% or more. That would require broach changes throughout the system - including adding more security, reforming a variety of laws and social campaigns.Get female adult literacy to near 100%. This is not impossible to achieve in 1 year with the spread of smartphones. Just needs a single minded commitment. When Indian women get literate, tremendous level of growth in human development indicators is possible.Research water efficient crops. We have to realize that we are fast losing water. This means there has to be a massive effort in identifying crops that are water efficient.Look to change to water-efficient diets. Building on that identify diets that waste a lot of water. Use taxes, laws, grants and social campaigns to get people out of water guzzling foods.Make rainwater harvesting compulsory across India. In Tamil Nadu, making rainwater harvesting compulsory in all buildings resulted in better ground water levels. Use this idea across India. Make effective water use a mandated one.Push for a water sharing agreement with China. India has no watersharing agreement with China for Brahmaputra waters. This has to be made a priority in Indo-China talks.Accelerate Thorium reactors. Its been 6 decades since Homi Bhabha talked about the three stage nuclear program. We are still stuck in stage 1. Put Thorium at #2 of India's national energy priority just behind solar.

While there are many pros and cons to sending students to every type of school and there are also many factors that might impact the specific benefits provided by these “boarding schools” for each and every individual student, I can offer the following after teaching many students who have attended them:The are the 3 Top Reasons I would send my children to boarding schools:Feeder schools into top universitiesIf you look at a number of the answers to this post re: “feeder schools” to elite universities, you’ll notice a number of the top boarding schools in the lists: Mastering Boarding School Admissions Andover and Exeter, given their notoriety show up more than others, but frankly many boarding schools offer the following which might help students obtain admissions into the Top Universities:The academic rigor provided by the schools may be stronger than its peers.Why? First off, the Largest Endowments reported by Boarding School Review for the top 30 institutions total more than $100 million USD. Having those funds, these academic establishments can hire stronger instructors, develop or maintain challenging curricula, and maybe even have the best education leaders directing these schools in the “proper direction” for its constituents.Secondly, they have to simply survive by providing the best or they will fail to fund their schools with those annual $35,000–50,000+ tuition rates. Frankly, that added pressure forces them to provide students courses and electives that provide the “best” to their kids. Parents are always asking either out loud or at least in their minds, “Why am I paying so much for my child’s education?”St. Paul’s shows their recent matriculation numbers:COLLEGE MATRICULATIONCollege advisers work hard to find the best institutional match for students. Over the past four years, the colleges and universities most attended by our graduates are:Georgetown University - 31Brown University - 27Columbia University - 21Harvard University - 19Dartmouth College - 18Boston College - 15University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University - 14Stanford University, Williams College - 13Elite social networkParents (or the financiers of these kids) have to be on average wealthier than everyone else. It’s quite simple that going to school with “rich kids” means you’re hob nobbing with the elite in society. There is a reason why they are there and on top of that, they are most likely trying to maintain their positions. Having access to this network could open opportunities to internships, opportunities that may pad their resumes or many other avenues to being a part of the “upper class.”A little known story that many people don’t realize about Bill Gates beyond being a Harvard drop out is that he went to one of the best private schools in the Seattle area. His parents were a partner at a top law firm and a board member at the non-profit that helped him connect with the CEO of IBM. While it’s not a boarding school, it’s the same logic. If you want a boarding school example, just look to the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. You can also look at the long list of alumni at all the boarding schools and you’ll find many under the radar successes.The top “reason to go to Andover” adds more rhetoric to show this:1. Friendships that will last a lifetimeThe friends you meet at Andover will remain your friends forever. Whether you were friends from the start of Freshman Orientation week or you just met in the final days of Senior Spring, I am sure you will keep in touch after Commencement. Simply put, Andover students are nice. Everyone at Andover is friendly and looking for new friends. In my four years, I know I have met some of my best friends and even though we have only one more term left at Andover, I am confident that we will go on weekend trips together, connect at Alumni gatherings, and “tweet” at each other for years to come.Source: Phillips AcademyThe educationI’ll let Deerfield’s explanation of their didactic benefits:We offer small, discussion-based courses in a wide range of A Northeast College Prep Boarding School academic disciplines. Our faculty has designed a variety of interdepartmental courses, team-taught by two or more faculty members, to enable students to create new and innovative interdisciplinary skill sets. Individual research, off-campus study opportunities, advanced Alternate Study electives, and 19 AP courses provide students with exceptional academic opportunity.Source: Why DeerfieldMilton Academy gives even more details:What to expect from academics at MiltonBeing smart and interested is easy, fun and normal; everyone around you is motivated, too.Your classrooms will have about 14 students in them; everyone is part of the action.Learning is discussion-based not lecture-based; intense conversation in the classroom makes the class exciting. You make connections and discoveries you never imagined.Your teachers look for analysis, critical thinking, expressing ideas; they help you achieve these skills. You’ll develop your own point of view, and you’ll learn to respect others’ differing points of view.You will have your own faculty advisor. One advisor counsels you and a small group of other students throughout your Milton years, guides your course selection, keeps in touch with your academic and social progress, and acts as your resource and advocate.APs are not the only advanced coursework; you’ll be prepared to take AP tests, even if the course is not labeled AP. In fact, many upper level courses are more challenging and rewarding than AP curricula; take your talent, your interests and your passion as far as you can go.Teachers are ready and willing to help you outside of class; students visit faculty in the dorms and call faculty at home for help.Faculty get to know you well—who you are and what you care about; you’ll want to meet their high expectations of you.Teachers give your writing, projects and tests thorough commentary and respectful responses.You will feel proud of your work, and proud of your classmates’ work.Your homework is not repetitive, or busy work; it is valuable.Your courses are not limited to the texts; readings and discussions go beyond the textbooks and teachers respond to what students are interested in.When you get excited about a subject (and you will), you can follow up with a wide range of electives and learn from teachers who inspire you.Your art teachers are artists, in and outside of school; your music teachers are musicians; your English teachers are writers, your drama teachers are performers, set designers, and directors, and so forth. All your teachers are scholars in their fields.Source: Academics at MiltonAnd one other argument could be made that they help students learn to become mature even quicker than others who don’t board.One school explains:Self-relianceBoarding school students quickly learn how to perform many domestic chores and complete school assignments by themselves. They become experts at managing their time, money and resources. These students mature quickly and tend to be very independent and successful in college and life.Source: Benefits of Boarding SchoolThe schools also share their reasons:Andover:10. You’ll never go hungryThe best days at my house are always when somebody in my family has just gone grocery shopping—the once-barren refrigerator magically becomes a paradise of food. When I came to Andover, I was delighted to find that grocery days were everyday in Paresky Commons, the main dining hall on campus. Alongside the homestyle and grillworks stations upstairs, Paresky is home to made-to-order stir fry station, a pizza oven, an enormous salad bar, a pasta bar, and a deli bar. The best part is that Paresky is open to students (boarders and commuters), faculty, and staff every day of the school year for all three meals. If somehow you are left hungry after a meal in Paresky though, there are always burgers, chicken fingers, smoothies, and more available in Susie’s, the snack bar on the bottom floor of Paresky.9. Research is a breeze at the OWHLThe librarians at the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library, affectionately dubbed the OWHL, are an amazing resource. Whether you are hunting for a scholarly article on one of the many online databases provided by the library, scouring the stacks for a book, or struggling to format your bibliography—the OWHL librarians have your back. And even if you are on track with your work, the OWHL is the perfect, and probably most popular place to study on campus. There are group study areas for collaborative work, a “comfy chair” room stocked with the most current periodicals, and a silent study room for those nights when you just have to get work done.8. You can do anything with a BlueCard!As an Andover student, you don’t just get an ID card—you get a BlueCard! And a BlueCard is no ordinary ID card, either. With your BlueCard, you can check out books from the OWHL, sign into the computer centers, gain access to campus events, and pay for things. That’s