Deaf Deaf And Deaf - 1058 Words

Phelicity Bell Mrs. Fuller Sign Language 2 09 January 2017 Deaf Clubs Deaf clubs are spots where deaf individuals could assemble to associate all the time. Deaf clubs were profoundly instilled into the deaf society of their time, giving a place where deaf individuals could go to exhibitions by deaf humorists, plays, addresses, film screenings, and occasion parties, and to get got up to speed with the news of the day and lead business. There weren t many spots hard of hearing individuals felt at home in the nineteen hundreds when hard of hearing schools started to show up. Despite the fact that there were schools for the hard of hearing, they were still kept running by hearing people. So hard of hearing individuals shaped these†¦show more content†¦of the that also continue to be, their club could be very small and very elderly. Deaf clubs needed finances, just like most lodges and organizations. They were supported by membership due and accession for visiting non-members. More income came from poker games, selling food and drinking , and raffle tickets. Some clubs earned enough income to buy their own buildings for themselves. Each club had a president and a management system. Deaf clubs allow deaf people to meet new people share and express ideas or feelings. Deaf humans had some opportunity to arrange their personal spaces. most exceptional are the associations they organized in the course of the unites states, starting almost at the same time as the brand new deaf faculties. those institutions and the social golf equipment they supported furnished the inspiration for the noticeably famous deaf golf equipment of the 1940 s and the 1950 s. a lot of these clubs were successful sufficient that they may buy their personnel buildings, or collect lengthy-time period rentals to accommodate their growing membersh ip. As those clubs end up extra everlasting within the sense of brick-and-mortar locations, deaf human beings designed and controlled what sports befell within their partitions. deaf clubs are a case have a look at inside the trouble of location in American existence. For most of their history deaf organizations have been locations could meet head toShow MoreRelatedDeaf : Deaf And Deaf886 Words   |  4 Pages(2010) defines Deaf Studies as â€Å"interdisciplinary approaches to the exploration of Deaf individuals, communities, and cultures as they have evolved within a larger context of power and ideology† (p. 210). In other words, Deaf Studies refer to a specific academic field that studies deaf individuals and their unique communities and culture and may include constructs from anthropology, linguistics, bilingual education, disability, audiology, etc. Within the context of Deaf Studies, deaf individuals areRead MoreThe Deaf : Deaf And Deaf2745 Words   |  11 PagesIn th e Deaf world, the people who are Deaf, deaf, hard-of-hearing, and orals have many defined of each term to identify what they are. They once thought that they are part of the Deaf Culture in which they would think that where they belong. In this research, this will discuss about the difference and how it impact the Deaf community within their culture, value, experiences. Also people who are deaf have experiences stereotyping from those people who don’t understand their culture. There are alsoRead MoreDeaf : The Deaf Community1351 Words   |  6 PagesThere is a Deaf community within nearly every community in America. Spanning across the country, this community overlaps with many other minority groups. There is a Deaf community within nearly every minority group not only in America, but worldwide. According to DeafQueer.org, the Deaf LGBT community is a community is a minority within a minority, making up ten percent of the Deaf community, or 2.8 million people. Although they span many races, classes, and sexualities, Deaf LGBT people tend toRead MoreDeaf : The Deaf Community1299 Words   |  6 Pages The Deaf Community All around us there is sound, whether it takes the form of birds chirping, people talking, or dogs barking. Every day we wake up to an abundance of sound. Hearing is a part of our senses and what if that was taken from us, or we were born without it? There are many people who have never had the luxury of hearing the sound of music or the voices of their loved ones. It easy to think that having a deaf child or losing your hearing is a tragedyRead MoreDeaf Perceptions Of The Deaf1510 Words   |  7 PagesDeaf Perceptions of Animacy Deaf culture has long been misunderstood and misrepresented within America, in part due to the significant language barrier between the American Deaf and their hearing counterparts. Though it is often thought to be nothing more than an elevated form of charades, American Sign Language (ASL) is a language like any other- not only with its own grammatical syntax, phonology, and morphology, but also in its compliance to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Created by Edward SapirRead MoreShould Deaf Be Deaf?879 Words   |  4 PagesBeing deaf doesn’t mean you’re any different than any average human. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary deaf means â€Å"not being able to hear and not willing to listen to or consider something.† Although society thinks different about the definition, the challenge is clearly the loss of hearing. Being deaf has a multiple of difficulties and assumptions, but that is a part of life. Society makes it difficult for deaf people to get their point across because society is set up for hearing peopleRead MoreDeaf : The Deaf Community787 Words   |  4 PagesDeaf Athletics The deaf community is proud of their many accomplishments, and their athletes are not an exception. For many people hearing and deaf sports are a way to relieve stress and express inner emotions. The deaf community offers various amounts of sports for deaf. For deaf adults there are the Deaflympics, USADB basketball, and USA Deaf sport federation. The Deaflympics is a way for deaf athletes to compete on the same level as hearing athletes. Deaflympics started originally as the InternationalRead MoreRacial Stereotypes Of Deaf And Deaf868 Words   |  4 Pagesto be a great misfortune, but being deaf does not limit the abilities of a person. Members of the Deaf community consider deafness to be normal rather than a disability. A deaf people can do anything a hearing person can do, such as, drive, participate in group activities, communicate, and have normal lives. Deaf In the film â€Å"Through Deaf Eyes†, an HDTV documentary including interviews, personal stories, and historic accounts, the prejudice and affirmation of Deaf culture is revealed to show hearingRead MoreDeaf : The Deaf Way Of Knowing1247 Words   |  5 PagesNoted Deaf educator Tom Holcomb, in his 2010 paper, Deaf Epistemology: the deaf way of knowing, posits that the flow of knowledge is fundamentally different in hearing and Deaf cultures. That is, Deaf learners tend to collect information from direct experience or from the secondhand experiences reported to them by other Deaf persons. Hearing learners accumulate information through oral transmission, mostly in formal educational settings but also via casual social contacts. (Holcomb, 2010). IndeedRead MoreDeaf Studies And Deaf Education1736 Words   |  7 Pagesresponding to in the first place. In their work published in the Winter, 2005 Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Weisel and Kamara examine the effect of deafness and hard of hearing (D/HH) on Attachment in young adults. They write: In combination with the auditory aspects of all of the previous work examined, this may lead one to believe that there is a potentially severe deficit when a hearing mother has a deaf child. This makes logical sense on the surface, since the norm is to have full capacity

Analysis of the Film, Into the Wild, Directed by Sean Penn

When people read a book that they like they cant wait to see the movie that is based on the book. Many people criticize the movie or are not satisfied. While you watch this movie it is visually breathtaking and easily relatable. Chris McCandless is played by Emile Hirsch who does an outstanding job of portraying McCandless. McCandless’s parents are Walt and Billie McCandless. In the book they are portrayed as a little stuck up and snobbish. Sean Penn is a screenwriter and director for the movie adaptation of Into the Wild by John Krakauer. Sean Penn portrays Chris’s parents in a negative way in order to show that they were essentially responsible for him breaking away from society. When Walt has his birthday in the movie and†¦show more content†¦The opening scene to the movie is Billie waking up from a nightmare screaming and hysterical that she heard McCandless say he wanted his mom. This shows that she also blames herself for not stopping him. Carine knew tha t if she stopped her brother he wouldn’t be the same person and needed this journey to prove to himself that he could survive in the wild. Although they all knew deep inside that they needed to let him go they never did get to say there goodbye. In the movie there is a fight scene where Walt and Billie are arguing he threatens to cancel Christmas he also said that he was God. Walt views himself so highly that he believes that he can cancel Christmas. Another form of narcissism is that they believe they have fantasy expectations towards impossible things like ideal love or beauty, unlimited power, unlimited success etc(Psychological Personality Disorders). He believed that he was God. Which Walt believed that he was so amazing that he was at the same level of importance and influential to the world just like God. Many people believe this is a psychological disorder. He also was so mad at his wife that he wanted his children to watch them fight. He wanted his children to view this fight to show that he can control everything in their lives including holidays. During this scene he tries to blame it all on Billie and control her. People often try to blame their problem on others, which could be considered

Frida Khalo Analysis free essay sample

Frida Kahlo and Surrealism According to the author Frida Kahlo wanted to be regarded as an original, but her works of art intertwined with what Andre Breton defined as surrealism, it was only until he went to Mexico and labeled her as a surrealist that she acknowledged the fact. Frida was aware of the fact that the tag of surrealist would bring her to crtical acclaim, and had no doubts about her paintings being surrealistic. The author states that Frida’s surrealism served both a personal and a cultural inclination toward fantasy even though she was discovered, rather than a natural surrealist. He further states that her work begins to change throughout the years example Henry Ford Hospital it then increases in complexity as that of the Self Portrait and What the Water Gave Me all of this to accommodate the surrealist tag, which he says Breton influenced as well as his book titled Surrealism and Painting where he used Frida’s painting for analysis. We will write a custom essay sample on Frida Khalo Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However according to the author Frida had a different viewpoint from that of surrealists, she eschewed labels, he says her art was not the result of an indifferent European culture, but instead of her temperament, life and place her means of dealing with reality, hence making it more autobiographical. What the Water Gave Me according to the author is more real than surreal, making the painting a controversial one. Diego Rivera argued that Frida was a realist, her humor differs from the sophisticated European surrealism, Frida found surrealism to be the magical surprise of finding a lion in a wardrobe where you were sure of finding shirts, to her surrealism was fun and amusing a jest at pain and death conversely surrealist humor is deadly serious. As written by the author in later years she denied being a surrealist, which he said was attributed to its loss of vogue. She detested surrealism and came to the point of not knowing if her paintings were surrealist or not but she knew they were the frankest expressions of herself, she argued that surrealism was a deviation from true art. The author speaks of her journal as the most interesting piece of surrealist work she has done, the images and words flow with the knowledge of surrealist automatism. In essence Frida did not consider her paintings to surreal nor did she follow the accepted conventions of surrealism, she simply used her own style of surrealistic elements to paint her own reality.

