Handling Efl Learners’ Unexpected Behaviors in Class Essay

For the sake of providing the best services to their students, English teachers arrange their English language teaching and learning activities as perfect as possible. They spend most of the time to make preparation for their teaching. However, along with the process of such preparation, they sometimes do not consider the importance of also preparing the unplanned teaching. Consequently, when things go wrong, they often get difficulties on what they should decide to do. Therefore, this study is crucial to be conducted as its result would be able to give knowledge to English teachers on how to appropriately respond when such phenomenon comes into surface. The purposes of this study were 1) to observe the categories of EFL learners’ unexpected behaviors in the process of learning English in class and 2) to identify the efforts of English language teachers in handling such behaviors. This study utilized the qualitative design in which observation and interview were used as the main instruments in carrying out the research. To be the respondents of this present study, three English teachers from three different state junior high schools in Bogor were purposively chosen. The findings showed that there were four major categories of the EFL learners’ unexpected behaviors, namely learners’ psychological problems, uncooperative attitude, learners’ intelligence level and learners’ native language use. Some solutions in handling such behaviors were also recommended. One of which was to give different materials when dealing with learners with different level of capability. Keywords: unplanned teaching, EFL learners’ classroom behaviors Introduction For English language teachers, planning lessons has become a crucial action that needs to be carried out since it helps guide them during and after the lesson (Spratt, Pulverness & William, 2005). Further, it enables them to make the language teaching process more systematic and well-organized so that they would be on the right track of what they are going to teach and what kind of teaching methods they are about to employ in classroom activities. Therefore, as an effort to provide the best services to their students, English teachers frequently spend most of their times arranging their English language teaching and learning activities as perfect as possible before conducting the act of teaching in the classroom. In fact, only few teachers are aware of the importance of also making attempts to think of and list the solution handling the EFL learners’ ‘unexpected’ behaviors that may probably appear in the classroom when English language teaching is in action. As the result, they will face problems which could seriously block the flow of the teaching process. Thus, the unplanned teaching needs to be paid a particular attention within the consideration when teachers plan the lesson. Brown (2001) explains that the unplanned teaching can occur when the midstream of the lesson changes; going out of the plan that has been set earlier. Further, such phenomenon may happen at anytime. In conclusion, teachers are daily called upon to deal with the ‘unexpected’. 1 Methods This study was principally aimed at identifying the categories of the EFL learners’ unexpected behaviors that might exist during the English language teaching and learning process inside the classroom. Additionally, the investigation was also led upon the identification of the teachers’ effort in handling the behaviors. This present study employed qualitative research design using observation and interview as the instruments in collecting the data. Additionally, three English teachers from three different state junior high schools in Bogor were purposively chosen. The observation was conducted to capture and observe the behavior of the EFL learners when learning English at the classroom. Further, it also functioned to identify how the teachers reacted towards the existing behavior of the learners which were categorized ‘unexpected’. The interview was done to verify what has been witnessed during the observation. The Categories of the Unexpected Behaviors Having completed with the data analysis process, the categories of the EFL learners’ unexpected behavior could then be revealed. It could be seen from the table below. Table 1 EFL Learners’ Unexpected Behaviors No 1 Categories Learners’ Psychological Problem Sample of Phenomenon Learners had less confident and did not want to participate within the language class activities Learners did not pay attention and kept on talking with their friends when teachers were explaining the materials Learners were not well-motivated to learn Learners did not do the tasks ssigned Learners did not want to work in a group Some learners were slow and some were fast Learners asked question which was far ahead the topic being discussed at the mean time Learners kept on using their native language when the teachers wanted them to speak English 2 3 Uncooperative Attitude Learners’ Level Intelligence 4 The Learners’ Native Language Use Solutions in Handling the Behaviors After knowing the categories of the unexpected behaviors of the EFL learners when learning English, solutions on how to appropriately rea ct towards the phenomenon were discovered. Firstly, when dealing with the learners’ psychological problems, teachers, in the beginning of the class, were required to put a strong emphasis on the positive side of having high motivation in the process of learning language. This would build their learning enthusiasm. Second, in handling the learners who were uncooperative such as did not do their homework, teachers could explain the benefit of doing their homework to help them get progress in their language learning process. Third, to teach learners who were at different level of capability, teachers could give special attention to the slow learners while fast learners were given other materials to work with. This was in line with the theory proposed by Harmer (2007) in which he suggested the use of different materials when facing students with different levels. The last, to handle learners who kept using their native language, as found in the interview, teachers were strongly suggested to only respond to the English use. This was supported by Harmer (2007) in which he indicated to ignore what students said in their own language. 2 Conclusion Considering the unexpected things that perhaps may exist in the language learning and teaching process is really important for the language teachers to take into account in the process of planning the lesson. Therefore when things go wrong, they would at least have options on how to handle it, as they are well-prepared. After all, four major categories of the EFL learners’ unexpected behaviors were recognized. They were learners’ psychological problems, uncooperative attitude, learners’ intelligence level and the learners’ native language use. Some solutions in handling such behavior were also recommended. One of which was to give different materials when dealing with learners with different level of capability. These findings are expected to be able to give knowledge to English teachers on how to appropriately respond when such phenomenon comes into surface so that the act of English language teaching and learning will keep on successfully moving forward.