right, your BlueCard is also a quasi-debit card. Places all over campus, like Susie’s, the Athletic Stock Room and the Ice Rink Pro Shop, and even stores in in town like CVS and Bruggers will accept payments made with your BlueCard. Lastly, starting this year, some of the buildings on campus, like Borden & Memorial Gym, are only accessible by swiping your BlueCard at the door. The BlueCard is literally your key to success at Andover.7. Our Head of School tweetsTwitter has taken over Andover’s campus. Although your parents might think “tweeting” is something birds do, the faculty at Andover know that “tweeting” is actually an awesome way to communicate with students, share campus news, and engage within the community. In fact, Head of School John Palfrey is the king of “tweeting” around campus, and uses Twitter to interact with students at all hours of the day. Additionally, many teachers have incorporated Twitter into their classes. Last year, my English 300 class kept a running record of the thoughts and reactions we had during our readings by tweeting with a common hashtag. So, when you call home and your parents tell you to get off Twitter and study, you can tell them that you are actually doing both at the same time!6. Life is a Beach, We’re Just Playing in the SandUnfortunately, coming to Andover is not exactly beachfront living—although the pool is a nice compromise if you are feeling the need to take a quick dip. To handle our “beach withdrawals,” Andover students have gotten pretty creative. Meet, The Great Lawn. The Great Lawn is the huge green at the center of campus that nearly spans the lengths of the main quad. Most notably, the Great Lawn holds the annual Commencement ceremony every June, but during those warm New England spring months, the Great Lawn is Andover’s very own beach. Students spread out in lawn chairs across the grass, tanning, playing Ultimate frisbee, doing homework with friends, or even playing tenni-golf—an innovative mutation of tennis and golf. While campus might not be home to the next Miami Beach, the Great Lawn is a perfect destination for anybody looking to catch some rays, get some exercise, or capture a photo-op or two.5. The guest speakers are “Wilde”At your old school, all-school assemblies probably only consisted of the town fire chief making a visit to teach the tactics of stop-drop-and roll, or the town mayor stopping by to discuss the future of politics in your small town. At Andover, however, we like to go a little bigger, especially with choosing guest speakers. Recent guests have included actress and activist Olivia Wilde ’02; 2008 and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Caroline Lind ’02; and former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush ’71. Still not impressed? Do not worry, because other guests to recently stop by include David Eagleman, renowned neuroscientist, and Tom Mesereau ’69, who became famous for his law career that acquitted Michael Jackson. This spring, Chris Hughes ’02, co-founder of Facebook and publisher & editor in chief of The New Republic, will be the keynote speaker at All-School Meeting, which is a weekly community-wide gathering in Cochran Chapel. With so many options and so many feet constantly walking across campus, you are bound to come across someone that will strike your interest. I guarantee you will also learn a thing or two at the same time!4. We Bleed BlueOkay, not literally—but we like to think so (thanks, oxidation). If you have you ever wanted to be one those crazy sports fans wearing a block of cheese on your head and screaming so loudly your own ears begin to hurt? If so, then Andover is the place for you. At Andover,athletics are a huge source of community pride and closeness, and it is also something we are quite talented at. Our swim teams have won more medals than Michael Phelps; our hockey team has produced current NHL superstars Chris Kreider and Cory Schneider; and our crew team has produced 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medalists. That said, not all of our athletes want to play at the varsity level—which is totally okay at Andover! In fact, some of the most popular sports are the intramural sports and life activities like yoga, spinning, and Zumba. Our biggest athletic tradition, however, is the legendary rivalry that we hold with our sister school up north, Phillips Exeter Academy. Every season closes with the Andover/Exeter contests—a weekend jampacked with school spirit and cheer. Andover students love A/E weekend so much that many alumni will return to campus just to cheer on the Big Blue as they “Wreck the Ex!”3. Do what you like, whatever that may beDo you have some sort of weird or far-fetched hobby that sometimes leaves you feeling like you are stranded alone in a corn maze? Then Andover is the perfect place for you because there are likely to be tons of other people lost in that same maze with you! If you have a peculiar interest or a hobby that most people have never heard of, then there is probably a place here for you to do it. If you like to play video games, then Andover Fifa Club is the place for you. If you like to study the dead Latin language, then Andover Classics Club is the place for you. If you like to be passive-aggressive, then Under the Bed (the student improv troupe) is the place for you. If you like to hear yourself talk, then WPAA is the place for you. If you like to build things and drive them around without a license, then Andover Robotic Cars Club is for you. If you like to argue with people, then Philomathean Society (the debate team) is perfect for you. Nothing sound good yet? If you find that your interest does not have a home on campus, go ahead and make one—with tons of faculty members here for support, any student has the ability to start his or her own club. So go out, find some friends, and get started with whatever it is you want to do!2. The Faculty Have Lives…And You Can be a Part of ThemThe typical high school teacher is just that—a teacher. At Andover, however, the faculty are so much more than just classroom teachers. For example, my JV Hockey coach was also my College Counselor and his wife was my math teacher. And this is totally normal! More than often, Andover students will find that their classroom teacher is also their coach and their club advisor and their music instructor. With a majority of the faculty living on campus, a unique sense of community is built at Andover. Faculty don’t just live on campus, though—they are also extremely dedicated to helping students. If you need some extra help studying for that Biology exam, it’s pretty typical to spend an hour reviewing the material with your teacher over dinner with his family or in the library during study hours. You can also ask teachers for advice, help with your laundry, suggestions for spring break, or just to talk. Andover is very much a family—a family in which students and faculty alike are caring, compassionate, and willing to help.The #1 reason was already shared above.Groton:Everyone MattersIn a school of 370 students, everyone matters. Those who attend Groton are united by a deep commitment of one to another and of each to the whole. Integrity and civility, qualities sometimes overlooked today, remain important at Groton. The School’s intimacy and ideals foster inclusion and inspire students to understand their strengths and capabilities.Exceptional ScholarshipA Groton education is thorough. Increasingly rare in secondary schools are opportunities to study two languages or take six courses, but Groton students can. Alongside traditional curricula are innovative approaches to instruction, such as the dynamic math and science classes in our STEM program. Superior performance on standardized tests, high rates of admission to selective colleges, and impressive performance in both undergraduate and graduate institutions demonstrate the advanced scholarship of Groton students.Cui Servire est RegnareGroton students are justifiably proud of the School’s heritage of service to the nation. Few institutions have had as much influence on the American Century, thanks to graduates including President Franklin D. Roosevelt and numerous policymakers. Currently, three Groton graduates hold seats in Congress, and Groton alumni work for the common good in a wide variety of fields, reflecting the impact of the School’s motto, “cui servire est regnare,” “to serve is to rule.” Students and graduates value service as an essential element of a life well lived.Depth and BreadthGroton believes that adolescents should expand their vision, not narrow it. Students develop the talents they know well, but also explore new arenas. The School offers an intimate setting and an array of opportunities found more typically at much larger institutions. At Groton, we avoid the contemporary emphasis on specialization. Groton scholars, athletes, actors, and musicians leave the School prepared to excel at the highest levels in college, but do so with heightened self-awareness of their abilities and interests in multiple areas—including many they would not have dreamed of discovering before Groton.A Personal TouchGroton offers Upper School students a full slate of electives, but students also may design tutorials, which are concentrated scholarship in subjects of special interest, under the guidance of a faculty member. The afternoon program can be individualized as well: a Faculty-Sponsored Activity or FSA allows students in-depth study of anything from extended research in a chemistry lab to the formation of a rugby team. The entire faculty serves as a resource to each student, a hallmark characteristic of founder Endicott Peabody’s emphasis on a School modeled after a family.Prefect YearGroton entrusts every senior with the responsibility to lead. Every Sixth Former leads a dorm of younger students, and many also take on other leadership—or prefect—roles throughout the School. Younger students benefit from their prefects’ guidance—they look up to prefects as they might big brothers or sisters—and they look forward to mentoring as prefects themselves one day. Groton believes it is essential that students understand their leadership style and capabilities.SpiritualityIn an era when it can be difficult to understand one’s role in a complicated world, Groton offers students a valuable component of a contemporary education: religious literacy. The School day