Discuss water - the sea, the hurricane, the flood - as natural and Essay

Discuss water - the sea, the hurricane, the flood - as natural and symbolic forces that are associated with the Zeitoun, the protagonist, and the major conflicts in the narrative - Essay Example According to Zeitoun, water is a natural and symbolic force because the hurricane caused the worst natural disaster ever recorded in the American history. However, according to Eggers, the disaster was not entirely natural. The book gives the finest investigations of qualified journalists who did their research during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. According to the book, New Orleans became vulnerable to the disaster as a result of human error (Eggers 67). This is because the federal and the state authorities responded inadequately to the disaster. Many individuals acted alone. This is because most individuals were ignorant and selfish. The protagonist in the book is Zeitoun. He is a Muslim who was raised in Syria. He worked at the sea of a fisherman for twenty years. While working, he travelled across the universe and finally settled in the US. When the Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans in 2005, his wife and children shifted to Baton Rouge. Zeitoun remained in the city to watch over their home, rental properties and the ongoing job sites. As a result of the storm, most houses in their neighborhood were flooded to the second floor. This made Zeitoun to start moving around in a canoe. He distributed the supplies that he had to his neighbors who were in need. He also moved them to higher grounds and saved dogs that had been abandoned (Eggers 109). The major conflict that arises in the narrative is the arrest of Zeitoun when he had not done any wrong. The National Guardsmen of the US army arrested and took him into custody on his property. They accused him of being a terrorist and treated him brutally. While under the custody of the National Guardsmen, Zetoun became a victim of physical and verbal abuse. Later, he was charged of looting $500. Contrary to the normal amount of the bail charged for the crime, Zeitoun was charged ten times more (Eggers

Importance of Teachers Essay Example for Free

Importance of Teachers Essay A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where is influence stops. Henry Adams Teaching is a timeless profession. It is the basis of all other professions. Good teachers plant seed that make good doctors, good accountants, good public servants, good statesmen, good taxi drivers, and good astronauts. When former students return to see me over the years, my heart fills up in the knowledge that I have been part of a wonderful accumulation of experiences that followed them through life. Mary Bicouvaris. If your plan is for a year, plant rice. If your plan is for a decade, plant trees. If our plan is for a lifetime, educate children. Confucius I am a teacher because of teachers. They showed me that someone other than my mother could love me. Guy Doud In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something else. Lee Iacocca What else is needed is something that teachers themselves are reluctant to talk about openly and it’s our respect for them. It’s what is missing in America, and it’s what has been too long withheld from a profession so important to our national well being, as important as doctors or captains of industry or TV commentators. From sunup to sundown, the school teachers you have seen tonight work harder than you do – no matter what you do. No calling in our society is more demanding than teaching. No calling in our society is more selfless than teaching. No calling in our society is more central to the vitality of a democracy than teaching. Roger Mudd To me the sole hope of human salvation lies in teaching. George Bernard Shaw Each of these quotes speaks to me, not merely because I am a teacher, although that is part of it. Like Guy Doud, I am in part a teacher because of other teachers, and love – directly expressed or not – was certainly part of it. It was my AP American History teacher Thomas Rock who challenged me to live up to what I could do, and it was Music Professor John Davison who demonstrated the deep love for every student who passed through his care, including me. I hope that I return both lessons with my own students. I know the importance of respect. I cannot demand it from my students but must earn it, in large part by acting with respect towards them. It might be helpful were the media and many politicians and far too many parents not reinforcing a different attitude. In part it is because we do not pay teachers, and if they make so little, they cannot be that important, right? Except, as I might note, in one 45 minute period I spend more quality time with some of my students than they get from their parents, which is a different tragedy. Our society needs to reexamine how we value people, and not have such an emphasis on money and overt power. The Henry Adams quote is one I have long cherished. The affects of my own teachers continue on me today. And I have now taught long enough to be no longer be surprised at some of the students who come back to thank me. It worries me that some of my long-term affects upon students might not be so salutary, which is one reason I try to be aware of how my words and actions can have impact far beyond their immediate purpose. I am only in my 13th year of teaching, but am already experiencing some of what Mary Bicouvaris writes about. If you are a parent, you have every right to demand that your children’s teachers see them as individuals, but please remember yours may be one of almost 200 children that teacher deals with every day. If you want more personal attention for your child, demand smaller classrooms, lower student loads per teacher so that they are capable of giving that attention. If you are a policy maker, remember that the decisions you make can support or prevent the kind of teaching environment that makes a difference in the life of a child. Teaching is about much more than cramming information into heads so that it can be given back on high stakes tests which really do not tell us all that much useful information. All of us have had teachers. And even if we were too shy, or too stubborn, to express our thanks at the time, we can always drop a note or make a call, or if possible stop by and say hello, and thank those who made a difference for us. Sometimes we worry about the students who pass through our care, that we did not do enough, care enough, and it can help a teacher who is wondering whether to continue the struggle to hear of the differences s/he made. Sometimes that can be the one thing that keeps a teacher going for one more year. I know I can make a difference. And I am not making these requests on my own behalf. But while I claim to speak for no one except myself, I also acknowledge that I have a voice – and a keyboard – that seems to be able to express in ways others may not be able to, to reach eyes and ears and minds to which many do not have access. So this is my offering today. It is about the importance of teachers. You probably already know about that importance, but I figured a gentle reminder might not hurt. Peace.

My First Memory :: First Person Narrative Examples

There's always one life-altering, mind-blowing, view-changing point in human existence when memory starts. The first substantial memory I hold in my memorial arsenal is the memory of a play day outside with my oldest brother. I remember this day like it were yesterday; the healthy, cared for grass was green as money; the sun was shining like the face of a newly made contest-winning billionaire. My brother and I were masters of outside play, just like a sensei is master to his students. My oldest brother, Sam, was a gorilla of a brother. He was big, bulky and much of the time, mean. Sam beat me at every game we played. He beat me at anything from toy cars to basketball. Sam was an earth-conquering tyrant. The only thing was that I was Sam's earth to conquer. However, today had a different course of events in store; I was bound to alter history this day. Shortly after returning from a Boy Scout campout; Sam was still in an adventurous, scout-like, kick-Ted's-Butt mood. He was going to teach me to play capture the flag. Capture the flag was a game that I could do well in and proceed past my brother's performance, therefore dethroning him and his dominant rule. I was crystal clear on how to play this game and now it was time to play. I looked high and low for a superexcellent, well-camouflaged hiding place for my flag. I needed a hiding place that Sam would never find, never even think of. The nook I decided on was the best ever; my flag was never to be found. Sam's as pirations were hopeless. The place I decided on was high up in a gum tree. After I hid my flag, the game was on and I expedited out for Sam's flag. Our yard was the only thing between me and his flag. Our yard, however, was jam-packed with thorny sticker bushes, piney pine bushes, and plenty of pine cones. The journey to his flag was going to be long and strenuous, but I was determined. I started out with a nerve cringing, skin-piercing secretive crawl through the sticker bushes. My passage through the bushes was like a passage through a locust-plagued tunnel. I got through that only to be greeted by a mine field of pine cones. Every step could hold my life in its hands. If I was loud, Sam was sure to hear and come tag me.

