Car Safety Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Car Safety - Term Paper Example This paper will discuss a number of aspects of engineering and construction related to car safety such as car design, assembly, and equipment that eradicate or diminish car accidents. The History of Car Safety Car safety might have become a concern almost from the start of mechanized road vehicle expansion. The second artillery tractor that was powered by steam was produced by a Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot in the year 1771 and is described by some individuals to have crashed into a barricade through its demonstration run. On the other hand, Georges Ageon claims that the earliest declaration of this incident dates from the year1801, and it cannot be traced in any present-day accounts. The utilization of seat belts and cushion dashboards was advocated for in the year 1934, which led to the formation of the Automobile Safety League of America. The same year, GM undertook the initial barrier crash experiment. A number of experiments and addition of a number of items in the car through the year 1940 to date has developed the car design, assembly, and equipment for the eradication or reduction of car accidents (Hamer 156). Safety did not develop into a promotion point for novel cars until the late years of the 1980s, but it is without doubt now. There has been augmented public understanding of the relative efficiency of safety features within diverse models, which has been elevated by the prologue of self-sufficient crash tests, principally the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which is a global crash test establishment in which the NRMA, as well as other groupings are members. While noteworthy legislation, for example, the blood alcohol restrictions practice for driving has taken part in playing a key role in dropping road crash injury as well as deaths. However, to date, the seat belt is the development which has saved many human beings than any other (Jain 187). Active and Passive Car Safety Active safety refers to technology that supports in the avoidance of a crash w hile passive safety is a technology that supports in the avoidance of a crash to mechanisms of the vehicle such as airbags, seatbelts, as well as the physical construction of the car, which can aid in the protection of occupants when a crash occurs (Crandall, Bhalla & Madeley 234). Crash Evasion Systems Crash evasion systems and pieces of equipment assist the driver as well as the car itself to evade a crash. Cars are outfitted with a selection of lights as well as reflectors to mark their existence, position, distance across, length, and bearing of travel to put across the driver's intention and measures to other drivers. Crash evasion systems include the car's headlamp, which some have headlights that rotate with the obverse wheels of a car, revealing the pathway around a curve. Other evasion systems include front and back position lamps, turn warning signs, brake or stop lamps, repealing lamps, side marker lights, suspension systems, cars’ mirror, as well as reflectors. Dr iver Assistance Systems A division of crash evasion is driver support systems, which aid the driver to become aware of obstacles that are concealed and to manage the car. Driver support systems consist of mechanical braking systems that put a stop to or lessen the rigorousness of a crash. They utilize long and short array radar, to function efficiently at whichever

Physiology - Rabbit Ileum Essay Example for Free

Physiology Rabbit Ileum Essay The isolated intestinal smooth muscle preparation is one of the classical preparations in physiology and pharmacology for bioassays, or the study of drug action and autonomic control of motility. This preparation is included in many in-house laboratory manuals of various colleges and universities around North America, and in some commercially prepared manuals deal ing with physiology and pharmacology (e. g. Nicpon-Marieb, 1981). Basically, the method presented in this report is a modification of the original Finkleman preparation (Finkleman, 1930) for the study of the autonomic control of intestinal motility. What is different about our approach is the method of mounting the preparation and the method of stimulation of the sympathetic nerve. The classic way of mounting the piece of intestine is to suspend it vertically in a muscle bath between an aeration tube and a recording lever. The problems with this technique are (1) stress placed on the intestine when the chamber is emptied during the process of changing solutions, and (2) difficulty in stimulating the sympathetic nerve due to the fact that the preparation is totally submerged in a physiological saline solution. We have overcome these problems by mounting the segments of gut horizontally in a shallow muscle bath. As a result, less stress is placed on the intestine during changeover of solutions, and it is easier to manipulate and to stimulate the sympathetic nerve contained within the mesentery. Also students find i t much easier to mount the preparation in the horizontal bath and are less likely to stretch the muscle preparation in the process. With these modifications we have improved the student success rate from 50-60% to 90-100%. Large recordings of the muscle contraction, such as those shown in Appendix A, are easily obtainable using a kymograph and simple lever system. In fact, another advantage of this exercise is that it does not require expensive recording equipment.

Lord Of The Flies Theme Paper :: essays research papers

LORD OF THE FLIES THEME PAPER   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Here invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection if parents and school and policemen and the law. (pg.62). Lord of the Flies written by William Golding is a book showing that without restrictions (laws, rules) anything can happen. The world could be havoc if it was just kids and no parents. Let me ask you this if you were stranded on an island and you were 12 years old and there was no adults would you go wild? Would you kill another kid? Would you put on war paint before hunting? These are the questions that you should ask yourself. In this book they could answer the questions for you or not you decide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Without supervision from an adult figure these kids got out of control. They weren’t thinking about being saved except for Piggy and Ralph. All it was about was the hunting. Just to take down a pig with a spear and then killing it for food was their main priority. It seemed like some of them didn’t want to go home they wanted to live on the island forever because they liked the fact that they were free from adults telling them what to do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jack and his hunters weren’t thinking straight. They didn’t have teachers or parents to set them out of their trance. No one to show the way to being good kids. No one to punish them for wrongdoing. Since they were free of supervision they went crazy. They didn’t care about the fire going out. You talk. But you cant even build huts then you go off hunting and let out the fire. (pg.71). They just wanted to hunt all the time and they killed two other kids. One was accidental but they shouldn’t have thrown a huge boulder on top of Piggy’s head. Know if there was an adult supervision then the hunters wouldn’t be hunting they’d be made to watch the fire 24 hours and they wouldn’t be killing other kids either.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ralph and Piggy were really the only ones wanting to be saved. They were closest to being any kind of an adult supervision. But since they weren’t actually adults the kids wouldn’t listen to them. Piggy and Ralph knew what had to be done to be rescued but none of the kids cared about

American Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century

American Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century was a very important era in our country. Imperialism is the acquisition of control over the government and the economy of another nation; usually by conquest. The United States became an imperialistic world power in the late nineteenth century by gaining control over the Hawaiian Island and after the Spanish American War (1898), Guam, the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico. (Davidson, Delay, Heyrman, Lytle & Stoff, 2008) This policy was adopted to keep up with the world powers like Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, and Russia. Compared to the European-style imperialism the possession by conquest American imperialism was said to be more pure because it was done without conquest; it was completed with exportation of products, ideas, and influence. As countries became dependant on industrialism they needed the foreign trade to bring in the capital. Companies within the country could purchase products but that only moved the capital from producer to purchaser within our own economy. Securing the interests of trade was not an easy task as there were five other world empires trying to complete the same goal. Americans preferred the more indirect approach to imperialism, free enterprise. It was a win-win approach for America, everyone stood to gain by the rapid and expanding social and economic networks that were going to be secured. Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan argued that if the US was to be a great nation we needed to protect its interest in the foreign markets. He persuaded Congress to build a new Navy that consisted of large cruisers and battleships that were steam powered vessels made of steal. Congress agreed and the program to rebuild the Navy began in the 1880’s. The United States Navy was the third best in the world by 1900 and now had to means to become an imperial power and protect its vested interests. (Davidson, Delay, Heyrman, Lytle, & Stoff, 2008) The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867; the deal was negotiated by William H Seward the Secretary of State and an ardent expansionist who was committed to enhancing the nation’s trade and military standing. We established a presence in Samoa during the 1870’s and the importance of Hawaii was recognized in the early portion of the nineteenth century. By 1875 the US had complete control of Pearl Harbor. American Imperialism grew momentum during the Spanish-American War (1898). The war only lasted four months but it was a turning point for America as it resulted in the acquisition of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. (Gale Encyclopedia, 1999) In 1899 the Anti-Imperialist League was founded. The League was the largest lobbying organization through the nineteenth century; the purpose of this organization was to oppose the US annexation of the Philippines. Even though the League had popular members like Andrew Carnegie, Jane Addams, and Williams James they struggled with a consistent message. It was this inconsistency that hindered their efforts to win the support within the Republican Party. After the Treaty of Paris was approved by Congress the League’s strength declined. Many of the League activists were charged with treason, causing even more decline in the support of their political cause. The expansion into the Caribbean continued and in 1903 the United States instigated a Panama revolution. The United States immediately entered a treaty with Panama to build the Panama Canal. In 1904 President Roosevelt declared that the US reserved the right to intervene in the affairs of smaller western hemisphere nations should these smaller countries fails to meet their financial obligations to European creditors. This was the so-called â€Å"Roosevelt Corollary† to the Monroe Doctrine. Over the next several years this policy was applied in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua. Overall, American Imperialism could have been more successful. In the end the interventions came to be expensive and more often caused bitterness and resentment with the affected countries. Since trade with the Far East did not grow like expected business sought to expand their markets within the Western Hemisphere. This required a different approach, one of good will and not tension. With this the Age of Imperialism as we knew it was over. In 1933 the United States formally renounced intervention to the world at an international conference in Uruguay. However after the 1959 revolution in Cuba the United States formulated a new round of international intervention by the Central Intelligence Agency in Cuba, Honduras, Chile, Nicaragua and numerous other foreign countries. (Gale Encyclopedia, 1999)