begins with a Chapel service, which includes prayers or words of wisdom from many spiritual traditions, a traditional hymn, and a Chapel Talk delivered by a Sixth Former, teacher, or visitor. Classroom study of world religions and weekly services for students in their own religion of choice reflect the inclusivity embraced by the Episcopal schools.The CircleOn a plateau one mile from a New England village and 35 miles northwest of Boston, renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed a beautiful campus, focusing on a motif that he loved, the circle. The Groton Circle, a vast expanse of green ringed by buildings designed by the architectural firm of Peabody & Stearns, opens to the West, its vista toward the mountains of southern New Hampshire suggesting infinite possibility. While Groton’s property stretches across more than 400 acres of woodlands and down to the Nashua River, the central campus is conveniently contained around the Circle, which also serves as a symbol of the wholeness we seek to instill in each graduate.TraditionsGroton students love their traditions, and there are a lot of them to love. These are not empty rituals, but practices that support our sense of community. Perhaps most important is the structured routine at the beginning and end of each day. We begin together listening to a Chapel Talk and hearing announcements at Roll Call. We end the day with check-in, when members of each dormitory talk about the day’s events and shake hands with the teacher on duty before turning in. At the end of each School year, every student lines up to shake the hand of every teacher. Surprise Holidays, St. Mark’s Days, the school birthday dinner, Lessons and Carols, and many other traditions are eagerly anticipated and give each year a comfortable sense of familiarity.The FoodGroton benefits greatly from many nearby farms, which allow our Dining Hall to serve fresh, farm-to-table meals throughout the year. Experienced chefs prepare delicious, healthy food, and the director of our dining service is the parent of a recent Groton graduate!Resources and OpportunityGroton benefits from having a higher endowment per student than all but a handful of independent schools or colleges. The School's resources support teachers' professional development; a generous financial aid budget; a global education program that stretches into Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America; and facilities with more square footage per student than at any comparable school. All of this means opportunity for students, and experiences rarely found at the high school level. The Groton experience has succeeded for generations, inspiring our graduates to lead lives of meaning and purpose.Choate:Choate's Statement on Character identifies timeless qualities–integrity, respect and compassion–that are at the heart of what it is to be a good person. Working from this foundation, a Choate education strengthens in its students the capacity for productive learning and meaningful action. At Choate as in life, constructive leaders demonstrate self-motivation, curiosity and creativity, and effective communication skills.Choate students cultivate self-motivation and self-awareness. In a supportive and caring context, our students discover that their future success lies in effort, determination, and an understanding of how they learn. Intrinsic motivation combines with honest, reflective self-assessment to develop individuals who take responsibility for their actions, have the courage to stand up for their beliefs, and set goals for lifelong growth.Choate students develop creativity and a willingness to explore. The School encourages students to formulate their own ideas with originality and inventiveness. Choate's extensive resources inspire curiosity and allow the pursuit of interests in almost any direction. In this process of exploration, our students come to appreciate the value of taking intellectual chances and realize that learning is fun, often a source of joy. They identify interests and passions that form the intellectual playground where they will be active for the rest of their lives.Choate students learn to express themselves effectively in a variety of media and languages. Because a true education cannot be forged in isolation, communication is an essential component of that process. In all areas, effective communication requires attentive listening, gathering and assessing relevant information, and the ability to formulate and express a meaningful statement or argument. Our digital age demands facility with changing technologies, while also reminding us of the continued importance of human connections. Communication is essential for growth and understanding and also as a catalyst for action.While certain qualities are constant in providing a foundation for success, circumstances sometimes bring competing values into tension. Choate students are distinguished by their ability, enhanced through experience, to balance those tensions.Perseverance and resilience are balanced with humor and joy. All in our community enjoy learning, but experience teaches that some challenges are not resolved quickly or easily. Often, extended engagement, repeated effort, and adaptability may be necessary to achieve a goal. Students come to appreciate that determination combined with a positive sense of humor offers a productive approach. They discover that the path to success often includes prudent risks that might lead to occasional failures. They come to know that neither success nor failure is an ending, but rather the beginning of the next step forward. Balance in this regard is key to lifelong physical and emotional wellbeing.Mastery of established knowledge is balanced with the independent development of ideas. Choate students are trained to take full advantage of available information through research skills tailored for different disciplines. They have experience in the analysis of language and art, historical and social scientific evidence, and scientific and mathematical data. At the same time, they are given freedom to experiment with novel approaches through brainstorming, modeling, and trial and error. By studying how others have answered questions, our students consider a variety of ways to analyze, frame and synthesize information. They then adjust their approach to the specific circumstances of each challenge.Individual effort is balanced with productive collaboration. It is essential for students to develop the capacity for sustained, intense individual effort. Such independent, reflective engagement teaches self-discipline while also building skills and confidence. At the same time, the ability to be a constructive member of a collaborative team is essential. This requires students to lead as well as partner in efforts to contribute meaningfully and responsibly within the group. Students practice the skills of trusting, listening, persuading, and compromising that are central to productive group work. By working together, students come to understand other perspectives in ways that prepare them to engage in a global community.Self-advocacy is balanced with a commitment to serve others. While pursuit of personal goals and interests is desirable, empathy is essential in developing long-term, successful solutions to problems. Our students learn to understand their own perspective on an issue and also the perspectives of others. This includes understanding other languages and cultures, past and present, as well as learning to live in a vibrant and diverse community. This experience nurtures in students both a sense of gratitude for the gifts they have and a sense of humility that comes from recognizing their individual limitations. Students recognize the importance of dedicated engagement in service to others, including but not limited to efforts toward social justice and environmental sustainability.**Do note, much of what was said reflects the “top schools” identified in lists like this: Top 25 U.S. Boarding Schools in 2015

In my opinion, the widespread notion that the Star Wars Prequels were crappy, could possibly be the most common misconception in the world today.The Star Wars Prequels were not actually THAT bad!Sure there were some cringe worthy moments in it, I agree.However, I feel that you really cannot just exclusively judge its superficial moments like the crappy dialogue, the not so great acting and Jar Jar Binks, whilst simultaneously ignoring all the hidden motifs, the foreshadowing, the moralistic commentary and the underlying hidden themes which run amok throughout the Prequels.No, I guess most of you may have missed that part aren’t I right? Now, perhaps it’s because I wasn’t born yet when the OT came out, and actually grew up as a kid watching the Prequels, but I’ve also never thought that they were so bad, that they needed to be trash talked every couple of seconds! The hate for the prequels, has got to die in my opinion.In fact, I’m just going to say it right here and right now:“I love the Star Wars Prequels!!!”’But do you really want to know what the problem is? It’s that Lucas has to tell a story which everyone already knows. In case you hadn’t already noticed, that’s a really difficult task. There’s really only so much you can do.And by the way, to answer the question: no they were not poorly executed, they could have definitely been better, but so can literally every other movie out there. So quit complaining so much, and smile would you? That is while you still have something to smile about.And of course there is also the chance that you might end up loving it also, just give me the opportunity to see if I can change your mind…Warning:Obvious spoilers impending for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the SithWhat I’m going to do, is split my answer into 2 parts so that you can see the contents of my answer and what I’m going to cover:Part I: Everything Great About the Star Wars Prequels At a Superficial LevelPart II: Everything Great About the Star Wars Prequels Beneath the Surface of SuperficialityConclusion (to tie up any loose ends)Oh yeah and just a mini-heads up, this answer although it’s one of my shorter ones, is still 9,500 words long. So if you don’t like long answers, please don’t even bother trying to read what’s coming up next.Before we start, let’s make one thing absolutely clear.I am going to be working on the very special assumption: that nothing that happens in the production, or execution therefore of a movie is a mistake (unless clearly stated otherwise).And it’s not like I made this rule up either, my Drama and Theatre mentors confirmed it. Now, the fact is that I’ve been acting in Theatre since even before I left pre-school. So I know well and truly every single last bit of intimate detail, that goes into the acting, and the producing of a film.Therefore, let me continue to make one thing clear:Absolutely no part of a film/play which is presented to the audience, is a mistake then, now or ever. If it is onscreen, it is there for a reason, regardless of whatever reason that may be.And of course, this also applies to the Prequel Trilogy: nothing presented to us is an accident. From the framing of certain scenes in certain camera angles, to the way the actors stand, to the way a character is depicted, and even what goes on in the background, nothing, absolutely nothing is unintentional.Every single last bit of detail, especially in a movie with a huge budget as that of a Star Wars movie, will not be a mistake.It is there, since the director knows that certain movie analysts and theorists will attempt to nitpick these overlooked elements to death, and thereby attempt to form popular conclusions based off of them. In this way they thus unknowingly and indirectly expand the depth, richness and impact a movie will have on the general populace- all part of the general Marketing strategy.Thus, this is the basis upon which I will attempt to defend the Star Wars Prequels: I will assume that nothing is an accident, and interpret it accordingly. This will be especially applicable to Part II, but not so much Part I.Part I: Everything Great About the Star Wars Prequels At a Superficial LevelLet’s start with the more superficial aspects of Star Wars:Point #1: The Lightsabre Action SequencesOne of the many aspects in which the Prequels were able to reign superior to a much greater standard than the Originals, was definitely the aspect regarding the lightsaber duels.One of the many critiques about the Prequels is that they overdo the lightsabre sequences too much. This is because the sabre duels in the Originals often occurred only once per film, in order to put a special emphasis on its emotional component, as such it was implied to the audience henceforth that lightsabre duels only occurred when key plot points were being delivered.In the Originals for example, the duels often took place concurrently alongside key plot points such as the fight pictured below between Vader and Skywalker, which was supposed to be a front for the deeper meaning behind the fight, as one not just between light and dark sides, but also father and son :As such, the sabre duels in the Prequels were heavily criticized for being irrelevant to the plot, and accused of mostly existing only to awe, rather than to be of actual significance to the plot, especially in the first two prequels.Regardless of whether this is true or not, it does not take away from the enormous effort which goes into the production of these well rehearsed, and expertly choreographed scenes like the ones between Yoda and Darth Sidious:According to George Lucas, one of the main points in the making of the first prequel of the trilogy; Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was to really awe the hardcore Star Wars fans by giving them a glimpse of the Golden Age of the Jedi.According to the special behind the scenes features of the Phantom Menace, Lucas really wanted to create the impression that this was the prime period of the Jedi, the time in which they reigned supreme, and their superiority was a given.Think about it, previously in the OT, all we saw of the Jedi was basically limited to an old guy, a tiny green alien pacifist, and a still immature, former underdog, and not so well trained Luke Skywalker.Knowing this, Lucas resorted to really up the efforts to create what in his mind, was an accurate depiction of the power of the Jedi at their heights of supremacy. One of these many abilities would thus then of course have to include superior physical combat abilities, of which it was very well executed in the Prequels.For reference, here is the ultimate battle between Vader and Luke in the last of the Original Trilogy- Return of the Jedi:Now for comparison, here are the Jedi at their prime in the Phantom Menace showcasing the duel between Darth Maul and the Jedi Master and Apprentice; Qui-Gonn Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi:As can be seen from above, the disparities between the choreography in the Originals and the Prequels should be self-evident. Lucas did really try to well and truly showcase the prime of the Jedi, all conveyed through their lightsabre duel scenes, giving off the implications therefore of their power to the audience.Point #2: John Williams and the Prequel OrchestraRegardless of what you think about the Prequel Trilogy, you cannot “diss” either on composer John Williams or his musical score which runs throughout Star Wars I, II and III.No matter what the theme is created for, Williams managed to compose a score for every single human emotion known to man.For example, take how the theme “Duel of the Fates” was created to complement the various lightsabre duels which took place in the Prequels. It’s extremely amazing, as I find that Williams is able to fully capture the essence of the glorious battle between the Sith, and the Jedi in their prime Golden Age, by composing a theme which can be interpreted as equally grand, and glorious.And this particular theme had a lot of effort put into it as well, it was sung entirely in a very beautiful and ancient Indian language by the name of “Sanskrit”, which historically was used to successfully spread Buddhism and Hinduism to Northeast and Southeast Asia:Or how he composed “Across the Stars” to reflect the ongoing Anakin-Padme love story, reflecting the human capability to love and reciprocate. It doesn’t only manage to do this, but also give off a vibe that their love is definitely a highly tragical one, since it is of a forbidden nature. For a Jedi cannot ever receive or give love, and neither also is it possible for a Senator thus to ever love a commoner.And what continues to amaze me even to this day is how Williams manages to convey all of these deep, abstract and complex human emotions in a mere 4 minutes :And even the composition for the “March on the Jedi Temple” scene, which perfectly encapsulated the turbulent feelings of the conflicted Skywalker, giving the implication of his reluctance to turn to the Dark Side in order to save his beloved wife. Not only that, but this particular theme manages to also reflect the impending destruction that will follow from the near extinction of the Jedi:Never never never never never… absolutely never ever underestimate the power of music, people.Music is a form of art just like the visual aspects of film, and Music like Film, is never a mistake either. Every tone, every incessantly audible and echoing note, is made to complement its visual counterpart in every possible way.In essence, the orchestra is fundamentally trying to tell, and to the sell to the audience, the same story that the film is. The difference is that it does this by recounting the story through hearing, rather than seeing, thus allowing the audience to immerse themselves in a full on experience, stimulating 2 of the 5 physiological senses.Never underestimate the power of music, people. None of it was a mistake, just like any other aspect of the Star Wars Prequels. Instead, you should rewatch the Star Wars Prequels with this in mind, and try to actually listen more carefully to the accompanying composition next time, taking great care to see how it reflects and complements the more visual and obvious aspects of a film.Trust me, if you go back up to the videos on Williams’ scores that I’ve linked before, you can grasp a lot of the story just by listening to his music. It’s that good, and well masterfully crafted. That’s another reason why the Prequels were actually a lot better than I’m sure you otherwise thought.Point #3: The Costumes and Fashions of the Star Wars PrequelsFor those of you who know and follow me, it should not be a surprise at all to know, or even guess that is my personal favourite thing about the Star Wars Prequels!!Unfortunately, unlike the musical element of the Prequel Trilogy (discussed back in point #2), there really isn’t much of a story relevance or deeper meaning behind their clothing however.That however still doesn’t lessen in any way the grandiose designs, and the hours and hours of effort on end put forth into making them. It was still easily one of the best things about the Prequel Trilogy in my personal honest opinion, even to this day. Certainly much more effort was put into making the fashions for the Prequels, than the Originals.Probably one of the best things about the Prequels, was the international element of working on such a big film. This international element was of course notable in the hiring of many foreign, non-American actors for an American film such as Irish born actor Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn or Scottish born actor Ewan Mcgregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.Or like I said above, how Sanskrit, an Ancient Indian language was used to perform the lyrics to what was originally an Ancient Celtic poem.In this way, the international elements of the Star Wars Prequels did not just stop there, but also extended to the fashions of the Prequels. Most notably, is the fashions of Queen Amidala’s Wardrobe, which was clearly influenced by that of the Chinese, Manchurian and Mongolian Fashions.There was for example this particular costume, it was worn when Padme addressed the Galactic Senate, calling for a vote of “No Confidence” in Chancellor Valorum. As is self-evident, it clearly had some Mongolian influences in it from the Yuan Dynasty of China (1279–1368 AD):Or the following costume which she wears earlier on in the Phantom Menace when we first see her, clearly influenced by Manchurian clothing from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912 AD) of China:And of course the following costume of the Queen when she was on Coruscant, being advised by Senator Palpatine on what course of action she should take next, adorning a very clearly Chinese ethnic influenced costume