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Eleven

Elena watched Mr. Smallwood's rifle bounce across the grass. She enjoyed the expression on his face as he spun around, looking for what had grabbed it. And she felt the flare of Damon's approval from across the pool of light, fierce and hot like the pride of a wolf for its cub's first kill. But when she glimpsed Stefan lying on the ground, she forgot everything else. White fury took her breath away, and she started toward him. â€Å"Everybody stop! Just stop everything, right where you are!† The shout was borne toward them along with the sound of tires squealing. Alaric Saltzman's car nearly spun out as it turned into the staff parking lot and screeched to a halt, and Alaric leaped from the car almost before it stopped moving. â€Å"What's going on here?† he demanded, striding toward the men. At the shout, Elena had pulled back automatically into the shadows. Now, she looked at the men's faces as they turned toward him. Besides Mr. Smallwood, she recognized Mr. Forbes and Mr. Bennett, Vickie Bennett's father. The others must be the fathers of the other guys who'd been with Tyler in the Quonset hut, she thought. It was one of the strangers who answered the question, in a drawl that couldn't quite hide the nervousness underneath. â€Å"Well now, we just got a little tired of waiting any longer. We decided to speed things up a bit.† The wolf growled, a low rumbling that rose to a chainsaw snarl. All the men flinched back, and Alaric's eyes showed white as he noticed the animal for the first time. There was another sound, softer and continuous, coming from a figure huddled next to one of the cars. Caroline Forbes was whimpering over and over, â€Å"They said they just wanted to talk to him. They didn't tell me what they were going to do.† Alaric, with one eye on the wolf, gestured toward her. â€Å"And you were going to let her see this? A young girl? Do you realize the psychological damage that could do?† â€Å"What about the psychological damage when her throat gets ripped out?† Mr. Forbes returned, and there were shouts of agreement. â€Å"That's what we're worried about.† â€Å"Then you'd better worry about getting the right man,† Alaric said. â€Å"Caroline,† he added, turning toward the girl, â€Å"I want you to think, Caroline. We didn't get to finish your sessions. I know when we left off you thought you recognized Stefan. But, are you absolutely positive it was him? Could it have been somebody else, somebody who resembled him?† Caroline straightened, bracing herself against the car and raising a tear-stained face. She looked at Stefan, who was just sitting up, and then at Alaric. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Think, Caroline. You have to be absolutely certain. Is there someone else it could have been, like-â€Å" â€Å"Like that guy who calls himself Damon Smith,† came Meredith's voice. She was standing beside Alaric's car, a slim shadow. â€Å"You remember him, Caroline? He came to Alaric's first party. He looks like Stefan in some ways.† â€Å"Like that guy who calls himself Damon Smith,† came Meredith's voice. She was standing beside Alaric's car, a slim shadow. â€Å"You remember him, Caroline? He came to Alaric's first party. He looks like Stefan in some ways.† â€Å"Yes†¦ it could have been, I suppose. Everything happened so fast†¦ but it could have been.† â€Å"And you really can't be sure which it was?† Alaric said. â€Å"No†¦ not absolutely sure.† â€Å"There,† said Alaric. â€Å"I told you she needed more sessions, that we couldn't be certain of anything yet. She's still very confused.† He was walking, carefully, toward Stefan. Elena realized that the wolf had withdrawn back into the shadows. She could see it, but the men probably couldn't. Its disappearance made them more aggressive. â€Å"What are you talking about? Who is this Smith? I've never seen him.† â€Å"But your daughter Vickie probably has, Mr. Bennett,† Alaric said. â€Å"That may come out in my next session with her. We'll talk about it tomorrow; it can wait that long. Right now I think I'd better take Stefan to a hospital.† There was discomforted shifting among some of the men. â€Å"Oh, certainly, and while we're waiting anything could happen,† began Mr. Smallwood. â€Å"Any time, anywhere-â€Å" â€Å"So you're just going to take the law into your own hands, then?† Alaric said. His voice sharpened. â€Å"Whether you've got the right suspect or not. Where's your evidence this boy has supernatural powers? What's your proof? How much of a fight did he even put up?† â€Å"There's a wolf around somewhere who put up plenty of fight,† Mr. Smallwood said, red-faced. â€Å"Maybe they're in it together.† â€Å"I don't see any wolf. I saw a dog. Maybe one of the dogs that got out of quarantine. But what's that got to do with it? I'm telling you that in my professional opinion you've got the wrong man.† The men were wavering, but there was still some doubt in their faces. Meredith spoke up. â€Å"I think you should know that there've been vampire attacks in this county before,† she said. â€Å"A long time before Stefan came here. My grandfather was a victim. Maybe some of you have heard about that.† She looked across at Caroline. That was the end of it. Elena could see the men exchanging uneasy glances and backing toward their cars. Suddenly they all seemed eager to be somewhere else. Mr. Smallwood was one who stayed behind to say, â€Å"You said we'd talk about this tomorrow, Saltzman. I want to hear what my son says the next time he's hypnotized.† Caroline's father collected her and got in his car fast, muttering something about this all being a mistake and nobody taking it too seriously. â€Å"Are you all right? Did they hurt you?† He moved away from Alaric's supporting arm. â€Å"Somebody hit me from behind while I was talking to Caroline. I'll be all right-now.† He shot a glance at Alaric. â€Å"Thanks. Why?† â€Å"He's on our side,† said Bonnie, joining them. â€Å"I told you. Oh, Stefan, are you really okay? I thought I was going to faint there for a minute. They weren't serious. I mean, they couldn't really have been serious. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Serious or not, I don't think we should stay here,† said Meredith. â€Å"Does Stefan really need a hospital?† â€Å"No,† Stefan said, as Elena anxiously examined the cut on his head. â€Å"I just need rest. Somewhere to sit down.† â€Å"I've got my keys. Let's go to the history room,† Alaric said. Bonnie was looking around the shadows apprehensively. â€Å"The wolf, too?† she said, and then jumped as a shadow coalesced and became Damon. â€Å"What wolf?† he said. Stefan turned slightly, wincing. â€Å"Thank you, too,† he said unemotionally. But Stefan's eyes lingered on his brother with something like puzzlement as they walked to the school building. In the hallway, Elena pulled him aside. â€Å"Stefan, why didn't you notice them coming up behind you? Why were you so weak?† Stefan shook his head evasively, and she added, â€Å"When did you feed last? Stefan, when? You always make some excuse when I'm around. What are you trying to do to yourself?† â€Å"I'm all right,† he said. â€Å"Really, Elena. I'll hunt later.† â€Å"Do you promise?† â€Å"I promise.† It didn't occur to Elena at the moment that they hadn't agreed on what â€Å"later† meant. She allowed him to lead her on down the hall. The history room looked different at night to Elena's eyes. There was a strange atmosphere about it, as if the lights were too bright. Just now all the students' desks were shoved out of the way, and five chairs were pulled up to Alaric's desk. Alaric, who'd just finished arranging the furniture, urged Stefan into his own padded chair. â€Å"Okay, why don't the rest of you take a seat.† They just looked at him. After a moment Bonnie sank down into a chair, but Elena stood by Stefan, Damon continued to lounge halfway between the group and the door, and Meredith pushed some papers to the center of Alaric's desk and perched on the corner. â€Å"Well,† said Elena. Everyone looked at everyone else. Elena picked up a piece of cotton from the first-aid kit she'd grabbed at the door and began dabbing Stefan's head with it. â€Å"I think it's time for that explanation,† she said. â€Å"Right. Yes. Well, you all seemed to have guessed I'm not a history teacher†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"In the first five minutes,† Stefan said. His voice was quiet and dangerous, and with a jolt Elena realized it reminded her of Damon's. â€Å"So what are you?† Alaric made an apologetic gesture and said almost diffidently, â€Å"A psychologist. Not the couch kind,† he added hastily as the rest of them exchanged looks. â€Å"I'm a researcher, an experimental psychologist. From Duke University. You know, where the ESP experiments were started.† â€Å"The ones where they make you guess what's on the card without looking at it?† Bonnie asked. â€Å"Yes, well, it's gone a bit beyond that now, of course. Not that I wouldn't love to test you with Rhine cards, especially when you're in one of those trances.† Alaric's face lit with scientific inquiry. Then he cleared his throat and went on. â€Å"But-ah-as I was saying. It started a couple of years ago when I did a paper on parapsychology. I wasn't trying to prove supernatural powers existed, I just wanted to study what their psychological effect is on the people who have them. Bonnie, here, is a case in point.† Alaric's voice took on a lecturer's tone. â€Å"What does it do to her, mentally, emotionally, to have to deal with these powers?† â€Å"It's awful,† Bonnie interrupted vehemently. â€Å"I don't want them anymore. I hate them.† â€Å"Well, there you see,† Alaric said. â€Å"You'd have made a great case study. My problem was that I couldn't find anybody with real psychic powers to examine. There were plenty of fakers, all right-crystal healers, dowsers, channelers, you name it. But I couldn't find anything genuine until I got a tip from a friend in the police department. â€Å"There was this woman down in South Carolina who claimed she'd been bitten by a vampire, and since then she was having psychic nightmares. By that time I was so used to fakes I expected her to turn out to be one, too. But she wasn't, at least not about being bitten. I never could prove she was really psychic.