Shadow Kiss Chapter 8

Eight FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, I followed Christian around without incident. And as I did, I found myself growing more and more impatient. For one thing, I was discovering that a lot of being a guardian was waiting around. I'd always known that, but the reality was harder than I'd realized. Guardians were absolutely essential for when Strigoi decided to attack. But those Strigoi attacks? They were generally rare. Time could pass – years could pass – without a guardian ever having to engage in any sort of conflict. While my instructors certainly wouldn't make us wait that long during this exercise, they nonetheless wanted to teach us patience and how important it was not to slack just because there'd been no danger in a while. We were also being held to the strictest conditions a guardian could be in: always standing and always being formal. More often than not, guardians who lived with Moroi families behaved casually in their homes and did ordinary things like reading or watching TV – while still staying perfectly aware of any threats. We couldn't always expect that, though, so we had to practice the hard way while in school. My patience level didn't do so well with all this waiting, but my frustration was more than just restlessness. I was desperate to prove myself, to make amends for not having reacted when Stan attacked. I'd had no further Mason sightings and had decided that what I'd seen really had been fatigue- and stress-induced. That made me happy, because those were much better reasons than being crazy or inept. But certain things were not making me happy. When Christian and I met up with Lissa after class one day, I could feel worry and fear and anger radiating off of her. It was only the bond that clued me in, though. To all outside appearances, she looked fine. Eddie and Christian, who were talking about something with each other, didn't notice a thing. I moved close and put an arm around her as we walked. â€Å"It's okay. Everything's going to be okay.† I knew what was bothering her. Victor. We'd decided that Christian – despite his willingness to â€Å"take care of things† – probably wasn't the best choice to go see about us getting into Victor's trial. So Lissa had played diplomat the other day and very politely spoken to Alberta about the possibility of us testifying. Alberta had told her, equally politely, that it was out of the question. â€Å"I figured if we just explained things – why it was so important – they'd let us go,† she murmured to me. â€Å"Rose, I can't sleep. †¦ I just keep thinking about it. What if he gets loose? What if they really set him free?† Her voice trembled, and there was an old vulnerability there that I hadn't seen in a long time. That sort of thing usually set off my warning bells, but this time, it triggered a weird rush of memories, of times past when Lissa had depended on me so much. I was happy to see how strong she'd become and wanted to make sure she stayed that way. I tightened my arm, hard to do while still walking. â€Å"He won't get loose,† I said fiercely. â€Å"We'll get to court. I'll make sure of it. You know I'd never let anything happen to you.† She leaned her head against my shoulder, a small smile on her face. â€Å"That's what I love about you. You have no idea how you'll get us to court, but you still push forward anyway to make me feel better.† â€Å"Is it working?† â€Å"Yes.† The worry still lurked in her, but her amusement dampened its effects a little. Plus, despite her teasing me about my bold promise, my words really had reassured her. Unfortunately, we soon found out that Lissa had other reasons to be frustrated. She was waiting for the medication to fade from her system and allow her full access to her magic. It was there – we could both sense it – but she was having trouble touching it. Three days had passed, and nothing had changed for her. I felt for her, but my biggest concern was her mental state – which thus far had stayed clear. â€Å"I don't know what's going on,† she complained. We had almost reached the commons. Lissa and Christian had plans to watch a movie. I half-wondered how difficult it would be for me to watch the movie and be on alert. â€Å"It seems like I should be able to do something, but I still can't. I'm stuck.† â€Å"That might not be a bad thing,† I pointed out, moving away from Lissa so I could scan the path ahead. She shot me a rueful look. â€Å"You're such a worrier. I thought that was my job.† â€Å"Hey, it's my job to look out for you.† â€Å"Actually, it's my job,† said Eddie, in a rare show of joking. â€Å"Neither of you should be worrying,† she argued. â€Å"Not about this.† Christian slipped his arm around her waist. â€Å"You're more impatient than Rose here. All you need to do is – â€Å" It was d? ¦j? ¤ vu. Stan leapt out from a copse of trees and reached for Lissa, wrapping his arm around her torso and jerking her toward him. My body responded instantly, no hesitation whatsoever as I moved to â€Å"save† her. The only problem was that Eddie had responded instantly too, and he was closer, which put him there ahead of me. I circled, trying to get in on the action, but the way the two were squaring off blocked me from being effective. Eddie came at Stan from the side, fierce and swift, pulling Stan's arm away from Lissa with a strength nearly powerful enough to rip it out of the socket. Eddie's wiry frame often hid how muscular he really was. Stan's hand caught the side of Eddie's face, nails digging in, but it was enough so that Lissa could wriggle free and run to join Christian behind me. With her out of the way, I moved off to the side, hoping to assist Eddie – but there was no need. Without missing a beat, he grabbed Stan and threw him down to the ground. Half a breath later, Eddie's practice stake was poised right above Stan's heart. Stan laughed, genuinely pleased. â€Å"Nice job, Castile.† Eddie withdrew the stake and helped his instructor up. With the action gone, I could now see how bruised and blotched Stan's face was. Attacks for us novices might be few and far between, but our guardians were picking fights daily during this exercise. All of them were taking a lot of abuse, but they handled it with grace and good humor. â€Å"Thank you, sir,† said Eddie. He looked pleased but not conceited. â€Å"I'd be faster and stronger if I were Strigoi, of course, but I swear, you could have rivaled one with your speed there.† Stan glanced at Lissa. â€Å"You okay?† â€Å"Fine,† she said, face aglow. I could sense that she'd actually enjoyed the excitement. Her adrenaline was running high. Stan's smiling face disappeared as he turned his attention on me. â€Å"And you – what were you doing?† I stared, aghast at his harsh tone. It was what he'd said last time too. â€Å"What do you mean?† I exclaimed. â€Å"I didn't freeze or anything this time! I was ready to back him up, looking for a chance to join in.† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"That's exactly the problem. You were so eager to get a punch in that you forgot that you had two Moroi behind you. They might as well have not existed as far as you were concerned. You're out in the open, and you had your back to them.† I strode forward and glared at him, unconcerned about propriety. â€Å"That is not fair. If we were in the real world and a Strigoi attacked, you cannot tell me that another guardian wouldn't jump in and do everything they could to take that Strigoi down as quickly possible.† â€Å"You're probably right,† Stan said. â€Å"But you weren't thinking about eliminating the threat efficiently. You weren't thinking about your exposed Moroi. You were thinking about how quickly you could do something exciting and redeem yourself.† â€Å"Wh-what? Aren't you making a few leaps there? You're grading me on what you think was my motivation. How can you be sure what I'm thinking?† I didn't even know half the time. â€Å"Instinct,† he replied mysteriously. He took out a small pad of paper and made some notes on it. I narrowed my eyes, wishing I could see through the notepad and discern what he was writing about me. When he finished, he slipped the pad back in his coat and nodded at all of us. â€Å"See you later.† We watched him walk across the snowy grounds toward the gym where dhampirs trained. My mouth was hanging open, and I couldn't even get any words out at first. When did it end with these people? I was getting burned again and again on stupid technicalities that had nothing to do with how I'd actually perform in the real world. â€Å"That was not even fair. How can he judge me on what he thinks I was thinking?† Eddie shrugged as we continued our journey toward the dorm. â€Å"He can think whatever he wants. He's our instructor.† â€Å"Yeah, but he's going to give me another bad mark! Field experience is pointless if it can't really show how we'd do against Strigoi. I can't believe this. I'm good – I'm really good. How on earth can I be failing this?† Nobody had an actual answer for that, but Lissa noted uncomfortably, â€Å"Well†¦ whether he was fair or unfair, he had one thing right: You were great, Eddie.† I glanced over at Eddie and felt bad that I was letting my own drama take away from his success. I was pissed off – really pissed off – but Stan's wrongness was my problem to deal with. Eddie had performed brilliantly, and everyone praised him so much on the walk back that I could see a blush creeping over his cheeks. Or maybe that was just the cold. Regardless, I was happy for him. We settled into the lounge, pleased to find no one else had claimed it – and that it was warm and toasty. Each of the dorms had a few of these lounges, and all were stocked with movies and games and lots of comfy chairs and couches. They were only available for student use at certain times. On weekends, they were pretty much open the whole time, but on weekdays, they had limited hours – presumably to encourage us to do our homework. Eddie and I assessed the room and made a plan, then took up our positions. Standing against the wall, I eyed the couch Lissa and Christian were sprawled out upon with considerable envy. I'd thought the movie would distract me from being on alert, but actually, it was my own churning feelings that kept my mind spinning. I couldn't believe Stan had said what he'd said. He'd even admitted that in the heat of battle, any guardian would be trying to get into the fight. His argument about me having ulterior, glory-seeking motives was absurd. I wondered if I was in serious danger of failing this field experience. Surely, so long as I passed, they wouldn't take me from Lissa after graduation? Alberta and Dimitri had spoken like this was all just an experiment to give Lissa and me new training, but suddenly, an anxious, paranoid part of me began to wonder. Eddie was doing a great job of protecting her. Maybe they wanted to see how well she could work with other guardians. Maybe they were worried that I was only good at protecting her and not other Moroi – I'd let Mason die, after all, right? Maybe the real test here was to see if I needed to be replaced. After all, wh o was I, really? An expendable novice. She was the Dragomir princess. She would always have protection – and it didn't have to be me. The bond was pointless if I ultimately proved incompetent. Adrian's entrance put my frantic paranoia on hold. He slipped into the darkened room, winking as he flounced into an armchair near me. I had figured it was only a matter of time before he would surface. I think we were his only entertainment on campus. Or maybe not, judging from the strong smell of alcohol around him. â€Å"Are you sober?† I asked him when the movie ended. â€Å"Sober enough. What have you guys been up to?† Adrian hadn't visited my dreams since the one in the garden. He'd also laid off on some of his outrageous flirting. Most of his appearances with us were to work with Lissa or to ease his boredom. We recapped our encounter with Stan for him, playing up Eddie's bravery and not mentioning my dressing-down. â€Å"Nice work,† said Adrian. â€Å"Looks like you got a battle scar too.† He pointed to the side of Eddie's face where three red marks glared back at us. I remembered Stan's nails hitting Eddie during the struggle to free Lissa. Eddie lightly touched his cheek. â€Å"I can barely feel it.† Lissa leaned forward and studied him. â€Å"You got that protecting me.† â€Å"I got that trying to pass my field experience,† he teased. â€Å"Don't worry about it.† And that's when it happened. I saw it seize her, that compassion and undeniable urge to help others that so often filled her. She couldn't stand to see pain, couldn't stand to sit by if she could do something. I felt the power build up in her, a glorious and swirling feeling that made my toes tingle. I was experiencing how it affected her. It was fire and bliss. Intoxicating. She reached out and touched Eddie's face†¦. And the marks vanished. She dropped her hand, and the euphoria of spirit faded from both of us. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† breathed Adrian. â€Å"You weren't kidding about that.† He peered at Eddie's cheek. â€Å"Not a goddamned trace of it.† Lissa had stood up and now sank back to the couch. She leaned her head back against it and closed her eyes. â€Å"I did it. I can still do it.† â€Å"Of course you can,† said Adrian dismissively. â€Å"Now you have to show me how to do it.† She opened her eyes. â€Å"It's not that easy.† â€Å"Oh, I see,† he said in an exaggerated tone. â€Å"You grill me like crazy about how to see auras and walk in dreams, but now you won't reveal your trade secrets.† â€Å"It's not a ‘won't,'† she argued. â€Å"It's a ‘can't.'† â€Å"Well, cousin, try.† Then suddenly he raked his nails across his hand and drew blood. â€Å"Jesus Christ!† I yelped. â€Å"Are you insane?