The American Civil War Essays - United States,

The American Civil War The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the events surrounding the end of the American Civil War. This war was a war of epic proportion. Never before and not since have so many Americans died in battle. The American Civil War was truly tragic in terms of human life. In this document, I will speak mainly around those involved on the battlefield in the closing days of the conflict. Also, reference will be made to the leading men behind the Union and Confederate forces. The war was beginning to end by January of 1865. By then, Federal (Federal was another name given to the Union Army) armies were spread throughout the Confederacy and the Confederate Army had shrunk extremely in size. In the year before, the North had lost an enormous amount of lives, but had more than enough to lose in comparison to the South. General Grant became known as the "Butcher" (Grant, Ulysses S., Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, New York: Charles L. Webster & Co.,1894) and many wanted to see him removed. But Lincoln stood firm with his General, and the war continued. This paper will follow the happenings and events between the winter of 1864-65 and the surrender of The Confederate States of America. All of this will most certainly illustrate that April 9, 1865 was indeed the end of a tragedy. CUTTING OFF THE SOUTH In September of 1864, General William T. Sherman and his army cleared the city of Atlanta of its civilian population then rested ever so briefly. It was from there that General Sherman and his army began its famous "march to the sea". The march covered a diezce of 400 miles and was 60 miles wide on the way. For 32 days no news of him reached the North. He had cut himself off from his base of supplies, and his men lived on what ever they could get from the country through which they passed. On their route, the army destroyed anything and everything that they could not use but was presumed usable to the enemy. In view of this destruction, it is underezdable that Sherman quoted "war is hell" (Sherman, William T., Memoirs of General William T. Sherman. Westport, Conn.:Greenwood Press, 1972). Finally, on December 20, Sherman's men reached the city of Savannah and from there Sherman telegraphed to President Lincoln: "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton" (Sherman, William T., Memoirs of General William T. Sherman. Westport, Conn.:Greenwood Press, 1972). Grant had decided that the only way to win and finish the war would be to crunch with numbers. He knew that the Federal forces held more than a modest advantage in terms of men and supplies. This in mind, Grant directed Sherman to turn around now and start heading back toward Virginia. He immediately started making preparations to provide assiezce to Sherman on the journey. General John M. Schofield and his men were to detach from the Army of the Cumberland, which had just embarrassingly defeated the Confederates at Nashville, and proceed toward North Carolina. His final destination was to be Goldsboro, which was roughly half the diezce between Savannah and Richmond. This is where he and his 20,000 troops would meet Sherman and his 50,000 troops. Sherman began the move north in mid-January of 1865. The only hope of Confederate resiezce would be supplied by General P.G.T. Beauregard. He was scraping together an army with every resource he could lay his hands on, but at best would only be able to muster about 30,000 men. This by obvious mathematics would be no challenge to the combined forces of Schofield and Sherman, let alone Sherman. Sherman's plan was to march through South Carolina all the while confusing the enemy. His men would march in two ranks: One would travel northwest to give the impression of a press against Augusta and the other would march northeast toward Charleston. However the one true objective would be Columbia. Sherman's force arrived in Columbia on February 16. The city was burned to the ground and great controversy was to

How to Get a Pell Grant Apply and Win

How to Get a Pell Grant Apply and Win SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You may have heard of Pell Grants, which can be really importantin helping students fund their college educations. Although the Pell sounds enticing, figuring out how to actuallygeta Pell Grantmay be overwhelming. How do you know if you're eligible? Where do you apply? How do you keep track of your application? As it turns out, getting a Pell Grant isn'ttoo difficult if you know where to begin.Follow the steps in this guide to optimize your chances of receiving Pell Grant money. Step 1: Determine Whether You're Eligible to Apply for Federal Aid Because the Pell Grant is a federal student aid program, you need to meet all federal requirements in order to be eligible.The major requirements are that you must: Have a high school diploma or GED Be a citizen or US national Be enrolled, or accepted to enroll, in a school that participates in the Pell Grant program There are other federal requirements that you must meet in order to be eligible, however; you can get more detailed information here. Make sure you have all these requirements locked down before you apply, or else you risk delaying your application. Step 2: Determine Whether You Meet Specific Pell Grant Requirements The Pell Grant is primarily meant to help low-income students pay for college. As a result, most recipients are students who do not already have a bachelor's or vocational degree. Check out our Pell Grant eligibility guide for more information. You also need to meet certain financial requirements to be considered eligible for the Pell, which are addressed in the next section. Step 3: Estimate Your Own Financial Need to Determine Eligibility When you apply for the Pell Grant - which happens when you submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA - the Department of Education will generate a number called the Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. The EFC determines whether you're financially eligible to receive the Pell Grant. For the 2015-2016 academic year, the EFC cutoff is $5081. So, if your EFC is at or below $5081, you will receive some Pell Grant money.You can use your family's financial information (your parents may be able to help with this) to estimate your EFC before you even apply for the Pell Grant. If you aren't feeling up to estimating your Pell Grant by calculating your EFC, you can use these very general guidelines: Most Pell Grant awards are granted to students whose families make less than $30,000 per year 25%-35% of Pell Grant awards are granted to students whose families make between $30,000-$60,000 per year The smaller your EFC, the more Pell Grant money you're likely to receive; you're also likely to get a larger award if you're a full-time student.For the 2013-2014 academic year, the average Pell Grant award was $3541. Gatheringpieces of your family's financial info is an important part of applying for the Pell Grant. This step could be streamlined with the help of a patient parent. Step 4: Apply for Federal Aid via the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid You apply for federal aid by submitting a FAFSA, a form that you have to submit annually if you want to be considered for any aid, including the Pell Grant.If you estimated your EFC and think you'll receive Pell Grant money,you're probably excited to submit the application. But what if youdon'tthink you'll be eligible for the grant? Should you still apply? The short answer is: yes. It's totally free to apply for the Pell Grant, and you may be losing out on valuable aid by skipping on the application.Many states, colleges, and universities also use information generated from the FAFSA to award their own financial aid. It's in your best interest to submit a FAFSA even if you don't think you'll get the Pell. Check out the online version of the FAFSA - it's the fastest way to submit your application. Most students submit their FAFSAs soon after they get their acceptance letters. The federal aid deadline for the 2015-2016 academic year is June 30, 2016, but don't wait that long to submit your FAFSA;you may be missing out on aid opportunities that exhaust quickly if you apply too late. You can get more information about submitting a federal aid application here. Step 5:Manage Your FAFSA After you've submitted your FAFSA, you'll receive what's called a Student Aid Report, or SAR. This official report will have all the information you need about your aid eligibility. The school(s) you listed on your FAFSA will also have access to your SAR. If you submitted your application electronically and don't get a SAR within 3 days, there may have been an error in processing your FAFSA. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to check the status of your application online. Your school will put together a financial aid package based on your SAR. It may include Pell Grant money in addition to other forms of aid, like student loans or work-study. The electronic version of the FAFSA is, as you canimagine, much easier to manage than the paper version What's Next? If you're already looking at how to get a Pell Grant, you may already know about the program; if not, you can read about everything you need to know in our Pell Grant guide. Eligibility requirements for federal aid in particular can be difficult to navigate. If you could use a step-by-step outline for determining Pell Grant eligibility, I have good news for you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Livermorium Facts - Element 116 or Lv

Livermorium Facts - Element 116 or Lv Livermorium (Lv) is element 116 on the periodic table of the elements. Livermorium is a highly radioactive man-made element (not observed in nature). Heres a collection of interesting facts about element 116, as well as a look at its history, properties, and uses: Interesting Livermorium Facts Livermorium was first produced in July 19, 2000 by scientists working jointly at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (USA) and Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna, Russia). At the Dubna facility, a single atom of livermorium-293 was observed from bombarding a curium-248 target with calcium-48 ions. The element 116 atom decayed into flerovium-289, via alpha decay.Researchers at Lawrence Livermore had announced synthesis of element 116 in 1999, by fusing krypton-86 and lead-208 nuclei to form ununoctium-293 (element 118), which decayed into livermorium-289. However, they retracted the discovery after no one (including themselves) was able to replicate the result. In fact, in 2002, the lab announced the discovery had been based on fabricated data attributed to the principal author, Victor Ninov.Element 116 was called eka-polonium, using Mendeleevs naming convention for unverified elements, or ununhexium (Uuh), using the IUPAC naming convention. Once a new elements synthes is is verified, the discoverers get the right to give it a name. The Dubna group wanted to name element 116 moscovium, after the Moscow Oblast, where Dubna is situated. The Lawrence Livermore team wanted the name livermorium (Lv), which recognizes Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Livermore, California, where it is located. The city is named, in turn, for American rancher Robert Livermore, so he indirectly got an element named after him. The IUPAC approved the name livermorium on May 23, 2012. Should researchers ever synthesize enough of element 116 to observe it, its likely livermorium would be a solid metal at room temperature. Based on its position on the periodic table, the element should display chemical properties similar to those of its homologous element, polonium. Some of these chemical properties are also shared by oxygen, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium. Based on its physical and atomic data, livermorium is expected to favor the 2 oxidation state, although some activity of the 4 oxidation state may occur. The 6 oxidation state is not expected to occur at all. Livermorium is expected to have a higher melting point than polonium, yet a lower boiling point. Livermorium is expected to have a higher density than polonium.Livermorium is near an island of nuclear stability, centered on copernicium (element 112) and flerovium (element 114). Elements within the island of stability decay almost exclusively via alpha decay. Livermorium lacks the neutrons to truly be on the island, yet its heavier isotopes decay more slowly than its lighter ones. The molecule livermorane (LvH2) would be the heaviest homolog of water. Livermorium Atomic Data Element Name/Symbol: Livermorium (Lv) Atomic Number: 116 Atomic Weight: [293] Discovery:  Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (2000) Electron Configuration:  [Rn] 5f14  6d10  7s2  7p4   or perhaps [Rn] 5f14  6d10  7s2 7p21/2  7p2  3/2, to reflect the 7p subshell split Element Group: p-block, group 16 (chalcogens) Element Period: period 7 Density: 12.9 g/cm3 (predicted) Oxidation States: probably -2, 2, 4 with the 2 oxidation state predicted to be most stable Ionization Energies: Ionization energies are predicted values: 1st:  723.6  kJ/mol2nd:  1331.5  kJ/mol3rd:  2846.3  kJ/mol Atomic Radius: 183 pm Covalent Radius: 162-166 pm (extrapolated) Isotopes: 4 isotopes are known, with mass number 290-293. Livermorium-293 has the longest half-life, which is approximately 60 milliseconds.   Melting Point:  637–780  K  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹(364–507  Ã‚ °C, ​687–944  Ã‚ °F) predicted Boiling Point:1035–1135  K ​(762–862  Ã‚ °C, ​1403–1583  Ã‚ °F) predicted Uses of Livermorium: At present, the only uses of livermorium are for scientific research. Livermorium Sources: Superheavy elements, such as element 116, are the result of nuclear fusion. If scientists succeed in forming even heavier elements, livermorium might be seen as a decay product. Toxicity: Livermorium presents a health hazard because of its extreme radioactivity. The element serves no known biological function in any organism. References Fricke, Burkhard (1975). Superheavy elements: a prediction of their chemical and physical properties. Recent Impact of Physics on Inorganic Chemistry. 21: 89–144.Hoffman, Darleane C.; Lee, Diana M.; Pershina, Valeria (2006). Transactinides and the future elements. In Morss; Edelstein, Norman M.; Fuger, Jean. The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements (3rd ed.). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer ScienceBusiness Media.Oganessian, Yu. Ts.; Utyonkov; Lobanov; Abdullin; Polyakov; Shirokovsky; Tsyganov; Gulbekian; Bogomolov; Gikal; Mezentsev; Iliev; Subbotin; Sukhov; Ivanov; Buklanov; Subotic; Itkis; Moody; Wild; Stoyer; Stoyer; Lougheed; Laue; Karelin; Tatarinov (2000). Observation of the decay of  292116.  Physical Review C.  63:Oganessian, Yu. Ts.; Utyonkov, V.; Lobanov, Yu.; Abdullin, F.; Polyakov, A.; Shirokovsky, I.; Tsyganov, Yu.; Gulbekian, G.; Bogomolov, S.; Gikal, B. N.; et al. (2004). Measurements of cross sections and decay properties of the isotop es of elements 112, 114, and 116 produced in the fusion reactions  233,238U,  242Pu, and  248Cm48Ca.  Physical Review C.  70  (6).