† â€Å"How could you be sure she'd been bitten?† Elena asked. â€Å"There was medical evidence. Traces of saliva in her wounds that were similar to human saliva-but not quite the same. It contained an anticoagulatory agent similar to that found in the saliva of leeches†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Alaric caught himself and hurried on. â€Å"Anyway, I was sure. And that was how it started. Once I was convinced something had really happened to the woman, I started to look up other cases like hers. There weren't a lot of them, but they were out there. People who'd encountered vampires. â€Å"But you've never actually seen a vampire,† Elena interrupted. â€Å"Until now, I mean. Is that right?† â€Å"Well-no. Not in the flesh, as it were. But I've written monographs†¦ and things.† His voice trailed off. Elena bit her lip. â€Å"What were you doing with the dogs?† she asked. â€Å"At the church, when you were waving your hands at them.† â€Å"Oh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Alaric looked embarrassed. â€Å"I've picked up a few things here and there, you know. That was a spell an old mountain man showed me for fending off evil. I thought it might work.† â€Å"You've got a lot to learn,† said Damon. â€Å"Obviously,† Alaric said stiffly. Then he grimaced. â€Å"Actually, I figured that out right after I got here. Your principal, Brian Newcastle, had heard of me. He knew about the studies I do. When Tanner was killed and Dr. Feinberg found no blood in the body and lacerations made by teeth in the neck†¦ well, they gave me a call. I thought it could be a big break for me-a case with the vampire still in the area. The only problem was that once I got here I realized they expected me to take care of the vampire. They didn't know I'd dealt only with the victims before. And†¦ well, maybe I was in over my head. But I did my best to justify their confidence-â€Å" â€Å"You faked it,† Elena accused. â€Å"That was what you were doing when I heard you talking to them at your house about finding our supposed lair and all that. You were just winging it.† â€Å"Well, not completely,† Alaric said. â€Å"Theoretically, I am an expert.† Then he did a double take. â€Å"What do you mean, when you heard me talking to them?† â€Å"While you were out searching for a lair, she was sleeping in your attic,† Damon informed him dryly. Alaric opened his mouth and then shut it again. â€Å"What I'd like to know is how Meredith comes into all this,† Stefan said. He wasn't smiling. Meredith, who had been gazing thoughtfully at the jumble of papers on Alaric's desk during all this, looked up. She spoke evenly, without emotion. â€Å"I recognized him, you see. I couldn't remember where I'd seen him at first, because it was almost three years ago. Then I realized it was at Granddad's hospital. What I told those men was the truth, Stefan. My grandfather was attacked by a vampire.† There was a little silence and then Meredith went on. â€Å"It happened a long time ago, before I was born. He wasn't badly hurt by it, but he never really got well. He became†¦ well, sort of like Vickie, only more violent. It got so that they were afraid he'd harm himself, or somebody else. So they took him to a hospital, a place he'd be safe.† ago, before I was born. He wasn't badly hurt by it, but he never really got well. He became†¦ well, sort of like Vickie, only more violent. It got so that they were afraid he'd harm himself, or somebody else. So they took him to a hospital, a place he'd be safe.† â€Å"I know. I could have†¦ but I couldn't. The family's kept it a secret so long-or tried anyway. From what Caroline wrote in her diary, she'd obviously heard. The thing is, nobody ever believed Granddad's stories about the vampire. They just thought it was another of his delusions, and he had a lot of them. Even I didn't believe them†¦ until Stefan came. And then-I don't know, my mind started to put little things together. But I didn't really believe what I was thinking until you came back, Elena.† â€Å"I'm surprised you didn't hate me,† Elena said softly. â€Å"How could I? I know you, and I know Stefan. I know you're not evil.† Meredith didn't glance at Damon; he might as well not have been present for all the acknowledgment she gave him. â€Å"But when I remembered seeing Alaric talking to Granddad at the hospital I knew he wasn't, either. I just didn't know exactly how to get all of you together to prove it.† â€Å"I didn't recognize you, either,† Alaric said. â€Å"The old man had a different name- he's your mother's father, right? And I may have seen you hanging around the waiting room sometime, but you were just a kid with skinny legs then. You've changed,† he added appreciatively. Bonnie coughed, a pointed sound. Elena was trying to arrange things in her mind. â€Å"So what were those men doing out there with a stake if you didn't tell them to be?† â€Å"I had to ask Caroline's parents for permission to hypnotize her, of course. And I reported what I found to them. But if you're thinking I had anything to do with what happened tonight, you're wrong. I didn't even know about it.† â€Å"I've told him about what we've been doing, how we've been looking for the Other Power,† Meredith said. â€Å"And he wants to help.† â€Å"I said I might help,† Alaric said cautiously. â€Å"Wrong,† said Stefan. â€Å"You're either with us or against us. I'm grateful for what you did out there, talking to those men, but the fact remains that you started a lot of this trouble in the first place. Now you have to decide: are you on our side-or theirs?† Alaric looked around at each of them, at Meredith's steady gaze and Bonnie's raised eyebrows, at Elena kneeling on the floor and at Stefan's already-healing scalp. Then he turned to glance at Damon, who was leaning against the wall, dark and saturnine. â€Å"I'll help,† he said at last. â€Å"Hell, it's the ultimate case study.† â€Å"All right, then,† Elena said. â€Å"You're in. Now, what about Mr. Smallwood tomorrow? What if he wants you to hypnotize Tyler again?† â€Å"Wait,† said Stefan. â€Å"There shouldn't be a dance, not if there's any way to prevent it. You're on good terms with the principal; you can talk to the school board. Make them cancel it.† Alaric looked startled. â€Å"You think something's going to happen?† â€Å"Yes,† Stefan said. â€Å"Not just because of what's happened at the other public functions, but because something's building up. It's been building up all week; I can feel it.† â€Å"So can I,† Elena said. She hadn't realized it until that moment, but the tension she felt, the sense of urgency, was not just from inside her. It was outside, all around. It thickened the air. â€Å"Something's going to happen, Alaric. Alaric let out his breath in a soft whistle. â€Å"Well, I can try to convince them, but-I don't know. Your principal is dead set on keeping everything looking normal. And it isn't as if I can give any rational explanation for wanting to shut it down.† â€Å"Try hard,† Elena said. â€Å"I will. And meanwhile, maybe you should think about protecting yourself. If what Meredith says is right, then most of the attacks have been on you and people close to you. Your boyfriend got dropped in a well; your car got chased into the river; your memorial service was broken up. Meredith says even your little sister was threatened. If something's going to happen tomorrow, you might want to leave town.† It was Elena's turn to be startled. She had never thought of the attacks in that way, but it was true. She heard Stefan's indrawn breath and felt his fingers tighten on hers. â€Å"He's right,† Stefan said. â€Å"You should leave, Elena. I can stay here until-â€Å" â€Å"No. I'm not going without you. And,† Elena continued, slowly, thinking it out, â€Å"I'm not going anywhere until we find the Other Power and stop it.† She looked up at him earnestly, speaking quickly now. â€Å"Oh, Stefan, don't you see, nobody else even has a chance against it. Mr. Smallwood and his friends don't have a clue. Alaric thinks you can fight it by waving your hands at it. None of them know what they're up against. We're the only ones who can help.† She could see the resistance in Stefan's eyes and feel it in the tenor of his muscles. But as she kept on looking straight at him, she saw his objections fall one by one. For the simple reason that it was the truth, and Stefan hated lying. â€Å"All right,† he said at last, painfully. â€Å"But as soon as this is all over, we're leaving. I'm not having you stay in a town where vigilantes run around with stakes.† â€Å"Yes.† Elena returned the pressure of his fingers with hers. â€Å"Once this is all over, we'll go.† Stefan turned to Alaric. â€Å"And if there's no way to talk them out of having the dance tomorrow, I think we should keep an eye on it. If something does happen, we may be able to stop it before it gets out of hand.† Elena tilted a doubtful eye toward Bonnie. â€Å"Well†¦ it would mean missing the dance itself-for those of us who could have gone, I mean.† Bonnie drew herself up. â€Å"Oh, who cares about missing a dance?† she said indignantly. â€Å"What on earth does a dance matter to anyone?† â€Å"Right,† said Stefan gravely. â€Å"Then it's settled.† A spasm of pain seemed to overtake him and he winced, looking down. Elena was immediately concerned. â€Å"You need to get home and rest,† she said. â€Å"Alaric, can you drive us? It's not that far.† Stefan protested that he was perfectly able to walk, but in the end he gave in. At the boardinghouse, after Stefan and Damon had gotten out of the car, Elena leaned in Alaric's window for one last question. It had been gnawing at her mind ever since Alaric had told them his story. â€Å"About those people who'd encountered vampires,† she said. â€Å"Just what were the psychological effects? I mean, did they all go crazy or have nightmares? Were any of them okay?† â€Å"It depends on the individual,† Alaric said. â€Å"And with how many contacts they'd had, and what kind of contacts they were. But mostly just with the personality of the victim, with how well the individual mind can cope.† Elena nodded, and said nothing until the lights of Alaric's car had been swallowed by the snowy air. Then she turned to Stefan. â€Å"Matt.†