† Who was I kidding? Of course he was. Lissa reached out and held his hand, and just like before, she healed the skin. Elation filled her, but my mood suddenly dropped without any real cause. The two of them launched into a discussion I couldn't follow, using standard magical terms as well as some terms I was pretty sure they'd invented on the spot. Judging from Christian's face, it looked like he didn't understand either, and it soon became clear that Adrian and Lissa had forgotten us in their zeal over the mystery of spirit. Christian finally stood up, looking bored. â€Å"Come on, Rose. If I wanted to listen to this, I'd be back in class. I'm hungry.† Lissa glanced up. â€Å"Dinner's not for another hour and a half.† â€Å"Feeder,† he said. â€Å"I haven't had mine today.† He planted a kiss on Lissa's cheek and then left. I followed alongside him. It had started snowing again, and I glared at the flakes accusingly as they drifted down around us. When it had first started snowing in early December, I'd been excited. Now this white stuff was getting pretty damned old. As it had a few nights ago, though, being out in such harsh weather defused my mood a little, the cold air kind of snapping me out of it. With each step closer to the feeders, I felt myself calming down. A â€Å"feeder† was what we called humans who volunteered to be regular sources of blood for Moroi. Unlike Strigoi, who killed the victims they drank from, Moroi took only small quantities each day and didn't have to kill the donor. These humans lived for the high they got from vampire bites and seemed perfectly happy to spend their lives that way and separate from normal human society. It was weird but necessary for Moroi. The school usually had a feeder or two in the Moroi dorms for overnight hours, but for most of the day, students had to go to the commons to get their daily fix. As I continued walking, taking in the sights of white trees, white fences, and white boulders, something else white in the landscape caught my attention. Well, it wasn't white exactly. There was color – pale, washed-out color. I came to an abrupt halt and felt my eyes go wide. Mason stood on the other side of the quad, nearly blending in with a tree and a post. No, I thought. I'd convinced myself that this was over, but there he was, looking at me with that sorrowful, phantom face. He pointed, off toward the back of campus. I glanced that way but again had no clue what to look for. Turning back to him, I could only stare, fear twisting within me. An icy-cold hand touched the side of my neck, and I spun around. It was Christian. â€Å"What's up?† he asked. I looked back to where I'd seen Mason. He was gone, of course. I squeezed my eyes shut a moment and sighed. Then, turning back to Christian, I kept walking and said, â€Å"Nothing.† Christian usually always had some witty stream of comments whenever we were together, but he was silent as we made the rest of our journey. I was consumed with my own thoughts and worries about Mason, so I had little to say either. This sighting had only lasted a few seconds. Considering how hard it was to see out there, it seemed more than likely that he'd been a trick of the eye, right? I tried to convince myself of this for the rest of the walk. When we entered the commons and escaped the cold, it finally hit me that something was amiss with Christian. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked, trying not to think about Mason. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Fine,† he said. â€Å"The way you just said that proves you aren't fine.† He ignored me as we went to the feeders' room. It was busier than I'd expected, and all of the little cubicles that feeders sat in were filled with Moroi. Brandon Lazar was one of them. As he fed, I caught a glimpse of a faded green bruise on his cheek and recalled that I never had found out who had beaten him up. Christian checked in with the Moroi at the door and then stood in the waiting area until he was called. I racked my brain, trying to figure out what could have caused Christian's bad mood. â€Å"What's the matter? Didn't you like the movie?† No answer. â€Å"Grossed out by Adrian's self-mutilation?† Giving Christian a hard time was a guilty pleasure. I could do this all night. No answer. â€Å"Are you – Oh.† It hit me then. I was surprised I hadn't thought of this before. â€Å"Are you upset that Lissa wanted to talk magic with Adrian?† He shrugged, which told me all I needed to know. â€Å"Come on, she doesn't like magic more than she likes you. It's just this thing with her, you know? She spent all these years thinking she couldn't do real magic, and then found out she could – except it was this wacky, completely unpredictable kind. She's just trying to understand it.† â€Å"I know,† he said tightly, staring across the expansive room without actually focusing on any of the people. â€Å"That's not the problem.† â€Å"Then why †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I let my words fade as another revelation hit me. â€Å"You're jealous of Adrian.† Christian fixed his ice-blue eyes on me, and I could tell I'd hit the mark. â€Å"I'm not jealous. I'm just – â€Å" † – feeling insecure over the fact that your girlfriend is spending a lot of time with a rich and reasonably cute guy whom she might like. Or, as we like to call it, jealous.† He turned away from me, clearly annoyed. â€Å"The honeymoon might be over between us, Rose. Damn it. Why are these people taking so long?† â€Å"Look,† I said, shifting my stance. My feet hurt after so much standing. â€Å"Didn't you listen to my romantic speech the other day about being in Lissa's heart? She's crazy about you. You're the only one she wants, and believe me, I can say that with 100 percent certainty. If there was anyone else, I'd know.† The hint of a smile crossed his lips. â€Å"You're her best friend. You could be covering for her.† I scoffed. â€Å"Not if she were with Adrian. I assure you, she has no interest in him, thank God – at least not romantically.† â€Å"He can be persuasive, though. He knows how to work his compulsion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He's not using it on her, though. I don't even know if he can – I think they cancel each other out. Besides, haven't you been paying attention? I'm the unfortunate object of Adrian's attention.† â€Å"Really?† asked Christian, clearly surprised. Guys were so oblivious to this sort of stuff. â€Å"I know he flirts – â€Å" â€Å"And shows up in my dreams uninvited. Seeing as I can't get away, it gives him the perfect chance to torture me with his so-called charm and attempt to be romantic.† He turned suspicious. â€Å"He shows up in Lissa's dreams too.† Shoot. Shouldn't have mentioned the dreams. What had Adrian said? â€Å"Those are instructional. I don't think you need to worry.† â€Å"People wouldn't stare if she showed up at some party with Adrian.† â€Å"Ah,† I said. â€Å"So this is what it's really about. You think you're going to drag her down?† â€Å"I'm not that good †¦ at those kinds of social things,† he admitted in a rare show of vulnerability. â€Å"And I think Adrian's got a better reputation than me.† â€Å"Are you joking?† â€Å"Come on, Rose. Drinking and smoking aren't even in the same league as people thinking you're going to turn Strigoi. I saw the way everyone acted when she took me to dinners and stuff at the ski lodge. I'm a liability. She's the only representative from her family. She's going to spend the rest of her life tied up with politics, trying to get in good with people. Adrian could do a lot more for her than I could.† I resisted the urge to literally shake some sense into him. â€Å"I can see where you're coming from, but there's one flaw in your airtight logic. There's nothing going on with her and Adrian.† He looked away and didn't say anything else. I suspected his feelings went beyond her simply being with another guy. As he'd even admitted, he had a whole tangle of insecurity about Lissa. Being with her had done wonders for his attitude and sociability, but at the end of the day, he still had trouble dealing with coming from a â€Å"tainted† family. He still worried he wasn't good enough for her. â€Å"Rose is right,† an unwelcome voice said behind us. Preparing my best glare, I turned around to face Jesse. Naturally, Ralf lurked nearby. Jesse's assigned novice, Dean, stood watch at the doorway. They apparently had a more formal bodyguard relationship. Jesse and Ralf hadn't been in line when we arrived, but they'd apparently wandered up and heard enough to piece together some of our conversation. â€Å"You're still royal. You have every right to be with her.† â€Å"Wow, talk about a turnaround,† I said. â€Å"Weren't you guys just telling me the other day how Christian was about to turn Strigoi at any moment? I'd watch your necks, if I were you. He looks dangerous.† Jesse shrugged. â€Å"Hey, you said he was clean, and if anyone knows Strigoi, it's you. Besides, we're actually starting to think that rebellious Ozera nature is a good thing.† I eyed him suspiciously, assuming there must be some trick here. Yet he looked sincere, like he really was convinced Christian was safe. â€Å"Thanks,† said Christian, a slight sneer curling his lips. â€Å"Now that you've endorsed me and my family, I can finally get on with my life. It's the only thing that's been holding me back.† â€Å"I'm serious,† said Jesse. â€Å"The Ozeras have been kind of quiet lately, but they used to be one of the strongest families out there. They could be again – especially you. You're not afraid to do things that you aren't supposed to. We like that. If you'd get over your antisocial bullshit, you could make the right friends and go far. Might make you stop worrying so much about Lissa.† Christian and I exchanged glances. â€Å"What are you getting at?† he asked. Jesse smiled and cast a covert glance around us. â€Å"Some of us have been getting together. We've formed a group – sort of a way for those of us from the better families to unite, you know? Things are kind of crazy, what with those Strigoi attacks last month and people not knowing what to do. There's also talk about making us fight and finding new ways to hand out the guardians.† He said it with a sneer, and I bristled at hearing guardians described like objects. â€Å"Too many non-royals are trying to take charge.† â€Å"Why is that a problem if their ideas are good?† I demanded. â€Å"Their ideas aren't good. They don't know their place. Some of us have started thinking of ways to protect ourselves from that and look out for each other. I think you'd like what we've learned to do. After all, we're the ones who need to keep making decisions, not dhampirs and nobody Moroi. We're the elite. The best. Join us, and there are things we could do to help you with Lissa.† I couldn't help it. I laughed. Christian simply looked disgusted. â€Å"I take back what I said earlier,† he told them. â€Å"This is what I've been waiting for my whole life. An invitation to join your tree house club.† Ralf, big and lumbering, took a step forward. â€Å"Don't screw with us. This is serious.† Christian sighed. â€Å"Then don't screw with me. If you really think I want to hang out with you guys and try to make things even better for Moroi who are already spoiled and selfish, then you're even stupider than I thought you were. And that was pretty stupid.† Anger and embarrassment filled both Jesse and Ralf's faces, but mercifully, Christian's name was called just then. He seemed considerably cheered as we walked across the room. Nothing like a confrontation with two assholes to make you feel better about your love life. Christian's assigned feeder tonight was a woman named Alice, who was the oldest feeder on campus. Most Moroi preferred young donors, but Christian, being the twisted person he was, liked her because she was kind of senile. She wasn't that old – sixties – but too many vampire endorphins over her life had permanently affected her. â€Å"Rose,† she said, turning her dazed blue eyes on me. â€Å"You aren't usually with Christian. Have you and Vasilisa had a fight?† â€Å"Nope,† I said. â€Å"Just getting a change of scenery.† â€Å"Scenery,† she murmured, glancing at a nearby window. Moroi kept windows tinted to block out light, and I doubted a human could see anything. â€Å"The scenery is always changing. Have you noticed that?† â€Å"Not our scenery,† said Christian, sitting beside her. â€Å"That snow's not going anywhere. Not for a few months.† She sighed and gave him an exasperated look. â€Å"I wasn't talking about the scenery.† Christian gave me an amused smile, then leaned over and sank his teeth into her neck. Her expression grew slack, all talk of scenery or whatever she'd meant forgotten as he drank from her. I lived around vampires so much that I didn't even think about their fangs half the time. Most Moroi were actually pretty good at hiding them. It was only in moments like these that I remembered the power a vampire had. Usually, when I watched a vampire feed, I was reminded of when Lissa and I had run away from the Academy, and I'd let her feed off of me. I'd never reached the crazy addiction levels of a feeder, but I had enjoyed the brief high. I used to want it in a way I could never admit to anybody. In our world, only humans gave blood. Dhampirs who did it were cheap and humiliated. Now, when I watched a vampire drink, I no longer thought about how good the high felt. Instead, I flashed back to that room in Spokane where Isaiah, our Strigoi captor, had fed off of Eddie. The feelings that stirred up in me were anything but good. Eddie had suffered horribly, and I hadn't been able to do anything except sit there and watch. Grimacing, I turned away from Christian and Alice. When we left the feeders' room, Christian looked more vibrant and upbeat. â€Å"The weekend's here, Rose. No classes – and you get your day off.† â€Å"No,† I said, having almost forgotten. Damn it. Why did he have to remind me? I was almost starting to feel better after the Stan incident. I sighed. â€Å"I have community service.†

