Week Discussion Ques free essay sample

In fact, in the early 1 sass studies were done to determine the meaning of diversity. For example, in 1997 the National Naval Research Council defined diversity as the presence of a significant number of women, members of underrepresented racial groups, and persons with disabilities throughout the organization (National Research Council Staff. Building a Diverse Workforce: Scientists and Engineers in the Office of Naval Research. Washington, DC, ASSAI: National Academies Press, 1997. P viii. ) Although a general relative definition, R.Roosevelt Thomas provided a more in depth understanding of diversity and indicates in his article that diversity is no longer about the crucial distinctions between groups, UT is the elements that encompasses both the differences and similarities of employees (Understanding and Managing Diversity, peg _. ) thus, creating a diversity mixture within corporations. For me, it Is surprising to adjust to the notion that diversity can in fact relate to the similarities and/or qualities of constituencies. We will write a custom essay sample on Week Discussion Ques or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This helps to eliminate the thought process that diversity is one dimensional. After reviewing Thomas eight (8) action options in the Diversity Paradigm model, which of these could be characterized as good management practices even when diversity Is not an Issue. It is my belief that the art of building relationships among employees is a beneficial initiative in helping constituents become acclimated with various diverse groups.This kind of implementation fosters general understanding of the corporate culture and helps to eliminate prejudices (defined as preconceived, evaluative attitudes about someone based on his or her group memberships Understanding and Managing Diversity, peg. _). According to CEO, Luke Viscount who Is the founder of Diversity, he believes that the benefits of diversity fosters talent development and s an opportunity for companies to develop and enhances the ability to form relationships as they are (www.Diversity. Com). Because Thomas writes that diversity management has to go beyond legal compliance, do you think that he would or would not support the repeal of Civil I do believe R. Roosevelt Thomas would not be opposed to the Civil Rights legislation; however, as per his article, I think he wanted to expose to management to the concept that diversity has a broader meaning and applies to many critical areas that affect.

Trojan Women Essay Example

Trojan Women Essay Example Trojan Women Essay Trojan Women Essay Essay Topic: Mythologies The Trojan Women is a Greek tragedy by Euripides. He explores the hardships faced by the women of Troy after their land had been destroyed by the loss of the Trojan War. In the play, the women were faced with various difficulties. They were not only meant to deal with the horrors of the war like the death of their loved ones and their city in ruins but were also faced with the terror of what their future will hold. They yearn for revenge and the hope that life will recover in the future. Awoken after the city is in ruins, the Trojan women gather together amongst Hachure, the former queen f Troy as they wail the loss of their husbands and seek to find what theyre future may hold. However, the horrors of the war did not Just end with death. Hectares daughter Cassandra was raped in the temple of Athena by Alas the Less and the Greeks not only did nothing to stop him from this injustice, he was also never questioned his actions. Another saddening aspect of the war was the commandment of Assistant, the young son of Andromeda and the brave Hector to death by being thrust off the walls of Troy. This was to be done in the belief that he, being the son of brave warrior, would rise against the Greeks when he was older. It was heartbreaking to find his corpse brought back to Hachure towards the end of the play when his wounds were wrapped and he was buried. The future brought the most dreadful situations for the women. Taillights, the messenger, brought news on what was to come. The women would all be separated and enslaved by various Greeks. Hachure worried about how her old age would support her doing household chores. Once a queen, she is now a servant to Odysseus, King of Ithaca. On enquiring about ere daughters she finds that Cassandra, who is already traumatized, had been personally chosen by King Agamemnon to be his lover. This shocked her mother as her daughter has taken a sacred oath of virginity. I as a reader further noted the unbearable feeling the women may have felt when Cassandra broke out with torches thanking Hymen, the god of marriage for giving her the opportunity to slay Agamemnon. Taillights informs Hachure that Andromeda belongs to the son of Achilles whereas Polygene will he located beside the tomb of Achilles. Assistant, as mentioned earlier will be condemned to death. The tone of the entire play was filled with sorrow as the women constantly moan with sadness of the various aspects of the play that had happened or were to happen in the future. They all know that they will be carried off by ship too strange land with no care or comfort. The idea of revenge was another component that I found conspicuous in the play. Many characters seek revenge in the play. Firstly, Athena speaks to Poseidon about how Alas the Less raped Cassandra in her temple when she came to seek shelter. She asks Poseidon to help her saying that she had already spoken to Zeus, the king of the gods who will release hail among the ships and provide Athena with lighting bolts. Poseidon had been given the power to create whirlpools and they both go off to prepare to attack the ships. Another person seeking revenge is Menelaus who plans to kill Helen for abandoning Greece and running off with Paris. Even though she tries to charm her way out of it, convincing him that she is the savior of Greece, Hachure contradicts her theory keeping Menelaus on track to killing her. The women detest Cassandra also seeks revenge as she plans to slay Agamemnon for the sake of her lost father. The readers may feel sad for the various events happened but this need for revenge amongst the various characters conveys that they not only feel depressed but also face heights of anger for everything that has been brought to them due to the war. The aspect of the book that I was personally shocked by was the exploration of hope. On reporting the death of Polygene to Hachure, Andromeda mentions that she is better off dead. However, Hachure mentions that only on living do we find the pope for a better tomorrow. This idea was one of the most captivating in the book because even as Hachure has lost everything she ever had she still hopes that things will get better. It is also ironic that Andromeda has the idea of death being better off right before she finds out about the death of her son to come and the question remains if she would still feel that way about his death. My favorite scene was also the most hear-breaking, when Andromeda finds that her child was to be taken from her and killed. This separation of a mother and a child who was the hope of a better true for Troy was saddening especially when his dead body was returned to her. She speaks to her son telling him to hold on to her, hug her and kiss her. This shows how much it breaks her to leave her son and guilt of how she is letting this happen. It also shows how much she is going to miss him. I find that Euripides has successfully conveyed the various hardships of the women of Troy by exploring ideas of death, dread to find what the future holds, revenge and hope. Many of the ideas explored were heart-breaking and makes us as an audience sympathize with these women for hat they have been put through. It had proven that there is more than what meets the eye in an event of war and has given me an emotional perspective of a war rather than simply focusing on the destruction and death. This play has also given me an insight into Greek theatre. As a theatre student I now have an understanding on the ancient Greek style of writing. The language used was rich and I was unable to understand many of the characters without researching their mythological background. I even had to research the Trojan War and the author to understand what the story was about. This research of the terms in the book led me to many other findings of Greek theatre that I find rather interesting. Not only do I find the work of Euripides fascinating, I also learnt about the ancient festival of Dionysian which took place in an open air stone structure with tiered seating. They were also one of the first to make use of masks. Greek mythology and theatre seem to be a world of its own and I was glad to embark on this unit of my individual study learning about Greek tragedies, mythologies, works and writers and how it pushes me further into the even bigger world of acting.

