My ambitions in life Essay

My name is Jennis Dave Mirafuentes, I am now 16 years old. Were all 5 children in my father side, why I say in my father side only? It is because my father before was having his first family but they were separated because of some instances. We have 3 girls that is daughter of my father in his first wife and we are 2 in my mother side and we are both boys. We are now living in Km. 8 Ulas, Davao City. I finnish my primary study in Talomo Central Elementary School and my secondary in Talomo National High School. My first ambition in life when I was only a child is to become an architect because I love making an illustration of an house before but it was changed when I grow up because I realize that having an architecture course is difficult. When I was in my fourth year in high school I was still thinking of what course I will take in college. And from that time I realize in myself what if I will follow the steps of my mother. I will continue her job in teaching other people because before my mother was graduated of education and she is also a board passer but when the time that she raise me and my younger brother she doesn’t have enough time in teaching so that she decide to stop teaching and focus in caring of us. That’s why I decided to become a BS-Math student, Math because it was my favorite subject. Why I should become a teacher? Maybe now I still don’t have an ability to teach wisely other people but I didn’t refuse my ambition because the reason I studied is to learn the techniques on how to become an effective teacher. Maybe now I was only holding one quality to become a teacher and that is my determination and willingness to teach.

Effects Of National Culture Essay

Since 1988, our world has changed in a myriad of ways. As dictatorships have risen and fallen and new democracies have formed, the political culture of our society is much different than in the years of the late Cold War. In addition to political changes, new technologies, including the world wide web and satellite communications have allowed people in different nations to communicate much more effectively. This research in this paper is very outdated, not taking into account the new market, trade laws, interest rates, or other economical factors of today’s international business world. The article, â€Å"The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode,† was written in 1988 by Bruce Kogut and Harbir Singh, of the Stockholm School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. The authors believed there were several means of entry into foreign markets, including joint ventures, wholly owned greenfield (start up) investments, and by acquisition. The authors examined these methods in depth and analyzed the means by which the businesses not only started up, but operated in foreign markets as well. The authors reviewed statistics, data, and literature, and formed hypothesis as to which methods were being used most, and in what industrial sector(s). The first means that some businesses entered and operated in a foreign country is through the acquisitions method. The acquisitions method entails purchasing a sufficient amount of stock to control the primary shares of a certain company. This method might be considered â€Å"buying out† a foreign company already in existence. However, as currency exchange rates and interest rates fluctuate on a daily basis, this would be trickier in today’s market. For example, 20 years ago, the dollar, the Japanese yen, the Canadian dollar, and the Indian Rupee were worth very different amounts. More importantly, the Euro was not in use, as many of the countries in Eastern Europe in particular, were under communist control. Today, as countries have become more aware of these fluctuating rates, it might be harder or riskier to enter a market through the acquisitions method. In addition, free trade laws and regulations also regulate who can buy what and how much in a foreign market. The second means is a joint venture method in which two or more firms share the assets and profits of a certain company. Again, the same problems might exist as in the acquisitions method, with fluctuating currency exchange rates affecting profit. For example, if a business operated in both China and the United States, as economies changed and foreign tax laws changed, the company could fall under financial strain. The influence of firm experience on entry choice has played a prominent role in several of the studies employing the Harvard Multinational Enterprise Data Base. In their pioneering study on the ownership structure of American multinational firms, Stopford and Wells [1972] found joint ventures, relative to wholly owned activities, were less likely to be chosen, the more central the product to the core business of the firm and more experience the firm had in the relevant country. Similarly, they found that marketing and advertising intensity, as well as research and development intensity, discouraged the use of joint ventures. (Kogut & Singh 1988) This mindset would make sense, as it is hard to run a successful business in one culture, let alone worry about marketing, advertising, and research costs. It also would make sense that two countries might not respond the exact same way to a business plan and marketing techniques. The third means of entry is a greenfield, or start-up, investment, completely new to the foreign market. While some of the challenges of tax laws, currency exchange, and interest rates would also affect this means, the biggest obstacle might be the cultural barriers. Although the world is getting smaller each day thanks to the internet and satellite communications, hundreds of languages and dialects are still spoken throughout the world. This might lead to a communications problem if a foreigner attempted a greenfield investment. Besides language barriers, marketing and advertising techniques would need to be researched in order to be effective in a new country. The authors argue that joint venture is almost a cross between the two other methods, greenfield, and acquisitions. Many studies, as discussed later, have treated greenfield and acquisition as representing alternative entry modes, with joint ventures being only a question of the degree of ownership. This approach implies that entry and ownership involve two sequential decisions, the first deciding whether to invest in new facilities or to acquire existing ones, the second one on how ownership should be shared. Whereas such an approach is clearly defensible on both theoretical and empirical grounds, we treat joint ventures as a choice made simultaneously with other alternative modes of entry. (Kogut & Singh 1988) For this reason, joint ventures can be described as a gray area in foreign business acquisitions. For example, if a company bought out another one, or merged with another company, while retaining some of the business practices and/or staff, it would probably be considered a joint venture. The authors theorize that Greenfield entry is the best way, or at least that was what they believed in 1988. Due to the difficulty of integrating an already existing foreign management, cultural differences are likely to be especially important in the case of an acquisition. Indeed, empirical studies on mostly domestic acquisitions have shown that post-acquisition costs are substantial and are influenced by what Jemison and Sitkin [1986] call the organizational fit of the two firms. They define organizational fit as â€Å"the match between administrative practices, cultural practices, and personal characteristics of the target and parent firms† (Jemison and Sitkin 1986, p. 1471. Sales and Mirvis [1984] document in detail the administrative conflicts following an acquisition when both firms differ strongly in their corporate cultures. In contrast to the integration costs of an acquisition, a joint venture serves frequently the purpose of assigning management tasks to local partners who are better able to manage the local labor force and relationships with suppliers, buyers, and governments [Franko 1971; Stopford and Wells 1972]. Thus, a joint venture resolves the foreign partner’s problems ensuing from cultural factors, though at the cost of sharing control and ownership. Unquestionably, a joint venture is affected by the cultural distance between the partners. But such conflict should not obscure the original motivation to choose a joint venture because the-initial alternative of integrating an acquisition appeared more disruptive than delegating management tasks to a local partner. Of course, a joint venture may be troubled not only by the cultural distance of the partners, but also due to concerns over sharing proprietary assets. A wholly owned greenfield investment avoids both the costs of integration and conflict over sharing proprietary assets by imposing the management style of the investing firm on the start-up while preserving full ownership. (Kogut & Singh 1988) In 2008, businesses would face some of the same challenges as in 1988, such as the cost of integration, conflict of sharing proprietary assets, and administrative and management differences. However, as more and more businesses have gone global, most countries would have contracts and lawyers defining clear parameters on such details. The authors came to this conclusion by testing two hypothesis. The first focused on cultural differences. Kogut & singh (1988) said that, â€Å"The greater the cultural distance when the country of the investing firm and the country of entry, the more likely a firm will choose a joint venture or wholly owned greenfield over an acquisition. † This hypothesis primarily focused on the costs of running and managing a business from a greater distance. The second hypothesis as stated by Kogut & Singh (1988) stated that, â€Å"The greater the culture of the investing firm is characterized by uncertainty avoidance regarding organizational practices, the more likely that firm will choose a joint venture or wholly owned greenfield over an acquisition. † As with all unknowns, a foreign company could not be expected to know the exact way a business and marketing plan would be executed and responded to in a foreign market. Basically, the data found that uncertainty was the main reason companies tended to shy away from acquisitions and enter the market through a greenfield or joint venture method. This reason would still hold true today as the world market fluctuates and recessions come and go. The studies also noted that the methods of entry into a particular market varied depending on the product, service, or industry. There is a clear difference in industry patterns among the modes of entry. Joint ventures are relatively more frequent in pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electric and nonelectric machinery. Acquisitions occur primarily in natural resources, financial services, and miscellaneous manufacturing industries. Chemical and electrical machinery are especially attractive industries for greenfield investments. At a higher level of aggregation, acquisitions tend to be relatively more common than other modes of entry in nonmanufacturing sectors of the economy. (Kogut & Singh 1988) The article, since it was written 20 years ago, analyzed data primarily from the industrial sectors of resource, paper, chemical, petroleum, metal, rubber, machinery, electrical, transportation, and instrumentation. It had some analysis of data in communications, wholesale, financial, and other services. Now, in 2008, the list would include a lot of new data for technology, automobile, computers, and pharmaceuticals, to name a few. The list would also be inclusive of customer service outsourcing, a practice common among many technology and computer companies. Furthermore, new sanctions have been imposed on some natural resources. It may not be possible, for example, for a foreign company to come in and control an oil field, a diamond mine, or a rainforest. Such companies might be required to work jointly with a company in the nation they wish to do business, thus keeping it a joint venture somewhat. In 2008, any analysis of entry into foreign markets would also mention the oil trade, and the complexities that accompany it. As the recent conflict in Iraq has shown us, cultural differences and political challenges may hamper easy trade and setting up business in a middle eastern country. In the next few years, as new automobiles are developed to hopefully not be as oil-dependent, the market will change yet again. Another difference in automobiles are the influx of foreign cars to the United States, and the continual race to develop the most fuel-efficient car amongst competitors throughout the world. The article analyzed data primarily from the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. It found differences based on these countries. Again, there are strong differences among the modes of entry. For Japan, 46 of its 114 entries are joint ventures. Whereas Japanese acquisitions are not common, Japanese firms have a high proportion of the wholly owned Greenfield investments. Scandinavia and, especially France, also lean towards joint ventures. United Kingdom represents the other extreme; 111 of its 141 entriesare acquisitions, with the remainder evenly divided between joint ventures and greenfield. (Kogut & Singh 1988) Twenty years ago, the European Union was not in existence and many Eastern European Countries were under communist rule, thus meaning they had very different laws, regulations, and business practices than they do today. The Euro was not yet a currency, so trading and doing business amongst European nations was also very different. Also, the article makes little mention of a very new powerful force in the global market: China. As China has made tremendous economic and technological gains in this decade, it has begun to not only dominate the world market, but also branch out and do business in foreign countries. This relationship is reciprocal as European and American businesses are also looking to enter the Chinese market at the same time. Another item the article looked at which is very different today than 20 years ago is the size of businesses. They sought to understand whether or not larger businesses entered a market usually one way, while smaller businesses did something else. Obviously, while larger firms may have had more resources to acquire, smaller firms may have had the flexibility to do so more frequently. It stands to reason that the larger the investing firm, the greater its ability to acquire. Despite the logic, the empirical evidence is mixed. Dubin [1975] found that smaller firms tended to acquire relatively more frequently than large firms, though he did not control for other factors. In his cross-sectional tests, Wilson (1980) confirmed Dubin’s findings. However, these studies drew upon entry data of the largest corporations of the United States and other European countries. Caves and Mehra [I9861 study did not restrict their attention to entries of the larger corporations. Their results showed that the size of the entering firm is positively and significantly related to entry by acquisition over greenfield. Because acquisitions require generally more financial and managerial resources than joint ventures, size of the foreign firm’s assets should be positively correlated with the tendency to acquire. Conversely, acquisitions are discouraged, the larger the assets of the American partner, target firm, or investment size. (Kogut & Singh 1988) In 2008, this may or not be the same, as firms in certain industries may have grown and merged, while others may have decreased in size and split up into more specific companies. Also, the lending practices and investment practices are different today than they were 20 years ago, so a company may have more ways through which to acquire start-up capital necessary for operating in a foreign market. The article also examined why certain companies may enter a foreign market. Twenty years ago, not all countries possessed the technology, skills, or resources needed for some businesses. This caused companies to enter foreign markets to get what they were lacking in their own country. The previous empirical studies have assumed, however, foreign entry was usually for the purpose of market access or low cost manufacturing. Clearly, foreign entry into the United States may be motivated in order to source technology or purchase brand labels. The more diverse motives of investing in the American economy make it more difficult to sign the structural variables. For example, firms from R&D-intensive industries might joint venture if they possess the requisite technologies but lack the marketing depth. Or they may tend to acquire if they are investing for technology sourcing. Similarly, firms from marketing-intensive industries might engage in a joint venture if they possess the brand label but lack other resources along the value-added chain. Or they may acquire if they are investing for market penetration and lack label recognition. Stopford and Wells [1972] found that American firms pursuing an advertising-intensive strategy tend to full ownership of their overseas subsidiaries. Their data is drawn, however, from a time when American firms were investing overseas with clear strategic advantages. For our study, it is equally likely that foreign firms are investing in the United States for technology and brand label acquisition as for the exploitation of their proprietary assets. No prediction is made, therefore, on the signs of the coefficients for R&D and Advertising. (Kogut & Singh 1988). In 2008, as natural resources have been discovered in other parts of the world and new technologies have emerged, countries that were formerly primarily importers are not exporters, and countries that primarily exported, now import more from elsewhere. As the playing field changes every year, it’s important to note that countries will be continuing to search for the next best place or resource to help grow their company. Also, thanks to the internet and a computer-savvy generation, it is possible that some countries will not need outside help advertising or marketing, or with brand-name recognition. If the article were to be re-written today, obviously new data would need to be collected reflecting the changes of the last 20 years, including new industrial sectors, new companies, and more countries. The researchers would need to also differentiate between a few things. First, they would need to look at a specific industry, because, as they stated, the means of entry vary greatly depending on the industry. For example, one might enter a foreign banking market very different than had they entered a foreign market strictly to utilize their natural resources or labour force. Also, the article did not look enough at the cultural aspect of the business world. It would be remiss not to notice that there are some cultures who object to foreigners doing business in their country and would not respond to foreign business plans. For example, the United States and European nations might successfully acquire or start a business in China or Japan, yet not be as successful in a Middle Eastern Country. In conclusion, considering the article is over 20 years old, and the data was even older, the authors did a great job of analyzing data and investigating business trends and foreign market entry modes. It provides a great insight into the past and the mindset of the times, before new trade laws, instant communication, and most importantly, new products and services used by people worldwide. As societies change every day, as third world countries become first world, and new drugs are developed to cure a myriad of conditions, the only certainty is that 20 years from now, we will be in a very different business world as a result of our actions today. REFERENCES Caves, Richard. E. 1982. Multinational enterprise and economic analysis Cambridge, U. K. : Cambridge University Press. Dubin, Michael. 1975. Foreign acquisitions and the spread of the multinational fi. D. B. A. thesis, Jemison, D. B. & S. B. Sitkin. 1986. Corporate acquisitons: A process perspective, Academy of Management. Kogut, Bruce, and Harbir Singh. 1988. The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode. The Journal of International Business Studies k S. Mehra. 1986. Entry of foreign multinationals into U. S. manufacturing industries. In M. Porter, ed. , Competition in global industries. Boston: Harvard Business School. Sales, A. L. & P. H. Mirvis. 1984. When cultures collide: hues in acquisition. In Managing organizational Stepford, J. & L. Wells. 1972. Managing the multinational enterprise: Organization of the firm and ownership. New York: Basic Books.