Midwifery Today

Quilty_Lisa_MIDW127Page 1 of 6 Midwifery models of care monitor the physical, psychological and social aspects of women throughout childbearing years. Technological advances reflect differing opinions of physicians where intervening measures take choices out of women’s hands during birth, often neglecting needs turning a natural process into a medical procedure. This essay looks at choices offered to women in westernized countries choosing midwifery models, in stark contrast to an experience within hospital settings.It inspects beneficial impacts midwifery models have on refugee women and the importance of cultural safe midwifery models practiced in midwifery care in Australia. Financial recession threatens to impact on maternity services. This essay discusses this socio-political concern, and birthing women choosing midwifery lead care, its cost effectiveness and needs for change in indemnity insurance arrangements in Australia and abroad. With technological advancements, wom en are offered many choices medically to birth their babies without real reason to opt for such invasive procedures (Block, as cited in Chjnacki, 2010, pp. 3-54). Physician’s philosophy to pregnancy is commonly disease oriented focusing on diagnosis and treatment of problematic pregnancies and birth, managing affecting woman and foetus (Rooks, as cited in Chjnacki, 2010, p. 48). In contrast, midwives have a wellness approach to birth applying holistic care, trusting pregnant women and their ability to safely birth their babies where medical interventions are avoided (Hermer, as cited in Chjnacki, 2010, p. 48).Although midwifery may be recognized as acceptable, focus seems to surround the thought mother and baby won’t have appropriate attention if something went wrong under their care. Lubic (2010) writes, in Washington USA it has been noted that midwife managed birthing centres demonstrated how midwifery models impact lives of Page 2 of 6 women attending for the better . Women report coming out of care feeling respected and able to take charge of their own pregnancies, supported to birth their babies naturally without interventions. Woman centred care established through continuity of care, gains trust and recognises the other’s spiritual connection with her body and mind enhancing her natural birthing experience (Lubic, 2010). In Sweden pregnant women are encouraged to remain home until labour progresses to late stage avoiding unnecessary obstetric interventions. Women report fewer complications than those who are admitted to hospital for this phase (Carlsson, Ziegert, Sahlberg-Blom & Nissen, 2010, p. 86). It is not understood why women go to hospital while in early labour, other than through anxiety and to hand over control (Beebe et al. , as cited in Carlsson, 2010, p. 87).This becomes problematic for women and causes doubts about their body’s ability to progress through labour, if monitoring establishes it is not progressing (Eri , Blystad, Gjengedal & Blaaka, as cited in Carlsson, 2010, p. 87). Although labouring at home women felt they shared their uncertainties with midwives who were able to reassure them when in doubt, enabling them to then progress with their labour at home feeling confident with their own bodies progression (Carlsson, et al. , 2010). Carlsson (2010) states women reported to feel relaxed yet strengthened in their home environments, letting labour progress naturally.Despite health issues prevalent amongst refugee backgrounds, access to the appropriate health care can lead to significant improvements in reproductive health in women (Hymes, Sheik, Wilson & Speigel, as cited in Correa-Velez, 2011, p. 14). Refugee women settling in industrialised English speaking countries benefit significantly from midwifery models of care. It seems differences were evident in obstetric outcomes between these Page 3 of 6 women and women born in these countries (Small et al. , as cited in Correa-Velez, 2011, p. 14).Correa-Velez & Ryan (2011) suggest cultural competency or the degree to which these women are cared for, is of vital importance. Women report hospital stays as having negative impact on their well being and trust levels due to limited communication and cultural needs not being understood or met. The use of technical devices and lack of explanation for their use throughout labour was found to be distressing (Correa-Velez, 2011, p. 19). Trust, confidence and over all satisfaction were identified as important factors to women of refugee background, and thought to establish through continuity of care (Correa-Velez, 2011, p. 18).Women centred care improves communication, enhancing a sense of control enabling informed decision making (Harper et al. , & McCourt et al. , cited in Correa-Velez, 2011, p. 14). Relationships built around these midwifery models develop trust for women of immigrant backgrounds, aiding communication where it can be a barrier and interpreters may be needed. Availability of interpreters through community based practitioners was found to be limited or obtained through clumsy means (Correa-Velez, 2011, p. 16). Maternity services accessed in Australia come from a diverse range of women with specific needs (Phiri, Dietsch & Bonner, 2010, p. 05). The protection of cultural groups depends on cultural safe midwifery practice. Midwifery models identify women of all cultures as the main focus of care (Phiri, et al. , 2010, p. 109). Cultural safety essentially concerns a large understanding of individual respect, support, empowerment and upholding of human rights (Duffy, et al. , as cited in Phiri, et al. , 2010). Open and respectful communication clear and value free is fundamental in recognizing women’s requirements when planning individualized care, this is then incorporated into how cultural safe care is Page 4 of 6 instituted (De, et al. , as cited in Phiri, et al. 2010, p. 109). The uniqueness of midwives and women’s relation ships aids cultural safety, the relationship being enhanced by continuity of care (Eckermann, as cited in Phiri, et al. , 2010, p. 108). Deery & Kirkham (as cited in Phiri, et al. , 2010, p. 108) acknowledge how Australian midwifery models engage women individually, then respond appropriately to each woman’s cultural needs. Evidence shows midwifery driven models of care based on the midwife woman relationship leads to lower use of medical interventions, safer outcomes for mothers and babies and overall satisfaction, all at low maternity costs (Hatem, et al. as cited in Gould, 2011). Yet in the UK, where midwifery based care in maternity services are envied world wide, the financial recession threatens to be the largest risk (Gould, 2011). This highlights the need for midwifery models to be implemented and supported by all medical avenues, otherwise maternity services risk being pushed into large hospitals, where production line maternity care will be prevalent at costly effec ts (Gould, 2011) explains.This change would see an amalgamation of midwifery, medical and management structures, having potential to make long lasting impacts on the future of midwifery lead care where it becomes lost amongst medical models (Gould, 2011). The Australian College of Midwives, (ACM, 2008) outline how pregnant women and midwives suffer through the lack of professional indemnity insurance offered to midwives practicing privately. Sadly registered midwives frustrated at being unable to work to their full scope safely in private practices are choosing to stop practicing.Midwifery lead care is only available to a small number of women, as only few midwives work this way (ACM, 2011, p. 3). Research suggests midwives find there models extremely rewarding and those Page 5 of 6 who have left the midwifery profession would return if they were able to work under such midwifery models safely (Curtis, as cited in ACM, 2011, p. 3). Recent Federal Government recommendations in Austra lia recognise the need for midwives to take on primary care roles, and are considering changes to funding and indemnity insurance arrangements (Sutherland, et al. 2009, p. 637). Significant midwifery shortages particularly in rural areas combined with rising fertility rates could present significant reform challenges keeping maternity services under pressure if it continues unresolved (Australian Health Workforce Advisory Committee, as cited in Sutherland, et al. , 2009, p. 637). With some state based policy initiatives supporting midwifery care in the public sector, it seems women choosing ongoing care offering midwifery models through pregnancy, birth and postnatally still remains in discussion (Sutherland, et al. 2009, p. 638). Governments, health care providers and insurance companies limit maternal choice (Hermer, as cited in Chojnacki, 2010, p. 48). Hermer (as cited in Chojnacki, 2010) suggests as a pregnancy progresses in America, limitations for the women’s birth opti ons increase. A woman’s choice as to where and how she birth’s her baby may greatly be effected by the governing parties of a particular state (Hermer, as cited in Chojnacki, 2010, p. 59). Midwifery models of care offer women greater choice reflecting their own spiritual, religious, and feminist beliefs.It cannot be assumed how highly such values be ranked, and when in care of physicians, as patients it seems there is much misunderstanding (Cohen, as cited in Chjnacki, 2010, p. 51). This essay shows supporting evidence that midwives should be sole care providers for women experiencing normal pregnancies. Health care providers need to move away from such medical models of care relating to pregnant women, understanding that it is in fact normal for women to have babies. Evidence shows that women Page 6 of 6 f refugee history acknowledge midwifery models provide continuity of care that is needed for on going support during pregnancy (Correa-Velez, 2011, p. 13). This also applies to cultural safe models offered by midwives, and the ongoing relevance it has on Australia’s multi cultural nation (Phiri, et al. , 2009, p. 105). It is vital that these midwifery models become supported through governments backing, enabling midwifery care to become a choice all women have the privilege to make through their own individual circumstances.In accordance with my research, harsh reality is lack of insurance coverage may limit women’s options towards such significant happenings as birthing their babies, regardless of what is the best interest for them physically, mentally and spiritually (Law, as cited in Chojnacki, 2010, p. 75). Midwifery models of care will continue to play an important role in childbearing women worldwide, when choosing to remain in control of their own bodies capabilities or to simply have a choice. To what extent these models are advocated will greatly depend on individual governments, their change in policies, and financial sup port.Chojnacki (2010) concludes women choose their birthing options based on their spiritual, religious, political and feminist beliefs. Misunderstandings will remain between lawmakers, physicians and women as the importance of such opinions are trivialized (Cohen, as cited in Chojnacki, 2010, p. 51). Quilty_Lisa_MIDW127 References Australian College of Midwives. (2008). Submission to the Maternity Services Review 2008. Retrieved from http://www. health. gov. au/internet/main/publishing. nsf/Content/maternityservicesreview-470/$FILE/470_Australian%20College%20of%20Midwives%20Student%20Advisory%20Committee. oc. Chojnacki, B. (2010). Pushing Back: Protecting Maternal Autonomy From the Living Room to the Delivery Room, Journal of Law and Health, 23 (45), 46- 78. Retrieved from http://develdrupal. law. csuohio. edu/currentstudents/studentorg/jlh/documents/5gChojnacki. pdf Phiri, J. , Dietsch, E. , & Bonner, A. (2009). Cultural safety and its importance for Australian midwifery practice. Women and Birth, 17 (3), 105-111. doi: 10. 1016/j. colegn. 2009. 11. 001 Correa-Velez, I. , & Ryan, J. (2011).Developing a best practice model of refugee maternity care. Royal College of Nursing, Australia: Elsevier, 25 (1), 13-22. doi: 10. 1016/j. wombi. 2011. 01. 002 Sutherland, G. , Yelland, J. , Wiebe, J. , Kelly, J. , Marlowe, P. , & Brown, S. (2009). Role of general practitioners in primary maternity care in South Australia and Victoria. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 49 (6), 637-641. doi: 10. 1111/j. 1479-828X. 2009. 01078x Carlsson, I. , Ziegert, K. , Sahlberg-Blom, E. , & Nissen, E. (2010).Maintaining power: Women’s experiences from labour onset before admittance to maternity ward. Quilty_Lisa_MIDW127 School of Social and Health Sciences, Halmstad University Sweden. Elsevier. 28 (1), 86-92. doi: 10. 1016/j. midw. 2010. 11. 011 Lubic, R. (2010). The family health and birth centre – a nurse-midwife-managed centre in Washington , DC: Perspectives on Nursing Practice. Alternative Therapies, 16 (5). Retrieved from http://www. scribd. com/InnoVision%20Health%20Media/d/37370523-The-Family- Health-and-Birth-Center%E2%80%94A-Nurse-

Mr2 essays

Mr2 essays For Crane, he uses Maggie: A Girl of the Streets to tell a story of a girl, born into a life of misery, who has no way of escaping it. Thus, the story strikes an emotional chord in the readers hearts and the audience empathizes with Maggies conditions. Crane believes in the concept of "lifting the veil" and envisions a society that can look past physical differences. He wants the reader to understand the trails that Maggie endured and that the forces that hindered her were not her fault. She is born a "victim" of society. The dialect that Crane uses explicitly distances the audience from Maggie. Crane purposely wants his audience to understand her hardships and not to judge her actions. The dialect found inside the story separates the reader from the characters, yet still allows us to acknowledge Maggie and "makes room in Heaven for all sorts of souls (notably an occasional street girl) who are confidently expected to be there by many excellent people." Thus, by "lifting the veil," C rane allows his readers to see Maggies struggles, however, also allowing us to understand when Maggie commits suicide. The opposing forces around her are too large for her to overcome. Stephen's father, Jonathan Crane, was a Methodist minister who died in 1880, leaving Stephen, the youngest of 14 children, to be reared by his devout, strong-minded mother. After attending preparatory school at the Claverack College (1888-90), Crane spent less than two years at college and then went to New York City to live in a medical students' boardinghouse while freelancing his way to a literary career. While alternating bohemian student life and explorations of the Bowery slums with visits to genteel relatives in the country near Port Jervis, N.Y., Crane wrote his first book, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893), a sympathetic study of an innocent and abused slum girl's descent into prostitution and her eventual suicide. ...

Fashion has been seen a device for confining women essays

Fashion has been seen a device for confining women essays BA Hons Technical Effects for the Performing Arts Fashion has been seen as a device for confining women to an inferior social order. (Finkelstein, J. 1996 After a Fashion Melbourne: Melbourne University Press p.56) Why? Do you accept these arguments. Illustrate your argument with reference to specific examples. The male and female body shapes are physically different, therefore clothing for each gender has to be tailored to fit these variations. Womens clothing generally incorporates more darts to accommodate the bust and hips, while mens clothing has a more rectangular shape to cover their less curvaceous body. If these curve accommodating darts are the only adjustments necessary to make male clothing fit females, we have to ask why men and womens fashions have been so different throughout history? Can different still obtain equality? Are women confined to a lower social order? If so, what confines them? There are many different views to these questions, but no right or wrong answers, just opinions. I will be discussing some of these opinions, as well as contributing my own to help give a broader view of how, and indeed if fashion has been a device for confining women to an inferior social order (Finkelstein, 1996 p.56) The main reason for our fashions being so different is because we define ourselves as being male or female through a system of opposition (Schreier, 1989 p.4). Our fashions have therefore served to divide us through accentuating the physical differences. Men are expected to conform to wearing clothing that is deemed by the society in which they live to be masculine, and women, feminine, for example, during the 1950s men wore suits that comprised of trousers and a hard-edged jacket to accentuate their broad shoulders and in turn their physical strength. During most eras the requirements for feminine fashions were garments that ...