A study of Nur’s role in the Thief and the Dogs

A study of Nur’s role in the Thief and the Dogs Essay Women take on various roles in different societies and literature. In conservative societies, a woman’s role is generally restricted because they are only allotted with menial housework. On the other hand, liberal societies allow more freedom for women to engage in society. In The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz, Nur’s role is closely associated with the stereotype of prostitutes and women in Arab society. She abolishes the stereotypical image of prostitutes by arguing that prostitution is simply an occupation, and at the same time represents exploited women in Arabian societies. Mahfouz defeats stereotypes by presenting prostitution simply as an ordinary profession. When Said queries Nur whether she had been drinking, she responds directly and almost flippantly, â€Å"I have to; it’s part of my job. I’m going to take a bath. Here are your newspapers† (96). She is completely at ease discussing her profession, and is not at all troubled that her beloved knows about this part of her life. Through this dialogue, Mahfouz argues that prostitution is simply another way for an underprivileged person to make a living and gain financial freedom. Nur’s actions iterates that drinking and having sex should not be viewed as shameful or dishonorable because â€Å"it is part of life† (96). The action of Nur going to ‘take a bath’ immediately after she returns home symbolizes that the occupation is manageable just like all others (96). All professions in the world has occupational diseases and setbacks. Thus Mahfouz is simply saying that bathing is a part of Nur’s occupation and a way for Nur to deal with its vocational setbacks (96). Other character’s impartial view towards prostitutes allow Nur to gain emotional independence. For instance, when Said finds Nur vomiting after being attacked by her clients, he does not condemn her profession; instead he â€Å"angrily† regards her clients as â€Å"dogs,† and says â€Å"It is not fault at all† (108). Said does not deem Nur as a dirty and contemptible woman who provides pleasure for other men, but condemns the customers who abused her. Mahfouz uses strong words such as â€Å"dogs†,a word often used to describe enemies or the worthless, to address the clients because they practically stole sex from Nur (108). In this case, women alone are not to be criticized, since prostitution also involves clients who use money to debase themselves and wield control over women. Nur’s innocence is emphasized when Said says â€Å"It’s not fault at all† in an â€Å"angry† tone (108). Said is able to comfort Nur and make h er understand that she has done no wrong. Mahfouz creates Nur’s image as an Egyptian prostitute who admits her profession with no shame to encourage the readers to question the common stereotypes on prostitutes. Prostitution in The Thief and the Dogs is neither disparaged nor acclaimed. However, Mahfouz abolishes the stereotypes against prostitutes through Nur, who also represents symbolizes Egyptian women. Nur also represents the inferiority of women in Arab society as she is abused materially. Even when Said first meets Nur, he can only think of taking advantage of her. While Said clearly respects and cares for Tarzan, he seeks to financially benefit from Nur as he tells her that what he â€Å"really needs is a car† (62). Instead of asking Tarzan to provide a car for him, Said asks Nur to help him steal one because he reckons her as inferior, treating her as bait in his crime. Said’s abuse of Nur represents the general attitude of Arabian men towards women. Mahfouz uses the word ‘needs’ to relay the idea to readers that women are subordinate to men and thus can be demanded to provide something for their superiors (62). In an Arabic society, this word, ‘need,’ is supposed to act as a cue for the female character to work to satisfy the man. READ: TV Violence and Children EssayIn addition, Nur is not only materially abused, but also taken advantage of emotionally. Said takes Nur’s love for granted and expresses none back to her. Mahfouz describes Nur’s affection towards Said, that â€Å" had been like a nightingale singing to the rock, a breeze caressing sharp pointed spikes† (60). Mahfouz uses these imageries to give a euphonic effect to the reader and a clear view about the relationship between the two. Nur is depicted as the â€Å"nightingale† and the ‘breeze’ (60). Hence, the author uses these images to evoke a positive impression of Nur: as sweet as a nightingale and as pleasant as a breeze. On the other hand, Said is described as â€Å"rock† and â€Å"sharp pointed spikes† (60). Thus, the author uses these images to set up a negative impression about Said as some cold person who rejects the nightingale, Nur, and inflicts pain on her with his ‘spikes†™ (60). The emotions of Nur is accepted by Said as he wishes to satiate his need for comfort. However, he gives none back as he is like the rock and sees Nur simply as some subordinate being he could leech off emotional comfort from. The â€Å"rock† is an inanimate object, a static thing that does is inelastic to external influences (60). In another instance, Nur’s emotions are also abused when she shows her true feelings towards Said and mentions, â€Å"you are dearer to me than my own life and breath, in my entire life I have never known happiness except in your arms. But you’d rather destroy yourself than love me† (129). Nur is devoted to Said and is willing to do anything for him. She finds being in ‘ arms’ the best thing in her life (129). However, Said betrays her feelings and shatters her dream of living happily ever after in a distant place. He only wishes to satiate his desires and ambitions for revenge, but ends up murdering innocent men, and thus ‘destroys ’ (129). Mahfouz further highlights the amount of love Nur feels towards Said as she mentions ‘you are dearer to me than my own life and breath’ (129). This allows the readers to feel that Nur’s love was not shallow, but truly devoted. By using ‘life’ and ‘breath,â€℠¢ Mahfouz successfully conveys the idea that to Nur, Said is like a primary necessity (129). Through the portrayal of a rejection by Said of a true love, Mahfouz successfully passes on the idea that women were viewed as inferior to men and women’s emotions were leeched off by men. Although through the profession as a prostitute, Nur is able to find financial and emotional autonomy, she is constantly exploited by men and thus represents Arab women. The actions of using Nur indeed reiterates that Nur is a representation of general Arab women of Mahfouz’s days when they were viewed as subordinate to men. Nur certainly holds a very important role in The Thief and the Dogs through reputing the customs on prostitutes and representing women in Arab society. This is evident through her interactions with others as she defines prostitution simply as another job while being exploited by men throughout her career. The stereotypes held on prostitutes and Arab women are still persistent in the modern society. Mahfouz’s depiction of Nur, however, makes the readers curious whether such commonly held views will be eradicated in the future with the influence of novels such as The Thief and the Dogs.

