Monday, September 30, 2019

Travel Writing Coursework

The Volvo estate came slowly to a halt outside a boarded up old farm house. A middle aged man and three adolescents clambered out the car to be met by the fresh rural air. The sun shone brightly onto them as they examined the landscape. They were surrounded by fields with a long gravel path lying behind them. They all took a corner and hoisted the khaki Canadian canoe from the top of the estate then carefully lay it on the grass beside them. One of the boys asked the man which way they were going and he replied by pointing down the gravely path which slowly merged into woodland in the distance. The man locked up the car checking it again by pulling the handle and gestured to his son to help lift the canoe. They lifted it up with a heave and began to carry down the path and into the woodland followed by the boys two friends. The cows grazing in the field opposite the farmhouse mooed as they continued down the path. The four of them took turns in helping carry the canoe. The woodland became more thick and the stinging netals brushed at there bare ankles. The bushes and trees were littered with beer cans and plastic bags left by youths. The mans son considered what this was doing to the animals habitat and felt a slight sense of guilt as he new he had done exactly the same in the past. The sound of the river became clearer and the forest came to a ‘T' junction . The man led the way with the canoe and took the right turning. After about a hundred yards they came to a stop carefully placing the boat on the ground again. Before them lay the river. Three or four anglers stood at the side of the bank, one of them acknowledging them by saying what a lovely summer's day it was. The man was a keen fisherman himself and asked if the other man had caught anything. He replied by shaking his head he said ‘The fish don't like warm weather'. The rivers are far too over fished he thought to himself, it's such a shame that some of the rarer fish were dying out. He then shook his head and told the boys to sit in the boat. They did so and he pushed the boat with his might into the murky green water. The boat wobbled about and then stabilized itself, the boys pulling it to the side. The boys laughed nervously. The man then wobbled the boat vigorously to show that it would take a lot to tip it over, the boys shouting at him to stop. He laughed and stopped. Then he handed the boys their paddles and gave them a few last words of advice. The boys waved him goodbye and he shouted at them to ring him when they wanted picking up. They were on their own now, at one with nature. They directed the boat round the first corner past a few branches in the water. Reeds grew either side of the river and made their path very narrow. The boys struggled to direct the boat around the winding corners trying not to crash into the reeds around them. Bracken and stinging netals were visibly close up ahead and the man's son told them to go straight through the middle as they lay either side sprouting through the reeds. The larger of his two of his friends began to paddle without informing the other one and the boat headed straight into the bracken and netals. They all panicked shouting not to tip the boat over. The boat went straight into the side and they were all stung and pricked by the thorns but the boat stayed stable and they sighed with relief. The river opened up and the banks became wider and had no reeds or bracken at the side. They relaxed and let the river drift the boat down stream by itself. The boys basked in the sun and chatted about football and women. Floating on the waters surface lay more cans of beer bobbing up and down. The larger boy contemplated the reason why these people just through their litter into the river. He came to the conclusion that it was a mixture of laziness and thoughtlessness. He pondered what the effect the beer had on the water and what an animal would do if it became trapped in one of the cans. He was snapped out of his thoughts by a hissing swan and the shouts of his friend as he politely told it to go away. His friend slapped his paddle at it as the other two rowed the canoe away from the animal. They all relaxed again as the swan disappeared back into the distance. Everything was calm again and the boy that had swung his paddle at the swan was now happy. A big white boat was now coming at them head on and the boys swerved the boat around it like an adder through water. They boy thought what the fumes coming of the back of the white boat would be doing to the water. He thought of how the fish were being poisoned and the air around the river was being turned into the kind of warm hazy air you'd expect in a city centre. The boat drew closer to its destination and one of the boys asked a walker on the bank if they new how far it would be to the pub. ‘Just around the corner' they answered and the boys thanked them and were happy they were nearly. They paddled the boat around the corner and the pub came into sight. They approached it slowly scanning the bank for a place to park the boat. They spotted a gap in between a large patch of reeds and paddled into it. The boy at the front climbed out first followed by the man's son and the tall boy. They all grabbed a section of the boat and yanked it as hard as possible out the water and onto the bank. They lifted the boat of the ground and made the short walk with it to the pub. They sat down in a heap off exhaustion on one of the wooden tables outside the pub. They ordered a plate off chips and reviewed their hard days work. The plate was empty and the boy's dad had arrived to take them home. They placed the canoe on top of the car again and strapped it in place. They all got inside the car and the boy's dad had asked if had went well. They all agree it had been a good laugh and it was a lot of fun. In front of them a man opened his window and dropped out a hand full of rubbish. The boys all thought to themselves what were we doing to the environment and how we were ruining it for our next generations and animals. The car drove off and the boys sat there in silence just thinking.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Cloud of Sparrows Short Summary Review

Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka 1. The book takes place in 1861, after Perry opens the door to Japan. After centuries of isolation, Japan is lagging behind in ways of science and weaponry. The main character, Lord Genji, is Lord of the Okumichi Clan. He and his family are cursed with visions of the future. His uncle, Lord Shigeru, sees the coming bloodshed and massacre in Japan’s future and slaughters his wife and children to prevent them from suffering through it. Heiko, another character, is a ninja who masquerades as a geisha. She falls in love with Genji, and later confesses to him.He explains that he already knew of her dubious nature and returns her love. Though later, after learning of her irredeemable origins, Genji can no longer feel the same toward her and sends her to America. Brother Zephaniah is a priest wishing to save the â€Å"crude heathens,† but dies shortly after arriving from a gunshot meant for Genji. Emily, an American missionary engaged to h im, is running away from her destructive beauty to Japan, where she is thought of as repulsive. She felt no feelings of love toward him, but agreed to the proposal because he protected her from the horrible men who sought to ake advantage of her. Stark accompanies Emily and Zephaniah, but instead of hoping to spread the â€Å"True Word,† he is after revenge. He is in pursuit of Ethan Cruz, who murdered his beloved Mary Anne and her two daughters. Ethan murdered them because Stark murdered his father-like mentor who ran the whorehouse when he wouldn’t let Mary Anne leave. Kawakami is Genji’s enemy and despises him above all things. He takes great pleasure in knowing what others do not. They are enemies because years ago, there was a great battle at Sekigahara and their families were on opposite sides. Both sides re convinced the battle is not truly over and seek to eliminate each other completely. Genji takes the missionaries into his care in the capital of Edo, but when foreign ships fire on Edo, they travel to the well-fortified Cloud of Sparrows castle. 2. Shigeru has visions of the coming bloodshed and mutilation of Japan. This takes place before the wars and defeat of Japan by the British and later, the Russians. I was surprised by the loyalty the characters exemplified, and how easily they shed the blood of those they had known for years. 3. The author is trying to show how honorable Japan was, and how tragic the all of the old ways. He wanted the reader to understand how the Japanese felt and thought, and what a dramatic effect the introduction of guns had on their society. He wanted the reader to feel the depressing sadness and most of all, the painful loss of centuries of history and tradition. I feel that he conveyed this very well. I really cared about the characters and genuinely wanted them to prevail and maintain their way of life, so it was really hard for me to know that in the end, no matter what, history would remain the s ame. They would be defeated, and their country would forever change.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Observation and survey of 5 resturants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Observation and survey of 5 resturants - Essay Example The restaurants are inclusive of; Firehouse Restaurant, La Madeleine, Panera Bread, Maggiano’s Little Italy as well as the Tavern at Phipps et cetera. These restaurants exhibit different trends in the manner of their operations as discussed below: Each restaurant basically focuses on a special menu to different customers; the menus may be offered on a daily basis while others may be provided upon a customer’s request. For instance: The Firehouse restaurant menu, exhibits a seasonal feature although it frequently rotates; the main menu comprises a mixture of contemporary dishes and homely styles such as parsley and nutmeg. It also offers extensive collection of wine and specialized cuisines that are prepared in a unique way. The organization of the menu is also in a manner that ensures that customers are provided with a variety of option in a language that can be easily understood. In the La Madeleine Restaurant, the menu exhibits an excellent presentation and comprises a mixture of French and American Tastes. Located in Atlanta, it also offers a relaxing atmosphere to the customers. The menus are complete as they provide a variety of bakery products and are written in English for better comprehension among the customer s. Additionally, the provision of special menus is also exhibited in the Panera Bread Restaurant which offers specially baked cakes such as the Panini and the New Roasted Turkey. At Panera Bread Restaurant, the menus offered also features reasonable pricing and complete offers that are updated year round. Maggiano’s Little Italy also offers specialized Italian dishes with a combination of American-Italian Flavor; non-alcoholic beverages are also offered to their customers. The menu is also presented in manner that offers a family styled lunch as well as dinners featured by three various options to be served on each table. This trend extends to the Tavern at Phipps restaurant which offers Low Country