Complete Guide to Harvard Recommendation Letters

Complete Guide to Harvard Recommendation Letters SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you applying to Harvard, or writing a letter of recommendation for someone who is? To get into Harvard or another Ivy League school, your letter of recommendation, like with all the other parts of your application, must be outstanding. Even if your grades, test scores, and other achievements are stellar, you don't want to downplay the importance of recommendation letters in the admissions decision. Read on to find out just how important rec letters are to the Harvard admissions committee, along with how exactly they can provide powerful support for an applicant. How Important Are Recommendation Letters in Harvard Admissions? To answer this question, let's go straight to thedeanhimself. Dean of admissions and financial aid, William R. Fitzsimmons, says, "Recommendation from secondary school teachers and counselors are extremely important at Harvard." Admissions committees read the recommendations "with great care, often commenting on them in writing on 'read sheets' in each application." If that doesn't give you a sense of how much attention is paid to reference letters, consider this: they often project the recommendations onto large screens so all members of the admissions committee can read them at once, both when they meet in smaller groups and all together for final review processes in February and March. With all eyes literally on your recommendations, they are looking intently at what it has to say. Why? Getting ready* to read your rec letter...no pressure!*(Not an actual representation of what it's like at all.) What's the Purpose of Letters of Recommendation? To consult the dean again, Fitzsimmons says, "Recommendations can help us to see well beyond test scores and grades and other credentials and canilluminate such personal qualities as character and leadership, as well as intellectual curiosity, creativity, and love of learning." Additionally, recommendation letters "offer evidence of an applicant's potential to make a significant difference to a college community and beyond." As discussed in Allen Cheng's detailedguide to getting into Harvard, Harvard wants candidates who are going to achieve great things at college and beyond. In this way, they are creating value in the world as a top university. Framed in this way, Fitzsimmons' last comment about a student's "potential to make a significant difference" is a very important one. Recommendation letters should express confidence in, and, in a way, serve as proof that a student's past achievements and personal qualities predict her future success, both in the "college community and beyond." Apart from that, the recommendation letters present a full, holistic picture of an applicant. While a student's transcript, test scores, involvements, and personal essay speak to her achievements and goals, the recommendation letter both complements and adds to the application. They add dimension to who a student is, her intellectual, personal, and social qualities, and how she expresses herself with others. Harvard is an extremely competitive and selective school, and they are looking for a diverse and dynamic class oftop achieverswho are going to work well with one another and their professors. Recommendation letters attest to a student's merits, speak to her ability to thrive in an academically rigorous environment, and share a vision of her future accomplishments. Considering letters of recommendation must be outstanding and powerful documents on a student's behalf, who should write them? Make sure your recommender is happy to recommend you, like these people. Who Should Write Your Letters of Recommendation for Harvard? Harvard requires two letters of recommendation from teachers and one from your school counselor. You probably don't have much choice with the counselor recommendation, since most students have the same counselor throughout their four years of high school. What you can control is trying to connect with your counselor, getting to know her, and sharing important information that she needs to write you a strong recommendation. Where you have an important decision to make is with the teacher recommendations. Who should you ask? Who's going to write you the best recommendation letter that will most impress Harvard admissions officers? First, I would suggest asking someone who knows you well. The best letters are personal, insightful, and reveal something about your character. Someone who barely knows you won't be able to accomplish that or write about you in a meaningful way. Apart from who you know well, you should choose someone in whose class you excelled (like, really excelled. This is the H, people!). Beyond impressive grades and test scores, did you go above and beyond to take on an independent project or research an area of interest? Did you join your teacher's after school club and show your interest in physics or writing outside of the classroom? If you demonstrated subject mastery, outstanding participation, or extra involvement in teacher's class, then she can speak about your exceptional efforts and achievement in her Harvard rec letter. If you're highlighting your passion for medical research, writing, or math in your application, then you should ask a teacher in that subject who can give evidence of your talent and passion. If you're not focusing on a particular academic field, then you should still ask teachers from core classes. Junior year teachers are generally best, as they had you recently and for a whole year. If the teacher had you for more than one class, all the better. Just as long as they can write deeply about who you are and what you'd bring to Harvard. It also doesn't hurt if they think you're the best thing since sliced bread. Again, this is the H! So what content is included in an exceptional recommendation letter? Besides choosing your recommenders wisely, is there anything else you can do to ensure the high quality of your letter? What Makes a Great Letter of Recommendation for Harvard? As Fitzsimmons said, a great letter doesn't just list data or repeat a student's resume. It provides a mutli-dimensional view of the applicant, including her academic skills, impressive personal qualities, and potential for future success. For Harvard, the best letters are customized both to the student and the school. Your recommender should understand Harvard's academic demands and attest to your capacity to thrive there. So how exactly can a recommendation letter accomplish all this? What do the most memorable letters say and do? They Use Anecdotes The best recommendation letters describe an observation, story, or example that illustrates something meaningful about who you are, what you value, and what motivates you to act. Stories back up what the recommender is saying about you. They also help to differentiate you from other students with similar credentials (a lot of qualified students applying to Harvard), and stick out as memorable in readers' minds. Finally, stories prove that your recommender knows you on a personal level and is therefore qualified to assess you. Consider the difference in these two sentences. Caitlin is a motivated student. When two of our writers were out sick on the day of their deadlines, editor-in-chief Caitlin sprang into action, delegating articles to other writers and staying up well into the night writing any missing content herself. Under her determined leadership, the school paper was ready for print by morning. The story proves her motivation and determination, as well as paints a picture of a driven Caitlin writing stories late into the night. Maybe she'll do the same for The Harvard Crimson once on campus. In addition to making the student come alive for readers, stories make the letter overall more interesting, personal, and lively. That's something that admissions officers will remember. They'll know that the student had motivated teachers and counselors on her side to spend time crafting a strong and insightful letter. The best letters also speak to a student's singular commitment or passion, a quality that impresses admissions officers and points to future achievement. "Katniss shows an unmatched commitment to archery and leading revolutions." They Highlight a Specific Commitment or Unusual Skill Harvard isn't necessarily looking for well-rounded students. Their overall class can be well-rounded, by including students with deep achievement in specific areas, like designing apps, publishing creative writing, or winning national math competitions. If this sounds like you, then you've surely told this story in the rest of your application. Your recommendation can complement this story, while adding new anecdotes and observations about you from your recommender's perspective. Maybe you've done scientific research at a local college, had your poetry published in literary magazines, or composed and performed songs for school concerts. Your recommenders can speak to how you contribute excellence to your school community and will continue to inspire and collaborate with people at Harvard. Besides corroborating and adding to your "spikes" in achievement, your recommender can rave about you with a statement of high ranking. They Give an Outstanding Ranking If your recommender considers you one of the top students she's ever had, then this statement could go a long way, as Harvard is looking for the best of the best. Saying you're "one of the top, most insightful, most creative, most talented students" she's ever taught is a remarkable statement, especially if she's taught at the school for many years. On the other hand, a lukewarm statement, like calling you "well above average," could be a red flag to admissions officers. Elitist as it may sound, Harvard isn't looking for average. They expect exceptional. Especially if they contain the letters J, Q, or Z. Or is that Scrabble points? They Use Powerful Language Besides giving a powerful ranking, the best letters are well-crafted and use impactful language. They show that your recommender took time to provide a thoughtul and well-written letter. Your letters aren't being graded, of course, but to serve their purpose they must make an impression. Weak or generic words, like a subpar ranking, could suggest mediocrity. In choosing your recommender, you may ask your counselor for advice or keep an ear to the ground for who writes good letters. A short or cliche letter definitely won't fly with the Harvard admissions committee. Check out these two examples: Sara is a great student. She is motivated and a hard worker. Sara goes above and beyond and always shoots for the stars. Sara has continuously impressed me with her innovative and creative approach to problem-solving. When she joined our school's Robotics Club in freshman year, she introduced the other students and myself to a type of programming that took our creations to the next level and resulted in our first place prize at the state competition. The second example uses more specific, powerful wording to describe specifically what's so impressive about Sara. Plus, it uses an example to prove its point. The first, well, uses the phrase "shoots for the stars." Yikes. They Are Organized Finally, the most impressive letters are well organized. They include all the pertinent information, like how the recommender knows the student and what makes her qualified to assess the student. In their introduction, they give an enthusiastic endorsement, and assess the candidate in two to three paragraphs. Finally, their conclusion reiterates the recommendation, provides a vision of the student at college and after, and invites admissions committees to follow up with any questions. For more on structure, check out our thorough guide to writing recommendation letters. Now that you have a clearer sense of what goes into a strong, Harvard-worthy recommendation letter, is there anything you can to ensure you get three great letters for your application? Student team assemble! Consider this your call to action. What Can You Do to Get Strong Letters of Recommendation? If Harvard is in your sights, then you've likely laid the groundwork for strong recommendation letters. You've shown commitment to learning, academic excellence, and a love of learning. Since the best letters come from teachers who know you well, you should push yourself to participate in class, take on an extra project, or lead the club of which your potential recommender is an advisor. Take advantage of and create opportunities to connect with your teachers and counselor and demonstrate your passions and drive to go above and beyond (didn't I just say not to use cliches? Woops). Apart from having a good relationship with your recommenders, you should provide them with a thorough and insightful "brag sheet." These documents often prompt you to answer questions like, What personal qualities do you value in yourself? What are one or two experiences that shaped your outlook or sense of identity? What do you consider to be your greatest strengths? Weaknesses? Where do you see yourself in five years? What's a significant challenge you've had to overcome and what did you learn from it? If you noticed these are similar to the Common Application essay prompts, you'd be right. Both your recommenders and admissions officers want to see your capacity for self-reflection and get a sense of how you make meaning of your experiences. Not all students are experienced at this kind of self-examination, or communicating aspects of their identities to others. Take the time to really think about these questions and give thorough answers. You can even have conversations with those close to you or ask for their input (often parents will write on these brag sheets, too). Not only will this sheet further show your recommenders who you are, but they'll also help them out with valuable material. By writing about significant experiences or challenges, you might give or remind them of stories and examples they can use in their letters. Once they have the raw material and inspiration, your recommenders will be bursting with things to say about you. There is one glaring gap in what I've been writing all this time about the importance of having recommenders who know you well. What if you simply don't have teachers or, more commonly, counselors who you know you very well? What do you do then? Friend them! But in real life. What If You Don't Have Teachers or a Counselor Who Knows You Well? Schools vary widely in terms of class sizes and counselor to student ratios. Some schools have a college counseling department, while others have school counselors balancing both students' college planning and their social-emotional needs, not to mention school-wide curricula. The national average public school counselor to student ratio is 477 to 1. In California, it's an outrageous 945 to 1! With ratios this large, it's understandable if you've have a hard time getting to know your counselor at all. Dean Fitzsimmons recognizes this: "There is nothing close to a level playing field when it comes to the availability of college counseling in American high schools." In addition to the "stunningly high counselee to counselor ratios," he speaks about the "unmanageable class sizes that make it nearly impossible [for teachers] to know students well enough to write an informed recommendation." If this sounds like your school, don't despair. First, Harvard admissions officers should be familiar with the various high schools from which their students are applying. They have to account for differences in grading systems, curriculum, and stats like teacher and counselor to student ratio. They may call your counselor for more information, or simply put more weight on the other parts of your application. Something else you can do to make up for uninformed teacher recs is to provide a supplemental letter of rec from someone who knows you better, like a supervisor, coach, religious leader, summer program coordinator, or someone from the community. Dean Fitzsimmons said "one of the best letters we ever received" was from the school's custodian. He spoke about how his recommendee was a positive presence who "always made everyone around him better."At the same time, Harvard advises against sending too much supplemental material, especially if your teachers and counselor have already written effectively for you. Something else you can do to improve your letter is to set up meetings with your teachers and counselor. Talk to them about your goals and how much you want to get into Harvard. (If this feels daunting, it's good practice for your Harvard interview!) Share your detailed brag sheet and make time to discuss it together. Maybe this feels like you're telling them what to write, but if you need to, so be it. Take control of your application, and let them know what you want to go into your letter (politely, of course). Before wrapping up, let's go over the key takeaways for obtaining a great recommendation letter that will impress Harvard readers. Key Takeaways for Harvard Recommendation Letters Listen to Dean Fitzsimmons when he says that recommendation letters are "extremely important" and put as much thought and care into them as you do the rest of your application. How? By choosing your recommenders wisely, pushing yourself to get to know them well, and providing detailed self-reflections to help them as they write. What if you sense your teacher isn't used to writing recommendation letters for Harvard? It would be ideal if you could ask a seasoned writer with a reputation for helping students get into competitive schools. If that's not a possibility, perhaps you can share resources like this one with your recommender. It's up to you to feel out whether this would helpful or could unintentionally cause offense. You certainly don't want to insult the person you're hoping will sing your praises. As a driven and conscientious student with your sights set on the Ivy League, you're definitely capable of doing everything you can to ensure three strong recommendation letters. Good luck! What's Next? Not only should you be thoughtful about who you ask, you should also have a plan forhow you ask for your recommender for this important letter. Read all about how to request a letter of recommendation here. Any chance you're also applying to Dartmouth? They require an unusual recommendation - one from a peer. Read all about peer recommendations and how to get a great one for Dartmouth. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Short Fiction Selections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Short Fiction Selections - Essay Example This quote captures the typical life of almost individual in this current society. This is because things have become tough, and life is rough and cruel on some people especially with regard to lack of income and poverty. Those who are fortunate to have money may also lack some vital elements of life such as joy. As a result, the harsh reality is that individuals in this society hardly achieve what they wish to have in life. In order to console themselves, most individuals use several activities and concepts that take them into the world of illusions in order to escape from these harsh realities. Several literary works indicate how different individuals in the society use imagine space to create illusions and pretend that they are in a world where they wish to be. In The Last Speaker of Language by Carol Anshaw and Pilgrim Life by Taylor Atrim, the characters love and a sense of belonging to forget their problems, albeit on a temporary basis. Similarly, in the short story Navigators by Mike Meginnis, the characters drown their problems using video games to avoid the realities that they have to face. Likewise, in other short stories such as Volcano by Lawrence Osborne, Diem Perdidi by Julie Otsuka, The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West and Culver City by Richrad Lauge, the characters employ several techniques to create illusion and experience the imaginary world. In today’s society, people use the imagine space to escape from their harsh reality. The authors through the short stories portray how characters use love and a sense of belonging to experience the imaginary world and escape everyday harsh realities. For example, in The Last Speaker of the Language, Darlyn comments,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It’s just about—even for a day—being this purely happy.  Like, happy to be a carbon-based life form† (Anshaw 7). In another short story, Pilgrim Life, one quote that relates to this topic says, â€Å"Pilgrim Life† starts with that calmin g view, that apartment, my millionaire roommate, my wine magazine job. The rest of it I entirely made up (I swear) over a three-month stretch in the midst of the worst financial crisis I’ve ever lived through† (Atrim 67). These quotes clearly illustrate how the characters create their own imagination in order to avoid real world. For instance, Darlyn expresses how she values happiness, and acknowledge that it may be for a short time, but is so important. This happiness helps her to escape from the problems with her alcoholic mum as well as job related problems. Similarly, in Pilgrim Life quote, the character acknowledges that not all the good things that he mentions are real, which shows that he sometimes seek imaginary experiences in order to escape from the problems that he has with his-girlfriend among other problems. Dreams and illusions is another strategy used by the authors to demonstrate how the characters uses imagine space to forget their problems. For instanc e, in the short story Volcano by Lawrence Osborne, Martha dreams of things that she would wish for, for example, she thinks that she can change her dream, and thus, change her situate\ion of being with an older man. Perhaps this comes from the technology captured in the following section, â€Å"The dream technique includes a drug and goggles that emit infrared light during REM sleep to allow the dreamer to be present in the dream and remember it, even influence it: by touching a rough surface†(Osborne 10). Other instances of illusion include Diem Perdidi by Julie Otsuka with the most famous quote â€Å"she remembers she does not remember.† She is suffering from dymensia, however, she can remember some things from the past. The most interesting part is that what she