Art History Final

They have manipulated our opinion, reactions, and even likeness of art. They defined who the great artists are and through their judgments they have even cited the value of art. But unfortunately for them, post-modern art has dethroned critics with the use of humor, wit, and scale of impact in their art. Post-modern art rejects the idea Of beauty and truth and reveals the value Of irony. Artists such as Marcel Decamp, who created the Fountain, or Mark Tansy, shock, mock, and force the viewers to rethink the meaning of art. The reader/viewer must create a whole new context in which to hold the art, one which may truly challenge his belief structures, one which may force him, to make sense of what he is seeing, to hold a larger perspective than he errantly has in place. † 1 And this applies to the critic as well. His opinion can no longer be valued as before because this kind of art no longer has a meaning and its interpretation no longer matters. Its importance lies on the impac t and sensation of its viewers. Art becomes then a participatory experience, one in which the audience receives, and handles as they may, the flows of libidinal energies which the artist set free. † 2 The control the words Of critics had over art is gone and viewers are able to let their unconscious decide what art is. Nothing can better explain the place of the critic with this ewe art as Roland Breather's essay title does: post-modern art has brought â€Å"The Death of the Author. † In his essay Farther explains how in literature the identity of the author no longer has any importance. Nonperformance† may be admired, but not his â€Å"genius† The author. 3 By giving the power to the literature rather than to the writer itself, he is giving the power to the piece of art and not to the critic as it has always been. As explained earlier, the opinion of the critic was impeding us from reaching our own conclusions on art. But by denying beauty in art and intro ducing something as absurd as a urinal, post-modern artists â€Å"refused to assign [art] a â€Å"secret† that is, an ultimate meaning,†4 that a critic can easily identify or criticize, and instead, â€Å"liberates an activity† where each viewer can have their own reflections on the piece.In my essay I am giving the role of the author in Farther essay, to both the critic and the artist. Nevertheless, I am assigning the part of the modern author to the artist, and its opposite to the critic. Before, the importance was given to the author, he was recognized, in other words, the critic was recognized. But now, â€Å"language knows a subject, not a person. 5 And from my point of view I interpret this statement as meaning that the person, in other words the critic, does not matter anymore, the art does, the subject.Of course the critic will still be a critic and give their opinion, rank a piece of art, and judges it as well. But this time they cannot use an absolute standard of arbitration. By not being able to judge the way they used to, they assert Farther point, that ‘the explanation of the work is always sought in the man who has produced and for me this man he speaks about could only be the artist himself. Clement Greenberg, Harold Rosenberg, and Roseland Krause have been incredibly influential in the history of art. Greenberg championed and was the first to appreciate the achievements of abstract art.Rosenberg was also a supporter of the abstract expressionists and proved the importance of the happenings and performance art. Krause introduced a new approach that focused on aesthetics that apprehend cultural and historical issues. While I have criticized them in my essay shall also embrace their intellectual knowledge on the subject of art and its importance in society as well as history. Nevertheless, â€Å"the birth of the reader must be ransomed by the death of the author. 7 The public should continue to take in and learn from t hese figures opinions. Nevertheless, we cannot take what they say too literal.We must understand that they are critics, they are â€Å"a person who judges the merits of literary, artistic, or musical work. â€Å"8 They judge but they do not define art. Challenges to the Status Quo Art has deliberately hidden the figure of women and their work in society. There have been great women artists, but have not been recognized as such and valued by posterity. Many paintings by women were initially credited to males, suggesting that there is no objective difference between art made by omen or men, but when it is verified that the author is a woman, the economic and symbolic value of the work decreases immensely.Even today, there are works by women that are not attributed to the real author because the fact that they are women would reduce the price of the work considerably. As Linda Gnocchi explains in her essay, ‘Why Have There Been no Great Women Artists,† the answer to this question â€Å"lies not in the nature of individual genius or the lack of it, but in the nature of given social institutions and what they forbid or encourage in various classes or groups of individuals. Women have a long experience in the fields of art and culture, their contributions have always been present, although in many cases the concept of â€Å"respect† has not been applied to them in the same way as their male counterparts. They have always been relegated to a second plane. Being a woman and artist has often been seen as an injurious occupation and inconsistent, while it has been traditionally reserved the epithet of genius for men. Women have to live in a society which has not ceased to be sexist, in a culture where women are still thought of as an inferior place and lacking retain rights.And this, as Gnocchi explains, does not apply to art only. In her article she gives us the example of the great artist, Rosa Bonjour. Now a day if women become the CEO of a comp any, an architect, or a policeman, they would be categorized the same way Bonjour was: a tomboy, a woman with a desire to be more masculine, or selfish. Yet if men â€Å"have a need for feminine involvement,† 10 as Gnocchi puts it, the jobs such as pediatricians, child psychologists, or chef, are admired rather than frowned upon. In her essay Gnocchi explains the disadvantages women had in art education that led to he lack of great women artists.Some examples were the restriction put on them to participate in classes with nude models or be a part of several contests. Nevertheless, today those restrictions no longer apply but the lack of ‘great women' still persists. Society and history is to blame for this. Now, as John Stuart Mill points out and Gnocchi quotes in her essay, â€Å"everything which is usual appears natural. The subjection of women to men being a universal custom, any departure from it quite naturally appears unnatural. † 1 1 We have progressed as a society and we have reached equality in many areas.However, sexism as well as racism seems it will never cease to exist because they are distinctions we consider natural. In her article Gnocchi writes about how her question can or has been answered incorrectly. Afraid to be included in the category of incorrect answers, I would like to put my life as a perspective instead and show how the views of today's society regarding the sexes are clearly defined. From a very young age had a nanny, who as many would expect was a women because caring for children, cooking, and cleaning is a role usually given to a women if in a household.A man drove me to school every morning and generally anyone who drove that was not a family member was in fact usually a man. I remember the habitual comment that ‘women do not know how to drive. ‘ When I arrived to school there were five male security guards, and my teachers all the way from pre-kinder to about sixth grade were women. Society wou ld see this as correct because security guards are there to protect and men being stronger than women means they can do a better job.And the reason why all my teachers at a young age were women is because we are still young, I do not receive a grade but simply mille faces, stickers, or a ‘good job' in its place, and I need a mother figure at all times. High school was not much different. I started to get grades and was considered a grown-up, so men began being my teachers as well. Physical education, however, was still separated by sex, including the teacher, because â€Å"boys are more aggressive and they can hurt girls. † Now I arrive at Washington and Lee University.An Ivy League education in a beautiful campus with amazing professor, but, a place where it is believed that women only come here to get their MRS. degree. A joke that has been around since he university became co-educational back in the ass's, saying that women only come here to look for a husband. At th is point Gnocchi will probably consider me a feminist, but I am simply showing a perspective from someone that is in her twenties in the 21 SST century and can still clearly separate the roles of men and women as expected in the realm of our society that we claim has improved and changed.My life is only one perspective and many might not have had the same experience did, but it does support what Gnocchi repeatedly states in her essay. Quote Incision's words once more: the question of women's equality-?in art as in any other realm-?devolves not upon the relative benevolence or ill-will of individual men, nor the self- confidence or abjectness of individual women, but rather on the very nature of our institutional structures themselves and the view of reality which they impose on the human beings who are part of them. 12 This also includes the educational system today. Gnocchi makes one more important argument in her article. She explains that when it comes to art what needs to change is the way its history is taught. Lucy R. Leopard supports this argument in her article, Too Political? Forget It,† when lists the amount of information on art that has most times not been taught, and how it IS â€Å"No wonder activist and community art, always a stepchild, is slow to evolve. 13 The statement that ‘there have been no great women artists' can be justified, but it does not mean it is correct. Women as well as other minorities have been deprived from being a ‘genius', a term that is unreal but largely used for men, due to their social conditions and deprivation of an education. But the only way to transform this lack of recognition is to stop listing excuses, or have minorities keep aerating themselves as such and change the unnatural to natural in society. Artistic expression comes from the spirit, not the body type you have or hormones. The language of art is, more materially, embodied in paint and line on canvas or paper, in stone or clay or plas tic or metal-it is neither a sob story nor a confidential whisper. â€Å"14 The Courage to Break Grounds For many years there have been many instances where artists have held public events to raise social and political issues, yet many of which are not on record. While artists know that when choosing this career path it will not be ass, especially economically, they risk their commodities for their passion. Nevertheless, this does not mean that they do not want recognition. If they are primarily concerned with audiences who will never write, curate, collect or fund art, they run the risk of being forgotten before they are even acknowledged . â€Å"15 A reason why political artists mostly limit their work to galleries, and this is a problem that must be fixed. However, I do not believe that political artists who only care about this acknowledgement truly care about making political art. In galleries the artwork will always first be seen as esthetics and subject to be rated and crit icized by its artistic aspects rather than the subject matter and message it is trying to pass on.Political art is that which addresses public concern and takes a stand on an issue. It is a way to speak for those who wont and to open the eyes of those who cannot or resist viewing reality. It is also meant to support or represent those that cannot do it on their own. Most importantly it is supposed to change minds. Political art is not meant to be hidden by the walls of galleries and museums and constrained to the eyes of critics and elitists. It is meant for society to see as ell as to learn and experience what is being fought for Or sometimes encouraged.Nevertheless, politics is a sensitive subject. While I do believe it should be out for everyone to view, certain aspects of the viewer can affect the intended message of the artist, making it difficult to completely object the idea that such an important subject matter should have viewers with certain capacities of understanding. Th e real answer as to whether or not political art should be presented in public venues, even if it is protected by the first amendment to do so, lies on how it might impact the observers.

Oppressed Rights by the Oppressive Regime in Margaret Atwood’s the Handmaid’s Tale Essay

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale delves well into the horrid nature of extreme control and immoral limitations in defining the corrupt theocratic government at large, and more specifically the effect this control has on the society’s women. In an age in which a newly emerged and merciless governmental system called the Republic of Gilead has â€Å"put life back to the middle ages,† sparked by a widespread panic of infertility, personal freedom and individuality have become unimaginably reduced (Genny 1). Handmaids selected to live in the houses of wealthy, well-respected couples go through a life entirely designed by the government for the sole purpose of bearing children. Caught between following the strict rules made for women by the Republic and breaking them in secret for the sake of her sanity, the protagonist Offred essentially but not purposefully offers close to nothing for her society’s benefit. Not allowed to read, write, speak her thoughts or even look another in the eye, the most she can offer proves to be occasional, well-monitored grocery errands and the slight possibility of providing the gift of life for an elite Commander and his Wife. Parallel to a dystopia in which Offred has been stripped of the most simplistic allowances, women in today’s various Middle Eastern societies find relatively equal difficulty in utilizing their strengths due to the severe suppression and forced structure of their daily lives. Regardless of the varying context of these two scenarios, they both present themselves problematically in light of women’s personal struggle to contribute in society—in both Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and the modern Middle East, seemingly unethical yet extreme theocratic government exercises examples of such radically unformed control over its people that the exploitation and demeaning of the natural rights of women become prevalent. But on what grounds should the male citizens of the Republic of Gilead and those in today’s foreign communities be granted more liberation and opportunity while the women are held more captive of their own independence? As Offred finds herself trapped in such an unreasonably restrained living situation, she instinctively recognizes the current lack of available free will because she once knew what freedom looked and felt like. For example, in opposition of her training as a handmaid with the Aunts, she cannot help but wander her ind back to the pre-Republic days â€Å"thousands of years before,† when she and fellow females could actually go to school and watch â€Å"movies of the rest of the world† that even included â€Å"dancing[,] singing, ceremonial masks, [and music],† clearly taking place in a land where â€Å"people†¦were happy† (Atwood 118). Offred as well as other handmaids in her place inevitably suffer within their reality by trying to maintain a grasp on the memories of such privileges they once took for granted, such as real television to promote quality education. Instead of living the naturally liberal life of opportunity that was once available to Offred and existed in her home and school life, such a vision has been taken away by the government and exists now only in her memory, as the Aunts present to her and the other potential handmaids a government-approved film with â€Å"the title and [few] names blacked out†¦with a crayon so [they] couldn’t read them†Ã¢â‚¬â€another example of a ludicrous constraint, reading, that could have instilled fruitful possibilities in the mind of a woman (Atwood 119). In addition, as if the recollection of accredited education and other past events were not enough a cause of longing, Offred also recalls the fearless, empowering spirits of her late loved ones—particularly her mother whom she spots in the film, â€Å"wearing the kind of outfit Aunt Lydia told [the handmaids] was typical of Unwomen in those days† while â€Å"smiling, laughing†¦and raising [her] fists in the air† (Atwood 119). To witness such a wild and free spirit in action, that once was allowed for women but has been officially banned by the radical Christian followings of the Republic of Gilead, undoubtedly sparks a deep temptation within handmaids to rebel against this authority inflicting such â€Å"unacceptable losses of intellectual liberty†; however, such a temptation proves to be a challenge to pursue for some women today (Tolan 1). While the initial teachings of Islam attempted to improve living conditions for Muslim women by granting them some of the same rights as men in the seventh century, women become incapable of endorsing these rights when their society attempts to enforce the â€Å"laws† of the Islamic religion, described by the Columbia University professors who wrote At the Crossroads of the World: Women in the Middle East: Today, many Muslim women do not have the opportunity to enjoy rights once considered theirs by their religion. Women may be unaware of their rights or live in societies where these rights have been misinterpreted or misrepresented by individuals in power (be it the state, culture, or family). In Muslim countries around the world, there is a fundamental difference between what is prescribed by religious texts and what is actually practiced, a gulf between the ideal and the real (Esposito 1998, xiii). Often, the purportedly ‘religiously grounded’ restrictions placed on women within certain societies have little or nothing to do with the teachings of Islam. More often they are a function of socioeconomic and political factors. Recent examples of such restrictions included Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, which prohibited women from receiving medical attention from males and placed other restrictions on their movement in public (Revolutionary Association of the Women in Afghanistan)(Crocco, Pervez, and Katz 110). At most, these women are granted with the illusion that they possess legitimate freedoms, when in actuality their government prohibits this execution with the false justification that it simply conforms to the Islamic religion. The handmaids and all women alike governed by the Republic of Gilead correspondingly must follow the rules of the regime that claims to be operating in the name of the Christian faith in an attempt to validate its restrictive essence. Thus, no question exists as to how Offred becomes â€Å"increasingly reckless with her actions and behaviors,† or to why in the end â€Å"there is the strong possibility that her recklessness has cost her her life† (Genny 1). Most emphatically does Offred’s situation come off as unjust when she finally experiences a small taste of the natural freedom she once had but still deserves. Because it is obviously an â€Å"oasis of the forbidden,† she has to force herself to â€Å"hold†¦absolutely rigid† when the Commander invites her into his off-limits personal turf to play a game of Scrabble, something harmless, yet banned. Despite â€Å"[t]he fact that [she’s] terrified,† Offred still recognizes that â€Å"this is freedom[;] an eyeblink of it,† as if â€Å"he were offering her drugs† (Atwood 138-139). While Atwood implies in her novel that â€Å"feminist utopianism cannot avoid the taint of totalitarianism,† she employs the concept of defiance in that Offred can nourish her natural tendencies to actually enjoy herself through breaking the rules (Tolan 30). Similarly for the women in Iraq, the Ba’ath Party that emerged in 1963 sought provisions for women’s equality, including the liberties of education and employment; however, outside the major urban center of Baghdad, â€Å"the society still relegated Iraqi women to a very inferior position vis-a-vis men† (Brown and Romano 1). To maintain two adjacent communities with such contrasting ways of governing women is arguably contradicting and therefore, a cause for concern. Ultimately, women have simplistically natural rights that ought not to be rendered in the least, especially by illegitimate theocratic governments. Under no circumstances are the rights to thought, decision, reading, and writing, among many others, capable of being outlawed justifiably, regardless of gender. With such liberties, women carry great potential in contributing to society, despite the possibility of infertility or radically religious devotion—and in a lot of cases, that contribution can be imperative. Today in Iraq, a woman cannot own private property or hold any status, while forced to give up her education and marry a stranger. However, women still make up 65% percent of the population, and make up 70% of the agricultural workforce (Al-Jawaheri and Harris). Though they continue to fight for the equal rights and treatment they deserve while accepting their low circumstances, the crucial importance of granting women this moral blessing remains strong.