Approaches to Correction of Class III Skeletal Malocclusion

Approaches to Correction of Class III Skeletal Malocclusion Combined Orthodontic and Surgical Approach in the Correction of Class III Skeletal Malocclusion Dr. Abdulaziz AlShahrani Astrac While growth modification and camouflage orthodontic treatment offers a limited solution in treating some skeletal Class III malocclusion depending on the age of the patient , Underlying skeletal severity, alignment of the teeth and the vertical facial proportions, a combination of surgical and Orthodontic therapy is the treatment of choice in all severe skeletal Class III malocclusion. In this case report I present a combination of surgical-orthodontic therapy for an adult female patient with skeletal class III malocclusion which resulted in good skeletal, dental and soft tissue relationship, with marked improvement in function and facial esthetics. Keywords: Class III malocclusion, Orthognathic Surgery, surgical orthodontics Introduction Class III malocclusion is considered to be one of the most difficult and complex orthodontic problems to treat. The prevalence of class III malocclusion has been reported to be as low as 3-5% in the Caucasian population, but is higher in the Chinese and Japanese population (4-13%) (Often associated with maxillary retrusion) [i] , [ii] , [iii] . The etiology of class III is complex and multifactorial. However, there is usually a strong genetic contribution. Genetic factor is one of the etiological factors where one third of children with severe Class III had a parent with the same problem and one-sixth had an affected sibling [iv] . Racial tendency may play a role as the blacks have shown higher incidence than white’s [v] .Environmental factors appear to play an adaptiverole in the etiology of Class III malocclusion [vi] .Class III malocclusion can be associated with other factors such as cleft palate [vii] . Individuals with class III malocclusion show combinations of skeletal and dentoalveolar components. Class III malocclusion may occur as a result of protrusive mandible, retrusive maxi lla, combination of both [viii] . While the most commonly found Class III malocclusion (30%) showed a combination of mandibular protrusion and maxillary retrusion, Maxillary retrusion alone was found in 19.5% of the sample and Mandibular protrusion alone was found in 19.1% of the sample [ix] .These complex nature of class III requirea careful planning, amultidisciplinary approach and patient cooperation [x] . Case Report A 17-year-old caucasian girl presented for orthodontic treatment because of referral from her dentist with primary complaint of un-esthetic facial and dental appearance. She has a hyper-divergent Class III skeletal and dental relationship. This is characterized by retrognathic maxilla, retroclined lower anterior teeth, with maximum active opening of 47mm with 5mm negative overjet and lateral excursions of 7 mm to both right and left sides. The patient has an ovoid, relatively asymmetrical face with chin slightly deviated to the left. The lip line at rest displayed a pproximately 2 mm of upper incisor. At full animation there was 7mm of upper incisal display and 2 mm of lower incisal edge. She has a slightly concave profile, and competent lips[Figure1]. Pretreatment extra oral photos Intraorally, the oral mucosa was healthy. There were no periodontal pockets present. The gingival tissues were inflamed especially around the prosthetic crowns. There was no bleeding tendency except sometimes with brushing. Free gingival margins were near to the CEJ and attached gingiva was of normal width throughout the mouth. The frenal attachments in both arches were normal. The tongue was normal in size, function and appearance. Teeth # 26, 36 and 46 have been crowned. There was a lingual arch placed one year ago to maintain lower incisors position.

Hedda Gabler, examine her character. How does she arouse both sympathy Essay

Hedda Gabler, examine her character. How does she arouse both sympathy and scorn Using support from the play, explain and justify Shaw's observation about Hedda's character and the difficulty in playing it - Essay Example She tries to evade Tesman; even she does not hesitate to allow her ex-lover Ejlert Là ¸vborg to commit suicide. She rather provokes him by giving him a pistol. It is not that she unsympathetically or villainously commits this crime of provoking Lovborg’s suicide; rather she does so to assert her being in her ability to possess and manipulate her romantic hero whom she once dumped because of his recklessly free nature. It is true that she is unsympathetic towards Lovborg and others, including Tesman and Aunt Julle, who represent the social restrictions. Though she cannot but be unsympathetic to them, she herself bears secret sympathy for them, as George Bernard Shaw, in a letter to Elizabeth Robbins, says, â€Å"You were sympathetically unsympathetic, which was the exact solution of the central difficulty of playing Hedda.† () Hedda, a fancy-flyer entrapped by the social expectations of wifehood, is continually torn apart by her sense of the standards of appearance and her love for freedom. Her â€Å"aimless desire for freedom† makes her reproachful towards those who may meddle in her desire. In the very beginning of the play, Hedda is found to take savage delight in manipulating people to achieve her end. She instinctively hates Tessman’s relatives and family. This is because her expectation of an aristocrat life is not fulfilled and also the boundary of Tessman’s household does not allow her to enjoy the freedom. Hedda has an extremely freedom loving mind. In the beginning, she hates pregnancy, motherhood â€Å"make a claim on her freedom† (Ibsen 45). She does not like to be a mother, because it would bind her more with the duties and responsibilities. Like any typical woman of Ibsen’s plays, she is a fancy-flyer who has been stuck into harsh reality. Her high background shows that she has been pampered in her father’s house. Being devoid of any knowledge reality, she tries to dominate matters,

Bloody System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bloody System - Essay Example As for the collection of the samples themselves, according to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, "starting in 1985, the American Red Cross and Food and Drug Administration policies prohibit accepting blood donations from gay/bisexual men, specifically from any "male who has had sex with another male since 1977, even once,"[5] or from IV drug users or recent immigrants from certain nations with high rates of HIV infection," ("Donation" p.1). This type of screening was found to be imperative in the quest of ensuring that the samples which were collected were not at any risk of contamination. Other disease typically checked for in the US screenings would be Hepatitis B, the antibody to Hepatitis C "anti-HCV" as well as the Nucleic Acid testing for HCV "anti-HCV" ("Donation p.1). The most notable difference when it comes to US and UK donation policy would be the manner in which how often individuals are allowed to donate their blood.

