Educational philosophy Essay

I believe that education is an individual, unique experience for every student who enters a classroom. In order for children to benefit from what schools offer, I think that teachers must fully understand the importance of their job. First, I believe that teachers must consider teaching to be a lifestyle, not a mere forty-hour-a-week job, because a teacher’s goals for his/her students encompass much more than relaying out-of-context facts to passive students. As professionals entrusted with the education of young minds, teachers must facilitate learning and growth academically, personally, and ethically. By providing a quality education to each individual in one’s classroom, a teacher equips children with the tools necessary for success in life. In order to accomplish these lofty goals, I think it is important first to establish a mutually respectful, honest rapport with students — a relationship in which communication is of the highest priority. Through this relationship, a fair, democratic environment based on trust and caring can be established in the classroom, making it possible to interact confidently and safely in an academic setting. Once this foundation is established, the educator has already accomplished a major goal: the ethical characteristics of equality; open, honest communication; and trust have been emphasized and put into practice without having to preach to students. Demonstrating these ethically correct behaviors in the classroom and expecting students to model them prepares them for adult interaction and survival in the future. Academic learning must begin with motivation and inspiration. Students deserve an educator’s passion for both the subject at hand and learning as a whole. Teaching and learning become a simultaneous journey for both the teacher and students when students’ energy is aroused by a teacher’s genuine intensity for learning, because everyone is ready and willing to participate in active learning. To achieve active learning, a teacher must demonstrate enthusiasm and express confidence in the students’ abilities to learn and be successful. Employing constructivist methods of teaching in one’s classroom forces students to take an active role in their education by making choices and assuming responsibility for intelligent inquiry and discovery. For instance, discussions, projects, and experiments ensure student achievement and allow students and the teacher to discover individual student’s preferences and strengths. This approach facilitates differentiated activities for each student’s distinctive ambitions, making the subject more relevant to every student’s life. Personal growth is accomplished when a teacher adopts a mentoring role. Displaying warmth and compassion shows students that teachers love them and are empathic, feeling human beings. One-on-one mentoring involves personal conversations about goals, and taking time to share ideas and experiences. To be a mentor to every student, a teacher must project positivity, exhibit flexibility and confidence, set high expectations for oneself, and demonstrate fairness and consistency. In doing so, students can see appropriate adult behaviors first-hand and begin to emulate them as they mature. I believe that all children have the ability to learn and the right to a quality education. All youths, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and capabilities should have the opportunity to learn from professional, well-informed teachers who are sophisticated and knowledgeable, both in their area of expertise and life. Certainly, every child has different learning styles and aptitudes; however, by having a personal relationship with every student, a teacher can give each an equal chance of success. By recognizing every student’s potential and having separate, individual goals for each, a teacher can accommodate personal needs and abilities and encourage the pursuit of academic aspirations. I think that teaching and learning are reciprocal processes. When teachers nurture individual talents in each child, educators can build self-esteem and may encourage a lifelong skill. By supporting these special abilities, teachers can, for example, guide students’ research, and students can, in turn, enlighten teachers about subjects in which they may not be as knowledgeable. This mutual respect for individual skills cultivates a professional academic relationship, leading to a give-and-take educational alliance. This liaison allows students to feel that they are on equal intellectual ground with their teachers, thus creating a strong academic atmosphere. In addition to having a reciprocal relationship with one’s students, it is vitally important for teachers to form partnerships with fellow educators. Solid communication among teachers will promote the sharing of ideas and methods and provide a network of support. By working as an educational team, teachers will continue to develop their craft and give the best education possible to their students. In choosing to become a teacher, I have made the commitment to myself and my future students to be the best academic, personal, and ethical role model I can be. It is my goal to have a mutually enriching teaching career by keeping an open mind and continually communicating with my peers and students. I am prepared to rise to the challenges of teaching in the 21st century, and I promise to try to provide an honest, well-rounded education to every student I encounter.

Social commentary on The Kite runner

We are impacted by things that we read, see or hear on a daily basis, and whether we know it or not they change the way we perceive certain topics. Social commentary Is often used by authors and/or artists to draw attention to ineffective elements of a society. This is present in the novels â€Å"Animal Farm† by George Orwell and The Kite Runner† by Khlaed Hosselnl.The â€Å"Animal Farm† Is an allegory about a farm in which the animals revolt against the irresponsible farmer Jones after the Old Major dies and name it â€Å"Animal animals establish seven rules to live by, f which the most Important Is â€Å"All animals are Farm 47). As the years pass by. though, the dynamics of the farm change and the pigs establish themselves ds the ruling class. Orwell ridicules the way Russia tried to rebuild itself after the Bolshevick Revolution with this book. The Kite Runner† is a novel written by Khaled Hosselnl, In which he talks about the drastic difference betwee n lite In Afghanistan before and after the Taliban take over through the point of view of an Afghan boy named Amir. The main themes in the book are love, forgiveness, betrayal, edemption, and ethnic pressure In Afghanistan, but he also focuses In abundance on the Taliban by using the characters' life to show how much damage the Taliban cause to the country and population. The Taliban come Into power after Russian troops invade Afghanistan, and they make the citizens believe that they are the salvation of the country.Both novels deal with a group of people/animals that start a revolution against the ones in control, then gain power and impose even more severe rules which they corrupt, and end up forming a government more oppressive than the one they revolted against. nce the groups take over they give themselves higher authority than the rest of the population/animals, for example when Napoleon takes over he Is called â€Å"the emperor† and the rest of the animals are called à ¢â‚¬Å"comrade†(Anlmal Farm 47-8).The Taliban does something very similar; they demand the population to treat them with respect. Amir finds that out when he comes back to Kabul to take sohrab (given the fact that he lived In U. S. while the Taliban took over Afghanistan, he doesnt know much about them, besides what he heard in San Francisco) and he stares at the Taliban when they drive by. His triend Farid informs him that when the Taliban move past he Is supposed to look at the ground and not directly in their eyes, for the reason that they wanted people to almost bow down to them.Both dictators Impose unreasonable rules when they are in position of power. In â€Å"Animal Farm† Napoleon demonstrates that when he says that anyone who followed snowball, the leader thrown out by Napoleon, would be executed. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† there are many scenes where the Talibs execute the opposition, for example Hassan refuses to leave Baba's house and as a result he ets shot In the back of the head. Another Intense case of unreasonable punishment takes place at the stadium where one of the Taliban Generals makes a speech about the Taliban's duty.He claims that the Taliban bring Justice and carry out the shrl'a law, and they believe that if adultery is committed, the adulterers â€Å"throw stones at the windows of God's house†: although the Shri'a law does not literally say that the Taliban Imply that adulterers should be punished by being stoned to death, tnereTore Its only rlgnt tnat tney stone to aeatn a woman ana a man accused 0T dultery(Cleric 270). However, in both books the dictators corrupt the rules they impose, for example in the â€Å"Animal Farm† the animals have seven commandments they must live by but three of them get changed to suit what Napoleon does or decides. No animal shall drink alcohol†is changed to â€Å"No animal shall drink to excess† when Napoleon gets drunk and almost dies; â€Å"No animal sha ll sleep in a bed† was changed to â€Å"No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets† and lastly â€Å"No animal shall kill other animal† was changed to â€Å"No animal shall kill other nimal without cause†(Animal Farm 21-24). In â€Å"The Kite Runner† Assef is a sociopath who grows up to become a Taliban official, so the readers would expect him to carry out the Shri'a law and live by it , which he doesn't because he stones a woman to death for being accused of adultery and sins even more by raping the kids of the orphanage.There is another contradiction in the Taliban's beliefs, because music was part of the entertainment banned by the Taliban, but when Amir goes to General Assef to take Sohrab, Assef plays music for Sohrab to dance to. The eginning of dictatorship in both books is caused by a presumed revolution. In â€Å"Animal Farm† the animals revolt against man, take over the farm, and expect to live at peace among themselves. In â€Å" The Kite Runner† the Taliban are supposed to get the Russians out of Afghanistan and bring back harmony in the country.In both cases the leaders fail because the ambitions get the best of them and instead of living happy, they use the opportunity to dictate the others below. In the â€Å"Animal Farm† eventually the Seven Commandments are changed to one that read† All animals are qual but some are more equal than others†,which shows that the revolution is a failure in the farm because it makes the animals exactly what they were protesting against(Animal Farm 112).The Taliban first become known for their ambition to free Afghanistan from the Russians, but once they come into power they impose insane rules against the population and outlaw every type of entertainment, even kite running. In the end the pigs and the Taliban turn into their enemies. Napoleon changes the name of the farm back to Manor Farm and in the final scene Napoleon and Pilkington (a neighbori ng farmer) are playing cards, although they act friendly, each is trying to cheat by playing ace of spades .The other animals watch the scene and cannot tell the pigs from the humans. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† when the Taliban take over Afghanistan they change everything, Amir points it out when he comes back from America and he sees Kabul, he says â€Å"l feel like a tourist in my own country' which means after the Taliban had taken over, the country couldVe been easily ruled by strangers because there was nothing left of the Afghanistan he grew p in (Amir 231). Social commentary has a powerful impact in todays society.Khlaed Hosseini and George Orwell convey a strong message with â€Å"The Kite Runner† and â€Å"Animal Farm†; they show that when people strive for a goal but get no satisfaction when they reach it, they can turn revolutions in a government more oppressive and totalitarian. Social Commentary on The Kite Runner We are impacted by things that we read, see or hear on a daily basis, and whether we know it or not they change the way we perceive certain topics. Social commentary is often used by authors and/or artists to draw attention to ineffective elements of a society. This is present in the novels â€Å"Animal Farm† by George Orwell and â€Å"The Kite Runner† by Khlaed Hosseini. The â€Å"Animal Farm† is an allegory about a farm in which the animals revolt against the irresponsible farmer Jones after the Old Major dies and name it â€Å"Animal farm†.The animals establish seven rules to live by, of which the most important is â€Å"All animals are equal†(Animal Farm 47). As the years pass by, though, the dynamics of the farm change and the pigs establish themselves as the ruling class. Orwell ridicules the way Russia tried to rebuild itself after the Bolshevick Revolution with this book. â€Å"The Kite Runner† is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini, i n which he talks about the drastic difference between life in Afghanistan before and after the Taliban take over through the point of view of an Afghan boy named Amir.The main themes in the book are love, forgiveness, betrayal, redemption, and ethnic pressure in Afghanistan, but he also focuses in abundance on the Taliban by using the characters’ life to show how much damage the Taliban cause to the country and population. The Taliban come into power after Russian troops invade Afghanistan, and they make the citizens believe that they are the salvation of the country.Both novels deal with a group of people/animals that start a revolution against the ones in control, then gain power and impose even more severe rules which they corrupt, and end up forming a government more oppressive than the one they revolted against. Once the groups take over they give themselves higher authority than the rest of the population/animals, for example when Napoleon takes over he is called  "the emperor† and the rest of the animals are called â€Å"comrade†(Animal Farm 47-8).The Taliban does something very similar; they demand the population to treat them with respect. Amir finds that out when he comes back to Kabul to take Sohrab (given the fact that he lived in U. S. while the Taliban took over Afghanistan, he doesn’t know much about them, besides what he heard in San Francisco) and he stares at the Taliban when they drive by. His friend Farid informs him that when the Taliban move past he is supposed to look at the ground and not directly in their eyes, for the reason that they wanted people to almost bow down to them.Both dictators impose unreasonable rules when they are in position of power. In â€Å"Animal Farm† Napoleon demonstrates that when he says that anyone who followed Snowball, the leader thrown out by Napoleon, would be executed. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† there are many scenes where the Talibs execute the opposition, for example Hassan refuses to leave Baba’s house and as a result he gets shot in the back of the head. Another intense case of unreasonable punishment takes place at the stadium where one of the Taliban Generals makes a speech about the Taliban’s duty.He claims that the Taliban bring justice and carry out the Shri’a law, and they believe that if adultery is committed, the adulterers â€Å"throw stones at the windows of God’s house†; although the Shri’a law does not literally say that the Taliban imply that adulterers should be punished by being stoned to death, therefore it’s only right that they stone to death a woman and a man accused of adultery(Cleric 270). However, in both books the dictators corrupt the rules they impose, for example in the â€Å"Animal Farm† the animals have seven commandments they must live by but three of them get changed to suit what Napoleon does or decides.â€Å"No animal shall drink alcohol†is changed to â€Å"No animal shall drink to excess† when Napoleon gets drunk and almost dies; â€Å"No animal shall sleep in a bed† was changed to â€Å"No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets† and lastly â€Å"No animal shall kill other animal† was changed to â€Å"No animal shall kill other animal without cause†(Animal Farm 21-24). In â€Å"The Kite Runner† Assef is a sociopath who grows up to become a Taliban official, so the readers would expect him to carry out the Shri’a law and live by it , which he doesn’t because he stones a woman to death for being accused of adultery and sins even more by raping the kids of the orphanage.There is another contradiction in the Taliban’s beliefs, because music was part of the entertainment banned by the Taliban, but when Amir goes to General Assef to take Sohrab, Assef plays music for Sohrab to dance to. The beginning of dictatorship in both books is caused by a presumed revolut ion. In â€Å"Animal Farm† the animals revolt against man, take over the farm, and expect to live at peace among themselves. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† the Taliban are supposed to get the Russians out of Afghanistan and bring back harmony in the country.In both cases the leaders fail because the ambitions get the best of them and instead of living happy, they use the opportunity to dictate the others below. In the â€Å"Animal Farm† eventually the Seven Commandments are changed to one that read† All animals are equal but some are more equal than others†,which shows that the revolution is a failure in the farm because it makes the animals exactly what they were protesting against(Animal Farm 112).The Taliban first become known for their ambition to free Afghanistan from the Russians, but once they come into power they impose insane rules against the population and outlaw every type of entertainment, even kite running. In the end the pigs and the Taliba n turn into their enemies. Napoleon changes the name of the farm back to Manor Farm and in the final scene Napoleon and Pilkington (a neighboring farmer) are playing cards, although they act friendly, each is trying to cheat by playing ace of spades .The other animals watch the scene and cannot tell the pigs from the humans. In â€Å"The Kite Runner† when the Taliban take over Afghanistan they change everything, Amir points it out when he comes back from America and he sees Kabul, he says â€Å"I feel like a tourist in my own country† which means after the Taliban had taken over, the country could’ve been easily ruled by strangers because there was nothing left of the Afghanistan he grew up in (Amir 231).Social commentary has a powerful impact in today’s society. Khlaed Hosseini and George Orwell convey a strong message with â€Å"The Kite Runner† and â€Å"Animal Farm†; they show that when people strive for a goal but get no satisfaction wh en they reach it, they can turn revolutions in a government more oppressive and totalitarian.