Describe the causes and efffects of the Pliocene warm period Literature review

Describe the causes and efffects of the Pliocene warm period - Literature review Example The age was marked by various critical tectonic occasions that made the scene we know today. One such occasion was the joining of the tectonic plates of North and South America. This joining was realized by a movement of the Caribbean Plate, which moved somewhat eastwards and structured an area connect over the Isthmus of Panama. The association between North and South America had a noteworthy effect on widely varied vegetation in two regards: (1) ashore, the production of an area extension empowered animal groups to relocate between the two landmasses (Cane et al, 2001 412). This prompted a relocation of armadillo, ground sloth, and porcupines from South to North America and an attack of canines, felines, bears and steeds in the inverse bearing. (2) The joining of the two tectonic plates likewise prompted changes in the natures domain. An environment with species that had been associating for billions of years now got divided into the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This thus had a cri tical effect on the advancement of the species which got disconnected from one another. Throughout the Pliocene the tectonic plates of India and Asia additionally impacted, which framed the Himalayas. In North America, the Cascades, Rockies, Appalachians, and the Colorado levels were elevated, and there was movement in the mountains of Alaska and in the Great Basin reaches of Nevada and Utah. The end of the Pliocene was checked in North America by the Cascadian transformation, throughout which the Sierra Nevada was hoisted and tilted to the west. In Europe, numerous mountain ranges developed, including the Alps, which were collapsed (Dowsett, 2007 478). Throughout the span of the Pliocene, the worldwide atmosphere got to be cooler and drier. The start of the age saw various changes in temperature, which offered route to the general cooling pattern towards the end

Virtual Training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Virtual Training - Essay Example According to the discussion virtual training emulates a traditional operating theatre, including surgical lighting and a microscope. During training, surgeons receive prompt, realistic and immediate feedback regarding their sense of force and touch in using various instruments. Significant financial resources are required to implement a virtual training program, and this makes it very expensive (Lee 2003, p.268). Apart from this, since technology changes every day, it would be expensive to keep up with such changes. For example, acquisition and implementation of the latest technologies would be very costly. Another disadvantage is that virtual training essentially depends on the character, ability and attitude of the student/trainee to the technology. Students or trainees who have a negative attitude towards technology or are not confident in their technological skills may perform poorly. Through positive and extensive collaboration in areas of information technology and training, vi rtual training may become much more effective in the future. Apart from this, there is the possibility of integrating good learning principles and management support into the virtual training that program; these supplement and complement a particular organization’s infrastructure and technological capabilities. In addition to this, it has been established that needs assessment, evaluation, design and transfer will be very critical in the future of virtual training.