Friday, September 27, 2019

History Of Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History Of Human Rights - Essay Example Westminster School and at the age of twelve was sent off to Oxford (Queen's College). From 1763, he studied law at Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar in 1772. Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher and political radical. Although he never practiced law, he spent most of his life critiquing the existing law and strongly advocating legal reform. Bentham is primarily known today for his moral philosophy, especially his principle of utilitarianism which evaluates actions based upon their consequences, in particular the overall happiness created for everyone affected by the action. He maintained that putting this principle into consistent practice would provide justification for social, political, and legal institutions. Although Bentham's influence was minor during his life, his impact was greater in later years as his ideas were carried on by followers such as John Stuart Mill, John Austin, and other consequentialists.During 1776, Bentham brought out his first major work, A Frag ment on Government.3 It was about this time, too, that Bentham was to become a friend with a powerful lord, Lord Shelburne (1737-1805). Apparently, through the auspices of Lord Shelburne, Bentham was able to take time, to travel and to write. He [Bentham] has lived for the last f... His eye is quick and lively; but it glances not from object to object, but from thought to thought. He is evidently a man occupied with some train of fine and inward association. He regards the people about him no more than the flies of summer. He meditates the coming age. He hears and sees only what suits his purpose, or some 'foregone conclusion'; and looks out for facts and passing occurrences in order to put them into his logical machinery and grind them into the dust and powder of some subtle theory, as the miller looks out for grist to his mill!" (William Hazlitt.) Bentham's Philosophy Jeremy Bentham figured that laws should be socially useful and not merely reflect the status quo; and, that while he believed that men inevitably pursue pleasure and avoid pain, Bentham thought it to be a "sacred truth" that "the greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation." Bentham supposed that the whole of morality could be derived from "enlightened self-interest," and that a person who always acted with a view to his own maximum satisfaction in the long run would always act rightly. Bentham is to be compared to William Godwin: they resembled one another in their "blind contempt for the past." While each preached the need for nonviolent revolution, each had a different following. Bentham's revolution was to be effected by legislation, Godwin's by argument. French Revolution:- The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a pivotal period in the history of French, European and Western civilization. During this time, republicanism replaced the absolute monarchy in France, and the country's Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo a radical restructuring. While France would oscillate among republic, empire, and

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Retailers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Retailers - Essay Example : 1). The Giant Coca-Cola Bottle on Nanjing Road magazine ad is a particular example of trying to penetrate another type of audience, which the company has not entered in the past. It is a common rationale for big and small retailers to gain more market share and bigger income by coming up with advertisements that can draw consumer attention to their respective products (Making Sense of Advertisements- What is the Ad Trying to Do?: 1). While most of the advertisements by Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper have achieved the goals they were created for, some magazine ads by the said companies however were not effective; like the Coca-Cola â€Å"Surfer† Advertisement, the Coca-Cola â€Å"Lemon† Advertisement, the Pepsi â€Å"Lemon Twist† Advertisement, the Pepsi â€Å"Climbing† Advertisement, the Dr. Pepper Iron Man 2 Cans and the Dr. Pepper Free 20oz. at Murphy USA Advertisement. The Coca-Cola â€Å"Surfer† and â€Å"Lemon† Advertisements lack col or and the designs were mediocre; not enough to have an impact to inspire interest. On the other hand, the Pepsi â€Å"Lemon Twist† and â€Å"Climbing† advertisements are both gross and mind-boggling respectively. Such ads make the consumer wonder unnecessarily what the ads mean in connection with the product. The Dr. Pepper Iron Man 2 Cans and Free 20oz.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Importance Of Nursing Communication Skills Essay

Importance Of Nursing Communication Skills - Essay Example Haag-Heltman, B. and George, V. (2010, p.15) cited the purpose to be â€Å"an ethical framework from which all other standards might flow.† That framework included relationships between nurses and patients, between nurses and the medical profession, between nurses and allied professions, relationships among nurses, aside from the relationship of a nurse to the nursing industry. Effective communication will be the means to achieving good relationships in order to achieve the goal of quality health care and safety, As a matter of fact, Webb, L. (2011, p.3) emphasized the importance of communications to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of UK by stating that NMC 2010 considers communication as â€Å"one of the essential skills that students must acquire in order to make progress through their education and training to become qualified nurses†. It is in itself a part of the therapeutic process whenever proper communications are done. And this is because of the many benefits a patient can derive out of the effective communication of a nurse. Among these benefits, Webb, Lucy (2010) listed (a) the opportunity for patients to become open in expressing themselves to let nurses know about their emotional and physical needs, (b) the winning of patient involvement by encouraging them to ask questions in order to eventually arrive at quality care, (c) the empowerment of patients to have some control over the process of recovery, and (d) facilitation of patient compliance as a result of gainin g trust and confidence, and more. III. Active Listening Theories and Practices Wolvin, A.D. (2011, p.19) discussed an â€Å"Engagement Theory of Learning† which implies the presence of an active listener’s willingness to listen. This is assumed often when two people are communicating. And because a human being is rational, there are reasons why persons become willing enough to actively listen. That theory highlights the importance of willingness to li

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Resistance to Civil Government by Henry David Thoreau Research Paper