A Moment That Changed My Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

A Moment That Changed My Life - Essay Example Some may be extraordinary events or moments while others may be ordinary situations that all over a sudden have a great impact on how you perceive life. About seven years ago, I almost lost both my brother, Raphael and my best friend Sonia. Call it a double tragedy. This was one of the most devastating moments in my life, and I still remember the events of that fateful day, seven solid years after it happened, like it was just yesterday. My life was completely changed.It was that chilly January afternoon that my little brother, my best friend and I decided to take a trip to the beach to have our dry suit certification for underwater ice diving after we completing a long tiresome but enjoyable training. Little did we know of the events that were later to unfold. We had everything ready, we went through preparations as usual and had our gear packed as we embarked on our trip. My uncle Joseph, who had been with us throughout our training sessions, had already gone ahead of us and was al ready at the beach waiting for us. Our parents had instructed him to take care of us while at the beach.At the beach, there were about nine or ten other people who were also eager to get the event started. We teamed up with my uncle, who was working with the instructors in giving us all the information we needed to get started. We quickly changed into our gears ready to dive into the cold water. In pairs, we began jumping in to the water as the instructor and my uncle watched carefully. My turn came and I dived in with my brother.  While in the water, Sonia left her partner and came to swim with my brother and I. We went deep to the level that we had been instructed. At this time, the air in our tanks was almost ending and we started swimming upwards looking for a way out for fresh air. I signaled my brother and Sonia to go first while I followed them up.  

Middle school and high school students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Middle school and high school students - Essay Example There is an emergence of two dominating ideas related to analyzing the provided information,the first suggested active involvement of students and teachers' enthusiasm laying the way for positive images of social studies in high and mid-school students The second idea was the perceiving of a utilitarian value emphasizing that students were not as negative toward social studies as indicated in researches made before.My instructional environment as well as my interwoven opinions of the author's research takes place in a middle school consisting of 7th and 8th grade classes. The students are organized into six academic teams: three 7th graders and three 8th graders teams. Each team consisted of five core academic subjects: English, Social Studies, Math, Science and Reading. The first notion of the study was in the following up with the first idea: it was discovered that ongoing changes in curriculum design, teaching methodology and administrative practices (especially those of punishmen t as well as detention) have an affecting attitude on the perceiving perspectives of students and the emphatic notable conclusions of the feeling of boredom, irrelevance of subject and the lack of personal interaction of students with their teachers in class.I teach in a 7th grade Social Studies classroom. There is also a Learning Support teacher that works with Learning Support students that have IEP's on each team. Students are heterogeneously grouped in all classes except Math. This class has two sections of Advanced Math students and three sections of Integrated Math students. Each team also has an inclusion class that all of the Learning Support students attend at the same time. Each inclusion class is provided with a Learning Support teacher or a teaching assistant to help with instruction. I understood and found out that the relationship between student attitudes toward social sciences and educational methodology in schools, differing according to districts as well as the lev el of income from which they are related to, relates to their achievement towards the curriculum needs and offered possibilities of the better future. Students tend to experience the subject other than memorize and dot down the content and concepts, instead, they would rather induce and reduce into a deduction form the conceptual meanings behind that of which relates them to a "bettering" of their social environment, which is the relational angle between student achievement and student self-applaud ( self-fulfillment): parents care for the achievement as well as reinforced value of the subject by the teachers' backing them up with credits and giving their opinions credentials. There is more general information concerning my teaching environment that would pertain to academic research. My teaching environment is very homogeneous relative to race. Nearly 97% of the students are white. The few minority students are African-American and Latino. The area is rural but has undergone rapid growth over the past decade. Another important fact is that many of the students in my teaching environment are considered low-income students. Nearly half of them receive free or reduced lunches based on criteria set by the federal government. A possible scenario for quantitative research is in the number of teachers who have noticed a decrease in geographic knowledge in the incoming 7th grade students, but they are not sure of the cause. During my stay at one school nearby the district where I live, notable confusion of belonging between students and their subject matters studied at school have been identifying their problems as been meticulous: one student interviewed at the school's nearby bus station, the boy's name was Eric, a middle school student, was as follows, considering his views on education: "If I were to care, then someone should be caring about me. It is not a matter of a child being looked after where everyone just applauds

Sampling Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sampling - Assignment Example Probability techniques are based on the principle that each member of the population has an equal chance of being included into the study sample. These measures improve the likelihood that the chosen sample will be representative of all the relevant trends seen in the population. Thus, there is a greater chance that the conclusions drawn from the data would be truly applicable to the entire population (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). For a majority of studies, probability sampling techniques help in providing more valuable data, but with some research questions, non-probability techniques are more effecting in gathering the requisite sample. Some of the probability techniques include Simple Random sampling, Systematic Random Sampling, Stratified Random Sampling, and Probability Cluster Sampling (Christensen, Johnson & Turner, 2010). On the other hand, some types of Non-Probability sampling techniques include Availability Sampling, Purposive Sampling and Non-Probability Cluster Sampling (Christensen, Johnson & Turner, 2010). Regardless of all the effort taken to draw a representative sample from the population, there is always a chance that the sample chosen is not really representative. This would mean that there is a chance that the results of the study may not be representative of the population, and extrapolating them would be erroneous. When the chosen sample is not really representative of the population, it is due to Sampling Error (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). Typically, Probability techniques help in reducing the chance of Sampling Error by ensuring that each member of the population has the same likelihood of being chosen. Thus, when studying large and heterogeneous populations, Probability techniques are considered to be more valuable in drawing a representative sample (Christensen, Johnson & Turner, 2010). Sampling error can