Public health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Public health - Essay Example of this kind of disparity in the American society that necessitated the creation and formation of special statutes like Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). These special statutes provide a roadmap for affordable and easily accessible healthcare for the less privileged American citizens. For example, EMTALA advocates for free and quick health care provision to persons in dire need of medical attention but have no money or insurance cover offset their hospital bills (Schecter). It is true that the years during the existence of our grandparents, prevalence of infectious diseases was of great concern to the members of the various societies. However, these fears came to pass upon the rise in innovation and expansive research conducted to identify viable ways to eradicate the threats. The curiosity, expansive research and increased innovation led to the development of antitoxins and vaccinations that provided immunizations against various communicable diseases. Before the industrial revolution, traditional societies relied on herbs and witchcraft for medicinal and protective purposes without any form of diagnosis. The industrial revolution that facilitated the rate of innovation and creativity led to intensive research that saw improvement in the field of healthcare and healthcare delivery. Today, there various research efforts are underway to elevate the status of healthcare delivery targeted to enhance and the foster quality of

Leadership and Motivation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Leadership and Motivation - Assignment Example A leader moves through a continuous process wherein he moves from accomplishing one goal to another keeping in mind the best interest of the group. Clark defines it as follows: â€Å"Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills†. Stogdil echoes the same definition noting leadership’s three dimensions. First, leadership is defined as a process that is interpersonal wherein the leader steps in to direct the behaviors of his members. Next, the leadership is put in a social setting wherein the members are the subordinates or the ones obeying the leader. Lastly, effective leaders achieve goals for the whole. Leadership has gained much attention that research has been devoted to it. Yukl presents a comprehensive collection of studies on leadership, identifying various approaches. He discussed the Trait approach, which is based on the belief that some are born to be leaders as they are endowed with certain traits not possessed by other people. The behavior approach studies the leader’s typical pattern of behaviors to manage and lead. The power-influence approach takes on a more leader-centered perspective in that power is used not only to manage members of the group but also to convince peers, superiors or others who are not part of the organization to see the perspective of the leader.

Human development Essay Example for Free

Human development Essay Human development entails all means to widen man’s preferences so he could sustain a healthy lifestyle, enjoy human rights, experience the normal way of living, and discover ways to become useful for the service of others and for his own esteem. Similarly, he can enjoy living a contented life enjoying the privilege of having political, cultural, communal, and economical liberties. Human development has its own justification. If at some point one’s development is questioned or criticized or discriminated against, so long as one does not interfere with other people’s lives nor deprive them of their own happiness, one owes nobody an explanation for what he does, for who he is and how he has become. In order to pull off this human development, he may seek some channels to build up his entire being. Socialization can be one of those channels wherein such channel will give them a sense of being in the right place and eventually develop and become the right person they wanted to be. Socialization can never be done it is composed of only one person. You have to meet people who may share the same the interests, cultures, norms, ideals, talents, or other similar stuff that you can relate to. To develop fully as individual, one must discover his or her potentials and share them to others. Of course, socializing entails hardships in managing time and adjusting to a group of people. But then, if you love the group you are in or are interested of improving yourself, all these problems could not possibly overshadow your development as a human being. Man’s socialization skills therefore are essential in his development as a person. If he uses his socialization skills to the fullest, he may become unaware of the extent that his socialization skills would take him if developed. If he learns to discover and harness such, he will undoubtedly provide himself with a huge room to completely grow as a human being.

Use of Elemental Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Essay

Use of Elemental Imagery in Jane Eyre    The use of elemental imagery in Jane Eyre, sustained throughout the novel both metaphorically and literally, is one of Charlotte Brontà «'s major stylistic devices. The natural opposition of the two elements of water and fire ("the war of the earthly elements", as Jane puts it) highlights the need for the titular heroine to find equilibrium between points identified as extremes. However, as David Lodge notes, "we should be mistaken in looking for a rigidly schematic system of elemental imagery and reference in Jane Eyre". Fire and water images in the novel have their shifting associations, which reflect on the characters of Jane, Rochester and St John Rivers. The broad suitability of the images shows that they can be both destructive forces and agents of renewal. Using them as both allows Brontà « to show how far the characters have learnt to reconcile the Romantic desire for passion with the need for restraint, for it is only in that way that true personal selfhood can be rea lised. And this search for a personal selfhood, where one is judged on one's own character, not society's usual manner of judgment based on title, money or beauty, can be said to be the focus in the novel. It is instructive to note that fire, used metaphorically, is almost solely used to describe Jane and Rochester. Fire is associated with passion, and it is imperative for the characters to learn that while passion is a valuable quality, without which any relationship would be a cold and dead one, it is not the only component of a relationship; other qualities like mutual respect and honesty must be present. "Fire is a good servant, but a bad master", as the old saying goes. The fire within both parties creates t... ... Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1991 David Lodge, Fire and Eyre: Charlotte Brontà «'s War of Earthly Elements Gates, Barbara Timm, ed. Critical Essays on Charlotte Bronte. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1990.    Jane Eyre. Dir. Franco Zeffirelli. Perf. William Hurt, Charlotte Gainsborough, and Anna Paquin. 1996    Kadish, Doris. The Literature of Images: Narrative Landscape from Julie to Jane Eyre. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1986.    Lodge, Scott. "Fire and Eyre: Charlotte Bronte's War of Earthly Elements." The Brontes: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Ian Gregor. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1970. 110-36.    McLaughlin, M.B. "Past or Future Mindscapes: Pictures in Jane Eyre." Victorian Newsletter 41 (1972): 22-24.    Solomon, Eric. "Jane Eyre: Fire and Water." College English 25 (1964): 215-217.   