Lack of Minorities in the Information Technology Field Research Paper

Lack of Minorities in the Information Technology Field - Research Paper Example This paper takes a look at this apparent discrepancy, what the recruiting and retention practices are for the Information Technology field. It also looks at how society may play a role in this issue and how, if left unchecked, this issue could create a problem in for the workforce as a whole. Throughout the paper suggestions are made for how this situation can best be resolved. It is the hope that one would walk away from this essay with information on how discrimination is taking place in the I.T. field and what can be done to change it. Table of Contents Certification and Approval 2 Abstract 3 Table of Contents 4 Introduction 5 Discrepancy 6 - 8 Recruiting and Retention Practices 9 - 13 Affects on Society 14 - 15 Conclusion 15 - 16 References 17 - 20 Discriminatory Hiring Practices in the Information Technology Field A young five year old boy runs with lighting fast speed toward the huge sycamore as his mother and her friend watch, with amusement, from the park bench. He proceeds t o climb the tree and swing bravely from the bottom branch. He mother chuckles slightly, â€Å"What are you going to do, boys will be boys† she sighs to her friend. ... While this differentiation may have played out well at the turn of the century, when the majority of women stayed home to clean and care for the children, and the majority of men worked for a living, in today’s economy many women find the need to seek employment outside of the home. This preconceived notion that women are the weaker sex can then result in issues when women seek a career in a field that has been male dominated. Luckily, today, there are laws in the United States in place to protect equality for women and all other minorities in the work place. However, even with these precautions in place it seems there are some fields that are not equally represented by minorities. One field, in particular, where this is becoming a problem is that of Information Technology. After taking a look at the apparent discrepancy, the recruiting, and retention practices in the IT field, and how this could ultimately affect society if left unchecked, it should become apparent how societ y is playing a role in the underlying discrimination seen in IT and what can be done to change it. Discrepancy It is estimated that between 2000 and 2010, there will be a call for 2.5 million new Information Technology jobs available, which is the result of growth in Information Technology occupations, resulting in a high demand for skilled Information Technology workers (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2005). It is projected that from 2008 to 2016 there will be a 29% increase in workforce demands for computer system analysts, a 37% increase in demand for jobs for database administrators, and a 38% increase in the availability of jobs for software engineers (U.S. Department of Labor, 2005).

The Role of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

The Role of Marketing - Essay Example The intimate, and inextricable, connection between organisational success and marketing, insofar as the primary objective of the former is to ensure the latter through the creation and maximization of well-targeted demand, is a historically undeniable reality, amply supported by a wealth of empirical evidence (Church, 1999). The undeniable centrality of marketing communication to organisational success functioned as the basis for the embrace of marketing by academia and the evolution of marketing as an academic field within management sciences (Cohen, 1966). Earlier perceptions of marketing as interchangeable with advertising, with the former being defined simply as a strategy to attract consumer interest in a product, have fundamentally changed. Marketing has, ever since the mid-1960s, been recognized as a complex methodology for the fulfilment of an organization's strategic objectives, insofar as sales, the expansion of market shares, and organisational growth are concerned. As such, and within the context of the aforementioned definition for marketing, the former evolved into a science embracing methodologies for market analysis and study; strategies for the identification of the most susceptible consumer groups/target audience; and countless theories on effective communication strategies and tools f or the engendering of consumer interest and product/service demand (Cohen, 1966; Dibb and Simkin, 1994). In other words, the increasing recognition of marketing as the key to organisational success has led to its embrace by academia and its subsequent evolution into a science,' designed to articulate a set of strategies, tools and methodologies as would ensure organisational success through marketing. There is no doubt that recent technological innovations in communication sciences, bordering on the revolutionary, have significantly redefined marketing strategies and media. Marketing has not only expanded beyond the local to embrace the global but marketing media and strategies have undergone revolutionary transformations consequent to the evolution of variant forms of electronic media, from the radio to the internet (Wehner, 2001). Marketing, as a communications strategy designed to inform consumers of the availability of particular products and persuade the market of the utility of these products, has evolved into integrated marketing.'

I am the One who has been Taught how to Dream Essay

I am the One who has been Taught how to Dream - Essay Example However, there is also an image in the poem that shows the father’s love for his son. My own dad is a tough father but he also loves me too. The father in "My Father Teaches Me to Dream'' is a tough father, and this displayed in a variety of images. For example, the rhythm of the poem has an ordering rhythm. The father tells his son what to do and what not to do. In addition, n lines such as "You get up. You get on the bus," "You don't look from side to side," and "You keep your eyes straight ahead'' show that the father didn't allow his son any space to think or to be creative. Also, in the line en he said "You get off the bus. You work all day," the father shows his son how tough the world is he doesn’t allowgive any time for leisure time. Furthermore, the father broke his son’s heart when he said "All other stuff you're looking for—it ain't there." This line deprived the son of the last drop of hope that he was hanging on. Also, the father told his son to be very precise and not to do any more than what he is told to do. This kills creativity in the son; it will not make him creative and he will likely grow up to becomes him an average man. The last line of the poem, â€Å"Work is work,† is quite simply yet it shows something of the father’s personality or background. ... This might not actually be the personality that the father has, but this is what is portrayed in the poem. However, despite the toughness that the father displays towards his son, he also shows his son some love in this poem. For example, the line "That way nobody will bothers you—see?" shows how the father does care about his son because he does not want anybody to bother him or make him feel uncomfortable. This is the true value of a father because any father should show so much concern for their son that they would want them to live a life free of trouble. Also, the line "There's no handouts in this life" could be explained as the father caring about his son; he is just trying to teach him that he has to work for everything that he wants in this life because no one will give him any freebies. While this could be perceived as mean, this is just a harsh reality of life and the sooner that we get used to it the quicker we can do something with our lives. Furthermore, when the father said "You do the same thing again," it could mean that if you are trying to work hard to accomplish a dream and it does not happen right away, it does not mean that you should stop; you should keep trying until you finally reach your dream. This could be seen as the father wanting a boring life for his son, but all he wants is for his son to find a successful formula in life and stick to it. This way, the son will always be pleased with his life and he should hopefully pass this important piece of advice onto his son. This line shows how the father wants his son to reach his dream and also that he did not envy him. The father wants his son to still have an opportunity to reach his