The Problem of Tōkōkyohi in Japanese Middle Schools Essay Example for Free

The Problem of TÃ… kÃ… kyohi in Japanese Middle Schools Essay Introduction Tokokyohi ( ) has become an increasingly prominent issue in Japan since the 1980s. Official figures showed that there were 84,026, or 1. 9% of Japanese middle school students suffering from tokokyohi in 1997 . However, tokokyohi, which is classified as form of â€Å"school non-attendance†, does not appear to be a problem that is unique to Japan. A similar form of â€Å"school non-attendance† affects less than 1% of the student population in Britain, which has the situation under control . In contrast, tokokyohi appears to be more problematic than the Japanese government wishes to acknowledge. Official Japanese figures appear to be artificially deflated as they do not account for tokokyohi sufferers who have special schooling arrangements . Moreover, among the 5,193 middle school students surveyed in 1988, almost two-thirds of them felt jaded about school but compelled themselves to continue schooling . This suggests that tokokyohi is a deep-seated problem in Japan as most middle school students have to confront the emotions that result in tokokyohi for some of their peers. It is important to distinguish tokokyohi from other forms of â€Å"school non-attendance† such as school absence due to truancy as well as medical and economic reasons. In contrast to students who shun school due to poor physical health or financial constraints, tokokyohi occurs when an irrational fear of schooling compels students to miss school for more than 29 days with their parents’ cognisance . This sets tokokyohi apart from truancy, where students deliberately avoid school without their parents’ knowledge to partake in frivolous activities with others . Unlike truants, students suffering from tokokyohi remain confined to their homes and are not characterised by misconduct . This paper will focus on tokokyohi in Japanese middle schools (students aged 13 15 years old). There are numerous reasons for tokokyohi ranging from societal problems to individual psychological difficulties. We will focus on three modern Japanese societal problems which lead to tokokyohi: children who are excessively dependent on their parents, shame society and educational mother. However, the unique structure of Japanese society must be taken into consideration in order to understand the severity of tokokyohi in Japan. Hence this paper will explore the link between these three modern Japanese societal problems and traditional Japanese values and mind-sets. This link emphasizes the continued importance of these traditional values and mind-sets in the modern Japanese society and how these values and mind-sets affect societal attitudes towards education, eventually leading to tokokyohi in middle schools. Over-Dependent Children About 50% of mothers whose children are in Japanese middle schools are full-time homemakers . Mothers’ domestic roles have become increasingly prominent after World War Two, motivating housewives to excel in these roles . This motivation drives them to emulate the role model of ryosai kenbo. Ryosai kenbo portrays an idealised virtuous woman who can handle household chores and nurture children well . To guarantee future success, mothers attempt to provide their children with excellent up-bringing and monitor their children’s behaviour closely to ensure proper learning. The reduced size of the modern Japanese family also implies that mothers can devote more energy to monitoring their children, resulting in more intimate mother-child relationships . Such intimacy drives parents to shield their children from adversity . The shielding results in children who are incapable of autonomous decision-making, eventually developing into an over-dependence on their parents . Over-protective parents also worsen their children’s dependency on them when they accede to both legitimate and illegitimate demands from their children. Some children exploit this by engaging in amae. Amae ( ) describes the actions of one who tries to influence another to care for him/her unknowingly . However, these parents do not stop this behaviour as indulging their children’s demands is seen as an expression of maternal love . This gradually emboldens the child as they know that their parents will yield to their demands, including tokokyohi. Having always been cared for meticulously, these children begin to display signs of tension and fear when away from their parents , especially in new and unfamiliar environments such as schools. These children experience difficulty being away from their parents for long hours when they attend school. Their tendency to maintain close physical proximity to their parents results in little personal time and few opportunities to socialise. Thus these children become socially inapt as they lack the requisite skills for interacting amicably with their playmates . This social awkwardness heightens their feelings of tension and fear when separated from their parents in a school setting. As a result, these children are more likely to develop a fear of schooling. Moreover, the hectic curriculum in Japanese middle schools exerts more pressure on middle school students as compared to elementary school students. This is because Japanese middle school students have to undergo demanding high school entrance examinations . The additional stress may leave these children incapable of managing negative emotions due to routine separations from their parents . These children would eventually resort to tokokyohi in order to escape this situation. Kyoiku Mama, (Educational Mother) In Japan, men are often assumed to be breadwinners while women are expected to stay home to tend to housework and childcare . Fathers, being the breadwinner, spend long hours on business entertainment , which is emphasised by Japan’s business industry . This forces them to be away from home frequently, giving rise to ‘fatherless families’ . Thus mothers assume a central role in the family , taking charge of the children’s welfare and education. However, the competitive Japanese education system means that children find it harder to succeed. This gives mothers an added sense of responsibility in guiding their children towards educational success. This gives rise to kyoiku mamas ( ), loosely translated into ‘education-mamas’ . Kyoiku mamas are known for their borderline neurotic behaviour of controlling every facet of their children’s lives so as to outdo their peers academically . Kyoiku mamas strive to send their children to elite schools with the highest rate of future admission into prestigious universities . Some kyoiku mamas may opt to work in order to afford cram schools (juku, ? ) for their children . They endeavour to provide the best home study environment for the children. This includes bringing their children refreshments when they study overnight to researching on subjects that their children struggle with to coach them . Modern kyoiku mamas† may even seek professional help in guiding their children as they lack confidence in child-raising . Her ultimate achievement would be for her child to enrol into the prestigious Tokyo University as this would ensure a bright future for her child . The mothers’ desire for their child to succeed is mainly due to the gender roles in Japan and is supported by the change in power structure in the family. In the Japanese society, women are denied career advancement opportunities due to gender discrimination, preventing them from achieving any career aspirations that they might have had . Hence, a kyoiku mama thrusts all her ambitions upon her children to achieve what she could not . However this is only possible due to the change from a patriarchal to a matriarchal family. As the fathers are frequently absent, mothers gain a larger authority in the family . They also suffer from loneliness and anxiety due to the lack of attention from their husbands . Thus mothers are then able to put all their energy into nurturing their child as an outlet of their pent-up loneliness, anxiety, and an extension of their ambitions. As discussed above, kyoiku mamas closely monitor their child’s life. However this tight control may be detrimental to the child’s psychological well-being. In a stressful environment where every action must benefit their studies, these children may develop a fear of school and studying . Clinical psychologists have observed that most tokokyohi sufferers came from ‘fatherless families’ . The determination of kyoiku mamas for their children to succeed may cause the children to reject the competitive Japanese education system, causing tokokyohi . Shame Society In Japan, an individual’s actions are governed by the need to avoid shame on oneself and the group that one belongs to. The Japanese society operates on a system of shame, where shame arises when one suffers a loss of dignity and respect . This sets Japanese society apart from Western societies that operate on a system of guilt. Guilt deters Western individuals from acting inappropriately in an autonomous environment . In Japan, failure to meet a personal goal or expectation of others results in self-reproach and disapproval from others, leading to shame. Japanese citizens are compelled to conform to socially acceptable conducts and norms to avoid shame . Therefore being unique or individualistic is greatly frowned upon. The Japanese do not view conformity as an inability to assert autonomy . Conformity indicates that one possesses the will to sacrifice for the greater good of the group . This self-glorification also motivates them to conform. In the Japanese society, a shameful act by individuals implicates the entire unit they belong to, including the school and family . This stresses the children since failure puts their families’ reputation and honour at stake. Poor results would reflect badly on the children’s academic ability. This would be attributed to parental failure in instilling appropriate work ethic. Fear of implicating their families through their academic incompetence might result in tokokyohi. Tokokyohi would conceal the children’s shortcomings since they avoid school activities and tests, hence preventing their families from being shamed. The demands of the society also force the individual to conform. Japanese are made to participate in activities that promote unity from young . They are inculcated with the idea that every individual should do their best to contribute economically. Paper qualification is needed to secure stable employment . This makes academic excellence a prerequisite for stable employment. Individuals who fail to achieve academic excellence will believe that they have failed to meet the lofty standards set by the society. This failure exacerbates the shame caused by their academic incompetence. To avoid this shame, children who are unable or unwilling to excel academically could resort to tokokyohi. Social status, which is highly regarded by families in Japan, is boosted when the children enrol into a competitive school . Many families strive to send their children into such a school. However, the competitive school environment would present the children with stressful social situations as they would be constantly judged by their peers and teachers . The children must always be at their best behaviour and will fret over the implications of their every word and action in order to be viewed positively. These children will be reluctant to attend school in order to avoid such situations, eventually developing school phobia, which contributes to tokokyohi. Traditional Basis: Shame. Shame as a means of social control can be traced to traditional values and mind-sets in Japan. These traditional values and mind-sets include the emphasis on group harmony and the notion that humans are fundamentally good. Shame is used to reinforce conformity among the Japanese. The need for conformity can be linked to the group mentality that is prevalent in Japan. This group mentality refers to the individuals’ focus on their role within the group . They learn to appreciate the importance of others and their reliance on one another . This appreciation starts within the family and eventually expands to the school and workplace . In order to ensure that the group functions effectively, Japanese society emphasises group harmony over individualism . The group’s interests are prioritised over those of its constituent members, giving rise to conformism. This emphasis is also reflected in the idea of honne and tatemae, which refers to the individual’s inner feelings and the appropriate social behaviour respectively . Honne is only expressed privately while tatemae is applied to interactions with strangers, colleagues and superiors . This conscious effort to avoid publicly expressing innermost emotions that might discomfort or shame others can be seen as conforming to social norms. This also shows how group harmony takes precedence over individualism. The emphasis on group harmony can also be seen in how shame lessens tension between the members of the Japanese society. The use of shame as social control makes the Japanese more empathetic to the shame felt by others . This empathy restrains individuals from displaying their greater abilities, thus reducing feelings of inferiority that might be felt by less able individuals in the group . Such a willingness to conceal their abilities also contributes to group harmony as less able individuals will not feel ostracised or intimidated by their more capable counterparts. Such restraint can also be attributed to the idea that flaunting one’s ability diminishes its worth . The influence of this idea on 15th century Kado art underscores its roots in Japanese tradition. The use of shame as social control is also derived from the Japanese idea that human nature is fundamentally good. This idea can be traced to traditional Confucian teachings in Japan . Shame seeks to appeal to this good and encourage conformity . As humans are fundamentally good, the Japanese believe that there is no need to threaten humans with individual penalties. Instead, they seek to use shame to remind themselves to stay true to their good nature. Shame is thus used as a guiding light as opposed to guilt, which is used as a deterrent. In contrast, the traditional Western belief that humans are fundamentally evil results in the use of guilt and the threat of penalties in Western societies to deter any potentially harmful acts . This accounts for different forms of social control between the West and Japan. Traditional Basis: Kyoiku Mamas and Over-Protective Mothers Kyoiku mamas and over-protective mothers can be traced from the oppression of women in Meiji Japan. Meiji Japan was a patriarchal society where women could only strive to become ryosai kenbos . Japanese women were only allowed into noble families to bear and rear children . These women, who were struggling to find their place and status in families, would put all their energy into nurturing their children . Both kyoiku mamas and over-protective mothers are modern manifestations of this oppression of women. For kyoiku mamas, the ideology of â€Å"good wife wise mother† still weighs strongly on them. Women are expected to juggle household chores and their children’s education even if they hold full-time jobs. A woman who allows others to care for her children would be looked down upon as not sufficing in her job as a mother . The Japanese believe that mothers should be blamed for bringing up unsuccessful children rather than the children shouldering the blame themselves for their lack of success . Mothers, who are burdened by such extreme responsibility, will push the children to and beyond their limits. To these mothers, only by successfully nurturing their children can they achieve the ideals of â€Å"good wife wise mother†. This gives rise to kyoiku mamas. Over-protective mothers strive to encourage their children to excel due to the mothers’ obligation to nurture them well, increasing interaction between mothers and children. This greater interaction would foster a closer mother-child relationship. The resultant strong maternal love might drive mothers to shield their children excessively from adversity. This shielding would cause children to become over-dependent on their mothers. Thus, the ryosai kenbo role model, which can be traced to the Meiji period, can result in over-protective mothers and over-dependent children. The pervasive ideology of the roles and responsibilities of Japanese women, together with the need to achieve it, leads to kyoiku mamas and over-protective mothers, which in turn contribute to the situation of tokokyohi in Japan. Traditional Basis: Amae Amae, which perpetuates the relationship between over-dependent children and their mothers, can also be traced back to traditional Japanese mind-set. Traditionally, the nation of Japan has been viewed as a giant family unit with the Emperor at the core . A common reverence for the Emperor unifies the numerous disparate Japanese families into a giant family unit . The Emperor enjoyed an exalted status despite his ceremonial position and reliance on officials to handle state affairs . Officials are expected to comply with the Emperor’s subtle demands in a dynamic relationship that embodies the concept of amae . Such reverence can be traced back to before the Tokugawa period [1603-1868 CE] and continues even today . This reverence drives Japanese families to emulate the relationship between the Emperor and his officials . With the child being important in the family as discussed earlier, the family’s emulation of this relationship results in the child assuming a position in the family that is similar to that of the Emperor in Japan. This allows the child to engage in amae, which facilitates the child’s over-dependence on the mother and contributes to paternal approval for demands such as tokokyohi. Thus amae can be seen to be rooted in the traditional Japanese reverence for the Emperor, and continues to be present in modern day families. Conclusion In our paper, we have shown that although Kyoiku Mamas, shame society and over-dependent children are some of the direct causes of Tokokyohi, the foundations of these factors can be traced to traditional Japanese values and mind-sets such as reverence for the Emperor, ryosai kenbo and Confucianism. These traditional values and mind-sets, which were prominent in the past, continue to hold great importance today. This is evident in how these traditional values and mind-sets continue to influence modern Japanese education. The continued importance of these values and mind-sets also show that tokokyohi is a complex problem that is rooted in the foundations of Japanese society. The severity and complexity of Tokokyohi also means that the Japanese government must play a bigger role in tackling this issue. Future research could explore why the Japanese government appears reluctant to acknowledge the scale of this problem and assess the viability of solutions that focus on advising the families of these tokokyohi sufferers. ? Bibliography Allen, Eileen K. , Glynnis . E. Cowdery, and Jennifer M. Johnson. The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2011. Allison, Anne. Producing Mothers. Chap. 6 In Re-Imaging Japanese Women, edited by Anne E. Imamura. 135-55. Berkeley: Univ of California Pr, 1996. Aoyagi, Hiroshi. Pop Idols and Gender Contestation. In Japan at the Millennium: Joining Past and Future, edited by David W. Edgington. Vancouver: Univ of British Columbia Pr, 2003. Black, J. Stewart, and Hal B. Gregersen. Serving Two Masters: Managing the Dual Allegiance of Expatriate Employees. Chap. 7 In International Management Behavior: Text, Readings, and Cases, edited by Henry W.Lane, Joseph J. DiStefano and Martha L. Maznevski. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Bornstein, Robert F. , and Mary A. Languirand. Healthy Dependency: Leaning on Others without Losing Yourself. New York: Newmarket Pr, 2003. Borovoy, Amy B. The Too-Good Wife: Alcohol, Codependency, and the Politics of Nurturance in Postwar Japan. Vol. 6, Berkeley: Univ of California Pr, 2005. Creighton, Millie R. Revisiting Shame and Guilt Cultures: A Forty-Year Pilgrimage. Ethos 18, no. 3 (1990): 279-307. De Mente, Boye. Japans Cultural Code Words: 233 Key Terms That Explain the Attitudes and Behavior of the Japanese. North Clarendon: Tuttle Publishing, 2011. De Vos, George A. , and Hiroshi Wagatsuma. Status and Role Behaviour in Changing Japan: Psychocultural Continuities. Chap. 1 In Socialization for Achievement: Essays on the Cultural Psychology of the Japanese, edited by George A. De Vos. Berkeley: Univ of California Pr, 1973. DeCoker, Gary. Deregulating Japans High School Curriculum: The Unintended Consequences of Educational Reform. Chap. 9 In National Standards and School Reform in Japan and the United States, edited by Gary DeCoker. New York: Teachers College Pr, 2002. Doi, Takeo. The Anatomy of Dependence. Translated by John Bester. New York: Kodansha International, 2001. Eisen, Andrew R. , and Linda B. Engler. Helping Your Child Overcome Separation Anxiety or School Refusal: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2006. Gregory, Raymond F. Women and Workplace Discrimination: Overcoming Barriers to Gender Equality. Piscataway: Rutgers Univ Pr, 2003. Hidaka, Tomoko. Salaryman Masculinity: The Continuity of and Change in the Hegemonic Masculinity in Japan. Vol. 29, Leiden: Brill, 2010. Iga, Mamoru. Suicide and Economic Success in Modern Japan. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986. Ishii-Kuntz, Masako. Balancing Fatherhood and Work: Emergence of Diverse Masculinities in Contemporary Japan. Chap. 12 In Men and Masculinities in Contemporary Japan: Dislocating the Salaryman Doxa, edited by James E. Roberson and Nobue Suzuki. London: Routledge, 2003. Iwao, Sumiko. Japanese Woman. New York: Free Pr, 1998. Joachim, Daniel. The Japanese Employment System: Characteristics and Changes. Munich: GRIN Verlag, 2008. Johnson, Frank A. Dependency and Japanese Socialization: Psychoanalytic and Anthropological Investigations in Amae. New York: New York University Press, 1995. Kearney, Christopher A. Social Anxiety and Social Phobia in Youth: Characteristics, Assessment, and Psychological Treatment. Dordrecht: Springer, 2005. Kumagai, Fumie, and Donna J. Keyser. Unmasking Japan Today: The Impact of Traditional Values on Modern Japanese Society. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996. Lebra, Takie Sugiyama. Japanese Women: Constraint and Fulfillment. Honolulu: Univ of Hawaii Pr, 1985. Lewis, Catherine C. Educating Hearts and Minds: Reflections on Japanese Preschool and Elementary Education. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ Pr, 1995. McVeigh, Brian J. Japanese Higher Education as Myth. Armonk: M. E. Sharpe, 2002. Meguro, Yoriko, and Kiyomi Morioka. The Changing Status and Role of Women in Japan. Chap. 9 In The Changing Position of Women in Family and Society: A Cross-National Comparison, edited by Eugen Lupri. Leiden: Brill Academic Pub, 1984. Naito, Takashi, and Uwe P. Gielen. Tatemae and Honne: A Study of Moral Relativisim in Japanese Culture. In Psychology in International Perspective: 50 Years of the International Council of Psychologists, edited by Uwe P. Gielen, Leonore L. Adler and Norman A. Milgram. Amsterdam: Swets en Zeitlinger, 1992. Okano, K. I. Shame and Social Phobia: A Transcultural Viewpoint. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic 58, no. 3 (1994): 323-38. Powell, Margaret, and Masahira Anesaki. Health Care in Japan. New York: Routledge, 1990. Rohlen, Thomas P. Building Character. In Teaching and Learning in Japan, edited by Thomas P. Rohlen and Gerald K. LeTendre. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ Pr, 1999. Saha, Arunoday. Basic Human Nature and Management in Japan. Journal of Managerial Psychology 5, no. 3 (1990): 3-12. Sato, Yutaka, Margaret Y. Yamashita, and Yuko Green. Nihongo: Introductory Japanese. Vol. 1, Honolulu: Bess Pr Inc, 1992. Takemaru, Naoko. Women in the Language and Society of Japan: The Linguistic Roots of Bias. Jefferson: McFarland, 2010. Tokuhiro, Yoko. Marriage in Contemporary Japan. Vol. 26, London: Routledge, 2009. Wagatsuma, Hiroshi. Some Aspects of the Contemporary Japanese Family: Once Confucian, Now Fatherless? . Daedalus 106, no. Spring (1977): 181-210. White, Merry I. Perfectly Japanese: Making Families in an Era of Upheaval. Vol. 14, Berkeley: Univ of California Pr, 2002. Yamaguchi, Susumu, and Yukari Ariizumi. Close Interpersonal Relationships among Japanese: Amae as Distinguished from Attachment and Dependence. Chap. 7 In Indigenous and Cultural Psychology: Understanding People in Context, edited by Uichol Kim and Kwang-huo Hwang. 163-74. Berlin: Springer Verlag, 2006. Yoder, Robert. Deviance and Inequality in Japan: Japanese Youth and Foreign Migrants. Bristol: Policy Pr, 2011. Yoneyama, Shoko. Student Discourse on Tokokyohi (School Phobia/Refusal) in Japan: Burnout or Empowerment? . British Journal of Sociology of Education 21, no. 1 (2000): 77-94. Yu, Wei-Hsin. Changes in Womens Postmarital Employment in Japan and Taiwan. Demography 42, no. 4 (2005): 693-717.