Entrepreneurship and small business management Essay

Entrepreneurship and small business management - Essay Example On the other hand, they also observe that such decision-making may just be beneficial to the business operations. One good thing about them is that they play a critical role in global economy. Even so, one should understand that family businesses are managed in different styles especially as pertains to leadership. Their characteristics are largely similar although small variations exist. Such differences are what sum up the total picture that of what constitutes their unique features. Unique Characteristics of Family Business As mentioned above, family business has unique characteristics. According to Bassanini, Breda, Caroli and Reberioux (2013, p. 433), family business are characterized by low job insecurity. Bassanini et al. observe that unlike nonfamily firms, family businesses are not in the habit of laying out workers. Rather than downsize by dismissals, many of them tend to rely on not hiring. They respond to their business operations through this unique way. This does not im ply that family businesses will never lay off workers. In the US, family businesses account for up to 28% in 2007 while Germany has the highest number at 56% (Boom, Van and Reenen 2007, in Bassanini et al. (2013, p. 433). Bassanini et al. observe that many family businesspeople see their firms as future assets for their descendants (p. 434). As a practice, any of them nurture their kids for eventual takeover and management. Some do not follow that path but entrench family members in critical decision-making organs. Probably this explains why many of them are reluctant to lay off their employees. Bassanini et al. also note that many family businesses pay comparatively low or average pay as compared to non-family firms. They offer that one may attribute such differences in wages to the fact that there are differences between family and nonfamily firms. Comparatively, the scholars point out that the wage gap between family and nonfamily gaps is approximately 2.4% (Bassanini et al., 201 3, p. 443). Even so, one should understand that this rate is not fixed as it fluctuates. One can also deduce that the differences between wages in family firms and nonfamily firms vary largely from firms to firm, making the percentage difference a dynamic range. Other scholars observe that family firms tend to follow certain values held dear to them. They note that family businesses thrive on strong commitment to stewardship of the family’s assets amongst others (p. 39). The scholars also observe that as the family shareholder decide on formation of Family Entrepreneur Teams. They also assess the shared vision to be in business together (Cruz, Howorth and Eleanor, 2012, p. 39). This is despite the fact that they are first brought together by shared family values. From this observation, one may deduce that another characteristic of family business is that the success of family business lies on the continued goodwill on the shared values down the lineage. It appears that as muc h as family businesses are characterized by shared values, down along the generation lines, there may be deviations from the shared values. Another characteristic of family teams is that the level of flexibility is usually high (Schjoedt, Monsen, Pearson, and Chrisman, 2012, p. 7). Schjoedt et al. highlight that such a characteristic usually comes from the fact that many team members in family businesses tend to be couples. Being couples, Schjoedt et al. point out that the shared goals and strong relationships usually allow some form of

Foundations of Criminal Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foundations of Criminal Law - Assignment Example Jail for Sainsbury's IT boss who stole 17 million Nectar Points’. This case talks about James Stevenson who was an IT manager liable of stealing 17 million Necta points was found guilty and jailed for 20 years. According to the United Kingdom Federal Law addressing the concept of theft, it was very right to take that legal action because Mr. Stevenson served the IT Company with self-centeredness, where he never minded about the firm or the involved parties. The UK Federal Law clearly states that nobody should serve personal interest or engage in some form of corruption when working in a public office, company or private sectors. In this case, justice was acquired to the firm and the involved parties because Stevenson deserved the sentence. The court found him guilty of having stolen the IT Company’s money by serving his own interest. The legal issue here is that Stevenson had stolen millions of Necta Points that belonged to the Company and the fact that he was jailed se rved him right. The father of two, of Muswell Hill, north London, confessed employing some of the money to buy ?8, 120 – worth of products from the store. However, after calculations were carried out with all the evidences analysed keenly, Mr. Stevenson was found guilty and that was a fare judgment particularly when examined from the sentence point of view. The UK Fraud Law was keenly observed and justice done to the firm. The identification of this case by this article is accurate, clear and complete in the sense that it explains all concepts openly and clearly in a way that one can understand well. Policeman stole ?70,000 in banks fraud to fund affair with fellow officer... but walks free from court’ (Daily Mail On-Line 22 February 2012) This case involves a police officer who financed an extramarital affair using fraudulently raking in ?70, 000 in bank loans. After the judged heard his cases keenly, he branded him as emotionally fragile and the man just walked free from the court. PC Jamie Hillman who is 37 swindled more than 6 different high street banks, engrossing Northern Rock and Barclays, through application for loans and credit cards (McQueeeney, 2012). According to me, this judgment was wrong in the sense that what Hillman was doing is totally stealing from banks. This is because the legal issue outlined is theft because taking a person’s property or item without his or her knowledge is stealing. It does not matter who he served or how he used the money but the bottom line is that he was stealing. According to the United Kingdom Fraud law, any form of stealing from a business individual or organization demands that the individual involved be jailed because that is against the law. The fact that Hillman used false claims at the application of these loans including an open lie that he was a sergeant in the Metropolitan Police and even that he was a soldier serving in Afghanistan, makes him guilty and he deserved to be jailed (McQu eeeney, 2012). Despite the fact that he might have used the money to finance ‘double life’, he used a certain portion of it to serve his own interest what makes it clear stealing intentions. Therefore, this judgment was not right because the banks from which he stole never received justice they deserved. The legal issue, which is theft, was not attended to. Moreover, the judge sent him to prison for 12 months; if indeed he was

Females and Science GCSE'S Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Females and Science GCSE'S - Literature review Example our, or sex†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This was supposed to mark a fundamental shift the rights of females when it comes to education as this would basically mean both male or female student have a right to equal treatment in education. Participation and achievement of females in certain subjects and more especially science subjects was a major issue in the 1950s since schools were divided on sex basis. Single sex schools for boys and girls tough different subjects; boys were taught more academic subjects while girls were taught subjects more inclined to femininity and the home setting. â€Å"†¦the advent of free education for many girls had brought nothing more than the opportunity to learn, †¦ all those domestic skills which they could, in former times, have learnt at home.† (Deem 1978, P. 17). Male domination continued to affect every aspect of society and children were introduced to this even in the education system where the girl was seen to be just capable of learning dome stic related subject which were may be thought easy to handle. Beginning in the 1970s feminists began to query the underachievement by girls in subjects such as science and mathematics. They found out that division in the curriculum was largely to blame inequalities in the education system which led to underachievement of girls in science and technical subjects and this led to educational reforms of 1988 which granted females an equal opportunity for education as males. They were therefore able to participate just like boys in the learning of all subjects including sciences. Major changes have been observed in examinations measuring the competence of students all the genders in academics and these changes are linked to the reforms brought about by the Education Act of 1988. Government has intervened significantly to ensure provision of equal education for all, and at the same time public views on gender have also changed positively. Prior of to the reforms of England’s education system, goals were socially

Evaluate two articles on voter turn out. Articles will be uploaded Essay

Evaluate two articles on voter turn out. Articles will be uploaded - Essay Example s has been decreasing as well such that in the mid sixties 2.4 out of every 1,000 women over the age of 20 belonged to the League of Women Voters while this ratio decreased to 0.79 per 1,000 in 1988 (p. 653). Overall, this indicates that interest in the political process is decreasing with decreasing voter turnout since the sixties being a symptom of this phenomenon. The study in question attempts to gauge the effects of personal canvassing, telephone calls and direct mail on voter turnout while improving on gaps in previous research on the issue. It has been indicated that previous research on the issue is not credible because the sample sizes used were too small to provide strong generalizations. Previous research had sample sizes of between 200 and 500 respondents resulting in confidence levels of 95% with a variation of twenty percentage points (p. 654). In contrast, the current research has a sample size that is at least 100 times as large as previous research and excludes students because they are used for personal canvassing in this research (p. 655). The study is based on three types of intervention namely personal canvassing, telephone calls and direct mail that the researchers have labeled as treatments. The total size of the sample size was some 29,380 people selected at random from various neighborhoods around the city. The control groups were not provided any treatment at all while certain groups were provided one or more treatments (p. 655). Certain people demarcated for treatment who could not be reached (such as through phone calls) were shifted over into the control group because they met the criteria of the control group better than that of treatment. This shift of data tends to give this study a more realistic picture of intervention because previous studies have largely failed to accommodate such changes (p. 654). However, in assigning certain groups more than one treatment the research has moved into multivariate analysis that could not be