Prior Knowledge Improves Reading Comprehension

Prior Knowledge Improves Reading Comprehension Using prior knowledge is an important part of reading comprehension for children with dyslexia. Students relate the written word to their previous experiences to make reading more personal, helping them to both understand and remember what they have read. Some experts believe that activating prior knowledge is the most important aspect of the reading experience. What is Prior Knowledge? When we talk about prior or previous knowledge, we refer to all of the experiences readers have had throughout their lives, including information they have learned elsewhere. This knowledge is used to bring the written word to life and to make it more relevant in the readers mind. Just as our understanding about the subject can lead to further understanding, misconceptions that we accept also add to our understanding, or misunderstanding as we read. Teaching Prior Knowledge A number of teaching interventions can be implemented in the classroom to help students effectively activate prior knowledge when reading: preteaching vocabulary, providing background knowledge and creating opportunities and a framework for students to continue building background knowledge. Pre-teaching Vocabulary In another article, we discussed the challenge of teaching students with dyslexia new vocabulary words. These students may have a larger oral vocabulary than their reading vocabulary and they may have a difficult time both sounding out new words and recognizing these words when reading. It is often helpful for teachers to introduce and review new vocabulary before beginning new reading assignments. As students become more familiar with the vocabulary and continue to build their vocabulary skills, not only does their reading fluency increase but so does their reading comprehension. In addition, as students learn and understand new vocabulary word, and relate these words to their personal knowledge of a subject, they can invoke that same knowledge as they read. Learning the vocabulary, therefore, helps students to use their personal experiences to relate to stories and information they read. Providing Background Knowledge When teaching math, teachers accept that a student continues to build upon previous knowledge and without this knowledge, they will have a much more difficult time understanding new mathematical concepts. In other subjects, such as social studies, this concept is not readily discussed, however, it is just as important. In order for a student to understand written material, no matter what the subject, a certain level of prior knowledge is needed. When students are first introduced to a new topic, they will have some level of prior knowledge. They may have a great deal of knowledge, some knowledge or very little knowledge. Before providing background knowledge, teachers must measure the level of prior knowledge in a specific topic. This can be accomplished by: Asking questions, beginning with general questions and slowly increasing the specificity of questionsWrite statements on the board based on what students have shared about the topicHave students complete a worksheet, without grading, to determine knowledge Once a teacher has gathered information on how much the students know, she can plan lessons to students further background knowledge. For example, when beginning a lesson on the Aztecs, questions on prior knowledge might revolve around types of homes, food, geography, beliefs, and accomplishments. Based on the information the teacher gathers, she can create a lesson to fill in the blanks, showing slides or pictures of homes, describing what types of food were available, what major accomplishments the Aztecs had. Any new vocabulary words in the lesson should be introduced to the students. This information should be given as an overview and as a precursor to the actual lesson. Once the review is completed, students can read the lesson, bringing in the background knowledge to give them a greater understanding of what they have read. Creating Opportunities and a Framework for Students to Continue Building Background Knowledge Guided reviews and introductions to new material, such as the previous example of the teacher providing an overview, before reading are extremely helpful in providing students with background information. But students must learn to find this type of information on their own. Teachers can help by giving students specific strategies for increasing background knowledge about a new topic: Reading summaries and conclusions of chapters in a textbookReading the end-of-chapter questions before reading the chapterReading the headings and subheadingsFor books, reading the back of the book for information on what the book is aboutOlder students can review cliff notes before reading the bookSkimming the book, reading the first line of each paragraph or reading the first paragraph of each chapterSkimming for unfamiliar words and learning definitions before readingReading short articles on the same topic As students learn how to find background information on a previously unknown topic, their confidence in their ability to understand this information increases and they can use this new knowledge to build and learn about additional topics.References: Increasing Comprehension by Activating Prior Knowledge, 1991, William L. Christen, Thomas J. Murphy, ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills Prereading Strategies, Date Unknown, Karla Porter, M.Ed. Weber State University The Use of Prior Knowledge in Reading, 2006, Jason Rosenblatt, New York University

Abortion10 essays

Abortion10 essays Abortion has always been (and I reckon it will continue to be for quite some time) a very controversial issue not only due to the difficult comparison of rights (does the mother's rights outweigh the child's or vice-versa?) but also because of the many different instances in which the issue of abortion might come up. For instance, one couple who simply wants to plan their family, and be ready for it, is obviously different and less shocking a case as a raped fifteen-year old. Regarding abortion, pro-life and pro-choice are the two sides trying to impose their own points of view, but while one is extremely strict and makes a completely solid statement without taking each case in particular (pro-life), the other (pro-choice) acknowledges the implications of abortion and while not encouraging it in any way, it implies a certain flexibility depending on each case. I, personally, am a pro-choice person, but not taking it to the extreme. I believe a woman should have the right to choose when to have a baby but I agree with creating limitations to this right. The reasons are simple and numerous, health being the most important one, for if abortion would be deemed illegal and immoral, not only would women turn to unsanitary secretive abortions (or even desperate self-induced ones) but the psychological pain and scars would also be considerably more unbearable (I say more because they are already quite unbearable and extremely stressful). Another reason is a biological one it is the woman who carries the baby for nine months, and until the baby is out in the open, being a separate person, until the moment of birth, the baby is simply a part of the womans body. I choose to view childbirth as the moment when the child becomes the human, because it is the most valid turning point in its life -when it starts to live on its own. I consider the pro-choice point of view as being the most rational. However, I also a...

Basic Prompts and Tips on College Essay Writing

Basic Prompts and Tips on College Essay Writing A set of great essay writing tips that help students write a winning college essay. A college essay is a great chance for students to show their best qualities and to convince the admission committee that they are better than other applicants. In situations, where two applicants appear equal, a compelling essay makes the difference. While reading such essays college admission officers will see that the student can write correctly and use logical arguments. The essay will also provide more information about the students personality. Tips on the Art of the College Essay Writing: There is no such thing as a ‘correct’ answer.  Universities get hundreds of responses and admission officers give students all kinds of essay topics. There is no one or several ‘correct’ answers to the same question; each college essay is individual and unique. Take your time.  Admission officers look through hundreds of essays, and it does become evident how much time the student has spent over the essay. Have fun.  Having fun in the process of the essay writing will be an advantage for you. That will probably make the application process less stressful. If students have fun writing their essays, admission committees will have fun reading them. Write about yourself.  An admission officer doesnt have a favorite type of essay. Some essays are funny, others are serious, and some are deeply personal. But favorite essays are the ones which are thoughtful and truly tell about a students personality. Five College Essay Writing Tips Writing an essay, you should keep some requirements in mind: 1. Avoid writing a general essay. Such generic essays contain too many abstractions and unsupported generalizations. They may be absolutely technically correct: very well-organized, full of complicated sentence structures and have ideal spelling, but reading them brings nothing but regret they are boring. 2. Begin with a snappy opening line. Start your essay in a compelling way. Here is a couple of winning opening lines: I change my name each time I place an order at Starbucks, I have old hands etc. 3. Pick a subject carefully. Dont use controversial and sensitive subjects. Subjects that you are not recommended to touch are politics, abortion, gun control etc. Try not to apologize or complain in your essay. 4. Find your voice. It really doesnt matter what you decide to write about. It is far more important to write from yourself; that way you will show admission officers why you are the best candidate. One more thing: the essay needs to reflect what your current personality, rather than explain who you were a long time ago. 5. Give your essay a two days rest. When youre done with your essay, put it aside for a day or two. You will probably be surprised how many changes you will want to make when you resume working with it. Best College Essay Prompts Narrative Analysis Narrative essays serve numerous purposes, but the most successful ones usually include three basic characteristics: they are well organized in time, contain a certain central point, and use specific details according to that point. Here are five typical narrative essay prompts: your first visit to a large city breakup of a friendship an experience that showed how we should be careful a significant misunderstanding a dangerous experience Description Descriptive essays need to attract significant attention to details. Whatever subject you choose, you should begin with making an observation and deciding which details are most important. Here are examples: an inspiring situation a street that leads to your home an accident scene backstage during a concert Process Analysis When you write an essay using process analysis, you should give your readers understanding whether the process has been carried out successfully or not. Here you are expected to describe the process step by step. Look at these examples: how to lose weight without losing your mind how to find the perfect roommate how to enjoy the weekend for less than $20 how to develop self-confidence how a particular accident occurred So the main thing you should really do is to gain experience in writing essays. With just a little bit of practice, you will be able to use a rich vocabulary, complicated literary constructions and various approaches to the pointed prompt, keeping in mind all the requirements of the structure. That is really an art to create an essay which will show the admission that you are the best candidate to accept. So treat it with a  proper attitude and do your best to create a masterpiece. COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY Please place your  order here  and we will jump right at it, with a guarantee that your essay will come up top quality, original and right in time!