Resistance to Civil Government by Henry David Thoreau - Research Paper Example In this case, the society is responsible for choosing the leaders. The leaders have a responsibility to ensure the people are protected at all times. In this case, the government should only engage in activities that are to the interest of the people and not otherwise. In the case, the government is not doing what it ought to do, the society has the right to disobey the government and even oust that particular government and elect leaders they believe would look after their interests. Thoreau is one of the people who were not afraid to do civil disobedience. He refused to pay taxes to the government because it was involved in activities that do not support the principles of a good government. The American government-supported slavery and was also involved in war with Mexico because of Texas. In Thoreau’s view, the American government was on the wrong. He questioned whether governments really do what they ought to do with the taxes they raise. Do they finance the good or the ba d? Supporting oppressing activities like slavery indicated to Thoreau that the American government was probably not doing the right thing and was not using the money well (Thoreau 25). According to him, taxes should not be paid to the national government if they have to be paid. Instead, they should be paid to the local community that would be responsible for the improvement of the infrastructure and amenities in the local region. Thoreau also states that the government should be keen to listen to the people it rules. In the case, issues are raised, the government should communicate back and address the issues raised. Thoreau claimed that there were many people against slavery and Mexican war yet the government did nothing. If the American government was really concerned about Americans and operated as per the philosophy, then it should have listened to the people and stopped slavery and the Mexican War (Thoreau 29). Thoreau was categorical that people should be very careful with th eir perspectives on the government. He argues that supporting government is a good thing but should only be supported if it democratic and just. On the other hand, supporting a government that is not just or good is in fact, committing a crime. According to Thoreau, unjust government is known to commit many criminals’ activities like slavery in the United States and Mexican war or oppressing the minorities. People supporting unjust government are also involved in criminal activities indirectly. This can make a person to have a heavy burden on the wrong doings and injustices the government does. Thoreau stated that he could not recognize his government which he termed as slave government as it perpetrated slavery. He is categorical that supporting a government does not necessary mean proclaiming allegiance to the government. Rather, it involves supporting the government through taxes. Thoreau questioned whether the government really uses the money for a good course using the M exican war as an example. Money was spent in the war and it was from the taxes the good citizens of the country had paid. Not supporting the government would be to stop paying taxes, which would otherwise be used for the wrong reasons. Soldiers and other people, that are the machinery to execute the unjust activities, should refuse to work for the government (Thoreau 57). While this has not happened in many countries, some governments have worked to ensure that the interests of the people are addressed accordingly. On the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Employment loyalty on rhythm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employment loyalty on rhythm - Essay Example I am very interested to find out what drives employee loyalty and commitment considering the fact that the company and its sector are at a disadvantage in the areas of stability, resources, among other advantages that bigger companies enjoy. Rabin (2003) extensively discussed loyalty and its effect on organizational behavior. According to him, along with the identification with an organization, employee loyalty represents an individual and psychological bond between an employee and an organization. (p. 867) That is why it is pivotal in overall strategy of companies to produce value for consumers, achieve competitive advantage and, eventually, achieve profitability. Needless to say, such fact has driven numerous studies and research. As a result, the corpus of literature on the subject is quite extensive and comprehensive. Specifically, the subjects include works about how employee loyalty contributes to an organizations’ competitiveness, how it reflects the organization, measurement and evaluation of employee loyalty, among other issues. Some of the studies undertaken in regard to employee loyalty that are relevant in this paper’s objectives are outlined below: 1. Swayne, Duncan and Ginter (2006) explained how employee loyalty could determine the kind of culture and values an organization has. According to him, this aspect helps consumers determine whether the firm has an outstanding quality in service delivery because loyal employees mean companies who know how to value people. (p. 185) Loveman (1998) used the service profit chain framework in his effort to link employee satisfaction and loyalty to customer satisfaction and financial performance. The author underscored that the framework hypothesized relationships between employee, customer and financial outcomes. The emphasis on these three elements makes this framework an interesting resource for

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Ethical Dilemma Executive Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Dilemma Executive Summary - Essay Example It is something which is very common in public sector and law enforcement firms, yet as a responsible citizen and police officer it is my duty to take necessary actions to stop this practice. As I am transferred to the current police department only recently, I must not show impatience in reporting the misconduct done by any colleague/police officer. I will secretly collect necessary facts and gather the past records of that officer on my own. I will wait till the time I have strong evidence that supports my claim. However, since that officer has strong connections and has established goodwill and PR among influential people while on the other hand, I have not yet built the integrity and trust which is required to challenge an experienced officer. Therefore, in this case I have several options: I will find out the name and designation of his immediate supervisor or the person whom he reports to; and I will quietly collect his/her views about bribery. I can send an anonymous letter to the internal affairs office of the police department which is responsible to carry out investigation about any misconduct or police abuse. Many countries have state police posts that can be used to report the cases of corruption. However, in case there is extreme violation of law, I will have to take serious actions by reporting anonymously to public safety board which deals with officer’s disciplinary actions and police corruption. Otherwise, I will try to find local FBI near my department from their official website i.e. http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm. If the issue is not yet resolved then I will write an anonymous letter to the editor of the local newspaper and will send him/her the police disciplinary records because when media is involved serious efforts are made by concerned authorities to investigate the claims of corruption and breach of employment code of conduct. The professional implications of police reporting can be very serious especially when one is repo rting against some big fishes of the police department. In such situation following consequences may occur: If my name is revealed, my job will be at risk or perhaps I will be transferred to some other department/city. I may receive threats and the security of my family can be endangered. Police officer can send me behind the bars by putting false accusations against me or due to some false disciplinary charges. There are two ways to deal with these consequences; first is to report the corruption claims to the most trusted authority that ensures that my identity will not be revealed under any circumstance. Second condition is to challenge on the basis of strong evidence, public support and recordings of victims. Some countries use the tactic of â€Å"mystery audit† in which some senior police officials or people from investigating agencies disguise as common people and go to the police department for filing a complaint. They talk to the officers who are the suspects of corrup tion and create a situation of offering bribe or gifts. If officer(s) accept the bribe then the suspect is caught red handed. This method is very successful for conducting unbiased investigation. On the other hand, the liabilities of not reporting such acts are much greater than the consequences of reporting those acts. When an officer breaches the law, its impacts are not seen on the individual or departmental level only, rather it affects the whole system. The rights of the

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Adoption and the Care of Orphan Children Essay Example for Free

