Parental Involvement Essay

Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parental involvement has always been one of the primary educational concerns. Title I and No Child Left Behind provide a set of basic requirements towards parental involvement in education. Title One Parental Involvement   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parental involvement has always been one of the primary educational concerns. However, for the first time in history, the notion of parental involvement has acquired official statutory meaning. Title I and No Child Left Behind provide a set of basic requirements towards parental involvement in education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Under NCLB, parental involvement is defined as â€Å"the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities† (Hess & Petrilli, 2006). NCLB directly requires that parents are actively involved into assisting their children with their studies, and that parents actively participate in the decision-making activities of various school committees, to facilitate the process of child’s education and learning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Title I provides a detailed observation of how schools and districts should enhance parental involvement at all levels of the learning process. â€Å"Every district and every school using Title I funds must develop jointly with parents of children participating in Title I programs a written parent involvement policy† (Borman & Stringfield, 2001). The policy should be agreed with parents, and may also be amended to meet the changing educational requirements. Under Title I, parents should be actively engaged into the development and implementation of district parental involvement plans. For the districts using more than $500,000 of Title I funds, at least one percent of these funds hould be spent to develop parent involvement activities. Each Title I school should also develop a parent involvement policy; each school must conduct regular meetings with parents, respond to all parent requests, and ensure that parents are fully aware of all aspects of child education within and beyond the school. A school-parent compact should describe the ways in which the school and parents will join their efforts to improve student achievement (Borman & Stringfield, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Title I and NCLB have turned parental involvement into the compulsory statutory element of education. Statutory requirements to parental involvement imply that parents and schools agree to share the responsibility to improve student achivement at school. References Borman, G. & Stringfield, S.C. (2001). Title I: Compensatory education at the crossroads. Lawrence Erlbaum. Hess, F.M. & Petrilli, M.J. (2006). No Child Left Behind. Peter Lang Publishing.   

Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-nine

THE EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED were a blur. Sonya might have kept spirit's touch at bay, but it didn't matter. I was still in shock, still unable to think. They put me in the front seat, as far from Victor as possible. Dimitri drove us somewhere–I didn't pay much attention–where he and Sonya disposed of the body. They didn't say what they did, only that it was â€Å"taken care of.' I didn't ask for details. After that, we were back and headed toward Court. Sonya and Dimitri tossed around options on what to do when we got there. Seeing as no one had yet cleared my name, the current plan was that Sonya would have to escort Jill into Court. Jill asked if she could call her parents to let them know she was okay, but Dimitri felt that was a security risk. Sonya said she'd try to reach Emily in a dream, which made Jill feel a little better. I coped during the drive by checking in on Lissa. Focusing on her took me away from the horrible guilt and emptiness I felt, the horror at what I'd done to Victor. When I was with Lissa, I wasn't me, and just then, that was my greatest desire. I didn't want to be me. But things weren't perfect for her either. Like always, a number of issues were weighing her down. She felt close–so, so close–to unraveling who had killed Tatiana. The answer seemed within her grasp, if only she could reach just a little farther. The guardians had dragged Joe the janitor in, and after a fair amount of coercion–they had methods that didn't require magical compulsion–he'd admitted to having seen the twisted-handed Moroi in my building on the night of the murder. No amount of pushing would get Joe to admit he had been paid off–by either the man or Daniella. The most he'd admit was that he might have been â€Å"a little off' in his times that night. It was by no means hard evidence to save me. Lissa had Ambrose's letter too, which had subtly threatened Tatiana. The writer had opposed the age law for being soft, disapproved of Tatiana's endorsement of spirit, and resented the secret training sessions. The letter might have been perfectly polite, but whoever penned it had had a serious grudge against the queen. That supported the political motive theories. Of course, there were still lots of personal motives for the murder too. The sordid mess with Ambrose, Blake, and the women involved pegged any of them as the murderer. Daniella Ivashkov being on that list was a constant point of stress for Lissa, and she dared not breathe a word to Adrian. The saving grace there was that Daniella's bribery had been to get Adrian out of trouble–not solidify my guilt. The unknown Moroi had funded that bribe. Surely, if she had killed Tatiana, Daniella would have paid for both of Joe's lies. And of course, there was the last test pressing against Lissa's mind. The riddle. The riddle that seemed to have so many answers–and yet, none at all.What must a queen possess in order to truly rule her people? In some ways, it was more difficult than the other tests. Those had had a hands-on component, so to speak. This? This was her own intellect. No fire to build. No fear to look in the eye. She hated that she took the riddle so seriously too. She didn't need its stress, not with everything else going on. Life would have been simpler if she'd kept treating the trials simply as a scam to buy us time. The Court was continually swelling with those who had come to see the election, and more and more of them–much to her disbelief–were throwing their support behind her. She could hardly walk anywhere without people calling out about â€Å"the Dragon' or â€Å"Alexandra reborn.' Word of her attack had gotten out too, which seemed to have fueled her supporters even more. But, of course, Lissa still had plenty of opposition. The biggest case against her was the same old legal one: that she wouldn't be eligible for votes when the time came. Another mark against her was her age. She was too young, her opponents said. Who would want a child on the throne? But Lissa's admirers wouldn't hear any of it. They kept citing young Alexandra's rule and the miracles Lissa had wrought with her healing. Age was irrelevant. The Moroi needed young blood, they cried. They also demanded the voting laws be changed. Unsurprisingly, her opponents also kept bringing up the fact that she was tied to a queen-killing murderer. I'd have thought that would have been the biggest issue in her candidacy, but she'd been so convincing about how I'd shocked and betrayed her that many felt her being queen would actually right the wrong I'd committed. She'd used bits of compulsion whenever the topic came up, which also went a long way in making others think she was now completely dissociated from me. â€Å"I'm so tired of this,' Lissa told Christian, back in her room. She'd sought escape there and was lying on her bed in his arms. My mom was there, on guard. â€Å"This queen thing was a horrible idea.' Christian stroked her hair. â€Å"It's not. Abe said the election will be delayed because of the uproar. And no matter how much you complain, I know you're proud you made it this far.' It was true. The chalice test had cut the nominees in half. Only five remained. Ariana Szelsky was one of them, as was Daniella's cousin, Rufus Tarus. Lissa was the third, with Marcus Lazar and Marie Conta rounding out the group. Ronald Ozera hadn't made it through. My mother spoke up. â€Å"I've never seen anything like this–it's incredible how much support you're getting. The Council and other royals are under no obligations to change the law. But the mob's loud †¦ and gaining the love of â€Å"commoners' could benefit certain royals. Standing by your claim to run would certainly reflect well on a couple families that are out of favor. What's holding them back is the thought that you might actually win. So they'll just keep arguing and arguing.' Lissa stiffened. â€Å"Winning †¦ that's not really possible, is it? Ariana's got it sealed †¦ right?' Winning had never been a part of this crazy plan, and now, with so few candidates, the pressure was even greater to get Ariana on the throne. As far as Lissa was concerned, the other candidates showed no promise of improving Moroi life. Ariana had to win. â€Å"I'd say so,' said Janine. There was pride in her voice, seeing how close she was to the Szelsky family. â€Å"Ariana's brilliant and competent, and most people know it. She'd treat dhampirs fairly–more so than some of the other candidates. She's already spoken about reversing the age law.' The thought of worse laws oppressing the dhampirs made Lissa's stomach sink. â€Å"God, I hope she wins. We can't have anything else go wrong.' A knock at the door snapped my mom into full guardian mode until Lissa said, â€Å"It's Adrian.' â€Å"Well,' muttered Christian, â€Å"at least his timing's better than usual.' Sure enough, my boyfriend entered, wreathed in his now usual scent of smoke and liquor. True, his vices were the least of my concerns, but it kept bugging me that he needed me to be there in person to enforce his good behavior. It reminded me of when he said I was his strength. â€Å"Get up, guys,' he said. He looked very pleased with himself. â€Å"We've got a visit to pay.' Lissa sat up, puzzled. â€Å"What are you talking about?' â€Å"I am not hanging out with Blake Lazar again,' warned Christian. â€Å"You and me both,' said Adrian. â€Å"I've got someone better. And more attractive. Remember how you were wondering how close Serena was to Grant? Well, looks like you can ask her yourself. I found her. And yes, you're welcome.' A frown crossed my mother's face. â€Å"Last I heard, Serena had been sent away to teach at a school. One on the east coast, I think.' After the Strigoi attack that had killed Grant and several others, the guardians had decided to pull Serena from active bodyguard duty for a while. She'd been the only guardian to survive. â€Å"She is, but since it's summer, they brought her back to help with election crowd control. She's working the front gates.' Lissa and Christian exchanged looks. â€Å"We have to talk to her,' said Lissa excitedly. â€Å"She might have known who Grant was secretly teaching.' â€Å"That doesn't mean one of them killed Tatiana,' warned my mother. Lissa nodded. â€Å"No, but there's a connection, if Ambrose's letter is right. She's there now? At the gates?' â€Å"Yup,' said Adrian. â€Å"And we probably don't even need to buy her a drink.' â€Å"Then let's go.' Lissa stood and reached for her shoes. â€Å"Are you sure?' asked Christian. â€Å"You know what's waiting out there.' Lissa hesitated. It was late at â€Å"night' for Moroi, but that didn't mean everyone was in bed–especially at the gates, which was always jam-packed with people lately. Clearing my name was too important, Lissa decided. â€Å"Yeah. Let's do it.' With my mother leading the way, my friends made their way to the Court's entrance. (The â€Å"door' that Abe had made had been patched up.) The Court was surrounded in high, multicolored stone walls that helped further the human image that this was actually an elite school. Wrought iron gates at the entrance stood open, but a group of guardians blocked the road leading into Court grounds. Normally, only two guardians would have manned the booth at the gate. The extra numbers were both for greater interrogation of cars and for crowd control. Spectators lined the road's sides, watching the arriving cars as though they were at a red carpet premiere. Janine knew a roundabout way that avoided some people–but not all. â€Å"Don't cringe,' Christian told Lissa as they passed a particularly vocal group, which had noticed her. â€Å"You're a queenly nominee. Act like it. You deserve this. You're the last Dragomir. A daughter of royalty.' Lissa gave him a brief, astonished look, surprised to hear the fierceness in his voice– and that he clearly believed his words. Straightening up, she turned toward her fans, smiling and waving back, which excited them that much more. Take this seriously, she reminded herself. Don't disgrace our history. In the end, getting through the crowd to the gate proved easier than getting time alone with Serena. The guardians were swamped and insisted on keeping Serena for screening, but my mom had a quick conversation with the guardian in charge. She reminded him of Lissa's importance and offered to stand in for Serena for a few minutes. Serena had long since healed from the Strigoi attack. She was my age, blond-haired and pretty. She was clearly surprised to see her former charge. â€Å"Princess,' she said, maintaining formalities. â€Å"How can I help you?' Lissa pulled Serena away from the cluster of guardians speaking to the Moroi drivers lined up at the gate. â€Å"You can call me Lissa. You know that. You taught me to stab pillows, after all.' Serena gave her a small smile. â€Å"Things have changed. You might be our next queen.' Lissa grimaced. â€Å"Unlikely.' Especially since I have no clue how to solve that riddle, she thought. â€Å"But I do need your help. You and Grant spent a lot of time together †¦ did he ever mention training Moroi for Tatiana? Like, secret combat sessions?' Serena's face gave the answer away, and she averted her eyes. â€Å"I'm not supposed to talk about that. He wasn't even supposed to tell me.' Lissa gripped the young guardian's arm in excitement, making Serena flinch. â€Å"You have to tell me what you know. Anything. Who he was training †¦ how they felt about it †¦ who was successful. Anything.' Serena paled. â€Å"I can't,' she whispered. â€Å"It was done in secret. On the queen's orders.' â€Å"My aunt's dead,' said Adrian bluntly. â€Å"And you said yourself you might be talking to the future queen.' This earned a glare from Lissa. Serena hesitated, then took a deep breath. â€Å"I can pull together a list of names. I might not remember all of them, though. And I have no clue how well they were doing–only that a lot resented it. Grant felt like Tatiana had purposely picked those most unwilling.' Lissa squeezed her hand. â€Å"Thank you. Thank you so much.' Serena still looked pained at giving up the secret information. They come first didn't always work when your loyalties were split. â€Å"I'll have to get it to you later, though. They need me here.' Serena returned to her post, bringing my mother back to Lissa. As for me, I returned to my own reality in the car, which had come to a stop. I blinked to clear my eyes and take in our surroundings. Another hotel. We should have had gold member status by now. â€Å"What's going on?' â€Å"We're stopping,' said Dimitri. â€Å"You need to rest.' â€Å"No, I don't. We need to keep going to Court. We need to get Jill there in time for the elections.' Our initial goal in finding Jill had been to give Lissa voting power. It had since occurred to us that if Lissa running was mucking up the elections, the surprise appearance of her sister would likely create just as much sensation and disbelief. A genetic test would clear up any doubts and give Lissa her voting power, but the initial confusion would buy us more of the time we so badly needed to find the murderer. In spite of the random evidence my friends kept turning up, they still had no substantial theories on a culprit. Dimitri gave me a don't lie to me look. â€Å"You were just with Lissa. Are the elections actually happening yet?' â€Å"No,' I admitted. â€Å"Then you're getting some rest.' â€Å"I'm fine,' I snapped. But those fools wouldn't listen to me. Checking in was complicated because none of us had a credit card, and it wasn't the hotel's policy to take a cash deposit. Sonya compelled the desk clerk into thinking it was their policy, and before long, we had booked two adjoining rooms. â€Å"Let me talk to her alone,' Dimitri murmured to Sonya. â€Å"I can handle it.' â€Å"Be careful,' Sonya warned. â€Å"She's fragile.' â€Å"You guys, I'm right here!' I exclaimed. Sonya took Jill's arm and guided her into one of the rooms. â€Å"Come on, let's order room service.' Dimitri opened the other door and looked at me expectantly. With a sigh, I followed and sat on the bed, my arms crossed. The room was a hundred times nicer than the one in West Virginia. â€Å"Can we order room service?' He pulled up a chair and sat opposite me, only a couple feet away. â€Å"We need to talk about what happened with Victor.' â€Å"There's nothing to talk about,' I said bleakly. The dark feelings I'd been shoving back during the drive suddenly fell upon me. They smothered me. I felt more claustrophobic than when I'd been in the cell. Guilt was its own prison. â€Å"I really am the murderer everyone says I am. It doesn't matter that it was Victor. I killed him in cold blood.' â€Å"That was hardly cold blood.' â€Å"The hell it wasn't!' I cried, feeling tears spring to my eyes. â€Å"The plan was to subdue him and Robert so we could free Jill. Subdue. Victor wasn't a threat to me. He was an old man, for God's sake.' â€Å"He seemed like a threat,' said Dimitri. His calmness was the counter to my growing hysteria, as usual. â€Å"He was using his magic.' I shook my head, burying my face in my hands. â€Å"It wasn't going to kill me. He probably couldn't have even kept it up much longer. I could have waited it out or escaped. Hell, I did escape! But instead of capturing him, I slammed him against a concrete wall! He was no match for me. An old man. I killed an old man. Yeah, maybe he was a scheming, corrupt old man, but I didn't want him dead. I wanted him locked up again. I wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison, living with his crimes. Living, Dimitri.' It seemed strange that I'd feel this way, considering how much I hated Victor. But it was true: it hadn't been a fair fight. I'd acted without thinking. My training had always been about defense and striking out against monsters. Honor had never really come up, but suddenly, it meant a lot to me. â€Å"There was no honor in what I did to him.' â€Å"Sonya said it wasn't your fault.' Dimitri's voice was still gentle, which somehow made me feel worse. I wished he'd chastise me, confirming the guilt I felt. I wanted him to be my critical instructor. â€Å"She said it was a backlash of spirit.' â€Å"It was†¦ .' I paused, recalling the haze of that fight as best I could. â€Å"I never really understood what Lissa experienced in her worst moments until then. I just looked at Victor †¦ and I saw everything evil in the world–an evil I had to stop. He was bad, but he didn't deserve that. He never stood a chance.' Honor, I kept thinking. What honor is there in that? â€Å"You aren't listening, Rose. It wasn't your fault. Spirit's a powerful magic we barely understand. And its dark edge †¦ well, we know it's capable of terrible things. Things that can't be controlled.' I lifted my eyes to his. â€Å"I should have been stronger than it.' There it was. The thought behind all my guilt, all these horrible emotions. â€Å"I should have been stronger than it. I was weak.' Dimitri's reassuring words didn't come so quickly. â€Å"You aren't invincible,' he said at last. â€Å"No one expects you to be.' â€Å"I do. What I did †¦' I swallowed. â€Å"What I did was unforgivable.' His eyes widened in shock. â€Å"That †¦ that's crazy, Rose. You can't punish yourself for something you had no power over.' â€Å"Yeah? Then why are you still–‘ I stopped because I'd been about to accuse Dimitri of continuing to punish himself. Except †¦ he no longer was. Did he feel guilt for what he'd done as a Strigoi? I was certain of it. Sonya had admitted as much. But somewhere in this journey, he had taken control of his life again, bit by bit. She'd told me that, but only now did I truly understand. â€Å"When?' I asked. â€Å"When did it change? When did you realize you could keep living– even after all that guilt?' â€Å"I'm not sure.' If the question surprised him, he hid it. His eyes were locked with mine, but they weren't quite focused on me. The puzzle occupied him. â€Å"In bits, really. When Lissa and Abe first came to me about breaking you out, I was ready to do it because she asked me to. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was personal too. I couldn't stand the thought of you locked in a cell, being cut off from the world. It wasn't right. No one should live like that, and it occurred to me that I was doing the same–by choice. I was cutting myself off from the world with guilt and self-punishment. I had a second chance to live, and I was throwing it away.' I was still in turmoil, still raging and full of grief, but his story kept me quiet and transfixed. Hearing him pour his heart out was a rare opportunity. â€Å"You heard me talk about this before,' he continued. â€Å"About my goal to appreciate life's little details. And the more we continued on our journey, the more I remembered who I was. Not just a fighter. Fighting is easy. It's why we fight that matters, and in the alley that night with Donovan †¦' He shuddered. â€Å"That was the moment I could have crossed over into someone who fights just to senselessly kill–but you pulled me back, Rose. That was the turning point. You saved me †¦ just as Lissa saved me with the stake. I knew then that in order to leave the Strigoi part of me behind, I had to fight through to be what theyaren't. I had to embrace what they reject: beauty, love, honor.' Right then, I was two people. One was overjoyed. Hearing him talk like that, realizing he was fighting his demons and close to victory †¦ well, I nearly wept with joy. It was what I'd wanted for him for so long. At the same time, his inspiring words only reminded me how far I'd fallen. My sorrow and self-pity took over again. â€Å"Then you should understand,' I said bitterly. â€Å"You just said it: honor. It matters. We both know it does. I've lost mine. I lost it out there in the parking lot when I killed an innocent.' â€Å"And I've killed hundreds,' he said flatly. â€Å"People much more innocent than Victor Dashkov.' â€Å"It's not the same! You couldn't help it!' My feelings exploded to the surface again. â€Å"Why are we repeating the same things over and over?' â€Å"Because they aren't sinking in! You couldn't help it either.' His patience was cracking. â€Å"Feel guilty. Mourn this. But move on. Don't let it destroy you. Forgive yourself.' I leapt to my feet, catching him by surprise. I leaned down, putting us face to face. â€Å"Forgive myself? That's what you want? You of all people?' Words seemed to escape him. I think it had to do with my proximity. He managed a nod. â€Å"Then tell me this. You say you moved past the guilt, decided to revel in life and all that. I get it. But have you, in your heart, really forgiven yourself? I told you a long time ago that I forgave you for everything in Siberia, but what about you? Have you done it?' â€Å"I just said–‘ â€Å"No. It's not the same. You're telling me to forgive myself and move on. But you won't do it yourself. You're a hypocrite, comrade. We're either both guilty or both innocent. Pick.' He rose as well, looking down at me from that lofty height. â€Å"It's not that simple.' I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to be intimidated. â€Å"It is that simple. We're the same! Even Sonya says we are. We've always been the same, and we're both acting the same stupid way now. We hold ourselves up to a higher standard than everyone else.' Dimitri frowned. â€Å"I–Sonya? What does she have to do with any of this?' â€Å"She said our auras match. She said we light up around each other. She says it means you still love me and that we're in sync, and †¦' I sighed and turned away, wandering across the room. â€Å"I don't know. I shouldn't have mentioned it. We shouldn't buy into this aura stuff when it comes from magic users who are already half-insane.' I reached the window and leaned my forehead against the cool glass, trying to decide what to do. Forgive myself. Could I? A small city sprawled before me, though I'd lost track of where we were. Cars and people moved below, souls out living their lives. I took a deep breath. The image of Victor on the asphalt was going to stay with me for a long, long time. I had done something horrible, even if my intentions were good, but everyone was right: I hadn't been myself. Did that change what had happened? Would that bring Victor back? No. And honestly, I didn't know how I would move past what I'd done, how I'd shake the bloody images in my head. I just knew I had to go on. â€Å"If I let this stop me,' I murmured, â€Å"if I do nothing †¦ then that's the greater evil. I'll do more good by surviving. By continuing to fight and protect others.' â€Å"What are you saying?' asked Dimitri. â€Å"I'm saying †¦ I forgive myself. That doesn't make everything perfect, but it's a start.' My fingertip traced the line of a tiny crack in the glass's surface. â€Å"Who knows? Maybe that outburst in the parking lot let out some of the darkness Sonya says is in my aura. Skeptic that I am, I have to give her some points. She was right that I was at a breaking point, that all I needed was a spark.' â€Å"She was right about something else too,' Dimitri said after a long pause. My back was to him, but there was a strange quality to his voice that made me turn around. â€Å"What's that?' I asked. â€Å"That I do still love you.' With that one sentence, everything in the universe changed. Time slowed to one heartbeat. The world became his eyes, his voice. This wasn't happening. It wasn't real. None of it could be real. It felt like a spirit dream. I resisted the urge to close my eyes and see if I'd wake up moments later. No. No matter how unbelievable it all seemed, this was no dream. This was real. This was life. This was flesh and blood. â€Å"Since †¦ since when?' I finally managed to ask. â€Å"Since †¦ forever.' His tone implied the answer was obvious. â€Å"I denied it when I was restored. I had no room for anything in my heart except guilt. I especially felt guilty about you–what I'd done–and I pushed you away. I put up a wall to keep you safe. It worked for a while–until my heart finally started accepting other emotions. And it all came back. Everything I felt for you. It had never left; it was just hidden from me until I was ready. And again †¦ that alley was the turning point. I looked at you †¦ saw your goodness, your hope, and your faith. Those are what make you beautiful. So, so beautiful.' â€Å"So it wasn't my hair,' I said, unsure how I was even capable of making a joke at a time like this. â€Å"No,' he said gently. â€Å"Your hair was beautiful too. All of you. You were amazing when we first met, and somehow, inexplicably, you've come even farther. You've always been pure, raw energy, and now you control it. You're the most amazing woman I've ever met, and I'm glad to have had that love for you in my life. I regret losing it.' He grew pensive. â€Å"I would give anything–anything–in the world to go back and change history. To run into your arms after Lissa brought me back. To have a life with you. It's too late, of course, but I've accepted it.' â€Å"Why †¦ why is it too late?' Dimitri's eyes grew sad. â€Å"Because of Adrian. Because you've moved on. No, listen,' he said, cutting off my protests. â€Å"You were right to do that after how I treated you. And more than anything else, I want you to be happy once we clear your name and get Jill recognized. You said yourself that Adrian makes you happy. You said you love him.' â€Å"But †¦ you just said you love me. That you want to be with me.' My words seemed clumsy, unworthy of his eloquence. â€Å"And I told you: I'm not going to pursue another man's girlfriend. You want to talk honor? There it is in its purest form.' I walked toward him, each step ramping up the tension around us. Dimitri kept saying the alley was his turning point. For me? It was now. I stood on the precipice of something that would change my life. For the last week, I'd done a very good job of detaching myself from anything romantic with Dimitri. And yet †¦ had I? What was love, really? Flowers, chocolate, and poetry? Or was it something else? Was it being able to finish someone's jokes? Was it having absolute faith that someone was there at your back? Was it knowing someone so well that they instantly understood why you did the things you did–and shared those same beliefs? All week, I'd claimed my love for Dimitri was fading. In reality, it had been growing more and more. I hadn't even realized it was happening. I had been re-establishing our old rapport, strengthening the connection. Reaffirming that of all the people in the world–even Lissa–Dimitri was the only one who truly gotme. I'd meant it: I loved Adrian. It was hard to imagine life without him, but my other words at the Mastranos' had betrayed me: I have fun with him. Now, you should have fun with the one you love, but that shouldn't have been what first came to mind. I should have said, We strengthen each other. Or, He makes me want to be a better person. Perhaps most importantly: He understands me perfectly. But none of that was true, so I hadn't said those things. I'd sought Adrian for comfort. His familiarity and humor were an important part of my world. And if he was in danger? I'd throw my life before his, just as I would for Lissa. Yet, I didn't inspire him, not really. He was trying. He did want to be a better person, but at this moment in his life, his motivations were more about impressing others–about impressing me. It wasn't for himself. That didn't make him bad or weak, but it made me his crutch. He would get past that, I was certain. He would eventually come into his own and be an amazing man, but he wasn't at that point of self-discovery yet. I was. I stood in front of Dimitri now, looking into those dark eyes again, the eyes I loved so much. I placed my hands on his chest, feeling his heart beating strong and steady–and maybe a bit faster than normal. Warmth spread through my fingertips. He reached up and caught hold of my wrists but didn't push me away. The lines of that gorgeous face looked strained as he fought some inner conflict, but now that I knew–now that I knew for sure–I could see his love for me. Love mingled with desire. It was so, so obvious. â€Å"You should have told me,' I said. â€Å"You should have told me this a long time ago. I love you. I've never stopped loving you. You have to know that.' His breath caught when I said I love you, and I could see his internal struggle for control become an all-out war. â€Å"It wouldn't have made any difference. Not with Adrian involved,' he said. The fingers around my hand tightened slightly as though he really might push me away this time. He didn't. â€Å"I mean it. I won't be that guy, Rose. I won't be that man who takes someone else's woman. Now, please. Let go. Don't make this any more difficult.' I ignored the request. If he'd wanted to get away from me, he could have. I splayed my fingers, touching more of his chest, drinking in the feel of that warm contact I'd missed for so long. â€Å"I don't belong to him,' I said in a low voice, pushing close to Dimitri and tilting my head back so that I could see his face clearly. So much emotion, so much conflict as his heart tried to decide right from wrong. Being pressed against him felt like †¦ completion. Sonya had said no couple could share one aura or one soul, but ours weren't meant to be apart. They fit together like a puzzle, two individuals making something greater than themselves. â€Å"I don't belong to anyone. I make my own choices.' â€Å"And you're with Adrian,' said Dimitri. â€Å"But I was meant for you.' And that did it. Any pretense of control or reason either of us possessed melted away. The walls crumbled, and everything we'd been holding back from each other came rushing out. I reached up, pulling us together for a kiss–a kiss he didn't let go this time. A kiss I didn't end by punching him. His arms encircled me as he lifted me onto the bed, one hand soon sliding along my hip and down to my leg, already half-bare, thanks to that poor tattered dress. Every nerve in my body lit up, and I felt that desire returned in him–and then some. After a world of death, he seemed to appreciate love more. Not only that, he needed it. He needed life. He needed me–not just physically, but in the same way my heart and soul always cried out for him. What we did then, as our clothes came off and we brought our bodies together became more than just lust–even though there was plenty of that too. Being with him after so long, after everything we'd endured †¦ it was like coming home. Like finally being where–with whom–I belonged. My world, my heart †¦ they'd shattered when I lost him. But as he looked at me, as his lips spoke my name and ran along my skin †¦ I knew those pieces could come back together. And I knew, with absolute certainty, that waiting for this–for my second time having sex–had been the right thing to do. Anyone else, any other time †¦ it would have been wrong. When we finished, it was like we still couldn't get close enough. We held each other tightly, our limbs entwined, as though maybe closing the distance now would make up for the distance that had been between us for so long. I closed my eyes, my senses flooded with him, and sighed dreamily. â€Å"I'm glad you gave in. I'm glad your self-control isn't as strong as mine.' This made him laugh, and I felt it rumble through his chest. â€Å"Roza, my self-control is ten times stronger than yours.' I opened my eyes, shifting to look into his. I brushed his hair back and smiled, certain my heart would expand and expand until there was nothing left of me. â€Å"Oh yeah? That's not the impression I just got.' â€Å"Wait until next time,' he warned. â€Å"I'll do things that'll make you lose control within seconds.' That comment was just asking for a witty Rose Hathaway quip. It also made my blood burn, which was why we were both surprised when I abruptly said, â€Å"There may not be a next time.' Dimitri's hand, tracing the shape of my shoulder, froze. â€Å"What? Why?' â€Å"We have a couple of things to do before this happens again.' â€Å"Adrian,' he guessed. I nodded. â€Å"And that's my problem, so put your honor-able thoughts aside. I have to face him and answer for this. I will. And you †¦' I couldn't believe what I was about to say. I couldn't believe I meant it. â€Å"You still have to forgive yourself if we're going to be together.' His puzzled expression turned to pain. â€Å"Rose–‘ â€Å"I'm serious.' I met his eyes unflinchingly. â€Å"You have to forgive yourself. For real. Everyone else has. If you can't, then you can't go on either. We can't.' It was one of the biggest gambles of my life. Once, I would have run to him without question, ignoring our problems, overjoyed just to be with him. Now †¦ after everything I'd been through, I'd changed. I loved him. I loved him so much, and I wanted him. But it was because of the strength of that love that I had to do this. If were going to be together, we had to do it the right way. Sex had been amazing, but it wasn't a magical cure for everything. Damn. Somewhere along the way, I'd picked up common sense. I still intended to confront Adrian. And if Dimitri wouldn't do what I asked, I really would walk away. I'd lose both men, but it was better to be alone with my self-respect than be in the wrong relationship. â€Å"I don't know,' Dimitri said at last. â€Å"I don't know if I can †¦ if I'm ready.' â€Å"Decide soon then,' I said. â€Å"You don't have to right this second, but eventually †¦' I didn't push the topic after that. For now, I would let it go, though I knew he would hold onto it and grasp its importance. I knew I was right to stand by it too. He couldn't be happy with me if he wasn't happy with himself. It occurred to me then, as I stood up for myself and what I needed, that our old teacher-student roles were gone forever. Now we really were equals. I rested my head on his chest and felt him relax. We'd bask in this moment, if only for a little longer. Sonya had said we needed â€Å"rest,' making me think we still had some time here before the ticking clock drove us back to Court. As Dimitri and I continued to keep close to one another, I found myself actually wanting to sleep. I was exhausted from the fight–which, I realized, had taken a very unexpected turn. My guilt and despair over Victor and the explosion of spirit had taken their toll too, no matter the healing locket still around my neck. And yes, I thought with a small smile, I was simply exhausted from what Dimitri and I had just done. It was kind of nice to use my body for something that didn't result in serious injury for a change. I fell asleep in his embrace, blackness wrapping around me as warmly as his arms. It should have been that simple. It should have been peaceful, happy rest. But as usual, I wasn't that lucky. A spirit dream pulled me from the enveloping depths of sleep, and for half a second, I thought maybe Robert Doru had come for me to take revenge for his brother's death. But, no. No vindictive Dashkov. Instead, I found myself staring into a pair of emerald- green eyes. Adrian.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Epidural