One of Womens First Individuals in Society :: Essays Papers

One of Women's First Individuals in Society "There have been others also, just as true and devoted to the cause-I wish I could name every one-but with such women consecrating their lives, FAILURE IS IMPOSSIBLE." -Susan B. Anthony12 This remarkable Quaker women from Adams, Massachusetts was born on February 15, 1820. Her home life, as a child was not extraordinary, she lead a regular life. However, what she became in adult life challenges some curiosity.1 She was an American reformer and well recognized leader worldwide. The work, in which Anthony devoted her life to, perhaps her most memorable contribution, was her struggle with striving for women’s rights. What was it about Susan B. Anthony that made her a strong, persuasive, dignified individual of the nineteenth century society? After becoming headmaster of the Kenyon boarding school, when Eunice Kenyon fell sick, Anthony had her first taste of freedom. Anthony would no longer bow to the authority of others.2 It was at this very moment where she decide to set her- self apart from other women and become an individual who fought for universal rights. Some may have asked themselves why? "Not because she was robbed of her personal identity and independence, but because she had experienced a progression into independence that she became to see as essential for all women."3 The spark, which lit Anthony’s fire, began in 1852 in Albany, New York while attending a temperance rally where she quickly learned that she would not be permitted to speak because she was simply just a women. Now setting out to conquer her destiny, Anthony over the next several years would not only fight for women’s suffrage, but for universal suffrage as well. She combated the low income of women by "... pioneering for economic independence."4 "Any property, real or personal, which any married women now owns, or which may come to her by descent, etc., shall be her sole and separate property, not subject to control or interference by her husband."5 American Anti-Slavery Society, Women’s Loyal League, the National Woman Suffrage Association, a nd the International Council of Women are all organizations in which Anthony became affiliated. She was also an activist for pro-life. Anthony was not alone in her vie for women’s right’s. After years of suppression in her own corner of the world and contending in her own separate struggles, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was united with Anthony. Anthony had long awaited this day.

Diverse Succession Planning

DIVERSE SUCCESSION PLANNING (DSP) INTRODUCTION â€Å"The future of many organizations is likely to depend on their mastery of diverse succession planning given that building bench strength among women and minorities will be critical in the competitive war for talent†. (Charles R. Greer and Meghna Virick, 2008. ) They stressed further: â€Å"Aside from the leadership provided by CEOs and diversity officers, management of diversity should be embraced by the entire leadership team and not perceived as the exclusive domain of the HR function. Cisco System becomes a $12 billion high-technology company with over 47,000 employees in not less than 54 countries of the world due to its strategic management policies and practices among which is diverse succession planning. Cisco puts in place its diversity initiatives and gender Initiatives because of its belief that connection of businesses, people and communities is a business imperative. This simple presentation on diverse succession planning is intended to explain the following points: 1- The concept of diverse succession planning (DSP) 2- The advantages of diverse succession planning – The steps involved in developing a diverse succession plan 4- Conclusion with the comments of some senior diversity leaders. What is Succession planning and diverse succession planning? Simply put, Succession planning is the process of identifying high-potential employees, evaluating and improving their skills and abilities, and preparing them for advancement into positions which are keys to the success of business operations and objectives. Diverse Succession implies incorporation of gender and racial diversity with succession planning by identifying methods for developing women and minorities as successors for key positions. Charles R. Greer and Meghna Virick 2008). Putting together, diverse succession planning is a process of identifying high-potential employees of any age, culture, ethnicity, gender, geographic backg round or sexual orientation, evaluating and improving their skills and abilities, and preparing them for advancement into positions which are keys to the success of business operations and objectives. Workforce diversity† describes the differences, similarities, and unique features that exist in an organization's workforce ue to the mixture of gender, ethnicity, race, national origin, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious beliefs and other factors. The advantages of Diverse Succession Planning (DSP) Diverse Succession Planning has the following advantages: * It helps to avoid extended and costly vacancies in key positions and assure the stability of business operations. * It provides meaningful developmental opportunities for both the organization and its employees as it targets key leadership positions at varying levels. It helps to develop a diverse workforce by enabling decision makers to look at the future make-up of the organization as a whole. * It helps to connect business people and communities. * It facilitates better decision making * It helps in anticipating important market changes and be more responsive to customer needs. * It facilitates equal opportunity policy through recruitment, training and promotion process regardless of employees’ race, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religious background and nationality. * It boasts global workforce.The steps involved in developing a diverse succession plan Succession planning involves: * Understanding the organization's long-term goals and objectives. * Identifying the high-potential candidates and their respective developmental needs. * Determining workforce trends and predictions. * Identifying legal and diversity issues to consider. * Establishing present and future leadership roles and objectives. * Selecting key employees. * Evaluating the strengths, weaknesses and readiness for succession in key employees. * Planning for the individua l development of and ways to retain key employees. Identifying â€Å"emergency† positions without successors. * Planning for positions that cannot be filled internally. Going by the recommendations of Greer and Virick (2008) Companies should formalize a commitment to diverse succession planning throughout the organization and viewing it as a broad-based strategic imperative instead of solely a human-resources function. The company must clearly envision diversity as essential to business strategy because of the competitive advantages that follow. Companies should also identify early on the talented individuals who can be developed for advancement.They should design objective standards for performance evaluations. They should also identify and cultivate outstanding mentors They should also allow the chief diversity officer to have direct access to the CEO. They should also Base executive bonuses partly on achieving diversity goals. â€Å"Companies need to reach deep, almost do wn to entry level, for talented women and minorities who can rise to leadership positions. Early identification and development of talent is crucial,† says Dr. Greer. â€Å"Also, identifying skilled mentors and fully utilizing their talents should be a priority.Mentoring has great importance in terms of succession. † Patience and persistence are required, he says. Results can take four or five years, or more. So companies should be ready for a long-term commitment and be willing to work through the risks and challenges. Diversity Succession Planning in Malaysian Context John PG Tan (2009) revealed that most of Malaysian Companies do not engaged in leadership succession planning and implementation and few that engaged in it report low success rates. Companies commonly practice leadership replacement rather than leadership succession.Meanwhile, leadership positions are the key positions upon which rest the success of any organization. Western Companies are flourishing due to incorporation of diversity in to their succession planning. However, in Universiti Utara Malaysia, there has been a kind of diversity succession planning. Some foreigners are being employed as Lecturers in the University. This is also observed in some Universities in Malaysia. This would provide meaningful developmental opportunities for both the organization and its employees as well.It will also give the university an opportunity to pursue more effectively its mission through the participation of a diverse workforce; also there would be enrichment of the dimensions of expanded organizational learning. Observations of some experts in Management An emerging body of empirical evidence (e. g. , Richard, 2000; Wright, Ferris, Hiller, & Kroll, 1995) indicates positive performance effects for diversity, and there are increasing indicators of the strategic importance of diversity to the success of companies.PepsiCo’s previous CEO, Steve Reinemund, has said, â€Å"I believe tha t companies that figure out the diversity challenge first will clearly have a competitive advantage† (Terhune, 2005). A leading insurer, Allstate, also has embraced diversity and sees it as a source of competitive advantage, particularly in terms of expanding the number of minority policyholders (Crockett, 1999). Cosmetics maker L’Oreal attributes its global success in developing and marketing cosmetics to marketing initiatives that have drawn on international diversity (Salz, 2005). Bridge Partners LLC (www. ridgepartnersllc. com) is a retained executive search firm founded by principals with extensive experience and credentials in leadership and senior-level recruitment, both in the US and internationally. Billie Williamson, Partner, Americas Inclusiveness Officer, Ernst & Young: â€Å"We have to ensure the talent is here to begin with, so hiring the right people and making sure they are trained and provided with the right experiences is key †¦ A second thing th at is key to getting diversity to the top of an organization is people have to learn to put their biases aside.Sometimes we think it’s risky to put a woman or an ethnically diverse individual or an LGBT individual in a leadership role, and it’s really not a risk, but somehow we have created that in our biases and our frame of reference. The third thing that is key is that [senior] leadership has to set this as a personal goal that they care about. † Eugene Kelly, Worldwide Director, Global Workplace Initiatives, Colgate-Palmolive Co. : â€Å"It is critical for us to manage our talent well if we are going to continue to be successful.We have 30,000 employees around the world, 8,000 in the United States, and today, 82 percent of our revenues are generated outside the United States. Those statistics alone will tell you why we must get this right and why we must manage our talent. It’s a discipline that enables us at any point in time to identify the next two leaders or successors for any key position. Having a diverse slate of talent to do that is really the key. For us, it’s really important to have discipline and the CEO’s direct commitment. Rohini Anand, Senior Vice President, Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo: â€Å"It’s really an end-to-end process. It’s about doing the diagnostics, understanding where the gaps are. For us, it’s about getting more women and people of color into operational †¦ profit-and-loss kinds of roles, which is the career path to senior-level positions in our company, doing that early on and making sure we provide enough substantive career tracks. In terms of succession †¦ having that accountability and commitment from the top is absolutely critical.It can’t only be a numbers piece. It has to be the behavioral piece. It has to be the commitment along with the metrics and the data so you get a holistic approach. † Conclusion All said and done, onc e those high potential individuals are a part of an organization that places value on diversity-inclusion initiatives, retention rates will increase as employees take pride in those initiatives, viewing their firm as an employer of choice, where appreciation for all people and their differences creates a work environment where all can thrive.The flip side is that, in companies where diversity initiatives are a low priority, employees may leave because they don’t believe they are valued, because they perceive a workplace to be unwelcoming, or because they believe a competitor organization shows precedent in developing careers paths for a more diverse range of executives. Both money and time invested in those employees are lost. Without a succession plan an organization will find it harder to grow. Without a strong diversity inclusion initiative, retention is a whole lot more difficult.Reference: * John PG Tan (2009). An investigation of Corporate Leadership Succession Planning and Implementation: The Malaysian Experience. A PhD thesis submitted to Massey University. * Human Resource Management Journal, Volume 47, Issue 2, Article first published online: 15 MAY 2008 accessed at Wiley online Library. * Diverse Succession Planning for Supervisors, a presentation by Society for Human resource Management (SHRM). * http://www. diversityinc. com/diversity-events/succession-planning-moving-diver