Adoption and the Care of Orphan Children Essay A common conception is that Islamic law forbids adoptions. However, this belief misses the complexity of Islamic law, the scope of adoption laws and practices across the world, and the overwhelming emphasis on taking care of orphans and foundlings found within Islamic sources. Contemporary adoption practices are immensely complex issues, overlapping with children’s rights, international and national laws, human psychology, economic, social, and religious concerns, and the ethics of lineage, identity, property and inheritance rights. In this position paper, the Muslim Women’s Shura Council considers whether adoption can be possible within an Islamic framework. After examining Islamic texts and history alongside social science research and the international consensus on children’s rights, the Council finds that adoption can be acceptable under Islamic law and its principle objectives, as long as important ethical guidelines are followed. This statement consults the Quran, the example of the Prophet Muhammad (sunna), the objectives and principles of Islamic law (maqasid al-sharia), Islamic Jurisprudence (fiqh), and social science data. The Shura Council finds that, instead of banning adoption, Islamic sources have brought various ethical restrictions to the process, condemning dissimulation and foregrounding compassion, transparency, and justice. These restrictions closely resemble what is known today as the practice of open adoption. Therefore, when all efforts to place orphaned children with their extended family have been exhausted, open, legal, ethical adoptions can be a preferable Islamically-grounded alternative to institutional care and other unstable arrangements. According to Islamic and universal standards of children’s rights, all children have the right to grow up in a nurturing, loving environment where their physiological, psychological, and intellectual needs are met. All children have the right to know their lineage and to celebrate their unique national, cultural, linguistic, and spiritual identity. All children have the right to a safe, supportive environment where their rights to dignity, education, and the development of their talents are well respected. The best interests of the child should be the primary consideration in all decisions relating to children, including adoption. Orphan: Different states and international institutions have different criteria for determining whether a child is an orphan. UNICEF classifies any child that has lost one parent as an orphan and estimates that approximately 143 million children are currently orphans.1 For the purposes of this document, an orphan is a minor who is bereft of parental care due to death, disappearance, or abandonment by either the mother or the father, as well as situations where the parent voluntarily or involuntarily terminates the parental relationship. This definition combines several concepts in classical Arabic, including yatim (fatherless child) and laqit (foundling). Adoption: Adoption can be defined as the legal creation of a parent-child relationship, with all the responsibilities and privileges thereof, between a child and adults who are not his or her biological parents. Adoptions incorporate a child into a family as offspring and sibling, regardless of genetic ties. There are two main categories of adoption practices, generally termed as closed adoptions and open adoptions. However, in reality most adoption practices fall somewhere on a continuum between fully open and fully closed. In â€Å"closed† or â€Å"confidential† adoptions, the birth family and the adoptive family have no identifying information about each other. Children may not be informed that they have been adopted, and they may have no way of tracing biological kin. If the child comes from a different cultural background than his or her adoptive parents, their heritage might be marginalized or ignored. Closed adoptions, therefore, have the potential to dissolve all ties between an adoptee and her biological family. â€Å"Open† adoptions, which are becoming increasingly common across the world, allow for a full disclosure of identities on both sides. Open adoptions facilitate direct interaction between the adoptive family, the adopted child, and any birth relatives. The child’s birth culture may more easily be respected and promoted by the adoptive family and incorporated into the family’s daily life. However, the categories of closed and open are better understood as idealized types, as most families experience a hybrid form of adoption that comprises elements of both open and closed adoption practices. The empirical data on the risks and benefits of each type of adoption has shown mixed results, with some adopted children embracing the opportunity to contact their birth families and others experiencing confusion and insecurity.2 Generally, however, open adoptions are associated with better psychological and behavioral outcomes for the child. With the exception of Indonesia, Malaysia, Somalia, Tunisia, and Turkey, the laws of most Muslimmajority states do not currently permit legal adoption. Instead, laws permit a system of guardianship (kafala), which resembles foster-parenting, but is more stable. Kafala is defined as â€Å"the commitment to voluntarily take care of the maintenance, of the education and of the protection of a minor, in the same way a *parent would do for a child+.†5 According to Jamila Bargach, kafala is seen as â€Å"primarily a gift of care and not a substitute for lineal descent.† In other words, kafala involves the obligations of guardianship and maintenance without the creation of legal ties, which would produce specific personal status legal entitlements. This type of guardianship does not sever the biological family bonds of the child or alter the descent lines for the adopting family. Unlike foster-parenting, kafala is intended to be a permanent arrangement for a minor. Like fosterparenting and adoption, kafala is mediated by the state, in contrast to informal or â€Å"customary† adoptions which take place within families or through secret agreements. Convergences between Kafala and Adoption Whereas this statement focuses on adoption and not kafala, in some cases kafala may lead to adoption. Countries with strict application of â€Å"non-international kafala,† like Iran, Mauritania, and Egypt, reject any legal recognition between kafala and adoption. Citizens of these countries who reside in other countries, where adoption is the law of the land, cannot gain guardianship of a child with the intention of adopting that child in their state of residency. Other states, like Morocco, Algeria, Jordan and Pakistan, allow for placements of kafala children abroad, particularly with nationals living in foreign countries, with certain stipulations. Tunisia and Indonesia allow for a full convergence of kafala and adoption, limiting adoptions to national applicants, whether living in the country or abroad. Islamic Law: The term â€Å"Islamic law† refers to two related, yet distinct concepts, which are often conflated: Sharia and Fiqh. Sharia literally means â€Å"the way† and is a transcendental ideal that embodies the justice and compassion inherent in the totality of God’s will. Fiqh, which literally means â€Å"understanding,† is Islamic jurisprudence and juristic law, which has developed from the eighth century onwards as a human effort to interpret the Sharia. Fiqh has been developed by Muslim legal scholars through analysis of the Quran and the example (sunna) of the Prophet Muhammad, with the aim of securing justice according to the context of each society, time (zaman), and place (makan).7 Adoption in pre-Islamic Arabia During the pre-Islamic period in Arabia, adoption (al-tabanni) into a tribe often took place for socioeconomic and patriarchal reasons. Al-tabanni is derived from the Arabic word ibn, meaning â€Å"son.† In keeping with the patriarchal norms of the era, adoptees were usually, if not always, male.11 People adopted mainly to secure an heir and/or additional warriors for the tribe. Adoption could take place at any time in a persons life, from childhood to adulthood, even if the adoptee’s biological parents were alive.12 The adoptee automatically earned full rights and the responsibilities of a biological child and was given the adoptive father’s name. Since male children were considered a source of wealth and prestige, this benefited the adoptive father.13 Often adoption was undertaken in self-interest with the intention of usurping an orphan’s property, as the adoptive parents would end up managing an orphaned child’s property. In addition, adoption was closely linked to enslavement; captors held the power to strip captives of their birth identities and appropriate them into their families.14 For these reasons, pre-Islamic adoption entailed a complete â€Å"erasure of natal identity.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Physical Activity and Academic Achievement

Physical Activity and Academic Achievement Physical Activity and Academic Achievement in College Students Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether those that schedule regular exercise into their lifestyles achieve greater academic success overall. To do so, scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test were compared before the participants worked out to the scores after the students worked out regularly for three weeks. Participants were 50 Psychology students randomly selected at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The hypothesis was that participants will answer fewer questions on the GRE if they do not work out. Students will answer more questions correctly after they work. The predicted results were that students will answer correctly 20 out of 30 questions on the verbal section and 18 out of 28 questions on the math section before they work out regularly. After the three week work out, the students answered 24 out of 30 questions on the verbal section and 26 out of 28 questions on the math section. There was no main effect on type of questions. There was a main effect on the exercise that after the students worked out they scored higher. There was an interaction that after the students worked out they answered more questions correctly on both sections, verbal and math. The predicted results caused a possible correlation between physical fitness and academic achievement. However, the results should be interrupted carefully, as more studies still need to be done in order to completely support that physical fitness causes academic achievement to improve. It is possible that physical and mental process correspond with each other and influence each other. Introduction The positive health benefits of regular exercise are widely known. Even though due to much research where it is evident that there are positive benefits of physical activity, physical education in schools is being viewed as only an extracurricular activity rather than a necessity (Grissom, 2005). When school budgets are being cut short, physical education is being cut first; this in the long run negatively affects the students. Previous researchers and advocates argue that daily physical education in schools improves students concentration and cognitive functioning (Sibley, 2003). Physical education is an essential factor in students academic achievements. To date, in the United States, Canada and Australia, there were five controlled experimental studies done that evaluated the effects on academic performance of providing students with additional time for physical education. All the studies have shown that even if there is no drastic improvement, it definitely does not need to be sacrificed (Shephard, Volle, Lavallee, LaBarre, Jequier, 1999). In 2007, 287 fourth and fifth graders from British Columbia were studied to determine if providing daily physical activity affected their academic performance (Ahamed, 2007). They participated in daily ten minute classroom activity in addition to their regular 80 minute PE class. Even though the physical activity time been increased by about fifty minutes per week, the students who received extra physical activity had similar stantarized test scores for mathematics, reading and language arts as students in the control group. The researchers concluded a positive correlation between physical activi ty and academic performance (Ahamed, 2007). Overall, it is extremely difficult to calculate a statistically significant difference between experiment and control groups because it is difficult to raise academic achievement (Shephard 1996). Also whatever research that has been done in order to find the relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement primarily focused on middle school to high school students. The purpose of this study is to determine whether college students that work out regularly perform better than those that do not work out at all. College students have a lot going on during their academic career. This study is being done in order to determine whether those that schedule regular exercise into their busy lifestyles achieve greater academic success overall. The practical implication of the proposed study is that those who work out regularly and lead a healthy lifestyle perform better on tests rather than those students who do not work out. The experiment is trying to demonstrate that it is needed for students to not forget to lead a healthy lifestyle and to take time out of the busy schedules to exercise and that will lead to higher test scores. The hypothesis was that participants will answer fewer questions on the GRE if they do not work out. Students will answer more questions correctly after they work. Also, there will an interaction between working out and number of questions answered. Refer to Table 1 and Graph 1 for predicted results. The predicted results were that students will answer correctly 20 out of 30 questions on the verbal section and 18 out of 28 questions on the math section before they work out regularly. After the three week work out, the students answered 24 out of 30 questions on the verbal section and 26 out of 28 questions on the math section. There was no main effect on type of questions. There was a main effect on the exercise that after the students worked out they scored higher. Method Participants 50 undergraduate college students at University of Illinois at Chicago were between the ages of 18-25 were tested. Both male and females sexes were approximately equally represented. The participants were assigned to participate as part of the Psychology class, which counted towards the class credit. The participants were all healthy which allowed them to participate in the physical portion of the experiment. Design The experiment was a within subjects design. The participants were asked to complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) before they exercised for three weeks regularly and after they exercised regularly for three weeks. The exercise consisted of cardio work out. The first independent variable was running on the treadmill for 30 minutes and using the elliptical machine for another 30 minutes and no cardio exercise at all. The second IV was the type of question. The participants were asked to complete the verbal and math sections. The dependent variable was the level of performance on the GRE. The amount of questions answered correctly will determine the level of performance. Materials The materials used were the UIC Wellness Center and the two versions of GRE sample questions from the verbal and math section. Both GRE tests were of the same difficulty. One version was used before the work out, and another version after the 3 week workout. There were 30 questions on the verbal section and 28 questions on the math section. Procedure First the participants were given the GRE both sections, verbal and math. They had 30 minutes to complete the 30 questions on the verbal section. They had 45 minutes to complete the 28 questions on the math section. After the exam, the participants were all signed up at the UIC Wellness Center for regular exercise. They worked out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 1-2 hours. They walked/ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, rested for 5 and then used the elliptical machine for another 30 minutes. This repeated for three weeks. After the regular work out, the participants were given a different version of the same difficulty GRE tests. Again they had 30 minutes to complete the 30 questions on the verbal section. They had 45 minutes to complete the 28 questions on the math section. In the end, both exams were scored and compared to each other. References Ahamed Y, MacDonald H, Reed K, Naylor PJ, Liu-Ambrose T, McKay H. (2007). School-based physical activity does not compromise childrens academic performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Volume #39, 371-376. Grissom, JB. (2005). Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement. Journal of Exercise Physiology, Volume #8, 11-25. Shephard RJ, Volle M, Lavallee H, LaBarre R, Jequier JC, Rajic M. (1999). Required physical activity and academic grades: A controlled longitudinal study. Children and Sport. Sibley BA, Etnier JL. (2003). The relationship between physical activity and cognition in children. Pediatric Exercise Science. Tables, Figures IV A: Physical activity A1: No Exercise A2: Exercise 20 24 18 26 B1: Verbal IV B: Type of Questions B2: Math Table 1