Comparing coverage in the independent Essay Example for Free

Comparing coverage in the independent Essay This analysis contrasts and compares a broadsheet and a tabloid newspaper. I chose to compare The Independent with The Mirror. The analysis involves a general comparison, and also a more detailed evaluation of one news item that appears in both papers. If we examine the front cover of each paper to begin with, we notice that there are differences. The title of The Mirror is around 1/10th of the page, whilst The Independent title is approximately 1/16th. The font used for The Mirror is relatively modern in appearance, using sentence case with black outline and white fill. In comparison, the font for The Independent is more traditional, using black bold capital letters. The title also contains the logo on the left hand side. The price for The Mirror is 32p and this is presented in bold text at the bottom right hand corner of the title. The price for The Independent is also found in this location, however the text used is extremely small and the cost for this paper is 50p. The difference in price could suggest that each paper is aimed at a specific audience. This suggests that a paper like The Independent maybe targeting a more professional consumer, in a higher pay band. Another difference is in the placement of the bar code, in The Mirror it is found on the back page, whereas in The Independent it can be found near the bottom right hand corner, of the front page. This shows that The Independent is a larger paper and has enough room to put the bar code on the front page, it does not add or subtract from the news articles. Layout is important in any newspaper, the front page is the first impression the audience gets. The majority of newspapers attract their audience through a lead story. The Mirror has only one main story on the front page. The headline is presented in large capital text, with a slightly more explanatory sentence underneath. This takes up just under one half of the page, and in terms of story detail, there is only a small area comprising five paragraphs. Readers are told to turn to page 4 to continue reading. The other half of the front page is made up of a photograph that reflects the main storyline. Exactly the same photograph is found on the front page of The Independent, however it takes up around one quarter of the cover page. The story is summarised in one sentence beneath the photograph, and the readers are referred to page 8 to continue reading. In addition to this main story, The Independent provides significant discussion relating to four further main stories. In fact, there is a great deal of text used for each of the stories; hence the reader is immediately faced with a lot of reading material. It is worth noting that The Independent also has several other features on the front cover, that are not found in The Mirror. These include, a coloured advert that is found at the bottom of the page, and takes up around 1/7th of the front cover. At the very top of the page, the paper advertises a specific article, and attracts the reader by presenting three questions and also shows a picture of the writer who is going to comment on the issues. The other feature is a small summary of Todays Weather that includes some text and a representative image. Faced with the two papers, The Independent appears to be aimed at a more intellectual audience, the sheer volume would put a less intellectual audience off reading. The Mirror appears to be more simplistic and the story is shorter in length and is also told through the images. Another reason for buying The Mirror could be that the audience wish to absorb the main news in brief whilst in transit. The number of pages in The Mirror totals 64, whereas The Independent has 30. However, The Independent provides two additional supplements, and is also twice the size of The Mirror. The Mirror basically aims to entertain the readers. In contrast, The Independent is essentially an educational paper. This key difference can be seen when looking at the overall content of the papers as follows. A whole range of entertainment features can be found in The Mirror. These include cartoons, quizzes and word search. Additionally, the paper has adverts on almost every page, and there are many photographs including glamorous and fun photographs. A whole page is dedicated to horoscopes and the paper offers 9 sports pages. The paper provides very few articles on serious current events, and concentrates more on gossip type news. The content of The Independent is very different. The paper comprises news and discussion of world events, along with a range of articles that focus on such things as education, the environment, politics and economics. There is a lot of business information such as stocks and shares, exchange rates and interest rates. In contrast to The Mirror, there are only 5 sports pages, and there is only one crossword, found in one of the supplements rather than the main paper. The target audience for The Mirror is working class, and people who are not interested in intellectual debate. This contrasts with The Independent as this broadsheet paper clearly aims to attract readers from a higher social class including people from the business and academic world. Apart from the content as previously discussed, there are several other points, which clearly show that the papers are aiming to attract different types of readers. The papers use a different style of language to attract their audience. The Mirror uses casual terms, colloquialisms and even slang UK reels as Yanks stay put. It uses word play stop this sick compensation agrichculture, and alliteration Rape Rampage and Dyer Disgrace Four sizzled soccer stars sent home. The storylines aim to shock the readers Saw suicide husband moves in with lover, and the language is often someones opinion unfair, Mr Blair. However, The Independent tends to use formal language and presents facts rather than opinions, for example Blair clocks up 40,000 miles on his travels. It gives figures and statistics to back up the stories visits to Britain slumped by 17% in the last month, almost 70,000 fewer tourists visited, according to the Office of National statistics. Much of the political debate provides ministerial quotes Duncan Smith: Health service is deteriorating. Looking specifically at the chosen article with the aim of exploring the differences between the two papers, the story relates to current world events associated with the terrorist situation and with problems that have occurred with Concorde in the past. As an outcome of the terrorist attacks, many people have been afraid to fly and the story focuss on the fact that the Concorde Alpha Echo, had its first commercial flight from Heathrow to New York since being grounded in August last year. The story features as the only main story on the front page of The Mirror, and is featured alongside four other main front page stories in The Independent. As mentioned previously the photograph on both front pages is exactly the same, and shows Concorde about to take off. The image compounds the story, and in some ways tells the tale without any words. The title for the story on the front page of The Mirror is COWARDS, and appears in large font. However, The Independent simply presents a sentence PUT IN SENTENCE FROM PAPER HERE! , which provides a brief factual summary about the flight, take off. This is found underneath the photograph. Immediately one can see that the title in The Mirror is judgemental and confrontational, whereas the term used in the The Independent is more objective. The Mirror introduced the story as an EXCLUSIVE and stated Hollywood stars too scared to fly were branded gutless cowards, by British Airways boss. This reinforces the negative and opinionated mood of the article as already established in the headline. In contrast the opening sentence in The Independent was much more positive, stating that Sting the pop star was amongst the 90 VIPs who joined the flight. This once more shows the upbeat approach used, which contrasts with the more antagonistic approach used by The Mirror. The description of the food and drink in The Mirror inferred that the stars were indulging in unnecessary expensive items Some more vintage Krug, Mr. Morgan? . Whereas The Independent played this down and introduced some humour into the article with the dignitaries toasted the rehabilitation of the Concorde with vintage Krug champagne and Maine Lobster albeit eaten with plastic cutlery. Another difference can be seen in the descriptive language used by the papers. The Mirror describes the take off using an analogy associated with thrill rides Take off is like something on an Alton Towers ride. The Independent uses much more creative style it is just so aesthetically pleasing, such direction and poise. The Mirror also describes New York in terms that aim to shock, and uses emotive language to do this anthrax-ravaged, terrorist torn New York, whereas The Independent focuss more on such emotions as patriotism. Another example of the more down to earth colloquial terms used by The Mirror is where the writer discusses safety, and this is presented as I was frisked more thoroughly than I have ever been frisked before, the message being driven home by using the word frisked twice. The Independent talks more in terms of safety checks and the grim reality of terrorism, rather than using the more tactile description used in The Mirror. In conclusion, the two papers contrast significantly. Whilst to some extent they cover the same main stories, the presentation, the language, the descriptions and the way in which the stories are told use totally contrasting techniques and styles. This aims to suit the audiences for which the papers are written.