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Epidural Is epidural the best of all words – no pain but full consciousness? (Yerby, 2000). Discuss During pregnancy many women give some thought on what they will do to cope with labour pain. Some women aim to have the most natural type of birth, with the least possible pharmacological interventions. Others request a pain free labour, such as opting for an epidural anaesthesia as a type of pain relief. But do women actually know about the risks epidural anaesthesia can create for them and their baby? Or do they opt for it just because they heard other mothers say that it was the best? Epidural anaesthesia is a type of regional anaesthesia which is rapidly increasing in its popularity. Epidural works by blocking nerve conductions from the lower spinal segments, resulting in a decreased sensation in the lower half of the body, while at the same time the mother is still awake and conscious (Fraser & Cooper, 2009). The drug is administered in the lower back, into the epidural space, spec ifically in the lumbar region between lumbar 1 and 4. This is achieved by cautiously inserting a Tuohy needle through the lumbar intervertebral space. Once the epidural space is reached, a catheter is threaded through the needle, which will facilitate the administration of the drug either by bolus top ups or continuous infusion. Once epidural is injected, it will start to exhibit its effect within approximately 20 minutes (Johnson & Taylor, 2011). Indications for using epidural anaesthesia There is no absolute indication for opting for epidural anaesthesia, however clinical instances may include: Maternal request: mothers now acknowledge the fact that they can give birth with the least possible amount of pain. Today the majority of parents already have a plan in mind of what they wish and request for their birth experience. Having ongoing accessibility to internet encourages parents to search for types of pain relief, allowing them to make their own choices of what they think is bes t for them. Upon searching and from what they hear from other mothers, they are actually believing that epidural is one of the best choices of pain relief medication (Johnson & Taylor, 2011). Pain relief: prolonged labour can be very tiring and stressful for the mother. Having an epidural can help in reducing the continuous stress of contractions and can possibly help the mother to relax, making her able to conserve energy for later use during the active phase of the second stage of labour (Johnson & Taylor, 2011). Hypotension: epidural has the potential to lower down the blood pressure. This can be used as an advantage for women who suffer from high blood pressure. Thus this anaesthesia can possibly stabilise the blood pressure during labour, aiming to reduce complications (Johnson & Taylor, 2011). Preterm labour: epidural aims to decrease the sensation of powerful contractions and so can be opted for to possibly lower the desire to push during a preterm labour. Use of such anaesth esia depends on the specific condition of the mother and the baby (Johnson & Taylor, 2011). Side effects of epidural anaesthesia on the mother Opting for an epidural can deliver a good experience amongst many women. Mothers are able to rest and relax from the painful contractions while at the same time they are awake and conscious. However, opting for this anaesthesia is very likely to be the beginning of a ‘cascade of interventions’. This means that birth can be transformed into a very medicalised experience, ending up with the mother feeling that she has lost control over her own birth experience. In fact, the World Health Organization states that, â€Å"epidural analgesia is one of the most striking examples of the medicalisation of normal birth, transforming a physiological event into a medical procedure.†