How do you feel about what has transpired surrounding the U.S. Supreme Essay

How do you feel about what has transpired surrounding the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on Obamacare (or the Affordable Care Act) - Essay Example They are at liberty to be insured by an agency of their choice. The Act makes healthcare more accessible and affordable to individuals, small business owners and families by reducing premium costs and offering tax relief. It is termed the biggest middle level tax reduction in history of healthcare (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 1). Members of the middle class who do not have healthcare coverage will now be compelled to contribute towards the insurance coverage of the rest of the people. This has a beneficial effect to all because a majority of the citizens will end up paying less than what they would have otherwise been required to pay, including those in the middle class. I see no justification in opposing an Act that provides all these benefits, apart from selfish political interests that would rather exclude the poor from accessing healthcare to ensure a comfortable life for the rest. America is the only developed country that leaves out millions of its poorest popula tion from healthcare (Liptak 1). The approval of this Act will be a bridge between the poor and a decent healthcare program. The Act regulates the insurance industry by setting and imposing rules that discourage abuse. It forbids insurance companies from denying insurance coverage to citizens who have pre existing health conditions while according insurance clients power to appeal an insurance company’s assessment that deny treatments ordered by doctors (Liptak 1). I feel this sets a ground for all industry players while giving citizens on of their basic rights. I feel the Act is not discriminatory. It extends Medicaid and treats all States equally.  It has also preserved the children’s insurance plan and made enrollment for individuals and families much simpler (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 1). Americans with disabilities also stand to gain as the Act enhances community based care for them. Expanding home care to those with long term needs of

Business Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Business Ethics - Research Paper Example The factors that contribute to climate change include volcanic eruptions, solar radiation variations on the planet earth and plate tectonics (Schneider et al, 98). This paper describes the roles that governments, businesses and their customers ought to play in ensuring the environment is conserved and the effects of climate change are reduced. The authorities should lead the efforts of conserving the environments by establishing appropriate pieces of legislation to monitor and control our daily activities and the wastes we produce (Pittock 53). Through the intervention of the government, issues like waste disposal may be regulated for the purposes of reducing the amount of pollution emitted to the environment and leaving it clean (Schneider et al, 105). They should lead environmental cleanup efforts by regulating the production of materials which are not recyclable. For instance, the governments around the globe should control the production and disposal of plastic bags since they do not easily decompose and cannot be recycled (Keijzers 145). The regulation of the effluents that come from factories should be put in place to avoid the pollution that they may cause on water masses, the air and soil. The pollution caused by wastes from factories is the major reason that the world’s climate is rapidly changing thereby bringing effects like global warming (Keijzers 143). In conserving their environments, governments should also lead environmental cleanup processes like the going green campaigns while advocating for the use recycle bins and bags that are reusable (Pittock 52). They should also lead efforts aimed at promoting the use of natural forms of energy like solar or wind that have minimal effects on the environment (Schneider et al, 112). By encouraging environmental cleanup and conservation efforts among their citizens, governments will have played a big role in ensuring emissions

Germany's Holocaust Memorial Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Germany's Holocaust Memorial - Term Paper Example (BBC News). One of the controversies that dog the memorial is the criticism that it exclusively commemorates only the extermination of Jews, disregarding the countless other victims of Nazi oppression, including homosexuals and gypsies. A later monument to Nazi homosexual victims stands opposite the Jewish memorial. The visitors’ information center constructed under the stele is a compromise against the criticism that the entire implications of Holocaust and its history are not appropriately represented by the public sculpture aboveground. The information center ensures that the memorial combines the aims of memory and pedagogy. The accusation of unjust exclusivity also dogs the United States’ Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. in the context of the absence of national memorials to the victims of slavery or the genocide of the Indians. While the unmatched horror of the Holocaust cannot be denied, I believe that slavery and the massacre of the Indians are ethnic events which require commemoration in the nation of their occurrence. In my opinion, memorials to such atrocities serve a vital need in society. They are not just contemporary symbols of regret for the horrors of the past, but serve as documentations of history, and living gate-keepers to the conscience of the

To What Extent might Globalization be seen as Disadvantageous to Our Essay

To What Extent might Globalization be seen as Disadvantageous to Our Society - Essay Example Before moving on, there is a dire need to define what globalization, in essence, is - globalization is a term which encompasses a number of difficult series of economic, social, technological, cultural and political changes that have been happening from time to time on the global front. These changes have seen some serious strides that have been made with regards to increasing interdependence as well as mergers and interacting units between people from different locations and companies with diversified interests. The term started to take form in the year 1944 but it was not before the year 1981 that the economists actually started using it. The main person responsible for coining the term globalization is considered to be Theodore Levitt. Furthermore, in an economic zone, globalization plays a significant role in increasing trade on an international front which as compared to the global economy, is much faster and ahead of its time. In addition, one can predict an increase in the flow of capital that has been coming from the global regimes which might include the foreign direct investment as being one part of it. Moving on, there are the agreements which are signed on a global scale that eventually lead to world bodies like the World Trade Organization (WTO) and others. Global financial systems also come to light as their developmental work gets thumbs up. International transactions speed up as the world bodies like WTO, WIPO, IMF and the like play their role in a more coherent and active manner. Economic practices like global sourcing or outsourcing as we know of it, off-shoring and others increase courtesy the multinational concerns. Hence poverty-driven mechanisms are enacted but not followed to the extreme core, t hus resulting in the poor masses which are spread in every nook and corner of the world today. Â  

Interview Process for Movie Theater General Manager Assignment

Interview Process for Movie Theater General Manager - Assignment Example The general manager will be mainly involved in overseeing administrative areas such as staffing, customer service, and daily operations (Suttle, 2013). The general manager will display team work while ensuring superior customer experience and encouraging profitability of the theatre. A structured interview will be conducted in order to assess and evaluate the compatibility of a candidate. The interview will have behavioral structured questions that will aim to assess the knowledge and skills of a particular candidate to test his or her compatibility with the roles and responsibilities required by the position. In addition the structured interview will focus on evaluating the behavioral aspect of a candidate’s personality beyond eligibility. This will enable the identification of a candidate that is fit for the position. The structured interview will be used to assess an individual’s candidacy by keeping the job requirements as a standard. As such it will be designed such that the questions will relate to specific job requirements. The questions will also allow deeper behavioral aspects of a candidate to surface in different mock situations required as part of a general manager at a theatre. The job analysis will be an underlying factor shaping the interview questions. More specifically the interview questions will be structured and inquire about an individual’s background in arts, theatre, and business. It will also aim to test the knowledge of an individual in key business concepts such as cash budgeting, forecasting, etcetera, where the candidate will have to demonstrate his or her knowledge and skills. Additionally, some scenario-based questions will be asked that assess the candidate’s behavior and actions given particular hypothetical questions (Bell, 1999; Arizona Human R esources, 2013). Past experience will also be asked to be described and/or demonstrated through specific examples. The recruitment will be conducted