The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Assignment

The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) - Assignment Example ch company it is possible to conclude that all three companies in question have complete FDD’s, while there are some small adjustments to formulations. 2. How much would it cost you to acquire the franchise rights for each of the companies? Is the franchise cost information from each company’s FDD different from figures listed on the company website? If so in what way? Houlihans Restaurant and Five Guys Burgers and Fries don’t reveal publicly information about its franchise cost information on its website, and therefore it is impossible to compare the numbers given online and those presented in FTC reports (Franchise Information - Houlihans Restaurant, n.p.; Franchise Opportunities: Five Guys Burgers and Fries). Â  Hard Rock Hotel offers on its website information for potential franchisees and claims that the standard Hard Rock site fee is no less than $350, 000 (Hard Rock Cafe Franchise & Development Opportunities, n.p). This minimum is higher than given in the FTC report, probably because the report was published in 2007, while now it is 2014. Houlihan’s Restaurant’s offering circular presented some cases of bankruptcy, where copmpany’s representatives were debtors in proceeding under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. These cases are multiple and raise concerns Hard Rock Hotels FDD raised several serious concerns mainly referred to litigation and bankruptcy cases. The company has got claims for tortuous interference, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy (Hard Rock Hotels, 5-6). While finally the parties entered into a settlement agreement, there are some serious concerns raised. On May, 2000 the company (Sunterra Corporation) filed a petition for reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (Hard Rock Hotels, 7). Five Guys Burgers and Fries’ FDD raises less concerns comparing with two other companies as there were no bankruptcy cases. However, there was one litigation case according to which the

Premise Alerts in 911 CAD Databases - Are special-needs citizens and Research Paper

Premise Alerts in 911 CAD Databases - Are special-needs citizens and officer safety at risk - Research Paper Example These individuals are people with rare or complex issues that need special kinds of handling and attention. This program aids the police to be able to identify an individual and at the same time will be equipped with the right amount of information that will allow him to personally identify the lost individual and therefore return him to persons concerned. (http://www.plumboro.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=176&Itemid=180) 2. Rationale 3. Objective In the Illinois Public Alert Program (PAP) Act provides a detailed enumeration f the objective of the PAP. According to the Act, the PAP ensures that there is a consistent ‘high level† of services with regards to public safety that is to be available to all members of the State (note the use of â€Å"members of State† rather than â€Å"citizens†). The core objective of the program is providing access services to individuals that may require extra consideration. (Source: P.A. 96?788, eff. 8?28?09. ) http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3159&ChapterID=39 The PAP, aims to provide people with disabilities and individuals that require more attention access to public safety that is already provided to most citizens. ... n effective method of dealing with these predicaments and as proposed, practical measures are possible with an enhanced knowledge or information about these individuals. It is a condition that they are to divulge an extent of their identities, such as their specific needs, their educational facilities, and places of employment, residences or anything that will enhance identification. (Source: P.A. 96?788, eff. 8?28?09.) http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3159&ChapterID=39 4. Statement and Significance of the Problem Along with technological advancements, a useful implementing arm of the PAP is the establishment of an online help center and one of such is smart911.com. Said website was designed to deliver vital and essential information of individuals and especially citizens that need special attention immediately to first responders in times of emergency. This secure website makes it easier for people to submit their information that will be accessed at times when t hey will be required. Said website registers information such as number of children, children and their disabilities, you can also provide their picture and medical records or any relevant information you deemed useful for immediate response of safety officers upon placement of call. http://www.wsmv.com/technology/24452754/detail.html. All of this information, which at a point may seem too dangerous to provide to third parties are essentials in order to provide not only abrupt public safety services but in order to make sure that it is the response is intelligent, educated and appropriate to the situation. In order to illustrate the points further, allow me to cite and example. An autistic child found was wandering and walking into flow of traffic. A citizen called 911 and advised

Phonemic Inventories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Phonemic Inventories - Assignment Example On the other hand, consonants are speech sounds produced with significant restriction of airflow via the vocal tract (Bischoff & Fountain, 2014). Combination of vowels and consonants form syllables in the languages of the world as indicated in the IPA. Moreover, the authors define phonemic inventory as the assessment of the size of the phonemes or distinctive sounds in a language and their articulation. Minimal pairs are sets of phrases or words which differ in only a single element such as chroneme, toneme, or phoneme, and have divergent meanings in a language and are used to exemplify that two phones can constitute two distinct phonemes in a particular language. Bengali is spoken in eastern India and Bangladesh. As a language used by a good proportion of people, the language contains various speech sounds, stress, articulation and its study will therefore improve my understanding of phonetics and phonology while comprehending how geography affects formulation and articulation of speech sounds. In the consonant inventory in Bengali, fricatives and plosives differ in articulation and aspiration (Anderson,  1917). The voicing of the postalveolars contrasts by consonant nature as illustrated in the consonant inventory below; Evidently, the consonant inventory of Bengali differs from the one presented in the IPA journal in that it does not have germinates and that differentiate the postalveolar sound (Khan,  2010). Moreover, velar, lateral approximant and glottal consonants are lacking. The approximant in the IPA journal is and j in the Bengali inventory (Milles, 2012). However, they are similar since both contain the basic plosives, fricatives, nasal and approximant. With 12 consonants, Bengali joins the 15.80% (of 563) of languages considered to be of small consonant inventory a category that involves 83 languages whose consonant size is between 6 and 14 (Ian, 2013). Bengali differentiates vowels based on

Acquisition Strategy Essay Example for Free

Acquisition Strategy Essay In today’s market it is very important for company’s to remain competive in order to maintain an edge over its competitors. The days that a company can rely on its reputation to continue making profits are gone. Today, everyone is looking to save money by buying less expensive items like economy brands, considering that the diffrences between the two products are similar and the features that are not offered are of little value. This will make a consumer buy the less expensive item. Like consumers, companies are also looking to save money and maximize profit. One way of doing this is through acquisition strategies. Combining the operations of two companies is a very good option for companies that are looking to stregnthening the company’s competincies and competitiveness, this will ultimately open new market opportunities (Gamble/Thompson, p. 119). The benefit of this type of strategy, unlike alliances, they do not go far enough for the resources needed and a very important factor, ownership. In the following paragraphs, I will give two examples of two different companies in different industries and explain how they will stregnthen their market position through acquisiton, to include resources and competive capabilities. The first example I will use it Wells Fargo Co. results from the acquisition of Wachovia Corporation. During the economic crisis Wells Fargo Co. acquired Wachovia Corp in a bail out to keep the bank from going under. At one point Wachovia was Wells Fargo’s competitor. After the acquisiton it made Wells Fargo a banking giant absorbing its competion. Earnings from that acquisition have earned Wells Fargo Financial Co. a 21% earnings since the acquistion, reporting record profits. This acquistion has allowed them to gain market share, this was mostly created by winning new customers. Mortgage loans was the top earner and low rates and prices of homes falling to record lows has allowed the company to grow even in these tough economic times. Additionally, the acquisition of Wacovia Corp. moves Wells Fargo as the second largest bank, second only to Bank of America. The strategy has allowed them to acquire a larger share of the financial market. The second company I will discuss is DuPont Nutrition Health and Applied BioSciences acquisition of Danisco Corp. Once a long time partner of DuPont, is a very good and proven company, is a good fit because of their proven market science business and offers clear synergy for them. The acquisition will make them the clear leader in industrial biotechnology with inovations in global challenges in food production and fossil fuel. This effort will position the company ahead of all rivals addressing dramatic growth in human population in the years to come. Danisco is well established company that has research and application capabilities. This will create a more cost efficient operation of the combined companies. The applications do not need to be duplicated, meaning their buying power will increase, administrative functions do not need to be replicated, and will further create more cost savings by downsizing. This acquisition will also allow them to enter new product categories, for example 65% of Danisco’s revenue comes from specialty foods, product substitution items such as sweetners and enablers. This will allow them to enter renewable materials and addressing food needs. In conclusion, I have discussed Wells Fargo Co. , and how their acquisition of Wachovia Corp has allowed the company to gain a larger geographic coverage has helped it create a more cost efficient operation by allowing to cut overhead costs by elliminating duplicate processes. Second, DuPont Nutrition Health and Applied BioSciences acquisition of Danisco Corporation has allowed DuPont has made them the clear leader in industrial biotechnology with inovations in global challenges in food production and fossil fuel.

Five Pillars of Islam Essay Example for Free

Five Pillars of Islam Essay What are the central beliefs of Islam, and how are they reflected in the Five Pillars† (McInerney, 2003)? Which of the Five Pillars do you feel would be easiest to fulfill, and which would be the most challenging (McInerney, 2003)? Monotheism is one of the main central beliefs of Islam. This is the belief that there is only one God and that God is Allah. The Islam’s believe that their purpose for humanity is to only serve their God Allah and to construct a moral lifestyle. The five pillars are considered obligatory for all Muslims to follow. The five pillars can be found within the Qur’an which is Islam’s holy book. The first pillar is the shahadah. The Shahadah is the accepting that Muhammad is God’s messenger. Islamic culture believes that the prophet Muhammad is the founder of Islam’s faith. The second pillar is the daily prayers. In order to do this a Muslim must be in a state of ritual purity. One must prayer at least five times within a day. Muslims believe that doing so will bring them closer to God and they will be able to learn more about him. The third pillar is the fasting during Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the Islamic month for fasting. Muslims have to avoid any type of drinking, eating and sexual relations from dawn until sunset. This is done in order for Muslims to learn about patience, humanity, and spirituality. The fourth pillar is called alms giving which is the giving of 2. 5 percent of one’s annual earnings to the poor and needy. Lastly, the fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca. This is a core practice and must be carried out at least once in a Muslims lifetime. The fourth pillar which consists of giving 2. percent of one’s annual pay to the poor and needy would be one of the easiest pillars for me to follow. I think everyone should do this. I’m a Christian and every Sunday that I go to church I always give to the needy whether its five dollars or two dollars that I have on me at the time. My religion believes that by giving we will receive blessings from our God. The pillar that would be difficult for me to follow would have to be pillar number three which is fasting. This would be difficult for me because I always have to be drinking water. I am also anemic and if I don’t eat after a while I tend to black out.