Health and Safety in Social Care Essay

The mission : The prevention of death, injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work activities. †¢ Shocking failures – it’s why we need to obey the law We know it’s an extremely important aspect of care. We know there’s been a lot of debate about how to improve it. We know there have been high-profile cases where it’s failed miserably. But do we really understand what safeguarding means on a day-to-day basis for everyone involved in providing or receiving care? And there’s been much discussion about whether ‘adults at significant risk’ is better. Sometimes there’s confusion between safeguarding and adult protection, which relates to investigation of abuse rather than it’s prevention. †¢ Health and social care workers – protecting the vulnerable The terminology can be an issue in itself. We now refer to ‘adults at risk’ after the Law Commission’s report on adult social care pointed out that the previously acceptable term ‘vulnerable adult’ could suggest that the cause of abuse was located with the victim, and didn’t place responsibility with the actions of others. The commission found that people saw the term as â€Å"stigmatising, dated, negative and disempowering†. †¢ Part of a system  Legislation, regulation and guidance are becoming clearer and more consistent, with the implementation of the Law Commission recommendations on adult protection and making safeguarding adult boards – which already exist in most local authorities – mandatory.But there’s still a lot to learn, not least about what constitutes a safeguarding issue and what relates to everyday management, staff practice, quality and safety. Without that clarity, people may worry about over-reacting or taking the wrong action.

Paper or Product

Paper or Product Paper or Product English 100 Essay 1 Paper or Product Long before the twenty-first century, humankind lived its’ life in a different way. People lived in caves for warmth and protection. For survival they used to pick seeds and fruits, and hunt for food, but like today, they still wanted more. In later years to come, they built houses and farms. People domesticated animals to better assist their work loads. They even improved their use of language, but they still wanted more. Then life began to flourish, and more diverse societies were created. People began conquering the deepest oceans, and the highest mountains, building ships, and finding new land. Still, they wanted more. Then we launched our self into space, and this still wasn’t enough. In today’s society nothing has changed, but our technology advances. The want for â€Å"more† still lives on, the more we refer to as consumerism and todays â€Å"more† limits the everyday us. Today’s society yearns for a different â€Å"m ore†, a more that is not necessarily a need, a more that ends up putting limitation and strain on our daily lives. In Laurence Shames article, The More Factor, he explains how centuries ago, Americans would look for more in two ways. First, setting up desolate towns in the middle of nowhere, and waiting for the return in the real estate, with hopes that soon the railroad construction would barrel its way into that area. The second reason, and the one that has impacted today, would be working under the presumption that America would keep on booming, if not forever (87). These American’s prospection ended up being right in both instances’, causing todays’ people to live in over populated areas, wanting the â€Å"more† in terms of products relating to our technology, other than value like equity or fortune. When we as consumers treat ourselves to the more, we run the risk of setting limitations to our own lives. Instead of decking out the bachelor pad with that 1000 dollar TV, we as American’s could put that money towards some college courses’ to expand our knowledge, or better our future. Instead, we get our enjoyment in that â€Å"more†. We know that these objects are going to lose less than half of their value in a few months. If a young American, who was trying to prosper, were to make this purchase while not in the right financial standing, he would find that he would most likely have to set limitations on his spending to compensate for his purchase. There are many Americans that do this on a regular basis, and more times than not they end up in debt filing for bankruptcy. Even an individual with financial stability, will find himself plagued with the burden of limitation. If this individual sets out to invest his money wisely, once he makes a decision on the route he chooses, he will then set the limitation on where his life is going. Society needs to understand that everyone has limits, and that we set our own limits. In order for one to control or understand his limits, one must understand the difference between prioritizing a want and a need. Also, they should understand that the more you obtain the more limits you are going to create for yourself. An individual may find themselves with the things that they want, but they need to understand that they will have to set limits in order to be able to settle into their next venture in society. In, The More Factor, Shames also explains that, â€Å"In America, a sense of quality has lagged far behind a sense of scale† (88). Meaning that most American’s are trying to get more, and not worrying about the quality they are putting out. This can be seen a lot in inner city areas when it comes to buying, selling, and renting properties. With money tight, and the banks tied up, your finding property buyers trying to get as many cheap homes as possible to turn a bigger profit. Instead these buyers could have a fewer number of h omes, make home revisions and upgrades, increase the property value, and in return better the community and economy. This

ACT Score for the Ivy League Whats the Lowest Score I Can Get in With

What's a Good SAT/ACT Score for the Ivy League What's the Lowest Score I Can Get in With SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you aiming to attend an Ivy League school? What ACT/SAT scores do Ivy League universities- Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Yale- expect? Here, we look at what test scores these eight highly selective schools consider good, as well as what scores are considered borderline. Disclaimer: SAT/ACT Scores Aren't Everything When you apply to an Ivy League school, they'll be looking at many other admission factors beyond just your SAT or ACT score. In fact, if you were to ask any of these schools' directors of admissions whether a perfect score would guarantee you admission, the answer would be a big, fat NO. You need more than a perfect SAT or ACT score to get into an Ivy League school. Ivy League schools look for strong test scores as well as strong recommendations, extracurriculars, and GPAs, which I'll call "Other Factors." If you have a great SAT/ACT score, then you can get away with merely excellent Other Factors. If you're at the bottom of the range, though, you'll definitely need a superstar rating in Other Factors. Keep this in mind as you read this article. Exclusive Free Bonus: Click here to download a free step-by-step guide on finding your personal SAT/ACT score target. Once you go through these steps, you'll know exactly what score you need to aim for. What's a Good SAT/ACT Score for the Ivy League? An SAT score of 1580 (out of 1600) or ACT score of 35 (out of 36) will place you right in the top 25% for most Ivy League schools, whereas an SAT score of 1450 or ACT score of 31 would put you at the boundary of the bottom 25%. Thus, you can interpret your score as follows: 1580 SAT/35 ACT or higher: You don't need to improve your SAT/ACT scores. Work on making sure that you don't have any weaknesses in the rest of your college application. 1450 SAT/31 ACT or lower: Your SAT/ACT score is going to be very limiting. You need to improve your score, and at the same time make sure you have at least one additional super strong component in your college application. Check out our guide on what to do with a low ACT/SAT score for tips. Now, let's look at the 25th and 75th percentile SAT/ACT scores for all Ivy League schools: School Name 75% SAT 25% SAT 75% ACT 25% ACT Harvard 1590 1460 35 32 Yale 1590 1420 35 32 Columbia 1580 1450 35 32 Princeton 1570 1430 35 31 Brown 1570 1410 34 31 Dartmouth 1560 1430 34 30 Penn 1560 1420 35 32 Cornell 1550 1390 34 31 If you're scoring lower than the 25th percentile on either the SAT or ACT, you'll have a really tough time getting accepted to an Ivy League school. Unfortunately, you just won't measure up to all the other highly qualified applicants who have extremely impressive SAT/ACT scores. Clearly, these are very high standards. In fact, all 75th percentile scores for Ivy League schools are in the 99th percentile nationwide. To be at the top of the Ivy League application pool, you will need to be one of the top 1% of test takers in the country! What's a Good SAT/ACT Score for YOU? While these SAT/ACT scores for the Ivy League can be used as standard guidelines, everyone has a different target score. This means that you'll need to know the SAT/ACT score target that's right for you. But how do you figure this out? Your target SAT/ACT score will be based on the colleges you're applying to. You'll need to find the average SAT/ACT scores of admitted students for all the schools you're interested in attending, specifically their 75th percentile scores. Aiming for the 75th percentile will give you the best chance of getting into all the schools on your list. You can find SAT/ACT scores and percentile information for a school by visiting its admission page or by Googling "[School Name] PrepScholar SAT/ACT" For example, if you wanted to know what the average SAT scores for NYU were, you'd Google "NYU PrepScholar SAT." Once you've found these scores for all the schools you're thinking of applying to, find the highest 75th percentile score on your list; that's the goal score you'll be aiming for. For a more in-depth explanation and access to blank charts you can use to keep track of schools' SAT/ACT scores, click the link below and enter your email address- you'll get a free step-by-step guide on how to calculate your personal SAT/ACT goal score. What's Next? Want expert tips on how to get into the Ivy League? Read our famous guide on how to get into Harvard and the Ivy League, written by a Harvard alum. Curious how Ivy League schools compare with one another? Take a look at our in-depth analysis of the Ivy League rankings, and learn what these numbers mean for you. What's a good SAT/ACT score for non-Ivy League schools? Our comprehensive guides explain what good ACT scores and good SAT scores are, depending on the schools you're applying to. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT and ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160+ points or your ACT score by 4+ points. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Argumentative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argumentative - Essay Example Any new idea has excitement that comes with it, (Shelly, and Vermaat 2011, p112). Sometimes this excitement causes people to fail to look into the long-term. Take the internet, for example, the innovation of cruise missiles. Every nation on earth has a mandate to protect her citizens. This mandate includes making the necessary steps to make sure the citizens feel safe enough in the nation. This has caused military, technological advancements to increase. It is disturbing that cruise missiles are made with a human enemy in mind. There is a genuine need for protection. Human to human enmity is not farfetched. That does not change the fact that war anticipation is not peaceful solution. In as much as the protection is beneficial, that protection does not mean that the sanctity of human life be compromised. We see more and more weapons of mass destruction, being made. There are better ways to anticipate peace and keep with world united other that regular tests devastating weapons, (USA C ongress, p16). Technology is celebrated, because it has increase efficiency. Say, for example, in the point above. It is possible to instigate an attack in another country without necessarily being there physically. However, efficiency is not absolute. Efficiency has its place. The solutions that come with technology must reflect the values that protected the lives of those who come up with these technological solutions. In other words, if the technological solution is not pro-life, it then should not be taken in as a solution. The information age is here with us. People can purchase any product while still in their bedrooms. Navigating through a website is the new form of window shopping. Transactions happen at the click of a mouse. This, has been hailed, as a major breakthrough in that it saves time. There is no doubt that online shopping and ecommerce saves time and can be cost effective in that sense. However, the traditional shopping involved a physical interaction with the sel ler, though it was time consuming. The essence of technology is to provide solutions so that life can be bearable and there can be happiness. However, the physical interaction with a buyer has no substitute. It seems that technology has lessened the value of human to human interaction, (Graham, 2008). The earlier people leave each other the more convenient’ the deal was. It seems we are witnessing a culture where humans are working hard for less interactions and more centered achievements. The faster the egocentric desires, are met, the more convenient life is to us. All this, is done in anticipation that the world shall become a better place. However, the world is experiencing the highest suicide rate ever. Even the most services have been digitized, people are losing hope. There are many and numerous instances where technology has led to saving lives. Take for instance, the discovery of better intensive care unit systems and strong vaccines. Such discoveries have led to sav ing lives. The problem is technological convenience in the world does not translate into solutions or personal happiness. Rather, there are many instances that technology has proved to be more harmful that useful. When internet, was launched, there was a lot of hope that communication world be fast, and that international boundaries would be surpassed. Indeed the internet