Four Circles of HR Professionalism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Four Circles of HR Professionalism - Assignment Example This involves having a knack for managing people and conducting activities which may include hiring and recruiting the staff, managing work culture and job performance within an organization, training the personnel working within an organization, assuring that the staff complies with the rules and regulations in an organization, and the overall management of the behaviour of personnel at the workplace (Sartain &Finney 2005). Thereby in a professional context, any HR manager does need to be astutely aware of as to how to conduct oneself at the workplace (Kulik 2004). There stand to be some predominant professional considerations related to the workplace that an HR manager does need to hold sacrosanct. As an HR I am well aware of the fact that within a professional environment it is not only the sacrosanct ‘best practices’ but also an array of rules and regulations that my conduct needs to be subservient to. I am well aware of the fact that for the personnel I manage, I am the actual company. Not only the staffs that I manage to view me as the management but in the courts of law, I will also be considered to be the actual employer (Muller 2012). This realization has a serious impact on my professional conduct. I am well aware of the fact that as an HR manager I will always be directly held responsible for the things I do or fail to do for the employees (Muller 2012). The other thing that I always keep in my mind is that employees never leave organizations; they mostly tend to leave bosses. Thereby I also keep in my mind that every employee that comes to work in the organization is not a passive toolbox, but rather a complete person with a heart and a mind and a soul. My approach towards employees is always imbued with concern and I hold very human expectations from them. I well understand the fact that employees do always need a feedback. Whether they are doing a good job or are not doing well, the employees are mostly not able to ascertain it until they are evinced an honest feedback (Slade 1994). I have also realized that extending a timely feedback to the employees does go a long way in assuring organizational efficiency and thereby as an HR professional I make it a point to be thorough and prompt with the feedback I extend to the employees.  

Labor Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Labor Law - Assignment Example The core of OSHA is its responsibility for infection (Peterson & Cohen, 1996). Its inspectors conduct inspections and investigations to determine the compliance status with safety and health regulations and standards. If a work cite is detected with non-compliance, then the employer faces a penalty. Following its inception, OSHA has been a centre of controversies, with businesses complaining of too rigid, bureaucratic, and hard to comprehend regulations, making compliance difficult. According to Lombard & Pynes, 2011, the Human resource Department plays an important duty in ensuring employee safety and health as they understand the workplace and the employee demands. They should know how and when to use existing resources to take action to employee concerns. They should co-operate with healthcare professionals by participating in the compliance process. The department should recommend that the health organization’s procedures and policies address areas of special concern as highlighted in the OSHA law. Many of these areas fall in their department including risks such as billing of services and items not rendered, up coding, providing medically needless services, unbundling, and outpatient services offered in correlation with inpatient stays. To achieve compliance, HR department should implement policies and procedures which ensure that billing and coding are based on timely and accurate medical records, and that there is a process for reporting actual violations by health practitioners so that any deliberate life risks can be well traced (Peterson & Cohen, 1996). The department should also educate the employees on their rights to communicate so that there is a reduction of any potential abuse, waste, and fraud. The communication culture can be encouraged by: announcing to workers that they report incidents of fraud through company policies addressing anonymity, confidentiality, and non-retaliation, sufficiently

Response to Nelson Mandela's Freedom Speech Coursework

Response to Nelson Mandela's Freedom Speech - Coursework Example I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunity. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die†. For years Mandela from banned from gatherings and was kept under strict police surveillance just because he had the courage and strength to stand up to racism. Despite being the savior of South Africa, Mandela in his address after being released from prison, regards himself a servant of his people. Mandela begins his freedom address by thanking the people around the world who have tirelessly supported the campaign for his release from jail. Mandela extends his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported his ideas and has molded their lives in accordance with them. Mandela’s gratitude reflects his underlying greatness and dignity by thanking the people who have helped raise him to the pedestal he deserves. Nelson Ma ndela has always been a man of his words; often he has been observed saying â€Å"I will continue fighting until the end of my days†. The tiresome days and long dark nights at the Robben Island prison did not halt his struggle against white and black domination. For decades in prison, Mandela was deprived of simple pleasures of life. His daughter Zinzi grew up without a father but even in these grave circumstances, Mandela did not give up the struggle for his nation and his people. Instead Mandela utilized the debilitating environment of prison to reinforce his already entrenched habits. His resistance and steadfastness accelerated his popularity and he soon became the most significant and influential black leader in the history of South Africa. It is so unfortunate that our Country was thrown into an economical crisis and the lives of our people so brutally destroyed. We have to follow Nelson Mandela’s footsteps in order to be strong enough to guide our paths to enlig htenment. Madiba dedicated his life for freeing our lives from racism and it is now our duty to eliminate any future prospect of white oppression. This is only possible if we educate ourselves which is the best armor we can possibly have. We are in dire need of educating our children, for education is the wealth of nature. In his address, Mandela conveys to the nation that the only way to end exploitation and oppression is through the promotion of combined strength of the working class. Mandela points out that the strength of the working class is one of the most potent reasons for the success of the anti-apartheid movement. Through his address, Mandela also revives in the minds of his people, the struggle of great heroes like Hintsa and Sekhukune. Mandela pays his gratitude to the young individuals of his nation by referring to them as his young lions. He rightly points out that the problems plaguing the integrity of South Africa can only be abolished through endless efforts of the youth of the nation. He also extends his gratitude to mothers and sisters of the nation who undoubtedly have been the worst victims of apartheid. Due to the decisive mass action of the nation, Mandela rightly predicts that apartheid has no future in South Africa. He points out that the establishment of democracy is guaranteed through the mass campaign of defiance and other acts undertaken by his organization. Mandela draws the attentions of his fellows to the

How does Alexis De Tocqueville fail to see that the unequal Essay

How does Alexis De Tocqueville fail to see that the unequal accumulation of wealth resulting from Capitalism cannot be fully con - Essay Example He was from egalitarian society not the newly formed capitalist society, so this could justify why he had a blind spot concerning capitalism and could not redress the challenges of industrial commercial system on the democratic system that strives towards the equalization of social conditions. Discussion Tocqueville ideas have had extensive impacts on the concept of penance and crime, equality and democracy. His historical background immensely influenced his democracy theories. Equality of conditions is the main point of focus of Alexis Tocqueville theories. He suggests that parity is fundamental to democracy, and absence of parity caused crime. His opponents use this dependence on the concept of equality as the central weakness. For instance, Tocqueville failed to recognize that unequal wealth accumulation resulting from capitalism could not be controlled in a democracy, which meant to have socially equalizing tendencies. The equality of situations denotes a social state where one p erson’s influence over another –based on the aristocratic regime- is substituted with the egalitarian notion of individual consent. In these conditions, the act of each has two main reasonable basis, public will and personal will. The triumph of consent over the impact and the advancement of human autonomy closely connected to it have critical, political and social impacts, leaving little as it was1. Alexis Tocqueville felt religious terror, when he examined the inspiring power of this historical transformation, which he observed as providential and in agreement with humanity, therefore, his examination of the democratic world somehow is an attempt to explore his fear. Tocqueville argues that, â€Å"intellectual life would be changed by democracy, just like the passion of men† p 230. In addition, under pressure from autonomy of individuals, views would be generalized, mores softened. Therefore, public view translates to the central, influential voice. Whereas in dividual rights controls, men’s live, the ends of man heeds into neglect. Similarly, the moral life’s content is emptied from the vessel of democracy. The desire for equality, essential to democracy, overwhelms all other concerns, and starts its powerful battle to eradicate the inherent inequalities of people. It is possible to recognize the modern society in Tocqueville’s views. What critics stress in Alexis works is the tragic, and, in fact, paradoxical, recognition that democracy is extremely natural to human beings and, if not controlled, detrimental to human nature. Allowed free dominance, this desire for equality- an egalitarian instinct- restricts democracy itself, in various ways. For instance, it limits democracy by paradoxically rebuilding a natural state, originally elaborated by critical thinkers such as Plato, Marx and Hobbes as the pre-civilized situation at the centre of democratic civilization. In addition, its spreads envy, destructive of any sy stem; and finally, by gathering the natural autonomies of virtue and reason. Even though, Tocqueville recognized the aristocratic rule to be unfair, as it was anchored on an unnatural principle of familial autonomy, its hierarchical order still preserved room for principles transcending the individual will. The