Contracting Considerations Of A Tour Operator Tourism Essay

Contracting Considerations Of A Tour Operator Tourism Essay This report will consider the contracting considerations of a small to medium sized tour operator in relation to providing a report based holiday experience for a clientele from socio-economic bands A and B. The report will consider two key elements namely in the form of accommodation and other services in the resort and transportation of an appropriate type to and from the resort. In considering a possible solution to providing accommodation for the companys guests there are a number of options open to the small to medium sized tour operator. At the one end of the spectrum the tour operator could consider an option of direct investment. Such an option would see the tour operator investing in hotels and accommodation facilities which at the end of the investment the company would own the facilities which could be used for both its own guests and for the purpose of renting out accommodation to other tour operators which capacity allows for such an options (Holloway et al 2009). However, such an option in the circumstances is an unlikely option for the specific company in question. In the first instance the option is an expensive one, investment in hotel and accommodation facilities can cost millions in there initial investment or more, this may be an unsuitable or even unrealisable option for a small to medium enterprise. Secondly, the corporate objectives of the company are to minimise risks, direct investment however, may be seen as a considerably risky option for several reasons. In the first case once established, the company will have long term fixed costs to meet over a prolonged period of time, such a problem is not incurred where a contract based option is undertaken and thus the liability to meet expenses is limited to the agreed contract period which could be as short as a single season or less. Secondly, long term investment an overseas location also implies taking on the national risk which are associated with international trade including exposure to currency fluctuations, interest rates and changes in demand from the consumer perspective (Griffin and Pustay 2010). Again, where a contracting option is considered such exposures whilst still present are limited to a much shorter period of time and thus to a large extent offset. A more realistic option for the company in question may be to consider one of the many contracting options which are available, such contracting options are also wide and varied in nature and include both direct and indirect contracts with accommodation providers as well as a variety of options with regard to the length contracts undertaken (Holloway et al 2009). In the first instance, the company must select between contracting directly with accommodation providers or through the use of a third party agency (Cooper et al 2008). Negotiation directly may help the company to save money by excluding the fees of a third party however, the downside is that the company may have to deal with a large number of accommodation providers each with their own peculiarities and unique circumstances. On the other hand, the company could opt to use another intermediary who will undertake such sub-contracting on the behalf of the tour operator, for the tour operator this reduces complexity in the contracting process in that the tour operator now has only a single point of contact (Holloway et al 2009). However, on the downside the tour operator will now incur additional costs from the fees levied from a third party, in addition the tour operator will also lose a degree of control over the accommodation which is to be provided and arranged by the third party. T his may have an impact upon the tour operator whos clientele falls with the A and B social bands and so have very specific requirements in relation to their individual accommodation needs in comparison to other segments of the market. The next consideration from a contracting point of view is to consider the length and level of commitment in contracting options. Again the tour operator is presented with a wide range of options, at the lowest level of commitment end of the spectrum the tour operator can simply book rooms with accommodation provider in reference to specific levels of demand experienced, such an option means that costs are kept to a minimum and risks from contractual obligations are virtually eliminated (Cooper et al 2008). There is however, an additional risk incurring in that whilst the tour operators liabilities are minimised so are those of the accommodation providers, in short should the tour operator experience a surge in demand and the accommodation providers be unable to meet such a demand do to market forces, the tour operator may be left either having to disappoint customers or have to pay premium prices in order to satisfy the demand. At the other end of the spectrum the tour operator could contract to buy a set number of rooms or even entire hotels for a specific period of time (Holloway et al 2009). In such a case the advantage is that the tour operator has a guaranteed level of availability in a given hotel or resort and thus the risks of not being able to meet demand are off set given that the tour operator has a fixed capacity which it may use as it sees fit. The other major advantage is one of cost linked to economies of scale (Johnson et al 2008), by undertaking longer contracts that purchasing rooms at the spot rate, the tour operator stands to benefit from substantial bulk purchasing discounts as rooms and accommodations purchased over a long period come at a much reduced cost in comparison to shorter periods of hire. However, in such a circumstance the company also incurs some additional risks. Now that the company has entered into a contract for a fixed amount of accommodation the tour operator also has the obligation to pay for the rooms and so needs to be able to fill the accommodation to as close to full capacity as possible throughout the year (Holloway et al 2009). In reality this may mean offering significant discounts at certain part of the year so as to attract enough custom to fill the accommodation, alternatively the tour operator could forego full utilisation however, the contract would see the tour operator still having to pay for the accommodation which has been rented in advance. In addition to accommodation, there are other elements of the resort experience which the tour operator may wish to consider contracting out to third party providers. Key elements include the provision catering services, onsite entertainment and other forms of entertainment and added value services such as tours and excursions of sites of local interest to the clientele of the resort (Singh 2006). From a transportation perspective, the use of scheduled flights has become one of the most important ways travel operators have been able to take advantage of both the flexibility and speed of air travel as part of the holiday package (Holloway et al 2009). Unfortunately due to the constraints of the scenario the travel operator will have look at a number of alternative methods of getting guests to and from the proposed resort of which there are a wide number of options including alternative air transportation options as well as some more creative solutions making use of alternative modes of transport. The first and possibly most feasible option for a tour operator who can not take advantage of scheduled flights to a destination may be to consider using a charter service. Charter services offer to schedule an aircraft for the specific use of a client on a given route, charter options may include a single trip rental but more likely a charter provider will agree with a company such as a tour operator a regular schedule of flights for a season or more (Holloway et al 2009, Cooper et al 2008). There are several advantages for the tour operator if such an option is engaged in. From the passengers perspective, there is almost no difference to if the tour operator had made use of a scheduled flight, the guest will be transported to their destination on an aircraft which functions in all but the same way as one operating on a scheduled route. Secondly, a charter service operates with more flexibility than that of the scheduled flight, the tour operator can choose deviate from the time tab le which would not be an option which scheduled options and there is also flexibility of destination which may include local changes such as using an alternative airport or more radical changes changing the route of the aircraft altogether. There are however, still some drawback of the charter flight option, the main problem would be one of capacity. In the case the scheduled flight the responsibility for filling seats lies with the airline provider and the liability of the tour operator is limited to the number of seats for which they have purchased on any given flight. However, when an aircraft is chartered the cost of the charter becomes a fixed cost and the responsibility for filling seats then becomes the responsibility of the charterer, in this case the tour operator (Holloway et al 2009). The charter option has been a relatively successful option in recent years for tour operators, in some circumstances the model has become so successful that there has become a blur in the boundaries between scheduled and chartered flights. This has been exhibited in both operational elements in that some charter flights are so regular as to almost form a scheduled service including the sale of spare capacity to additional passengers. Secondly many travel operators have sought to consolidate their positions by buying charter aircraft providers and integrating these businesses into the main business unit (Monarch 2010). If the tour operator still wishes to investigate the scheduled flight option further, there is the consideration that a multi-modal transport operation may be considered. In such a case the tour operator may consider purchasing seats to the nearest airport served by a scheduled flight and then arrange onward transport via road rail or water. In many cases this may be an unattractive option, especially where distances are significant. Such an option may become and annoyance for guests and add unnecessary costs for the tour operator. There are however, times when the option may be an appropriate one especially for the upmarket segment. Such circumstances may exist where the tour operator can incorporate the onward transport into the holiday package, this may be possible where the route from airport to resort passes through an area of outstanding natural beauty or a luxury transport option can be added such as a river cruise which serves a duel function as transport and entertainment. Air transport however, is not the only option available to a tour operator one other major option to consider is transportation via water. Water transport has largely declined in recent decades due to the rise of faster and cheaper air transport which also allows access to a wider number of destinations than water based or land routes (Holloway et al 2009). Despite the decline of the standard ocean liner as a mode of transport which is now largely confined to summer transatlantic crossings the market for other water based forms of transport has both stabilised and began to grow again in recent years. The most important development has been a rebranding of the cruise, in past times the cruise as a form of holiday had declined as a function of both poor branding and the rise of alternatives. However, significant investment on the behalf of the industry has seen the holiday rising again in popularity amongst consumers. In selecting a transportation mode suitable for a market segment in socio economic groups A and B one option may be to consider providing a hybrid holiday which takes advantage of the rise in popularity of the cruise linked to the facilities present at the destination. From a pragmatic perspective the tour operator could in effect make use of a cruise ship to transport its guests too the resort making the transport via water an essential part of the holiday package as opposed to being a way of getting to the product in the form of the resort. Once at the destination, the tour operator would have the option of providing a return journey for guests either via the same method or via an alternative such as a charter flight. The major benefit of such an option is that the tour operator would be able to offer a high value added product in which all elements of the package including transportation are considered a part of the holiday. On the downside, the small to medium size of the tour op erator would necessitate the use of a third party to provide a suitable vessel for use. This in turn would add complexity to the operation and there would naturally be a greater limitation on destinations based upon the schedules and services of third party providers as well as the natural constraints imposed by limiting transport options to water based transport. There is also a rail option open to the travel operator, this has become an option with an increased level of feasibility from the UK since the opening on the channel tunnel back in the 1990s. Whilst, rail transport provides fast and efficient transport from the UK to the major cities in Europe, the real problem with this option is one of flexibility. To a large extent destinations will be limited to the major cities within Europe and it may be considered to access to more remote destinations and resorts becomes infeasible and impractical for users of the service. In addition, the large distances and nature of the rail network means that intercontinental options will be largely off limits to a tour operator if looking to use rail as a transportation option. Given the objectives of the company which are largely to reduce risk and the consideration of flexibility the recommendation of this report are that the travel operator opts to convey its guests the resort via a chartered air service model. Such a model would see that the company does not have to risks associated with investing in expensive capital items such as aircraft or ships which would increase the risk profile of the company significantly. In addition, by using an air service the company would also maintain the element of flexibility and speed opening up a wider number of destinations than would be available through land or water based forms of transport. These are both key benefits for the companys target client group in socio economic groups A and B. There are however, still some risks associated with the charter route, whilst the company would not own any specific assets associated with the transport of passengers, the company would still have a fixed capacity of seat for w hich it would need to fill on each flight so as to keep the cost per passenger for a minimum. The risk here is that during periods of low demand the company may have to offer significant discounts in order to fill flights, this may also create a conflict with the companys generic strategy of focusing on the premium end of the market (Porter 2004, Jobber 2007).