To What Extent might Globalization be seen as Disadvantageous to Our Essay

To What Extent might Globalization be seen as Disadvantageous to Our Society - Essay Example Before moving on, there is a dire need to define what globalization, in essence, is - globalization is a term which encompasses a number of difficult series of economic, social, technological, cultural and political changes that have been happening from time to time on the global front. These changes have seen some serious strides that have been made with regards to increasing interdependence as well as mergers and interacting units between people from different locations and companies with diversified interests. The term started to take form in the year 1944 but it was not before the year 1981 that the economists actually started using it. The main person responsible for coining the term globalization is considered to be Theodore Levitt. Furthermore, in an economic zone, globalization plays a significant role in increasing trade on an international front which as compared to the global economy, is much faster and ahead of its time. In addition, one can predict an increase in the flow of capital that has been coming from the global regimes which might include the foreign direct investment as being one part of it. Moving on, there are the agreements which are signed on a global scale that eventually lead to world bodies like the World Trade Organization (WTO) and others. Global financial systems also come to light as their developmental work gets thumbs up. International transactions speed up as the world bodies like WTO, WIPO, IMF and the like play their role in a more coherent and active manner. Economic practices like global sourcing or outsourcing as we know of it, off-shoring and others increase courtesy the multinational concerns. Hence poverty-driven mechanisms are enacted but not followed to the extreme core, t hus resulting in the poor masses which are spread in every nook and corner of the world today. Â  

The Influence of Classical Theorists on Contemporary Culture Assignment

The Influence of Classical Theorists on Contemporary Culture - Assignment Example The fast success of the movement garnered the support and sympathy of ordinary citizens to oppose the unfairness of the cuts and tax evasion tactics of the affluent. Lessons Learned from the Uncut Movement Aside from the glaring injustice of the tax restrictions on public spending, the significant and relevant models that can be seen in this phenomenal development in this example are the fundamental beliefs on economics and social change, class relations of capitalism and the theory of Hegemony. According to Antonio Gramsci, an Italian Marxist philosopher, hegemony is the permeation throughout society of an entire system of values, attitudes, beliefs, and morality that has the effect of supporting the status quo in power relations. Hegemony is an organizing principle diffused by the process of socialization into every area of daily life. To the extent that this prevailing consciousness is internalized by the population, it becomes part of what is normally known as common sense so tha t the philosophy, culture, and morality of the ruling elite appear as the natural order of things.  (Boggs  1976 p.39) This Uncut protest action is a classic example of the concepts of classical thinkers notably Karl Marx, Georg Wilhelm Freidrich Hegel and Gramsci regarding the basic beliefs mentioned earlier. Hegel aptly described the state in modern societies as the highest form of social reason. It represents the culmination of progress through history and the fact that the state is able to integrate self-interested members of civil society, who if left to themselves would be interested only in pursuing the personal goals of personal enrichment. (Callinicos, 2007 p.46) Karl Marx has a relevant discourse that elucidates the circumstances surrounding the reaction of the people towards the matter of reductions in public expenditures and tax avoidance by the moneyed sector. The economic basis of the social order must be seen as a complex totality made up of relationships between different elements engaged in production. â€Å"The totality of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which arises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness. The mode of production of material life conditions the general process of social, political and intellectual life. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness.† (Morrison, Marx, Weber and Durkheim, 2006, pp. 214-216)).

SDLC methodology for designing a system Essay Example for Free

SDLC methodology for designing a system Essay The primary objective is to evaluate the SDLC methodology for designing a system. Prior to building a system, a set of methodology is essential in keeping the process kicking in right force so that it adheres to entire coverage and successful completion of tasks. It demands professional approach in planning, building and operating a system. SDLC methodology which encompasses several techniques in making the system travel smooth, processing the various steps required in putting together a system successfully. The spiral model which is a flavor of SDLC techniques corresponds in designing a system where business requirements are volatile in nature and communication with external entities is a priority. The spiral model would take into account all the primary steps in building a deliverable every time it completes a circle. Once it is finished with the planning and analysis phase the risk analysis task is taken in the picture. It is followed by engineering, construction and release, customer evaluation and finally customer communication. Once a cycle is covered, it results in a deliverable which is further processed upon customer communication and feedback. The SWOT analysis of the spiral model would contemplate the coverage of whether it can be taken up as a viable option in designing a system. The following is the analysis: Â · Strengths: The business environments are seldom volatile in nature where the requirements are ever changing and are adding every moment to expand their scope and stay competitive in the market. The spiral model would make sure that the proposed system is prone to changes. It provides enough mechanism to take into account the changes in the customers’ environment and act accordingly. Unlike other SDLC methods where the business requirements are completely taken as standstill when taking into account the building of the system. Unlike the waterfall model where the design stages are non-reversible in nature, once the stage is surpassed it cannot be revisited again. Â · Weaknesses: The weaknesses of the spiral model are that it is quite expensive in nature as every deployment is revisited with the spiral cycle once it receives a customer communication and feedback. It demands quite risk assessment expertise. The time taken to build the complete system is considerable high as for every new requirement is cycled all through from planning to implementation. The consumption of resources is substantially large as all the developmental stages are followed for creating a version of the system in every cycle. Â · Opportunities: The opportunities of using the spiral model are relatively high in comparison to the other models in use. The business external environment is fast changing to the requirements and enveloping newer challenges to analyze their market and take risks to prosper. In this situation having a flexible system development strategy would make it easy to design and build a system susceptible to frequent changes with changing business requirements. Taking into account the other methods available in the market, the spiral model would stand out in the crowd. Â · Threats: The other prototyping methods like RAD and Incremental methods of SDLC pose a threat to spiral method. The incremental approach is quite complex in operation but its flexibility is quite high in solving discrepancies. The RAD methodology is quite popular in SDLC but is not prone to taking the frequent changes into consideration which is a drawback.

The Importance Of A Business Strategy

The Importance Of A Business Strategy Travis Bell Deborah Thigpen Why Is Strategy Important To Business? Introduction Vital arranging is necessary to business achievement. It includes vision, mission and outside-of-the-crate considering. Essential arranging is characterized as the arrangement of choices and activities that outcome in the detailing and usage of agreements intended to accomplish an organizations targets. Be that as it may, without knowing where you need to go, making subtle elements on the most proficient method to land at a goal is good for nothing. Key arranging depicts the bearing to where your organization is heading. The Fundamental Parts of the Vital Administration Prepare Functional-level procedures are worried about dealing with the useful zones of the association, for example, item or administration improvement and configuration, advertising and sales, fund, HR, creation, innovative work, and so forth., so that each capacity maintains to specific specialty unit methodologies and the general corporate-level system. Functional procedures are fundamentally worried about these matters: Productively sending authorities inside the functional range. Incorporating exercises inside the utilitarian region. Ensuring that useful procedures connect successfully and proficiently with business techniques and the general corporate-level methodology. Business-level systems are like corporate-techniques in that they concentrate on overall execution. As particular from corporate-level technique, be that as it may, they focus on only one rather than a scope of organizations. The corporate level methodology of a multi-division operation resembles a system for dealing with a speculation portfolio. Specialty units are typically singular venture like substances arranged toward an industry, item or administration sort, and additionally, advertise. Business-level methodologies are in this manner mostly worried about these things: Overseeing unit exercises, so they adjust to hierarchical corporate level techniques, in some cases incorporating collaboration with different specialty groups to accomplish key cooperative energy. Creating capacities, assets, and the upper hand in every unit. Recognizing item or administration showcase openings and creating techniques for prevailing in each. Checking the business condition with the goal that methodologies fit in with the requirements of the firm sectors at the present phase of advancement. Corporate level procedure covers the critical extent of the association all in all. For most associations, the necessary organizational arrangement is the primary key agreement required. Regularly technique at the corporate level is mainly alluded to as a corporate procedure, or in brought together organizations the corporate business system. The method that produces it is called vital corporate arranging, or in some cases primarily corporate arranging. In a couple of circumstances anyway, it might be defended to talk about the business level system to recognize it from different sorts of arranging. The Significance of Having a Business Methodology A business system, in straightforward terms, is an archived anticipate how an association is embarking to accomplish their objectives. A business procedure contains a various key rule that diagrams how an organization will approach achieving these goals. For instance, it will clarify, how to manage your rivals, take a gander at the necessities and desires of clients, and will analyze the long-haul development and supportability of their association. The motivation behind why having a procedure is so vital is because it gives business time to get a feeling of how they are performing, what their capacities are, and if these abilities can help them develop. The Associations Vision, Mission, Reason, Qualities, Objectives, and Theory Even though we habitually discuss mission and vision in the first place, the major primary establishment for both is our center qualities. Center classes are the standards and norms at the extremely focal point of our character, and from which we wont move or stay. Center classes are to a significant degree stable and change just gradually over drawn out stretches of time. Center qualities frame the premise of our convictions about existence, ourselves and people around us, and the human capability of ourselves as well as other people. Conditions and opinions shape our states of mind and guide our conduct. The practices we take part in are what individuals around us see, alongside our abilities and activities. Our external or open shell of practices and attitude can change quickly and drastically through our lives, impacted by our condition and guided by our steadier center qualities and convictions. Vision While a mission is an announcement of what is, a dream is a prediction of what or how you might want things to be. A photo without bounds youre attempting to make, what you need to be the point at which you grow up, what you need your business to turn into. Without a dream of where youre going how might you build up an arrangement to arrive and in what capacity will you know when youve reached? Without a dream of where we might want to be, we can keep climbing different trails through life, climbing mountain after mountain, just to find each time that weve arrived someplace we honestly would prefer not to be. A statement of purpose mirrors the center qualities and convictions of the People who lead the business. To the degree, there are huge contrasts between a ranch reason and an individual mission, or between homestead business qualities and single center qualities, there will be disagreement and grinding for that person inside the firm. Regardless of whether youre a proprietor, a worker or an advisor, one approach to help guarantee satisfaction and satisfaction at work is to be sure your qualities and mission are in arrangement with those of the business. Individuals have been known to end up plainly physically sick from the worry of working in a business where their center qualities were inconsistent with the qualities and morals rehearsed in the firm. The Key Procedure As Contribution For Future Basic Leadership 2 Objectives and targets make the nibble measure pieces, the guide furthermore, sensible venturing stones to accomplish the mission, make the vision a reality, furthermore, explore the course we have set for our business, or for ourselves. The Associations Vision, Mission, Reason, Qualities, Objectives, and Theory To begin with, mission and vision give a vehicle to imparting an associations motivation and qualities to every single key partner. Partners are those key gatherings who have some impact over the association or stake in its future. You will take in more about partners and partner examination later in this section; nonetheless, for the time being, suffice it to state that some key partners are workers, clients, financial specialists, providers, and establishments, for example, governments. Commonly, these announcements would be broadly coursed and talked about frequently so that their importance is comprehended, shared, and disguised. The better workers comprehend an associations motivation, through its main goal and vision, the better capable they will be to comprehend the procedure and its execution. Second, mission and vision make an objective for strategy improvement. That is, one rule of a decent arrangement is how well it helps the firm accomplish its order and vision. To better comprehend the relationship among mission, vision, and technique, it is here and there accommodating to imagine them all in all as a pipe. At the broadest piece of the pipe, you discover the contributions to the statement of purpose. At the smaller piece of the pipe, you find the vision proclamation, which has refined down the mission in a way that it can direct the improvement of the system. In the tightest piece of the pipe, you discover the methodology it is clear and unequivocal about what the firm will do, and not do, to accomplish the vision. Vision explanations additionally give an extension between the mission and the methodology. In that sense the best vision proclamations make pressure and fretfulness about the present state of affairs that is, they ought to cultivate a soul of constant adva ncement and change Conclusion To be compelling objectives and goals must be composed. On the off chance that they arent in composing, theyre only thoughts with no absolute power or conviction behind them. Composed objectives and destinations give the inspiration to accomplish them and can then be utilized as a suggestion to you and others. Plainly and expressly composed, they likewise wipe out disarray and misjudging. In like manner in business, its troublesome or difficult to concede to important or even strategic choices if everybody in the firm proprietors, chiefs, relatives, workers are not all headed in a similar course, at a similar mission and vision. On the off chance that a family, business, or a group doesnt have a typical heading mission, vision and center qualities contentions will happen to encompass about each choice, and assertions might be unthinkable. Creating shared mission, vision and qualities is the initial phase of establishing a framework for settling on important and strategic choices that will advance the business. Having them set up wont dispose of contentions and differences, yet in any event, the contradiction will be about how to best get to a similar endpoint rather than heading in inverse bearings. References Why Business Strategy Is Important? Evolve. evolve. N.p., 2017. Web. 25 Mar. 2017. Corporate Level Strategy Guides The Organization As A Whole. Simply-strategic-planning.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 26 Mar. 2017. Principles Of Management 1.0 | Flatworld. FlatWorld. N.p., 2017. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Role of Women in Uzbekistan Essay -- essays research papers