Soccer injres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Soccer injres - Essay Example Europe did not emphasize on building institutions that would symbolize a single political entity such as an economy, bureaucracy, the judiciary, etc. The War of 1918 is considered to be an unnecessary battle because the dispute that meant to trigger the conflict was considered to be limited but still it succeeded in triggering an enormous global war. However the conflict rose from the disagreement between Austria-Hungary and Serbia over how the assassination of Franz Ferdinand should be handled. The Austro-Hungarians however believed that there was a link of the Serbian government with the assassination and that was the reason that Austria-Hungary demanded an investigation as well as a judicial process within Serbia. No other country took direct interest into this matter. However Germany and Russia got involved in the case for protecting Austria-Hungary and Serbia, respectively (War Graves for WW1 Dead on The Western Front,

Non Specific topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Non Specific topics - Essay Example The U.S national economy is different from those of other nations in various ways. Firstly, the US has a liberalized economy. In this economy, the government has minimal control over the economy. Private investors own most of the country’s infrastructure and businesses. Besides having a liberalized, the US has the most formal economy in the world. The US has a functional revenue collection system that provides the required finances. Lastly, the country has market-based economy. In this type of economy, individual/consumers make market decisions. Testing microeconomic theories is a difficult undertaking. This is because an economic phenomenon depends on many valuables. Some of these variables cannot be tested, hence the difficulty in testing microeconomic theories. Moreover, change in dependent variables after each change in independent variable takes a long time or is difficult to establish. In such case, it is difficult or impossible to study the underlying economic situation (Bade, & Michael, 2001). For example, improvement of people’s purchasing power because of infrastructural development might take decades. The Keynesian theory predicts that government’s intervention on an economy results in economic growth. It would be difficult or impossible to test such theory since economic changes takes a long time. The great depression had significant impacts on the US economy. Following these economic extremes, the US government had to restructure its policymaking process. Initially, the US had a rigid economy that was mainly controlled by the government. In addition, the government was the sole developer of economic policies. However, following the depression, the government started involving the private sector in the development of economic policies (McEachern, 2012). The US economy was also based on short-term policies developed by the government. However, following the

The Failure of Coca-Cola Blak Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Failure of Coca-Cola Blak - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that in the idea of products, the mind of the potential buyer is very important because it determines whether the consumer will buy it or not. The coca cola company chose to use to use iconic glass bottles in packaging this drink and topped it with some plastic cap which is not professional in marketing and promotion of a new product it needs to be packaged well in a way that it is pleasing to the customers from afar. In terms of place, the good was readily available though it could be distributed better by the leading supermarkets in the US. In promotion, this would involve creativity and imagination in order that the information about the product would be where other competitors’ information does not reach, though we find that the internet advertising is slowly replacing the traditional ways of promotion. The coca-cola company did not put this into consideration and no wonder the massive failure. The bottle also comes in a tightly wr apped plastic sleeve that did not allow the customers to see what was packaged inside unless the consumer poured a bit of it in some glass. Also, the drink was more of Dark Brown in color whereas the name suggested more of black in color. The name should give more details of the product. It was billed as carbonated fusion beverage which means that it is a fusion of coke and coffee though this is not mentioned anywhere in the packaging only shown in the ingredients list as almost the last and indicating coffee extracts. When the coca-cola company announced the launch of it in 2006, there was nothing in the search in support of the announcement and there was nothing in their website to support the product. The big brands should always take into consideration that the internet and the websites go a long way in marketing their new products because it helps to capture some buzz usually created by those huge announcements. In pricing, this company had failed because it was relatively expe nsive. Consumers will always choose to buy the cheaper goods in the market if the two goods will add the same value to their lives. In marketing this product, the market research would have been very important in knowing the companies that they would partner with in order to market the new product better. The promotions too were not to standard and the product would have or would do better if the marketing and promotion part did its work very well. The product was also a bit expensive considering that it was a new product on the market. It was also more expensive than what most people expected of the product. Coca-cola Blak is full of artificial sweeteners and so it does not have the gritty, sticky mouthfeel and it is not so much caloric. It gave a toffee scent on opening. It also gives a lightheaded, detached feeling. This drink was certainly unique and tasty. If it is marketed in the best way it would do very well in the market. The packaging of the soft drink should also be chang ed in order that it would be appealing to the consumer. In the business, for the product to have lived on and if it comes back to the market the company should ensure a very good mix of the very right product that the consumers need, the coffee being sold at the very right and convenient price and in the most convenient place and use the best efficient and suitable promotion strategy.