Villanova admission essay

Basing my argument on my experience, I have come to appreciate the fact that, adaptive problem solving is a quality I have painstakingly assumed. I have being raised in a business oriented family; I have witnessed the benefits of a person being in the forefront of solving amicably arising and anticipated problems.This does not require of me to be always looking for some problems to solve here and there, rather I have found myself best suited to tack any forthcoming problem. Once a problem is solved, I always feel re-energized to put my efforts in the core areas of whatever I am doing at that particular time.Whenever a problem is too big to handle by myself, I always enlist the services of others in my field of work; thereby bringing the sense of togetherness.To avoid unnecessary problems, I always like playing by the rules. Honesty is a virtue that, at the end of the day, rewards handsomely. Mahatma Gandhi once said ’It’s difficult to conduct an honest business but itâ €™s not impossible’ that’s is why I try to keep on the straight and narrow even if   some situations, many a times demand otherwise.My father has taught me that a business found on the premise of lies may only stand but will never weather the slightest of the storm.A person of integrity is always a darling to many. My own mother has been approached by many big corporate firms to become a big shot because she has exhibited integrity in our family’s manufacturing firm.Turning these offers down, she always insists that she is happy where she is, and this further shows that she is a woman of principle and character. This has not only encourages me to be of integrity but also makes me see how it is a good thing to employ the principle of integrity through and through.All my school life, I have found myself excelling because I have been engaging my teachers and other stakeholders with intellectual questions. For I have developed a tendency of reading two to thre e chapters ahead of what the teacher is covering and on top of that reading widely, I have benefited much for I have been able to understand some of the connectedness of various aspect of what we cover in class and what happens in reality.It has been fairly easy for me to put into practical the theoretical parts of course work. This has further enabled me to understand the world better and how to make it better for other people and the generations to come.Problem solving, honesty, integrity, intellectual curiosity to mention but a few, are some of the traits that have contributed greatly in enabling me to establish an advertising company while still in school. I have been able to run this company and it broke even a while ago and I am making good money not to mention three employees I have employed permanently and many others on contract.As a member of the incoming business class, I feel encouraged to add some value to my course mates and the entire school community. In doing so, I will try to help any student with a problem, I come across though it will be a tall order; I will try my level best. In the same vein, I will encourage them to work as a team, because a problem shared is a problem half solved. Honesty and integrity are two intertwined aspects and it will be up to me to show the students that one does not need to wait until after school to become a person of integrity; rather the earlier the better.I will invite them to see the progress of my business whereby I will explain to them that it’s through honesty and integrity that I have taken the business that far. Concerning intellectual curiosity, I will continue engaging my teachers in constructive discussions and I am hoping that, those students who shy away from asking questions, will get both the clarification and the courage to ask questions.I will also lead other students to read widely and to relate what is learnt in classroom to what take place in the real world. This, I believe, will ma ke the learning environment more enjoyable to both the teachers and the students.

Business Reaserch Project Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Reaserch Project Proposal - Essay Example When todays young iPod Touch users age by five years, they will already have iTunes accounts, saved personal contacts to their iPod Touch devices, purchased hundreds of apps and songs, and mastered the iPhone OS user interface. This translates into loyalty and switching costs, allowing Apple to seamlessly graduate young users from the iPod Touch to the iPhone" (Jeff Bertolucc 2009). Consumers are eager to take advantage of the developments of Apple’s iPod in regions where the iPod has not been officially launched as yet. The problem lies in the fact that the success of Apple’s iPod has paved the way for the exponential growth of the smart phone industry. Consumers are now more inclined to purchase smart phones than any other types of portable digital music players. In addition, the success of the iPod has also spurred the rapid development of a large line of smart phones designed by competitors to rival Apple’s iPod and take advantage of the growing market for smart phones. In this regard, Apple’s move into the portable digital music player industry takes on a conspicuous form on account of the non-uniform that Apple is faced with on a global scale. The global competitive landscape for portable digital music player is every different now from what is used to be a decade ago. Technological innovation is driving down cost of production as it continues to drive up demand. As a result of these trends, Apple took a step beyond portable music players and moved into the music industry. This move of reverse integration allowed Apple to take on a strong position in the music industry. However, the move is one that does not promise the same success on an operational scenario such as that which it does in a tactical scenario. As a result, Apple’s success in the music industry becomes questionable when considered in the strategic perspective. Yet another aspect of Apple’s recent development is that which

Film Genre (English Class) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Genre (English Class) - Research Paper Example The success of the gangster film with audiences later influenced filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, whose 1972 epic The Godfather casts its criminal characters as appealing archetypes of good â€Å"family men,† doing whatever is necessary to survive and thrive in a dangerous world. The growing popularity of gangster films in the first three decades of the twentieth century owes a great deal to the American public’s fascination with notorious real-life gangsters such as Al Capone. The gangster cut a dashing figure—his sharp dressing style, marked by â€Å"pinstripe suits, fedoras, and fancy neckties,† created a whole new image for the American gangster, serving to â€Å"legitimize their status as businessmen† and allowing them to represent themselves as â€Å"a model of the new American ideal for the urban working class† (Beshears 197). Of course, his carefully-crafted outward appearance served to disguise the fact that Capone was, for all intents and purposes, little more than a common criminal. Like many of his criminal contemporaries, Capone made a fortune bootlegging liquor after Prohibition was enacted in 1920. Yet Capone and his cronies were not roundly vilified for their criminal activity. Instead, the public became enamored with the heady tales of the ongoing struggle between gangsters and the police who sought to shut them down. The â€Å"old moral order† (199) had broken down—in its place, many Americans had begun to embrace â€Å"a nihilistic outlook on life† (198) driven by disillusion in the wake of World War I. The resulting lack of optimism and distrust of authority created an environment in which gangsters were painted almost as folk heroes. They were perceived by many to be Robin Hood-type figures fighting the establishment on behalf of the downtrodden. In reality, however, the gangsters were solely in it for themselves, eager to make a profit even through the most nefarious of me ans. Based in large part on the infamous persona of criminals like Capone, the â€Å"gangster film† became a popular genre, exploding into success in the early 1930s. The gangster film is a sub-category of crime films in which the main characters are part of a gang or are otherwise affiliated with a crime organization or mob. The film typically depicts the rise and fall of the main character, a man whose ruthlessness, cunning, and unrepentant narcissism take him to the top and cause his subsequent downfall. The movies are set in large cities so as to â€Å"provide a view of the secret world of the criminal: dark nightclubs or streets with lurid neon signs, fast cars, piles of cash, sleazy bars, contraband, seedy living quarters or rooming houses† (filmsite.org). The movies are generally bloodbaths—multiple characters die as a result of their association with the gangster. Though in the earliest gangster films, much of the violence occurred off-screen, later film s almost gleefully depicted the random violence associated with the gangster way of life. Additionally, these films are crafted as â€Å"morality tales: Horatio Alger or ‘pursuit of the American Dream’ success stories turned upside down in which criminals live in an inverted dream world of success and wealth†

Core Competence of Sharp Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Core Competence of Sharp Corporation - Essay Example This is also called Resource-Based View (RBV). There were abundant literatures providing theoretical and empirical support justifying that competitive advantage is derived from imperfectly tradable, imperfectly substitutable and valuable assets. The idea of portfolio approach encouraging diversification into unrelated areas that flourished in 1960s and 1970s lost its fervor to RBV approach advocating diversification into related areas. RBV approach also was critical of multi divisonalisation of a large company that led to corporate fragmentation and short-termism undermining the development of core competencies and innovations. Core competency exploitation led to vertical integration in large companies to achieve competitive advantage. But of late vertical disintegration is being attempted in the globalization tendencies which offer wide opportunities to delegate to external suppliers with highly specialized expertise resulting in more pronounced core competency approach for the give n company. (Christensen 2005) Hammel and Prahalad (1994) in their book "Competing for the future"assert that companies should look forward to the share of future opportunity share rather than current market share. They say that successful enterprises will reshape their industries rather than themselves by building upon their unique core competencies without building upon current product lines and that this will lead to creation of new competencies. They advocate new strategy which requires four approaches namely (1) understanding of the shape of future competition; (2) process by which to gauge tomorrow's opportunities; (3) energizing the company from top-to-bottom to prepare for the future; and (4) overtaking the competitors and arrive at the future first without assuming undue risks. They add that it takes a company 5-10 years or more to achieve leadership position in a given core competence and that if a company does not know how to leverage their existing core competencies, it will be overtaken by the others in the market. A core competence is defined as a combination of skills and technologies that would enable a company to offer an added benefit to their customers. For instance for the benefit of pocketability, core competence has been miniaturization for Sony and for the benefit of on-time delivery, logistics should be the core competence as in the case of Federal express. In order to create a culture of core competence in an organization, it should engage itself in five key competence related tasks. (1) Recognizing the existing core competencies ; (2) Setting up a core competence acquisition program; (3) Developing core competencies which is a long-term commitment; (4) Deployment of core competencies; and (5) Protection and preservation of core competencies. About Sharp Corporation Sharp Corporation is well known for its innovative products ever since its inception in 1912 with two employees. Its first ever product was snap belt knuckle which the founder Tokuji Hayakawa had himself designed. Its first ever innovative product was "ever sharp" mechanical pencil invented by its founder in 1915 and the company has been named after the pencil "sharp". Today it employs 57,600 (as on April 30, 2007) people worldwide and is at present is a leading manufacturer of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and digital technologies. It has got the widest range of sophisticated consumer electronics,