Analyze (in the land of the free) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyze (in the land of the free) - Essay Example Customs officers tell them that their son cannot be allowed to go ashore. Due to the bureaucratic reason, Lae Choo and Hom Hing leave their sons with immigration authorities expecting to return the next day to pick him up. They are confident that the immigration authorities will give them back their child. However, after five months, their child has not been given back to them. Instead, the immigration authorities left the young boy at the hands of missionaries. Hom Hing hires a lawyer, James Clancy to appeal to the immigration authorities to release the boy. When he failed, the lawyer asks Hom Hing for five hundred U.S dollars to appeal to the government directly in Washington D.C. Lae Choo proffers her jewelry, as Hom Hing does not have enough money. She gives the lawyer, her hairpins, gold buttons, rings, and comp of pearl with the expectation that they were enough for acquisition of papers for her son’s release. Five more months passed before Clancy succeeds. When she regains her son, Lae Choo goes directly to the missionaries to bring him home. However, due to long time between them, a small boy runs back to the missionaries and tells her mother to go away (Sui, Ling & White, 1995). Lae Choo is one of the main characters. She is the wife of Hom Hing. The immigration authorities take away her two years old son and place him under the care of missionaries. Lae Choo is a good wife. While in China, where she went to give birth to her son, she takes care of her husband’s sick parents for two years even though she had gone there to give birth. In addition, Lae Choo is a loving and a caring mother. When the immigration authorities took her baby, she could not sleep that night. When asked to sleep by her husband, she responded, â€Å"Ah, how could I sleep with my hands empty of the young boy?† (p. 53). She also shows her loving and caring nature when she decided to give James Clancy her jewelries as her husband

Reading and lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reading and lives - Essay Example In my own opinion, I also think reading and writing have some benefits in our lives. For example, people can learn new knowledge to enrich their lives. Even though, people might have different cultural background, reading and writing can also help them change their lives and help them get better. As such, the main idea going to be presented in this paper is related to the aspect of how reading and writing can transform our lives. To a certain extent, reading can be viewed as a hobby but it can help people change their destiny. In addition, a good study environment can help people develop a habit of reading. In the article, â€Å"The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me† by Sherman Alexie, it can be noted that his father liked to buy books which meant that Alexie had many books to read. When he was young, he did not know a lot of words. Consequently, Alexie improved his vocabulary through reading a lot of books. For example, when he read Superman, a comic book, he assumed some words or dialogue that Superman could say to help him read the book. I think that it is a good and easy way to help people to understand books. On the other hand, Alexie said that some people thought that Indian children were expected to fail in the non-Indian world. However, he did not agree with that argument. Instead, he refused to be a failure. Alexie spent a lot of time reading, even just for a few minutes. In additio n, Alexie read a book everywhere, in the car, shopping mall and bookstores (50 Essays 15-18). Finally, he became a writer and he wrote novels, short stories and poems. From Alexie’s experience, I believe that reading is the cornerstone that helps people to develop their talents. Some people have different opinions of other individuals who come from other countries. In the article mentioned above, Alexie is portrayed as an Indian child. He mentions that his classmates who

What is the difference between imperialism and colonialims Essay

What is the difference between imperialism and colonialims - Essay Example These raw materials were then to be crafted into finished products that the colonies must then buy from the home nation. The focus of the home nation under colonialism is settlement and establishment of colonies in areas that provided economic advantages. All they expect from the colonies is a steady flow of raw goods and fixed export markets for those same finished goods. Imperialism is different in that the goal in establishing an empire is political as well as economic. The goal of imperialism is to make other nations or territories conform to an ideology that is supported at the imperial center. In colonialism, the interaction and focus of power is in the colonies. Imperialism involves the conquest of lands on the periphery of the empire, subjugating them to the ideology that emanates from the center of the empire. While colonialism and imperialism both have economic advantages for the home nation or center of power, imperialism gains this advantage through forced conformity to an ideology while colonialism creates this advantage through economic, not political

Benchmar Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Benchmar Exercise - Essay Example The student also attacked the demerit system utilized in the college. This is because it is unfair for a student to be sanctioned based on incorrect information or perception. In April 2014, one female student called Samantha Field wrote an online article that accused the college of failing to give her adequate support after a rape incident within the college premises. The Haredi College was established in 2001 in Jerusalem. The college was mainly targeted for the ultra-Orthodox public. The college is mainly managed by Adina Bar-Shalom, the daughter of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. But the college has experienced several controversial issues. Recent media information illustrates that the college is about to be closed, due to approximately $1.7 million debt. Several other Heredi colleges are experiencing financial challenges; for instance, Lander College that has filed for bankruptcy, and Makor HaMayanot. The Ministry of Education in Israel gave the responsibility of financial management at the college, to an accounting

A Subsidiary Company in a European Union Country Essay

A Subsidiary Company in a European Union Country - Essay Example But currently, the industry has become multinational with a giant turnover. The clothing industry is among the most competitive and also most profitable ventures. It provides employment opportunities directly and indirectly to millions of people worldwide. Currently, in the United Kingdom some of the leading clothing companies include Aquascutum, Aston Bourne, Austin Reed, Barbour, Bertie.co.uk, Elvi, Dorothy Perkins, Monsoon, I Love Cashmere, Next, and countless others. The competitive environment in this industry is very high because of the enormous number of clothing companies in the market. Clothing companies have various challenges they experience which include increased expenses for operating costs and raw material. When the global economy weakens, it affects the clothing industry majorly because people tend to not purchase new clothes. The effects have been seen whereby some industry players do fallout during these periods. But when the economy strengthens the industry also improves. Rapid fashion and trend changes and changing customer preferences can also pose a significant challenge to the industry. Next, a clothing company in United Kingdom headquarters in England, designs, manufactures and supplies clothing, footwear, and home accessories. It has over 700 stores spread across the globe. Next boasts 200 stores in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Other 597 stores are found in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Next was founded in the year 1964. It has approximately 54,507 employees (2013). In the year 2013, the company recorded a profit of  £508.6 million. Next plc’s business strategies include developing and upgrading Next products, improving the company’s financial strength by promoting secure financing structure and increasing the number of online sales globally.  

Benchmar Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Benchmar Exercise - Essay Example The student also attacked the demerit system utilized in the college. This is because it is unfair for a student to be sanctioned based on incorrect information or perception. In April 2014, one female student called Samantha Field wrote an online article that accused the college of failing to give her adequate support after a rape incident within the college premises. The Haredi College was established in 2001 in Jerusalem. The college was mainly targeted for the ultra-Orthodox public. The college is mainly managed by Adina Bar-Shalom, the daughter of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. But the college has experienced several controversial issues. Recent media information illustrates that the college is about to be closed, due to approximately $1.7 million debt. Several other Heredi colleges are experiencing financial challenges; for instance, Lander College that has filed for bankruptcy, and Makor HaMayanot. The Ministry of Education in Israel gave the responsibility of financial management at the college, to an accounting

Roads and Transport Authority Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Roads and Transport Authority - Coursework Example In this regard, the report for indicate information on the following: (1) a list of the main products and services; (2) an identification of the main customers; (3) the purpose and goals of RTA; (4) an analysis of a minimum of 4 external factors and their impact on the business activities of RTA; (5) The structure and at least 4 functions of RTA; (6) an explanation of how these different functions work together within the organisation to optimise performance; and (7) an identification of the culture of the organisation and at least 2 ways this affects operations. The official website of the RTA (2011) revealed that the organization is â€Å"responsible for planning and providing the requirements of transport, roads & traffic in the Emirate of Dubai, and between Dubai and other Emirates of the UAE, neighboring countries in order to provide an effective & an integrated transport system capable of achieving Dubai's vision & serving the vital interests of the Emirate† (RTA, par. 2 ). Since it is a service and governmental organization, its product is the service of providing crucial functions of road safety and effective management for the transport system of Dubai. Its main customers are all commuters and drivers of buses, taxis, inter-city transport, marine, rail, and those affected by traffic and road management and safety. Its mission is to â€Å"prepare legislation and develop integrated solutions of road systems and land/marine transportation networks that are safe and in line with Dubai’s economic development plans and the highest international standards† (RTA: mission, par. 1) with the goal of ensuring safety and smooth transport to all commuters at all times. Since the organization is focused on road safety, the external factors that impact their operations are: (1) environmental (weather conditions and disturbances); (2) political factors (changes in laws and policies); (3) economic conditions (taxes paid by the public, purchasing powe r, rate of infrastructure development); and (4) technological factor (updates on the IT used in systems and procedures in RTA due to external advancement; the condition and status of the vehicles). The official portal of the RTA indicated that â€Å"it is responsible for planning and executing transport and traffic projects in Dubai, preparing legislation and strategic plans, planning and constructing the Dubai Metro, developing other integrated solutions of road systems and marine networks that are safe and in line with the city’s economic development plans and the highest international standards† (RTA: profile, par. 1). The functions of planning, organizing, directing and controlling relevant legislations, rules and policies on road safety and management are crucial to ensure that there is a smooth transition and governance of transport administration. Since the RTA is a governmental organization, the culture, values, beliefs and practices of the Saudi people are man ifested. The flag, king, borders, regions, population, currency, landmarks (Kingdom Center) and food have shaped the lives of this nation. The cultural traditions, values and beliefs helped them stand out as one of the largest and richest countries in the Middle East. Therefore, any celebration of the rich cultural tradition impacts the administration of traffic and road safety in terms of determining the number and route of commuters and vehicles that could possible converge in commercial districts or religious institutions, as the situation warrants. Activity B Given the scenario that one’s Executive Directors are proposing to reduce the size of the HR section, or even close the function completely. One is therefore tasked to write a short report to the Board that supports the retention of the HR

The Wine of Astonishment Essay Example for Free

The Wine of Astonishment Essay â€Å"God don’t give you more than you can bear. † The opening line of the novel suggests that it is a deeply rooted religious novel. As the story unfolds, we explore the religious journey that the afflicted Spiritual Baptists in Bonasse have to embark on, in efforts to restore their rights to practise their faith. The title of the novel, The Wine of Astonishment can be analysed in two ways. Firstly, the literal translation of ‘The Wine of Astonishment’ stems from the meanings of the words ‘wine’ and ‘astonishment. ’ Wine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice and is usually bitter. Astonishment refers to something unexpected. Combining the meanings, one can deduce that the Wine of Astonishment refers to something bitter and unexpected. As one of the major themes in the novel is struggle, we can interpret the wine to imply bitterness – the hardships and ‘sour’ experiences the Spiritual Baptists had to withstand and astonishment – the unexpected. Therefore, the Wine of Astonishment can literally mean an unexpected hardship. Secondly, if analysed from a biblical perspective, the phrase ‘the wine of astonishment’ is mentioned in Psalm 60:3 ‘ Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. ’ To David, the psalmist, in Psalm 60, he felt as though God withheld His protection, that God had turned his back on them because when the Israelites were at war away in the North, they were invaded in the south. It appeared as though instead of granting them the wine of blessing, God had rejected them unexpectedly. This was God’s way of testing the faith of his people. He made them endure unexpected hardship to see just how strong they were. In the novel, Eva knows that the trials they experience was God’s challenge to them. It seemed as though God rejected them and showered them with tribulations but real help comes from God alone and when a situation seems out of control, we can trust God to do mighty things. Hence, God made the Spiritual Baptists ‘drink the wine of astonishment’ to test their faith as a church and in the end, God restored his protection of his people and freed them from the torment they endured in attempts to keep their religion. The book’s title introduces the reader, to a religious plot that will examine the course of a struggling people.