Role of Women in Uzbekistan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women’s roles are not the same in different cultures. Most important is that women in Uzbekistan, where the population of Muslim people were from 50 % up to 70 %, made the big progress in eighty years. From that time women started to become more free in education, marriage, and fashion than they used to be eighty years ago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The education has also changed since the 1910s. In the 1910s girls had separate schools from boys, and they could only get education in middle-schools not going anywhere further in level of study. A lot of girls couldn’t attend the schools at all. In the history books says that each class had about five to ten girls, half of the girls stayed at home with their family or grandparents. Now we have a lot of schools and they are not separated. Today all Muslim girls and boys go to same schools together with all other students. They also can go farther in level of study. A lot of Muslim girls and women go to university after High School and earning degrees and becoming scientists, writers, musicians, teachers and simply excellent mothers. It is a really big change for women. I think I know why they did this changes, its because they wanted to be more educated and be equal to men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marriage has also changed a lot. Eighty years ago women had to stay at home and do the house work. A woman couldn’t see any men except her father or brother until ...

Audience Reactions and Attitudes to Much Ado About Nothing Essay

In â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing† Shakespeare captures many of the social standards in Elizabethan society whether they are fair or not. In Act 2 Scene 2 of the play, Don John plots to frame Hero and make it look like she has been unfaithful to her fiancà ©e the night before they are due to marry. This then sparks outrage from the male characters, which in turn shows a male bias in their society. The way Hero’s father takes a mans word over hers shows how strong trust and respect was for men compared to that shown towards women. Even though this play was written in a time when England was ruled by a woman (Queen Elizabeth) society was still dominated by men. Even Queen Elizabeth said she had the stomach of a man, implying that men are tougher than women purely because they are of a different gender. This left women with two roles in society; they were seen as prostitutes to be bought or wives to be owned. On top of this, women were also used as scapegoats for the faults of the world, this idea spawns from the beginning of time and Eve eating the apple and having mankind banished from the garden of Eden. This attitude is similar to the opinion of the Nazis towards the Jews, blaming the Jews for all the bad and evil in the world. At the start of act 4 scene 1, the arranged marriage between Claudio and Hero is about to take place, Claudio, Don Pedro and Don Pedro think that Hero has been unfaithful and is no longer a virgin. However, they have been misled and the other characters are not yet aware of their feelings. As Claudio turns down Hero at the altar and lets everyone know, men’s attitudes towards women become clear. The first person to speak on the subject is Claudio, he turns to Leonato and says â€Å"Give me this maid your Daughter?† He is making a statement because as far as he knows Hero is not a â€Å"Maid† (virgin), he is challenging Leonato because he has been given Hero like a gift but she is not what he expected. This quote is also interesting because is shows us that women are seen as possessions of their fathers. Claudio has to ask for permission from her father to â€Å"give† Hero to him, almost like a present. This would spark a  reaction with a modern day audience as women are now seen as equals and independent in society. However, in Elizabethan times this is what they were used to so they would probably not give it a second thought. Claudio then refers to Hero as â€Å"a rich and precious gift,† this confirms what I have already said that women were seen as possessions to be given to people. Claudio then goes on to say, â€Å"Give not this rotten orange to your friend.† He is using the orange as a metaphor for Hero, a rotten orange can appear fine until you peel it or taste it and see what is inside. He is saying that Hero appeared to be an innocent virgin but now he has seen that maybe that isn’t true. He is saying she is â€Å"spoilt goods.† However, this quote also shows us that Claudio is putting part of the responsibility of Hero’s actions onto Leonato, he is saying that Leonato should not have given a woman who isn’t a virgin to him. Because Leonato gave Hero to Claudio like a gift he is now responsible for any mishaps she may have with Claudio. This really shows how women were thought of as objects, that a woman could be compared to an orange, which is amongst the lowest forms of living things. I think this would have an impact on a modern audience as they would be more sensitive towards sexist treatment of women, and women being treated as objects. Claudio then uses Dian and Venus to show what he thinks of Hero. He says that Hero â€Å"seemed† like Dian, Dian was a true virgin so he is using this imagery to show that he feels Hero deceived his as being a virgin. He then uses Venus the adulteress as the other extreme, saying that Hero is more intemperate than Venus. These two extremes give us a scale on which to picture Hero he has given us the best (Dian) and the worst (Venus), he has then left us thinking that Hero is at the worst end of the scale with Venus. Claudio later says, â€Å"like a maid she blushes there,† he is saying she is deceitful, pretending to be a virgin when she isn’t. I think this would be effective both modern and Elizabethan audiences because of the frustration it makes an audience feel. The â€Å"dramatic irony† would be especially popular with an Elizabethan audience as it was a popular form of humour at the time and common in Shakespeare’s comedies. The audience really feel Hero’s frustration because they know that she is innocent and have to watch on helplessly as Claudio makes a huge mistake because the audience know more than his character does. One of the first real comments on the situation by Leonato is, â€Å"Hath no man’s dagger here a point for me?† This really shows the shame Leonato feels that his own daughter has done such a thing; it also shows how he feels it is all about him. He is not worried about his daughter but by how she has affected him, she has damaged his honour and pride, these things would have been very important in Elizabethan times and not something you can get back as easily as you can lose. This shows the importance in Elizabethan England of the family name and how you can be judged by your name. It also shows the responsibility Leonato has for giving his â€Å"wanton† daughter to Claudio, he wants to kill himself due to the shame and guilt she he has brought upon himself because of his daughter. Leonato next says, â€Å"death is the fairest cover for her shame,† he feels that she has brought such shame upon herself that it would be fair for her to die for it. This woul d have a large impact upon an audience, for them to hear a father saying his daughter should die before he even hears her side of the story or even before he really finds out what has happened. It is especially effective because the audience knows that she is innocent and the fact that she is being told she should die for her crime leads the audience to think that there is no justice. However, an Elizabethan audience may sympathise with Leonato as they would be likely to react in a similar way if it happened to them, as this play is a real reflection of Elizabethan society it would have happened therefore his situation would be very real to them. Leonato then has a long speech in which he seems to no longer love his daughter, where shortly before the wedding he could not have been happier for her. This really shows the strength of opinions on pre-marital sex and adultery in Elizabethan times. Probably one of the most shocking and effective statements made by Leonato in his speech is, â€Å"Myself would on the reward of reproaches strike at thy life.† If it was not shock enough to an audience to hear Leonato say he it was fair for his daughter to die, he is now saying that he is willing to kill her himself. Especially in modern times it is almost unthinkable for a mentally sane father to threaten his daughter with death when he cannot be 100% sure that she is guilty of what is a unthinkable crime. This shows us two things,  firstly it shows yet again how strong views were on adultery, but it also shows us how strong a man’s word was against a woman’s in Elizabethan England. Leonato is threatening to kill his daughter purely on the word of a few men who he does not know that well, he wont believe his daughter who he has raised and known all her life. It is like he has just switched of all his love and trust for his daughter, this shows that he values his respect and honour more than he values her. Friar Francis is interesting in this scene because as a vicar he is maybe expected to speak the side of the church, which we would expect to be very against what Hero has allegedly done. However, Friar Francis plays the middle man in the way that he does not condone what she has supposed to have done. But he sees that she may not be guilty of the accusations so he defends her when almost nobody else will. This may be to represent the church as a voice of reason and as a comfort in times of trouble, the belief that if she has done wrong then God will right it himself. The first thing Friar Francis says during the accusations is â€Å"have comfort lady,† the audience will be relieved that someone is seeing reason and will possibly warm to the character of the Friar. However, they might be slightly shocked to see this comfort coming from a man of the church as it does say in the bible â€Å"thou shalt not commit adultery.† After everyone has said what they think about Hero , Friar Francis interrupts with â€Å"hear me a little.† The effect of this is almost like a hero coming to the rescue, he has seen that Hero is defenceless and he now steps in to reason with everyone and protect her. He refers to her â€Å"maiden truth,† this shows us that he really has faith in her as a person while everyone else takes the word of the princes. By â€Å"maiden truth† he is saying that she is telling the truth when she says she is a virgin, this is interesting from an audience perspective because they would expect these words to come from her father. Friar Francis then makes a plan to save Hero’s dignity. He decides that they should pretend that she died with shock or shame and then Claudio would feel guilty and love her more than when she was alive. They can then reveal that she is still alive and they can happily marry again. At this point it becomes clear why Friar Francis has to be the one to save Hero, it is because he is a trusted man in society and seen as a respectable figure of the church. This puts him in a  position to advise people as Benedick says after the Friar’s speech, â€Å"Signior Leonato, let the Friar advise you.† It works as they all agree with his idea and the Friar has saved Hero from shame making himself almost the true Hero of the play. When you analyse Hero’s self defence and appeal of innocence it becomes less surprising that she was thought to be guilty and that the mans words were taken over hers. Her defence is weak and spoken with little passion or convincing tone, she says very little to her defence except that she is guilty but cannot prove it or offer any alternative solution to how the mistake came about. She says, â€Å"O God defend me,† this shows how helpless she is that she is calling upon God to help her because she cannot help herself. This may make an audience angry because she is so weak, especially in a modern audience where women are seen as stronger and more independent. Women were seen as the weaker gender in Elizabethan society but with Hero’s terrible defence and cry to God for help, she is causing herself to be treated weak because she is acting in that way. I think that audiences would also be amazed at the happy ending to the play when Hero appears to accept the mistakes that were made and forgive for the insults they made without a second thought. This really shows how weak she is and how she is expected to react as a female. An audience would be expecting her to make some kind of speech at the end along the lines of â€Å"I told you so† or something on the way she was appallingly treated by most of the men. However, she says nothing and is happily married to Claudio forgetting about anything that was previously said. I feel this would shock an audience because it gives the message that you can treat women like that and get away with it because they are in no position to argue back. An Elizabethan audience may expect her to be submissive because it is what they are used to, however, a modern audience would be disappointed in the message she is giving. They would be especially disappointed because they have seen Beatrice act strongly and independently against the stereotype placed on women, this makes Hero look even worse because if Beatrice has managed to be strong then there is no reason why Hero cant do the same. I found that what was most shocking in this play was not how the Hero was treated, but how she was representing women and just took all the mislead abuse without any kind of defence or anger. What I found interesting about this play is how it appears to have different appeals for a modern audience and an Elizabethan audience. I felt that a modern audience would be very sympathetic on Hero’s side but also slightly angry at her lack of defence and self respect. They would also feel shocked by the male characters and their treatment of Hero as a woman. However, an Elizabethan audience would sympathise with Hero because she is innocent but they would not be shocked by her lack of defence as that is what they would expect in their society. Similarly, they would sympathise with Leonato and the men where we would be angry, this is because they would be used to a similar reaction in their lives if a woman was thought to have been unfaithful. They would understand the shame Leonato feels in the play. This shows how amazingly Shakespeare can cross not just generation but centuries, his plays are made to entertain a wide range of people with different beliefs and social or religious views. I believe that it is because of this that Shakespeare is seen as one of the greatest playwrights of all time.