Culture Shock Of Studying Abroad Cultural Studies Essay

Culture Shock Of Studying Abroad Cultural Studies Essay In the globalising world, more and more people go to abroad for work and study. Culture shock has been widely present in intercultural communication. Where there is cultural communication, there is culture shock. It can be illustrated by a simple case. A Chinese girl, who is a college student, experienced long-term acculturation when she came here at first. One day, she went to the bank to ask for the statement. When she arrived there, the officer told her that the statement must be posted, and she could not get it right away. She explained that it was urgently needed for visa, but the officer still insisted on his decision, which made her upset and frustrated. As opposed to it, in China, one can get a bank statement at any time. People will experience the impact of cultural differences in varying degrees from an ethnic region to a completely different one, especially to go to work, study and live abroad. The set of symbols, customs, behaviour patterns, social relations will be replaced by another set they are not familiar, which may bring about psychological anxiety, emotional instability, and even depression. In severe cases, it can result in a variety of psychological and physical diseases, worse, even mental problems or suicide. This is culture shock exactly. Culture shock has been an important source of interpersonal stress and conflict for those who are in a multicultural society. Generally speaking, culture shock is a phenomenon of cultural loss and mental imbalance, and it also can be seen as a process of the evolution of mental state in unfamiliar cultural settings. People experience varying degrees of culture shock. There are many factors affecting culture shock and the individual reactions, including previous experience with other cultures and cross-cultural adaptation, the degree of difference in ones own and the host culture, the degree of preparation, social support networks, and individual psychological characteristics. (Furnham Bochner, 1986) Nowadays, international students are playing an increasingly significant role in different countries, especially in western countries. They spend much money and time for higher education. After finishing the study, they usually go back home or stay to get a good job. Only if they overcome cultural shock can they continue learning and have the opportunity to carry out their dream. Otherwise, it will be a giant waste of time and money. Doubtlessly, these students have become vital for the study of culture shock. This essay is to address the definition, characteristics, phases, and causes of culture shock, and explore how it can affect foreign students through a collection of relevant examples. Literature Review In recent years, there is a growing literature in the area of culture shock, and many contributions to the mental health issues aroused by culture shock faced by foreign students (Thomas Althen, 1989). A number of scholars have discussed the definition of culture shock. Oberg (1960) popularised it to refer to the anxiety that results from losing all of our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. Adler (1975) suggested that culture shock is primarily a set of emotional reactions to the loss of perceptual reinforcements from ones own culture, to the new cultural stimuli which have little or no meaning, and to the misunderstanding of new and diverse experience. Barna (1976) extended the concept to include physiological aspects. Bennett (1977) viewed it as a subcategory of transition experiences. Regarding the symptoms of culture shock, although individual reactions differ from case to case, various scholars (e.g., Oberg, 1960; Adler, 1975) suggested some common symptoms, such as: feelings of impotence and withdrawal; fear of being cheated or injured; excessive concern on health; being homesick; and a state of nervous irritability. Moreover, Taft (1977) summarised a range of definitions and argued that culture shock is a feeling of impotence from the inability to cope with the environment, because of being unfamiliar with cognitive aspects and role-playing skills. He identified six different aspects of culture shock: 1. Tension due to the ongoing necessary psychological adjustment. 2. A sense of loss of friends, status, occupation and property. 3. Being not accepted by and/or accepting members of the new culture. 4. Confusion in role, role expectations, values, feelings and self-identity. 5. Surprise, anxiety, even disgust and anger after perceiving cultural differences. 6. Feeling of helplessness due to not being able to deal with the new circumstance. In terms of mental health issues, the widespread use of the two major concerns, namely, depression (e.g., David, 1971; Hojat, 1982) and anxiety (e.g., Lin Masuda, Tazuma, 1982) has been documented. Some studies have paid attention to helplessness (Arredondo-Dowd, 1981), social withdrawal, loneliness, and homesickness (Church, 1982; Cort King, 1979). Causes of Culture Shock When one enters an unfamiliar environment, why will he encounter culture shock? There are various explanations in the psychological studies. A traditional one is to link it to grief of the loss of friends or relatives, ascribing culture shock to the loss of certain things. People feel grieved due to the loss of close friends and family, while those in a different cultural context may be subjected to culture shock for losing a familiar frame of reference in an intercultural encounter, such as status, values, friends, and customs. (Bennett, 1977) A number of new theories have been proposed which elaborate it from different aspects. Different Values Value is a kind of social consciousness, and it can identify what kind of behavior, survival patterns and interaction guidelines will be adopted by individuals, groups or societies. There is neither any kind of values superior than others, nor that inferior. Any of them is unique. For example, comparing the Chinese and American cultures, it clearly can be seen that the American value individualism while the Chinese emphasise collectivism. American people emphasise individual rights, whereas Chinese people value their obligations to society. In intercultural communication, one from a different culture must respect values of the host culture to ensure the smoothness of communications. If people act as the opposite, culture shock will occur inevitably. Take some Muslim students for example. When living in America, there are many students from Muslim countries, especially females, who usually continue to wear traditional clothing; therefore they are actively resisting participating in th e American popular culture. This has been in the way of acculturation, which may isolate them from the environment and bring about anxiety or frustration. Ethnocentrism People tend to criticise the practices of another culture from the perspective of their own cultural values and beliefs. Ethnocentrism, constituted by ethno and centrism, refers to a cultural bias that leads people to judge another cultures habits and practices as right or wrong, good or bad (Samover Porter, 2000). This tendency will result in vanity of ones own cultures superiority, and contempt of outsiders, thereby influencing the adaption process. To illustrate, several cases will be presented. Chinese regard western food such as sandwich and hamburger as junk food. Americans are shocked that Chinese eat nearly all kinds of animals. Chinese think Hindus bathing in the river Ganges is unsanitary. Islamic counties are criticised for supposedly subordinating women. Western countries think Chinese forced-feeding education has no benefit for students. Ethnocentrism sometimes can produce positive social effects, including a very strong social status, which may enhance individual self-esteem, sense of loyalty and group survival consciousness, but also reduce internal contradictions. However, ethnocentric attitudes will cause negative social effects, which prevents people from learning new knowledge from other cultures and broaden new vision. In addition, to safeguard the status of national superiority, competition, fear, anger and hatred may increase, which leads to a variety of destructive conflicts. Ethnocentrism and culture is symbiotic, and each of us grows up in a certain culture, thus it is impossible to completely get rid of ethnocentrism. When students enter an unfamiliar cultural context, it is easy to judge the target culture as good or bad, right or wrong from the standpoint of their own cultural values. With the bias judgment, one cannot break the barriers to achieve intercultural understanding; therefore, culture shock occurs, which causes psychological and physiological stress and tension in communication contact. Preconceptions and Stereotypes The presence of preconceptions and stereotypes is a stumbling block to cultural contact. For instance, U.S. students try to keep distance to a noisy group from Middle East since the stereotype that the Arabs are inflammable. If one has regarded Japanese as inscrutable before his or her Japanese guests coming, he or she will probably see their behaviors (e.g., the constant smile) as much (Barna, 1994). Stereotypes help to reduce the threat of the unknown by making the world predictable (Becker, 1962). Stereotypes lead to overgeneralisation, and affect intercultural communication directly, because the predictions to the behaviours of the other party are based on their fixed views rather than whether they are accurate or fit the circumstances. Stereotypes are psychologically necessary to release our helplessness so as to interact with people in different situations. Stereotypes make people pay attention to what fit their initial impressions, and ignore the left. It prevents people from communicating with those from the distinct cultural backgrounds. As a psychological reason for culture shock, stereotypes are detrimental to the process of communication and have been an obstacle to intercultural interactions. Language Differences Language difference is a stumbling block in the adaption process. Vocabulary, syntax, idioms, slang, dialects, and so on all cause difficulty, but the person struggling with a different language is at least aware of being in trouble. (Barna, 1994) A big language problem is that users cling to one meaning of a word in the target language, without considering the specific context. Various meanings are so difficulty that they are often waved aside. Conceit and complacency will stop a search for understanding. Yes and no are classic examples. How to answer the question, Dont you know him? When a foreign student first hears it, he may answer yes, which means he does not know him. However, if he wants to express the meaning that he does know him, he has to answer no. There are some other problems, including the different styles of using target language. These differences may lead to wrong interpretations of tone and intent. Language skills are linked with adaptation effectiveness (DeVerthe lyi, 1995). Foreign students in the USA who cannot speak English well may be isolated socially, which will affect their academic achievement. For instance, one can order a cup of tea at a cafà ©; however, he or she may not discuss academic issues such as linguistics very well. Despite that he or she holds the idea, it cannot be presented by language. As mentioned above, language issue will result in academic and intercultural failures and further lead to high stress and depression which are the exact symptoms of culture shock. Avoiding Unfamiliar People and Things When students come to a new environment, they usually would like to assume similarities instead of differences between the host culture and their own culture, which can bring themselves a sense of intimacy and familiarity. Some other students prefer to stay with those from the same country and share experiences within the small circle. They avoid and resist people and things they are not familiar. Due to the avoidance, they cannot understand the new cultural identity, and even mistake their cultural norms as universal ones that everyone can accept. Once they find acts strange (different from them) they expect, confusion, disappointment, and even rejection will be produced. This phenomenon is widely present in communities of Chinese students. These students are together for everyday, and they cook, eat, go shopping, study, travel and chat with each other; moreover, they share joy and sorrow, and intentionally keep away from communicating with people from target culture. Generally, the y live in the small world created by themselves, and set up an obstruction in intercultural contact. With time going on, they become less brave to break up the barrier and reach an impasse of cultural contact. Level of Knowledge How should I greet when I first meet them, shaking hands or bowing? What should we talk about for initial meetings? Should I be more enthusiastic or control my facial expressions when talking with them? There is a long list of cultural norms needed to be learned by overseas students before or during a sojourn. Ones level of cultural knowledge may contribute to the acculturation (Begley, 2000). For example, overseas students studying in Britain should be aware of the different educational system and better ways to succeed in learning. Google claimed to withdraw the investment in China for it did not recognise the complicated realities of the country and finally failed in China. From these examples, we can understand that being aware of little general and specific cultural knowledge can cause communicative problems that may lead to culture shock.

Social Work Values, Principles and Ethics Essay -- Socia Work LGBT

Many Canadians remains largely divided in its views of the GLBT population. Some believes that the GLBT population should have equal opportunities as heterosexuals, and should have right to same-sex marriages, the right to adopt children, access to the same tax benefits and health care, while others believe otherwise. The GLBT refers collectively to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and throughout this paper GLBT will be used. Gays and lesbian are people who are attracted and indulged in sexual relationship with people of the same sex, while bisexual are people who are attracted and indulged in sexual relationship with both male and female, and transgender are people who are born male or female but believes that they should be living their lives as the opposite gender to which they were born (Horejsi & Sheafor, 2008). Even though Canadians views are beginning to change about the GLBT population, â€Å"this population still faces oppression, discrimination, and internalize homophobia, and marginalization which may result in poor physical, emotional and social well being† (Morrow, 2004). While heterosexual are surrounded with positive role models and an abundance of images regarding sexual expression, the GLBT population may have difficulty finding support and positive images, especially when their communities lack resources such as gay –straight alliances and visible GLBT role model. GLBT individuals have to overcome internalize homophobia, much of which is derived from anti-gay message received in a variety of institutions such as religious affiliations, schools, and human services. This paper will discuss three concepts of social work that is important when dealing with the GLBT population. As a social service worker i... ...007). Psychology, A Journey (2nd ed.). Toronto: Thomson Nelson Cournoyer, R. B. (2008). The Social Work Skills Workbook (5th Ed.). Canada: Ontario Crisp, C., & McCave, E. (2007). Gay Affirmative Practice: A Model for Social Work Practice with Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual and transgender. Retrieved on September 29, 2010 from http//vnweb.hwilsonweb.com Dunn, A. M. (2002).Culture Competence and the Primary Care Provider. Journal of Paediatric Health Care, Volume 16, May/June 2002, p 105-111. Horejsi, C., & Sheafor, B. (2008). Techniques and Guidelines for Social Work Practice(8th Ed.). Boston: New York Ivey, M., & Ivery, A., (2008). Essentials of Intentional Interviewing Counselling in a Multicultural World (3rd Ed.). Belmont: USA Srivastava, H., R. ( 2006) Clinical Cultural Competence. Retrieved on September 28, 2010, from http://ceris.metropolis.net

Edwin A. Abbotts Flatland :: Abbott Flatland Essays

Flatland   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We are brought up thinking that everyone shares our views and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   that they are correct and the only right way of seeing things. In   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Flatland, a novel by Edwin A. Abbott, two men from different   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   dimensions argue about which one of their societies is right and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   more superior. They accomplish nothing because each is so closed-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   minded to the fact that what they have known all their lives may   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   be wrong. This is the case when it comes to homosexuality in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   today's world or anything that involves looking, acting, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   thinking differently than us.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A. Square and the Monarch of Lineland are closed-minded to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the possibility ofthere being other worlds or multiple ways to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   seeing things different from their own. Outside Lineland all was   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   nonexistent according to the Monarch. When A. Square tried to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   explain to him that the universe was made up of more than just   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   straight lines and points, the Monarch called these suggestions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "impossible" and "inconceivable" (P. 46). A. Square shared his   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ideas with the Monarch because in his words he had "to open up to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   him some glimpses of the truth" (P. 47). Neither man could begin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to accept the possibility that his world and his beliefs could   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      be in any way inferior to those ofthe other. Yet the two men   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      state their case for what seemed to be a long while.   During the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      course ofthe conversation,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the Monarch called the Square and his ideas "uneducated,"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "irrational," and "audacious" (P. 51). The Monarch thinks if A.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Square "had a particle of sense, [he] would listen to reason" (P.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  51). Upon listening to the opinion that Flatland is lacking so   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   much as compared to Lineland, A. Square strikes back, saying,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "you think yourself the perfection of existence, while you are in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   reality the most imperfect and imbecile" (P. 5I). A. Square   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   continues, claiming, "I am the completion of your incomplete   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   self" (P. 51). Neither the Monarch nor A. Square could be swayed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to the other one's way of thinking.