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Les Miserable :: English Literature

Les Miserable RESPONSE PHASE We were introduced to two different drama texts. Text one was a song called "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins, a British singer, songwriter. The song was written at around 1985. Text two is an extract from the musical "Les Miserable." The extract is called "Look Down" and is set on the streets of Paris in 1832. For text one we were asked to listen to the song and discuss the storyline, themes and characters. The fact that the song is about people that are in poverty and how other people feel towards them. The lyrics from the song are about two characters, a man who is a passer-by in the street and a homeless woman in the street. She asks him for help. "Sir can you help me? But he ignores her, "He pretends he can't hear her". The man represents ignorance and the woman represents poverty. Phil Collins directs the song at us by saying "Its another day for you and me in Paradise". He means that we're in paradise compared to the lives oh homeless people. We were also asked to read the script from "Les Miserable"; the extract is called "Look Down". We each picked a character and then we read the script. Les Miserable is about the life of poor people in Paris and they want to start a revolution against the French government and the monarchy. However, they all say that they need Lamarque but he is ill. The similarities between the two texts are they both are about poverty and how higher class people feel towards them and they help the poor or not. Basically, the theme of the two texts are that they are set in Britain around 1985 - 1990, the same time it was written. There are three levels of still-image; I played a poor woman on the street asking for money. There was another character sitting on the floor. There was also another character sitting in his shop watching from the window. I also did a thought track for my character, saying aloud the thoughts of the character. Face expression is very important. We had to do a still image of a character from Les Miserable; I posed as Gavroche. I was standing, looking towards the ground and I looked miserable, then I had to speak aloud the thoughts of Gavroche. I said that I was just a child trying to survive from a terrible lifestyle and I wished that Lamarque were here to help me and other people like me. The characters still image (as Gavroche) was similar to the character I created for the song because they were both poor and

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Homeschooling: Academics, Socialization and College Admissions Prospect

Homeschooling: Academics, Socialization and College Admissions Prospects Homeschooling is probably one of the least known and least understood issues in education. Many people tend to think that most homeschoolers are religious conservatives or extremists. However, the truth is that people from all walks of life are joining the homeschooling bandwagon (Ray, 2004). The main misconception is that homeschooled children don’t get the same academic and social education as traditionally schooled children. Contrary to popular perception, homeschooled children have the same, if not better academic opportunities, social opportunities and college admissions prospects than traditionally schooled students have. According to Mary Griffith, author of the book The Homeschooling Handbook, the concept of homeschooling is nothing new to society. It is only in the past 150 years that public school system as we know it came into effect (Griffith, 1999). Prior to that, â€Å"†¦the family was the basis for social life†¦the home was where children learned what was necessary to function in their community† (1999). By the mid-1970s, there were barely any people practicing homeschooling (Ray, 2004). However, over the past twenty years there has been a resurgence in people choosing homeschooling (2004). There has been a 500 percent increase in homeschooling from the 1990-1991 school year to the 2002-2003 school year (2004). The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) estimates â€Å"that between 1.7 and 2.1 million students were being homeschooled in the U.S., in every grade level from kindergarten through twelfth grade†¦Indications are that the growth rate is between 7 percent and 15 percent per year † (2004). People choose to homeschool for a var... ...s and traditional school graduates. Journal of College Admission, Spring 2004, p17. Klicka, Chris (2002) Socialization: homeschoolers are in the real world. Issue Analysis, Home School Legal Defense Association. Retrieved April 10, 2005 from www.hslda.org. Kochenderfer R, & Kanna E. (2002). Homeschooling for success: How parents can create a superior education for their child. New York NY: Warner Books. Ray, Brian D. Ph.D (2004). Worldwide guide to homeschooling: Facts and stats on the benefits of home school. Nashville TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Saba L., & Gattis J. (2002). The McGraw-Hill homeschooling companion. New York NY: McGraw-Hill Publishers. Zehr, Mary Ann. (2003). Home school students adjust to new homes on college campuses. Education Week, Vol. 23, Issue 2, p6. Retrieved April 22, 2005 from Academic Search Premier database.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