Throughout Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Example for Free

Throughout Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Throughout Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston uses a number of different items as symbols to convey the significance of certain events that take place in Janie’s, the main characters, lifespan. In this novel, Janie’s life moves in stages. With each stage comes a different item of clothing that represents another relationship and reflects Janie’s inner self during that period in time. Using an apron, a head rag, a blue satin dress, and overalls, Hurston communicates how Janie grows and evolved as a person throughout her relationships with Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and most importantly, Tea Cake. In the beginning of the novel, Janie’s marries a man by the name of Logan Killicks, a very successful farmer. During their relationship, Janie wears an apron. The apron shows that Janie is a housewife, merely taking orders and doing what she is told to do. During the course of their marriage, Janie came to realize that she â€Å"knew now that marriage did not make love† (25). Janie does not love Logan. She married him for Nanny, her grandmother, and never was able to develop the love for him, as she desired. At this point, Janie begins seeing Jody Starks, and eventually leaves Logan. Upon leaving, she â€Å"feels the apron tied around her waist. She untied it and flung it on a low bush beside one road and walked on† (32) as if release of being a housewife and allowing herself to move on; no strings attached. In Jane’s second marriage with Jody, Janie is forced to wear a head rag by Jody. This hides Janie’s hair. Janie’s hair is very different from other women in her community. Her hair is straight, like white women, as opposed to curly. Her hair is a symbol of her uniqueness and independence. By forcing Janie to cover her hair and wear the head rag, Jody extinguishes Janie’s independence. Jody controls Janie, insults her, and destroys her self-esteem. She conforms to his wants and demands, not even fighting back when he hits her. The head rag represents Jody’s dominance over Janie in their relationship. Ultimately, this proves that their relationship in not based on true love, and this ends in a failed relationship. After Jody dies, Janie’s meets Tea Cake, who buys her a blue satin dress. This dress is worn at their wedding and is of high significance despite the small amount of time it is worn by Janie. It is a symbol of a new start with Tea Cake. In addition, it has only been nine months since Jody’s death. At one point. Janie says to Pheoby: Ah ain’t grievin’ so why do Ah hafta mourn? Tea Cake love me in blue, so Ah wears it. Jody ain’t never in his life picked out no color for me. De world picked out black and white for mournin’, Joe didn’t. So Ah wasn’t wearin’ it for him. Ah was wearin’ it for de rest of y’all (113). This shows that Janie is sad about his death since she is not mourning, as the community believes she should do. Janie did not truly love Jody, however, she does love Tea Cake greatly and is â€Å"always in blue because Tea Cake told her to wear it†(110). Later in their marriage, Janie switched her attire to overalls. These overalls are nothing fancy and are worn for her work in the fields with Tea Cake. For this reason, they are proven to be a symbol of equality and true love. Neither Tea Cake nor Janie are of higher stature than one another as the men were in Janie’s past relationships. â€Å"What if Eatonville could see her in now in her blue denim overalls and heavy shoes?† (134) is a thought that Janie simply laughs at. Janie’s love is proven in her ability to become Tea Cake’s equal despite what the people of the town say about how he is poor. Janie continues to wear the overalls after Tea Cakes death, when she returns to Eatonville. She doesn’t dress up to mourn. Janie â€Å"went on in her overalls. She was too busy feeling grief to dress like grief† (189). This further proves Janie’s feelings for Tea Cake more than anything. With Jody, Janie mourned his death and didn’t care for him, showing that mourning doesn’t mean she was sad. In this situation, Janie does not follow what is considered the right thing to do. She knows how sad she feels about Tea Cake and that is the only thing that matters to her at this point in time. The use of clothing as symbols is a dominant element of Hurston’s writing in Their Eyes Were Watching God. It successfully conveys Janie’s emotions and thoughts throughout her life. The symbolism of clothing shows how she evolved from following what is considered â€Å"right† and becoming what she wants; someone who experienced true love. Janie wore an apron for Nanny’s dream, a head rag to satisfy Jody’s need for dominance, and a blue satin dress and overalls for true love and equality with Tea Cake. Works Cited Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print.

Moods Themes And Ideas Created English Literature Essay

Moods Themes And Ideas Created English Literature Essay Growing up is an inevitable and everlasting process in every humans life, it is the way that we develop and the choices we make that define our personality. The fragility of childhood does not only refer to physical characteristics, this stage in life is when one is most socially delicate, and most easily manipulated by societys many stereotypes. In this composition, explore the themes of childhood, excitement and innocence in the 6 poems of Section C in the reading anthology will be explored. By analyzing the themes, literary techniques and writers craft that may be more cryptic to the average reader, we can reveal just how each respective author attempted to depict childhood, innocence or a completely other theme in itself and the personal motives that may have been behind this emotional topic. The 3 poems; Once Upon a Time, A Mother in a Refugee Camp and Prayer Before Birth written by Gabriel Okara, Chinua Achebe and Louis MacNeice respectively share a common goal to criticize some of the principles and ideals of modern society. Particularly in A Mother in a Refugee Camp, the author Chinua Achebe attempts to portray images to the reader that would normally be unheard of in a modern home due to how terrifying and horrendous they are. The cringe-inducing actions that take place in the extract show the audience just how gruesome the poor conditions are, furthermore, the way these events are depicted to the reader allows them to understand just how insubstantial the events are. Achebe compares their life to perhaps the readers when he writes, In another life this would have been a little daily act of no consequence before his breakfast and school; now she did it like putting flowers on a tiny grave. This bold comparison compares a normal morning routine with putting flowers on a grave, using such a simile shows that the occurrence in Achebes writing, the death of a child, happens all too often in the camp and is not of great significance. The idea that different people have different views on the same events is a main theme in this poem and life, especially when it comes to childrens perspectives. This is also the main theme in the poem by U.A. Fanthorpe, Half-past Two, the child being referred to for the entire poem is yet unable to comprehend time in the same way that others do, instead his perspective is different, picturing the times only as how they are significant to him, nothing more. This is probably true to an extent for everyone, not only children, in that not being able to understand something doesnt restrict our curiosity and we try to incorporate it into our lives regardless. Alternatively, in the piece Once upon a time by Gabriel Okara the concept of adults starting to lose their humanity as they mature is related to how pure and innocent children are. Evidence of this theme is shown towards the end of the poem when Gabriel Okara writes that the father is asking his son to teach him how to live and regain his former self. So show me, son, how to laugh; show me how I used to laugh and smile once upon a time when I was like you. This is done to show the reader just how envious an adult may be of their child who is yet to be exposed to the crippling stereotypes the modern day has to offer and of just how large a scale a poisoned society may affect ones mind. Moreover, the persona (the father) seems to be a bit envious of his child, he deeply wishes to be able to experience the naivety and innocence of being a child once more. I want to be what I used to be when I was like you. This shows that from the viewpoint of an adult, youth is something to be cherishe d dearly, which leads on to the next idea that childhood should not be taken for granted which is also explored in the poem by Vernon Scannell, Hide and Seek. It seems a long time since they went away. Your legs are stiff, this part of the poem is a metaphor that all of the childs friends have already lost interest and moved on, hence accentuating how little time we have, that childhood should be made the most of and that this is only truly realised when it is eventually lost forever. In Louis MacNeices piece, Prayer Before Birth he expresses how negative he thinks the typical modern lifestyle is. MacNeice creates an image of a perfect world from his perspective by using a single stanza to describe this ideal place. The third stanza serves this purpose, the way it is much livelier creates an impression on the reader as the rest of the poem is dark and depressing. In MacNeices poem, a vast array of techniques are used to better convey the theme of an unforgiving modern society for most of the writing, for example the repetition of the word me and the numerous instances of alliteration aid MacNeice in his attempt to engage the reader show them just how passionate he is about this subject. This is a stark contrast from the third stanza where MacNeice begins to use a calmer town and softens the rhyming and alliteration that was almost aggressive prior to the third stanza. For example, the phrases such as sing to me sound for friendlier than in the first two stanzas. T he way MacNeice wrote this poem makes it extremely apparent to the reader how passionate he is about his views on modern society; he shows his viewpoint of what humanity currently is in a bad light, while comparing it to his own wants which are shown to be a great solution. The final sentence of Prayer Before Birth ends the poem in quite a gruesome manner, Otherwise kill me. This is after the long list of desires the unborn child wishes to be born in to, after its prayers. MacNeice is hinting that if he had the choice before he had been born to be saved from this toxic humanity he would rather have not been born. Furthermore, he is possibly presenting an ultimatum to the audience that if the persona in his poem cannot be born into their ideal world they would rather not be born at all. Another key point displayed in this poem is the helplessness and delicacy of a child, in this case an unborn one, this theme is can also be seen in D. H. Lawrences poem, Piano the children in both of these poems are completely unable to fend for themselves. In Prayer Before Birth the child is unborn and just hoping to be born into the best possible environment, whereas in Piano a grown man is looking back on his childhood, no aware of how incompetent he was as a child and how he shall never be able to experience such a time again. All six poems I have written about portray our childhood as a time of purity, innocence and simplicity. In some poems it clearly shown to be the main themes while in others it is depicted far more subtly. In Prayer Before Birth, the use of some phrases describe the childs fears accentuate how childish the persona truly is, blood sucking bats and club-footed ghouls these may seem comical to the reader but from the perspective of the unborn child they are indeed their worst nightmares, further proving the personas innocence. Furthermore, the child refers to itself in first person a staggering amount of times, each stanza but the last is started with I while me and my are very common too. This gives the reader of the poem and insight into how frantic the child may be as the pace of the poem seems to be increasing throughout, the child seems only to be concerned with their own safety. This reflects a somewhat immature character that is yet too narrow minded to be afraid for anything that will not concern them. Once Upon a Time seems to celebrate childhood far more than the other two main poems I have chosen to write about, Gabriel Okara depicts the persona to be an adult looking back on his childhood and wishing he could experience it again, thus showing how much he misses it. However, the other two poems do not express this theme at all, in Prayer Before Birth the unborn child is listing all the terrible things modern society has waiting for it, even in childhood and MacNeice ends the poem with the child saying that it would rather stay unborn than be corrupted by such a poisonous environment in the childs opinion. Moreover, A Mother in a Refugee Camp supports the idea that childhood can be extremely painful too, not just to the child but to their parents as well. Achebe attempts to convey to the reader that despite the death of children happening so often it is still a terrible and soul ripping occurrence. It is stated that her child has already died and that the mother will soon have to forget this once again illustrates just how fragile children and life in general can be without proper conditions. Ultimately, Gabriel Okara, Chinua Achebe and Louis MacNeice use a wide array of literary techniques to convey various moods, themes and ideas that they want the audience to experience. They regard childhood as a time of purity, innocence and fragility and the ageing process as a slow and inevitable corruption of the mind and body. Each writer has different ways of representing these ideas; Gabriel Okara makes use of emotive language to illustrate an adult showing his envy to a childs innocence. Whereas Chinua Achebe uses a child to represent the only source of hope and happiness in a condemned and forgotten place, a refugee camp. Finally, Louis MacNeice attempts to depict children as a symbol of clarity, yet to experience the exploitation of society.