What is Cancer :: essays research papers

What is Cancer The article entitled â€Å"What Is Cancer?† from the American Cancer Society’s web site discussed how cancer forms and effects people in different ways depending on what type of cancer they have. It also mentioned how cancers are treated and ways to prevent cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cancer forms from the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. When we are born we all have normal cells that continually grow until adulthood. We also have abnormal cells that are in our body. As we reach adulthood our normal body cells stop dividing for growth purposes and only divide to replace dead or damaged cells. The abnormal cells in our body continue to divide even into adulthood and form cancerous cells. Most cancers develop into tumors while others flow throughout the body via the body’s bloodstream. An example of this is leukemia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not all tumors that are created in the body by the abnormal cells become cancerous however. Some tumors called benign tumors are not cancerous and will not affect the body in as harmful ways as cancerous tumors would. Benign tumors are still dangerous however there size can be harmful to the body by growing in places that they are not needed and putting pressure on other parts of the body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All types of cancer are different and respond to different types of treatment. Different cancers also have different rates of growth. These different rates of growth are what cause different cancers to be more harmful than others. Cancer is the second leading killer in the United States. Over half of men and one third of women will develop cancer in their lifetimes. Millions of people are now living with cancer because of new treatments that have become available through extensive research.

Castaway Movie Analysis-Journeys

‘Castaway ‘, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is a 2001 film starring Tom Hanks. Hanks stars as Chuck Noland, a FedEx delivery man whose life is headed in the ‘right direction’, until his plane crashes and he is stranded on an island. He must adapt to his new life on the island; overcoming many obstacles in order to survive. ‘Castaway’ explores three different journeys; physical, inner and imaginative. Chuck Noland is a filmic representation of the philosophy of time equals money equals fulfilment.Zemeckis is deliberate in his obvious manipulation of the responder as he uses a multitude of filmic techniques to create a connection between the audience and Chuck. The physical journey in ‘Castaway’ is Chuck’s struggle to survive all the obstacles of living on the island and his journey to get home. On the island his inner journey of self discovery is about learning what is really important in life. After he returns home he must learn to adapt to normal society and overcome his traumatic ordeal. Chuck’s imagination is also taken on a journey when he creates a companion out of a volleyball, whom he shares all his ideas and secrets with. Castaway’ is a film that is rife with symbolism. The director has purposefully included an array of different signs that convey various meanings and concepts within the film. The first shot of the film is that of an old road and as the camera pans to the left we see a van driving towards a crossroads. Immediately, these images of the road and the crossroads connote that a journey is going to take place. They symbolises that the unknown protagonist is going to come to a point in his life where he will be unable to decide where he is going.As a result of the cyclic structure of the film, we see Chuck both physically and mentally arrive at the same crossroads from the opening scene. As a result of his years spent on the island is undecided about where he is heading so h e pulls over and is given directions. He moves out into the middle of the crossroads and considers which of the four roads he wants to travel; knowing that whichever option he takes will lead to a different destination both physically and internally. The film ends with a close up of Chuck’s face as he gazes down his chosen path.The responder is left in a state of deliberate uncertainty about which path he has chosen. The audience can be certain of one thing; his choices in life will be forever influenced by his ordeal. By leaving the ending open to interpretation, Zemeckis leaves the responder debating over which direction Chuck would have headed both in his car, and in his life. During the film we see the package with the angels wings painted on it frequently. The parcel becomes the first person as we follow it to the destination. This personifies the package and gives the responder the impression that this package will be almost like another character.This package is one th at washes up on the island with Chuck and is the only package he does not open. Wings are symbolic of flying and being lifted. The wings package raises Chuck’s spirits and gives him hope that one day he will be able to deliver the package to its owner. The audience never find out what was in the parcel. This fosters a sense of mystery and intrigue in the responder. Would the contents of the box have changed the outcome of Chuck’s life? Time is a motif that is heavily emphasised in this film. Clocks are effectively placed in the mis en scene, demonstrating that Chucks’ life is controlled by time.He believes organisation and time management is the key to his happiness. The gift his girlfriend, Kelly, gives him is a pocket watch with her picture inside and it is one of his only possessions on the island. While on the island the importance he placed on time fades, as his life is now run by nature. He finds himself alone with a limitless amount of time but with nothi ng to do during it. He stares at the watch for long periods, not because of time but because of the picture of Kelly in it. Like the wings package she becomes his symbol of hope and his motivation to get off the island.His determination and faith serve to evoke optimism within the responder and it gives them hope that Chuck will continue to survive until he gets off the island. The impact time has on his life is also evident when he is admonishing FedEx employees. He states â€Å"We live or we die by the clock. Never allow ourselves to commit the sin of losing track of time. † He says the same thing to the volleyball, Wilson, when he is planning their escape off the island. The context of when he says it changes the meaning of this quote.The first time it is said he is passionately trying to get workers to be more efficient and the quote is an exaggeration. The second time Chuck makes this remark, death is actually a serious option. Although the timing of his escape is import ant to him, time is not what is driving him anymore, instead his desire to get back to Kelly. The volleyball, Wilson, becomes Chuck’s only companion on the island. Wilson is Chuck’s need for companionship personified. Wilson is a part of Chuck as Wilson’s face is made of his blood and is the physical manifestation of Chuck’s mental state. â€Å"I know you. Chuck repeats to Wilson and this signifies that Chuck is aware that Wilson is a part of him while demonstrating Chuck trying to reassure himself of who he is. When Wilson is lost at sea, Chuck is devastated at losing his ‘friend’ and one of the only things kept him sane on the island. Chuck’s palpable anguish evokes sympathy and grief within the responder. Chuck’s physical journeys are common and the directors’ choice of having him works for FedEx is intentional. The scene where the audience is shown photographs of him with various modes of transportation also indicate that Chuck is a well travelled man.However, he does not understand what life is really about. It is not until he is stranded physically that his inner journey begins and he realises what is really important in life. This concept forces the responder to ask themselves whether what they value most in life is really all that important. The use of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds is particularly effectual in contrasting Chuck’s life on the island with that of his old life. For the whole time that Chuck is on the island only diegetic sounds such as waves, wind and thunder is heard.The sounds of wildlife have been cut from the scene also. Zemeckis has done this to highlight the fact that Chuck is completely isolated. The first non-diegetic music we hear is when Chuck is watching the island disappear in the mist as he rows away. Even without the visual we know that Chuck is now leaving the island. The lighting in ‘Castaway’ is central in showing Chuck’s isolatio n on the island. During storms, especially the initial one which causes Chuck’s plane to crash, lightning and moonlight is all the light used in the scene.The lightning during the storms is hard key lighting and creates a sense of fear danger on screen and amongst the audience. The shadows that are cast on Chuck’s face from fire light and lightning show his vulnerability and panic. Zemeckis uses over the shoulder shots and close ups frequently on the island. This is done so the responder feels as though they are on that island with Chuck. The point of view shots that are used on the island are particularly useful in showing Chucks’ isolation. At numerous points we see the vast expanse of ocean through Chuck’s point of view.This technique once again highlights his loneliness and desperation to find another living companion. The bird’s eye view shots show Chuck, alone, surrounded by nature, highlighting his solitude. Panning camera movement is used r epeatedly to introduce the viewer to the landscape of the scene. Zemeckis uses zoom to focus the responder’s attention on Chuck which enables them to discern his emotions from his facial expression, rather than dialogue. There is minimal dialogue used in ‘Castaway’. This is again used to demonstrate the characters segregation but it also serves another purpose.Minimal dialogue places greater emphasis on the other devices such as camera usage, music and lighting and it relies on these devices to convey the journeys. The 2001 drama film, ‘Castaway’ is an excellent example of a film encompassing physical, inner and imaginative journeys. The director, Robert Zemeckis, has exploited numerous filmic devices to allow the responder to experience the film as though it were reality. His effective use of symbolism, camera shots and angles, sound and lighting influences the responders’ view of the film.

Babson & American Culture

Application essay ( write a letter to your first year roommate at Babson. Tell him or her what it will be like to live with you, why you choose Babson, and what are you looking forward to the most in college). Type of order: Essay Deadline: January 10, 2007 19:44 I am here because of the good reputation of Babson University in Academics, and at the same time I am also interested to understand more about American Culture. While studying here, I want to represent my country, Saudi Arabia and my Religion (Islam) the right way. Especially after the events that happened in 9/11, people started to look at Islam and Saudi Arabia in a negative way.I consider this letter as an opportunity to correct this image and say that we, the Islamic People of Saudi Arabia are against Terrorism. â€Å"Islam, one of the three major world religions, along with Judaism and Christianity, that profess monotheism, or the belief in a single God. In the Arabic language, the word Islam means â€Å"surrenderâ₠¬  or â€Å"submission† to the will of God. A follower of Islam is called a Muslin, which in Arabic means â€Å"one who surrenders to God†. The Arabic name for God, Allah refers to the God worshiped by Jews and Christians.Islam’s central teaching is that there is only one all-powerful, all knowing God. And this God created the Universe. This rigorous monotheism, as well as the Islamic Teachings that all Muslims are equal before God, provides the basis for a collective sense of loyalty to God that transcends class, race, nationality, and even differences in religious practice. Thus, all Muslims belong to one community, the â€Å"umma†, irrespective of their ethnic or national background. Code: 31436039 Page 2Source: Dailal, Ahma, S. â€Å"Islam† Microsoft Encarta 2006 (DVD). Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2005 This is also an opportunity for me, that for people who looks at â€Å"Islam† and Saudi Arabia in a negative way will at least h ave a second chance of changing their minds. Since â€Å"Islam† is also against terrorism. And terrorism have nothing to do with religion, because â€Å"Islam† is for peace. I hope I will be an instrument to show them, since I will be a student like them and will show them that I am a peace loving person. I will be like just anybody else, who looks at life positively.