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 6

The next morning was clear and hot again, another beautiful summer day. Elena stretched lazily in her comfy bed, then pul ed on a T-shirt and shorts and padded down to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal. Aunt Judith was braiding Margaret's hair at the table. â€Å"Morning,† Elena said, pouring milk into her bowl. â€Å"Hi, sleepyhead,† said Aunt Judith, and Margaret gave her a big smile and a finger-wiggling wave. â€Å"Keep stil , Margaret. We're about to leave for the market,† she told Elena. â€Å"What are you doing today?† Elena swal owed her mouthful of cereal. â€Å"We're going to pick up Alaric and his friend at the train station and just hang out and catch up,† she said. â€Å"Who?† Aunt Judith asked, her eyes narrowing. Elena's mind spun. â€Å"Oh, uh, you remember, he subbed for Mr. Tanner teaching history last year,† she said, wondering if that was in fact true in this world. Aunt Judith frowned. â€Å"Isn't he a little old to be socializing with high school girls?† Elena rol ed her eyes. â€Å"We're not in high school anymore, Aunt Judith. And he's only about six years older than us. And it's not just girls. Matt and Stefan are coming, too.† If this was Aunt Judith's reaction to the news of their spending time with Alaric, Elena could tel why Meredith was hesitant to tel people about their relationship. It made sense to wait a couple of years, until people thought of her as a grown-up. Since no one here knew al that Meredith had seen and done, she seemed like any other eighteenyear-old to them. It's a good thing Aunt Judith doesn't know Stefan's five hundred years older than I am, Elena thought with a secret smirk. She thinks Alaric's too old. The doorbel rang. â€Å"That's Matt and everybody,† Elena said, rising to put her bowl in the sink. â€Å"See you guys tonight.† Margaret widened her eyes at Elena in silent appeal, and Elena detoured on her way to the door to squeeze the little girl's shoulder. Was Margaret stil worried Elena wouldn't come back? Out in the foyer, she ran her fingers through her hair before opening the door. Standing in front of her was not Stefan, though, but a perfect stranger. A real y good-looking stranger, Elena noted automatical y, a boy about her age with curly golden hair, sculpted features, and bright blue eyes. He was holding a deep red rose in one hand. Elena stood a little straighter, unconsciously pul ing her shoulders back and pushing her hair behind her ears. She adored Stefan, but that didn't mean she couldn't look at other boys, or talk to them. She wasn't dead, after al . Not anymore, she thought, smiling at her private joke. The boy smiled back. â€Å"Hey, Elena,† he said cheerful y. â€Å"Caleb Smal wood!† Aunt Judith said, coming into the hal . â€Å"There you are!† Elena felt herself recoil, but she kept the smile on her face. â€Å"Any relation to Tyler?† she said, outwardly calm, and ran her eyes over him, trying to be subtle, checking for†¦ for what? For signs of his being a werewolf? She realized she didn't even know what those would be. Tyler's good looks had always had a flavor of an animal about them, with his large white teeth and broad features, but had that been a coincidence? â€Å"Tyler's my cousin,† Caleb answered, his smile beginning to turn to a quizzical frown. â€Å"I thought you knew that, Elena. I'm staying with his folks while Tyler's†¦ gone.† Elena's mind raced. Tyler Smal wood had run away after Elena, Stefan, and Damon had defeated his al y, the evil vampire Klaus. Tyler had left his girlfriend – and sometimes hostage – Caroline pregnant. Elena hadn't discussed Tyler and Caroline's fate with the Guardians, so she had no idea what had happened with them in this reality. Was Tyler even a werewolf now? Was Caroline pregnant? And if she was, was it with werewolf or human babies? She shook her head slightly. Brave new world, indeed. â€Å"Wel , don't leave Caleb out on the porch. Let him in,† Aunt Judith instructed from behind her. Elena stood aside, and Caleb moved past her into the hal . Elena tried to reach out with her mind and sense Caleb's aura, to read him to see if he was dangerous, but once again came up against that brick wal . It would take some time to get used to being a normal girl again, and suddenly Elena felt horribly vulnerable. Caleb shifted from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable, and she quickly composed herself. â€Å"How long have you been in town?† she asked, and then kicked herself for treating this boy she obviously was supposed to know like a stranger again. â€Å"Wel ,† he said slowly, â€Å"I've been in town al summer. Did you hit your head over the weekend, Elena?† He grinned teasingly at her. Elena lifted a shoulder, thinking of al she had suffered over the weekend. â€Å"Something like that.† He held out the rose. â€Å"This must be for you.† â€Å"Thank you,† said Elena, confused. A thorn pricked her finger as she took it by the stem, and she stuck the finger in her mouth to stanch the blood. â€Å"Don't thank me,† he said. â€Å"It was just sitting on the front steps when I got here. You must have a secret admirer.† Elena frowned. Plenty of boys had admired her through school, and if this had been nine months ago, she could have made a good guess at who would leave her a rose. But now she didn't have a clue. Matt's battered old Ford sedan pul ed up outside and honked. â€Å"I've got to run, Aunt Judith,† she said. â€Å"They're here. Nice seeing you, Caleb.† Elena's stomach twisted as she walked toward Matt's car. It wasn't just the strangeness of meeting Caleb that was affecting her, she realized, turning the rose's stem absently between her fingers. It was the car itself. Matt's old Ford was the car she had driven off Wickery Bridge back in the winter, panicked and pursued by evil forces. She'd died in this car. The windows had shattered as she hit the creek, and the car had fil ed with icy water. The scratched steering wheel and the dented hood of the car, covered with water, had been the last things she'd seen in that life. But here the car was – as whole again as she was. Pushing the memory of her death from her mind, she waved at Bonnie, whose eager face was visible through the passenger window. She could forget about al those old tragedies, because now they had never happened. Meredith perched elegantly on the swing on her front porch, pushing herself gently back and forth with one foot. Her strong, tapered fingers were stil ; her dark hair fel smoothly across her shoulders; her expression was as serene as ever. There was nothing about Meredith that might show how tensely and busily her thoughts were churning, worries and contingency plans whirring away behind her cool facade. She had spent yesterday trying to figure out what the Guardians' spel had changed for her and her family – particularly her brother, Christian, who Klaus had kidnapped over a decade ago. She stil didn't understand it al , but it was dawning on her that Elena's bargain had more far-reaching consequences than any of them had imagined. But today her thoughts were occupied with Alaric Saltzman. Her fingers tapped anxiously against the arm of the swing. Then she schooled herself into stil ness again. Self-discipline was where Meredith found her strength, and if Alaric, her boyfriend – or at least, he had been her boyfriend†¦ actual y her perhaps engaged-to-be-engaged, sort of almost fiance, before he left town – turned out to have changed toward her in the months they'd been apart, wel , no one, not even Alaric, would see how that would hurt her. Alaric had spent the past several months in Japan, investigating paranormal activity, a dream come true for a doctoral student in parapsychology. His study of the tragic history of Unmei no Shima, the Island of Doom, a smal community where children and parents had turned against one another, had helped Meredith and her friends to understand what the kitsune were doing to Fel ‘s Church, and how to fight it. Alaric had been working at Unmei no Shima with Dr. Celia Connor, a forensic pathologist who, despite her ful academic credentials, was the same age as Alaric, only twenty-four. So, clearly, Dr. Connor was bril iant. From his letters and emails, Alaric had been having the time of his life in Japan. And he'd certainly found a lot of interests in common with Dr. Connor. Perhaps more so than with Meredith, who had only just graduated from a smal -town high school, no matter how mature and intel igent she might be. Meredith gave herself a mental shake and sat up straighter. She was being ridiculous, worrying about Alaric's relationship with his col eague. She was pretty sure she was being ridiculous, anyway. Fairly sure. She gripped the arms of the swing more tightly. She was a vampire hunter. She had a duty to protect her town, and she had, with her friends, protected it wel already. She wasn't just an ordinary teenager, and if she needed to prove that to Alaric again, she was confident she could, Dr. Celia Connor or no Dr. Celia Connor. Matt's rattletrap of an old Ford sedan chugged up to the curb, Bonnie in front with Matt, Stefan and Elena sitting close together in the back. Meredith rose and crossed the lawn toward it. â€Å"Is everything okay?