William Faulkner Essay -- essays research papers

William Faulkner   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although leading the life of an educated writer William Culbert Faulkner experienced the times of his life as a Hollywood writer. Probably known as the most famous writer/author of his time Faulkner adapted to his new lifestyles rapidly, and still remained well known in both the movie and book industries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Faulkner was born September 25, 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi. His named was inherited from his grandfather William Clark Faulkner, a skilled businessman and writer. After relocation to Oxford, Mississippi Faulkner’s father started the First National Bank (â€Å"William Faulkner #3†). As a child in Oxford, William held a very artistic ideal of life, often drawing and writing poetry in school. Faulkner also met his mentor, Phil Stone and his sweetheart, Estelle Oldham in Oxford. Estelle later married a young man named Cornell Franklin in 1918 while still in her youth. Stone on the other hand read Faulkner’s work and instantly recognized his talent and gave him advice and models for study. He also invited Faulkner to stay with him in New Haven, where he worked in a New Haven Arms Company. Faulkner was later invited to be a cadet in the Royal Air Force in Canada. On his application papers Faulkner lied about many things to appear British.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Faulkner never served in the war and never finished training. Although his record showed a lack of military experience Faulkner still exaggerated stories of war on his return home. In 1919, Faulkner quit his brief life of a veteran to enroll in the University of Mississippi. During his time at the University, Faulkner wrote for many local magazines and papers along with the school yearbook and newspaper. Among his many other college accomplishments, before he dropped out in 1920, was the founding of the University drama club ‘The Marionettes’ (â€Å"William Faulkner #2†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For about a year Faulkner wrote for the Mississippian and worked several odd jobs until finally he was recommended a job by Stark Young. The job was as a bookstore assistant in New York City (Walsh). In 1924 many of Faulkner’s poetic works were published in a book entitled The Marble Faun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With his poetry book now published Faulkner moved to New Orleans and fell into a literary group that revolved ... ...and 1962 Faulkner revised his current works and finished his trilogy on the Snopes family. Sadly after a tragic horse accident William Culbert Faulkner died at the exact time of his great-grandfather’s birthday.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, to the many details of Faulkner’s life I can agree that he was probably one of the most versatile writers of his time, as well as, one the most well represented through his works. Stories like Faulkner’s are timeless pieces due to their ability to still be relevant even though the story in point may be up to 4 times a reader’s age. Work Cited â€Å"Faulkner, William† Three Famous Short Stories. Chicago: Vintage Books, 1961 â€Å"Faulkner, William Culbert† Contemporary Authors. Vol. 33. Detroit: Gale, 1991. Latil, Nathan, ed. University Wire Walsh, William, ed. Library Journal â€Å"William Culbert Faulkner† Short Story Criticisms. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1988. â€Å"William Faulkner #1† American Writers. Vol. 2. Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 1974. â€Å"William Faulkner #2† Authors & Artists For Young Adults. Vol. 7. Detroit: 1991. â€Å"William Faulkner #3† MaGill’s Survey of American Literature. Vol. 2. New York: Cavendish,1991. William Faulkner Essay -- essays research papers William Faulkner   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although leading the life of an educated writer William Culbert Faulkner experienced the times of his life as a Hollywood writer. Probably known as the most famous writer/author of his time Faulkner adapted to his new lifestyles rapidly, and still remained well known in both the movie and book industries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Faulkner was born September 25, 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi. His named was inherited from his grandfather William Clark Faulkner, a skilled businessman and writer. After relocation to Oxford, Mississippi Faulkner’s father started the First National Bank (â€Å"William Faulkner #3†). As a child in Oxford, William held a very artistic ideal of life, often drawing and writing poetry in school. Faulkner also met his mentor, Phil Stone and his sweetheart, Estelle Oldham in Oxford. Estelle later married a young man named Cornell Franklin in 1918 while still in her youth. Stone on the other hand read Faulkner’s work and instantly recognized his talent and gave him advice and models for study. He also invited Faulkner to stay with him in New Haven, where he worked in a New Haven Arms Company. Faulkner was later invited to be a cadet in the Royal Air Force in Canada. On his application papers Faulkner lied about many things to appear British.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Faulkner never served in the war and never finished training. Although his record showed a lack of military experience Faulkner still exaggerated stories of war on his return home. In 1919, Faulkner quit his brief life of a veteran to enroll in the University of Mississippi. During his time at the University, Faulkner wrote for many local magazines and papers along with the school yearbook and newspaper. Among his many other college accomplishments, before he dropped out in 1920, was the founding of the University drama club ‘The Marionettes’ (â€Å"William Faulkner #2†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For about a year Faulkner wrote for the Mississippian and worked several odd jobs until finally he was recommended a job by Stark Young. The job was as a bookstore assistant in New York City (Walsh). In 1924 many of Faulkner’s poetic works were published in a book entitled The Marble Faun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With his poetry book now published Faulkner moved to New Orleans and fell into a literary group that revolved ... ...and 1962 Faulkner revised his current works and finished his trilogy on the Snopes family. Sadly after a tragic horse accident William Culbert Faulkner died at the exact time of his great-grandfather’s birthday.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, to the many details of Faulkner’s life I can agree that he was probably one of the most versatile writers of his time, as well as, one the most well represented through his works. Stories like Faulkner’s are timeless pieces due to their ability to still be relevant even though the story in point may be up to 4 times a reader’s age. Work Cited â€Å"Faulkner, William† Three Famous Short Stories. Chicago: Vintage Books, 1961 â€Å"Faulkner, William Culbert† Contemporary Authors. Vol. 33. Detroit: Gale, 1991. Latil, Nathan, ed. University Wire Walsh, William, ed. Library Journal â€Å"William Culbert Faulkner† Short Story Criticisms. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1988. â€Å"William Faulkner #1† American Writers. Vol. 2. Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 1974. â€Å"William Faulkner #2† Authors & Artists For Young Adults. Vol. 7. Detroit: 1991. â€Å"William Faulkner #3† MaGill’s Survey of American Literature. Vol. 2. New York: Cavendish,1991.

Of Mice And Men: Lennie And George :: essays research papers

Of Mice and Men: Lennie and George Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is the story of two simple farm hands, Lennie Small, who incidentally, really isn't very small, and his better half, George Milton, on their quest to have "a place of their own," with plenty of furry bunnies, of course. Sound strange? Read on to get clued in. The book opens along the banks of the Salinas River a few miles south of Soledad, California. Everything is calm and beautiful, and nature is alive. The trees are green and fresh, lizards are skittering along, rabbits sit on the sand. There are no people in the scene. Suddenly, the calm is broken. Trouble is in the air. Animals begin to scatter. Two men have arrived on the scene, and the environment seems troubled by their presence. For a moment the scene becomes "lifeless." Then in walk George and Lennie. Lennie, a large, retarded, big man who has the mind of a little child, and who loves to pet soft, pretty things, and George, a little man, who has assumed the responsibility of taking care of his simpleminded friend Lennie, are walking on their way to apply for a harvesting job on a nearby farm. The two had been traveling together for quite some time now, which was very rare, because most farm workers rarely have companions, but George and Lennie have been together ever since Lennie's Aunt had passed away, and Lennie began to follow George around everywhere. Instead of hurrying to the farm that night, they stop by a stream to camp in the open, and they'll arrive at work the next morning. Why? Well, Lennie isn't very bright. George didn't want him to blow the job opportunity. The logic between waiting until morning until going to work was, that way, all the other farm hands would be out working, thus they'd have a better chance of getting the job, since Lennie wouldn't have to confront to many people, which can easily make him "confused." During that evening, George had to take a dead mouse away from Lennie, who had been hoarding it because he liked to pet it. George tried to teach simpleminded Lennie that you don't pet dead things, but Lennie had a hard time remembering. George is aware that Lennie has difficulty remembering things, so he has to remind him every time that they went for a job not to say anything, and to let him do the talking. He also stresses the importance that Lennie returns to the particular place and hide in the stream or bushes if gets in any trouble,

Andy Warhol :: Biography Biographies

andy warhol1 Biography On August 6, 1928, Ondrej and Julia Zavacky Warhola gave birth to their son, Andrew Warhola, in Forest City, Pennsylvania. Ondrej and Julia came to the United States from Czechoslovakia where he worked as a construction worker. The family later moved to Pittsburgh where Andrew suffered from several nervous breakdowns throughout his teen-aged years. Overcoming this he graduated from high school and enrolled in the Carnegie Institute of Technology where he graduated in 1949. After graduation he lived in several Manhattan apartments and met Tina Fredericks, the art editor of Glamour Magazine. His early jobs for the magazine were several drawings. Andy drew shoes as an assignment in 1949 for an article named, â€Å"Succes is a Job in New York,† and the credit mistakenly read, â€Å"Drawings by Warhol.† Andy soon changed his surname to Warhol. Andy’s other work included drawings for advertising in various magazines, such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazzar, book jackets, and holiday greeting cards. As his work grew so did his fame, and in 1952 his first solo exhibition was held at Hugo Gallery featuring his drawings to illustrate stories by Truman Capote. Soon he was designing sets for theatre groups, publishing his own books, and beginning to paint. In 1960 his first paintings were based on comic strips. Using the Dick Tracy comic strip, he designed a window display for Lord and Taylor. At this time major art galleries around the world were beginning to notice his work. In 1962 his paintings of dollar bills and Campbell soup cans were included in an important exhibition of pop art, The New Realists, which was held at Sidney Janis Gallery in New York. After three years of painting Andy dived into a new medium of work and began making his first film with his assistant Gerald Malanga. He also produced am album for the band, â€Å"The Velvet Underground and Nico.† He was working with multimedia and a show soon developed, which featured â€Å"The Velvet Underground and Nico† center stage with Andy’s films projected while colored lights of images fell over the band. Because of the publicity from the show more of Andy’s films began to be seen and shown in commercial theatres. On June 3, 1968 Andy was shot by actress, Valerie Solnis, who appeared in Andy’s movie, â€Å"I, a man.† He survived the shooting after spending two months in the hospital.