Operational Analysis and Effectiveness Case Study

Operational Analysis and Effectiveness - Case Study Example Operations as defined by Heizer is the management of production of goods and services that add value to the firm. Thus, operations cannot be ignored any wherelets first analyze briefly what actually is the function of an airline industry. Airline industry provides services to its customers by transporting them from one destination to another be it international, national, regional or simply for cargo purposes. The operations issues that are important and critical include airport capacity, route structures, technology and costs to lease or buy the physical aircrafts1. Some of the larger issues that organizations face every time are the weather conditions, fuel costs and labor. Since weather effects flight schedules and is quite variable and naturally unpredictable; weather extremes such as snow, fog, and extreme temperatures can halt the operations of the air transport and hence add to costs both in terms of opportunity cost and the physical cost already incurred. Without fuel, no aero plane could fly, fuel costs comprise around 17-18% of the total cost of the airline company. For managing fuel efficiency the air transportation management should schedule flights properly as for example short haul flights are less fuel efficient as greater part is consumed in landing and take off. Labor is very important, which includes all sorts of labor and skills, flight attendants, pilots, baggage handl ers, dispatchers, customer services, air hosts and hostesses etc. The critical activities2 of an airline industry include demand forecasting, network design, revenue management, route planning, airline schedule planning, irregular operations aircraft routing, integrated scheduling, real time crew management, crew pairing optimization, air traffic flow management, crew rostering, air traffic simulation and control, and also coping with the concerned authorities' control program. Now the critical activities are discussed independently, and the relevant outcome and importance is also specified. Demand forecasting by airlines It is important for an air transportation industry to forecast demand levels correctly, as the management of demand can help in maximizing revenues as much as possible. And since demand for air travel seems to have been growing at the multiples of GDP therefore the need becomes more pronounced. And, there is a need to understand the demand for airlines industry is of two types, viz. underlying growth and the induced growth. The underlying growth in demand occurs as a reason of naturally occurring external factors in the environment;

Religion journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Religion journal - Essay Example it excludes those sayings in which Jesus might have repeated elements from his religious heritage, and those which the church might have taken over from Jesus; and both kinds of sayings were surely on his lips. Nevertheless, in its scientific austerity the criterion of dissimilarity is the surest place to start in seeking to recover the teaching of Jesus. The three angels bring messages in the eternal gospel (v). Angels can be compared with messiahs who inform the audience about certain events: Babylon the Great and the warning message brought by the third angel. Historically, Bible was used to justify racism and injustice because it is always seen as the main books of moral laws and rules, cods of ethics and behavior. The Bible says something essential about God. In the present world the purpose and justice of God are not clearly apparent. A Christian will not question God's justice, but conditions in the world do not demonstrate it. Faith cannot escape the conviction that in the end God will vindicate his justice, manifest his fairness and goodness, and show his power to achieve his purpose. To regard this present tangled world situation as our last word about God would be fatal to New Testament faith. Jesus was not a figure of the past for his followers, but a living presence. He had risen from the dead and was spiritually present in his communities; his apostles and prophets spoke words inspired by his spirit, and since no strict distinction was made between the remembered words of the historical Jesus and the inspired words of the risen Christ, the tradition contains both kinds of material arbitrarily. It is also necessary to a sound faith in human destiny. It is not now obvious that life deals out fair treatment and offers wholesome fulfillment to all who seek...Anyone who would write about the teaching of Jesus first deals with the problem of ascertaining what that teaching was. The Old Testament can be seen and understood in relation to Christ. Jesus found guidance for his ministry and preaching in the Scriptures of his people. The earliest preachers used the Old Testament to show God's purpose in Christ, and interpreted the Christian faith as the divinely given fulfillment of the faith of Israel. If Christianity is true, the Christian interpretation of the Old Testament is the true interpretation. This life with God is life in a fellowship of worshipers. In both the Old and New Testaments the people of God furnish the setting of individual faith and worship. So, too, in the final order it is not as hermits, but as sharers in a human fellowship that men know and worship and serve God. But such good life exists only where man obeys God's will. Man is so made that he is not himself, he cannot find happiness, unless he accepts God as his Lord and lives in obedience to the divine will. But, as the New Testament sees, man has not yielded this acceptance and obedience. He is a sinner. His need roots in this fact. And this need is universal. No stress on the initiative and work of God excludes or obscures the responsibility of man to make the right response. To recognize the primacy and completeness of God's work through Christ puts the focus where it belongs, and gives the credit where it is due. But God has made man as a person, responsible for right decision and action. Every phase of life is included in this loyalty.

Industry Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Industry Analysis - Essay Example This resulted in the concept of charging callers for outbound calls and also for receiving calls:† (Mobile, 2008). In the US, a lot of cell phone companies are still able to charge for receiving calls, whereas in Europe this has changed somewhat: this shows that strategy formulation has to change in this global industry. â€Å"While some systems of payment are pay-as-you-go where conversation time is purchased and added to a phone unit via an Internet account or in shops or ATMs, other systems are more traditional ones where bills are paid by regular intervals. Pay as you go (also known as "pre-pay") accounts were invented simultaneously in Portugal and Italy† (Mobile, 2008). Pre-pay accounts are currently a major draw in the US, and there is a lot of competition to offer the best service with the most options and coverage. Competition is a force in the general environment, and it is likely the force that is going to impact companies within this industry the most, as it continues to change and grow in the next few years. â€Å"The nature and degree of competition in an industry hinge on five forces: the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitute products, and the jockeying among current contestants† (Ireland et al., 2006). In this industry, even though barrier costs are high, substitute products are a real threat. From the team perspective, the task environment of the cell phone industry is affected by many internal, as well as external, forces. In terms of the relationship of suppliers, â€Å"If a supplier can either increase the price of its product or reduce the quality 2006). This rule holds true for the cell phone industry as well. There is also a particularly strong domestic market in the US with strong and sustained growth. â€Å"Consumer mobile phone sales in the United States

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Law - Essay Example They are also liable for replacement of the faulty blu-ray player purchased by Bob from them although more than 3 days have passed after the purchase. Reckless Department Store is just what their name expounds – it is reckless. One cannot do business in a reckless manner. The removal of the lower guard rails on the stairwell despite many complaints from customers was responsible for Lassie’s death. The fracturing of Bob’s skull due to the barrier’s crash on the car’s roof was also the fault of Reckless Department Store because the car park was handled or mishandled by them. Finally, the malfunction of the blu-ray player must be set right by Reckless Department Store because they cannot count the number of days Bob spent in the hospital for the purpose of the sale contract (Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, p1). Actually, Erewhon Police Service must take the initiative in handling all the three cases. This is because of Reckless Department Store’s negligence that the mishaps have occurred. Reckless’ irresponsible behavior resulted in the loss of their dog, and loss of manpower as Bob could not report for duty during his time at the hospital. The three cases must be handed to a legal expert who will be able to interpret the laws to their logical conclusions. Reckless Department Store is misinterpreting laws to its own benefits. First of all, Reckless must have closed operation or relocated elsewhere while renovation work was going on. By not keeping business closed due to renovation, Reckless was exposing customers to myriad risks and dangers. Reckless must be taken to task sufficiently so that it sends the clear message for Department Store and other businesses to close operation or relocate while renovation is in progress in their own premises. Otherwise it will become easy for others to carry on business in similar circumstances and throw up their hands when faced with litigations for accidents and losses

Philosophy Rhetoric Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Rhetoric Essay For those politicians who find themselves faced with a question whose answer may be distressing to their audience, there is no substitute for the power of rhetoric   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The light-as-air rhetoric politicians tend to give in response to any question regarding national identity is a fine example. Asked what it is to be an American, most politicians will appeal to emotion with reflexes so skilled and precise that a kung-fu master would be hard-pressed to imitate them. Where logic is concerned, the rhetorical replies to this sort of question often begs many others. The politician will surely answer using words such as hope, values, family and faith but are those words even useful as descriptions? Do they speak to the actual experience of being an American or do they speak to some of the notions in which many find great comfort? How much of any politicians answer to this question is ritual and how much actual response? And, most importantly, are those things really characteristic of Americans or are they things Americans like to think about themselves, reality notwithstanding?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Where a reasonable, logical answer to the question of   what it means to be American may be pages long and the subject of spirited debatenot to mention heavily influenced by the time in which the question was poseda rhetorical answer provides an easy dodge that leaves the politician with a faint glow of patriotism, the great persuader who is so often summoned by way of such simple rhetoric.

Evolution as an Adaptation Essay Example for Free

Evolution as an Adaptation Essay The Chipping Sparrow is found across most of North America and eats mainly insects an seeds that are found in suburban areas and in farmland in the United States (Chipping Sparrow). Since the early 1990s, the feeding range of the Chipping Sparrow has included farms that grow genetically-modified grains, including the corn and wheat that are part of the Chipping Sparrows traditional diet (Genetically Altered Wheat Promises Higher Yields). Genetically-modified seeds are used to develop crops that are resistant to disease or pests, that use less water, or that are needed for specific requirements such as for pharmaceutical uses. While these crops may be helpful to humans, this change in the food supply could have important implications for the evolution of the Chipping Sparrow and other animals (Chrenkova, Sommer, Ceresnakova, et al, 2002). Although Chipping Sparrows share enough common traits to qualify as a unique species, differences still exist between individual Chipping Sparrows. Some of these differences might include metabolic differences that affect the individual birds digestive process. It is possible that the genetically-modified corn, for example, could be missing an enzyme that is essential to the Chipping Sparrows digestive process. If this happened, then the majority of Chipping Sparrows would not be able to break down the modified corn and would not benefit from eating it. The birds might feel full, but an essential part of their diet would be missing. Unless they could find another source of food, these Chipping Sparrows would eventually die of malnutrition. It is also possible that a small number of Chipping Sparrows could have some genetic metabolic abnormality that made it possible for them to digest the modified corn without this particular missing enzyme. In fact, it is even possible that this genetic abnormality in these sparrows digestive systems had always existed and that earlier generations of Chipping Sparrows who had this trait tended to have shortened life spans. If this had happened, then this digestive trait would have been passed along, but would only be present in a small number of the sparrows who would have been less likely to reproduce. If this was the case, then the change in the food supply could turn what had been a genetic liability into a genetic benefit. The Chipping Sparrows that could digest the modified corn would survive and would pass this trait along to their offspring. Those that did not have the trait would eventually either die or migrate. The fate of the Chipping Sparrows that remained would not be decided by luck, but would be the result of a genetic mutation that proved to be beneficial in their new environment. The change in the environment would effect the Chipping Sparrow population in stages. First, the majority of Chipping Sparrows that were unable to digest the modified corn would either leave or die, resulting in a severe drop in the Chipping Sparrow population. The sparrows that had the gene for the digestive trait would pass it along to their offspring. Even if this was a recessive gene, the odds of it being passed along to future generations would still increase as the number of non-adapted sparrows and their effect on the gene pool diminished. Instead of only one parent carrying the gene, which may have been the case in previous generations, it would become more likely that both parents would carry the gene for this particular trait. To summarize, the original population at time zero would have thrived on naturally produced corn. Individual members of this population, however, may have had what was the equivalent of a food allergy that prevented them from getting the full benefit of this natural food source. The change in the corn would have turned this genetic disorder into a genetic benefit which would have been passed along to future generations. Eventually, the surviving Chipping Sparrows would evolve into a species that thrives on genetically-modified corn and is unable to digest natural, unmodified corn. References Chipping Sparrow. Avianweb. com (2006).Retrieved May 25, 2008, from http://www. avianweb. com/chippingsparrow. html Chrenkova, M. , Sommer, A. , Ceresnakova, Z. , Nitrayova, S. , Prostredna, M. (2002). Nutritional evaluation of genetically modified maize corn performed on rats. Archives of Animal Nutrition,56 (3), p229-236. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. Genetically Altered Wheat Promises Higher Yields. New York Times (May 28, 1992). Retrieved May 25, 2008, from http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html? res=9E0CE4DF1039F93BA15756C0A964958260