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 14

Every week passed more or less quietly. Grandma Harman came home, her cough better. She didn't seem to notice anything different about Thea. Night came earlier, and everyone at school talked about parties and costumes. The air got colder and there was an announcement that the old gym would be opened for Halloween. Thea heard that Randy Marik had been moved to a psychiatric hospital and was in intensive therapy. He was making some progress. Thea and Eric worked every day on their plan. The only real excitement came the night when Thea walked in, sat on Blaise's bed, and said, â€Å"Bullets won't stop him.† â€Å"What?† Blaise looked up from creaming her elbows. â€Å"I mean, spells won't stop him. Eric. They just bounce off. I'm telling you this because you're going to notice that he's not with Mar.† Blaise snapped the tube of cream shut. She stared at Thea for a full minute before she said tightly, â€Å"What are you saying?† Thea's humor drained away. She looked at the floor. â€Å"I'm saying we're soulmates,† she said quietly. â€Å"And that I can't help it. There is really, truly, nothing I can do about it.† â€Å"I can't believe, after all that-† â€Å"Right. After all that work. And after me trying and trying to stop, because I'm scared to death. But there's no way to fight it, Blaise. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I've got to find some way to try to live with it.† She looked at her cousin. â€Å"Okay?† â€Å"You know it's not okay. You know it's completely not okay.† â€Å"I guess what I mean is, okay, will you please not kill him or turn us in? Because I can't stand being in another fight with you. And I can't stop breaking the law.† Blaise tossed the cream jar in the direction of the dresser. â€Å"Thea, are you all right?† she said, seriously. â€Å"Because you're acting very†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Fatalistic?† â€Å"Fatalistic and generally scary.† â€Å"I'm okay. I just†¦ I don't know what's going to happen, but I am sort of†¦ calm. I'm going to do my best. Eric's going to do his best. And beyond that, nothing's guaranteed.† Blaise stared for another minute, her gray eyes searching Thea's face. Then she shook her head. â€Å"I won't turn you in. You know I would never turn you in. We're sisters. And as for trying to kill him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She shrugged, looking grim. â€Å"It probably wouldn't work. That guy is impossible.† â€Å"Thank you, Blaise.† Thea touched her cousin's arm lightly. Blaise covered Thea's hand with her own red-nailed fingers, just for a moment. Then she sat back and straightened her pillows with a little jerk. â€Å"Just don't tell me anything, all right? I wash my hands of you two and I don't want to know what's going on. Besides, I've got worries of my own. I have to decide between a Maserati and a Karmann Ghia.† Halloween. Thea looked out the window at the darkened world. There weren't any kids in the alley, but she knew they were flitting around the city. Goblins and ghosts and witches and vampires-all fakes. Real vampires were sitting inside at fireplaces, or maybe at exclusive parties, chuckling. And real witches were getting dressed for their Samhain Circles. Thea put on a white shift, sleeveless, made out of one piece of material. She pulled a soft white belt around her waist and made a loop pointing up with one side of the tie, then wrapped the other end around the base of the loop three times. A thet knot. Witches had used them for four thousand years. She took a breath and looked outside again. Enjoy the peace while you can, she told herself. It's going to be a busy night. Eric's jeep pulled into the alley. The horn honked once. Thea grabbed the backpack, which had been stuffed under her bed. It was full of materials. Oak, ash, quassia chips, blessed thistle, mandrake root. The hardened residue from the bronze bowl, which she had painstakingly scraped off with one of Blaise's art knives. A wooden seal, also carved with Blaise's tools. And an ounce vial with three precious drops of summoning potion stolen from the malachite bottle. She started for the stairs. â€Å"Hey, are you leaving already?† Blaise said, emerging from the bathroom. â€Å"You've got-what?-an hour and a half before Circle.† Blaise looked gorgeous, and more herself than at any other time of year. Her shift was black, also sleeveless, also made in one piece. Her hair hung loose to her hips, woven with little bells. Her arms were pale and beautiful against the darkness of hair and shift, and she was barefoot, wearing one ankle bracelet. â€Å"I'm going to run out and do something before Circle,† Thea said. â€Å"Don't ask me what.† Blaise of course didn't know what Thea and Eric were planning. Not even Dani knew. It was better that way. â€Å"Thea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Blaise stood at the top of the stairs and looked down as Thea dashed out. â€Å"You be careful!† Thea waved at her cousin. The back of the jeep was full of wood. â€Å"I thought I'd better bring some more, just in case we need it,† Eric said, throwing her backpack in. Then he added in a different voice, â€Å"You look- amazing-like that.† She smiled at him. â€Å"Thanks. It's traditional. You look nice, too.† He was wearing the costume of a seventeenth-century French soldier at Ronchain-or as close as they could get from looking at woodcuts in old books. They drove into the desert, past the huge bare cliffs, off the main road and far out among the Joshua trees, until they found the place. It was tiny, just a dip in the ground almost enclosed in red sandstone pillars. The pillars didn't look like the monoliths at Stonehenge-they were knobby and squished sideways, like towers of Play-doh that some kid had smashed-but they served the same purpose. They'd found this place all by themselves, and Thea was very proud of it. â€Å"The fire's still going,† she said. â€Å"That's good.† It had been burning for the last three days inside the circle. Thea's hope had been that it would keep Suzanne interested-and away from the people setting up in the old gym. And it seemed to have worked. Not just the fire, of course. The three dummies lying on the ground tied to stakes were supposed to be interesting, too. â€Å"These guys all look okay,† Eric said. He picked up the smallest dummy and dusted it off. It looked something like a scarecrow when he thrust the stick into a hole in the ground, standing it up. A scarecrow dressed in a black shift tied with a thet knot. With a sign hanging around the neck: lucienne. The other small dummy had a sign that said clement. The big dummy's sign said suzannb. â€Å"Okay,† Thea said when they had unloaded the wood, leaving her backpack in the jeep. â€Å"Now, remember, you don't do anything until I get back, right? Not anything. And if I'm a few minutes late, you just wait.† He stopped nodding. â€Å"The Halloween party starts at nine. If you're not here at nine exactly, I might-â€Å" â€Å"No. Don't touch anything, don't do anything.† â€Å"Thea, we might lose her. What if she decides that nothing's happening here, so she might as well go to the party-â€Å" â€Å"I won't be late,† Thea said flatly. It seemed the only way to win the argument. â€Å"But do not burn those witches before I'm here to cast the cirde. Okay?† â€Å"Good luck,† he said. He looked handsome and mysterious in his exotic clothes. Not like himself. They kissed under the half-full moon. â€Å"Be safe,† Thea whispered, making herself let go of him. â€Å"Come back safe,† he whispered. â€Å"I love you.† She drove the jeep back to the city, to the maidens' Circle Twilight meeting. It was being held this year at a Night World dub on the southern edge of town. There was no sign on the door, but the doormat, between two grinning jack-o'-lanterns, had been painted with a black dahlia. Thea knocked and the door opened. â€Å"Dani You look great.† â€Å"So do you,† Dani said. She was dressed in white, in a pleated sheer gown that hung to her ankles and looked Egyptian. Black braids clasped with silver cascaded from a sort of crown at her head, falling over her shoulders and back and arms. She made a beautiful Queen Isis. â€Å"You didn't wear a costume,† she said, making it a question. â€Å"Blaise and I are sort of going as Maya and Hell-wise,† Thea said. The truth was that she was most comfortable in her ordinary Circle clothes, and that Blaise knew she looked best in hers. â€Å"Well, come on down. You're the last one,† Dani said, taking Thea's hand. They went down a flight of stairs to an underground room. It had a makeshift, thrown-together look, with crates to sit on, and white fairy lights strung between concrete pillars. Metal chairs had been pushed to the periphery. â€Å"Thea! Hey, there! Merry meet!† people called. Thea turned around and around, smiling and getting hugs. â€Å"Good Samhain,† she kept saying. â€Å"Unity.† For those few minutes, she forgot about what was going to happen tonight. It was so good to see them all again, all her friends from summer Circles. Kishi Hirata, dressed as Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess, hi gold and orange. Alaric Breedlove- the sophomore from Lake Mead High-as Tammuz the shepherd, son of the mother goddess Ishtar. Claire Blessingway as the Navajo goddess Changing Woman, in a dress decorated with red flower petals and turquoise. Nathaniel Long as Herne, Celtic god of the hunt, in forest green, with stag's antlers. Humans put on costumes to disguise themselves tonight. Witches put on costumes to try to reflect their inner selves-what they were inside, what they wanted to be. â€Å"Here, taste,† Claire said, handing Thea a paper cup. It was full of a thick red herb drink spiced with cinnamon and cloves. â€Å"It's hibiscus-my dad's recipe.† Someone else was passing around shortbread cakes in the shape of crescent moons. Thea took one. Everything here was so bright, so warm-and she would have been so happy if all she had to do tonight was enjoy it. Have a normal Samhain Circle. Celebrate†¦ But Eric was waiting out there in the dark and cold of the desert. And Thea was counting the minutes until she could leave. â€Å"Okay, people, it's time to get started.† Lawai'a Dcua, a pretty, sturdy girl with hair like black nylon, was standing in the center of the room. She was wearing a red shift and lei-Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess, Thea guessed. â€Å"Let's get our circle, here. That's good, come on. Chang Xi, you're the youngest now.† A little girl with big almond-shaped eyes came shyly into the ring of people. Thea hadn't seen her before- she must have turned seven since the last summer Circle. She was dressed in jade green as Kuan Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion. Still shy, she took a sprig of broom-real broom, the plant-and swept the area inside the ring. â€Å"Thea, you do the salt.† Thea was surprised and pleased. She took the bowl of sea salt that Lawai'a offered, and walked slowly around the perimeter of the circle, sprinkling it â€Å"Alaric, you take the water-â€Å" Lawai'a broke oft looking toward the stairway, seeming startled. Thea saw other people look. She turned around. Two adults, mothers, were coming down the stairs. As the light shone on the first woman's face, Thea felt a jolt. It was Aunt Ursula. In a gray suit, her expression as bleak as Thea had ever seen it. Nobody in the room made a noise. They all stood still as Joshua trees, watching until the women reached the bottom. Interrupting a Circle in the middle of casting was unheard of. â€Å"Good Samhain,† Lawai'a said faintly. â€Å"Good Samhain.