International Politics Explain why foreign aid does not work as Essay

International Politics Explain why foreign aid does not work as intended in Competitive, Individualistic, Cooperative views - Essay Example Many scholars have formulated views on why foreign aid is a venture doomed to fail. We examine the prospect using the competitive, individualistic and competitive views. The competitive view states that nations use foreign aid as a means of gaining political and economic advantage over other nations. What drives them is the desire to polarize power towards them. We can find many examples of this in history. The Cold War saw the Soviet Union and the United States pouring out aid to countries who pledge allegiance to them. Cuba saw crude oil worth billions of dollars coming from the USSR with the agreement that they let USSR build missile silos directed against major cities of the United States. The United States was also guilty of buying out allegiances such as pre-war Vietnam and the Philippines. Foreign aid fails to fulfill its function of helping others because allegiances imply certain trade-offs. Trade liberalization, for example, opens up the poor country's market to the donor. What happens is that the local industry fails to grow because they can't compete with the highly mechanized firms of the donor. Donors would also require that the poor c ountry direct majority of its export destinations to them and prohibit them from doing any kind of business with the other 'competitors'.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Leadership - Essay Example The proposed steps for this leadership plan are as follows: (a) Appoint an IT strategy team consisting of a Head of the group, a head of IT and at least three project development managers. This team should solicit ideas from team members and employees as well as focus groups on how the IT department’s performance can be improved. On the basis of these suggestions, revisions can be made to an existing plan on an annual basis. These revisions can also take into account the results derived from implementation of the Plan in the previous year and the loopholes or failures identified. (b) Incorporate measures in the Plan to prevent business failure. According to Pabrai (2004), a Disaster recovery Plan sets out the procedures to be followed in the event of errors caused by humans, environmental failures and natural disasters. Errors caused due to humans would also include failures and losses caused to the business due to terrorist attacks, while losses of data resulting from power outages and network failures could be classed as environmental failures. Losses to the business caused by natural events could include hurricanes, floods and similar natural calamities. Including a Disaster recovery element within the Plan would ensure that the Plan lays out specific procedures to tackle any of the above calamities. This would help the business to be prepared, so that employees are aware of procedures to be followed in tackling any emergencies and losses to the business can be minimized. Leadership has traditionally been associated with management, but this may not necessarily represent an accurate view because managers think incrementally while leaders think radically. Moreover, leadership involves a transformation in individuals, according to Spencer, â€Å"â€Å"transformational leadership is a process that changes and transforms individuals†. (Spencer 1).

Determination of Partition Coefficient

Determination of Partition Coefficient

Compare Nuclear Fusion vs. Nuclear Fission :: comparison compare contrast essays

Compare Nuclear Fusion vs. Nuclear Fission    Nuclear energy must be a consideration for the future with the rapidly depleting supply of fossil fuels. This type of energy can be created through nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy atom into two or more parts, releasing huge amounts of energy. The release of energy can be controlled and captured for generating electricity. Nuclear fusion involves bombarding hydrogen atoms together to form helium. In the long run, nuclear fusion has greater potential than fission.    Cost and availability of fuel is a considerable factor when dealing with nuclear power. Fission requires an element that can be easily split in a particle accelerator, such as uranium or plutonium. Fusion, on the other hand, uses isotopes of hydrogen atoms, specifically deuterium and tritium, that can be obtained from ordinary water. Uranium ores occur naturally in many parts of the world but must go through a costly purification process before used as fuel. The unprocessed ore contains approximately 99.3% uranium-238, a non-fissionable isotope of uranium, and only about 0.7% of U-235 required for fission. One hydrogen atom out of 6700 appears as deuterium, a naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen with an extra neutron, and can easily be separated from the rest. Uranium-235 is a non-renewable resource that will eventually run out, much like the fossil fuels. The abundance of deuterium and lithium provide a virtually unlimited supply of fuel for nuclear fusion. Therefore, nuclear fusion seems to be the better choice.    Second, the potential amount of energy produced by fusion can greatly outweigh the fission. Initially, there are some disadvantages to fusion. The time and money required to develop technology needed to initiate, contain, and sustain a profitable fusion reaction is costly, but the development is still in its early stages and will continue to advance through the next century. Fission readily creates a chain reaction which must be slowed through use of a moderator to avoid core meltdown, while fusion can only be accomplished at temperatures similar to the centre of stars, about 100 million degrees celsius. The components used in fusion exist in the form of plasma where atoms are divided into electrons and nuclei.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 14