† said Bonnie, round eyed, when she opened the door. â€Å"Your face looks like you're heading off to battle.† Meredith smoothed her features into impassivity and scrambled for an explanation that wasn't, I'm worried about whether my boyfriend still likes me. Quickly and easily, she realized there was another reason she was tense, a true one. â€Å"Bonnie, I have a duty to help look out for everyone now,† Meredith said simply. â€Å"Damon's dead. Stefan doesn't want to hurt humans, and that handicaps him. Elena's Powers are gone. Even though the kitsune were defeated, we stil need protection. We'l always need to be careful.† Stefan tightened his arm around Elena's shoulders. â€Å"The things that make Fel ‘s Church so appealing to the supernatural, the ley lines that have attracted al kinds of beings here for generations, are al stil here. I can sense them. And other people, other creatures, wil sense them, too.† Bonnie's voice rose in alarm. â€Å"So it's al going to happen again?† Stefan rubbed the bridge of his nose. â€Å"I don't think so. But something else might. Meredith's right, we have to be vigilant.† He dropped a kiss onto Elena's shoulder and rested his cheek against her hair. There was no question, Meredith thought wryly, why this particular supernatural being was drawn to Fel ‘s Church, anyway, and it wasn't because of the ley lines running through the area. Elena toyed with a single dark red rose, something Stefan must have brought her. â€Å"Is that the only reason you're worried, Meredith?† she asked lightly. â€Å"Your duty to Fel ‘s Church?† Meredith felt herself flush a little, but her voice was dry and calm. â€Å"I think that's reason enough, don't you?† Elena grinned. â€Å"Oh, it's reason enough, I suppose. But could there be another one?† She winked at Bonnie, whose anxious expression lightened in response. â€Å"Who do we know who wil be fascinated by al the tales you have to tel ? Especially when he finds out that the story's not over yet?† Bonnie turned al the way around in her seat, her smile growing. â€Å"Oh. Oh. I see. He won't be able to think of anything else, wil he? Or anyone else.† Now Stefan's shoulders relaxed, and up in the driver's seat Matt let out a chuckle and shook his head. â€Å"You three,† he said affectionately. â€Å"Us guys never stood a chance.† Meredith looked straight ahead and lifted her chin slightly, ignoring them al . Elena and Bonnie knew her too wel , and the three of them had spent enough time scheming together that she should have known they'd see through her plan in a minute. But she didn't have to admit to it. The solemn mood in the car had lifted, though. Meredith realized they were al doing it on purpose, reaching out gently and careful y with jokes and lighthearted teasing, trying to ease the pain Elena and Stefan must both be feeling. Damon was dead. And while Meredith had developed a cautious, wary respect for the unpredictable vampire during their time in the Dark Dimension, and Bonnie had felt, Meredith thought, something warmer, Elena had loved him. Real y loved him. And even though Damon and Stefan's relationship had been rocky, to say the least, for centuries, he had been Stefan's brother. Stefan and Elena were hurting, and everyone knew it. After a minute, Matt's eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror to glance at Stefan. â€Å"Hey,† he said, â€Å"I forgot to tel you. In this reality you didn't disappear on Hal oween – you stayed the starting wide receiver and we took the footbal team al the way to the state championships.† He grinned, and Stefan's face opened in simple pleasure. Meredith had almost forgotten that Stefan had played with Matt on their high school footbal team before their history teacher, Mr. Tanner, died at the Hal oween haunted house and everything went to hel . She had forgotten he and Matt had been real friends, playing sports and hanging out, despite the fact that they'd both loved Elena. And maybe still do both love Elena? she wondered, and glanced quickly at the back of Matt's head from under her eyelashes. She wasn't sure how Matt felt, but he had always struck her as the kind of guy who, when he fel in love, stayed in love. But he was also the kind of guy who would always b e too honorable to try to break up a relationship, no matter what he felt. â€Å"And,† Matt went on, â€Å"as the quarterback of the state champions, I guess I'm a pretty good prospect for col eges.† He paused and broke out in a wide, proud smile. â€Å"Apparently, I have a ful athletic scholarship to Kent State.† Bonnie squealed, Elena clapped, and Meredith and Stefan burst out with congratulations. â€Å"Me, me now!† Bonnie said. â€Å"I guess I studied harder in this reality. Which was probably easier, since one of my best friends didn't die first semester and was available to help tutor me.† â€Å"Hey!† Elena said. â€Å"Meredith was always a better tutor than me. You can't blame it on me.† â€Å"Anyway,† Bonnie continued, â€Å"I got into a four-year col ege! I didn't even bother to apply to any in our other life because my GPA was not high. I was going to take nursing classes at the community col ege like Mary did, even though I'm not sure I'm real y cut out to be a nurse because, yuck, blood and other fluids. But, anyway, my mom was saying this morning that we should go shopping for my room at Dalcrest before Labor Day.† She shrugged a little. â€Å"I mean, I know it's not Harvard, but I'm pretty excited.† Meredith joined in the congratulations quietly. She had, in fact, gotten into Harvard. â€Å"Ooh. And! And!† Bonnie was bouncing in her seat with excitement. â€Å"I ran into Vickie Bennett this morning. She's definitely not dead! I think she was surprised when I hugged her. I forgot we weren't real y friends.† â€Å"How is she?† asked Elena interestedly. â€Å"Did she remember anything?† Bonnie tilted her head. â€Å"She seems fine. I couldn't exactly ask her what she remembered, but she didn't say anything about being dead or vampires or anything. I mean, she was always a little bit blah, you know? She did tel me she saw you downtown last weekend and you told her what color lip gloss she ought to buy.† Elena raised her eyebrows. â€Å"Real y?† She paused and went on uncertainly, â€Å"Is anybody else feeling weird about al of this? I mean, it's wonderful – don't get me wrong. But it's weird, too.† â€Å"It's confusing,† Bonnie said. â€Å"I'm grateful, obviously, that al the horrible things are gone and everybody's okay. I'm thril ed to have my life back. But my father blew up at me this morning when I asked where Mary was.† Mary was one of Bonnie's older sisters, the last one living at home besides Bonnie. â€Å"He thought I was trying to be funny. Apparently she moved in with her boyfriend three months ago, and you can imagine how my dad feels about that.† Meredith nodded. Bonnie's dad was the protective paternal type, and pretty old-fashioned in his attitudes toward his daughters' boyfriends. If Mary was living with her boyfriend, he must be apoplectic. â€Å"Aunt Judith and I have been fighting – at least, I think so. But I can't find out exactly why,† Elena confessed. â€Å"I can't ask, because obviously I should already know.† â€Å"Shouldn't everything be perfect now?† Bonnie said wistful y. â€Å"It seems like we've been through enough.† â€Å"I don't mind being confused, as long as we can go back to real life,† Matt said earnestly. There was a little pause, which Meredith broke, reaching for something to take them out of their somber thoughts. â€Å"Pretty rose, Elena,† she said. â€Å"Is that a gift from Stefan?† â€Å"No, actual y,† Elena said. â€Å"It was sitting on my front stoop this morning.† She twirled it between her fingers. â€Å"It's not from any of the gardens on our street, though. No one has such beautiful roses.† She smiled teasingly at Stefan, who tensed up once more. â€Å"It's a mystery.† â€Å"Must be from a secret admirer,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Can I see?† Elena handed it up to the front seat, and Bonnie turned the stem around careful y in her hand, looking at the blossom from al angles. â€Å"It's gorgeous,† she said. â€Å"A single, perfect rose. How romantic!† She pretended to swoon, lifting the rose to her forehead. Then she flinched. â€Å"Ouch! Ouch!† Blood ran down her hand. Much more blood than ought to come from the prick of a thorn, Meredith noted, already reaching into her pocket for a tissue. Matt pul ed off the road. â€Å"Bonnie – † he began. Stefan breathed in sharply and leaned forward, his eyes widening. Meredith forgot about the tissue, fearing the sudden sight of blood had caused Stefan's vampiric nature to take over. Then Matt gasped and Elena said sharply, â€Å"A camera, quick! Someone give me your phone!† with such a tone of command that Meredith automatical y handed Elena her phone. As Elena pointed the camera phone at Bonnie, Meredith final y saw what had startled the others. The dark red blood was running down Bonnie's arm, and as it ran, it had streamed into twists and curves from her wrist to her elbow. The trickles of blood spel ed out a name over and over. The same name that had been haunting Meredith for months.