† Aunt Ursula was polite, but she didn't smile. like a displeased teacher. â€Å"I'm very sorry to bother you, but this will only take a minute.† Thea's heart had begun to pound, slow and hard. It's just guilty conscience, she tried to tell herself. This doesn't have to be about you. But it did. And something inside her knew even before Aunt Ursula looked the Circle over and said, â€Å"Thea Sophia Harman.† As if she doesn't know what I look like, Thea thought dazedly. She damped down hard on a wild impulse simply to brush past Aunt Ursula and head for the street. Now she knew why rabbits were so stupid as to leave a good hiding place and run blindly when a dog came near. Just panic, that's all. She stepped away from a staring Kishi on her left and a dismayed Nat on her right. She could feel every pair of eyes in the place on her. â€Å"What is it?† she said, trying to look surprised. Aunt Ursula's eyes met hers directly, as if to say, You know. But she didn't say anything, which was almost as bad. â€Å"Dani Naete Mella Abforth.† Oh, Eileithyia. Not Dani, too†¦. Dani was stepping out of the circle. Her small head was held proudly, but Thea could see the fear in her eyes. She walked, linen swaying around her ankles, to stand beside Thea. Dani, I'm sorry†¦. â€Å"That's all,† Aunt Ursula said. â€Å"The rest of you go on with your Circle. Good Samhain, everybody.† To Thea and Dani, she said, â€Å"You need to come outside.† They followed her silently. There was nothing else to do. When they were out in the cool night air, Dani said, â€Å"Is-something wrong?† She looked from Aunt Ursula to the other woman, who was short but had considerable presence. And seemed familiar to Thea†¦ and then she had it. It's Nana Buruku. From the Inner Circle. This isn't a Harman family matter. The Inner Circle itself is calling us. â€Å"There are some things we need to talk about. Come on and let's get it all cleared up fast,† Nana Buruku said quietly, putting a cinnamon-colored hand on Thea's arm. Gran's ancient Lincoln Continental was sitting at the curb. Nana Buruku took the wheel herself. Dani and Thea held hands in the backseat. Dani's fingers were icy cold. The car wound up and down streets lined with human trick-or-treaters, to a big ranch-style house with high block walls screening the backyard. Selene's house, Thea realized, seeing the name Lucna on the mailbox. It must be where they're having the maidens' Circle Midnight meeting. Aunt Ursula got out. Thea and Dani sat in the car with Nana Buruku. In a few minutes, Aunt Ursula came back with Blaise. Selene, dressed in silver, and Vivienne in black, followed as far as the driveway. They looked sober and scared, not like wicked witches at all. Blaise did. Barefoot and apparently indifferent to the cold, little bells ringing, she looked flushed and angry and proud. She opened the door with a jerk and sat down hard beside Thea, who scooted over. â€Å"What's going on?† she said, almost out loud. â€Å"I'm missing the moon cakes, I'm missing everything. What kind of Samhain is this?† Thea had never admired her more. â€Å"We'll get back in time,† Dani said, and her voice was steady, even if her fingers were still cold. They're both brave, Thea thought. And me? But however much she wanted to, she couldn't get a word out through the tightness in her throat. She half expected Nana Buruku to get on the freeway and head out toward the desert, toward Thierry's land. But instead the Lincoln headed down familiar streets and pulled up in the alley behind Grandma Harman's store. Thea could feel Dani's questioning eyes on her. But she had no idea what was going on, and she was afraid to look Dani in the face. â€Å"Come on,† Aunt Ursula said, and shepherded them through the back door, into the shop, through the bead curtain that led to the workshop. All the chairs for Gran's students had been pushed into a rough circle. People were sitting in them, or standing and talking quietly, but when Thea stepped through the curtain behind Nana Buruku, they all stopped and looked. Thea's eyes moved from face to face, seeing each in a sort of disconnected, dreamlike flash. Grandma Harman, looking so grim and tired. Mother Cybele, who was the Mother of the Inner Circle, just as Gran was the Crone, looking anxious. Aradia, the Maiden, her lovely face serious and sad. Others she recognized from two years ago, people who were so famous she knew them by their first names. Rhys, Belfana, Creon, Old Bob. Aunt Ursula and Nana Buruku made up the last two of the nine. They looked like ordinary people, working men and women and still-sharp-as-a-tack retired seniors, the kind you'd see any day on the street. They weren't. This was the biggest concentration of magical talent anywhere in the world. These people were the witch geniuses, the prodigies and the sages, the far-seers. The teachers, the policy-makers. They were the Inner Circle. And they were all looking at Thea. â€Å"The girls are here,† Mother Cybele said softly to Aradia. â€Å"They're standing in the middle.† Gran said, â€Å"All right, let's get this thing started. Will everybody find themselves a seat.† It wasn't a question, it was an order. Gran was senior to all these celebrities. But she wouldn't look at Thea. And that was the most terrible, nightmarish thing of all. She acted as if Thea and Blaise were strangers. Everyone was sitting, nudging their chairs into a more evenly spaced circle. They were all wearing their ordinary clothes, Thea realized: business suits or uniforms or pants and tops. In Aradia's case, jeans. In Old Bob's case, dirty overalls. Which means they never even started their own ceremony tonight. This is important enough to skip Samhain over. This is a trial. Red-haired Belfana pushed Creon's wheelchair to an empty spot. She was the last to sit down. I'm centered, Thea thought numbly. It was her worst fear, the very thing that had driven her away from Eric in the desert, the first time she'd felt the soulmate connection with him. And now it was true. She could hear Dani breathing irregularly, and the faint tinkle of bells as Blaise shifted from foot to foot. â€Å"All right,† Grandma Harman said, sounding tired but formal. â€Å"By Earth, by Air, by Water, and by Fire, I call this Circle to unity.† She went on, reciting the age-old formula for a meeting of deliberation. For Thea, the words blended into the pounding of blood in her ears. It was strange, how terrifying it could be to be surrounded in all directions by people. Everywhere she looked, another grave, unreadable face. She felt as trapped as if they had been humans. â€Å"Thea Sophia Harman,† Gran said, and suddenly Thea was listening again. â€Å"You stand accused†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There seemed to be an endless, empty pause, although Thea knew it was probably no time at all. â€Å"†¦ of working forbidden spells in direct disobedience to the laws of Hellewise and of this Circle†¦.† All Thea heard for a while was â€Å"working forbidden spells.† It seemed to hang in the air, echoing. Part of her kept waiting to hear the other, more terrible charges of betraying the secrets of the Night World and falling in love with a human. But they didn't come. â€Å"†¦ summoning a spirit from the far places beyond the veil†¦ binding two humans with a forbidden love charm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And then Gran was reading Blaise's name. Blaise was charged with fashioning a necklace out of forbidden materials and binding humans with a forbidden charm. Dani was charged with aiding and abetting Thea in the summoning of a spirit from the far places-which was wrong, of course, Thea thought dizzily. Her whole body was tingling, from the soles of her feet, to her palms, to her scalp. With fear†¦ and with something like relief. They don't know. They don't know the worst part of it, or they would have said so-wouldn't they? And if I just keep quiet, why should they ever know? Then she focused on Gran, who had finished reading the charges and was now talking in an ordinary voice again. â€Å"And I have to say that I'm disappointed in all three of you. Especially you, Thea. I'd expect this from her, of course†-she nodded at Blaise, speaking to the rest of the Circle-â€Å"that descendant of mine there who's dressed up like Hecate's bad daughter. But I honestly thought Thea had more sense.† She looked disappointed. And that-hurt. Thea had always been the good girl, the golden girl, youngest and most promising of the Hearth-Woman line. Now, as she looked from face to face, she saw disappointment everywhere. I've failed them; I've disgraced my heritage. I'm so ashamed†¦. She wanted to curl up and disappear. Just then, there was a silvery ripple of bells. Blaise was tossing her dark head. She looked defiant and scornful and very proud and a little bored. â€Å"What I want to know is who turned us in,† she said in an almost inaudible but definitely menacing whisper. â€Å"Whoever it is, they're going to be sorry.† And suddenly, somehow, Thea was less frightened. The disappointment didn't mean so much. It was possible to shock the Inner Circle and still be standing up. Blaise proved it. It was then that irony struck Thea. She'd spent her life getting in trouble because of Blaise, and now here they were, in the worst trouble imaginable-because of her. And Dani was in trouble, too. Her velvety eyes were filled with tears. When she saw that, Thea found the tightness in her throat easing. She could talk again. â€Å"Look-excuse me-but there's something you need to know. Before this goes any further-â€Å" â€Å"You'll have a chance to speak later,† Mother Cybele said, her voice soft and firm, like her little dumpling-shaped body. â€Å"No, I have to say it now.† Thea turned to Gran, speaking, for just these few seconds, to her grandmother rather than to the Crone of the Inner Circle. â€Å"Grandma, Dani shouldn't be here. Really. Really. She didn't know anything about the summoning; I did it all. I promise.† Gran's expression gentled slightly, the creases on her face shifting. Then she was impassive again. â€Å"All right, all right, we'll see about that later. The first thing is to find out just what you've been doing. Since you seem to be the instigator here.† It was when she said â€Å"later† that realization hit Thea like a tsunami. And everything changed. Later†¦ time†¦ what time is it? She looked frantically around for the clock. There-behind Old Bob's gray head†¦ Ten minutes to ten. Eric. Somehow, in the stress she'd felt since Aunt Ursula came to get her, she had completely forgotten that he was waiting in the desert. But now she could see him, the vision in her mind's eye as clear as if she were standing there with him. Eric watching the clock, minutes going by, and Thea still not arriving. Eric looking at the bonfire and at the three black-clothed dummies tied to their stakes. And the party. The Halloween party at school. Blistered metal doors being opened and people flooding in. Shoes walking across the scuffed wooden floor, costumed kids standing underneath the dangling witch figures. Kids shrieking with laughter, handing over goblin money, crowding into the torture booths. While something lurked around the exposed pipes on the ceiling. Maybe invisible, maybe looking like a white figure and feeling like a blast of arctic wind. Maybe like a woman with long mahogany hair. Lurking†¦ then suddenly sweeping down†¦ She's going to kill them. They're completely defenseless†¦. Fear tore into Thea like jagged metal. It was all happening right now, and she wasn't doing anything to stop it. It had been happening for almost an hour, and she hadn't even given it a thought.