Marketing report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing report - Research Paper Example The company sells its products to more than two hundred countries. According to Abdul et.al (2012, p. 7-9), Pepsi holds an approximately thirty six percent of the total U.S snack food market and approximately twenty five percent of the U.S beverage industry. Today, Pepsi Company is a great contributor to the American economy and has employed over 200,000 people in America and more than 300,000 people worldwide. Over the years, Pepsi Company has not only worn global awards for having the best brands worldwide and being among the best global corporations but also awards for green production and sustainable development (Kendra et. al, 2010, p. 1-2). Pepsi Company is not only known all over the world for its products and strong brands but also for being a low cost leader (Kendra et. al, 2010, p. 1-2). Pepsi Company has also made history with its strong advertising strategies. In the 1960s, the most known Pepsi slogan was ‘nickel nickel’. This Slogan largely helped the company penetrate further into new emerging markets of the world during the time. Such slogans and others such as ‘Be Sociable have a Pepsi’ and ‘Refreshing without filling’ that followed thereafter have helped the company establish the today’s brand image that is long-lasting (Kendra et. al, 2010, p.2). Pepsi’s frequent change of the advertising slogans over the centuries has helped the company adequately capitalize on the changing environments and stay relevant to its customer (Kahn et.al, 1998, p. 384-390). Nevertheless, Pepsi Company fails to have a bigger market presence as compared to other major rivals suc h as the Coca Cola Company (Biswas and Sen, 1999, p. 1701-1708). The company also faces a threat of competition from new emerging firms in the food industry. Despite these weaknesses and threats, Pepsi Company the potential of growing further in the emerging economies of the world. The birth of the

The Scorecard Measures between BSkyB and ESPN Essay

The Scorecard Measures between BSkyB and ESPN - Essay Example The viewpoints have been stated to be with regard to the domestic business processes and that of customers along with learning as well as progress. Therefore, the mentioned functions related to balanced scorecard facilitates the companies to constantly verify their financial outcomes while concurrently supervising the development related to constructing competencies accompanied with obtaining the insubstantial assets that are believed to be required for future development (Kaplan & Norton, 2005). The operational as well as the management control structures of majority of the companies are found to be centred on the financial dealings and aims. These financial measures have been observed to put up with minimum association of the company’s advancement towards attainment of the strategic goals in the long-run. Therefore, the prominence that is rested by majority of the companies on the financial initiatives is observed to leave behind a space among structuring an approach and its respective implementation. The application of balanced scorecard eradicates the necessity for the managers to utterly rely on the short-run financial initiatives for ascertaining the performance. The possible scorecard actions that could sensibly be applied by both the considered companies i.e. BSkyB and ESPN have been suggested below in four different heads: Financial Perspective This particular viewpoint i.e. the financial perspective is learnt to relate to the financial purposes that are yearned with regard to the viewpoint of the shareholders of an organisation. The initiatives related to the financial performance would help in defining the purposes of the organisations in the long-run. BSkyB needs to make investments in altering their programs and for the reason of introducing fresh ones in order to cater to the altering desires of the consumers. The investments will help the company to develop additionally in terms of their present market shares along with helping them to rea p benefits from the made investments in the future days. ESPN also needs to make investments in launching fresh channels which would aim at broadcasting a varied range of programs such as entertainment, music and movies encompassing the requirements of the various age groups of consumers. This will help the company to earn noteworthy returns which would further enhance the worth of the shareholders (Kaplan & Norton, 2005). Customer Perspective This particular step that is the comprehension of the vision of the company aids the managers to develop an agreement regarding the strategy and the objective of the companies. The vision of the company is believed and observed to revolve around their customers. Companies need to embark on such strategies that would be directed towards attaining the satisfaction of the customers. BSkyB should alter their programs in accordance with the changing trends in the desired pattern of programs by the consumers. A proper study needs to be conducted reg arding the demands of the consumers on the basis of

In what ways are the Aristotelian and Stoic accounts of emotion Essay

In what ways are the Aristotelian and Stoic accounts of emotion influenced by Plato's account of the psych in Republic IV - Essay Example He is an author of numerous works with their basis for his opinion regarding some issues like physical sciences, the sources of happiness, ethics of the Greek people and treatment of anger. His philosophies had a significant influence on the philosophical theories in the Western world (Plato 31). The history of the Stoics traces in the Hellenistic times. It consists of a number of philosophers teaching and talking about their views on philosophical issues during that period. Zeno originated with Stoicism philosophy, and he hailed from Athens as a teacher (Plato 34). His lecturing was noteworthy because it took place outside the classroom environment. Alexander, who was Aristotle’s student later, took over the philosophy. The philosopher addresses several areas, just like the issues by Aristotle’s philosophy as it has done (Plato 94). This philosophy is dissimilar to Aristotle in some issues and the manner of arguing out their issues. The only difference between this philosophy and that of Aristotle is how they view the issue of anger treatment differently. Aristotle reflects that anger has effects in the life and actions of an individual with that emotion. It is for that reason that he suggests that individuals should be careful prior adopting any action when they are angry. He connects anger to choices and choices by the person in question here. This theory explains that human beings should wait until their anger is over, so that they act to avoid regrets (Plato 110). Aristotle suggests that it is a cognitive response, meaning that the causes of resentment are due to a communication of the person’s mind and body. The effect is always negative as people tend to make wrong choices when angry, choices that they later regret. Reason being, communication to mind is so quick that the person does not realize the wrong act he is doing, which ends up being revenge.

United 93 Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

United 93 Film - Essay Example United 93 Film The events in the movie are intended to be as truthful as possible, and it takes on the views and opinions of some of the family members of the victims. The movie begins with a scene of the hijackers praying in their hotel room. It then shows the four attackers leaving for Newark International Airport. Before they board the plane, a scene shows one of the hijackers calling his family members and saying goodbye. I was taken aback by this because I have always seen those people as terrorists and monsters, yet the seemed to be human just like me or anyone else during this movie. Once the plane is in the air, the scene is just like any normal morning domestic flight; people are laughing and joking around, sitting quietly in their seats, while others were just taking sips of coffee while admiring the view. While this flight is in the air, on the ground we can see the television coverage of the two planes crashing into the World Trade Center; the passengers on Flight 93 are oblivious to th e fact. Meanwhile, the terrorists are discussing among themselves when to start their operation. One of the hijackers assembles a fake bomb, while the other three storm the cockpit. The passengers begin to understand the events happening in New York and thus decide to retake the plane to prevent a similar event from occurring. They overpower the terrorist who claims to be holding a bomb, which later turns out to be a fake.