Bloodlines Chapter Thirteen

MY CELL PHONE RANG at the crack of dawn the next morning. I was already up, being an early riser, but Jill rolled over in bed and put her pillow over her head. â€Å"Make it stop,† she groaned. I answered and found Eddie on the other end of the line. â€Å"I'm downstairs,† he said. â€Å"Ready to practice some self-defense before it gets too hot.† â€Å"You're going to have to do it without me,† I said. I had a feeling Eddie was taking his promise to Clarence about training us very seriously. I felt no such obligation. â€Å"I've got a ton of homework to do. That, and I'm sure Ms. Terwilliger's going to make me do a coffee run today.† â€Å"Well, then send Jill down,† said Eddie. I glanced over to the cocoon of blankets on her bed. â€Å"That might be easier said than done.† Surprisingly, she managed to rouse herself enough to brush her teeth, take aspirin for a headache, and throw on some workout clothes. She bid me farewell, and I promised to check on them later. Not long after that, Ms. Terwilliger called with her coffee demand, and I prepared myself for another day of trying to fit in my own work with hers. I drove over to Spencer's and didn't even notice Trey until I was standing right in front of him. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger's?† he asked, pointing to the caramel sauce cappuccino. â€Å"Huh?† I looked up. Trey was my cashier. â€Å"You work here?† He nodded. â€Å"Gotta make spending money somehow.† I handed him some cash, noting that he'd charged me half price. â€Å"Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look so great,† I told him. He looked tired and worn out around the edges. Closer inspection showed bruises and cuts as well. â€Å"Yeah, well, I had kind of a rough day yesterday.† I hesitated. That was a leading comment, but there was no one in line behind me. â€Å"What happened?† I asked, knowing it was expected. Trey scowled. â€Å"That asshole Greg Slade wreaked havoc in football tryouts yesterday. I mean, the results aren't up yet, but it's pretty obvious he's going to get quarterback. He was like a machine, just plowing guys over.† He extended his left hand, which had some bandage-wrapped fingers. â€Å"He stepped on my hand too.† I winced, remembering Slade's out-of-control athleticism in PE. The politics of high school football and who was quarterback weren't that important to me. True, I felt sorry for Trey, but it was the source behind the tattoos that intrigued me. Keith's warnings about not causing trouble rang back to me, but I was unable to stop myself. â€Å"I know about the tattoos,† I said. â€Å"Julia and Kristin told me about them. And I get now why you were suspicious of mine – but it's not what you think. Really.† â€Å"That's not what I've heard. Most people think you're just saying that because you don't want to tell where you got it.† I was a little taken aback by that. I was pretty sure Julia and Kristin had believed me. Were they actually spreading around the opposite? â€Å"I had no idea.† He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"Don't worry. I believe you. There's something kind of naively charming about you. You don't seem like the cheating type.† â€Å"Hey,† I scolded. â€Å"I'm not naive.† â€Å"It was a compliment.† â€Å"How long have these tattoos been around?† I asked, deciding it was best to move in. â€Å"I heard since last year.† He handed me my coffee, thinking. â€Å"Yeah, but it was the end of last year. School year, I mean.† â€Å"And they come from a placed called Nevermore?† â€Å"As far as I know.† Trey eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just curious,† I said sweetly. A couple of college kids dressed like rich hobos got in line behind me and regarded us impatiently. â€Å"Can we get some service here?† Trey gave them a stiff smile and then rolled his eyes at me as I moved away. â€Å"See you around, Melbourne.† I headed back to Amberwood and delivered Ms. Terwilliger's coffee. I wasn't in the mood to stay leashed to her all day, so I asked if I could go elsewhere if I kept my cell phone handy. She agreed. The library had too much activity and – ironically – noise for me today. I wanted the solitude of my room. As I was cutting across the lawn to catch the shuttle, I spotted some familiar figures behind a cluster of trees. I changed direction and found Jill and Eddie squaring off in a small clearing. Micah sat cross-legged on the ground, watching avidly. He waved at me as I approached. â€Å"I didn't realize your brother was a kung-fu master,† he remarked. â€Å"It's not kung fu,† said Eddie gruffly, never taking his eyes off Jill. â€Å"Same difference,† said Micah. â€Å"It's still pretty badass.† Eddie feinted, like he was going to strike at Jill's side. She responded fairly quickly with a block, though not quite fast enough to match him. Had he been serious, he would have hit her. Still, he seemed pleased with her response time. â€Å"Good. That would deflect part of a hit, though you'd still feel it. Best is if you can duck and dodge altogether, but that takes a little more work.† Jill nodded obediently. â€Å"When can we work on that?† Eddie regarded her with pride. That expression softened after a few moments of study. â€Å"Not today. Too much sun.† Jill started to protest and then stopped herself. She had that worn-out-from-the-light look again and was sweating heavily. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, as though begging it to give us some cloud cover. It remained unresponsive, so she nodded at Eddie. â€Å"All right. But we're doing this tomorrow at the same time? Or earlier maybe. Or maybe tonight! Could we do both? Practice tonight when the sun's going down and then again in the morning? Would you mind?† Eddie grinned, amused at her enthusiasm. â€Å"Whatever you want.† Smiling back, Jill sat down beside me, getting into as much shade as possible. Eddie regarded me expectantly. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Aren't you supposed to learn to throw a punch?† I scoffed. â€Å"No. When would I ever need to do that?† Jill nudged me. â€Å"Do it, Sydney!† Reluctantly, I allowed Eddie to give me a quick lesson on throwing a punch without injuring my hand in the process. I barely paid attention and felt like I was mostly providing entertainment for the others. When Eddie finished with me, Micah asked, â€Å"Hey, would you mind showing me some ninja moves too?† â€Å"They have nothing to do with ninjas,† protested Eddie, still smiling. â€Å"Come on up.