from the Han Dynasty of China (206 BC-220 AD), not including the obvious Roman Centurion inspired helmet of course:And of course the Queen’s makeup also appears to be very East Asian influenced (not necessarily exclusive to East Asia however), with her full white powdered face reminiscent of how the noblewomen of the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) did their makeup, except they only had 1 red dot on their forehead, rather than 2 on their cheeks:It was definitely one of the better aspects of the Prequels, especially considering that most if not all these costumes were handcrafted for days on end. And even that might be the understatement of the century, for a lot of work was put into it in fact, more than any of us know. So the least we can do is at least appreciate it.It was certainly very attentive to detail, and very internationalized, it was indeed one of the more redeeming aspects of the Prequel Trilogy, by taking in many international influences on the costumes, they were able to basically make it eye candy for the more superficial general populace (which seem to be very rare on Quora indeed).Point #4: The Architectures and “Natural” Sceneries Throughout the PrequelsYou have got to hand it to Lucas on this one. Call him what you want, but the environments in which our protagonists (or antagonists) are forced to wade through cannot be accused of lacking in the aesthetics department.The main criticism from both die hard Star Wars fans and non-fans alike today however, was that these otherwise gorgeous looking scenes had way too much unwarranted CGI in them.Perhaps that is true, but let’s not judge too much. I mean, firstly, George Lucas was the one who created Star Wars, so we don’t really have the right to tell him what to do. Furthermore, how else would one go about creating scenes such as oh I don’t know, an entire underwater city as depicted in the first movie like so:It would probably cost a lot of money aren’t I right? Certainly a lot more than they needed to. And considering the first prequel was made back in 2001, it wasn’t that bad.And of course if you compare it to the Originals in which the locations such as Hoth and Endor were memorable but not so visually delightful, then in that case the Prequels are an improvement thus.The issues with the originals, was exactly the lack of technology and CGI in fact. They were there, but they were just… there. They even felt less realistic however, since they failed to convey (to me at least) that the locations were greatly inhabited. They were in fact, very desolate and didn’t feel very livable. To this extent, the Originals didn’t do so well.When I close my eyes, to imagine myself as being part of the Star Wars world, I actually want to feel like I could actually be there. The OT of course isn’t able to do this since it lacks CGI technology.So of course Lucas being the individual of ambitions (and also the “money hungry” person that he is according to most fans), would seek to rectify his mistakes in the Originals, by making up for it in the Prequels. And he of course did it by upping his game, regarding the environments and scenery.The result, was the visual spectacles presented to us during the Prequel Trilogy, which were vastly different to each other. Using CGI, Lucas managed to create his large scale, and ambitious sets ranging from a wide variety of climates and terrains including:The desert world of Tatooine:The planet city of Coruscant:The storm world of Kamino:The volcano planet of Mustafar:The barren world of Geonosis:And of course the Earth like planet of Naboo:Such a diversity in natural environment would of course be extremely hard to replicate, in the early 1970s and late 1980s when the Originals came out.Point #5: The Massive, Large-Scale and Complex Battle ScenesThe next superficial point which made the Prequels better than how everyone else received it as, lay with its many numerous battle scenes.Of course, the CGI battles have certainly also been criticized for being composed of 2 really massive clusterf**ks of 2 equally disposable armies which nobody has been given much reason to care for.Be that as it may, this still doesn’t take away the absolute awesomeness of all these dope looking battle scenes (and I say this as a Star Wars fan boy just in case that wasn’t already clear). It was one of the redeeming features of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy for me.I thought they were well planned, and well executed by the appropriate people. Certainly eye candy for me.For me the epitome of the complex and large scale battles, was captured perfectly in the opening 20 minutes of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, capturing the true meaning of the words “Star Wars” as the Battle over Coruscant takes place in Space:And of course the ultimate Jedi V Droid battle was the one that every Star Wars fanboy was looking forward to (or was it just me?), once again showcasing just like Lucas intended; the Jedi Knights in their Golden Age:It totally gave a new meaning to Star Wars, that’s for sure. That is what a war amongst the Stars is supposed to look like. Thus in this regard, for all intents and purposes, the Prequel Trilogy executed their battle sequences most spectacularly.Point #6: The Dialogue-Free Acting ScenesEveryone complains that the acting in the Prequel Trilogy is just the absolute worst. But the truth is that that could not be more incorrect as I will remind you now.As I know from my personal experience in the fields of acting and directing. It does not matter how good an actor is, for it actually takes a good director to make a notable reality the talents of a few good men and women.And to be fair, no one’s acting was particular more outstanding than anyone else’s in the Prequels. The problem was essentially George Lucas, who unlike in the Original Trilogy was not challenged by such an “inexperienced cast”.For example, Harrison Ford in the OT would often personally look through each script and change Han Solo’s dialogues, to make it more “life like” according to him. That was not the case with the Prequels however, in which the inexperienced cast, wishing to please such a powerful and renowned director as that of Lucas, on such a huge budget film as well, caved in to his demands unlike Ford.The result was the cringy and often out of place dialogues (especially with Anakin and Padme in Attack of the Clones) which we as the audience were forced to bear as victims.Having said that however, the few scenes especially in Revenge of the Sith, that were dialogue free, were delivered expertly I find, especially the few dialogue free scenes involving Hayden Christensen (the actor behind Anakin Skywalker).There was the scene for example where Anakin found out that Padme was pregnant, just his honest and natural reaction shows that Hayden Christensen can in fact act:Then there was the scene in which Skywalker and his wife were in different buildings (Anakin at the Jedi Temple, Amidala at their secretly shared apartment), in which both contemplate their increasingly fading future together, a very well acted and chilling scene I find, raising the hairs behind my neck each time I watch it. The part which really cements it for me is when he sheds a single tear, realising the evil which he must now do, to save the one he loves:And of course at last, was the scene where now a fully turned Dark Lord of the Sith, the former Jedi stares off into the distant Star of Mustafar, aware of all the evil he has done up until then, but realising that he has gone too far to turn back. An absolutely well executed scene indeed, further proving that Christensen can in fact act, once he was free from the cringy dialogue that Lucas pushed onto him:Thus, this proves that when at last free from the not so well written movie dialogue so promoted by George Lucas, the actors of the Prequel Trilogy can in fact…. *gasps* act!How amazing is that! Trust me guys, on a more serious note this is the truth:Crappy Director => Crappy ActorOf course, if you are really a crappy actor… then it doesn’t matter how good a movie director is. Truth.Point #7: The Depiction of the Many Character Aspects and Noteworthy Events Which Were Only Hinted at in the Original TrilogyIn the Original Trilogy, the audience was introduced to certain aspects of an unseen past, which were merely alluded to by Kenobi and Yoda.The Clone Wars, the great friendship between Anakin and Obi-Wan, Kenobi’s self- confessions to being a very reckless individual, and Skywalker’s superior piloting skills are merely conveyed to us, without evidence.And it was like this for a long time, where we as the audience were just expected by the Originals, to take the words of the Jedi Masters with full complete acceptance, in blind faith that of course such an event happened.With the completion however, of the Prequel Trilogy such was not to be the case anymore as what was originally groundless statements conveyed in the Originals, were now fully backed with the appropriate accompanying scenes from the Prequels as evidence.Let’s go through and examine them one by one:Firstly, was Kenobi’s claim in the Originals that “your father was one of the best pilots in the Galaxy.”Of course he was, to this extent, Lucas thus implements 2 entire scenes dedicated to proving just this claim.The simple fact that even as a slave boy with limited time and energy, Skywalker was still able to invest a significant amount of time and effort into maintaining his own Podracer, whilst risking life and limb to compete in a race fraught with dangers, served to proved how inclined Anakin was even early on in life, to showcase his renowned piloting skills.Such is further exacerbated by the end of the film where it was he, who single-handedly took down the Federation Control Ship in The Phantom Menace with little piloting experience regarding the Naboo fighters, winning both the war in Space, and the war on the ground, freeing the Gungans from their captivity.Secondly, was also Kenobi’s assertion in the Originals that “your father was a good friend”They indeed were. Although there were many times when Kenobi berated his young Padawan (see point #2 in the coming Part II section of this answer), for most of the time, they were in fact great friends, a relationship carved out from years and years of fighting alongside one another.This relationship is unfortunately overlooked