Islam is the second religion of the book Essay Example for Free

Islam is the second religion of the book Essay Incidentally, the term: â€Å"People of the Book† comes from the Qur’an which cites both Judaism and Christianity, religions which came before Islam, as having part of its origins in the prophet of Abraham. In this, we can see a respect for the other religions; a respect which is lost on the perception of a vocal minority of Muslims and as a result, a perception that Muslims hate all other religions. This is false and dangerous assumption for both sides. Belief in Islam requires that a convert believe in only one God, the revelations which he has given to his people from his angels, his messengers and chiefly, the prophet Mohammad whose writings from 610AD until his death in 632 AD helped to compose the Holy book of Quran. It is a central belief and one that is seen as the most important: That there is no â€Å"God but Allah and Mohammad is his prophet. † This is required of all those wishing to consider themselves Muslims and followers of Mohammad and his teachings. There are an estimated 1. 6 billion Muslims with an annual growth rate which exceeds all other religions in the world. Muslims are spread all over the world but are highly concentrated in the Middle East. Pakistan is the most heavily populated country of Muslims and even America has an estimated seven to ten million Muslims in the country. Muslims believe that the Koran is the literal word of God and was made such by a visitation of the angel Gabriel to the prophet Mohammad. Angels are described in the Koran as: â€Å"messengers with wings. Two or three of four pairs. He adds to Creation as He pleases. † This is a central belief as well as the fact that Mohammad, despite his greatness in the religion of Islam, is not considered a deity of any kind. Neither is Jesus who, despite being highly regarded in the official teachings of the last fourteen centuries, is considered to be only a man and a prophet of God’s, although his greatness is not to exceed that of the prophet Mohammad. God is a central theme of the religion and his is referred to as: â€Å"God, the One and Only: God, the eternal, Absolute, He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto him. † It is also a central theme of Islam; the Day of Judgment. Similar to the Christian belief in predestination, many Muslims believe that people are predestined as to whether they will enter heaven or enter hell on the Day of Judgment. That is not to say that an individual does not have the freedom to choose, rather that God, from the beginning of time, knows the destination of every person who ever existed, or who will ever exist. In this fervor, the message of a complete submission to God is central as well as to the belief in Islam. Disbelief and a failure to submit to the will of God are one of the main offenses which, according to the Koran, will result in a person, on the Day of Judgment, going to hell. The latter is one of the main appeals that individuals have for Islam as in many countries with a high population of Muslims, the living conditions are less than substandard and people live a very tough existence. Lastly, one of the most important and central teachings of Islam is called the â€Å"Five Pillars of Islam. † There are five major aspects of Islam which individuals are strongly encouraged to observe. The first is belief in Mohammad as the prophet of God and that the words of the prophet which are located in the Koran are the literal word of God. The second is praying in the direction of Mecca, five times a day. The third is the giving of alms or charity to the poor and needy. The fourth is fasting during the month of Ramadan in which one must not eat or drink from dusk to dawn. The last is called the Hajj or a pilgrimage during the fourth Islamic month to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. † The latter will compel millions of Muslims, sometimes two and three million Muslims at a time, to go to Mecca at the same time in order to fulfill their last duty, or pillar of Islam. When asking Mr. Aziz about the importance of the religion of Islam within his own life, he gave a very passionate and informed response. â€Å"In America, there is a great deal of misconception about the religion of Islam and as a Muslim; it is my responsibility to live in a way that would help to dispel those myths. Although not in the same light, nor with the same amount of spotlight, it is similar to the experience that the American boxer, Joe Louis had while he was the Boxing heavyweight champion of the world. His manager was careful not to have Joe Louis portrayed in a way that would add to the misconceived stereotypes about African Americans at that time since the last African America boxer, Jack Johnson, had done the opposite and was shunned by America. † When asked if he has found this to help within his own life; the conception of others about him, his ethnicity and his religion, Mr. Aziz had a mixed response. â€Å"There will always be people who will not change their opinions about the Middle East or Islam. I can’t really help that. However, for three high majorities of people who make the effort to know me, they have sometimes come out and said that they were wrong about Muslims, or at least about me. There is still a hint of racism within such sentiments. However, it is progress. † Mr. Aziz then talked to me about his religion. â€Å"In Islam, there are five pillars which every Muslim is expected to respect and obey these pillars. In no specific order, these five pillars are to travel to Mecca at least once in your life, to give to charity, to pray five times in the day while facing in the direction of Mecca, to fast during the Holy Months and to believe that there are no gods but Allah and that Mohammad is his messenger. The last is the most important and is what helps to connect the more than 1. 6 billions Muslims in more than a hundred countries in the world, each one to the other. It is very important to all Muslims. I have not yet gone to Mecca but I hope to by the end of the decade. I have not always been faithful in the completion of the other four on a daily basis as most people of faith experience a lapse in their faith and devotion. That has happened before. However, I am quick to connect the dots and to separate myself from whatever vehicle is serving as an impediment to my faith. † â€Å"Fasting is also important. During the Holy month of Ramadan, there is to be no eating during sunlight. This is one of the most difficult of the five pillars. The reason to fast is that it will help to bring the believer closer to God through the realization that God is the supplier of everything and that nothing can be done apart from him. We eat his food and breathe his air. We use his sunlight and are stewards of his world. In comparison with God, man is so small and weak. Sometimes people forget that. Fasting helps to remind them. † Mr. Aziz also prays five times a day as well as gives to charity. â€Å"I wake up at 5am and pray then as well as at 8am, noon, four pm and before I go to bed at 9pm. Since I was raised to do this and to adhere to the five pillars, this has become a habit of mine and is not really difficult. I remember as a child, I rebelled a great deal towards this especially since I wanted to stay in bed. It was not until two consecutive years, did I feel its difficulty ease and I began to enjoy it. † It is also important to give to charity. This does not solely mean money. There are many people in the world who are very poor and do not have the money to give. To give to charity, or to give alms, means also to be helpful to one’s neighbor. Whether it is shoveling the snow from an elderly neighbor’s driveway or simply just informing a person at the grocery store that they dropped their purse; these all are examples of charity. † Mr. Aziz also speaks to the importance that his religion has towards his community. â€Å"Even though here in America, there is an estimated three to seven million Muslims, there are very few where I live and no places of worship. One of the reasons for the latter I believe is caused by the beliefs that the people in the surrounding towns have about Muslims and that we are all terrorists. Therefore, there have been many attempts, to diffuse any building plans for a mosque. † How do you feel about that? â€Å"It is discouraging to me but me and fellow Muslims meet in people’s homes in order to worship and pray. It is similar to the 1st century Christians who were barred from worshiping by the Roman authorities or the Jews who during WWII were not allowed to worship either. We are not under the same level of persecution but as these other two groups. However, it still requires some planning. † â€Å"It is my family and friends which help to lay a foundation of faith within my life. There are few Muslims in the surrounding areas. Therefore, the friends that I do have and which practice Islam as well as my family, for more than one reason, provide a structure and foundation for me. This is very important. America does not have the same problem with their Muslim population in comparison to the troubles in Europe because we have assimilated. This is important to a degree. We do not want to become completely Americanized but in the process, love American sports and the traditions that come with this country. † So we are then relegated to worship nearly in private. † It is one of the prices to pay for being a Muslim in America. However, since the majority of American Muslims are doing well in America and enjoy this land, we are content to pay some of that price. We are Muslims first however and Americans second. Just as Christians have as a major aspect of their identity in which it cannot be separated from who they are, the same can be said about Muslims. † â€Å"The societal restrictions towards Muslims in America have eased up. However, as a Muslim in America, I still feel as though I am a foreigner in a country that I immigrated to legally over twenty years ago. America has still given me more opportunities than my homeland. I just look forward to the day when I can be truly being considered an America. If I do not live to see that day, I will be sad but I will remain happy that I have had such a rewarding and blessed life while living in America. † Mr. Aziz still continues to work and to support his family. When asked about the faith of his two daughters, Mr. Aziz comments: â€Å"They are eight and ten years old so they are young, but not too young to understand some of the world around them. I hope that I can keep them from experiencing instances of racism or prejudice. I do not however, that the worst that they receive in America, is still better than what they could have hoped for in Pakistan. That is why I am hesitant to complain too loudly. I am still able to raise my children, along with my wife, in the ways that we choose. This is a great freedom that America has; its religious freedom. I recently watched a documentary on Thomas Jefferson and learned that he was instrumental in creating a foundation of religious freedom that is present in America. This happened more than two hundred years ago. Yet, I am a recipient of such actions even today. It is very amazing to me and I am very appreciative. † â€Å"I am proud to be an American. However, I am also proud to be a Muslim. It seems that in the past few years, especially since 9/11, such sentiments have been seen as an oxymoron. I believe that they are one in the same as America promises religious freedom to all who will practice their religion of choice without breaking the law. This is the great gift that America’s forefathers and all who help to preserve such efforts, to contemporary Americans and all who will follow. It is the effort of every Muslim, not to be swayed by the fleeting morals of a society but to hold firm to the faith and teachings of Islam. This is what I am attempting to do. I have not always been successful and have fallen away from my faith from time to time. It is important, just like with anything in life, that once somebody has fallen short of their personal expectations, to get right back up and to try again. Religious faith is an ongoing process and does not stop while one is alive. † This is my hope and prayer for me and all others who feel that the law can only go so far and that a personal relationship with God is paramount in a person’s life. WORKS CITED Armstrong, Karen Islam: A Short History New York: Random History 2006 Burns, Ken Thomas Jefferson New York: Steeplechase PBS Films 1997 Miller, James Religions of the World. New York: WW Norton 1987 The Holy Qur’an (2002) New York: Oxford University Press An Interview with Mr. Aziz. Recorded with his permission on November 1, 2007 and Transcribed on November 4, 2007.