Bronfenbrenner Ecological Systems Theory

Bronfenbrenner Ecological Systems Theory The microsystem is the most influential system because the child has direct interaction with these individuals; that interaction occurs on a consistent basis over an extended period of time (Brofenbrenner, 2004). Family is the most significant relationship of the microsystem; they play an intricate part in the ecological human development. The most time is spent at home with the family; they provide shelter and safety, and also provide emotional support for the child. The parent for example, interacts with the child on a daily basis, they provide a safe and healthy relationship and an environment for them to grow and prosper. The way the parent plays with the child, teaches them, and communicates with them has a lot of influence on their development. The parenting style a child receives paves the way in their ability to communicate with others, their self-esteem, and the attitude and behaviors they exude. The main parenting styles are authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and non-involved. The authoritarian parent is strict and demanding; this creates a child that grows up to behave withdrawn, fearful, and distrustful of others. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the permissive parent. The child raised in a permissive household is more likely to be aggressive, impulsive, and have little self-reliance. The healthy balance between the two styles is the authoritative parent who raises a content, cooperative, and self-reliant child (Berns, 2010). The parent gives the child the ability to create secure attachments with others and to have a healthy and positive disposition. The emotional connectivity of this relationship is a direct reflection of a childs ability to connect and communicate with all other systems. Parenting styles are not the only ways that family can influence development; family structure also has a great impact. The nuclear family consists of a mom, a dad, and the children, but not all households are structured this way. Divorce is an unfortunate reality in this day and age and the adaptation plays a large role for the child. Not only does the child not get to live in a household that has both parents which provides a healthy surrounding and assures the child of love, but they may have to listen to the consequences of how each parent deals with the divorce itself. Counseling, mediation, custody battles, and fighting are all situations that the child may be surrounded by. The financial consequences will affect the family and the child would not live in the same lifestyle as they would if both parents were together because the income would be cut in half. Peers, community, and schools also affect the child. The peer groups help the child gain independence and discover their sense of self. Negative experiences with peers such as bullying can hurt the childs self-esteem, affect how they interact with their others, and their ability to communicate and socialize with their peers with ease. School is another very important relationship. This gives the child a chance to learn the fundamentals needed as an adult and to help them develop different skills and appropriate behavior. Every child learns differently; they may be an auditory, visual, spatial, or kinesthetic learner. It is the teacher and schools responsibility to discover this and take the best course of action to implement and teaching style that works best for the child. The second system that influences development is the mesosystem. Mesosystems may be described a links in a chain. They consist of linkages and interrelationships that exist between two or more of the individuals microsystems. These interrelationships involve a variety of settings that the child is immersed in; the influences that bind us together (Feldman, 2008). Examples of this system may be the linkage between family and peers, family and school, school and community, and so on. Schooling is the perfect example of the mesosystems linkage between family and school. The more involved the parent is with the childs school, increases the likelihood of that child excelling in school, receiving higher grades, and attending college in the future. The involvement that the family has with the childs learning before they enter school creates a positive attitude towards their future learning. When it comes to the childs relationship with school, the more perceptive that the family and teachers are in their learning with affect their educational experience. They will learn how to complete tasks, problem solve, and understand rewards and consequences. There is also an important linkage between school and the community. Higher funded schools have more resources available to students; these resources extend the learning process. More books, informative television programs and movies, supplies, crafts, and the ability to go on field trips may provide a more stimulating environment and positive outlook on a childs involvement and learning at school. Community support and donations can help increase learning in the classroom. The exosystem is the third system of Bronfenbrenners theory of human development. These influences are indirect; the child itself is not an active participant, however it does have an impact on an active member of  their microsystem. This may consist of the parents career or financial situation, political systems, social support networks, etcetera. As stated above, exosystems have an indirect affect on the child through career, their socioeconomic status, or the government. A parents socioeconomic status affects the child because they may not have the means to purchase educational materials or live in a nice home, if they have a home at all. Children born into poverty statistically have lower self-esteem, are less likely to excel in school or are more likely to drop out, and they are more susceptible to violence and crime. A parents job may also influence a child indirectly. A parent that has to travel a lot for work or stay late hours must place their child in non-parental child care. Different forms of this non-parental care will affect that child differently. There are child care centers, family day cares, and in-home care of a nanny that may be used to watch over the children. The accreditations are different for each type, and there are different programs, such as health, nutrition, and learning programs. Although there are many different options that the family has when they do not have the ability to stay at home with the child, but it is still no substitute for being cared for by their parent. Although sometimes a parent has no choice but to place their child in a day care program, there can be some developmental consequences to this. The child will be able to socialize with peers more easily, but they tend to be less cooperative and unresponsive with adults. The longer the child stays in non-parental care, the more likely they are to develop insecure attachments, are at risk for problems with emotions and in behavior. They are also more likely to be aggressive and defiant. The final system involved is the macrosystem. This system is societal and has a larger context involved in culture. This type of system influences the developing child in a much broader context; the beliefs of the family and their lifestyle, education, religion, and mass media. What society places as the social norms, expected roles, and what a relationship is supposed to look like. Macrosystem influences come from cultural views in society. Views of roles, such as gender roles, have a set of associated behaviors that are expected in that individual. A boy must be a strong provider and shouldnt cry, or a girl should be a nurturer and domesticated are examples of these gender roles inflicted on society. Different values and lifestyle are also a large influence to that child. Believing in the necessity of owning a large home, having expensive cars, or that as adults, they need to be married with a white picket fence and 2.5 children. Morals and values stem from the familys beliefs and religious law; although sometimes the religious laws coincide with federal. Religions such as Catholicism, Lutheranism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Atheism, are all extremely different from one another and go along a different belief system with different sets of values which influence the individual. Children that grow up believing in some form of Christianity may have different values than a child that grew up in an Atheist household. Mass media and culture are intertwined, but the influence of media is widespread and comes in a variety of forms; screen media, print media, audio media, and interactive media. Media influences value, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior explains Berns (2010, pg 321). At least one form of media can be found basically anywhere and is used to communicate and spread information to a large group of people simultaneously. Screen media that comes in television form spreads so quickly and easily influences young and impressionable minds. In some respects the exposure can be a good thing; it is mentally stimulating, can be educational and useful in a classroom to help students understand information in a different way. Programs for younger children such as Dora the Explorer and Blues Clues are a great way to teach young children colors, numbers, mathematics, and linguistics. Unfortunately there are downsides to this. Not all programs are suitable for young children; they may contain graphic viol ence, foul language, and sexually explicit material that is inappropriate for this age group. This information can ingrain the idea of what life should be like or how the child should behave, this sets up negative associations and roles. Violent and graphic material could result in negative behaviors such as aggression or bullying others, it may also cause the childs imagination to run wild which may be scary, exciting, or intimidating for the child. Too much time in front of the television, or focused on any type of media really, can take away from time spent with the family and engaging in family activities, or it can also affect physical activity. Print media is found in books, newspapers, magazines, and articles. Print media is beneficial because it enhances language and reading skills, it helps with comprehension, and overall cognitive development. Children may understand the sense of who they are because of all the stories and tales they read. A downside to this is that the ch ild may confuse negative actions and material with reality and fantasy. Just as with screen media, print, audio, and interactive media instill the ideas behind different stereotypes; this can be a major concern for problems in the future and self-esteem. Overall between all forms of media there are positives and negatives. They increase cognitive functioning and development, but children are impressionable and graphically violent and sexually explicit material is not good for young children and should be monitored by the parent. It is now apparent that ecological systems affect development Urie Bronfenbrenner was correct in his theory of the bioecological model of human development. There is significant data to show how influential the four systems influence a child. The microsystem consists of close intimate relationships of those in direct contact with the child; they are involved on a consistent basis and appear to be the most influential relationship. Family, peers, school, and the community are all examples of a microsystem. They all have a large impact on the childs socialization skills. Because a child spends so much time with their parents, this is the foundation for success. Teaching their children early what behaviors are acceptable or not, having a comforting and balanced parenting style will really help the child be cooperative, self-reliant, and content. Placing a strong focus on the importance of academics will help the child to succeed in school, also choosing the correct school to help the st udent learning in an environment suitable for their needs. Peers have a massive impact on the childs communication and interaction with others so its important that the parent keep positive influences around that child. The microsystem is the primary system of influence so keeping secure, positive, healthy relationships will help the childs development as they begin to feel the effects of the other systems. Like the links in a chain, the mesosystem combines the importance of the  impact that the microsystems have on each other. Just as school and family influence a child, the relationships between the two systems also have a direct impact on the child. This does not only consist of the two relationships, but all relationships in the microsystem. The indirect affect of the exosystem, such as the stressors of a parents career, will have its own impact. Long hours at the job can result in the child being enrolled in some sort of non-parental child care. The type of care provided coul d benefit the child in their education and learning skills, but may also have a negative impact on their emotional comfort and attachment caused by the lack of the parent being around. Finally, the macrosystem is the combination of culture, religion, mass media, and other influences that are widespread. Mass media has many benefits to the childs development. Media is mentally stimulating, it can increase imagination, and teach the child different skills such as language, communication, mathematics, colors, and other skills. Parents do need to monitor the media that a child does interact with. The graphic violence and sexually explicit material can be damaging for young and influential minds. They can create different stereotypes that can affect the way the child socializing with others, or their sense of self. The more time spent around different forms of media can take away from the quality time spent with the family, and can decrease the amount of physical activity for the child. Overall, the four different systems involved in Bronfenbrenners bioecological model of human development massively impact the socialization and cognitive development of a child.