Personal

The Committee on Admission is interested in getting to know each candidate as well as possible through the application process. The following essay question is designed to demonstrate your writing skills and facilitate our full appreciation of who you are. The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System is heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What perspective do you feel that you will contribute to life at Rice? (Most applicants are able to respond successfully in two to three double-spaced pages. In everything I do, I try to reach out to people. My connection with others is what drives me. I like to observe people, to get to know people, to show people who I am. I think that what moves many people (myself included) is the idea that we are all alike. There is a quote from the French film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly which resonates with me: â€Å"We're all children, we all need approval. â⠂¬  This quote shows that we are driven by similar hopes, emotions, and experiences and we can come together to achieve great things.This perspective has allowed me to connect with classmates, strangers, and family in my experiences as the school’s Social Services prefect, as a volunteer at North York General Hospital, and as a granddaughter in a large family. The Diving Bell ; the Butterfly is a beautiful film about a once-successful editor of Elle magazine, Jean-Dominique Bauby, who becomes imprisoned in his own body after a massive stroke. He is completely paralyzed and cannot speak. In one instant, his entire life is taken from him. It moved me to see his despair, vulnerability, and lack of hope; his life which was once so full seemed empty and desolate now.He couldn’t truly live. As someone who loves life, I was brought to tears by the consequences of his stroke. It was ironic, unexpected, unfair, and heartbreaking. Despite this, Jean-Do is able to get through it all. At a defining moment in the film, he says, â€Å"I decided to stop pitying myself. Other than my eye, two things aren't paralyzed, my imagination and my memory. † It was uplifting to see that this man, who seemingly has nothing, could still have hope. I was deeply inspired by his perseverance; he showed that life is really about having imagination and letting go of material concerns which limit us.In October 2008, I experienced the most stressful week of the entire school year as the Social Services Prefect: United Way Week. As I began the daunting planning and preparation, I felt there was something lacking despite the strong annual tradition of United Way Week. As the years had progressed, students were falling into a routine and typical events were becoming stale. To address a problem that I saw in my community, I did not merely â€Å"party-plan† by resorting to the usual events. I aimed to be strategic by introducing new events. I knew that new events would d raw more interest and unite the student body.However, I also recognized that I could not plan an entire campaign alone. I brought my ideas for change to the Prefect team as well as my peers. I asked them what they would like to see, what kinds of activities they would be excited for. I then mapped out a schedule and delegated jobs. For instance, one new event this year was a competition between my school’s Prefects and our brother school’s Stewards: five from each school in one face-off. As each Prefect and Steward challenged each other one on one, five previously outlined tasks (rap, tell a joke, or dance) were announced and completed impromptu.In implementing these new activities, I was taking a big risk. I couldn’t predict how the students would react or how much we could raise. In the end, our initiatives succeeded in creating substantial change to an established campaign, raising over $12,000 for United Way. Helping others is in my nature. I hate suffering and injustice. Most of all, I am someone of action; if there is something that needs to be done, I will do it. When I help others, I know that I am changing their lives but I also recognize that they give me something as well; I first experienced this as a volunteer at North York General Hospital.In December 2007, a father ran in to the Emergency ward frantically asking for some help. His daughter, who had been skiing that day, injured herself by slipping on the hill. Lying in the van, she was in great pain but could not move. The father needed help in getting his daughter into waiting area. I first looked to Security but they were on patrol and the nurses were occupied helping other patients. I found myself in a difficult situation but I went outside with this father to see what I could do. I brought a wheelchair, hoping the young girl could slide from the car into the chair.However, she was unable to sit without being in severe pain. So we decided to pull her out, supporting her e ntire body. Her father, brother, and I lifted her up in a horizontal position out of the car. We set her down on her feet while continually offering support with our shoulders. Her cries were distressing but there was no other way to transport her in. Finally, when we were inside, I found a line of chairs on which she could lie down. Afterwards, I told her father how to register and what would happen next. Immediately, her father thanked me for being there. At first I had felt helpless that I couldn’t do more.I couldn’t stop his daughter’s pain. I couldn’t fast-forward the registration line. But I soon saw that the help that I could offer, the instructions and information that I had, and the humanity I showed, gave them a small comfort amidst the chaos. My experiences volunteering at the hospital showed me that suffering exists and though I may be unable to fix it, I alleviate the situation by doing what is in my power to do. In my family, loyalty is extr emely important. Spending time with family is an unquestionable responsibility for all of us: we are there for each other.Ever since I arrived in Canada as a 4-year old girl, I have been attending my grandmother’s birthday dinners each year in October. I can remember entering the traditional red and gold restaurant as a young child. Before I did anything else, my mother instructed me first to wish my grandmother a happy birthday and a lucky and long life, both of which are traditional Chinese phrases, and then kiss her once on both cheeks. As a child in elementary school, I barely understood the significance of the repetition of those phrases.Throughout my grandmother’s celebratory dinner, I occupied myself with Nintendo Games or hand games with my cousins. At the end of each dinner came the Chinese fruitcake. I always had to have the slice with a strawberry on top. By the end of the dinner, I hardly realized that I had barely spoken to my grandmother. Reflecting back on those times, I now have a bigger comprehension of the importance of family. I see how my grandmother loved to hear those phrases I said to her and how much it meant to her. Now as a teenager entering university, I long to say so much more.I want to update her on my school work or my friends or my dreams. I see the duty I have as a granddaughter, daughter, and sister in a family: to respect the bond that we are born with, to support my relatives because I know that I will always have my family to fall back on. Another form of expression that I value is in the music I listen to. If I have had a tough day, I put on my â€Å"Soothing Playlist†. In it is one of my favourite songs, â€Å"A Better Son/Daughter† by Rilo Kiley. The cerebral lyrics describe the difficulties that we all go through: you’ll be positive though it hurts / and you’ll laugh and embrace all your friends.I can relate to these lyrics because sometimes the commitments I take on overwhelm m e. During chaotic and stressful times, it is difficult to keep on top of everything. But I always keep at it because this is what I truly love to do. Going to dance club, singing in choir, researching in a lab: all of these things allow me to explore my interests and enjoy myself, helping me to grow as a person. It is only realistic to recognize that some days are harder than others. Nobody is perfect. This song and many others on my playlist encourage me to push through because I’ll be stronger for it.My desire for growth always involves reaching out to others: showing loyalty to friends and family; offering my support as a volunteer at the hospital; using the unity of my school to raise money that goes to a greater cause. My great ambitions are achieved by supporting and relying on others. I value family, perseverance, morals and I am a confident, ambitious, leader with a need for a strong community. This is what I will bring to Rice’s academic life and residence; I hope to connect with my peers and mentors in order to grow and achieve my goals.

Chick-fil-a case study Essay

Looking at this case study, it really shows me how a company that has morals and beliefs can still make it in this competitive environment. I am a huge Chick-fil-A fan and am proud of them for standing by their beliefs. The types of marketing strategies used by Chick-fil-A are substantial and completely different from every other restaurant in the United States. Chick-fil-A’s unique corporate culture derives from Cathy’s Christian background and his desire to inspire and influence people. The company’s official statement of corporate purpose is â€Å"to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A† (Wilkinson, p.631). Another form of their marketing strategy that Chick-fil-A uses is their extensive corporate giving programs. The company has helped thousands of restaurant employees, foster children, and other young people through the WinShape Foundation that Cathy established in 1984 to help â€Å"shape winners† (Wilkinson, p.631). Their advertising is also a key role in their marketing strategy, using the â€Å"Eat Mor Chikin† campaign is one of the longest-running, and one of the most successful, advertising campaigns in the United States (Wilkinson, p.631). Chick-fil-A’s positioning strategy is a faith based and giving company that wants to help the community through charity. Their position on being closed on Sunday’s is proven by their owners statement saying, if it took seven day to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be in some other line of work (Wilkinson, p. 631). Being a wholesome company that wants to make a living instead of making a fortune has been a great successful position strategy for Chick-fil-A and is proven by their increase of sales yearly. I do believe that being closed of Sunday is a competitive advantage for Chick-fil-A. One of the reasons why it is a competitive advantage is because Chick-fil-A is the only restaurant that is known for being closed on Sunday and I believe that doing that shows how family, Christian based the restaurant is and makes them appeal to a vast percentage of the United States. The survey in our class proved to me that them being closed on Sundays was a competitive advantage because the majority of my classmates said that it makes them want to eat Chick-fil-A on Mondays because they can’t have it on Sundays. Obviously it isn’t a disadvantage because of the amount of sales that they had in 2005 with $1.975 billion in sales with forecasted sales of $3 billion by 2010 (Wilkinson, p. 631). I personally don’t believe that any other restaurant in the industry should consider closing on Sundays. One of the reasons I say that is because they are the first company to do it and if any company was to follow they would be called copycats of Chick-fil-A and I believe that it wouldn’t be a benefit for the company. The only way that it might work for a company, it would have to be a new company to the market and couldn’t sell chicken or look anything like Chick-fil-A. Probably in my opinion there isn’t another retailer in any type of industry that could get away with being closed on Sunday without backlash. Since Chick-fil-A started this at the beginning of the company and have stuck to their guns on this and that’s why they have had success with it, and honestly that’s Chick-fil-A’s special thing for the industry and no one else could use it. Chick-fil-A is a great company and I hope that they continue being a community steward and helping employees better themselves. Work Cited Dr. J.B. Wilkinson (2011). Chick-fil-A: â€Å"Eat Mor Chikin† (Except on Sunday). Retrieved from Basic Marketing- A marketing strategy planning approach