Wiliam Faulkners Emily Rose Character Analysis Essay -- essays resear

All Roses Are Red Unreasonably determined to exert one?s own will is the definition of the word 'stubborn'. William Faulkner is a southern writer who focuses in his work on human experiences and behavior influenced by the South, the Civil War, and the post Civil War effects. In Faulkner's, 'A Rose for Emily', Faulkner constantly depicts Emily as a stubborn character, especially stubborn about changing her way of life. Faulkner uses subtle clues from diction and description as well as obvious statements through dialogue and direct actions to show this quality many times throughout the story. William Faulkner implies Emily?s stubbornness with subtle clues in description and through symbols. Faulkner would like us to take notice of how determined Emily is to resist all change. Everything that Faulkner refers to as hers is outdated and unchanging. He goes to note her house as, ?The only house left? and describes it as ?lifting its stubborn decay?, (206). She resides alone as the only one left on her block because everyone else has modernized and moved forth with production a...

Australia :: essays research papers

Australia Australia is an island continent and is located southeast of Asia . Australia is the smallest continent in the world . Australia is made up of six states . The climate in Australia varies greatly : a hot season , wet season with rains falling mainly in February and March. During which north western has warm and dry season. Australians mineral resources are notably bauxite, coal , gold, iron , ore, and petroleum. The most popular and native mammals in Australia are marsupials . The best known marsupials in Australia is a kangaroo which include fifty species. In Australia forty-three percent of surface consists of desert and sandy plains. Most of the population of Australia is of European descent. Before the world war II the population was entirely of British origin, but since then more than two million Europeans from the continent have migrated to Australia . English is the official language of Australia. The total population of Australia is 17, 827, 204. The capital of Australia is S idney . The Religion of Australia is largergerly Protestants , 26 percent of Australians are Catholics , and there are smaller like East Orthodox, Muslim , Buddhist , and Jewish population . The education begins at the age of six and the upper limit is to sixteen . Australia has more than ten thousand primary and secondary schools. In the early 1990s Australian had thirty-nine universities . The way of life in Australia reflects the heritage of British settlers . Australia has many interesting sites like beaches, mountains, deserts , museums, art , music , Film and many other sites . The oldest music of Australia is Aborigines. That music plays accentual role in both social and sacred life. During social gatherings called corroborees , singing and dancing provide the major form of entertainment. Australia is an outstanding producer of primary products . The major exporter are wheat ,meat , dairy products and wool . Australia usually produces twenty-five percent of world's yearly woo l. Mining became the leading factor of mining in Australia . The county continues to be dependent on livestock raising and crop farming. Manufacturing began after world war II . Most manufacturing facilities are at Sidney. The production is mostly iron, steel ,aircraft's, construction equipment ,synthetic fibers , electronic equipment , power cables , and petroleum .Sydney was founded by CaptainArthur Philip in 1787.

A discussion on the uniform system in American schools

Are pupils in classs Kindergarten through Twelfth given excessively much freedom of pick? Should pupils in classs Kindergarten through Twelfth be required to have on uniforms in school? Many would state that because pupils have freedom of pick, it is a misdemeanor of pupils ‘ rights for the schools to necessitate them to have on uniforms. Because of this people merely look at the negative of uniforms in schools whereas they should look at the positive of uniforms in schools. Uniforms allow pupils to be disciplined and motivated academically every bit good as Teach pupils to show themselves through cognition instead than showing themselves through material ownerships. The sentiment of most is that if pupils wear uniforms, so they will non be able to show themselves and demo their individualism. Although it is of import for pupils to show their individualism, they do non necessitate to make so with vesture. A kid ‘s individualism goes farther than what trade name of vesture is on his or her dorsum, and this is why uniforms should be adopted into all schools. The lone job is that non everyone agrees with pupils being required to have on uniforms in schools. In schools across the United States instructors are divided on the determination of whether or non uniforms should be employed into schools. Harmonizing to Axia College hebdomad five reading Constructing an Educational Doctrine ( 2005 ) , † Teacher Dave Oland does non desire uniforms in school because he feels that there are bigger issues that need to be dealt with such as constructing relationships with parents and pupils ( p.366 ) . Peoples about make it sound as though necessitating pupils to have on uniforms is the most tragic thing that could go on to them. Harmonizing to Axia College hebdomad five reading Constructing an Educational Doctrine ( 2005 ) , † Mr. Oland believes that pupils should be encouraged to hold better attitudes on life, society, their hereafter and themselves without being regulated to have on uniforms ( p.366 ) . What is the large trade with pupils have oning uniforms in school, and why do people take a firm stand on comparing school uniforms to that of prison? Harmonizing to the Axia College hebdomad five reading Constructing an Educational Doctrine ( 2005 ) , † Teacher Dave Oland compares pupils have oning uniforms in school to boot cantonments, prisons, and parochial schools ( p.366 ) . The statement is that uniforms in school will merely keep the pupils, and that schools can hold higher trial tonss, less battles, and better subject jobs without integrating uniforms into the schools. With that being said, the issue that needs to be addressed within the local and province schools is the fact that pupils have oning uniforms in school is non merely good to the pupils, but is besides financially good to parents. Children get so wrapped up in what apparels and places are popular among kids their age that they do no privation to concentrate on the existent ground of why they are in school. Students are in school to larn, and when they wear uniforms they are more likely to concentrate more on their faculty members and less on dad civilization. Even though there are schools that require pupils to have on uniforms all the clip, there are some schools that do non desire to set force per unit area on the pupils by necessitating the pupils to have on uniforms full clip. Some schools try to strike a happy medium by merely necessitating their pupils to have on uniforms two or three yearss a hebdomad ( Boutelle, 2008 ) . Students do non acquire the full benefit of uniforms in schools unless they wear uniforms in schools full clip. Harmonizing to Boutelle ( 2008 ) , â€Å" Uniforms offer a assortment of benefits such as uniforms promote school safety and heighten the acquisition environment every bit good as diminish the vesture competition ( p.36 ) . Because uniforms diminish the vesture competition pupils will non be distracted by the new interior decorator denims that Christina has on, or by the newest brace of interior decorator places that Joe merely got for his birthday. Alternatively pupils are able to concentrate on the existent ground of why they are in school which is to acquire an instruction. Another issue that has been eliminated with uniforms in the schools is the issue of pupils have oning vesture that is excessively telling. Harmonizing to Boutelle ( 2008 ) , † With today ‘s manners of minimum frock, female pupils may demo up at school have oning a micro-mini skirt rolled down to expose her belly button and a hackamore top that exposes her middle ( p.34 ) . When female pupils wear vesture that is excessively uncovering to school, non merely is it deflecting for her schoolmates, but it besides invites inappropriate activity. A miss may have on a hackamore top and mini skirt to school because that is the new manner, but what she does non recognize is that manner of vesture may convey her some unwanted attending from the male childs such as perverse comments and name naming. Uniforms non merely extinguish issues for misss every bit far as misss have oning vesture that is excessively telling ; instead uniforms extinguish issues for all adolescents in school. Harmonizing to Boutelle ( 2008 ) , † Uniforms rid schools of pack colourss, every bit good as rids schools of pupils contending over interior decorator jackets and other interior decorator vesture ( p. 36-37 ) . Because of uniforms in school the overall behaviour of pupils has improved so much that there have merely been a few behavior incidents in schools where pupils are required to have on uniforms ( Boutelle, 2008 ) . Without behavior incidents in schools due to uniforms, pupils are able to concentrate more on their surveies. Students have learned that they can show their creativeness both academically and artistically ( Boutelle, 2008 ) . The issue of pupils have oning uncovering vesture and combat over interior decorator vesture has about been wholly eliminated from schools due to uniforms. In other words, pupils express themselves with their cognition, alternatively of with the apparels they wear. Because of this there are some astonishing consequences. Schools that require pupils to have on uniforms can take to improved subject and schoolroom behaviour, increased school attending, regard for instructors, better school public presentation, higher pupil self-esteem and assurance, lower vesture cost, publicity of group spirit, decrease in societal stratification, and lower rates of force and offense. ( Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006, p.25 ) With the possibility of uniforms work outing all of instruction ‘s jobs, people may inquire why pupils have non already been required to have on uniforms in schools. This is a consequence of the people who are opposed to necessitating pupils to have on uniforms in schools. Those who are opposed to pupils have oning uniforms in schools argue that necessitating school uniforms violates pupils ‘ rights, that uniforms are non responsible for reduced force, that pupils will happen other ways to vie, and that uniforms have no direct bearing on academic accomplishment. ( Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006, p.25 ) Because of this it may be difficult for schools to make up one's mind which side is the best for the pupils. For this ground people need to look at the fact, which means they need to look at the schools that have already employed uniforms for pupils in their schools. Harmonizing to Konheim-Kalkstein ( 2006 ) , † A rule from Cherry Hill School reported increased attending, reduced suspensions, less frequent combat, increased trial tonss, and improved school public presentation after pupils began have oning uniforms † ( p.25 ) . There have besides been other schools in different metropoliss that have adopted school uniforms. One illustration of a metropolis that has enforced uniforms in schools is Long Beach where uniforms are required for pupils in classs Kindergarten through Twelfth ( Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006 ) . Since schools in Long Beach have adopted uniforms, there have been important betterments with the behaviour of pupils. Below is a chart that shows the statistical betterments in a school in Long Beach due to pupils have oning uniforms. The chart below shows how after five old ages of pupils have oning uniforms in schools in Long Beach, California, the bad behaviour of pupils decreased dramatically. Improvements Due to School Uniforms A Uniform Look, by Konheim-Kalkstein, p.25, Copyright 2006 by American School Board Journal. Bad behaviour in the Long Beach schools was progressively bad before the acceptance of uniforms. Five old ages after Long Beach schools adopted uniforms overall offense decreased by 91 % , suspensions decreased by 90 % , sex discourtesies decreased by 96 % , and Vandalism decreased by 69 % ( Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006 ) . This is entirely should be proof plenty of what good can go on when pupils are required to have on uniforms in school. Along with Long Beach, other metropoliss have besides adopted uniforms in schools. These metropoliss are New York City, Philadelphia, Miami, and Chicago, and as a consequence 37 province legislative assemblies enacted statute law authorising local territories to find their ain unvarying policies ( Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006 ) . Even though all of these metropoliss have adopted uniforms into their schools, pedagogues and the populace are still clearly divided over the execution of such policies in public schools ( Huss, 2007 ) . This is the instance even after people have seen the positive consequence that uniforms have within the pupil organic structure. Despite the dither between the pedagogues and the public pupils do like the thought of uniforms in schools because uniforms give them a sense of group of rank and besides minimise pupil green-eyed monsters and favoritism ( Huss, 2007 ) . Every school has jobs with green-eyed monster and favoritism in one manner or another. If uniforms give pupils a sense of belonging, so why can people non hold that uniforms are a good thing? Harmonizing to Huss ( 2007 ) , † Widening cognition in this country is highly of import because the overall school clime has every bit much to make with acquisition, productive work, and self-concept as does anything else in the educational plan ( p.32 ) . When speech production of uniforms in the educational plan, instructors ‘ sentiments besides need to be heard. Students look up to instructors, and because of this the instructors input can hold a positive consequence on pupils refering uniforms. After uniforms are implemented into schools, instructors have said that they noticed pupils are less concerned abut how they fit in wit their equals, and that pupils are no longer being judged for non have oning the â€Å" right † apparels or for have oning hand-me-downs. ( Huss, 2007, p.36 ) Along with pupils non being judged for their apparels, other instructors have reported that pupils are more enthusiastic about being at school, less riotous during category, and that there have been fewer battles since implementing uniforms in schools ( Huss, 2007 ) . Peoples must non bury that uniforms allow pupils to be disciplined and motivated academically, every bit good as Teach pupils to show themselves through cognition instead than showing themselves through material ownerships. With all the calamity that happens in this universe today, it is of import for pupils to be taught morally right. Meaning it is of import for pupils to be taught about the things that genuinely matter in this universe. Education, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-discipline, and sense of belonging are all facets of life that pupils look for in one manner or another, and this is why pupils need uniforms in their schools.