How the Environment Benefits from Recycling Essay -- How Recycling He

Care for a snack? Try the chocolate bar that comes in recyclable packaging, or maybe pick up a package of sustainable wood-fiber-filled baby diapers, or a no-animal-testing sunscreen, nontoxic spray cleaner, an entry form for a Prius giveaway or a cloth grocery bag for your shopping (Layton, 2014). Many products have become useful in so many ways that not recycling is harmful as well as unwise and uneconomical. There’s not enough room to throw trash all over the place, pollute, and simply not recycle. In order to understand the importance of recycling, people must first understand what recycling is, what it involves, and how it works. It is also important to know not only the effects of recycling but benefits as well. There are benefits to recycling paper, plastic, glass and aluminum; such as saving energy, saving money, reducing air pollution, and even creating jobs – which not only benefit the environment but the economy as well. Recycling is not a new concept; it has been around for years. Even in the times of war and the hard times, when famine, and widespread illness occurred, that’s when recycling of waste were made necessary because new materials were scarce. Recycling metals, jewelry, and coins were melted for weapons and other necessary goods (History of Recycling, 2014). By the late 1960s, the air, rivers and forests of North America were in serious disrepair as a result of massive industrial development. Rivers were catching fire, the sludge and debris dumped by factories igniting with the slightest spark. In a midsize city like Portland, Oregon, people were breathing air that polluted their lungs at the same level as smoking two packs of cigarettes a day (Layton, 2014). Forests were being leveled at an ala... ...of recycling - RecyclingCenters.org. (2014). Local Recycling Centers and Recycling Information and Statistics. Learn How to Recycle and Live Green -RecyclingCenters.org. Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://www.recyclingcenters.org/history_of_ recycling.php Watson, S. (2014). HowStuffWorks "How did Earth Day start?". HowStuffWorks "People". Retrieved December 8, 2014, from http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture- traditions/holidays/earth-day-qotd.htm West, L. (2014). Glass recycling - Benefits of glass recycling - Why recycle glass? Environmental Issues - News and Information about the Environment. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/benefits_ of_glass_recycling.htm What Is a BTU? (2014). wiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. Retrieved December 8, 2014, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-btu.htm