A Woman In Berlin

It seems obvious that a civilian population would experience and have a perspective on warfare than members of the military, but for those who perpetrate warfare – mainly the multi-national moneyed corporate interests, the bankers and stockbrokers, and the politicians who ultimately give the orders while rarely – if –ever – suffering the direct consequences, it seems to matter little. It has been this way throughout human history, but up until the advent of mechanized warfare, it was primarily soldiers, whose job it is to carry out orders, who experienced the consequences first-hand. Civilian populations have suffered these consequences periodically throughout history as well, but it was after the development of mechanized slaughter that civilians became regular first-hand victims of the horrors of war. The American Civil War and the First World War had brought this to civilian populations on a wide-scale basis to some extent, but it was really the Second World War in which mechanized warfare had been perfected to the point that virtually any civilian population could be affected – including that of Germany. The Germans had been subject to humiliation and hunger following the First World War as well as major economic upheavals – conditions that allowed Hitler to come to power in the first place. Nonetheless, German villages, cities and infrastructure had survived the 1914-1918 conflict nearly intact. This was not the case during the Second World War. Germany, for a brief time had been the world’s great superpower, which seemed only fitting to its people – particularly after the country’s spectacular rise prior to hostilities, and the apparent ease with which German forces had secured lebensraum for the deutsches leute. The anonymous author of A Woman In Berlin, a day-by-day account of Berlin’s fall and subsequent occupation by Soviet military, gives us a vivid account of the subsequent disbelief, the initial clinging to hope in the face, the changed perspective on everyday life, and the various survival tactics employed. Mainly however, it is a story of the transition from feelings of power over one’s fate to powerlessness, and what issues, formerly trivial, take on monumental importance in the face of a struggle simply to survive: â€Å"Heart, hurt, love, desire – how foreign, how distant those words sound now. Evidently a sophisticated, discriminating love life requires three square meals a day. † 1 It is also an experience of life stripped to its bare essentials: â€Å"Once again, we see what a dubious blessing technology is. Machines with no intrinsic value, worthless if you can’t plug them in somewhere. Bread however is absolute. †2 In light of this, it is fascinating to see how people – at least in the beginning – grasp on to any semblance of order as civilization collapses about them. On page 13 is a stark example of the unique cultural traits of the German people of that time; cultural traits that had allowed Hitler and the Nazi party to seize the power that eventually led to the downfall: despite the lack of enforcement, despite the fact that the tram is nearly empty, the narrator walks alongside it in a pouring simply because she does not have the Class III ticket that would entitle her to ride. â€Å"Order. It’s rooted deep inside us; we do what we are told. 3 As the Russians enter the city, suddenly, they are no longer a distant, faceless enemy; they are humans like the German civilians, but unlike the Germans, they are predominantly young, male, relatively well-fed – and enraged. It is not always acknowledged that the Russians suffered far greater casualties than the U. S. , Great Britain and the free garrisons from countries such as France and Poland combined. According to the official Nazi party line, Slavs, i. . Russians, were little better than Jews, Gypsies and homosexuals. Despite ukaz Stalina (Stalin’s decree), repeated acts of rape and assault occur. As one Russian insists: â€Å"What did the Germans do to our women? †4 revealing that these are not acts of lust or sexual hunger; these are acts of vengeance. Ultimately, and perhaps inevitably, hunger and safety needs – the lowest needs on Maslow’s hierarchy – take priority as the vanquished adapt in order to survive. The narrator is willing to submit to â€Å"Only one† in order to avoid being gang-raped. Even during the act itself, she’s â€Å"only half present, and that half is no longer resisting. †5 Eventually, she must find â€Å"a single wolf to keep away the pack. †6 Ultimately, even the men â€Å"adapt,† surrendering and serving the conquerors; despite orders not to surrender, the desire to live wins out. One difference between Soviet combat troops and that of every other combatant is the presence of women: â€Å"We’re amazed to see so many woman soldiers, with field tunics, skirts, berets and insignia†7 It is unclear from the narrative if the presence of Russian women prevented the brutish behavior from being worse than it was, but it is noteworthy that eventually, victor and vanquished are on first-name basis, actually interacting on a human level. One stark difference between the civilian and the military perspective stands out in bold relief: in the military, there is usually a bond of brotherhood among the soldiers of a given unit. In the heat of battle, a soldier isn’t fighting for his flag, for geo-political advantage or territory; they’re fighting for their comrades. On the other hand, among the civilians, it seems to come down for every man or woman for his/herself: â€Å"I couldn’t care about the lot of them†¦all my feelings seem dead, except for the drive to live. †8 This story is a history of a little-known chapter of World War II, but it is more importantly a testament to the overwhelming power of the survival instinct.