Effect of Market on Pay Rates and Structures

Effect of Market on Pay Rates and Structures Executive Summary This assignment is based on two parts. Part A is focused on what is happening in the market of pay rates and structures. How management decide to pay to their employees and factors affecting the pay systems? Part A is mainly discussed on the factors that affecting to the pay rates in organisations. The role of management to deciding the pay structure and the system, they should follow to decide the pay rates. It consists of many illustration and examples in the way of case studies. It includes an overview of the scope in reward management, a description of the factors of pay rates coming in this context. The careful review and analysis are performed on deciding the pay rates, the conclusions are judged with suitable references and examples. In part B of this assignment, the topic of dismissal is discussed. The types of dismissals procedure and the methods of managing the dismissals in organisations. In this assignment, we discuss the need of the dismissals and how to manage it properly. The is supported with literature reviews and case studies. What is the affect of the dismissals on the employers as well as employees and how society is affected by this? This part will discuss on fair dismissals and the legal aspects of the dismissal process. Part A Do you think â€Å"management freedom of action in deciding relative pay rates is constrained by the product market, the labour market, collective bargaining, technology and the internal labour market † Discuss and debate. What factors should management consider in your opinion? Substantiate with many examples. Introduction The skills of managers had explained that there are several ways of connecting different types of efforts and rewards relying on what is being occurred and by which method. There are many varieties of pay distribution structure. Payment by outcome plans of different types, system then connect time-related encouragement to achievement criteria group and individual schemes, bonus plans relates to plan outcome. Sometimes payment systems are determined to work in some conditions but not in all. Sometimes, managements experience with the payment system is not planned in a proper method to show which payments are suitable for which situations, its objectives? The management indicate to some of the characteristics in choosing proper payment systems such as- product market, labour market, trade unions, technology and the expectations and manners of workplace. There are further factors which also need to be considered by the management while deciding or modifying the pay system. Each factor is present in every situation, but differs in their application depending on the time and situation. The management should organise systematically the payment systems and would require a method of calculating the differences applied in these factors. The managements experience need a process of designating payment schemes in such a manner that it should match with the conditions. Although, there is no specific criteria or any particular system designed, which can provide management to classify payment systems, especially to help at the time of choosing payment system. Also there is no particular format or method which is available to suit unusual or unpredicted situations. It has been said that when basic necessities are satisfied, like food, shelter, clothing, then other higher needs comes further. Therefore employees expect from the management to redefine their jobs, so that their jobs can be enlarged and they get work promotions, which could enlarge their range of skills. There is need for training to enlarge the skills of employees, which they expect more from the managements side to be classified as continuous process. Management have to deal with all these problems. Firstly, they have to classify the schemes and motivate th e workers. Secondly, they have to add the procedure that provides them opportunity of the design of organisation. Thirdly, to add the aims of the managers which they would need to set themselves. Consequently, there are many other factors while discussing the pay rates by the management. Pay Structure The time, management selects the pay rate for their workers, they have to choose how they will reward them. The systems transparency is the basic key to make certain that everyone knows the system of their payment calculation and on what basis they are receiving their bonouses or enhancements. What is Pay Structures? According to Armstrong and Brown, Definition: â€Å"Pay structure gives a structure for managing base pay and other aspects of reward† Some main types of pay structures are Traditional graded structures Broadbanded structures Graded pay structures Job families Mixed model ( broadbanded and job family) Pay spines Individual job structures In many organisations, there is lack of formal pay structures and they use ‘spot rates for different jobs or people. There is no scope of progress in pays, just what they think at that time the pay should satisfy minimum needs for the workers that will be the pay of that worker. For example, Thistle Hotels acquired a market-driven spot rate approach. According to the authors, in the UK ,there are great numbers of organisations with less than 100 employees have no formal pay structure, just what they think at the time of the appointment of the employees, they are worth, that will be the pay structure of them. But in other big organisations, they use the formal structure of pay which Appoint pay scales grouped into grades. Progress the actions for pay progression. Specify the criteria on which individuals or jobs can shift between grades, bands or levels. Factors Affecting Pay Rates Managers freedom of action make manager more flexibility in determining an employees pay rate within a specified salary range. With this flexibility comes accountability, however, requiring managers to apply sound judgment using a set of established pay factors to justify an employees rate of pay. Salaries are â€Å"managed† normally around market rates depending on departmental needs, the work units needs, and budget availability or constraints. Applicant and employee situations may make one or more of these factors more important in determining the pay rate. Managers may also consult with Human Resource staff experienced in applying pay factors as a resource when making pay decisions. There are primary pay factors to consider when making a pay decision in career. Those pay factors are described below.Pay decisions should be made fairly taking into consideration all of the following. There are several things and issues which management to kept in mind because these issues are important and core issues could make a impact on management in terms of relative these core issues are under. On first stage we need to discuss these issue then after that recommendations could be make easily 1) Labour market: In labour market, labour organization is usually showed as a complication for adjustment. But responses of unions are aggressive opposition to acceptance or even explicit cooperation. There are three main characteristic responsible for this kind of events. These are mention in the below diagram. A) Strength of labour movement: In industry, the labours an aggressive attitude on wages tends to be associated with relatively strong unions. As expected, the small or week unions are less aggressive. The large or powerful unions are more responsible because they are greatly participation in discussion and decision making at the national level. On the other hand in the developing countries this kind of formality is totally different. Only a few unions have strong labour movement and among this the aggressive attitude is common. B) Economic Cycle: In the developing as well as industrial nations, the depression is reduces aggressive attitude of labour regularly. C) Political institutions: The nature of the political command is only associated with how governments handle labour relations. More important things are that behaviour of labour unions towards the nature of political party and how these unions are connected with these parties. The workers cooperation is related to those things which encourage the business to invest. The current sacrifices will ultimately relate to future gains or profits. (Booth, A. (1995), The Economics of the Trade Union, Cambridge, CUP.) Case Study: Labour Market Outcomes and Trade Reforms: The Case of India* The Policy Reforms of 1991 In 1991, modifying labour laws to enhance flexibility in labour markets was envisaged as  part of the economic reform program that commence. However, the lack of harmony and political instability has postponed industrial relations reforms. A handful of changes have been initiated in recent years. For instance, as part of the restructure of unprofitable public-sector enterprises, a voluntary retirement system was institute by the government to reduce their workforce. In 2002, the government decided to modify the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947 allow companies to lay off employees without seeking its permission, if they employ less than 1,000 workers. This change is likely to impact 95 percent of Indian enterprises, provide employers with greater freedom in their labour decisions and improve labour market flexibility. Labour Markets: Regulations and Rigidities The informal sectors of the economy, which account for the bulk of employment, have remained outside the scope of labour laws and labour-market Institutions. Furthermore, the informal nature of employment contracts, the illiteracy of the workers, and the surplus labour in the rural economy have condemned attempts to unionize these workers. In India, Most labour laws are applicable to the organized sector. The organized sector offers what can be called â€Å"good† jobs and failure of the sector to draw out labour from unorganized sectors leads to a general decline in employment conditions. Labour Market Rigidity Indias labour market is ranked 45th labour market flexibility in the GCR 1998. Rigidities include rigidities in the deployment of human resources, in work practices, and in wages. While India is a labour surplus economy, wages are often set at above market clearing levels, particularly in the organized sector. The downward demands on wages are mitigate by labour market imperfection such as the existence of monopolistic trade unions and minimum wages guaranteed by law. These conditions apply especially to the public sector. The government fixes minimum wages for workers in the unorganized sector. However, constitutional minimum wages have been largely ineffective in influencing wages in unorganized sectors due to weak enforcement, irregular revisions, and lack of proper indexation to cost of living. In an economy where state-sponsored social security is nearly absent and where â€Å"good jobs† are unusual, employment security in the organized sector is of apparent value. The issue is not simply one of removing rigidities; it is also one of concurrently ensuring the economic and social security of the workers. While labour market flexibility will make possible readjustment and restructuring, it must be accompany by some kind of insurance and social security to the huge unorganized labour force in the country. Employment provided under the â€Å"Jawaharlal Rodger Yolanda† — a form of unemployment benefit where the government provides employment through labour-intensive infrastructure projects. (Pushan Dutt, Department of Economics, University of Alberta, 2005.) 2) Product Market: A full understanding of how product market regulation affect labour market out comes requires a systematic measurement of the channels through which these regulations affect equilibrium outcomes in various economic environments. In this framework, job insecurity generates a perverse effect on workers incentives, which shifts up the real wages schedule and may yield employment losses. Product market regulation and redundancy payments contribute to reducing labour turnover, thus easing the workers incentive constraint. Consequently, and against conventional wisdom, regulations may have a positive impact on employment, and a substitution effect may emerge across deregulation policies. Moreover, in some cases a complementarily arise between regulation in product and labour markets, both interacting to ensure more stable labour regulation.(oxford journals, industrial and corporate change, 2006) Product market reforms can give significant economy advantages. All organisation for economic development (OECD) countries rely essentially on competition in product markets to organize product. The advantages of competitive markets over command and control system is generally recognized. It is regularly difficult to provide experiential evidence of the effect of incremental changes in the intensity of competition for aggregate economic performance. This is partly because product market competition is only one among many factors influencing key aggregate performance indicators, such as productivity and employment. OECD has a rational connection between strong competition in markets for goods and services and better productivity and employment outcomes.( Product Market Regulation and Market Work: A Benchmark Analysis, Lei Fang and Richard Rogerson, NBER Working Paper, February 2007) Case Study: BT- telecommunications company increase marketing response rates by 100 percent. Challenge: BT needed to identify customers propensity to purchase and then calculate their likely competitive value once they become customers, to obtain the greatest value from its marketing budget. After creating accurate customers profiles, BT planned to develop new product targeted to specific customers groups. Solution: BT selected PASW Modeller (one type of software) to analyze data and build exploratory models for its â€Å"business highway† campaign, which was aimed at small business customers. A higher response rates to marketing campaigns, increase product revenues, and an even greater market share for the company. Results: 1) Improved direct mail campaign response rate by 100 percent. 2) Provided sales and marketing with a targeted â€Å"best prospects† list the once peaceful telecommunication industry has turned competitive. To retain its customers, gain new customers, and maximize sales, the company needed facts about exactly who was buying its products and services. To identify these customers, the company established a customer and campaign analysis team, headed by Senior Consultant Stephen OBrien, within its business connections division. The teams first assignment was to model customer profiles for BTs Business Highway product, which provides small business customers with three telephone numbers, one standard and two digital, on a single line. The launch included a major direct mail campaign and national media coverage. (http://www. Financial times.co.uk, 2007) 3) Collective Bargaining: Collective bargaining is specifically an industrial relations instrument or device for employment relationship. In collective bargaining, the union always has a combined interest for the benefit of several employees. Where collective bargaining is not for one employer but for several, cooperative interests become a characteristic for both parties to the bargaining process. Further, in labour relations involve the public interest on pay which can impact on need to be satisfied, such as the subsistence of the freedom of association and a labour law system. The nature of the relationship between the parties in collective bargaining distinguish prices. (Sriyan de Silva, Collective Bargaining Negotiations, 199, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION) Governments are interfere in collective bargaining because the negotiations are of interest to those away from the parties themselves. In collective bargaining certain essential conditions the negotiations from normal commercial negotiations in which the buyer may be in a stronger position as he could take his business elsewhere. In the employment relationship the employer is a buyer of services and the employee the seller, and the latter may have the more powerful authorize in the form of trade union action. (Blau, F.D. and Kahn, L.M. 1996: International Differences in Male Wage Inequality: Institutions versus Market Forces, Journal of Political Economy, 104, 4, 791-837.) The ILO Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention (No. 98), 1949 describes collective bargaining as: Voluntary negotiation between employers or employers organizations and workers organizations, with a view to the regulation of terms and conditions of employment by collective agreements.