Effects of Earthquakes on Humans and Environment

Effects of Earthquakes on Humans and Environment Earthquakes can have disastrous effects on humans and on the environment. An earthquake is the result of trembling, rolling and vibration of the ground triggered by the sudden release of energy that is stored below the surface of the Earth (Ford 2004). A scientific instrument called a seismometer is used by scientists to record, and measure strengthens of earthquakes (McNally 2007). The intensity or the size of an earthquake is measured by a number called the magnitude. Actually, earthquakes occur in everyday and everywhere and as a result, the estimate by scientists for each day is that more than thousands minor earthquakes happen without triggering any physical damage and mostly they are imperceptible. Earthquakes frequently occur in the following countries: China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, United States, Japan, and the Philippines. In these regions there are a lot of earthquakes and also they have numerous volcanoes. There are three main causes of earthquakes: tectonic plate move ment, human activities, and volcanic eruptions. 2. Background Earthquakes destroy property and cause death. On July 28, 1976, there was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the city of Tangshan (Rosenberg 1997). The strength of the earthquake was recorded by a scientific instrument called a seismometer, also known as a seismograph. It is an instrument that can detect and measure the ground motion from an earthquake (McNally 2007). At 0342 local time, the earthquake hit Tangshan and over a million of people were sleeping. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people were killed and many people were reported missing and presumed dead. There were a lot of people were badly injured. Tangshan is located in Northeastern China Å’an area devastated by earthquakes. The earthquake was so strong that it triggered infrastructure collapse including houses, schools, shops, heath clinics, roads, railway station, factories, and bridges. The people in Beijing also felt the tremors. A lot of people lost their lives because most their houses were completely destroyed . The city of Tangshan is being rebuilt nowadays by its citizens. 3. Causes 3.1 Cause 1: Tectonic Plate Movement The main cause of earthquakes is tectonic plate movement. The crust of the earth consists of many pieces called tectonic plates. There are plates along the outer layer of the earth which are floating on the molten magma under the crust of the earth. (Ganguly 2008) The convection current in the molten magma drive the plates to move inside the earth. They move continuously until they pass through each other. When the two plates meet together, they start to push and rub each other but they are not moving. After a while, the pressure beneath builds up and keeps on rising. Once they cannot contain the pressure, it will be expelled. This sudden release of energy and the strength of the plates cause the ground shake and the two plates start to break. (Why do earthquake happen? n.d.) For example, on December 26, 2004, an earthquake hit the Sumatra, Indonesia where the Indian and Burmese plates in India Ocean are broken and one plate is moved across the top of the other plate. (Magnitude 9.1- Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra 2008) The region that breaks on the crust is known as a fault which usually can be seen on the surface of the earth. The point where earthquakes begin and break the plates underground is known as focus and above the focus, on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter. During plate movement, one plate gets submerged into the molten magma and another plate is moved across the top of it. This plate rises up due to the heat of molten magma. The plates keep on moving until they get stuck against each other. Most earthquakes take place on the edges of the plates where one plate is forced further into the earth crust while another plate is moved across the top of the submerged plate. 3.2 Cause 2: Human Activities Another contributing factor to earthquakes is human activities. There are many human activities that cause an earthquake. Building skyscrapers is a good example that may cause an earthquake. Many engineers and scientists are concerned about the types of buildings in construction. Skyscraper Taipei 101 with the height of 508 meters which is the worlds tallest building. According to the geologist Cheng Horng Ling (2005), from the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 101 may cause an earthquake because the 101-storey skyscraper is built the stress on an earthquake fault. An ancient earthquake fault may reopen as the stress from the buildings exerting on the ground increases. Besides that, the injection of fluids in the mountain or into the crust of the earth also triggers earthquakes. A long time ago, the main purpose of humans injecting fluid was that the injection was the best way to dispose of toxic waste. For example, in the Rocky Mountains where there is a place for waste disp osal. (Madrigal, A 2008) The injection of fluids into deep wells causes changing of the stress of the underground and the stress can generate an earthquake. Furthermore, the release of pressure when extracting oil and natural gas can also cause earthquake. 3.3 Cause 3: Volcanic Eruptions In addition, volcanic eruptions can also cause earthquakes. Normally, earthquakes are very active in areas of volcanic activity where they can either occur on their own or with the eruption. (Presnell 2002) Most of the time, the earthquakes triggered by the eruption of volcanoes are within ten to twenty miles around the volcanoes. In order to release the huge pressure that builds up by the molten magma underneath the earth crust, it always tries to look for an opening or an area that is fairly weak. (Ganguly 2008) Therefore, areas that have active volcanoes accompanied by volcanic activities are always prone to the earthquakes because the pressure builds up by the magma has surpassed the limit that earth crust can sustain. If a volcano eruption produces acidic lava then it can be predicted that there will an earthquake with the strongest magnitude. It is because acidic lava will solidify once it contacts the air and block the volcanos vents so that pressure cannot escape. As a result , pressure is developed inside and the resultant explosion can be destructive and destroying, producing an earthquake of significant magnitude. 4. Transition Statement Having looked at the causes of earthquakes, its main effects will be discussed in the following. The effects can be in terms of social, environmental and economic. An earthquake can bring great impacts to the society. It is an unbearable scene as people die in the aftermath of earthquakes and leaving their love one to suffer from their death. Some of natural disasters like tsunamis and landslides can be triggered by earthquakes. Earthquakes can also have disastrous effect to the countrys economy. 5. Effects 5.1 Effect 1: Social Impacts One of the biggest effects of earthquakes is the social impact on survivors. Earthquakes have short term impacts as well as long term impacts. The short term impacts can be seen in the aftermath of earthquakes. We can see thousands of people dying and many corpses. The 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China, for instance, caused tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds thousands of people were injured. (Magnitude 7.9-Eastern Sichuan, China 2008.) A powerful earthquake can destroy buildings, factories, shops, roads, bridges and schools. These cause many people to become homeless. Furthermore, earthquakes can cause disruption to public services like transport systems and communication connections. (Earthquake n.d.) Worst of all, survivors face a lack of drinking water because water pipes burst and water supplies are contaminated. In the cases of long term social impacts, thousands of children became orphans as their parents are killed in the earthquake. Most of the parents are depressed and the town lost a generation because their children were killed in schools that collapsed. 5.2 Effect 2: Environmental Impacts There are also environmental impacts. A tsunami, for instance, is produced by an earthquake. Tsunamis are tidal waves that are caused by the sudden movement of plates under the sea floor during an underwater earthquake. (What are effects of earthquakes? n.d.) This wave can move swiftly a long way across the ocean. (Effects of earthquakes n.d.) When a large scale of tsunami hits the seashore area, it can trigger enormous erosion as well as destroy buildings in its path. Worst of all, people will also be washed away by the tsunami. For example, on December 26, 2004, a tsunami hit some nations around the Indian Ocean and caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. Earthquakes can cause landslides. It is very dangerous especially for buildings in unstable area on hillsides or mountains where soft soils can be liquefied by the tremors of earthquakes. During an earthquake, buildings can fall down hills with soil and bury people under the soil. People will be buried alive. In addition, aftersho cks are also effects of earthquakes. Aftershocks are small tremors which disperse it to other places and other people can feel it after the main shocks of an earthquake. For instance, in Penang, Malaysia, there are no earthquakes, but when an earthquake happened in Sumatra it was so great that even Malaysians living in Penang experienced aftershocks. (See 2006) 5.3 Effect 3: Economics Impacts Apart from social and environmental impacts, earthquakes also have negative effects on a nations economy. Governments have to be responsible for the damage caused by earthquakes. As we can see, earthquakes cause infrastructures to collapse, reservoirs dams, shops, and hospitals are devastated after an earthquake. (Earthquake n.d.) Governments have to spend sizeable amounts of money to rebuild the place. Earthquakes also cause spending of the capital to distribute food and medicine to victims. Markets in particular may be disrupted and this causes uneasy trade. Furthermore, investors whose money is in that particular area for development may decide to withdraw. Once the investors withdraw the investment in the particular country, it will a cause loss of job opportunities as well as the countrys income diminishing and an unstable of economy. 6. Conclusion In conclusion, earthquakes are hard to predict and can happen any time. Tectonics plate movement, human activities and volcanic eruptions are 3 of the causes of earthquakes, whose effects can be felt socially, environmentally, and economically. As we can see, prevention of earthquakes is absolutely impossible, so, suitable action to reduce injury and death is of uttermost importance. Some safety action should take place, such as evacuation and safety build structures to resist earthquakes. Some countries, such as the United States and Japan carried out research about public buildings designed to resist earthquakes. (Moleworth 2008) The results are that the whole building will move to and fro without trembling. It is very important to have this facility in earthquakes zones as damage and lives are at risk. (1775 words) References Bignerds. 2008. Earthquake. http://www.bignerds.com/essays/Earthquake/1237.html (accessed October 6, 2008) Earthquake. n.d. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/platetectonics/earthquakesrev3.shtml (accessed October 13, 2008) Effects of earthquakes. n.d. http://www.olympus.net/personal/gofamily/quake/effects.html (accessed October 21, 2008) Ford, R. 2004. Glossary. http://resweb.llu.edu/rford/docs/VGD/GSLVT/gslglossary.html (accessed October 21, 2008) Ganguly, P. 2008. What causes earthquakes? http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-causes-earthquake.html (accessed October 17, 2008) Madrigal, A. 2008. Top 5 ways to cause a man-made earthquake. http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/top-5-ways-that.html (accessed October 29, 2008) Magnitude 7.9-Eastern Sichuan, China. 2008. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008ryan.php (accessed October 13, 2008) Magnitude 9.1-Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra. 2008 http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/ (accessed October 13, 2008) McNally, K. 2007. Earthquake. http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/earthquake_worldbook.html (accessed October 13, 2008) Molesworth, C. 2008. Pacific builder and engineer. http://www.acppubs.com/blog/1210000521/post/260034826.html (accessed October 27, 2008) Presnell, W. 2002. What causes earthquakes? http://www.essortment.com/hobbies/causesearthquak_tsjl.htm (accessed October 21, 2008) Ravillious, K. 2008. Skyscraper that may cause earthquakes http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2005/dec/02/naturaldisasters.climatechange (accessed October 6, 2008) Rosenberg, J. n.d. Tangshan: The deadliest earthquake. http://history1900s.about.com/od/horribledisasters/a/tangshan.htm (accessed October 21, 2008) See, B and S. C. Looi. 2008. Tremors felt in Penang. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/20/nation/20080220191502sec=nation (accessed October 13, 2008) The Free Dictionary. n.d. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/aftershock (accessed October 30, 2008) What are the effects of earthquake? n.d. http://www.usgs.gov/faq/list_faq_by_category/get_answer.asp?id=197 (accessed October 30, 2008) Why do earthquake happen? n.d. http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/why.html (accessed October 17, 2008)

Gender Roles in Alice Munro’s Boys and Girls Essay -- Boys and Girls E

In Alice Munro’s short story â€Å"Boys and Girls,† our narrator is a young farm girl on the verge of puberty who is learning what it means to be a â€Å"girl.† The story shows the differing gender roles of boys and girls – specifically that women are the weaker, more emotional sex – by showing how the adults of the story expect the children to grow into their respective roles as a girl and a boy, and how the children grow up and ultimately begin to fulfill these roles, making the transition from being â€Å"children† to being â€Å"young adults.† The adults in the story expect the children to grow into the gender role that their sex has assigned to them. This is seen in several places throughout the story, such as when the narrator hears her mother talking to her father, â€Å"I heard my mother saying, ‘Wait till Laird gets a little bigger, then you’ll have a real help’†¦. ‘And then I can use her more in the house’† (Munro 495), when her grandmother comes to visit and tells her all the things girls aren’t supposed to do, and when she is roughhousing with her little brother and the farm hand, Henry Bailey, tells her, â€Å"that there Laird’s gonna show you, one of these days† (Munro 497). While the narrator disagrees with the adults, and tries not to conform to their expectations, at the end of the story both she and her brother end up acting exactly as a child of their age and gender would be expected to act: the preteen girl crying with no apparent logical re ason, and the young boy excited to have been included with the men, and talking about the thrilling tale of slaying a horse. At the beginning of the story, the narrator and her brother are just â€Å"children,† but by the end of it the narrator is a â€Å"girl† and Laird is a â€Å"boy†; they have become very d... ...le older and a chance to show off her bravery emerges in the form of Flora making her escape, she doesn’t even consider playing the part of the hero, she simply follows her father’s orders, and even that she goes back on when she leaves the gate open. She doesn’t daydream of action and excitement anymore; she instead imagines herself in a love story. Throughout the story, the different roles and expectations placed on men and women are given the spotlight, and the coming-of-age of two children is depicted in a way that can be related to by many women looking back on their own childhood. The narrator leaves behind her title of â€Å"child† and begins to take on a new role as a young, adolescent woman. Works Cited Munro, Alice. â€Å"Boys and Girls.† Introduction to Literature. Ed. Isobel M. Findlay et al. 5th ed. Canada: Nelson Education, 2004. 491-502. Print.

Ideal Image of Nature in William Wordsworths The World is Too Much With Us :: World Is Too Much With Us

Ideal Image of Nature The World Is Too Much with Us by William Wordsworth represents modern humanity's lost spiritual connection with nature, in which he believed could only be preserved in memory. This poem is a sonnet that through images and metaphors offers an angry summation of the theme of communion with nature. Wordsworth repeats the fatalistic theme of humanities progress at the cost of preserving nature throughout the sonnet. The symbolism created by the images and metaphors represent Wordsworth's deep passion about the conflict between nature and modern progress. William Wordsworth was raised amid the mountains in a rustic society and spent a great deal of his childhood outdoors, in what he would later remember as a pure communion with nature. The life style that he led as a child brought him to the belief that, upon being born, human beings move from a perfect, idealized realm of nature into the destructive ambition of adult life (Phillips). Wordsworth's deep cynicism to the materialistic ambition of the Industrial Revolution during the early nineteenth century is evident in this sonnet. Images and metaphors alluding to mankind's greed, nature's innocence, and the speaker's rejection of accepted principles all serve to illustrate the speaker's passion to save the decadent era of the early 1800s. The first part, the octave, of "The World Is Too Much with Us" begins with Wordsworth accusing the modern age of having lost its connection to nature and everything meaningful: "Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; /Little we see in Nature that is ours; /We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon" (2-4)! The idea that Wordsworth is trying to make clear, is that human beings (adults) are too preoccupied in the material value of things ("The world┘getting and spending" (1-2)) and have lost their spiritual connection with Mother Nature (childhood). "Little we see in Nature that is ours;" (3) Wordsworth is expressing that nature is not a commodity to be exploited by humans, but should coexist with humanity, and "We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon" (4)! he pronounces that in our materialistic lifestyles, nothing is meaningful anymore. He says that even when the sea "bares her bosom to the moon" (5) and the winds howl, humanity is still out of tune. These lines (5-7) suggest that nature is helpless and unknown to the destruction man is doing. "For this, for everything, we are out of tune;" (8) proposes that even in the spectacle of a storm, human beings (adults) look on uncaringly implying that we, humans, don't realize the damage we are inflicting on helpless nature.