mostly by Attack of the Clones, but captured in full by Revenge of the Sith.There are 2 notable but very subtle scenes which give off this impression that they were more than just Master and Apprentice. The first takes place in the opening Space battle of Revenge of the Sith, where the 2 Jedi Starfighters are flying exactly beside each other, even barrel rolling their fighters in synchronized unison to showcase this great friendship.And since nothing in a movie that occurs is a mistake, this was indeed Lucas’ intention: to make it clear to us that they were indeed great friends, just as Ben Kenobi claimed in the Original Trilogy.The second display of friendship, inferred from years and years of shared intimate experience together can be observed once they finally came on board General Grievous’ Ship. Faced with an army of hostile battle droids, the 2 friends who happened to have landed on opposite sides of the rooms, don’t remain and stand apart.But instead, they intentionally make their way towards each other whilst cutting down the various battle droids, and deflecting their blasters, in order to regroup and assist each other. And when they finally do regroup, recall that they stay in formation, back to back to protect one another.Thus, it can indeed be concluded that Kenobi and Skywalker were great friends indeed, having been through, an entire lifetime’s worth of intimate memories and shared battle experiences together.Thirdly, was Kenobi’s allusion to a past great intragalactic conflict in the Originals, which he called the “Clone Wars”.It’s completely true, and neither does George Lucas spare any expense in depicting such an iconic and renowned war for the ages, over the course of 2 movies with both Attack of the Clones, then Revenge of the Sith.It all starts of course with that famous scene in the Arena on Geonosis in the second installment of the Prequel Trilogy, in which Yoda comes to the rescue with an entire Army of Clones:Which is then subsequently continued at the Battle of Geonosis:Lastly, was Kenobi’s claim that to Yoda that when he was Luke’s age, he too was reckless.Although a short emphasis was placed on it, George Lucas also chooses to pay homage to one of the many claims which came out of the Originals, in order to provide evidence to the assertion that Kenobi in fact was once a rash, headstrong and reckless youth, equal to that of Luke Skywalker.In the bedchamber scene of Attack of the Clones, where an assassination attempt is carried out on Senator Amidala, recall how Kenobi, upon spotting the would be assassin, immediately jumps through the window without a second thought, with no backup plan as to what to do. As a result, Skywalker… his apprentice of all people had to save him, whilst he held on for dear life:Thus, in this way, George Lucas who contrary to popular belief does in fact listen to his fans, also manages to execute well the Prequel Trilogy, by not lacking the embedding of as many references to the Originals as is possible.Part II: Everything Great About the Star Wars Prequels Beneath the Surface of SuperficialityNow, given the demographics and inclinations of the Quora population, I doubt many of you would have been impressed by Part I, and thus far, are not yet convinced that the Prequel Trilogy is worth anything more than pure dirt.So now, we’re going to dig a little deeper into it, and explore the more hidden, and more easily overlooked aspects of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy.There are many less obvious well done features in the Prequels which you will likely have overlooked.Point #1: George Lucas’s Depiction of the Corruption of the Jedi OrderLet’s talk George Lucas’ depiction of the Jedi first of all. What about it? It’s brilliant. You may not have noticed it, but it is absolutely brilliant.The way he depicts them as, in fact resonates with what Chancellor Palpatine was talking about when he claimed to Anakin Skywalker that, “Good is a merely a point of view, Anakin.”This does not mean that the Jedi aren’t good, but it does help us better understand certain aspects regarding the character development of Skywalker, and why he was so easily manipulated into becoming a Sith lord: it was because of the arrogance of the Jedi, a depiction which Lucas pulls off ever so finely.Let’s examine the facts here.When the Jedi High Council was first introduced to us in The Phantom Menace, we get the impression that under the years of Jedi supremacy, with no real serious challenges to their rule, they as a result have become headstrong and arrogant to such an extent, as to be ever so blinded by their power.Such is the case that they couldn’t possibly even begin to accept the insulting notion that they were wrong, wrong about the return of the Sith. And this is where all the problems begin.Think about it. The first few lines conveyed to us by what is supposedly the wisest group of people in existence (a stereotype reinforced by the Kenobi and Yoda of the Originals), are a series of dialogues in which they express their blatant disbelief at Qui-Gon Jinn’s suggestion, that the individual he dueled with on Tatooine could possibly be in any way a Sith lord.The importance of this scene cannot be overstated. The Jedi, are so drunk on their power (as this is after all their Golden Era) as depicted by George Lucas, that they cannot accept any alternate points of view, other than the ones they already “know” to be “true”.Seriously? This right here is not a Sith lord? WTF to that indeed:The one scene which further encapusulated the arrogance of the Jedi was the one depicting the meeting between the Council, and Palpatine where they were discussing the threat to Amidala’s life by the unknown Jango Fett at the time.It was an important scene as such and was also no doubt not an accident (as stressed so many times previously in this answer). It was shown to purposefully convey poetically the notion that the Jedi were so blind, that they could not see evil even when it literally sat right in front of them in the form of Palpatine:As much as Yoda was an exception, he still let himself be blinded by ignorance unalike a true Jedi master, arguably allowing the Emperor to hide his true motives from them with ease.Thus that’s also another point by the way, it’s not necessarily that the Emperor was strong, but according to Lucas’ depiction, the arrogance of the Jedi was also the reason as to why they couldn’t foresee that the Emperor was the master manipulator behind the wars between the Republic and the Federation, something which further makes the Prequels greater than previously believed.The only Jedi that is the true exception to this great arrogance, is the Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn. It is also for this reason, that he disagrees with the Jedi council at every turn, this much being made clear in the Prequels, when he insists that Anakin is the “Chosen One”, something which apprentice Kenobi states is unwise as the other Jedi “all sense that the boy is dangerous master, why can’t you?”Qui-Gon Jinn, the “rebellious” Jedi Master depicted by Liam Neeson:It is also because of this, that Qui Gon refuses to join the Jedi Council, because he can clearly see the innate problems afflicting the arrogant Order, recognising it as a place filled with ignorance, scepticism, fear and complacency; all of which the Jedi ironically taught themselves to defend against.In this regard, Qui Gon Jinn, the last true Jedi, is everything the Jedi High Council should be. And of course, Kenobi shames him for this insisting in one scene whilst the two were alone that “if you would just follow the Code then you would already be on the Council,” thereby showcasing the conflict between the last real Jedi, and the highly corrupted Jedi Council in the form of Kenobi.Meanwhile, he is contrasted by his young and dutiful apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who reflects everything wrong with the Jedi Council; essentially everything that the Jedi are, and not what it should be. Obi-Wan like the Jedi Council for the rest of the Prequel Trilogy, shows himself to be just as arrogant and ignorant a man, one who is extremely afraid of change, reflecting the general attitudes of the Jedi Order.And it is precisely because of Obi-Wan’s similarities to the strict Jedi Order, that he also manages to fail his own young apprentice; Anakin Skywalker, who desperately needed the help of one of his closest friends, in dealing with his emotions, particularly the fear of losing his beloved wife Padme.It was help which he was frankly not getting, and could never get from the Jedi because of their strict ways of life, ways which the “rebellious” Qui Gon would have been a lot more understanding of, giving him an outlet to turn to for help, which would have prevented him from seeking advice from the malevolent Chancellor Palpatine, who then turned him over to the Dark Side.Point #2: Lucas’s Conveyance of Obi-Wan and Therefore the Jedi’s Role in Failing to Prevent Anakin Skywalker From Turning Over to the Dark Side of the ForceAs wise and different from the rest of the Jedi Qui-Gon was, he still failed to see that his young apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi was in fact not ready to become a Jedi Master, and therefore also to take as his apprentice; Anakin Skywalker.And this made all the difference in the Prequel Trilogy: that it was Obi-Wan Kenobi who trained Skywalker, and not Qui-Gon Jinn who unfortunately for the fate of the Galaxy, perished whilst fighting against Darth Maul in 32 BBY.Obi-Wan in Attack of the Clones, despite the movie taking place 10 years after the first, is depicted well by Ewan MacGregor as man not ready to take on the mantle of responsibility as the Jedi Master of his Padawan, Skywalker.Following on from the example of the Jedi Order (as I asserted back in point #1), Kenobi is a man full of the vigorous logic and reason demanded by the Jedi Order, yet none of the human emotions, that an ordinary Human being was supposed to have, as the Jedi taught against it.