Essay on Art in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man -- Portrait Ar

Art in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen Dedalus' philosophy of art, expressed in his discussion with Lynch in Chapter Five, seems essentially romantic, yet the novel is written in a very realistic mode typical of the twentieth century. This apparent inconsistency may direct us to one way of interpreting this novel. Dedalus' idea of art may be Romantic, but because his world is no longer the world of the Romantics he has to see art more as a fundamental validation of his own being than as a communication of a special vision. Two aspects of Romanticism figure into this analysis of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. First, the Romantics' defining belief in some connection between the human spirit and some higher purpose, and their belief in art's capacity to serve as the vehicle to connect the human with the divine, is the philosophical underpinning of Dedalus' esthetic theory. Second, however, the Romantics also believed that they were communicating in the words of the people, to the hearts of the people, and this Dedalus cannot quite believe he can do. He senses inchoately that communication of the Romantic vision to a modern world is impossible. Therefore, Dedalus' difficult coming of age as an artist, and perhaps Joyce's, records the essentially romantic, Platonic soul, struggling to emerge from the oppressive realities of the mundane world. The Platonic soul has to reject that world because it is not divine, as the Romantics rejected the Enlightenment scientific worldview, but whereas the Romantics of Wordsworth's age could believe their role was to communicate this truth through poetry to "the people," Stephen Dedalus can only withdraw from the world into abstruse theory, or a l... ...religion, its politics, its poverty, its people. Conclusion So when Dedalus finally pronounces his break from his whole upbringing, it is for this reason: his Romantic soul doesn't comport very well with his realist's understanding of the world. Since he cannot believe, as Wordsworth did, that the spiritually starved masses were waiting out there for his pronouncement of a Grand Vision, he does the only thing he can&emdash;he opts out: I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself to use&emdash;silence, exile, and cunning. (247) Works Cited: Joyce, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York: NewAmerican Library, 1991.

Analysis of Buried Child by Sam Shepard Essay -- Buried Child Sam Shep

Analysis of Buried Child by Sam Shepard Sam Shepard has always written plays that have numerous illusions to frustrate the reader. Shepard has also been known for several twists in his plays, and also makes the reader believe in something that is not real. Born in 1943, Shepard always enjoyed Theatre and Playwriting. Now, nearly 60 years of age, Shepard is one of the most famous playwrights in America. In Shepard’s Buried Child, there are many twists and turns that have the reader wondering and wanting more. Buried Child can be similar to classic plays such as Oedipus Rex, where Shepard includes the theme of incest. He has also included many symbolic objects and Native American symbols of renewal with the large quantity of vegetables in the backyard of the family’s house. There are seven main characters in this play, the majority belonging to one family. The first impression seems like the family in the play are a normal Middle American family. Dodges one-track alcoholic mind, Halie’s irritating personality, and Tilden’s distant relationship with his father seems fairly typical of an elderly family; however, this is far from the truth. The play begins with Dodge, who is in his seventies, may not have much longer to live. He has an unhealthy cough, which gives the thought that he is extremely ill. In the play, Shepard is pointing out that Dodge is not only sick physically, but also mentally. His vicious cough seems to show the progression of his illness throughout the play. The introduction of Tilden, Dodge’s son, is quite unusual; he enters the house with an armful of corn and drops it in front of his father. The significance of this action will be noticed further into the play. When Tilden brings the corn in from the backyard, his father looks at him and tells him to give the corn back, thinking he has stolen it. Dodge snaps, "I haven't planted corn back there since 1935, so take that damn corn back form where ever you got it.† Yet, Tilden argues that the entire back yard is filled with tall stalks of corn, carrots and potatoes. Tilden is a young man living with his parents after getting in trouble in New Mexico. Halie, Tilden’s mother and Dodge’s wife, is abnormally protective of Tilden, which he is not allowed to do or say anything without the permission of Dodge or herself. Halie is constantly worrying about Ti... ...the family, and will hopefully lead them in a positive direction. The ending of this play comes to the conclusion that this family can never be a normal Middle American family. This family is at a loss, and will probably never see life the way that they have before. I believe the message Shepard is trying to reach out to the reader is that secrets and dishonesty can tear a family apart and make them go insane. Unfortunately for this play, the terrible secret was exposed too late. Shepard created an ending which the world could appreciate its simplicity yet complications. Buried Child explores the inner tensions of a rural existence, father-son relationships, and the place women hold in an ambiguous domestic atmosphere. Simply poetic, humorous, and mysterious, Buried Child is a vision of a troublesome family transformed into a symbol of America's loss of innocence. This play made Shepard a Pulitzer Prize winner in 1979, and is very much earned. Bibliography Jacobus, Lee A. 1994. The Bedford Introduction to Drama--Third edition. Microphil Publications. American Repertory Theatre. â€Å"Past Productions: Buried Child.† Dec. 96 http://www.amrep.org/past/buried/buried.html

Psychological Skills Training Essay -- Sports PST Training Athletics E

Psychological Skills Training What exactly is Psychological Skills Training and for a coach or instructor, what advantage is gained by its implementation? In other words, why bother? Psychological Skills Training (PST) is typically more comprehensive than a few short sessions with a few simple interventions that a coach or instructor might suggest. PST usually integrates cognitive and relaxation techniques in a more encompassing approach to mental training and as a complement to physical training. Individualism is a hallmark of most PST programs. (Gill, 2000) The Importance of Mental Skills Why are mental skills so important to performance and why are they often neglected by coaches and athletes? Yogi Berra has been quoted as saying, "sport is 90% mental and 50% physical." You can question his mathematical savvy, but if you're an athlete, coach or fan, you can't question his wisdom. (Hacker, 2000) Many athletes understand that while developing oneself to their physical potential is a critical element in performance potential, it is often a deficit in our psychological game rather than errors in our physical performance that keep us from performing at optimum levels in practice, games or matches. Spud McKenzie, the Budweiser poster puppy, suggested that it is important to say when, but also emphasized the critical element of knowing â€Å"when to say when†. It is often the successful athlete has recognized what needed to be done and the unsuccessful athlete was unable to do so. As a consequence, it is not the physical talents or abilities that separate athletes an d teams, or successful versus less successful performance, rather, the psychological dimension that most frequently explains a given sport outcome or individual performance. For this reason games are played. Prior to each contest, judgment could be made with regard to which team or individual is the â€Å"more highly skilled†. If games were decided on who is the most physically gifted and/or talented individuals or teams, it would prove to be an exercise in futility to compete. As a result, whether you are an athlete or a coach, mastering the mental game of sport will allow you to achieve a level of success as a competitor than you could otherwise not achieve by focusing exclusively on the physical side of sport. PST - The Initial Learning Phase The four commonly used PST techniques are: arou... ...file becomes increasingly significant in terms of achieving desired performance levels. The margins for success and failure as a world-class athlete can be miniscule. Skiers go wide on the third gate of a downhill race to find they have not only lost the gold medal, but any medal. Members of the PGA, after playing 72 holes, find themselves losing the tournament by one stroke, as a result of the missed three-foot putt on the second day of competition. Works Cited Gill, D. L., (2000), Psychological Dynamics of Sport and Exercise, Champaign, IL, 2nd Ed., p197, Human Kinetics. Hacker, C., (February 2000), Introduction to Psychological Skills, Eteamz, http://www.eteamz.com/baseball/instruction/psych/index.cfm?m=1,2,3,4,5 Rushall, B. S., (1995). Mental Skills Training for Sports, Sports Science Associates, Spring Valley, CA., 8.1- 8.3, White, S. A., Psychological Skills: Differences between Volleyball Players on the Youth National Team and Those Involved in the 14’s High-Performance Camp, Unpublished Thesis, Illinois State University, Normal, IL. Weinberg, R.S. & Gould, D. {1995} Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Ch.15