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 19 HATE

WE MADE OUR FLIGHT WITH SECONDS TO SPARE, AND THEN the true torture began. The plane sat idle on the tarmac while the flight attendants strolledso casuallyup and down the aisle, patting the bags in the overhead compartments to make sure everything fit. The pilots leaned out of the cockpit, chatting with them as they passed. Alice's hand was hard on my shoulder, holding me in my seat while I bounced anxiously up and down. â€Å"It's faster than running,† she reminded me in a low voice. I just nodded in time with my bouncing. At last the plane rolled lazily from the gate, building speed with a gradual steadiness that tortured me further. I expected some kind of relief when we achieved liftoff, but my frenzied impatience didn't lessen. Alice lifted the phone on the back of the seat in front of her before we'd stopped climbing, turning her back on the stewardess who eyed her with disapproval. Something about my expression stopped the stewardess from coming over to protest. I tried to tune out what Alice was murmuring to Jasper; I didn't want to hear the words again, but some slipped through. â€Å"I can't be sure, I keep seeing him do different things, he keeps changing his mind A killing spree through the city, attacking the guard, lifting a car over his head in the main square mostly things that would expose themhe knows that's the fastest way to force a reaction† â€Å"No, you can't.† Alice's voice dropped till it was nearly inaudible, though I was sitting inches from her. Contrarily, I listened harder. â€Å"Tell Emmett no Well, go after Emmett and Rosalie and bring them back Think about it, Jasper. If he sees any of us, what do you think he will do?† She nodded. â€Å"Exactly. I think Bella is the only chanceif there is a chance I'll do everything that can be done, but prepare Carlisle; the odds aren't good.† She laughed then, and there was a catch in her voice. â€Å"I've thought of that Yes, I promise.† Her voice became pleading. â€Å"Don't follow me. I promise, Jasper. One way or another, I'll get out And I love you.† She hung up, and leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed. â€Å"I hate lying to him.† â€Å"Tell me everything, Alice,† I begged. â€Å"I don't understand. Why did you tell Jasper to stop Emmett, why can't they come help us?† â€Å"Two reasons,† she whispered, her eyes still closed. â€Å"The first I told him. We could try to stop Edward ourselvesif Emmett could get his hands on him, we might be able to stop him long enough to convince him you're alive. But we can't sneak up on Edward. And if he sees us coming for him, he'll just act that much faster. He'll throw a Buiclc through a wall or something, and the Volturi will take him down. â€Å"That's the second reason of course, the reason I couldn't say to Jasper. Because if they're there and the Volturi kill Edward, they'll fight them. Bella.† She opened her eyes and stared at me, beseeching. â€Å"If there were any chance we could win if there were a way that the four of us could save my brother by fighting for him, maybe it would be different. But we can't, and, Bella, I can't lose Jasper like that.† I realized why her eyes begged for my understanding. She was protecting Jasper, at our expense, and maybe at Edward's, too. I understood, and I did not think badly of her. I nodded. â€Å"Couldn't Edward hear you, though.'† I asked. â€Å"Wouldn't he know, as soon as he heard your thoughts, that I was alive, that there was no point to this?† Not that there was any justification, either way. I still couldn't believe that he was capable of reacting like this. It made no sense! I remembered with painful clarity his words that day on the sofa, while we watched Romeo and Juliet kill themselves, one after the other. I wasn't going to live without you, he'd said, as if it should be such an obvious conclusion. But the words he had spoken in the forest as he'd left me had canceled all that outforcefully. â€Å"If he were listening,† she explained. â€Å"But believe it or not, it's possible to lie with your thoughts. If you had died, I would still try to stop him. And I would be thinking ‘she's alive, she's alive' as hard as I could. He knows that.† I ground my teeth in mute frustration. â€Å"If there were any way to do this without you, Bella, I wouldn't be endangering you like this. It's very wrong of me.† â€Å"Don't be stupid. I'm the last thing you should be worrying about.† I shook my head impatiently. â€Å"Tell me what you meant, about hating to lie to Jasper.† She smiled a grim smile. â€Å"I promised him I would get out before they killed me, too. It's not something I can guaranteenot by a long shot.† She raised her eyebrows, as if willing me to take the danger more seriously. â€Å"Who are these Volturi?† I demanded in a whisper. â€Å"What makes them so much more dangerous than Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and you?† It was hard to imagine something scarier than that. She took a deep breath, and then abruptly leveled a dark glance over my shoulder. I turned in time to see the man in the aisle seat looking away as if he wasn't listening to us. He appeared to be a businessman, in a dark suit with a power tie and a laptop on his knees. While I stared at him with irritation, he opened the computer and very conspicuously put headphones on. I leaned closer to Alice. Her lips were at my ears as she breathed the story. â€Å"I was surprised that you recognized the name,† she said. â€Å"That you understood so immediately what it meantwhen I said he was going to Italy. I thought I would have to explain. How much did Edward tell you?† â€Å"He just said they were an old, powerful familylike royalty. That you didn't antagonize them unless you wanted to die,† I whispered. The last word was hard to choke out. â€Å"You have to understand,† she said, her voice slower, more measured now. â€Å"We Cullens are unique in more ways than you know. It's abnormal for so many of us to live together in peace. It's the same for Tanya's family in the north, and Carlisle speculates that abstaining makes it easier for us to be civilized, to form bonds based on love rather than survival or convenience. Even James's little coven of three was unusually largeand you saw how easily Laurent left them. Our kind travel alone, or in pairs, as a general rule. Carlisle's family is the biggest in existence, as far as I know, with the one exception. The Volturi. â€Å"There were three of them originally, Aro, Caius, and Marcus.† â€Å"I've seen them,† I mumbled. â€Å"In the picture in Carlisle's study.† Alice nodded. â€Å"Two females joined them over time, and the five of them make up the family. I'm not sure, but I suspect that their age is what gives them the ability to live peacefully together. They are well over three thousand years old. Or maybe it's their gifts that give them extra tolerance. Like Edward and I, Aro and Marcus are talented.† She continued before I could ask. â€Å"Or maybe it's just their love of power that binds them together. Royalty is an apt description.† â€Å"But if there are only five† â€Å"Five that make up the family,† she corrected. â€Å"That doesn't include their guard.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"That sounds serious.† â€Å"Oh, it is,† she assured me. â€Å"There were nine members of the guard that were permanent, the last time we heard. Others are more transitory. It changes. And many of them are gifted as wellwith formidable gifts, gifts that make what I can do look like a parlor trick. The Volturi chose them for their abilities, physical or otherwise.† I opened my mouth, and then closed it. I didn't think I wanted to know how bad the odds were. She nodded again, as if she understood exactly what I was thinking. â€Å"They don't get into too many confrontations. No one is stupid enough to mess with them. They stay in their city, leaving only as duty calls.† â€Å"Duty?† I wondered. â€Å"Didn't Edward tell you what they do?† â€Å"No,† I said, feeling the blank expression on my face. Alice looked over my head again, toward the businessman, and put her wintry lips back to my ear. â€Å"There's a reason he called them royalty the ruling class. Over the millennia, they have assumed the position of enforcing our ruleswhich actually translates to punishing transgressors. They fulfill that duty decisively.† My eyes popped wide with shock. â€Å"There are rules?† I asked in a voice that was too loud. â€Å"Shh!† â€Å"Shouldn't somebody have mentioned this to me earlier?† I whispered angrily. â€Å"I mean, I wanted to be a to be one of you! Shouldn't somebody have explained the rules to me?† Alice chuckled once at my reaction. â€Å"It's not that complicated, Bella. There's only one core restrictionand if you think about it, you can probably figure it out for yourself.† I thought about it. â€Å"Nope, I have no idea.† She shook her head, disappointed. â€Å"Maybe it's too obvious. We just have to keep our existence a secret.† â€Å"Oh,† I mumbled. It was obvious. â€Å"It makes sense, and most of us don't need policing,† she continued. â€Å"But, after a few centuries, sometimes one of us gets bored. Or crazy. I dor't know. And then the Volturi step in before it can compromise them, or the rest of us.† â€Å"So Edward† â€Å"Is planning to flout that in their own citythe city they've secretly held for three thousand years, since the time of the Etruscans. They are so protective of their city that they don't allow hunting within its walls. Volterra is probably the safest city in the worldfrom vampire attack at the very least.† â€Å"But you said they didn't leave. How do they eat?† â€Å"They don't leave. They bring in their food from the outside, from quite far away sometimes. It gives their guard something to do when they're not out annihilating mavericks. Or protecting Volterra from exposure† â€Å"From situations like this one, like Edward,† I finished her sentence. It was amazingly easy to say his name now. I wasn't sure what the difference was. Maybe because I wasn't really planning on living much longer without seeing him. Or at all, if we were too late. It was comforting to know that I would have an easy out. â€Å"I doubt they've ever had a situation quite like this,† she muttered, disgusted. â€Å"You don't get a lot of suicidal vampires.† The sound that escaped out of my mouth was very quiet, but Alice seemed to understand that it was a cry of pain. She wrapped her thin, strong arm around my shoulders. â€Å"We'll do what we can, Bella. It's not over yet.† â€Å"Not yet.† I let her comfort me, though I knew she thought our chances were poor. â€Å"And the Volturi will get us if we mess up.† Alice stiffened. â€Å"You say that like it's a good thing.† I shrugged. â€Å"Knock it off, Bella, or we're turning around in New York and going back to Forks.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"You know what. If we're too late for Edward, I'm going to do my damnedest to get you back to Charlie, and I don't want any trouble from you. Do you understand that?† â€Å"Sure, Alice.† She pulled back slightly so that she could glare at me. â€Å"No trouble.† â€Å"Scout's honor,† I muttered. She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Let me concentrate, now. I'm trying to see what he's planning.† She left her arm around me, but let her head fall back against the seat and closed her eyes. She pressed her free hand to the side of her face, rubbing her fingertips against her temple. I watched her in fascination for a long time. Eventually, she became utterly motionless, hei face like a stone sculpture. The minutes passed, and if I didn't know better, I would have thought she'd fallen asleep. I didn't dare interrupt her to ask what was going on. I wished there was something safe for me to think about. I couldn't allow myself to consider the horrors we were headed toward, or, more horrific yet, the chance that we might failnot if I wanted to keep from screaming aloud. I couldn't anticipate anything, either. Maybe, if I were very, very, very lucky, I would somehow be able to save Edward. But I wasn't so stupid as to think that saving him would mean that I could stay with him. I was no different, no more special than I'd been before. There would be no new reason for him to want me now. Seeing him and losing him again I fought back against the pain. This was the price I had to pay to save his life. I would pay it. They showed a movie, and my neighbor got headphones. Sometimes I watched the figures moving across the little screen, but I couldn't even tell if the movie was supposed to be a romance or a horror film. After an eternity, the plane began to descend toward New York City. Alice remained in her trance. I dithered, reaching out to touch her, only to pull my hand back again. This happened a dozen times before the plane touched town with a jarring impact. â€Å"Alice,† I finally said. â€Å"Alice, we have to go.