Real education outside the class Essay

â€Å"Learning cannot be simply equated to a mark, grad, degree or job. It is a life-long process.† Getting a good education and qualification is just a key to enter society, and it does not ensure success in one’s life. To be successful, one must experience the real world outside the boundaries of a school environment, as one’s schooling day are just a small chapter in one’s life. I believe that one can learn more in the real world and society, than in the comforts of a school. However, it is essential that everyone in the world attends at least a few years of formal education in schools. Being literate is important to both the individual and society —– as it ensures that the individual is well prepared to face challenges in their future, particularly in their careers. Education for its citizens also makes industrialisation and growth possible for a country. In schools, teachers help to impact knowledge and skills to students, ensuring that they have foundation in languages, and basic skills in mathematics and science. Teachers also emphasize life values, like honesty and respect, which are valued to be important for one to be successful in the future. Moreover, people will only learn the realities of life when they join the workforce in society. This is because schools are sheltered environments, as students are repeatedly given a second chance when they commit an offence like theft in school. Furthermore, students are given opportunities in schools to experiment in various examinations and projects. However, this is not the case in a real working environment; most employers do not give their employees a second chance when they commit a minor error in their work. In schools, people are taught life values, whilst in a working environment, people have to practice these values in their daily lives in order to survive in the world today. The world outside the school environment is much bigger and more diverse than the school environment. Reading history books and travel guides on various countries worldwide is insufficient to learn more about different cultures and religions. One will certainly learn more about the history and cultures of different people around the world if he is given an opportunity to travel and experience li fe in another country and culture. Furthermore, he could even learn to appreciate and respect others’ lifestyles, and hopefully, also learn to respect and feel proud of his own culture and history. He can also be motivated to gain more knowledge and be more proactive when he sees a more developed city than his own, and learn to  help the less fortunate and not to take things for granted when he visits a country suffering from poverty. People can gain more valuable lessons from challenges in the unpredictable world. In a classroom scenario, tasks and events are usually based on routine and hence are more predictable. Students are hence spared from changes, particularly from world events and problems faced by many working adults. Students can readily read about such problems from various mass media like newspapers and the Internet. However, most students do not understand the extent of such problems faced by their parents or around the world, even though they are well aware of it. This is because they have not experience these problems in their lives. One example is the worrying trend in the world that many youths today are spending money excessively. These youths will only learn to appreciate the efforts of their parents more when they start their careers and realise the hardships of work and society. Learning is a life-long process, and things learnt in schools are just a small part of what we learn in our entire lives. For one to be successful and be able to survive in the harsh world today, one has to be proactive to learn new skills and gain new knowledge through experiences in every single day we lead. Knowledge and skills learnt in schools usually get outdated within a few years, due to the nature of today’s world —– which is fast-paced, competitive and ever-changing. By continuing to learn throughout one’s life, he will be more matured, independent and more confident in handling future changes and challenges. Schools are the places where people begin their learning journeys and these journeys will only end at the last day of our lives. Schools are just a microcosm of the real world, as the real world is bigger and more diverse. Matthew Swift Watching a sporting event on television can be enjoyable, but actually seeing it live, surrounded by cheering fans, provides a much more encompassing experience. While the television provides the viewer a visual play-by-play of what each team or athlete is doing, actually sitting in the stands gives the fan the real experience that images can’t replicate. On many levels, the same can be said for learning. A student can read about the Italian Renaissance or watch a video about the ocean, but it does not have the same impact as seeing the sculptures and paintings in Italy or enjoying the marvels at an aquarium. This can hold especially true when it comes to  learning and experiencing science. Most schools don’t have the equipment or means available to show students what can be accomplished using science. And, in recent years, interest has waned in the topic as more students decide to pursue careers in other fields. Therefore, field trips might help spark an interest in science and possibly inspire students to pursue a deeper knowledge of the subject. â€Å"I think that before students start laboratory-based learning in science, they are greatly excited by it. However, this excitement all too often pales. Students complain that the classroom science lessons lack ‘relevance’,† says Michael Reiss, a science education professor at the Institute of Education at the University of London. â€Å"I feel this criticism should be taken seriously. Out-of-school activities can be very motivating for students.† In 2004, Reiss and Martin Braund, an honorary fellow at the University of York and an adjunct professor in Cape Town, South Africa, published a book about the importance of out-of-school learning called Learning Outside the Classroom. Research from the book was later published in the International Journal of Science in 2006, which highlights several arguments on why science classes should go on meaningful field trips. â€Å"One of the things we’re trying to do is to promote field work as a way of getting [students] interested,† says Braund, who notes that students are generally more interested in animal li fe than plant life. He suggests taking students to a botanical garden where they can be exposed to unique plant life and engage with the various scientists who work in this field. â€Å"It’s not just a question of knowing what it is they are interested in†¦ as science teachers, we also want them to know all the other things. It’s promoting an interest in these things and using the outdoor environment. That is important to us.† The research Braund and Reiss conducted concludes that it is highly important to take students on field trips and promote informal learning, out-of-classroom work, and learning at home, in order for students to fully grasp what is happening in modern science. The pair looked at research from around the world to draw these conclusions. They recommend taking students to botanical gardens, science museums, zoos, and places where they can get hands-on experience and see how science interacts with many other fields that students might have an interest in. â€Å"Field trips are remembered by students for a very long time,† said Reiss. â€Å"They can provide instances of learning and be motivating in  ways th at school-based learning rarely can.† â€Å"Science education really seems to be rooted in the 19th century version of science, which is more concerned with lab work and work in the classroom,† Braund says. â€Å"We wanted to promote field work as an example†¦ that there are more opportunities for mathematics, science, and technology to come together.† In the United Kingdom, field trips and out-of-the-classroom work has been embraced and the Manifesto for Learning Outside Classroom partnership is widely supported. The partnership and its website offer ideas, resources, and research to educators to help make these trips safe and educational for students. If the trips are organized properly, then the partnership says students can â€Å"improve academic achievement, develop skills and independence in a widening range of environments, and nurture creativity,† among other benefits. This partnership is just one of many organizations, educators, and government officials that push for field trips and other similar activities. â€Å"I am glad to say that in the U.K. the last four years have seen a real effort by the national government to see more learning outside the classroom,† said Reiss. â€Å"It is too early to be sure how sustainable this is but such an attitude is to be welcomed.† â€Å"There’s been a rea l push to try and increase the amount of field work,† Braund says of recent progress. â€Å"Not just in science subjects, but outdoor learning related to history, geography, mathematics, English, all subjects in the curriculum.† While there is substantial support for outside learning experiences, Braund and Reiss are still waiting to see the results. They feel that despite the push, some schools are not taking advantage of field work. Braund said the manifesto was created to encourage schools to go out more, but the economy, safety issues, and classroom constraints have hampered this. â€Å"When you take a class out on a biology field trip, that class is probably not just missing the biology time, it’s missing geography, math, or something else,† offered Braund as an example. â€Å"Those other teachers then begin to say, ‘Hey, wait a minute. It’s all very well you’re taking your pupils out to these situations, but they’re actually missing essential learning time in my subjects and that’s going to affect my exam results, on which I am judged’.† â€Å"For one thing, there is increasing pressure on schools to maximize student attainment in examinati ons. Yet such examinations often do not reward learning in out-of-school settings,† added Reiss. â€Å"A second reason is that there is a perception—and often it is a  perception rather than a reality—that today’s stricter health and safety considerations mean that it’s all too bureaucratic taking students out of the classroom.† Many educators instead take their students on â€Å"virtual† field trips, which may include using interactive technology, watching videos, or using computer programs as a means to take students out of the classroom. These have their benefits, but Reiss and Braund agree that they cannot take the place of the real thing. â€Å"Virtual field trips can be a great preparation for and follow up to a field trip, for example for learning about the organisms that might be seen, were seen (or were not!), but they can’t replace a real field trip,† says Reiss. â€Å"I always think [virtual field trips] are the second best,† says Braund. He adds that sometimes the only way schools have access is through a virtual trip, which can prove very educational for students. â€Å"It’s better to do the real thing, but we realize some schools can’t’. †¦ I just think there are lots of things that happen on field work, almost incidentally, that you can never replicate on a virtual trip, website, DVD, whatever it might be.† Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) is the use of places other than the classroom for teaching and learning. It is about getting children and young people out and about, providing them with challenging, exciting and different experiences to help them learn. Learning outside the classroom can happen at almost any time and almost anywhere The ‘places’ where learning happens can have a significant effect on how a young person engages with a subject or an idea. Learning outside the classroom can happen at almost any time and almost anywhere – outdoors or indoors: in the school grounds, on the high street, in the local park, in museums and art galleries, on mountain tops and rivers, in Britain’s remote places, or elsewhere in the world. As an essential way of learning it should not be restricted to the summer or as an ‘add-on’ after examinations. Learning outside the classroom should be built into planning forall learners, every week and all year round. It is a powerful tool that is proven to raise attainment, bolster social, emotional and personal development and contributes to the health and well being of children and young people. What comes to mind when you think of education? School buildings? Lib raries? Textbooks? Curricula? Teachers? Most of us probably  associate education with at least one of these things, and surely many more could be added. But does education take place outside of such formal settings? Can curricula be found beyond that of the normal course of study? And can teachers be found who are teaching outside of the classroom? If we simply consider the amount of time students spend outside of class the answer to these questions would surely be a resounding â€Å"Yes!† And if we add the strong probability that many of the hours spent outside the class are consumed by various media, for example, we can see another strong reason to answer in the affirmative. Students are virtually suffocated with ideas when they leave the confines of the school building. For many their education has just begun when the last bell rings each day. In fact, many students use whatever mental energy they have to learn only those things that interest them outside of school. Educational Sources: Parents What are some of the sources from which students learn? Let’s begin with parents. After years of ministry among youth I am convinced that students want to learn from their parents. In fact, some are desperate for their parents’ wisdom. Thankfully, I have seen the wonderful effects of respect between parents and children. The children are taught the most important truths of life in the home and those truths are accepted because there is a large measure of respect for the parents. Such an atmosphere is patiently developed through the parents’ concentrated, time-consuming dedication to their children. And I hasten to add that I have observed this in single parent as well as blended families. The result is that children who are raised in such a home will usually compare what they are taught outside the home with what they are taught in the home. And the lessons they learn from parents outweigh other lessons. Unfortunately, though, this situation is much too rare. Man y students, including those raised in Christian homes, are left alone to discover what they can without the guidance of parents. When we realize that â€Å"true, meaningful communication between parent and child †¦ occupies only about two minutes each day†(1) there should be reason for concern. That amounts to slightly more that 12 hours per year. If that is compared to the amount of time spent in school, for example, what the parents teach in that brief time can be overwhelmed with contrary ideas. Students spend much more time learning at school per week than they do with  parents per year! This situation should be seriously considered by Christians when evaluating the current educational climate. If Christian parents are not willing to educate their children there may not be much room for complaining about what is learned outside the home. Children have always needed parental guidance and they always will. One of the most important directives for the ancient Jews applies to parental responsibility for the education of their children. Deuteronomy 6:4-7, the revered Shema, states that â€Å"(5) You shall love the LORD your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (6) And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; (7) and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.