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 23

The next morning, Elena felt light and joyful, as if she was hugging an enormous, wonderful secret to herself. Damon was stil alive. He had been in her room last night. Right? She'd been through so much, she could hardly trust it. She climbed out of bed, noting that the clouds outside were stil pink and gold from the sunrise, so it must be very early. She careful y moved toward the window. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she went down on her hands and knees and scanned the floor careful y. There. A tiny piece of dirt on the squeaky board, fal en from someone's shoe. And there, on the windowsil , the long scratches of a bird's claws. That was proof enough for Elena. She stood up and gave a funny little hop of joy, clapping her hands together sharply once, an unstoppable grin spreading across her face. Damon was alive! Then she took a deep breath and stood stil , wil ing her face into blankness. If she was real y going to keep this secret – and she supposed she would have to; she'd promised, after al – she was going to have to act like nothing had changed. And real y, things were pretty bad stil , she told herself. If she thought about the facts, she shouldn't be celebrating just yet. Damon's return hadn't altered the fact that something dark was after Elena and her friends, or that Stefan was acting irrational y and violently. Her heart sank a little as she thought of Stefan, but stil a bubble of happiness went through her. Damon was alive! And, what was more, he had an idea of what might be going on. It was exactly like Damon at his most infuriating to play this idea close to his chest and not let her know what he was thinking, but stil , his glimmer was more hope than anyone else had been able to offer yet. Perhaps there was light at the end of the tunnel after al . A pebble pinged against Elena's window. When she looked out, she saw Stefan, shoulders hunched, hands in his pockets, watching her from the lawn. Elena waved to him to stay where he was, threw on jeans, a lacy white tank top, and shoes, and went downstairs to meet him. There was dew on the grass, and Elena's steps left footprints. The cool of dawn was already being replaced by dazzling hot sunshine: It was going to be another sticky Virginia summer day. As she approached Stefan, Elena slowed down. She didn't quite know what to say to him. Since last night, every time she had thought of Stefan, she had involuntarily pictured Caleb's body flying through the air, the sickening crunch as he hit the marble monument. And she couldn't stop seeing Stefan's savage anger as he had attacked him, although Damon had been sure there must have been a reason. Damon. How would she ever keep Stefan from guessing the truth about his brother? From the pained look on Stefan's face, it was clear he sensed her apprehension. He held out his hand. â€Å"I know you don't understand why I did what I did yesterday,† he said, â€Å"but there's something you have to see.† Elena stopped, but she didn't take his outstretched hand. His face fel a little further. â€Å"Tel me where we're going,† she said. â€Å"I need to show you something that I found,† Stefan said patiently. â€Å"You'l understand when we get there. Please, Elena. I would never hurt you.† Elena stared at him. She knew without a doubt that it was true that Stefan would never hurt her. â€Å"Okay,† she said, making up her mind. â€Å"Wait here for a minute. I'l be right back.† She left Stefan on the lawn in the early morning sunshine as she retreated into the quiet dimness of the house. Everyone else was stil asleep: A quick glance at the clock in the kitchen told her it was barely six o'clock. She scribbled a note to Aunt Judith, saying she was going to grab breakfast with Stefan and would be back later. Reaching for her purse, she paused and made sure that a dried sprig of vervain was stil tucked inside it. Not that she thought Stefan would ever do anything to her†¦ but it never hurt to be prepared. When she came out of the house, Stefan ushered her into his car parked at the curb, opening the passenger-side door for her and hovering over her as she fastened her seat belt. â€Å"How far away is it?† Elena asked. â€Å"Not far,† Stefan said simply. Watching him drive, Elena noticed the worry lines at the corners of his eyes, the unhappy droop of his mouth, the tension in his shoulders, and wished she could put her arms around him and comfort him, raise her hand and wipe those lines by his eyes away. But her memories of the rage on his face the day before held her back. She just couldn't make herself reach out to him. They hadn't driven for long when Stefan turned onto a culde-sac of expensive houses. Elena leaned forward. They were pul ing up to a large white house fronted by a spacious pil ared porch. She knew that porch. After junior prom, she and Matt had sat on its steps and watched the sun rise, stil wearing their clothes from the dance. She had kicked off her satin sandals and laid her head against Matt's tuxedoed shoulder, listening dreamily to the music and voices coming from the afterprom party in the house behind them. It had been a good night from a different lifetime. She stared at Stefan accusingly. â€Å"This was Tyler Smal wood's house, Stefan. I don't know what you're planning, but Caleb's not here. He's in the hospital.† Stefan sighed. â€Å"I know he's not here, Elena. His aunt and uncle haven't been here either, not for several days, at least.† â€Å"They're out of town,† Elena said automatical y. â€Å"Aunt Judith talked to them yesterday.† â€Å"That's good,† Stefan said grimly. â€Å"Then they're safe.† He cast a worried glance up and down the street. â€Å"You're sure Caleb won't be out of the hospital today?† â€Å"Yes,† said Elena acidly. â€Å"He was too injured. They're keeping him for observation.† Elena got out of the car, slammed the door, and marched toward the Smal woods' house, not looking back to see whether Stefan was fol owing. He caught up to her instantly. She cursed his vampiric speed in her head and walked faster. â€Å"Elena,† he said, circling in front of her and forcing her to a stop. â€Å"Are you angry that I want to keep you safe?† â€Å"No,† she said scathingly. â€Å"I'm angry that you almost kil ed Caleb Smal wood.† Stefan's face sagged with exhaustion and sorrow, and Elena instantly felt guilty. Whatever was going on with Stefan, he stil needed her. But she didn't know how to deal with his violence. She'd fal en in love with Stefan for his poetic soul, for his gentleness. Damon was the dangerous one. Dangerous looks much better on Damon than it does on Stefan, a dry observing voice at the back of her mind said, and Elena couldn't deny the truth of it. â€Å"Just show me what you wanted me to see,† she final y said. Stefan sighed, then turned and led her up the drive of the Smal woods' house. She had expected him to go to the Smal woods' front door, but he cut around the side of the house and toward a smal shed in the backyard. â€Å"The toolshed?† asked Elena quizzical y. â€Å"Do we have a lawn mowing emergency we need to address before breakfast?† Stefan ignored her joke and went to the shed door. Elena noticed that a padlock that had held the double door shut had been wrenched apart, pul ed to pieces. A half loop of metal hung uselessly from the shackle. Stefan had clearly broken in earlier. Elena fol owed him in. At first, after the dew-bright morning outside, she couldn't see anything in the dimness of the shed. Gradual y, she realized that the wal s of the shed were lined with loose papers. Stefan reached out and shoved the doors wider, letting the sunshine stream into the space. Elena peered at the papers on the wal s and then stepped back with a sharp gasp: The first thing she had been able to make out was a picture of her own face. She yanked the paper off the wal and looked at it more closely. It was a clipping from the local paper, showing her dressed in a silver gown, dancing in Stefan's arms. The caption under the picture read: â€Å"Robert E. Lee High School prom queen Elena Gilbert and prom king Stefan Salvatore.† Prom queen? Despite the seriousness of the situation, her lips curled up in a smile. She real y had finished high school in a blaze of glory, hadn't she? She pul ed another clipping from the wal and her face fel . This one showed a coffin carried through the rain by pal bearers, grim-faced mourners standing by. In the crowd, Elena recognized Aunt Judith, Robert, Margaret, Meredith, and Bonnie, lips set, cheeks streaked with tears. The caption here read: â€Å"Town mourns local high school student Elena Gilbert.† Elena's fingers tightened unconsciously, crumpling the clipping. She turned to look at Stefan. â€Å"This shouldn't be here,† she said, a note of hysteria creeping into her voice. â€Å"The Guardians changed the past. There shouldn't be any newspaper articles or anything left.† Stefan stared back at her. â€Å"I know,† he said. â€Å"I've been thinking, and the best guess I can make is that maybe the Guardians just changed people's minds. They wouldn't see any evidence of what we asked the Guardians to erase. They'd just see what supported their new memories, the memories of a normal smal town and of a bunch of ordinary teenagers. Just another school year.† Elena brandished the paper. â€Å"But then why is this here?† Stefan dropped his voice. â€Å"Maybe it doesn't work on everybody. Caleb's got some notes scribbled in a notebook I found, and it seems from them as though he's remembering two different sets of events. Listen to this.† Stefan scrabbled through the papers littering the floor and pul ed out a notebook. â€Å"He writes: ‘There are girls in town now that I know were dead. There were monsters here. The town was destroyed, and we left before they could get us too. But now I'm back and we never left, even though no one but me remembers. Everything's normal: no monsters, no death.'† â€Å"Hmm.† Elena took the notebook from him and scanned through the pages. Caleb had lists there. Vickie Bennett, Caroline, her. Al of them. Everyone who was different in this world than in the other one. There were notes about how he remembered them – how he thought Elena was dead and what was going on now. She turned a few pages, and her eyes widened. â€Å"Stefan, listen. Tyler told him about us: ‘Tyler was afraid of Stefan Salvatore. He thought he kil ed Mr. Tanner and that there was something else strange about him, something unnatural. And he thought Elena Gilbert and her friends were tangled up in whatever was going on.' And there's an asterisk referring back to Mr. Tanner being dead in one set of memories and alive in the other.† Elena quickly scanned a few pages. â€Å"It looks like he focused in on us as the cause of the changes. He figured out we were at the center of everything. Because we're the people the most changed – other than the vampire and kitsune victims – and because he knew Tyler was suspicious of us, he's blaming us for Tyler's disappearance.† â€Å"Two sets of memories,† Stefan repeated, frowning. â€Å"What if Caleb's not the only one remembering both realities? What if supernatural beings, or people aware of the supernatural, weren't affected by the spel ?† Elena froze. â€Å"Margaret – I wondered if she remembered something. She seemed so upset when she first saw me. Remember how she was afraid I was going to go away again? Do you think she's remembering me dying along with the memories the Guardians gave her?† Stefan shook his head. â€Å"I don't know, Elena. Do you have any reason to think Margaret is anything other than a perfectly normal little girl? Little kids can be very dramatic without needing a reason. Margaret's got a lot of imagination.† â€Å"I don't know,† Elena said in frustration. â€Å"But if the Guardians just covered over the old memories with new ones, that would explain why my old journal was stil hidden in my bedroom just where I left it, and everything that had happened up until I left home written in it. So you think that Caleb suspects something is going on because he is a werewolf after al ?† â€Å"Look,† Stefan said, gesturing around the shed. For the first time, Elena took in the whole scene and its implications. Pictures of her. Pictures of Bonnie and Meredith. Even pictures of poor Caroline, ranging from the haughty green-eyed debutante to a feral half monster, heavily pregnant with Tyler's†¦ baby? Pup? Elena realized with a shock that she hadn't thought of Caroline in days. Was Caroline stil pregnant? Was she stil transforming into a werewolf because she was carrying Tyler's baby? There were, Elena remembered, an awful lot of werewolves in Fel ‘s Church. Powerful, important werewolves, and if that hadn't changed, and if the pack remembered everything, or enough of everything, then they were probably just biding their time. There were not only clippings but original photographs around the room. She saw a picture taken through the boardinghouse window of herself leaning forward excitedly to talk to Meredith, who was caressing her deadly hunting stave. Based on her outfit, it had been taken right after they picked up Alaric and Celia. Caleb had been not only researching the two sets of memories over the last few months but also spying on Elena and her friends. Then she noticed something else. In the far corner on the floor was a huge bunch of roses. â€Å"What†¦ ?† Elena said, reaching for them. And then she saw. A pentagram was drawn around the roses. And encircling the pentagram was a bunch of photographs: herself, Bonnie, Meredith, Matt, Stefan, Damon. â€Å"Those are the same kinds of roses as the one Caleb gave you, aren't they?† Stefan asked softly. Elena nodded. They were perfect, delicate blooms in a dark luscious red that made her want to touch them. â€Å"The rose that started it al ,† she whispered. â€Å"It pricked Bonnie's finger, and her blood spel ed Celia's name. It must have come from here.† â€Å"Caleb isn't just a werewolf,† Stefan said. â€Å"I don't know exactly what he did here, but it looks like pretty dark magic to me.† He looked at her pleadingly. â€Å"I discovered it al yesterday,† he continued. â€Å"I had to fight him, Elena. I know I scared you, but I had to protect you – and everyone else – from him.† Elena nodded, too stunned to speak. Now she understood why Stefan had acted the way he had. He thought she was in danger. But stil†¦ she couldn't help feeling sick when she remembered the arc of Caleb's body as he was thrown. Caleb might have attacked them with dangerous magic, but his notes sounded confused and frightened. Elena and her friends had changed his world, and now he couldn't tel what was reality. â€Å"We'd better pack up al of this and bring it back to the boardinghouse,† she said briskly. â€Å"Are there more notebooks?† Stefan nodded. â€Å"Then we'd better look through them careful y. If he cast a spel on us – some kind of curse – it could stil be active, even though he's confined to the hospital for now. The spel he used might be in one of the notebooks, or at least we might find some kind of clue as to what it is and exactly what it's doing. And, hopeful y, how to reverse it.† Stefan was looking a little lost, his green eyes questioning. His arms were held out very slightly, as if he had been expecting her to embrace him and hadn't remembered to put them down when she hadn't. But for some reason she couldn't quite put her finger on, Elena couldn't bring herself to hug him. Instead, she looked away and said, â€Å"Do you have any plastic bags or anything in the car we can use to move it al ?†

Patrick Platt

HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATION Patient Name: Patrick Platt Patient ID: 771033 Room No: 560 Date of Admission: 08/30/—- Admitting Physician: William Payne, MD Admitting Diagnosis: Rule out fracture of left arm. CHIEF COMPLAINT: Pain and swelling, left upper arm. HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS: The patient is an elderly male, who fell four days prior to admission. He noted immediate pain and swelling in the area just above his left elbow. He presented to the emergency room for treatment. PAST HISTORY: Past illnesses include whooping cough as a child. Tonsillectomy in the past. No known allergies to medications. FAMILY HISTORY: No hereditary disorders noted. Mother and father are deceased. Two brothers are alive and well. One sister has adult-onset diabetes mellitus. SOCIAL HISTORY: The patient is married and has two children. His wife does not work outside the home. (No mention of tobacco or alcohol use). PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: GENERAL: The patient is a well-developed, well-nourished male who appears to be in moderate distress with pain and swelling in the upper left arm. Vital signs: Blood pressure 140/90, temperature 98. 3 degrees Fahrenheit, pulse 97, respiration 18. HEENT: Head normal, no lesions, Eyes, arcus senilis, both eyes. Ears, impacted cerumen, left ear. Nose, clear. Mouth, dentures fit well, no lesions. NECK: Normal range of motion in all directions. (Continued) HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATION Patient Name: Patrick Platt Patient ID: 771033 Date of Admission: 08/30/—- Page 2 INTEGUMENTARY: Psoriatic lesion, right thigh, approximately 1 mm in diameter. CHEST: Clear breath sounds bilaterally. No rales or rhonchi noted. HEART: Normal sinus rhythm. There is a holosystolic murmur. No friction rubs noted. ABDOMEN: Normal bowel sounds. Liver, kidneys, and spleen are normal to palpation. GENITALIA: Tests normally descended bilaterally. RECTAL: Prostate 2+ and benign. EXTREMITIES: Pain and swelling noted above the left elbow, other upper extremities normal. No cyanosis or clubbing. The legs demonstrate 2+ pitting edema to the knees. NEUROLOGIC: Crainial nerves II through XII intact, memory intact, sensation intact to light touch. ASSESSMENT AND PLAN: The patient was sent for plain film of the left arm, which revealed a fracture of the left humerus. The fracture was reduced in the emergency room. X-ray revealed anatomic alignment. He was released to home with a prescription for a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and instructions to elevate his arm. He will follow up in the office in three days. PROGNOSIS: Good. _________________________ William Payne, MD WM:R D:08/30/—- T:09/01/—-