† Micah leapt to his feet, and Eddie walked him through some rudimentary steps. More than anything, it seemed like Eddie was sizing up Micah and his capabilities. After a while, Eddie grew comfortable and let Micah practice some offensive moves to get rid of an attacker. â€Å"Hey,† protested Jill when Eddie landed a kick on Micah. Micah shrugged it off in a guy kind of way. â€Å"No fair. You wouldn't hit me when we were practicing.† Eddie was caught off guard enough that Micah actually got a hit in. Eddie gave him a look of grudging respect and then said to Jill, â€Å"That was different.† â€Å"Because I'm a girl?† she demanded. â€Å"You never held back with Rose.† â€Å"Who's Rose?† asked Micah. â€Å"Another friend,† explained Eddie. To Jill, he said: â€Å"And Rose has had years more experience than you.† â€Å"She's had more than Micah too. You were going easy on me.† Eddie flushed and kept his eyes on Micah. â€Å"Was not,† he said. â€Å"Were too,† she muttered. As the boys sparred again, she said quietly to me, â€Å"How am I ever going to learn if he's afraid of breaking me?† I watched the guys, analyzing what I knew of Eddie so far. â€Å"I think it's more complicated than that. I think he also just believes you shouldn't have to take the risk – that if he's doing a good enough job, you shouldn't have to defend yourself.† â€Å"He's doing a great job. You should have seen him at the attack.† Her face got that haunted look it did whenever the attack that had driven her into hiding was mentioned. â€Å"But I still need to learn.† She lowered her voice even more. â€Å"I really want to learn to use my magic to fight too, not that I'll get much practice in this desert.† I shuddered, recalling her display from the night before. â€Å"There'll be time,† I said vaguely. I stood up, saying I had to go get some work done. Micah asked Eddie and Jill if they wanted to get lunch. Eddie said yes immediately. Jill looked to me for help. â€Å"It's just lunch,† said Eddie meaningfully. I knew he still thought Micah was harmless. I didn't know, but after seeing how infatuated Jill was with Lee, I figured Micah would have to make some pretty aggressive moves to get anywhere. â€Å"I'm sure it's fine,† I said. Jill looked relieved, and the group headed off. I spent the day finishing off that miserable book for Ms. Terwilliger. I still thought having to copy the archaic spells and rituals verbatim was a waste of time. The only point I could see for it was that if she ever did need to reference them for her research, she would have an easy computer file to check and not risk damage to the ancient book. It was evening by the time I finished that and my other homework. Jill still wasn't back, and I decided to use the opportunity to check on something that had been bothering me. Earlier in the day, Jill had mentioned Eddie defending her in the attack. I'd felt from the beginning that there was something strange about that initial attack, something that they weren't telling me. So, I logged onto the Alchemists' network and pulled up everything we had on the Moroi rebels. Naturally, it was all documented. We had to keep track of important events among the Moroi, and this ranked pretty high. Somehow, the Alchemists had gotten pictures of the Moroi Court, with protesters lined up outside one of the administrative buildings. Dhampir guardians were easy to pick out as they mingled and kept order. To my surprise, I recognized Dimitri Belikov – Rose's boyfriend – among those doing crowd control. He was easy to spot since he was almost always taller than everyone around him. Dhampirs look very human, and even I could admit that he was pretty good-looking. There was a rugged handsomeness to him, and even in a still photograph, I could see a fierceness as he watched the crowd. Other protest pictures confirmed what I knew. By far, most people supported the young queen. Those against her were a minority – but a loud and dangerous one. A video from a human news show in Denver showed two Moroi guys nearly getting in a bar fight. They were shouting about queens and justice, most of which wouldn't make sense to a human observer. What made this video special was that the guy who'd filmed it – some random human with a cell phone camera – claimed he'd seen fangs on both men in the argument. The videographer had submitted his recording claiming he'd witnessed a vampire fight, but no one gave it much credibility. It was too grainy for anything to show up. Still, it was a reminder of what could happen if the Moroi situation spun out of control. A status check showed me that Queen Vasilisa was indeed trying to get a law passed so that her rule was no longer dependent on there being at least one other person in her royal family. Alchemist experts guessed it would take three months, which was about what Rose had said. The number loomed in my head like a ticking time bomb. We needed to keep Jill safe for three months. And for three months, Vasilisa's enemies would be trying harder than ever to get to Jill. If Jill died, Vasilisa's rule would end – along with her attempts to fix the system. Yet none of this was what had really driven me to research. I wanted to know about Jill's initial attack, the one that no one talked about. What I found wasn't much help. No Alchemists had been there at the time, of course, so our information was based on what Moroi sources had reported. All we knew was that â€Å"the queen's sister had been viciously and severely attacked – but had made a full recovery.† From what I'd observed, that was certainly true. Jill showed no signs of injury, and the attack had occurred a week before she came to Palm Springs. Was that enough time to heal from a â€Å"vicious and severe† attack? And was an attack like that enough to make her wake screaming? I didn't know but still couldn't shake my suspicions. When Jill came home later, she was in such a good mood that I couldn't bear to interrogate her. I also remembered too late that I'd meant to research the case of Clarence's niece and her bizarre death by throat-slitting. Jill's situation had distracted me. I let the matter go and called it an early night. Tomorrow, I thought drowsily. I'll do it all tomorrow. Tomorrow came much more quickly than I expected. I was woken out of a heavy sleep by someone shaking me, and for a split second, the old nightmare was there, the one about Alchemists carrying me away in the night. Recognizing Jill, I just barely stopped myself from screaming. â€Å"Hey, hey,† I scolded. There was light outside, but it was purplish. Barely after sunrise. â€Å"What's going on? What's the matter?† Jill looked at me, face grim and eyes wide with fear. â€Å"It's Adrian. You have to rescue him.†