( ILO, Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949) According to Marginson and Sisson. There are several essential characteristics of collective bargaining, all of which cannot be reflected in a single definition or description of the process: It is not corresponding to collective agreements because collective bargaining refers to the process, and collective agreements to the possible result of bargaining. It is a method used by trade unions to develop the terms and conditions of employment of their members. It seeks to restore the imbalanced bargaining position between employer and employee. Where collective bargaining impinges on government policy. Where it leads to an agreement, it modifies the individual contract of employment because it does not create the employer-employee relationship. (Marginson, P. and Sisson, K. 1998: European Collective Bargaining: a Virtual Prospect?, Journal of Common Market Studies Vol 36, 4, 505-28.) Case Study: Bargaining Power for Farmers, or The More Things Change†¦ Richard A. Levins is Professor and Extension Agricultural Economist in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. Since the closing of the frontier in the last quarter of the 19th Century, the encounter with an increasingly dominant urban-industrial society has emerged as the major force in American agricultural development.The dramatic impact of this encounter during the last two decades has contributed to a crisis in social organization in both urban and rural areas.This crisis has resulted in intense concern by farmers and farm organizations over agricultures changing role in the national economy. â€Å"Bargaining power for farmers† has turned into one of the leading issues in current agricultural policy discussion. The milk holding action by the National Farmers Organization (NFO) in March 1967 dramatized, both to the general public and the national political leadership, the seriousness of the efforts some farmers were willing to make in order to achieve greater bargaining  power in the marketplace. In response to this new evidence of rural unrest Secretary of Agriculture Freeman took to the country for a series of â€Å"shirtsleeve† conferences with largely hostile farm audiences across the Midwest.Task force studies and meetings with farm producers  and marketing organizations to explore the interest and economic consequences of strengthening the power of farmers to bargain about terms of sale and market prices were conducted by USDA during the fall of 1967. In his January 1968 State of the Union  Address and his February 27 Agricultural Message, President Johnson recommended that Congress give serious attention to legislation â€Å"to help farmers bargain more effectively for fair prices.† The issue of bargaining power for farmers is not new in the history of agricultural policy discussion. Farmers have long used organization as a means of improving their political and economic bargaining power.The National Grange, oldest of U.S. farm organizations (founded 1867), grew rapidly in response to the long period of rural distress in the 1870s.The Farmers Alliance Movement in the 1880s represented a second major attempt by farmers to organize themselves, an effort that led to the formation of the Populist Party in 1891.The Farmers Union, organized in 1902, drew heavily on the old Farmers Alliance-Populist movement for its leadership and support. In contrast to earlier political efforts, however, the Farmers Union placed major emphasis on achieving economic power through cooperative marketing. The most dramatic effort by farmers to achieve direct marketing power occurred during the 1920s. Farmer cooperative associations achieved protection from antitrust action through the Cl ayton Antitrust Act (1914) and the Capper-Volstead Act (1922). Under the leadership of Aaron Sapiro of California, national commodity cooperatives for wheat, cotton, tobacco, peanuts, and many other crops were formed.The objective was to obtain control over a sufficient portion of the entire crop to become a dominant factor in the market. Control of producer deliveries were to be achieved by means of long-term contracts with members. (http://www.choicesmagazine.org/2002-4/2002-4-02.pdf) 4) Technology: Technology also plays an important part in terms of pay rise or relative pay rate because now a days technologies like work process engineering has minimise the labour role also because in the past labourer do so many things with hand but now a days those things could be easily done by the help of technology has some how overtaken the place of labour work .So management also bare in mind that if they are going increase relative pay or they going to invest in technological side they can save a lot of money while investing in technology. So technology also plays important role in terms of pay rise . 5) Internal labour market: Internal labour market also plays an important part on relative pay rates because now a days even though free capital market concept but all of this some countries at present they protect internal labour market .Because now a days internal labour market peoples enjoyed more benefits instead of peoples who came from some where else .Internal labour market also gives management some so management they believes internal labour market is bit more expensive then international labour market. 6) Financial Resources Available: Generally , it is HR staff for how much the salary will be paid to workers but there is also the responsibility of the manager as well to promote their workers. Often, when manager want to promote their staff the financial of the organization will become the challenge for the manager. Therefore manager should be aware of budget resources of all decision will be made. They have to weigh the available budget that company has against with the other factors for the best solutions. Managers should insight of the competencies and how HR used to recruit, hire, evaluate, develop, and pay their staff. The manager probably get help form consulting with HR staff for more information. Before promote any staff for more pay that is the duty of manger to make sure that the company have the budget available for that position for the promising a pay rise, which means if no fund available that is no point for manager to post or advertise for a higher position to their staff. As a managers that is nece ssary to work with all level position in the organization such as subordinates, upper management and most important is cousulting with HR for get the information as much as possible to decide what range of performance will be the most required for employee in each section to move from one level to another. As the employee , they have right to use their new ability or their specific competence they gain for a increase pay. Normally, if the employees who have the higher-level skills which not needed for the work the skills they have will be not considered for higher paid. Employees must be able to use their new competencies within the work unit to qualify for a pay increase. Managers must make sure that they have a plan and are allocating pay raises fairly and equitably rather than haphazardly or under changing â€Å"rules† for different employees. 7) Appropriate Market Rate: As managers, it is crucial to understand of market labor value of particular job for making decisions about the salary. Sometimes market rate not fixed all the time therefore the manager can justify paying higher rate on some case. Managers should be aware of the competencies and skills that already listed as minimum qualifications for the job. Managers should ask HR to establish a higher Market Reference Rate that exceeds the established market rate (if verified by market conditions). HR regularly monitors market rates for certain jobs but can do special reviews at the request of managers in situations like these. Generally, management should not pay too high than the established market rate for new employees for the task that only worth for certain amount. Hence, management have to study and always updated the established market rate for each position and level that will be promoted. The best way for manager to update is to consult closely with the HR offices for market salary info rmation. 8) Internal Pay Alignment: Manager should attempt to equalize the pay amount of the worker at the same level, same task , same job and performing in the same unit as much as possible The manager have to make sure that the person who will be paid more than the others, will be justified by more than one factors not only the years of services. When the manager becomes aware of any possible unjustified pay inequities among peers, these inequities should be investigated and resolved or justified to maintain fair treatment and to avoid legal problems based on possible discrimination or equal employment issues. The HR office is available to assist with reviews of internal pay equity issues. Fair salary offer for new employee should be consider with the existing employees salary and benefit package compare with the market rate. The manager may decide to make some salary adjustments. Or the manager may decide that this is not an important factor compared to other pay factors, and may not need to make any adjustments. M anagers might again consult with HR staff for help in analyzing differences in pay and benefit package comparisons. For more example, a chosen experienced applicant may be coming from another state with a comparable salary but where the cost for family health insurance was significantly less than the company rates. The manager may decide to add a proportionate increase to the salary offer to make up for the applicants increased insurance costs. In another example, a chosen experienced applicant may be coming to us from another state with a much higher salary (above the market rate for this position). The manager decides to offer the company standard market rate salary and considers this a fair offer since the cost of living in the company area is significantly less than in the applicants former state. 9) Required Competencies: That is the managers duty to make sure that the staff or an applicant has the minimum qualifications of the job. Qualifications are the competencies such as the knowledge, skills, abilities and traits which is determine and employees perform. These things are the factors of how applicants are hired and staff appraisals. Hence, it is very crucial that the competencies is expected for each person to categories their level in a particular job. Manager should make sure that any pay rates accurately reflect an employees competency level and the correct associated market rate. Moreover, managers have to make sure that a current staff have the minimum skills which required of the job. In filling a vacant position, the manager should consider on the level before posting and lists minimum and preferred qualifications. Also the pay range for the job at the suitable contributing, journey or advanced level. The duties and responsibilities for the job also counted for recruit employee. An applicant who only has the minimum qualification is not possible to qualify for a higher-level job therefore they can not be paid at higher level. Manager must check that the duties, responsibilities and ability are consistently applied to the correct levels. Basically, the more education and experience a person has got , the higher the level of competencies. Managers should be aware that employees or applicants years of experience do not always equate with levels of competencies, however. This means that two individuals working in the same class may have equal years of experien ce, but be at a different competency levels therefore different pay rate. Case Study: Pay strategy at Eastern Power plc Prior to Eastern Power plc becoming a privatized electricity supply company, pay awards were across-the-board annual pay increases and personal progression through salary grades until the maximum of the grade was reached. Annual pay awards were based on cost of living indexes nationally negotiated between the employers and trade unions on an industry-wide basis. With the formation of independent and competing electricity supply companies, the pay system was identified by senior management at Eastern Power as an important means of demonstrating the companys new, more autonomous, market-driven nature. Furthermore, it provided a tangible mechanism for reinforcing the cultural change required of individuals accustomed to working in a large public utility. Performance-related pay was introduced with no real preparation of the workforce and minimal, if any, training of line managers about either its intended purpose or application. During the first two years of operating PRP , the reported employee and managerial experience was far from positive. Complaints of inequitable treatment grew, many managers were uncomfortable with their increased discretion and pay decisions were frequently viewed as unfair, subjective and over-dependent on personal managerial preferences. Line management reported feeling unclear about what was expected from them in the new organization, which was reflected in the difficulty they had in setting clear and measurable targets for the employees for whom they were responsible. At Eastern Power plc, moving to performance-based pay strengthened the power and influence of line managers in the employment relationship but it also increased their supervisory responsibilities, accountability and emphasized the importance of demonstrating fairness and consistency in their decision-making. In a rapidly changing organizational context, it may well provide an immediate means of ‘signalling a changed organizational climate but clarifying mutual expectations of the wage/effort bargain at the level of the individual remains of paramount importance in the employment relationship. The process of achieving the desired alignment is widely recognized as complex and ‘reward management can be seen as indicative of the contradictions that exist within the discipline labelled human resource management'(Kelly and Monks, 1998:113). In part this is due to the very tangible nature of pay compared with many other human resourcing strategies. The contradictions observed in rewards policies certainly provide plentiful illustrations of a dilemma long identified in strategic human resourcing: how to elicit organizational commitment through the development of employee potential( Walton, 1985) while optimizing the use of human resources just as any other economic factor ( Storey, 1992 ). Source: http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B871.pdf (John Leopold Lynette Harris Tony Watson , The strategic Managing of Human Resources, Prentice Hall ,2005 p 211-220) Case study: Smart company