Achilles and the Embassy Book Ix of the Iliad

Achilles’ Decision on the Embassy An extremely large problem in the world today and in Homeric times as well, is people not knowing how to set their pride aside and clean up their own messes. In Book IX of The Iliad, we see Agamemnon’s struggle with war and Achilles personal war in his own head. Achilles is not a door mat for Agamemnon, nor should he be; Achilles is a great warrior. Book IX truly illustrates what kind of men they both are. Achilles is right to refuse the embassy in Book IX because he keeps his honor as a man and a warrior intact.Agamemnon is a man of terrible character and he does not understand what honor is at all. Sending others to do his dirty work is morally wrong. He has shamefully treated Achilles as if he is a second-class citizen, and he always has. Agamemnon barely makes an attempt to win Achilles, the greatest warrior Homeric times have ever known, over. He offers Achilles many women and gifts, including â€Å"the one he took away at first, Briseus’ daughter, and he [swears] a solemn, binding oath in the bargain he never mounted her bed† (332-334).Agamemnon offers everything in the book to Achilles begging him to come back, but what really shows his character is that he sent others to propose the deal. Even worse, he says if Achilles accepts he can come back if Achilles would â€Å"bow down to [Agamemnon] I am the greater king, I am the elder-born, I claim-the greater man† (192-193). Achilles is a remarkable warrior and an honorable man. He has been treated as second-rate to Agamemnon for a long time. Agamemnon needs Achilles on his side if he wants any hope of defeating the Trojans and even he admits it through Odysseus in multiple pages of Book IX.If he honestly thought winning the war without Achilles leading the Achaean troops he would not have even bothered sending Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix. Agamemnon may be a better king and war strategist than Achilles would be, but he is not the warrior th at Achilles is, he could never achieve the same status. Achilles gives the Achaean soldiers hope and drive that Agamemnon cannot provide. Achilles has dealt with the way he has been treated for long enough. He just wants to go home and live his life instead of risking it for someone who thinks he is better than Achilles.He retains more of his honor going home and living a full life than if he would accept the bribe that has been placed in front of him. At least that way Achilles is not telling the world that he can be bought. Agamemnon needs to personally go to Achilles and ask for forgiveness. Not accepting the embassy is definitely the most appropriate choice that Achilles can make. By rejecting Agamemnon’s feeble pleas to return to battle he is more likely to live a long, happy life. Achilles shows the world that he cannot be purchased by anyone and that he is not a spineless door mat who is okay with being treated in such a terrible manner constantly.In the defining momen ts of Book IX we see how completely opposite Achilles and Agamemnon are of each other. Achilles is the hope of an entire army and Agamemnon can clearly not get his act together. Agamemnon should have gone to Achilles himself instead of sending others, to ask him to come back. If he knew what he was doing Agamemnon would have approached him and spoken to him as a true equal and apologized for all of his wrong-doings. Refusing the embassy is the right thing for Achilles to do; it keeps his honor undamaged as a warrior and a man.

Rapid, volatile and discontinuous change Essay

Brief Overview To compare with last decade, all industries or organizations have dramatic changed in today’s global market, no matter in social, political, technological and economic areas. Base on that, all industries have to make appropriate respond to these changes. However, the continuous change is no longer appropriate to the newest business model, but that rather, a range of discontinuous changes have become our new experience (Handy,1990) Today’s external environment has rapid, volatile and discontinuous change, which is the newest challenge of strategic management in an industry. 1. Introduction This essay is going to explore the concept of rapid, volatile and discontinuous change with undertaking wide range of academic journal articles, which in order to make sure that has a deeper understanding of its nature, impact or implications for an organization. In addition, according to the real situation of today’s global and industrial market, only those companies who can coordinate their strategic management to follow up the changes in the market can gather long life and profit. Therefore, this essay will discuss an example to see how those companies manage their business to fit in today’s external environment changes and how those change situations are connected to strategic management process making, and they influence the organizations. Also, the essay will engage theories and models to assess and evaluate the impacts of rapid, volatile, and discontinuous change based on the sample case. Finally, CEOs play significant role in strategic management process, and they should have abilities to solve the puzzles when facing the rapid change. Therefore, this essay will finally use particular cases to address how CEOs respond appropriately to discontinuous change, and what if they respond inappropriate respond. 2. Body The concept of rapid, volatile, discontinuous change All industries are getting involved in a business world that has occurred frequent changes nowadays. Those changes can come from anywhere; they can be small or massive. Handy (1990) indicate that the continuous change is no longer exist, we cannot predict the future from the past, and change is  unexpected and it can happen at any time. In other words, we are experiencing the discontinuous change epoch. For example, in 2008, plenty of large financial institutions had shut down in terms of the global financial crisis. The crisis resulted that the ‘Great Recession’ of economic happened and many bankrupts appeared. The housing market also suffered and the numbers of unemployment increased. Viljoen and Dann pointed that â€Å"a degree of turbulence will exist in all organizational environments (2003). Because of the turbulence in that time, all industries had to face the influences following such changes. In terms of that, successful companies have to operate an efficient and appropriate management strategy to respond the changes of external environment. On the other hand, we can see the light of those changes. According Viljoen and Dann reported that, the more change the greater turbulence and then more opportunities appeared in the uncertainty external environment. Under the financial crisis, there were some companies survive and even gather large profits from the crisis. For example, Morgan Stanley is a financial services company who survived in financial crisis because of its long term preparation of strategic management. The 2008 crisis eliminated its two largest competitors – Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns Cos., but had kept it stayed, which means that the survivors who made appropriate management strategies can win the market battle (Malhotra, 2009). All in all, th e opportunities in degree of change will be offered for those organizations with appropriate strategic management. Where this concept fits within the Strategic Management process In an organization, there is no doubt that one of significant part of operating business is strategic management planning. Strategic management planning has supported the organization in a long term running and has offered a direction to manage unexpected change of external environment. One thing can be sure that rapid, volatile and discontinuous change is focusing on strategic management process operation. However, it is difficult to predict accurate future development (Thompson & Martin, 2010). Because every company has their own situation, so that managers have to consider the change occurring in the external political, economic, social and technological environment and do internal and external analysis according to the particular situation. Some models can be applied by managers to assess their  companies’ external environment to improve the current business strategies, and then have more fit in the global market changes. When the companies fail to respond efficient strategic management, they also fail to facing the threats from external environment changes. Moreover, under the rapid, volatile and discontinuous change global environment, strategic management was built and developed in different way comparing with the last decades. For instance, to manage the complexity, dynamism and unpredictability environment is the topic in strategic management (Ambrosini, 2009). Additionally, analysis of SWOT had been combined into the operating strategic management because of the discontinuous change occurring in the world. Models for assessing the impacts and implications of rapid, volatile and discontinuous change In order to better assess and understand the rapid, volatile and discontinuous change, a variety of business models are using by industries operation. Those models can improve the strategy management process as well as evaluate the implications of rapid, volatile and discontinuous change. First of all, the turbulence model is one of the models that indicate degree of change within a specific environment or industry. The criteria of it are complexity, dynamism and unpredictability (Viljoen & Dann, 2003). Base on this model, managers would consider the turbulence in a particular environment is not only bringing the threats to the company, but also bringing the opportunities. During that period, companies have opportunities to beat their competitors by using appropriate strategic planning. The case of Morgan Stanley is an excellent example while it owns remarkable strategy and management charac teristics. Secondly, Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model is another powerful analysis tool to help managers identify the competitiveness of outside environment. This model was made in Michael Porter in early 1980s; it indicates that bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, threat of new entrants and substitutes, these five forces will impact industries profit potential in the final. They have power to analyze the competitive environment effectively and have been used for the analysis of competitive strategy. This model produces far-reaching impact on global business strategy formulation. To propose a viable strategy should include these five forces to identify and evaluate the  characteristics of different industries and companies. Besides, the Strategic Alignment Model can also be applied to exam the business strategy systems. This model refers to the value of intangible assets in a company, and it helps companies to achieve the coordination of operational strategy and information technology. For example, an excellent IT system is an indispensable part of operating strategy (Lerina, 2012). In addition, Business Rules Group model also can be applied to making efficiency business strategies (David, 2010). Under the business perspective, Business Rules model refers to in a particular activity; there is an obligation to take care conduct, action, practice and procedure. It offers managers to better understand their business strategies’ suitability. The response of the CEOs to this kind of change The response of the CEO to today discontinuous change would affect whether the company can sustain its competitiveness in the changing world market or lose its seat. Research shows that in ‘Great Recession’ time, those companies which can introduce and conduct the most efficient strategy can survive to the last. For example, Morgan Stanley survived in 2008 financial crisis because of its operating and strategy characteristic. It converted from an investment bank to a financial bank during the height of financial crisis. As a depository institution, it can acquire fund through deposits by the general public. To compare its competitors, even though it is not quite unscathed, Morgan Stanley has survived. Therefore, it is clear that CEOs should use different business models which can suit for their own company to analysis about the changing environment, specially the potential threats, new entrants and substitutes. Furthermore, dynamic learning is a useful approach to mainta in the competitive advantage, which is based on four activities: scanning, monitoring, forecasting, and assessing (Trkman, 2010). Morgan Stanley’s CEO used dynamic learning to contribute the capabilities of this company and then to face the business challenges. Also, the CEO has done sufficient research about the potential capabilities when he wanted to invest in new field projects, therefore, Morgan Stanley can extend its line of credit to depository institutions such as credit unions, savings and loan associations. For more cases like Samsung Electrics group, has set up an efficient strategy to face its major competitor – Apple. Since in early  1980s, Apple’s smartphone has started to dominate the cell phone market with its creative features and unique system. Due to the change in global market and development of Apple, Samsung industry created a new line smartphone – Galaxy S with some new features in order to compete Apple iPhone’s line. That is an effective change and creating in management strategy made by Samsung industry, which can keep customers eyes on its new products and its development in the world area. Samsung industry have done an excellent job to respond the discontinuous changing market, which has brought it large scale of profits and also become one of the dominate smartphone industry in the global market. However, some CEOs make an appropriate respond while others do not respond to the volatile change of external environment appropriately. For example, Blackberry smartphone industry has made inappropriate strategies when facing discontinuous change in global market. Blackberry smartphone has maintained its stiff features and cannot get used to today’s technological change and customer’s demands. Therefore, the industry ends up experiencing a dramatic decrease in sales and customer loyalty. 3. Conclusion In conclusion, under the economic development and the rapid, volatile and discontinuous changes in global market, all industries are facing huge challenges to maintain their business. CEOs have responsibilities to upgrade their companies’ management strategies in order to adapt the changing of global business environment. However, there are large scale of uncertainties in today’s market and plenty of risky consequences, CEOs have to introduce and implement the most efficient strategy to keep the company staying in the competitive market. Also, as the dominate roles in organizations, they have to adopt appropriate business models to support the strategic management process. Furthermore, they should have abilities to see the company’s trends, strength, weakness and opportunities as well as analyze their competitors’ strength and weakness, in order to better cope with the external environment dramatic change. Finally, they should gather the lessons from those companies who fail to adopt efficient strategies and could not survive in the changing global market.