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 9

When Matt, Meredith, and Bonnie were all on their way, Stefan was left with Elena, now decently attired by Bonnie in her â€Å"Night Gown.† The darkness outside was comforting to his sore eyes – not sore from daylight, but from telling good friends the sad news. Worse than the sore eyes was the slightly breathless feeling of a vampire who hasn't fed. But he'd remedy that soon, he told himself. Once Elena was asleep, he'd slip out into the woods and find a white-tailed deer. No one could stalk like a vampire; no one could compete with Stefan at hunting. And even if it took several deer to assuage the hunger inside him, not one ofthem would be permanently injured. But Elena had other plans. She wasn't sleepy, and she was never bored being alone with him. As soon as the sounds of their visitors' car were decently out of hearing, she did what she always did in this mood. She floated to him and tipped her face up, eyes closed, lips just slightly pursed. Then she waited. Stefan hurried to the one unshuttered window, pulled the shade down against unwanted peeping crows, and returned. Elena was in exactly the same position, blushing slightly, eyes still shut. Stefan sometimes thought that she would wait forever that way, if she wanted a kiss. â€Å"I'm really taking advantage of you, love,† he said, and sighed. He leaned over and kissed her gently, chastely. Elena made a noise of disappointment that sounded exactly like apurruping kitten, ending on a note of inquiry. She bumped his chin with her nose. â€Å"Lovely love,† Stefan said, stroking her hair. â€Å"Bonnie got all the knots out without pulling?† But he was leaning into her warmth now, helpless. A distant ache in his upper jaw was already beginning. Elena bumped again, demanding. He kissed her for slightly longer. Logically, he knew she was a grown-up. She was older and vastly more experienced than she had been nine months ago, when they'd lost themselves in adoration kissing. But guilt was never far from his thoughts, and he couldn't help but worry about having her competent consent. This time thepurrup was one of exasperation. Elena had had enough. All at once, she gave her weight to him, forcing him to suddenly support a warm, substantial bundle of femininity in his arms, and at the same time, herPlease? chiming clear as a finger swirling on a crystal glass. It was one of the first words she had learned to think to him when she'd woken up mute and weightless. And, angel or no, she knew exactly what it did to him – inside. Please? â€Å"Oh, little love,† he groaned. â€Å"Little lovely love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Please? He kissed her. There was a long time of silence, while he felt his heart beat faster and faster. Elena, his Elena, who had once given her very life for him, was warm and drowsily heavy in his arms. She was his alone, and they belonged just like this, and he never wanted anything to change from this moment. Even the quickly growing ache in his upper jaw was something to be enjoyed. The pain of it changed to pleasure with Elena's warm mouth under his, her lips forming little butterfly kisses, teasing him. He sometimes thought she was most awake when she seemed half-asleep like this. She was always the instigator, but he followed helplessly wherever she wanted him to go. The one time he had refused, had stopped in mid-kiss, she had broken off speaking to him with her mind and floated to a corner, where she then sat among the dust and spiderwebs†¦andwept . Nothing he could do would console her, although he knelt on the hard wooden floorboards and begged and coaxed and almost wept himself – until he took her back into his arms. He had promised himself never to make that mistake again. But still, his guilt nagged at him, although it was growing more and more distant – and more confused as Elena changed the pressure of her lips suddenly and the world rocked and he had to back up until they were sitting on his bed. His thoughts fragmented. He could only think that Elena was back with him, sitting on his lap, so excited, so vibrant, until there was a sort of silken explosion inside him and he didn't need to be forced anymore. He knew that she was enjoying the pleasure-pain of his aching jaw as much as he was. There was no more time or reason to think. Elena was melting into his arms, her hair under his stroking fingers a liquid softness. Mentally, they had already melted together. The aching in his canines had finally produced the inevitable result, his teeth lengthening, sharpening; the touch of them against Elena's lower lip causing a bright flicker of pleasure-pain that almost made him gasp. And then Elena did something she never had done before. Delicately, carefully, she took one of Stefan's fangs and captured it between her upper and lower lips. And then, delicately, deliberately, she just held on. The whole world reeled around Stefan. It was only by the grace of his love for her, and their connected minds, that he didn't bite down and pierce her lip. Ancient vampire urges that could never be tamed out of his blood were screaming at him to do just that. But he loved her, and they were one – and besides,he couldn't move an inch. He was frozen in pleasure. His fangs had never extended so far or become quite as sharp, and without him doing a thing the razor edge of his tooth had cut into Elena's full lower lip. Blood was trickling very slowly down his throat. Elena's blood, which had changed since she had come back from the spirit world. It had once been wonderful, full of youthful vitality and the essence of Elena's living self. Now†¦it was simply in a class of its own. Indescribable. He'd never experienced anything like the blood of a returned spirit. It was charged with a Power that was as different from human blood as human was from animal blood. To a vampire, blood flowing down the throat was a pleasure as sharp as anything imaginable to a human. Stefan's heart was pounding out of his chest. Elena daintily worried the fang she had captured. He couldfeel her satisfaction as the tiny sacrificial pain turned to pleasure, because she was linked to him, and because she was one of the rarest of all breeds of humans: one who actually enjoyed nurturing a vampire, loved the feeling of feeding him, of him needing her. She was one of the elite. Hot shivers traveled down his spine, Elena's blood still making the world spin. Elena let go of his fang, sucking on her lower lip. She let her head drop back, exposing her neck. The head-drop was really too much to resist, even for him. He knew the traceries of Elena's veins as well as he knew her face. And yet†¦ All's right. All's well†¦Elena chimed telepathically. He sank twin aching fangs into a small vein. His canines were so razor-sharp by then that there was nearly no pain for Elena, who was used to the snakebite sensation. And for him, for both of them, there was the feeding at last, as the indescribable sweetness of Elena's new blood filled Stefan's mouth, and an outpouring of giving swept Elena into incoherency. There was always a danger of taking too much, or of not giving her enough of his own blood to keep her – well, frankly, to keep her from dying. Not that he needed more than a small amount, but there would always be that danger in trafficking with vampires. In the end, though, dark thoughts swam away in the sheer bliss that had overcome them both. Matt fished for keys as he and Bonnie and Meredith all crowded into the wide front seat of his rattletrap car. Embarrassing to have to park that next to Stefan's Porsche. The upholstery in back was in shreds that tended to stick to the derriere of whoever sat on it, and Bonnie easily fit on the jump seat, which had a jerry-rigged seat belt, between Matt and Meredith. Matt kept an eye on her, since when she was excited she tended not to use the belt. The road back through the Old Wood had too many difficult turns to be taken lightly, even if they were going to be the only travelers on it. No more deaths, Matt thought as he pulled away from the boardinghouse. No more miraculous resurrections, even. Matt had seen enough of the supernatural to last him the rest of his life. He was just like Bonnie; he wanted things to settle down to normal so he could get on with living the plain old ordinary way. Without Elena, something inside him whispered mockingly. Giving up without even a fight? Hey, I couldn't beat Stefan in any kind of fight if he had both arms tied behind his back and a bag over his head. Forget it. That's finished, however she kissed me. She's a friend, now. But he could still feel Elena's warm lips on his mouth from yesterday, the light touches that she didn't know yet weren't socially acceptable between just-friends. And he could feel the warmth and the swaying, dancing slenderness of her body. Damn, she came back perfect – physically, at least, he thought. Bonnie's plaintive voice cut into his pleasant reminiscences. â€Å"Just when I thought everything was going to be all right,† she was wailing, almost weeping. â€Å"Just when I thought it's all going to work out after all. It's going to be the way it wassupposed to be.† Meredith said, very gently, â€Å"It's difficult, I know. We seem to keep on losing her. But we can't be selfish.† â€Å"Ican,† Bonnie said flatly. I can, too, Matt's inner voice whispered. At least inside, where nobody can see my selfishness. Good old Matt; Matt won't mind – what a good sport Matt is. Well, this is one time when good old Matt does mind. But she chose the other guy, and what can I do? Kidnap her? Keep her locked up? Try to take her by force? The thought was like a dash of cold water, and Matt woke up and paid more attention to his driving. Somehow he'd already automatically navigated several curves of the pitted, one-lane road that ran through the Old Wood. â€Å"We were supposed to go to college together,† Bonnie persisted. â€Å"And then we were supposed to come back here to Fell's Church. Backhome . We had it all planned out – since kindergarten, practically – and now Elena's human again, and I thought that meant that everything was going to go back to the way it wassupposed to be. And it'snever going to be the same again,ever , is it?† She finished more quietly and with a little gulping sigh, â€Å"Is it?† It wasn't even really a question. Matt and Meredith found themselves glancing at each other, surprised by the sharpness of their pity, and helpless to comfort Bonnie, who now had her arms folded around herself, shrugging off Meredith's touch. It's Bonnie – just Bonnie being theatrical, Matt thought, but his own native honesty rose to mock him. â€Å"I guess,† he said slowly, â€Å"that's what we were all sort of thinking, really, when she first came back.† When we were dancing around in the woods like crazy people, he thought. â€Å"I guess we sort of thought that they could live quietly somewhere near Fell's Church, and that things would go back to the way they were before. Before Stefan – â€Å" Meredith shook her head, looking off into the distance beyond the windshield. â€Å"Not Stefan.† Matt realized what she meant. Stefan had come to Fell's Church to rejoin humanity, not to take a human girl away from it into the unknown. â€Å"You're right,† Matt said. â€Å"I was just thinking about something like that. She and Stefan could have probably worked out some way to live here quietly. Or at least to stay close to us, you know. It was Damon. He came to take Elena against her will, and that changed everything.† â€Å"And now Elena and Stefan are leaving. And once they leave, they'll never come back,† Bonnie wailed. â€Å"Why? Why did Damon start all this?† â€Å"He likes to change things out of sheer boredom, Stefan once told me. This time it probably started out of hatred for Stefan,† Meredith said. â€Å"But I wish that for once he could have just left us alone.† â€Å"What difference does it make?† Bonniewas crying now. â€Å"So it was Damon's fault. I don't even care anymore. What I don't understand is why things have to change!† â€Å" ¡Ã‚ ®You can never cross the same river twice.' Or even once if you're a strong enough vampire,† Meredith said wryly. Nobody laughed. And then, very gently: â€Å"Maybe you're asking the wrong person. Maybe Elena's the one who could tell you why things have to change, if she remembers what happened to her – in the Other Place.† â€Å"I didn'tmean that theydo have to change – â€Å" â€Å"But they do,† Meredith said, even more gently and wistfully. â€Å"Don't you see? It's not supernatural; it's – life. Everybody has to grow up – â€Å" â€Å"I know! Matt has a football scholarship and you're going away to college and then you're going to get married ! And probably have babies!† Bonnie managed to make this sound like some indecent activity. â€Å"I'm going to be stuck in junior collegeforever . And you'll both be all grown up and you'll forget about Elena and Stefan†¦and me,† Bonnie finished in a very small voice. â€Å"Hey.† Matt had always been very protective of the injured and ignored. Right now, even with Elena so recently on his mind – he wondered if he wouldever get rid of the feeling of that kiss – he was drawn to Bonnie, who seemed so small and fragile. â€Å"What are you talking about? I'm coming back after college to live. I'll probably die right here in Fell's Church.I'll be thinking about you. I mean, if you want me to.† He patted Bonnie's arm, and she didn't shy away from his touch as she had from Meredith's. She leaned into him, her forehead against his shoulder. When she shivered once, slightly, he put his arm around her without even thinking. â€Å"I'm not cold,† Bonnie said, although she didn't try to shrug off his arm. â€Å"It's warm tonight. I just – I don't like it when you say things like  ¡Ã‚ ®I'll probably die right' – watch out!† â€Å"Matt, look out!† â€Å"Whoa – !† Matt pumped the brakes, cursing, both hands wrestling with the steering wheel as Bonnie ducked and Meredith braced herself. Matt's replacement for the first beat-up old car he'd lost was just about as old and didn't have airbags. It was a miscellany of junkyard cars pieced together. â€Å"Hang on!†Matt yelled as the car skidded, tires screaming, and then they were all flung around as the back end swerved into a ditch and the front bumper hit a tree. When everything stopped moving, Matt let out his breath, easing his death-grip on the steering wheel. He started to turn toward the girls and then froze. He scrabbled to switch on the map light, and what he saw held him frozen again. Bonnie had turned, as always in moments of deepest distress, to Meredith. She was lying with her head on Meredith's lap, hands locked onto her friend's arm and shirt. Meredith herself was sitting, braced, leaning as far as possible backward, her feet stretched to push against the floor beneath the dashboard; her body bowed back in the seat, head flung backward, arms holding Bonnie down tightly. Thrusting straight through the open window – like a knobby, shaggy green spear or the grasping arm of some savage earthen giant – was the branch of a tree. It just cleared the base of Meredith's arched neck, and its lower branches passed over Bonnie's small body. If Bonnie's seat belt hadn't let her turn; if Bonnie hadn't flung herself down like that; if Meredith hadn't held onto her†¦ Matt found himself staring directly into the splintered but very sharp end of the lance. If his own seat belt hadn't kept him from leaning that way†¦ Matt could hear his own hard breathing. The smell of evergreen was overpowering within the car. He could even smell the places where smaller branches had broken off and were oozing sap. Very slowly, Meredith reached out to break off one of the twigs that was pointed at her throat like an arrow. It wouldn't break. Numb, Matt reached over to try it himself. But although the wood wasn't much thicker than his finger, it was tough and wouldn't even bend. As if it's been fire-hardened, he thought dazedly. But that's ridiculous. It's a living tree; I can feel the splinters. â€Å"Ow.† â€Å"Can I please get up now?† Bonnie said quietly, her voice muffled against Meredith's leg. â€Å"Please. Before it grabs me. It wants to.† Matt glanced at her, startled, and scratched his cheek against the splintered end of the big branch. â€Å"It's not going to grab you.† But his stomach was churning as he fumbled blindly for his seat belt fastening. Why should Bonnie have the same thought as he had: that the thing was like a huge, crooked, shaggy arm? She couldn't even see it. â€Å"You know it wants to,† Bonnie whispered, and now the slight shivering seemed to be taking over her whole body. She reached backward to undo her seat belt. â€Å"Matt, we need to slide,† Meredith said. She had carefully maintained her painful-looking bowed-backward position, but Matt could hear her breathing harder. â€Å"We need to slide toward you. It's trying to get around my throat.† â€Å"That's impossible†¦.† But he could see it, too. The freshly splintered ends of the smaller branch had moved only infinitesimally, but there was a curve to them now, and the splinters were pressing into Meredith's throat. â€Å"It's probably just that nobody can stay bent backward like that forever,† he said, knowing that this was nonsense. â€Å"There's a flashlight in the glove compartment†¦.† â€Å"The glove compartment is completely blocked by branches. Bonnie, can you reach to unfasten my seat belt?† â€Å"I'll try.† Bonnie slid forward without raising her head, fumbling to find the release button. To Matt it looked as if the shaggy, aromatic evergreen branches were engulfing her. Pulling her into their needles. â€Å"We've got a whole freakin' Christmas tree in here.† He looked away, out through the glass of the window on his side. Cupping his hands to see better into the darkness, he leaned his forehead against the surprisingly cool glass. There was a touch on the back of his neck. He jumped, then froze. It was neither cool nor warm, like a girl's fingernail. â€Å"Damn it, Meredith – â€Å" â€Å"Matt – â€Å" Matt was furious with himself for jumping. But the touch was†¦scratchy. â€Å"Meredith?† He slowly moved his hands away until he could see in the dark window's reflection. Meredith wasn't touching him. â€Å"Don't†¦move†¦left, Matt. There's a long sharp bit there.† Meredith's voice, normally cool and a bit remote, usually made Matt think of those calendar pictures of blue lakes surrounded by snow. Now it just sounded choked and strained. â€Å"Meredith!† Bonnie said before Matt could speak. Bonnie's voice sounded as if it were coming from underneath a featherbed. â€Å"It's all right. I just have to†¦hold it away,† Meredith said. â€Å"Don't worry. I won't let go of you, either.† Matt felt a sharper prickle of splinters. Something touched his neck on the right side, delicately. â€Å"Bonnie, stop it! You're pulling the treein ! You're pulling it on Meredith and me!† â€Å"Matt,shut up !† Matt shut up. His heart was pounding. The last thing he felt like doing was reaching behind him. But that's stupid, he thought, because if Bonnie really is moving the tree, I can at least hold it still for her. He reached behind him, flinching, trying to watch what he was doing in the window's reflection. His hand closed over a thick knot of bark and splinters. He thought, I don't remember seeing a knot when it was pointed at my throat†¦. â€Å"Got it!† a muffled voice said, and there was the click of a seat belt coming undone. Then, much more shakily, the voice said, â€Å"Meredith? There are needles shoved all into my back.† â€Å"Okay, Bonnie. Matt,† Meredith was speaking with effort, but great patience, the way they'd all been talking to Elena. â€Å"Matt, you have to open your door now.† Bonnie said in a voice of terror, â€Å"It isn't just needles. It's little branches. Sort of like barbed wire. I'm†¦stuck†¦.† â€Å"Matt! You need to open your doornow – â€Å" â€Å"I can't.† Silence. â€Å"Matt?† Matt was bracing himself, pushing with his feet, both hands locked around the scaly bark now. He thrust backward with all his strength. â€Å"Matt!† Meredith almost screamed. â€Å"It's cutting into my throat!† â€Å"I can't get my door open! There's a tree on that side, too!† â€Å"How can there be a tree there?That's the road!† â€Å"How can there be a treegrowing in here?† Another silence. Matt could feel the splinters – the slivers of broken branch – biting deeper into the back of his neck. If he didn't move soon, he would never be able to.