I woke the next morning and stretched my arms outward, dejected when I touched nothing but goose-down pillows. A slight indentation in the mattress next to me was the only proof that what had happened had been real, and not one of the fever dreams I'd been having since Rosalyn's death. Of course, I couldn't expect Katherine to have spent the night with me. Not with her maid waiting at the carriage house, and not with the way the servants talked. She'd told me herself that this had to be our secret, that she couldn't risk ruining her reputation. Not that she had to worry about that. I wanted us to have our own secret world, together. I wondered when she'd slipped away, remembering the feeling of her in my arms, a warmth and lightness I'd never felt before. I felt whole, and at peace, and the thoughtof Rosalyn was just a vague memory, a character in an unpleasant story that I'd simply put out of my mind. Now my mind was consumed with thoughts of Katherine: how she pulled the curtains closed as the summer storm pelted hail on the windows, how she'd allowed my hands to explore her exquisite body. At one point, I was caressing her neck when my hands fell on the clasp of the ornate blue cameo necklace she always wore. I began to unclasp it when Katherine had roughly pushed me away. â€Å"Don't!† she'd said sharply, her hands flying to the clasp, making sure nothing had been disturbed. But then, once she patted the charm into place on the hollow of her neck, she'd resumed kissing me. I blushed as I remembered all the other places she did allow me to touch. I swung my legs out of bed, walked toward the hand basin, and splashed water on my face. I looked in the mirror and smiled. The dark circles were gone from my eyes, and it no longer felt like an effort to walk from one side of the room to the other. I changed into my waistcoat and dark-blue breeches and left the chambers humming. â€Å"Sir?† Alfred asked on the stairs. He was holding a silver-domed platter–my breakfast. My lip curled in disgust. How could I have lain in bed for an entire week when there was a whole world to discover with Katherine? â€Å"I'm quite well, thank you, Alfred,† I said as I took the stairs two at a time. The storm from last night had disappeared as quickly as it came. In the sunroom, the early-morning light was sparkling through the floor-to- ceiling windows, and the table was decorated with freshly cut daisies. Damon was already there, drinking a mug of coffee while flipping through the morning paper from Richmond. â€Å"Hello, brother!† Damon said, holding up his coffee mug as if he were toasting me. â€Å"My, you look well. Did our afternoon ride do you some good, after all?† I nodded and sat opposite him, glancing at the headlines on the paper. The Union had taken Fort Morgan. I wondered where exactly that was. â€Å"I don't know why we even get the paper. It's not like Father cares about anything except the stories he makes up in his head,† Damon said disgustedly. â€Å"If you hate it here so much, why don't you just leave?† I asked, suddenly annoyed with Damon's constant grumbling. Maybe it would be better if he were gone, so that Father wouldn't be so frustrated. An odious voice in the back of my mind silently added, And so I don't have to think about you and Katherine, swinging on the porch swing together. Damon raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't say things were interesting here.† His lips curved in a private sort of smile that made me suddenly want to grab his shoulders and shake him. The force of my emotions surprised me, so much so that I had to sit down and shove into my mouth a muffin from the overflowing basket on the table. I'd never felt jealous of my brother before, but suddenly I was dying to know: Had Katherine ever snuck up to his bedroom? She couldn't have. Last night, she'd seemed so nervous about getting caught, having me promise over and over again that I'd never breathe a word to anybody about what we'd done. Betsy, the cook, came in, her arms laden with plates of grits, bacon, and eggs. My stomach rumbled, and I realized I was starving. I quickly tucked in, reveling in the saltiness of the eggs combined with the sweet bitterness of my coffee. It was as if I'd never tasted breakfast before and my senses were finally awakened. I sighed in contentment, and Damon looked up in amusement. â€Å"I knew all you needed was some fresh air and good food,† Damon said. And Katherine, I thought. â€Å"Now let's go outside and cause some trouble.† Damon smiled wickedly. â€Å"Father's in his study, doing his demon studies. Do you know he even has Robert in on it?† Damon shook his head in disgust. I sighed. While I didn't necessarily believe all the discussion about demons, I did respect Father enough to not make fun of his thoughts. It made me feel vaguely disloyal to hear Damon's dismissal of him. â€Å"I'm sorry, brother.† Damon shook his head and scraped his chair back against the slate floor. â€Å"I know you don't like it when Father and I fight.† He walked over to me, pulling out my chair from under me, almost causing me to fall. I scrambled to my feet and good-naturedly shoved him back. â€Å"That's better!† Damon called with glee. â€Å"Now, let's go!† He ran out the back door, letting the door slam shut. Cordelia used to scream at us for that offense as children, and I laughed when I heard her familiar groan from the kitchen. I ran toward the center of the lawn, where Damon had unearthed the oblong ball we'd been tossing two weeks before. â€Å"Here, brother! Catch!† Damon panted, and I turned and leapt into the air, just in time to catch the pigskin in my arms. I pulled it tightly to my chest and began running toward the stable, the wind whipping my face. â€Å"Y boys!† a voice called, stopping me in my ou tracks. Katherine was standing on the porch of the carriage house, wearing a simple, cream-colored muslin dress and looking so innocent and sweet that I couldn't believe that what happened last night wasn't a dream. â€Å"Burning off excess energy? â€Å" I sheepishly turned around and walked toward the porch. â€Å"Playing catch!† I explained, hastily throwing the ball to Damon. Katherine reached behind her, braiding her curls down the back of her neck. I had a sudden fear that she thought we were tiresome with our childish game and that she'd come out here to scold us for waking her so early. But she simply smiled as she settled on the porch swing. â€Å"Are you ready to play?† Damon called from his position on the lawn. He held the ball far back behind his head as if he were about to throw it toward her. â€Å"Absolutely not.† Katherine wrinkled her nose. â€Å"Once was enough. Besides, I feel people who need props for their games and sports are lacking in imagination.† â€Å"Stefan has imagination.† Damon smirked. â€Å"Y should hear him read poetry. He's like a ou troubadour.† He dropped the ball and ran toward the porch. â€Å"Damon has imagination. too. Y should see ou the imaginative way he plays cards,† I teased as I reached the steps of the porch. Katherine nodded at me as I bowed to her but didn't make any other effort to greet me. I stepped back, momentarily stung. Why hadn't she at least given me her hand to kiss? Hadn't last night meant anything to her? † I am imaginative, especially when I have a muse.† Damon winked at Katherine, then stepped in front of me to grab her hand. He brought it to his lips, and my stomach churned. â€Å"Thank you,† Katherine said, standing up and walking down the porch steps, her simple skirts swishing down the stairs. With her hair pulled back from her eyes, she reminded me of an angel. She gave me a secret smile, and finally I relaxed. â€Å"It's beautiful here,† Katherine said, spreading her arms as if blessing the entire estate. â€Å"Will you show me around?† she asked, turning and glancing first at Damon, then at me, then back at Damon again. â€Å"I've lived here for more than two weeks, and I've barely seen anything besides my bedchambers and the gardens. I want to see something new. Something secret!† â€Å"We have a maze,† I said stupidly. Damon elbowed me in the ribs. Not like he had anything better to say. â€Å"I know,† Katherine said. â€Å"Damon showed me.† My stomach fell at the reminder of how much time the two of them had spent together in the week I was in my sickbed. And if he'd shown her the maze †¦ But I pushed the thought out of my head as best I could. Damon had always told me about all the women he'd kissed, ever since we were thirteen and he and Amelia Hawke had kissed on the Wickery Bridge. If he had kissed Katherine, I would have heard about it. â€Å"I'd love to see it again,† Katherine said, clapping her hands together as if I'd just told her the most interesting news in the world. â€Å"Will you both escort me?† she asked hopefully, glancing at us. â€Å"Of course,† we said at the same time. â€Å"Oh, wonderful! I must tell Emily.† Katherine dashed inside, leaving us standing on opposite ends of the stairs. â€Å"She's quite a woman, isn't she?† Damon asked. â€Å"She is,† I said shortly. Before I could say anything else, Katherine came bounding down the stairs, holding a sun umbrella in one hand. â€Å"I'm ready for our adventure!† she cried, handing me her parasol, an expectant look on her face. I hooked it over the crook of my arm, while Katherine linked arms with Damon. I walked a few feet behind, watching the easy way their hips bumped each other, as if she were simply his younger, teasing sister. I relaxed. That was it. Damon was always protective and was simply being a big brother to Katherine. And she needed that. I whistled under my breath as I followed them. We had a small labyrinth in the front garden, but the maze on the far corner of the property was expansive, built from a boggy marsh by my father, who had been determined to impress our mother. She'd loved to garden and had always bemoaned the fact that the flowers that bloomed in her native France simply couldn't withstand the hard Virginia soil. The area always smelled of roses and clematis and was always the first place couples would retreat to when they wanted to be alone at a Veritas party. The servants had superstitions about the maze: that a child conceived in the maze would be blessed for life, that if you kissed your true love in the center of the maze, you'd be bonded for life, but that if you told a lie while within its walls, you'd be cursed forever. Today it felt almost magical: The arbors and vines provided shade from the sun, making it seem that the three of us were in an enchanted world together–away from death and war. â€Å"It's even more beautiful than I remembered!† Katherine explained. â€Å"It's like a storybook. Like the Luxembourg Gardens or the Palace of Versailles!† She plucked a calla lily and inhaled deeply. I paused and glanced at her. â€Å"Y ou've been to Europe, then?† I asked, feeling as provincial as any of the country bumpkins who lived in the shanty town on the other side of Mystic Falls, the ones who pronounced the word creek like crick and who already had four or five children by the time they were our age. â€Å"I've been everywhere,† Katherine said simply. She tucked the lily behind her ear. â€Å"So, tell me, boys, how did you amuse yourselves when you didn't have a mysterious stranger to impress with a tour of your grounds?† â€Å"We entertain pretty young things with real Southern hospitality.† Damon smirked, falling into his overdone accent that always made me laugh. Katherine rewarded him with a giggle, and I smiled. Now that I saw Damon and Katherine's flirtatious friendship as being as innocent as the relationship of cousins, I could enjoy their banter. â€Å"Damon's right. Our Founders Ball is just a few weeks away,† I said, my spirits lifting as I realized that I was free to go to the ball with whoever I pleased. I couldn't wait to twirl Katherine in my arms. â€Å"And you'll be the prettiest girl. Even the girls from Richmond and Charlottesville will be jealous!† Damon pronounced. â€Å"Really? Why, I think I should like that. Is that wicked of me?† Katherine asked, glancing from Damon to me. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Y Damon said at the same time. â€Å"And I, for es,† one, think more girls should admit their wicked natures. After all, we all know the fairer sex has a dark side. Remember when Clementine cut off Amelia's hair?† Damon turned toward me. â€Å"Y es,† I chuckled, happy to play the role of storyteller for Katherine's amusement. â€Å"Clementine thought Amelia was being too forward with Matthew Hartnett, and since Clem fancied him, she decided she'd take it in her own hands to make Amelia less attractive.† Katherine put her hand over her mouth in a gesture of exaggerated concern. â€Å"I do hope poor Amelia's recovered.† â€Å"She's engaged to some soldier. Don't worry about her,† Damon said. â€Å"In fact, you shouldn't worry about anything. Y ou're far too pretty.† â€Å"Well, I am worried about one thing.† Katherine widened her eyes. â€Å"Who shall escort me to the ball?† She swung her parasol back and forth on her arm as she gazed at the ground, as if thinking through a deep decision. My heart quickened as she looked up at both of us. â€Å"I know! Let's have a race. Winner may get to take me!† She threw her parasol on the ground and ran off to the center of the maze. â€Å"Brother?† Damon asked, raising an eyebrow at me. â€Å"Ready?† I smiled, as if this were just a casual children's footrace. I didn't want Damon to know how fast my heart was beating, and how very much I wanted to catch Katherine. â€Å"Go!† Damon yelled. Immediately I began running. My hands and legs flailed, and I propelled myself into the maze. When we were in school, I was the fastest boy in the class, lightning quick when the school bell rang. Then I heard peals of laughter. I glanced back. Damon was doubled up over himself, slapping his knee. I gulped air, trying not to seem winded. â€Å"Scared to compete?† I said, running back and slugging Damon on the shoulder. I'd meant it to be a playful punch, but it landed with a heavy thud. â€Å"Oh, now we're on, brother!† Damon said, his voice light and full of laughter. He grabbed my shoulders and wrestled me easily to the ground. I struggled to my feet and tackled him, throwing him onto his back and pinning down his wrists. â€Å"Think you can still lick your little brother?† I teased, enjoying my momentary victory. â€Å"No one came for me!† Katherine pouted, wandering out of the maze. Her frown quickly turned into a smile as she saw us on the ground, breathing heavily. â€Å"Good thing I'm here to save you both.† She knelt and pressed her lips first to Damon's cheek, then to mine. I released Damon's wrists and stood up, wiping the dirt off my breeches. â€Å"See?† she asked, as she offered an arm to Damon. â€Å"All you need is a kiss to make everything better–although you boys shouldn't be such brutes with each other.† â€Å"We were fighting for you,† Damon said lazily, not bothering to stand up. Just then, the sound of horses' hooves interrupted us. Alfred dismounted his horse and bowed to the three of us. It must have been a sight: Damon lying on the ground, resting his head on his hand as if he were simply reclining, me frantically brushing grass stains off my trousers, and Katherine standing between us, looking amused. â€Å"I'm sorry to interrupt,† Alfred said. â€Å"But Master Giuseppe needs to speak to Master Damon. It's urgent.† â€Å"Of course it is. Everything is always urgent for Father. What do you bet he has another ridiculous theory he needs to discuss?† Damon said. Katherine lifted her parasol from the ground. â€Å"I should get going, too. I'm all disheveled, and I'm due to visit with Pearl at the apothecary.† â€Å"Come,† Alfred said, gesturing for Damon to jump onto the back of his horse. As Alfred and Damon rode away, Katherine and I slowly walked back to the carriage house. I wanted to bring up the Founders Ball again but found myself afraid to do so. â€Å"Y don't need to keep pace with me. ou Perhaps you should keep your brother company,† Katherine suggested. â€Å"It seems that your father is a man who's best taken on by two,† she observed. Her hand brushed my own and she grabbed my wrist. Then she stepped on her tiptoes and allowed her lips to graze my cheek. â€Å"Come see me tonight, sweet Stefan. My chambers will be open.† And with that, she broke off into a spirited run. She was like a colt, galloping free, and I felt my heart gallop along with her. There was no question: She felt the same way I did. And knowing that made me feel more alive than I ever had in my life.