Nervous System :: essays research papers

Nervous System The two types of the nervous system are the Central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. They are responsible for integrating, processing, and coordinating Sensory data and motor commands the central nervous system, which interprets sensory input and carry information to maintain homeostasis. CNS canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be regenerate because a CNS consists of the spinal cord that mean if ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s break the spinal cord is break also. The peripheral nervous system consists of the nerves that branch from the brain and spinal cord. It is a thick bundle of nerve fibers located within the spinal cord. The PNS can be regenerate and it will regrow. The brain and spinal cord are the main parts of the nervous system. The brain controls every part of your body and is located top of our head inside our skull. The spinal cord with controls our movement. Nerve cells contain 3 parts: dendrites, cell body and the axon. Dendrite is the receiving part of the neuron. It is a short extension of the cell body And send signals toward the cell body and the cell body conducts nerve impulses which in the transmission of the nerve impulses from the region to the other cell. The axon is a single extension carries the message to the next neuron, which controls all of the nerves. The nerve impulse is response of the neuron. There are 3 classes of neurons: sensory neurons, motor neurons, and interneurons. Neurons are also called nerve cells. A sensory neuron takes information from a receptor to the CNS. A motor neuron takes information away from the CNS. An interneuron transfer information between neurons in the CNS. It also sending out signal to the muscles resulting in contraction or movement. Nerves impulse occurs when an action potential changes rapidly. When action potential occurs, the sodium gates will open as Na+ flowing into the axon the changes from à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"65mV to +40mV, this is call depolarization and during repolarization the charge as k+exits the axon from +40 mV to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"65mV.