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Two

The police had found Stefan's abandoned car by Old Creek Road. That meant he'd left it somewhere between Drowning Creek and the woods. Elena stumbled on the overgrown path through the graveyard, but she kept moving, head down, arms hugging her light sweater to her. She had known this graveyard all her life, and she could find her way through it blind. By the time she crossed the bridge, her shivering had become painful. It wasn't snowing as hard now, but the wind was even worse. It cut through her clothes as if they were made of tissue paper, and took her breath away. Stefan, she thought, and turned onto Old Creek Road, trudging northward. She didn't believe what Damon had said. If Stefan were dead she wouldknow. He was alive, somewhere, and she had to find him. He could be anywhere out in this swirling whiteness; he could be hurt, freezing. Dimly, Elena sensed that she was no longer rational. All her thoughts had narrowed down to one single idea. Stefan. Find Stefan. It was getting harder to keep to the road. On her right were oak trees, on her left, the swift waters of Drowning Creek. She staggered and slowed. The wind didn't seem quite so bad any more, but she did feel very tired. She needed to sit down and rest, just for a minute. As she sank down beside the road, she suddenly realized how silly she had been to go out searching for Stefan. Stefan would come to her. All she needed to do was sit here and wait. He was probably coming right now. Elena shut her eyes and leaned her head against her drawn-up knees. She felt much warmer now. Her mind drifted and she saw Stefan, saw him smile at her. His arms around her were strong and secure, and she relaxed against him, glad to let go of fear and tension. She was home. She-was where she belonged. Stefan would never let anything hurt her. But then, instead of holding her, Stefan was shaking her. He was ruining the beautiful tranquility of her rest. She saw his face, pale and urgent, his green eyes dark with pain. She tried to tell him to be still, but he wouldn't listen.Elena, get up , he said, and she felt the compelling force of those green eyes willing her to do it.Elena, get up now – â€Å"Elena, get up!† The voice was high and thin and frightened. â€Å"Come on, Elena! Get up! We can't carry you!† Blinking, Elena brought a face into focus. It was small and heart-shaped, with fair, almost translucent skin, framed by masses of soft red curls. Wide brown eyes, with snowflakes caught in the lashes, stared worriedly into hers. â€Å"Bonnie,† she said slowly. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"Helping me look for you,† said a second, lower voice on Elena's other side. She turned slightly to see elegantly arched eyebrows and an olive complexion. Meredith's dark eyes, usually so ironic, were worried now, too. â€Å"Stand up, Elena, unless you want to become an ice princess for real.† It should have been warmer inside the car, but Elena's nerve endings were coming back to life, making her shake, telling her how cold she really was. Winter is an unforgiving season, she thought as Meredith drove. â€Å"What's going on, Elena?† said Bonnie from the back seat. â€Å"What did you think you were doing, running away from school like that? And how could you come out here?† Elena hesitated, then shook her head. She wanted nothing more than to tell Bonnie and Meredith everything. To tell them the whole terrifying story about Stefan and Damon and what had really happened last night to Mr. Tanner – and about after. But she couldn't. Even if they would believe her, it wasn't her secret to tell. â€Å"Everyone's out looking for you,† Meredith said. â€Å"The whole school's upset, and your aunt was nearly frantic.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Elena dully, trying to stop her violent shivering. They turned onto Maple Street and pulled up to her house. Aunt Judith was waiting inside with heated blankets. â€Å"I knew if they found you, you'd be half-frozen,† she said in a determinedly cheerful voice as she reached for Elena. â€Å"Snow on the day after Halloween! I can hardly believe it. Where did you girls find her?† â€Å"On Old Creek Road, past the bridge,† said Meredith. Aunt Judith's thin face lost color. â€Å"Near the graveyard? Where the attacks were? Elena, howcould you?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off as she looked at Elena. â€Å"We won't say anything more about it right now,† she said, trying to regain her cheerful manner. â€Å"Let's get you out of those wet clothes.† â€Å"I have to go back once I'm dry,† said Elena. Her brain was working again, and one thing was clear: she hadn't really seen Stefan out there; it had been a dream. Stefan was still missing. â€Å"You have to do nothing of the kind,† said Robert, Aunt Judith's fianc ¦. Elena had scarcely noticed him standing off to one side until then. But his tone brooked no argument. â€Å"The police are looking for Stefan; you leave them to their job,† he said. â€Å"The police think he killed Mr. Tanner. But he didn't. You know that, don't you?† As Aunt Judith pulled her sodden outer sweater off, Elena looked from one face to another for help, but they were all the same. â€Å"Youknow he didn't do it,† she repeated, almost desperately. There was a silence. â€Å"Elena,† Meredith said at last, â€Å"no one wants to think he did. But – well, it looks bad, his running away like this.† â€Å"He didn't run away. He didn't! Hedidn't – â€Å" â€Å"Elena, hush,† said Aunt Judith. â€Å"Don't get yourself worked up. I think you must be getting sick. It was so cold out there, and you got only a few hours of sleep last night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She laid a hand on Elena's cheek. â€Å"I'm not sick,† she cried, pulling away. â€Å"And I'm not crazy, either – whatever you think. Stefan didn't run away and he didn't kill Mr. Tanner, and I don't care if none of you believes me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped, choking. Aunt Judith was fussing around her, hurrying her upstairs, and she let herself be hurried. But she wouldn't go to bed when Aunt Judith suggested she must be tired. Instead, once she had warmed up, she sat on the living room couch by the fireplace, with blankets heaped around her. The phone rang all afternoon, and she heard Aunt Judith talking to friends, neighbors, the school. She assured all of them that Elena was fine. The†¦ the tragedy last night had unsettled her a bit, that was all, and she seemed a little feverish. But she'd be good as new after a rest. Meredith and Bonnie sat beside her. â€Å"Do you want to talk?† Meredith said in a low voice. Elena shook her head, staring into the fire. They were all against her. And Aunt Judith was wrong; she wasn't fine. She wouldn't be fine until Stefan was found. Matt stopped by, snow dusting his blond hair and his dark blue parka. As he entered the room, Elena looked up at him hopefully. Yesterday Matt had helped save Stefan, when the rest of the school had wanted to lynch him. But today he returned her hopeful look with one of sober regret, and the concern in his blue eyes was only for her. The disappointment was unbearable. â€Å"What are you doing here?† Elena demanded. â€Å"Keeping your promise to ‘take care of me'?† There was a flicker of hurt in his eyes. But Matt's voice was level. â€Å"That's part of it, maybe. But I'd try to take care of you anyway, no matter what I promised. I've been worried about you. Listen, Elena – â€Å" She was in no mood to listen to anyone. â€Å"Well, I'm just fine, thank you. Ask anybody here. So you can stop worrying. Besides, I don't see why you should keep a promise to amurderer. â€Å" Startled, Matt looked at Meredith and Bonnie. Then he shook his head helplessly. â€Å"You're not being fair.† Elena was in no mood to be fair either. â€Å"I told you, you can stop worrying about me, and about my business. I'm fine, thanks.† The implication was obvious. Matt turned to the door just as Aunt Judith appeared with sandwiches. â€Å"Sorry, I've got to go,† he muttered, hurrying to the door. He left without looking back. Meredith and Bonnie and Aunt Judith and Robert tried to make conversation while they ate an early supper by the fire. Elena couldn't eat and wouldn't talk. The only one who wasn't miserable was Elena's little sister, Margaret. With four-year-old optimism, she cuddled up to Elena and offered her some of her Halloween candy. Elena hugged her sister hard, her face pressed into Margaret's white-blond hair for a moment. If Stefan could have called her or gotten a message to her, he would have done it by now. Nothing in the world would have stopped him, unless he were badly hurt, or trapped somewhere, or†¦ But Stefan was in trouble, and she had to find him somehow. She worried about it all through the evening, desperately trying to come up with a plan. One thing was clear; she was on her own. She couldn't trust anyone. It grew dark. Elena shifted on the couch and forced a yawn. â€Å"I'm tired,† she said quietly. â€Å"Maybe I am sick after all. I think I'll go to bed.† Meredith was looking at her keenly. â€Å"I was just thinking, Miss Gilbert,† she said, turning to Aunt Judith, â€Å"that maybe Bonnie and I should stay the night. To keep Elena company.† â€Å"What a good idea,† said Aunt Judith, pleased. â€Å"As long as your parents don't mind, I'd be glad to have you.† â€Å"It's a long drive back to Herron. I think I'll stay, too,† Robert said. â€Å"I can just stretch out on the couch here.† Aunt Judith protested that there were plenty of guest bedrooms upstairs, but Robert was adamant. The couch would do just fine for him, he said. After looking once from the couch to the hall where the front door stood plainly in view, Elena sat stonily. They'd planned this between them, or at least they were all in on it now. They were making sure she didn't leave the house. When she emerged from the bathroom a little while later, wrapped in her red silk kimono, she found Meredith and Bonnie sitting on her bed. â€Å"Well, hello, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,† she said bitterly. Bonnie, who had been looking depressed, now looked alarmed. She glanced at Meredith doubtfully. â€Å"She knows who we are. She means she thinks we're spies for her aunt,† Meredith interpreted. â€Å"Elena, you should realize that isn't so. Can't you trust us at all?† â€Å"I don't know. Can I?† â€Å"Yes, because we're yourfriends. † Before Elena could move, Meredith jumped off the bed and shut the door. Then she turned to face Elena. â€Å"Now, for once in your life, listen to me, you little idiot. It's true we don't know what to think about Stefan. But, don't you see, that's your own fault. Ever since you and he got together, you've been shutting us out. Things have been happening that you haven't told us about. At least you haven't told us the whole story. But in spite of that, in spite of everything, we still trust you. We still care about you. We're still behind you, Elena, and we want to help. And if you can't see that, then youare an idiot.† Slowly, Elena looked from Meredith's dark, intense face to Bonnie's pale one. Bonnie nodded. â€Å"It's true,† she said, blinking hard as if to keep back tears. â€Å"Even if you don't like us, we still like you. â€Å" Elena felt her own eyes fill and her stern expression crumple. Then Bonnie was off the bed, and they were all hugging, and Elena found she couldn't help the tears that slid down her face. â€Å"Yangtze?† Bonnie's eyes widened. â€Å"But why would he want to kill a dog?† â€Å"I don't know, but he was there that night, in your house. And he was†¦ angry. I'm sorry, Bonnie.† Bonnie shook her head dazedly. Meredith said, â€Å"Why don't you tell the police?† Elena's laugh was slightly hysterical. â€Å"I can't. It's not something they can deal with. And that's another thing I can't explain. You said you still trusted me; well, you'll just have to trust me about that.† Bonnie and Meredith looked at each other, then at the bedspread, where Elena's nervous fingers were picking a thread out of the embroidery. Finally Meredith said, â€Å"All right. What can we do to help?† â€Å"I don't know. Nothing, unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena stopped and looked at Bonnie. â€Å"Unless,† she said, in a changed voice, â€Å"you can help me find Stefan.† Bonnie's brown eyes were genuinely bewildered. â€Å"Me? But what can I do?† Then, at Meredith's indrawn breath, she said, â€Å"Oh.Oh.† â€Å"You knew where I was that day I went to the cemetery,† said Elena. â€Å"And you even predicted Stefan's coming to school.† â€Å"I thought you didn't believe in all that psychic stuff,† said Bonnie weakly. â€Å"I've learned a thing or two since then. Anyway, I'm willing to believeanything if it'll help find Stefan. If there's any chance at all it will help.† Bonnie was hunching up, as if trying to make her already tiny form as small as possible. â€Å"Elena, you don't understand,† she said wretchedly. â€Å"I'm not trained; it's not something I can control. And – and it's not a game, not any more. The more you use those powers, the more they useyou. Eventually they can end up using you all the time, whether you want it or not. It'sdangerous. â€Å" Elena got up and walked to the cherry wood dresser, looking down at it without seeing it. At last she turned. â€Å"You're right; it's not a game. And I believe you about how dangerous it can be. But it's not a game for Stefan, either. Bonnie, I think he's out there, somewhere, terribly hurt. And there's nobody to help him; nobody's even looking for him, except his enemies. He may be dying right now. He – he may even be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her throat closed. She bowed her head over the dresser and made herself take a deep breath, trying to steady herself. When she looked up, she saw Meredith was looking at Bonnie. Bonnie straightened her shoulders, sitting up as tall as she could. Her chin lifted and her mouth set. And in her normally soft brown eyes, a grim light shone as they met Elena's. The match rasped and threw sparks in the darkness, and then the candle flame burned strong and bright. It lent a golden glow to Bonnie's pale face as she bent over it. â€Å"I'm going to need both of you to help me focus,† she said. â€Å"Look into the flame, and think about Stefan. Picture him in your mind. No matter what happens, keep on looking at the flame. And whatever you do, don't say anything.† Elena nodded, and then the only sound in the room was soft breathing. The flame flickered and danced, throwing patterns of light over the three girls sitting cross-legged around it. Bonnie, eyes closed, was breathing deeply and slowly, like someone drifting into sleep. Stefan, thought Elena, gazing into the flame, trying to pour all her will into the thought. She created him in her mind, using all her senses, conjuring him to her. The roughness of his woolen sweater under her cheek, the smell of his leather jacket, the strength of his arms around her. Oh, Stefan†¦ Bonnie's lashes fluttered and her breathing quickened, like a sleeper having a bad dream. Elena resolutely kept her eyes on the flame, but when Bonnie broke the silence a chill went up her spine. At first it was just a moan, the sound of someone in pain. Then, as Bonnie tossed her head, breath coming in short bursts, it became words. â€Å"Alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said, and stopped. Elena's nails bit into her hand. â€Å"Alone†¦ in the dark,† said Bonnie. Her voice was distant and tortured. There was another silence, and then Bonnie began to speak quickly. â€Å"It's dark and cold. And I'm alone. There's something behind me†¦ jagged and hard. Rocks. They used to hurt – but not now. I'm numb now, from the cold. So cold†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie twisted, as if trying to get away from something, and then she laughed, a dreadful laugh almost like a sob. â€Å"That's†¦ funny. I never thought I'd want to see the sun so much. But it's always dark here. And cold. Water up to my neck, like ice. That's funny, too. Water everywhere – and me dying of thirst. So thirsty†¦ hurts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena felt something tighten around her heart. Bonnie was inside Stefan's thoughts, and who knew what she might discover there? Stefan, tell us where you are, she thought desperately. Look around; tell me what you see. â€Å"†Thirsty. I need†¦ life?† Bonnie's voice was doubtful, as if not sure how to translate some concept. â€Å"I'm weak. He said I'll always be the weak one. He's strong†¦ a killer. But that's what I am, too. I killed Katherine; maybe I deserve to die. Why not just let go?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No!† said Elena before she could stop herself. In that instant, she forgot everything but Stefan's pain. â€Å"Stefan – â€Å" â€Å"Elena!† Meredith cried sharply at the same time. But Bonnie's head fell forward, the flow of words cut off. Horrified, Elena realized what she had done. â€Å"Bonnie, are you all right? Can you find him again? I didn't mean to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie's head lifted. Her eyes were open now, but they looked at neither the candle nor Elena. They â€Å"Elena,† the voice said, â€Å"don't go to the bridge. It's Death, Elena. Your death is waiting there.† Then Bonnie slumped forward. Elena grabbed her shoulders and shook. â€Å"Bonnie!† she almost screamed. â€Å"Bonnie!† â€Å"What†¦ oh, don't. Let go.† Bonnie's voice was weak and shaken, but it was her own. Still bent over, she put a hand to her forehead. â€Å"Bonnie, are you all right?† â€Å"I think so†¦ yes. But it was so strange.† Her tone sharpened and she looked up, blinking. â€Å"What was that, Elena, about being a killer?† â€Å"You remember that?† â€Å"I remember everything. I can't describe it; it was awful. But what did that mean?† â€Å"Nothing,† said Elena. â€Å"He's hallucinating, that's all.† Meredith broke in. â€Å"He? Then you really think she tuned in to Stefan?† Elena nodded, her eyes sore and burning as she looked away. â€Å"Yes. I think that was Stefan. It had to be. And I think she even told us where he is. Under Wickery Bridge, in the water.†