“A Jedi shall not know anger. Nor hatred. Nor love.”This was the movie motto for the promotional poster of Attack of the Clones, thus convincing me that the Jedi were far removed from their feelings, which is of course true. They were afraid of the act of being afraid essentially, which Yoda confirms back in the Phantom Menace to the young Skywalker 10 years prior:Yoda: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate… leads to suffering.”As such, Kenobi being the “by the book” Jedi that MacGregor depicted him to be, was not in tune with his feelings (nor the feelings of others) from the onset of his Master-Apprentice relationship with Anakin, which would prove to be disastrous later on in the Trilogy.The first instance of this issue was showcased well by Lucas in Attack of the Clones. In the beginning of the movie, they had just met with Padme, who Anakin hadn’t seen in 10 years; a woman who from the onset of his interactions with her perhaps even back in Phantom Menace, we could tell that he was clearly smitten by her.And Anakin being the turbulent young man he was in the first movie (described by Yoda as being afraid, and fearful of the fate of his mother), and now having been a Jedi in training for 10 years, also has no control over his emotions. As such he doesn’t know how to deal with “normal” people, much less a woman he was and is severely attracted to.The “crappy” and “cringe-worthy” dialogues (which were not a mistake also) which you hear Anakin say to Padme such as in the following instance…Padme: “Annie? My goodness you’ve grown!”Anakin: “So have you, grown more beautiful I mean.” *insert creepy smile here*… are intentional. They are supposed to show you how out of control with his feelings Anakin is, never having the opportunity to refine his social skills (especially with the opposite gender). It was not “bad dialogue writing” as some people claim. No, like I said, nothing that happens in a movie is a mistake… unless stated clearly otherwise.Anyway, this continues on for some time for the rest of the scene with Padme. And eventually it gets to the point where Anakin, intending to impress Padme, defies Kenobi’s claim that they are, “only here to protect you Senator, not to start an investigation”, by claiming that he will do whatever it takes to protect her.Kenobi then asserts his dominance over Skywalker by insisting that they were “not to exceed our mandate, my young Padawan learner… and you will pay attention to my lead”. And even when Skywalker points out that investigation is implied in this case, as the Council wouldn’t assign 2 Jedi Knights to protect a Senator (a job which Security could easily do), since it’s overkill, how does Kenobi respond?Kenobi: “We will do exactly as the council has instructed… and you will learn your place young one.Kenobi, clearly not understanding how important it is to Anakin to impress Padme (since he is detached from his feelings), instead embarrasses him in front of her, making him lose face essentially. The audience also gets the sense additionally that Anakin is not usually this insubordinate to Kenobi, but because of the lack of control over his own feelings, was merely trying to impress Padme.This scene was thus an important one, having been placed so close to the beginning of the film, and making it clear to the audience what kind of relationship Kenobi and Skywalker have together: as one literally between a master and what is more like a servant.Embarrassing and demeaning your apprentice in public serves no purpose other than to put distance between Kenobi and Skywalker in only the most counter-productive of ways.Here’s the scene for your own interpretation:It’s really scenes like this which matter. Kenobi, unlike Qui-Gon but much like the Jedi Council, are great at being Jedi, but as is implied by Lucas are too great. They are not balanced with the force is what Lucas is attempting to convey. They fear giving into primal, and natural (therefore non-Jedi like) behaviour. And this is essentially the problem.For the fact is that Anakin is in touch with the “darker” and more natural sides of the force, but Obi-Wan is completely disconnected from it, per the teachings of the Jedi, spouting the roots of doubt in the Jedi in Skywalker, early on in the Attack of the Clones, rather than Revenge of the Sith as is popularly believed.It also further explains and gives more depth as to why Skywalker was able to be manipulated so easily by Sidious later on: it’s because his discontent with the Jedi ways had long been ongoing, it wasn’t just the fear of losing Padme, but also the lack of proper help he was getting.Obi-Wan Kenobi, a man who replaced Qui-Gon Jinn (the father he never had), was a man he looked up to and respected. He wanted his approval also, but throughout the Prequel Trilogy, we rarely hear any “real” fatherly compliments from Kenobi, who resorted to the stone cold logic and discipline, typical of the Jedi Order in which to reign over what he saw as a young man unwilling to conform to the ideals of the Jedi Order, to become the “Chosen One”.Thus, in Revenge of the Sith when Anakin finally turned over to the Dark Side of the Force, recall what Obi-Wan said, as he at last realised his failures as a proper Jedi Master whilst dueling with his former apprentice:Kenobi: I have failed you Anakin, I have failed you.And by the way, none of this is conjecture either, since Anakin actually confessed to Padme in that one scene in Attack of the Clones, where she was packing her clothes, a scene where he clearly told her of his thoughts regarding Kenobi’s ways of teaching:Skywalker: … It's worse. He's overly critical. He… he never listens! He doesn’t understand! It’s not fair!Once again, some people complained that he was just being too whiny… but that is exactly the point! Anakin is supposed to be conveyed as this very emotional and turbulent individual. One who did not receive help which he so desperately required with either the Jedi or Obi-Wan, who instead encouraged him to hide his emotions.The end result of which is shown to us so clearly in the Prequels, is a grown man who is thus still immature like his 9 year old counterpart as a consequence.Keep in mind, that this is likely the reason why Ben Kenobi in the Originals, as an old and wise man having personally failed his father, decides to as depicted by Alex Guinness, “go easier” on the young Luke Skywalker, having learnt from his mistakes.This is possibly right here, one of the most overlooked parts of the Prequel Trilogy: that Kenobi’s failing of Anakin Skywalker, gives him a second chance, and an extra incentive to correct his wrongs and train Luke properly, as Qui Gon Jinn would have trained Anakin: with compassion, encouragement and patience.This therefore further goes to show how well executed the Prequels were, they were certainly much better than what many refuse to admit, was a very well connected Trilogy.Point #3: Lucas’ Depiction of, and Explanation For the Rise of Darth VaderIt was The Phantom Menace which first introduced us to a boy afraid to lose his mother. He was so afraid of losing her in fact, that the Jedi Council even maintained that he shouldn’t be trained at all in their ways.Then Attack of the Clones showed us the teenager that was once a boy losing his mother, and giving into his hate against the teachings of the Jedi, and taking his anger out on the Tusken Raiders who murdered her.And now in Revenge of the Sith, the audience is presented with a very broken man who is having the same fears he once had about losing his mother, now about losing his wife. Haunted by his failure to prevent his mother from dying, he now promises her that he will not let the same “become real”.This is of course the main premise of Revenge of the Sith, and its importance cannot be overstated. George Lucas’s depiction and explanation for the rise of Darth Vader is possibly the most well executed part in the entire 6 movies of the Original and Prequel Trilogies.A man who fears the death of his wife as such, turns to the wisest Jedi on the Council, Master Yoda. But his dilemma is real: he cannot even be honest about what is troubling him, because of the strict Jedi code which prohibits a Jedi Knight from having any intimate contacts, let alone having a wife.Furthermore, Yoda like all Jedi offers him the stone cold logical reply of the Jedi devoid of any emotion, reminding him of Obi-Wan’s failures to solve his problems:Yoda: Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Let go, of everything you fear to lose.Engulfed by the darkness (visually symbolized in the image above, by the horizontal shadow of the curtain on his face), betrayed and without hope. It was completely natural thus for Skywalker to turn to Chancellor Palpatine, another individual with whom he had long had had a close relationship with throughout the years.But the difference this time was, that instead of casting him aside as the Jedi had done, he listened to his problems, and conveyed to him through actions and words, that it doesn’t matter if the Jedi were listening to him or not, as Skywalker could always trust him.And the most pivotal moment in this relationship was of course the widely acclaimed, fan-approved Opera scene, in which the Chancellor was able to imply to Anakin that the Dark Side of the Force, the side which the Jedi refused to teach him, held all the answers which he was seeking.It was during this scene that the seeds of doubt were placed in an already troubled Skywalker’s mind, first mistreated by his Master (remember, a man he respected and wanted nothing more than the approval of), and then by Yoda in addition. Unsurprisingly, this would have thus served only to shake his faith in the Jedi.Sensing the doubt in Skywalker’s mind, he of course recounts a personal shared memory with Skywalker reflecting on their long history together, when he first taught the then young boy the vital lesson: “All who have power are afraid to lose it”.And even when Anakin defends the Jedi by saying “the Jedi use their power for good”, we can tell through his facial features, and the way in which Hayden Christensen (his actor) delivers the line, that Skywalker doesn’t fully believe that that is the entire case anymore.The Opera House Scene:No. Prior to the scene at the Opera House, Kenobi told Skywalker that they wanted him (being a person who was very close to the Chancellor), to spy on Palpatine as they didn’t trust him.Skywalker, now realising that perhaps the Chancellor was right about the Jedi after all, would have questioned his faith even further. And of course even to any bystanding third party, such an act by the powerful Jedi Council could be interpreted as not only dishonest, and deceitful, but also one of paranoia, and of course just as Palpatine