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 3

Ella â€Å"I take it that's Micha?† Lila wanders around my kitchen as she tightens a loose ribbon on the waist of her floral dress. â€Å"He's even cuter than in the picture.† â€Å"Yep, that would be Micha.† I kick a box across the stained linoleum floor and flip the light on. It looks the same; seventies themed colors, wicker chairs around the glass table, and yellow and brown countertops. â€Å"So just your dad lives here?† Lila circles the small kitchen and her gaze lingers on the countertop next to the kitchen sink where empty bottles are lining the wall. â€Å"Yeah. My older brother moved out as soon as he graduated.† I adjust the handle of my bag and head for the stairway. The house smells like rotten food and smoke. In the living room, the aged plaid sofa is vacant, and the ash tray on the coffee table is spilling over with cigarette butts. The television is on so I shut it off. â€Å"So where's your dad?† Lila wonders as we climb up the stairs. â€Å"I'm not sure,† I avoid the truth, because he's probably at the bar. â€Å"Okay, where's your mom?† she probes. â€Å"You never told me where she lives.† Lila doesn't know much about me and it's how I want it. Leaving her in the dark, about my mom, my brother – everyone in this aspect of my life – has allowed me to transform into someone who doesn't have to deal with my problems. â€Å"My dad works nights,† I make up a story. â€Å"And my mom moved out quite a while ago. She lives up on Cherry hill.† She leans forward to study a portrait of my mother displayed on the wall; the same auburn hair, pale skin, and green eyes as me. Her smile was just as fake as mine, too. â€Å"Is this your mom?† She asks and I nod. â€Å"She looks just like you.† My chest tightens and I quickly trot to the top of the stairway. At the end of the hall, the bathroom door is wide open. The corner of the porcelain tub and the stain on the tile floor is in my line of vision. My heart constricts tighter as the memories flood me. I'm suffocating with panic. â€Å"Baby girl,† she said. â€Å"I'm going to go take a nap, just for a little while. I'll be back in just a bit.† My knees tremble as I shut the door. My chest opens up and oxygen flows through my lungs again. â€Å"So where does your brother live?† Lila peers inside my brother's room full of drums, guitar picks, CDs, and records. There's a bunch of band posters taped to the wall and a guitar up on a mount. â€Å"I think in Chicago.† â€Å"You think?† I shrug. â€Å"We don't have the best relationship. She nods, like she understands. â€Å"So is he in a band?† â€Å"I'm not sure if he's still in one now. I'm guessing since his stuff's here, probably not,† I say. â€Å"He only played because he was friends with Micha and he's in a band. Or was. I have no idea what he does anymore.† â€Å"Ella, did you lose touch with everyone in your life?† Lila accuses, tucking the pillow under her arm. Her scrutiny makes me uncomfortable. Avoiding confrontation, I turn on my bedroom light and shudder at the sight. It's like a museum of my past. Sheets of my artwork are tacked to the walls, trimmed with a black skeleton border Micha put up when we were twelve to make my room more â€Å"manly.† A collection of guitar picks line the far dresser and there is a pile of my boots in the corner. My bed is made with the same purple comforter and there's a plate with a half-eaten cookie on it, which is growing mold. I toss the cookie into the trash. Hasn't my dad been in here since I left? Lila picks up a guitar and plops down on the bed. â€Å"I didn't know you played.† She positions the guitar on her lap and strums the strings. â€Å"I always wanted to learn how to play, but my mom would never let me take lessons. You should teach me.† â€Å"I don't play.† I drop my bag on the floor. â€Å"That's Micha's guitar. His initials are on the back.† She turns it over and looks at the initials. â€Å"So the hot guy from next door is also a musician. God, I'm about to swoon.† â€Å"No swooning over anyone in this neighborhood,† I advise. â€Å"And since when are you into musicians? I have never, until today, heard you say anything about liking guys who can play the guitar.† â€Å"Since they look like him.† She points over her shoulder toward Micha's house, which is visible through the window of my room. â€Å"That boy is dripping with sexiness.† Jealousy growls in my chest and I mentally whisper for it to shut up. I pick up a photo of my mom and me at the zoo when I was six. We're happy, smiling, and the sun is bright against our squinting eyes. It rips at my heart and I let the photo fall back onto the desk. â€Å"There's a trundle under the bed that you can sleep on if you want.† â€Å"Sounds good.† She slides the guitar off her lap and goes over to the window, drawing the curtain back. â€Å"Maybe we should go to the party. It looks kind of fun.† I gather my hair away from my eyes before dragging the trundle out from under the bed. â€Å"No offense, Lila, but I don't think you can handle one of Micha's parties. Things can get a little bit crazy.† She narrows her eyes at me, insulted. â€Å"I can handle parties. It's you that never wanted to go to any of them. And the one's that I did talk you into going to, you just stood in the corner, drinking water and sulking.† I flop down on the bed with my arms and legs slack over the edges. â€Å"That party is nothing like a college frat party. They're the kind of parties you wake up from the next day on a park bench with no shoes on and a tattoo on your back, with no recollection of what happened the night before.† â€Å"Oh my God, is that how you got that tattoo on your back – the one you refuse to tell me what it means.† She lies on the bed next to me and we stare at the Chevelle poster on my ceiling. â€Å"It means infinite.† I tug the hem of my tank top down, hiding the tattoo on my lower back, and drape my arm over my forehead. â€Å"And I don't refuse to talk about it. I just can't remember how I got it.† She gives me a sad, puppy dog face and bats her eyelashes. â€Å"Pretty please, with a cherry on top. This might be my only chance to go to a party like this. The ones at my old neighborhood consist of limos, fancy dresses and tuxes, and a lot of champagne.† When I don't respond, she adds, â€Å"You owe me.† â€Å"How do you figure?† â€Å"For giving you a ride here.† â€Å"Please don't make me go down there,† I plead, clasping my hands together. â€Å"Please.† She rolls onto her stomach and props up on her elbows. â€Å"He's an old boyfriend, isn't he? You were lying. I knew it. No one can draw a picture like that of someone they've never loved.† â€Å"Micha and I have never dated.† I insist with a heavy sigh. â€Å"If you really want to go see what these parties are all about, I'll take you down there, but I'm not hanging around for more than five minutes.† I give in because deep down I'm curious to check up on the world I left behind. She claps her hands animatedly and squeals, looking out the window one last time. â€Å"Holy crap. Someone's standing on the roof.† They say curiosity killed the cat. â€Å"Come on, party girl. Let's get this over with.† *** About fifteen years ago, this town used to be a decent place to live. Then the factory that supplied jobs to almost the entire town shut down. People were laid off and slowly it began to dwindle into the bottomless pit that it is now. The houses across the street are painted in graffiti and I'm pretty sure my next door neighbor makes moonshine in his garage, or at least he did before I left. Inside Micha's house, there are people loitering in the entryway. I push my way through them and into the kitchen, which is crammed with even more people. On the table is a kegger and enough bottles of alcohol to open a liquor store. The atmosphere is overflowing with the scent of sweat and there are a few girls dancing on the kitchen counters. People are making out in the corners of the living room where the sofas are shoved to the side, so the band can flare on their instruments, screaming lyrics of pain and misunderstanding at the top of their lungs. I'm surprised Micha isn't up there playing. â€Å"Holy crap. This is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lila's blue eyes are round as she gawks at the people jumping up and down in the living room, shaking their bodies and thrashing their heads. â€Å"Like a mosh pit,† I finish for her, shoving a short girl with bleached hair out of my way. â€Å"Hey,† the girl whines as her drink spills down the front of her leather dress. â€Å"You did that on purpose.† For a split second, I forget who I am and turn around to blast her with a death glare. But then I remember that I'm the calm and rational Ella; one that doesn't get into fights and beat other girls up. â€Å"What, preppy girl?† She pats her chest, ready to throw down. â€Å"You think you scare me.† Lila bites her thumbnail. â€Å"We're sorry. She didn't mean to.† Chants fill the living room and the chaos is giving me a headache. â€Å"Sorry,† I strain an apology and squeeze between her and the wall. She snickers at me and her friends join in with her laughter as they sashay to the back door. It takes everything I have not to turn around and tackle her to the floor. Lila makes a beeline for the bar set up on the counter, dumps a drop of vodka into a cup, and mixes it with a splash of orange juice. â€Å"Okay, that was intense. I thought she was going to kick your ass.† â€Å"Welcome to Star Grove.† I shout over the music. â€Å"The Land of the Intense and Poverty-stricken, where the adolescents roam free without sober parental supervision and try to start fights wherever they can.† She laughs, takes a gulp of her drink, and her face pinches at the bitterness. â€Å"Try – † She starts, then coughs. She pounds her hand against her chest. â€Å"Are you going to make it?† I ask. Lila has never been a big drinker. She nods and clears her throat. â€Å"I was going to say try growing up where you have to get permission to wear a certain style of shoes.† I give her a mystified look and she adds, â€Å"If it wasn't up to my mother's stylish fashion standards I wasn't allowed to wear it.† I edge out of the way of a guy with blotchy skin and a beanie covering his head, who doesn't seem to mind that he knocks his shoulder into mine. â€Å"I'm sure it wasn't that bad growing up where you did. I mean, at least there was some control.† â€Å"Yeah, there was,† she says uneasily and her eyes quickly scan the room. â€Å"I can't believe there's a live band. It's like being at an outside concert.† â€Å"What? They don't have live bands in California?† I joke with a small smile as I pour myself a cup of water. â€Å"One's that take place outside?† She stirs her drink with a straw. â€Å"Not these kinds of bands. Think much more mellow, with a stage and seats to watch.† â€Å"Sounds like fun to me.† I oblige a smile and glance at my watch. â€Å"Are you about ready to go?† â€Å"Are you joking?† Sucking the drink out of the straw, she hops on the counter and crosses her legs. â€Å"We just got here. Why would we want to go? In fact, we should go dance.† My eyes find the living room, where a guy with dreads smashes his head against the glass plate of a cabinet in the corner and everyone cheers. â€Å"You can if you want, but I'm good.† I gulp my water. â€Å"I like all my bones intact.† Leaning against the counter, I scan through the crowd, curious to see where Micha is. I don't know why I'm so curious, but I am. Occasionally he would bail on his own parties, either to hook up or just get some quiet. I found him a couple of times hiding out on a lawn chair. Each time, he would pull me onto his lap and we would stare up at the night sky, talking about an unreachable future. I spot him in the corner, sitting on the couch with his arm draped around some blonde girl with boobs popping out of her dress. His hair hangs in his eyes and he's nibbling at his lip ring, driving the girl crazy I'm sure. They're just talking, but the girl keeps flipping her hair off her shoulder and her hand is on his chest. It's hard to tell if Micha's enjoying her company or not. He was always difficult to read when it came to girls because he never really looked interested in any of them, but sometimes he would end up with them for the night. I asked him about it once and he said it was all fun, but that he was just killing time until I gave into my inner desire to be with him. I tackled him to the ground for it and it made him laugh. â€Å"Why do you have that look on your face? Like you're undressing someone with your eyes?† Lila asks, following my gaze. â€Å"Oh, is that – â€Å" My eyes dart from Micha. â€Å"I wasn't looking at anyone, just the madness in the living room.† â€Å"Yeah, right,† she says, elevating her eyebrows. â€Å"You totally want him. I can see it on your face.† â€Å"Well, I'll be damned if it isn't the infamous Ella May!† Ethan Gregory grins from the other side of the counter, just behind Lila. He stumbles around the corner, nearly clipping his head on the low ceiling. Before I can respond, he has me trapped in an awkward hug with his long arms that are tracked with tattoos. His grey shirt smells like an ash tray and his breath like beer. He pulls back, ruffling his black hair with his fingers. â€Å"Does Micha know you're here in his house?† I lie breezily, very aware of where Micha is and what he's doing. â€Å"I'm pretty sure he saw me walk in.† â€Å"I doubt that. He's been looking for you for the past eight months.† He glances over his shoulder and nods at Lila, then tips in toward me. â€Å"You know he's been a wreck ever since you took off. You really fucked up his head, Ella.† â€Å"That's such a lie,† I tell him. Ethan and I have never really gotten along very well, which is why the hug confused me so much. We both had the same blunt attitude and butted heads a lot. The only reason we were friends at all was because of Micha. Although, there was one time we did bond for a split second, but we never talk about it. â€Å"Micha doesn't fall apart over anyone. I know him better than that.† His face is flushed and his brown eyes are bloodshot. â€Å"I guess you don't know him as well as you think then, because he's been a wreck. In fact, all he's done for the last few months is search for you.† â€Å"Which explains the party,† I retort. â€Å"I'm guessing that classifies as that.† â€Å"First one in five months,† he says. â€Å"And I think he only did it because he found out where you were and needed a distraction.† â€Å"I know him better than you do, Ethan, and he doesn't fall apart over girls,† I say, but cringe at the fact that I might not know him anymore. A lot can happen in eight months. â€Å"Hey, Lila, we should go. It's getting late.† She glances at her diamond encrusted Rolex and rolls her eyes. â€Å"It's like nine thirty.† â€Å"You're leaving already?† He waves his hand in the air. â€Å"That's nonsense talk right there. You haven't even seen Micha yet and he's gonna be super pissed if he misses seeing you, especially since you ran away from him in the driveway.† â€Å"Actually, I think we're going to hang out for a little while longer,† Lila presses with unrelenting eyes. She mouths, he's hot. Then she fastens her hands together. Please, Ella. Pretty please. Ethan isn't Lila's type. He's got baggage almost as heavy as mine. I start to protest when Micha's deep voice floats over my shoulder and tickles my skin like feathers. Without being able to help it, I let out a soft moan. â€Å"Yeah, pretty girl, stay a little longer.† He's so close that the heat of his body kisses my skin and my insides tremor. His fingers comb through my hair as he whispers, â€Å"You smell so good. God I've missed your smell.† â€Å"I have to get up really early in the morning.† I clear my throat and Lila's eyebrows furrow. â€Å"I need to go home and get some sleep.† He places his hand on the counter, so the crook of his arm is touching my hip. â€Å"You can keep trying to avoid me,† he breathes in my ear, taking a nip at my earlobe. â€Å"But sooner or later you're going to have to talk to me.† His breath reeks of beer and his clothes of smoke. Refusing to crack at the sound of his sexy voice, I turn and face him. â€Å"I don't have time to get drunk and act like a moron.† He's even more gorgeous under the light and more irresistible, even though his eyes are glossed over. â€Å"It's your fault I'm drunk – you drive me crazy.† He descends his voice to a soft purr, the same voice he's used on me many times to get what he wants – the voice that makes me feel alive inside. â€Å"Baby, come on. Please. We need to talk.† He leans in to kiss me. The suddenness throws me off balance and I trip over my own feet. â€Å"Micha, stop it.† I gently push him back and he staggers into the edge of the counter. â€Å"You're drunk. And I'm going home.† â€Å"She's acting weird†¦ like she's way too calm,† Ethan remarks, with a wave of his finger. â€Å"And she's dressed funny, like that girl we use to go to school with. What's her name?† He snaps his fingers. â€Å"Stacy†¦. Stacy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Harris,† I say exhausted. â€Å"And I look like a girl that went away to college and grew up.† Lila slants forward. â€Å"Ella's been this way since I've known her, but I'm really curious what she used to look like with the way everyone keeps talking about her because I can't picture her any other way besides this.† Micha and Ethan trade drunken looks and then howl with laughter. The room quiets down a little as people glance in our direction. â€Å"What's so funny?† Lila frowns and looks to me for help. â€Å"I'm so lost.† â€Å"Nothing. They just think they're funny.† I dodge around Micha, but he seizes my elbow and hauls me back against his chest. â€Å"Hey relax, baby.† He kisses my forehead and gives me his innocent face. â€Å"Please don't go. I just got you back.† Before I took off, the boundaries of our friendship were starting to blur. I thought time would fix this, but it seems like we're back to where we started. As much as I would love to melt into him, it just can't happen. I can't open up like that and lose control. I need control. â€Å"No one's got me back. I'm just here for summer break and only because I didn't have money to rent an apartment,† I say and his expression falls. â€Å"The Ella you knew is gone. She died on that bridge eight months ago.† He blinks, as shocked as I am. His lips part then he clasps them shut, struck speechless. â€Å"I didn't mean that,† I say quickly. â€Å"I'm sorry, Micha. I just can't deal with this.† â€Å"Don't be sorry for being real,† he says, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand. I force the lump in my throat down. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I say again, and then weave through the crowd and out the back door, inhaling the fresh air. â€Å"What's your problem?† Lila asks as she catches up with me at the edge of my driveway. She squashes her plastic cup and tosses it into the trash can on the back porch. â€Å"I'm so confused. What just happened?† â€Å"I needed to get out of there before I lost it.† I don't slow down until I'm in my room where I close the door and shut the window, locking away the world. I sigh back against the wall, breathing in the quiet. Lila watches me with inquisitiveness as she pulls her hair back into a bun and puts some lip gloss on. â€Å"Ethan and Micha act like you used to be someone else. Like this isn't the real you. Want to explain?† â€Å"Not really.† I push away from the door and collect some pajamas from the duffel bag. â€Å"I'm going to go take a shower. Do you need anything from downstairs?† â€Å"Yeah, for you to tell me why those guys have you so frazzled.† She unclips her watch and tosses it into her purse that's on the bed. â€Å"I've never seen you so worked up like that. You basically had an orgasm when you first saw him.† â€Å"I did not,† I say, embarrassed and annoyed. â€Å"And you haven't seen me that worked up because I'm not that person anymore.† â€Å"Except for when you're around him,† she insinuates. â€Å"When you were talking to him, there was something in your eyes I've never seen before. You were always so closed off to all the guys at parties and in school. Honestly, I thought you were a virgin. But the way you and Micha were looking at each other – you've had sex with him, right?† Pressing my lips together, I tuck my pajamas under my arm, and shake my head. â€Å"No, Micha and I've never slept together, just like we've never dated. But we've been friends since we were kids.† She sits down on the bed and unhooks her sandal. â€Å"But you've had sex before?† I squirm in my skin. â€Å"I'm going to go get ready for bed.† â€Å"Whoa, wait a second.† She leaps off the bed wearing one shoe and jumps in front of the door with her hands spread out to the side. â€Å"Are you saying that you've never had sex? Ever.† I struggle for words she'll understand. â€Å"It's not like I haven't because I don't believe in premarital sex or anything. I just†¦ Look there's a lot you don't know about me and sometimes I have a hard time getting close to people.† She's not surprised. â€Å"Well, obviously. That's totally been a given from day one.† â€Å"What do you mean?† I question. â€Å"I've never told anyone that before.† Not even Micha. â€Å"It means sometimes I can see right through you.† She sighs and counts down on her fingers. â€Å"I've been your roommate for eight months and all I know about you is you're focused on school, you hate to drink, hate being around large crowds, and have never went on a date. I barely know you and being here, I'm starting to wonder if I know you at all.† She knows the Ella I want her to know. â€Å"Can you let me by? I'm really tired.† She gives me a disbelieving look, but doesn't press. She steps aside and lets me by. Relief washes over me because I don't want to get into it with her. Not tonight. Not ever. I never want to get into the night that changed my life. I buried my reckless identity, and I won't dig it up again.