† This strategic passage was reemphasized by the Lord Jesus (Mark 12:28-30). What a student learns outside of class should begin at home. Educational Sources: What is Heard, Read, and Seen Where and by whom is a student educated outside the school and home? Actually the question should use both past and present tenses. Since we are concentrating on education outside the classroom, it’s important to realize that students are constantly being educated, whether they are aware of it or not. Education does not just apply to some type of formal education; it is very much a part of daily life. The Christian student who is attempting to think God’s thoughts after Him is profoundly aware of this. He lives in a world of ideas, and ideas have consequences. Those ideas are so much a part of life that it’s as if they’re a portion of the air we breathe. Students should be conscious of this, but the same is true for all of us. All of us are students. So where do we find the teachers? There are at least three other sources: what is heard, what is read, and what is seen. First, what is heard? One morning as I went to the front yard to get the newspaper I hea rd a loud, repetitive noise that sounded as if it were a woodpecker hammering on metal. When I located the source I realized to my amazement that indeed it was a woodpecker pecking on a metal light covering near our house. My curiosity was aroused so I pursued an answer to my crazy woodpecker question. It turns out that the bird could have heard his prey inside the covering, but couldn’t distinguish for the moment the difference between  wood and metal. The point of this illustration is that the wondrous nature of nature had provided a teachable moment. God’s creation abounds with such opportunities to observe the variety He has given us. And such moments are part of our daily lives. But most students hear from more obvious sources: peers, radio, television, movies, music, etc. These sources provide a profusion of ideas. They are teachers. And just as in the formal classroom, the student should be listening carefully to see if the lessons should be considered, discarded, or believed. The second source focuses on what is read. Some studies indicate that people are not reading any longer. This is curious in light of the growth of enormous bookstores filled with many obscure and weighty titles. Be that as it may, the printed word still has an impact. Most students give some attention to reading. Words still have meaning, in spite of the efforts of those who would use words to say that words are meaningless. This is especially true for the Christian student. If he doesn’t revere the Bible to the point of reading and understanding it as the foundation of his education, he is like a ship without a rudder. The ship is afloat but it’s at the mercy of the sea and its currents. The last of our sources concerns what we see. Since a large percentage of students spend an enormous amount of time viewing television, movies, magazines, and other media, this is a major educational element. Images abound in their lives. This challenges the Christian student to be especially alert to the multitude of ideas that come through her eyes and into her mind. Educators beyond the classroom are continually vying for the minds of students. Let’s do what we can to lead our studen ts through this maze of ideas. The Curriculum One of the major elements of a formal education is the curriculum. This curriculum is usually set for students in the primary grades, it contains some flexibility in middle school, more flexibility in high school, and significant flexibility in college. Regardless of the educational level a student attains, his formal education includes variety. The same is true outside the classroom. The education he receives there includes a varied curriculum. And that curriculum can be found in varied places, from conversations with those with whom he works, to his magazine subscriptions, to the movies he rents. Let’s consider several ideas that generally are  found in the educational curriculum outside the classroom. Man is the Measure of All Things First, man is the measure of all things. That is, man is the focus of what is taught. This course is called naturalism. God either doesn’t exist, or He may as well not exist because He has nothing to say to us that has meaning. Thus man is left alone to create meaning, value, morality, religion, government, education, and all other aspects of life. This is probably the most influential way of thinking in this country. Think, for example, of the television programs you may have seen lately. Now consider whether or not those programs included the presence and guidance of a deity, whether the God of the Bible or not. With rare exceptions, the education one receives through such sources doesn’t include any concept of God. Instead, man deals with all problems in his own way, through his own ingenuity. Of course the student usually isn’t able to see the long term results of such decisions. As wonderful as the resolution may appear at the end of a program, the ultimate consequences may be disastrous. Pleasure is the Highest Good The second portion of the curriculum is based upon the idea that pleasure is the highest good. This course is called hedonism. Perhaps one of the more obvious places to find this is in your local grocery store. The â€Å"textbooks† that are found in the magazine rack near the checkout island contain this message in abundance. The articles, advertisements, and pictures emphasize the supremacy of pleasure above virtues such as self-control and sacrifice. Take a moment sometime just to scan the articles and emphases that are highlighted on the front covers of these magazines. For example, the contents of a recent teen-oriented publication for girls include: â€Å"Look Hot Tonight,† â€Å"Stud Shopping Tips,† â€Å"Love Stories: Secrets of Girls Who Snagged Their Crush,† â€Å"Hunky Holidays: Meet the 50 Most Beautiful Guys in the World,† and â€Å"The Ultimate Party Guide.† All these titles revolve around the idea that pleasure is the highest go od. True Spirituality Has Many Sources Third, true spirituality has many sources. This course is called syncretism. Current spiritual emphases have led many students to believe that it doesn’t matter what path you take as long as you are on a path. A trip to a large  book store will demonstrate this. For example, you can find many books that contain many ideas about angels, but most of them have nothing to do with biblical doctrine. Or you can find a section dedicated to an assortment of metaphysical teachings, none of which align with biblical teaching. When confronted with such variety the student can be tempted to believe that true spirituality can be found in many places. The Christian student must realize this isn’t possible if his allegiance is to Christ as Lord of all. What Works is Good The fourth idea is that what works is good. This course is called pragmatism. This is a particularly attractive part of the curriculum for Americans. And this certainly includes the American Christian student. But it’s a deceptively attractive course. It may lead to results, but at what cost? I think of a revealing scene in the disturbing Academy Award- winning movie A Clockwork Orange. A young British hoodlum in a futuristic England is programmed to abhor the violence that he continually practiced with his gang. This abhorrence is brought about by forcing him to watch scenes of horrible violence while his eyes are forced open. When he is brought before an audience to demonstrate the change, his programmer tempts him with several opportunities to do violence while the audience watches. He resists the temptations. After the demonstration a clergyman protests by saying that the â€Å"boy has no moral choice.† He was manipulated. The programmer scoffs at this claim and states that the result of the experiment is good because â€Å"the point is that it works.† â€Å"It has relieved the ghastly congestion in our prisons.† These first four parts of the curriculum are naively optimistic. They describe either present or future existence positively because of supreme confidence in man and his abilities. Other portions of the curriculum are not so optimistic. In fact, they can be frighteningly pessimistic at times. There is No Meaning A fifth aspect of the curriculum denies meaning. This course is called existentialism, and sometimes nihilism. The â€Å"big† questions of life are asked, but no answers are found. Then the response is either total denial of hope, which should logically lead to suicide, or living by simply acting in the face of absurdity. These perspectives can be found, for example, in some  contemporary music and movies. The songs of Nine Inch Nails, the moniker for a musician named Trent Reznor, sometimes contain ideas that are indicative of this. The movies of Woody Allen often contain characters and scenes that depict a search for meaning with no conclusions other than individual acts. There is No Truth The last portion of the curriculum is closely connected to what we have just discussed. This course can be called postmodernism. We are living in a culture that increasingly denies an encompassing paradigm for truth. This can be demonstrated by considering what Francis Schaeffer meant by the phrase â€Å"true truth.† That is, there is no â€Å"big picture† to be seen and understood. We only have individuals and communities who have their own â€Å"little truths.† And nothing connects those truths to something bigger than themselves and more lasting than what might work at the moment. This can be heard, seen, and read incessantly. There are too few teachers in the culture’s curriculum who are sharing ideas that are connected to or guided by â€Å"true truth.† The ultimate outcome of such thinking can be devastating. Chaos can reign. Then a sense of desperation can prompt us to accept the â€Å"truth† of whoever may claim to be able to lead us out of the confusion. Germany experienced this under the reign of Hitler. We should not be so smug as to think it could not happen to us. Responding to the Curriculum Man is the measure of all things! Pleasure is the highest good! True spirituality has many sources! What works is good! There is no meaning! There is no truth! These are the ideas that permeate the education a student receives outside the classroom. How can a Christian deal with such a curriculum? Some suggestions are in order. First, the student should be encouraged to understand that God is the measure of all things, not man. God is an eternal being who is the guide for our lives, both temporal and eternal. Thus we don’t first ask what man thinks, we ask what God thinks. So this means that the student must decide on his primary textbook. Is it the Bible, or some other text? Second, the student should be led to realize that God’s will is the highest good, not pleasure. This is very important for the contemporary Christian to understand in light of the sensuous nature of our culture. A student easily can get the idea that God is a â€Å"kill joy† because  it ma y seem that everyone is having a good time, but he can’t because of God’s restrictions. If he can understand that God’s ideas lead to true freedom and joy, the student can more readily deal with this part of the curriculum. Third, the student should be challenged to realize that true spirituality is found only through a relationship with the risen Jesus. Jesus lives in us through the indwelling of His Spirit. And this indwelling is only true for the reborn Christian. Yes, there are many spiritual concepts alive in this culture. Many people are searching for something that will give meaning beyond man’s ideas. There is a spiritual hunger. But if we try to relieve that hunger through ideas that come from man’s perceptions of spirituality, we are back where we started: man is the measure of all things. Fourth, the student should be taught that what works is not always good. Satan can make evil work for a time, but he is the father of lies, and lies lead to spiritual and moral decay. Fifth, the student should be led to believe that life has meaning. The Christian can see the world around him with the eye of hope because God is in control. As chaotic as things may appear, there is a purpose, there is a plan. People have meaning, past events have meaning, present events have meaning, and future events will have meaning. Christ has died to give us salvation, and He has risen from the dead to give us hope for the present and the future. A student whose mind is infused with meaning will be able to handle the despair around him, and he can share his secure hope in the midst of such despair. Sixth, the student should be guided to think in terms of the big picture. Imagine a puzzle with thousands of pieces. Now think of attempting to assemble the puzzle without having seen the picture on the box top. That would surely be a frustrating experience. You would have individual pieces but no guide to fit the pieces together. Many attempt to live this way. But the Christian student has the box top. He can begin to put the puzzle of life together with God’s picture in mind. So, does education take place beyond the classroom? C ertainly! May God guide us to help students learn the proper lessons. Notes 1. J. Kerby Anderson, Signs of Warning, Signs of Hope (Chicago: Moody, 1994), p. 136.  © 1996 Probe Ministries International