† I touched her arm. Her eyes came open very slowly. She shook her head from side to side for a moment. â€Å"Anything new?† I asked in a low voice, conscious of the man listening on the other side of me. â€Å"Not exactly,† she breathed in a voice I could barely catch. â€Å"He's getting closer. He's deciding how he's going to ask.† We had to run for our connection, but that was goodbetter than having to wait. As soon as the plane was in the air, Alice closed her eyes and slid back into the same stupor as before. I waited as patiently as I could. When it was dark again, I opened the window to stare out into the flat black that was no better than the window shade. I was grateful that I'd had so many months' practice with controlling my thoughts. Instead of dwelling on the terrifying possibilities that, no matter what Alice said, I did not intend to survive, I concentrated on lesser problems. Like, what I was going to say to Charlie if I got back:' That was a thorny enough problem to occupy several hours. And Jacob? He'd promised to wait for me, but did that promise still apply? Would I end up home alone in Forks, with no one at all? Maybe I didn't want to survive, no matter what happened. It felt like seconds later when Alice shook my shoulderI hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep. â€Å"Bella,† she hissed, her voice a little too loud in the darkened cabin full of sleeping humans. I wasn't disorientedI hadn't been out long enough for that. â€Å"What's wrong?† Alice's eyes gleamed in the dim light of a reading lamp in the row behind us. â€Å"It's not wrong.† She smiled fiercely. â€Å"It's right. They're deliberating, but they've decided to tell him no.† â€Å"The Volturi?† I muttered, groggy. â€Å"Of course, Bella, keep up. I can see what they're going to say.† â€Å"Tellme.† An attendant tiptoed down the aisle to us. â€Å"Can I get you ladies a pillow?† His hushed whisper was a rebuke to our comparatively loud conversation. â€Å"No, thank you.† Alice beamed at up at him, her smile shockingly lovely. The attendant's expression was dazed as he turned and stumbled his way back. â€Å"Tell me,† I breathed almost silently. She whispered into my ear. â€Å"They're interested in himthey think his talent could be uselul. They're going to offer him a place with them.† â€Å"What will he say?† â€Å"I can't see that yet, but I'll bet it's colorful.† She grinned again. â€Å"This is the first good newsthe first break. They're intrigued; they truly don't want to destroy him'wasteful,' that's the word Aro will useand that may be enough to force him to get creative. The longer he spends on his plans, the better for us.† It wasn't enough to make me hopeful, to make me feel the relief she obviously felt. There were still so many ways that we could be too late. And if I didn't get through the walls into the Volturi city, I wouldn't be able to stop Alice from dragging me back home. â€Å"Alice?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'm confused. How are you seeing this so clearly? And then other times, you see things far awaythings that don't happen?† Her eyes tightened. I wondered if she guessed what I was thinking of. â€Å"It's clear because it's immediate and close, and I'm really concentrating. The faraway things that come on their ownthose are just glimpses, faint maybes. Plus, I see my kind more easily than yours. Edward is even easier because I'm so attuned to him.† â€Å"You see me sometimes,† I reminded her. She shook her head. â€Å"Not as clearly.† I sighed. â€Å"I really wish you could have been right about me. In the beginning, when you first saw things about me, before we even met† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"You saw me become one of you.† I barely mouthed the words. She sighed. â€Å"It was a possibility at the time.† â€Å"At the time,† I repeated. â€Å"Actually, Bella† She hesitated, and then seemed to make a choice. â€Å"Honestly, I think it's all gotten beyond ridiculous. I'm debating whether to just change you myself.† I stared at her, frozen with shock. Instantly, my mind resisted her words. I couldn't afford that kind of hope if she changed her mind. â€Å"Did I scare you?† she wondered. â€Å"I thought that's what you wanted.† â€Å"I do!† I gasped. â€Å"Oh, Alice, do it now! I could help you so muchand I wouldn't slow you down. Bite me!† â€Å"Shh,† she cautioned. The attendant was looking in our direction again. â€Å"Try to be reasonable,† she whispered. â€Å"We don't have enough time. We have to get into Volterra tomorrow. You'd be writhing in pain for days.† She made a face. â€Å"And I don't think the other passengers would react well.† I bit my lip. â€Å"If you don't do it now, you'll change your mind.† â€Å"No.† She frowned, her expression unhappy. â€Å"I don't think I will. He'll be furious, but what will he be able to do about it?† My heart beat faster. â€Å"Nothing at all.† She laughed quietly, and then sighed. â€Å"You have too much faith in me, Bella. I'm not sure that I can. I'll probably just end up killing you.† â€Å"I'll take my chances.† â€Å"You are so bizarre, even for a human.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Oh well, this is purely hypothetical at this point, anyway. First we have to live through tomorrow.† â€Å"Good point.† But at least I had something to hope for if we did. If Alice made good on her promiseand if she didn't kill methen Edward could run after his distractions all he wanted, and I could follow. I wouldn't let him be distracted. Maybe, when I was beautiful and strong, he wouldn't want distractions. â€Å"Go back to sleep,† she encouraged me. â€Å"I'll wake you up when there's something new.† â€Å"Right,† I grumbled, certain that sleep was a lost cause now. Alice pulled her legs up on the seat, wrapping her arms around them and leaning her forehead against her knees. She rocked back and forth as she concentrated. I rested my head against the seat, watching her, and the next thing I knew, she was snapping the shade closed against the faint brightening in the eastern sky. â€Å"What's happening?† I mumbled. â€Å"They've told him no,† she said quietly. I noticed at once that her enthusiasm was gone. My voice choked in my throat with panic. â€Å"What's he going to do?† â€Å"It was chaotic at first. I was only getting flickers, he was changing plans so quickly.† â€Å"What kinds of plans?† I pressed. â€Å"There was a bad hour,† she whispered. â€Å"He'd decided to go hunting.† She looked at me, seeing the comprehension in my face. â€Å"In the city,† she explained. â€Å"It got very close. He changed his mind at the last minute.† â€Å"He wouldn't want to disappoint Carlisle,† I mumbled. Not at the end. â€Å"Probably,† she agreed. â€Å"Will there be enough time?† As I spoke, there was a shift in the cabin pressure. I could feel the plane angling downward. â€Å"I'm hoping soif he sticks to his latest decision, maybe.† â€Å"What is that?† â€Å"He's going to keep it simple. He's just going to walk out into the sun.† Just walk out into the sun. That was all. It would be enough. The image of Edward in the meadowglowing, shimmering like his skin was made of a million diamond facetswas burned into my memory. No human who saw that would ever forget. The Volturi couldn't possibly allow it. Not if they wanted to keep their city inconspicuous. I looked at the slight gray glow that shone through the opened windows. â€Å"We'll be too late,† I whispered, my throat closing in panic. She shook her head. â€Å"Right now, he's leaning toward the melodramatic. He wants the biggest audience possible, so he'll choose the main plaza, under the clock tower. The walls are high there. He'll wait till the sun is exactly overhead.† â€Å"So we have till noon?† â€Å"If we're lucky. If he sticks with this decision.† The pilot came on over the intercom, announcing, first in French and then in English, our imminent landing. The seat belt lights dinged and flashed. â€Å"How far is it from Florence to Volterra?† â€Å"That depends on how fast you drive Bella?† â€Å"Yes?† She eyed me speculatively. â€Å"How strongly are you opposed to grand theft auto?† A bright yellow Porsche screamed to a stop a few feet in front of where I paced, the word TURBO scrawled in silver cursive across its back. Everyone beside me on the crowded airport sidewalk stared. â€Å"Hurry, Bella!† Alice shouted impatiently through the open passenger window. I ran to the door and threw myself in, feeling as though I might as well be wearing a black stocking over my head. â€Å"Sheesh, Alice,† I complained. â€Å"Could you pick a more conspicuous car to steal?† The interior was black leather, and the windows were tinted dark. It felt safer inside, like nighttime. Alice was already weaving, too fast, through the thick airport trafficsliding through tiny spaces between the cars as I cringed and fumbled for my seat belt. â€Å"The important question,† she corrected, â€Å"is whether I could have stolen a faster car, and I don't think so. I got lucky.† â€Å"I'm sure that will be very comforting at the roadblock.† She trilled a laugh. â€Å"Trust me, Bella. If anyone sets up a roadblock, it will be behind us.† She hit the gas then, as if to prove her point. I probably should have watched out the window as first the city of Florence and then the Tuscan landscape flashed past with blurring speed. This was my first trip anywhere, and maybe my last, too. But Alice's driving frightened me, despite the fact that I knew I could trust her behind the wheel. And I was too tortured with anxiety to really see the hills or the walled towns that looked like castles in the distance. â€Å"Do you see anything more?† â€Å"There's something going on,† Alice muttered. â€Å"Some kind of festival. The streets are full of people and red flags. What's the date today?† I wasn't entirely sure. â€Å"The nineteenth, maybe?† â€Å"Well, that's ironic. It's Saint Marcus Day.† â€Å"Which means?† She chuckled darkly. â€Å"The city holds a celebration every year. As the legend goes, a Christian missionary, a Father MarcusMarcus of the Voltun, in factdrove all the vampires from Volterra fifteen hundred years ago. The story claims he was martyred in Romania, still trying to drive away the vampire scourge. Of course that's nonsensehe's never left the city. But that's where some of the superstitions about things like crosses and garlic come from. Father Marcus used them so successfully. And vampires don't trouble Volterra, so they must work.† Her smile was sardonic. â€Å"It's become more of a celebration of the city, and recognition for the police forceafter all, Volterra is an amazingly safe city. The police get the credit.† I was realizing what she meant when she'd said ironic. â€Å"They're not going to be very happy if Edward messes things up for them on St. Marcus Day, are they?† She shook her head, her expression grim. â€Å"No. They'll act very quickly.† I looked away, fighting against my teeth as they tried to break through the skin of my lower lip. Bleeding was not the best idea right now. The sun was terrifyingly high in the pale blue sky. â€Å"He's still planning on noon?† I checked. â€Å"Yes. He's decided to wait. And they're waiting for him.† â€Å"Tell me what I have to do.† She kept her eyes on the winding roadthe needle on the speedometer was touching the far right on the dial. â€Å"You don't have to do anything. He just has to see you before he moves into the light. And he has to see you before he sees me.† â€Å"How are we going to work that?† A small red car seemed to be racing backward as Alice zoomed around it. â€Å"I'm going to get you as close as possible, and then you're going to run in the direction I point you.† I nodded. â€Å"Try not to trip,† she added. â€Å"We don't have time for a concussion today.† I groaned. That would be just like meruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness. The sun continued to climb in the sky while Alice raced against it. It was too brigh:, and that had me panicking. Maybe he wouldn't feel the need to wait for noon after all. â€Å"There,† Alice said abruptly, pointing to the castle city atop the closest hill. I stared at it, feeling the very first hint of a new kind of fear. Every minute since yesterday morningit seemed like a week agowhen Alice had spoken his name at the foot of the stairs, there had been only one fear. And yet, now, as I stared at the ancient sienna walls and towers crowning the peak of the steep hill, I felt another, more selfish kind of dread thrill through me. I supposed the city was very beautiful. It absolutely terrified me. â€Å"Volterra,† Alice announced in a flat, icy voice.