claimed: as one where those who have power, and are clearly in control, are yet still afraid to lose it.This would thus confirm to Skywalker that perhaps there is indeed some truth to the Chancellor’s words.And this doubt of Skywalker’s was well addressed by the background of the scene in which he starts complaining to the Council that he was dissatisfied with the decisions of the Jedi.In this scene, the stormy clouds in the background are used to visually capture and convey to the audience his turbulent and raging emotions, and also to reflect his shaken faith in the once taken for granted omniscience of the Jedi (once again not a mistake now or ever):But of course Palpatine wouldn’t just stop there. He then goes on to tell the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise, recounting how he was “a dark lord of the Sith, so wise and so powerful, that he could even stop the ones he cared about from dying”.By directly appealing to Skywalker’s primary concern, and his promise to Padme that he would not let her die, the final “nail in coffin” was finally in. Skywalker’s faith was broken at last when upon asking Palpatine “Is it possible to learn this power?”, Palpatine infamously replies: “Not from a Jedi”.Here’s the full scene, I’d suggest you watch and study it from every angle, including the facial expressions, dialogue, and even the pauses in between:The final end result of this, as you all already know is the scene where Anakin Skywalker is last shown to the audience as a Jedi, very conflicted but still a knight of the Light Side. In it, Mace Windu holds the defeated Chancellor at the point of his sabre, ready to kill, to end it all. But when Skywalker begs the Jedi Master to spare Palpatine’s life, how does Windu respond?Windu: “He’s too dangerous to be left alive.”Thereby echoing what Chancellor Palpatine, a Sith lord said to Skywalker earlier, when he himself was holding Count Dooku in a similar position.At last, in possibly one of the most important scenes of the 2 Trilogies, Skywalker finally realises that in fact there is no difference between the Jedi and the Sith. Thus in fact, Palpatine was correct: “all who have power are afraid to lose it, including the Jedi”, and that “good, is merely a point of view.”With that realisation, the death of Anakin Skywalker is complete, as the former Jedi Knight is replaced by the mechanical, and malevolent Lord Vader.And it is also important to note that even after this occurs, Obi-Wan Kenobi does nothing to win him back either. Upon confronting the former Jedi, every word coming out of Kenobi’s mouth is merely regurgitating the same Jedi “nonsense” which had first been preached to Vader his whole life, and then which let him down when he needed it the most.And of course there was also the part where Obi-Wan being the arrogant guy that he was, reflected the hubris of the Jedi one last time:Kenobi: Only a Sith deals in absolutes, I will do what I must.Of course it is absolutely redundant, since the words “only” and “must” are themselves… absolutes, further “proving” to Vader that the Jedi are like the Sith, and good is truly just a mere point of view.No, in Vader’s eyes, the only true good left in the world, lay in his mission to save his wife from certain death, a death which he personally promised her would never occur under his watchful eye.Point #4: The Referencing of Actual Historical Events By the PrequelsAnother critique often directed at the Prequel Trilogy, is the one where fans and critics alike insist that there is too much Political mumbo-jumbo, which serve no purpose except to bore an already widely disappointed audience.To be fair, this is a critique that definitely has more basis in facts, but once again entirely missed Lucas’ intentions, which was to create a more in depth story behind the veil of the superficiality of the Clone Wars, or the Jedi-Sith lightsabre duels.“What was Lucas’ aim?” - I hear you askWell, for starters as he wanted to portray the Fall of the Galactic Republic, and its subsequent replacement by the First Galactic Empire, we can be sure that he really wants to emphasize, reference and mirror in the Star Wars Universe, the very real occurrence of the downfalls of actual historical Republics, and also their subsequent replacement by the respective Dictatorships.To prepare for the making of the Prequel Trilogy, Lucas studied up on his history, drawing parallels between 3 periods of Western History where a Republic was replaced by a Dictatorship which included:Firstly, the Fall of the Roman Republic (509–27 BC), and the Rise of the Roman Empire (27 BC-476 AD) under Emperor Augustus:Secondly, the Fall of the French Republic (1792–1804), and the Rise of the French Empire (1804–1814) under Emperor Napoleon:Lastly, the Fall of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), and the Rise of the Third Reich (1933–1945) under Adolf Hitler:In each of these otherwise unconnected historical periods, Lucas realised that the circumstances behind the 3 Autocrats’ rise to power, were in fact very much the same. In each period, the demise of a Republic was brought about due to the concentration of State power in one individual, who then abused their power to bring about a period of great suffering and tyranny.In each of the three time periods, power was given over to one very particular individual in response to some sort of crisis, donated to the Autocrat very willfully in return for his promise to bring order back to a chaotic world.And as a result, that one particular individual would as consequence in time argue that the existing government system; the system of Republicanism, was useless and inefficient, thus it should be abolished entirely to make way for the more efficient and secure system of Autocracy.And of course, in each case, the person chosen to wield power had used a variety of extremely clever, cunning and morally dubious means to reach the position he was in, thereby ending the Republican periods of their times, and beginning a new age of Authoritarianism, or in Hitler’s and the Emperor’s case, even Totalitarianism.The influence thus on the Star Wars Prequels, is therefore undeniably clear.Chancellor Palpatine, was and is Emperor Augustus, Napoleon and Adolf Hitler all rolled into one. His speech in Revenge of the Sith proved already so much as so:Palpatine: In order to ensure the security, and continuing stability… the Republic will be re-organized into the First Galactic Empire… for a safe and secure… society.And in response, Padme Amidala who represents Democracy like how Palpatine represents Autocracy in return voices her dissent, mirroring popular Republican attitudes at the respective time periods:Amidala: This is how liberty dies…with thunderous applause.Not only that, but Palpatine’s story, the story of the Fall of the Jedi and the Return of the Dark Side of the Force, is the historical story of the end of Western Freedoms all throughout the 3 separate historical periods, only to be replaced by an Autocracy. It is essentially the story of the fall of freedom, and the rise of tyranny.This is Lucas’ main message and moral lesson to his audience, in an attempt to convey the depth of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. But it seemed that all over the world, such a message was left ignored over the overwhelming hate directed at the Prequel Trilogy, which soon silenced any legitimate acclaim for the various well executed points by Lucas.Conclusion (to tie up any loose ends)I’m definitely not saying that the Prequel Trilogy was absolutely flawless, no far from it. I am however saying that there were actually many good, enjoyable and genuinely entertaining and well executed moments in the Prequels, which have often been overlooked by some perhaps more, die-hard Star Wars fans, of which I completely understand.Nonetheless, the time is now to end the hate against the Prequels. They got a lot right.The acting for example, when it didn’t involve dialogue was Oscar worthy in my opinion. Even then, the dialogue which people “beef” against, especially Hayden Christensen’s performance as a young and whiny Anakin Skywalker, that was not necessarily bad acting, but in fact purposeful, to showcase the Jedi Knight’s attachment to his feelings.You can even appreciate Lucas’ efforts to building a bridge between the Originals and Prequels, by creating entire scenes dedicated to referencing other “minor” details from the Originals. Details such as the great friendship between Master and Padawan, a plot point which was given a full acknowledgment to by the Prequel Trilogy, providing the evidence necessary to back such an assertion up, which may be unimportant otherwise.Jar Jar Binks can go f**k himself though:The scenery was amazing and diverse, John Williams’ score was just mesmerising. The Lightsabre duels were of course worthy of a Chinese Wuxia movie’s choreography and the costumes were of course very impressive.Even the more hidden and not so obvious sub-plots and allusions were well executed, such as the conflict between Kenobi and Skywalker, or the obviously intimidated teenaged, and raging hormones filled Anakin, who just can’t quite control his feelings for Padme such that it leads him to do only the most impulsive of actions.And of course most notable was the depiction of the Jedi Order as the epitome of arrogance, the very thing which they fought and preached against. And also Ian McDiarmid’s spot on performance of the powerful, manipulative and very intelligent Chancellor Palpatine, who is revealed to be the master fiddle player behind the conflicts of the entire Prequel Trilogy.Yet perhaps the most chilling and interesting part of Trilogy, was the fact that Lucas did not entirely create the Prequels out of the depths of his own imagination exclusively, but also made a great many deal of references to real life events. Thus he was able to base the rise of Darth Sidious, and the Fall of the Galactic Republic on actual history, providing lessons for us all.So then what is my conclusion? It is that the Prequels may not have been perfectly executed, but it was done to a much better standard than what everyone else is claiming.Therefore, I think it’s honestly time that more people recognise this piece of Art for what it is: Art and not cringe worthy trash. Let the trend for the recognition of the Prequels as a well executed form of Art be exacerbated here on Quora with me!