Affirmative Aaction essays

Affirmative Aaction essays Affirmative Action was established to help overcome the affects of past societal discrimination by granting jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. The policy was implemented by federal agencies enforcing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While many people believe it is a step in the right direction in stopping employment discrimination, it is taking jobs from qualified persons because they are not of a certain race or gender, in turn doing the same thing that was done to minorities and women for years. Affirmative action must be stopped in order to protect the rights of all citizens. It requires discrimination against a different group, strips merit and gives preferential treatment to those who benefit from it. Affirmative action is reverse discrimination. Affirmative action requires discrimination against a different group. It simply reverses the discrimination against minorities by enforcing discrimination on whites. This policy enables two people who apply for a job in an office building for the same position to be judged differently. One applicant is white and the other is black. The two applicants have the same exact education and work experience but, according to affirmative action, the black person is better qualified because the company needs to diversify their workplace. So, the only reason why the white person did not receive the job was because of his skin color. Eastland says that distinctions drawn on the basis of race inevitably lead to racial discrimination. As is well noted in this example, Affirmative action demands racial discrimination: discrimination against whites. Whites are being discriminated against in the same ways that blacks were discriminated against years ago. The consequences of Affirmative action can hinder the growth of those who the policy was intended to help as well. The very existence of the program strips blacks and other minorities of merit. B...

Criminology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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A visit to a museum or art gallery exhibit - Essay Example Within these periods there was further designation based on the regions of their creation. Ultimately, the vases acted as a powerful example of artistry and ancient Greek history. Another thing I witnessed at the gallery exhibition was Marcia Gygli King’s "Cantilever, 1980". This exhibit was a mixed-media work. The work itself is part painting and part sculpture. In terms of art history this work is notable as it is demonstrative of a period of expression where artists began to experiment with the deconstruction of categories and produce hybrid works. Another prominent work I witnessed was Richard Dieben Korn’s "Ocean Park". This painting was a large landscape type work, except it was composed of figurative and abstract forms. While one thinks of abstract expressionism in terms of the messy Jackson Pollack type work, â€Å"Ocean Park† is a much more orderly work. In these respects one notes that the work is almost a hybrid of such artists that make great use of b locks of color, along with the abstract expressionist creation of emotion through figurative means of expression. The work is ultimately highly notable within art history as a unique piece of mid-20th century work.