All characters in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ are lonely Essay

All characters in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ are either lonely, bored or in need of escaping from the soulless existence of the itinerant labour. It is based on a society of men leading empty lives, trapped in a lonely life, consisting mainly of hard physical work. There was not enough happiness, love and affection in their lives. The novel is set in California, the Southern states of America, in the 1930’s around the time of the ‘Great Depression’. The ranch is based in ‘Soledad’; which is the Spanish word for ‘Loneliness’. The bunkhouse that the men sleep and live in is a long and rectangular building. The walls are white washed and the floor unpainted. In three of the four walls are small, square windows. In the fourth one was a solid door with a wooden latch. There are eight bunks, all with a nailed apple box over them with the opening forward. This made two small shelves for the personal belongings of each ranch hand occupying the certain bunk. On these shelves were little articles, soap, razors, talcum powder, Western magazines, medicines, little vials, combs and a few neckties. There was also a black cast iron stove, and a big square table in the centre of the room, with scattered playing cards across it, and surrounding the table were boxes for the men to sit on. The bunkhouse also had lice and roaches in it! Carlson and the other ranch hands all dream of owning their own land and living and working from this, resulting in wealth and happiness. This was known as the ‘American Dream’, this is shown as an opportunity to all people no matter how rich or poor they are. There is a lot of government propaganda, informing people that if they work hard and push their ambitions to the limit, they can make this dream reality. However they all knew, no matter how hard they worked or how successful they were, it was very unlikely of this dream ever becoming reality. Their way of escaping this disappointment was to collect their fifty bucks at the end of the month and of a weekend spend all of it on women and alcohol, usually at the nearest ‘cat-house’. During the week they play cards games or horseshoes. Crooks is very lonely, this is due to the fact that he is coloured and everyone knows him as a nigger! He is treated completely differently to all the others, an outsider. He is also crippled, after a horse kicked him and severely damaged his back. In the 1930’s it was very racist in America and the coloured people weren’t allowed to speak up or were too scared to defend themselves in fear of what the white people would do to them. This is the situation Crooks is in. However he is the only coloured person at the ranch, so he has to accept all racial comments on his own. He has his own separate room, which isn’t even a room it is a shed that leans off the side of the barn wall. He is isolated from everyone else, therefore unable to socialise. On one occasion Lennie entered the barn to see his pup. He saw Crooks’ light shining and stood in the doorway of Crooks’ room. Crooks saw him and said sharply ‘†you got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here, but me.† He then followed with â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain’t wanted in my room†, â€Å"they play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you all of you stink to me.† Crooks reads to amuse himself when he has nothing better to do. This keeps his mind off of the atmosphere and situation he is surrounded by in his everyday life. Curley’s wife is perhaps one of the loneliest characters, trapped in her strict and original woman’s/wife’s role. Her daily routine only ever consists of her doing housework, such as cooking Curley’s dinner, washing Curley’s clothes, making Curley’s bed, cleaning Curley’s house, etc. If Curley catches her talking to the ranch hands he is always very annoyed by it, she is to stay in the house. She is known as ‘Curley’s wife’, no one knows her name so they cannot call her by it. One time when she enters the bunkhouse and begins to talk to the ranch hands, Crooks suggests † Maybe you better go along to your own house now. We don’t want no trouble.† It is this idea that she is ‘trouble’ that makes Curley’s wife so upset and angry. † Well, I ain’t giving you no trouble. Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?† Having a husband even makes her loneliness worse, because Curley is so strict about whom she socialises with and what she does. She calls him sarcastically a â€Å"Swell guy†, who † Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do to guy’s he don’t like, and he don’t like nobody.† Curley’s wife tries to escape her loneliness and sadness by dreaming of being an actress or a model. She had been offered the chance before â€Å"I tell you I could of went with shows† † An’ a guy tol’ me he could put me in pitchers†. Curley’s wife is also very good at flirting, this attracts male attention. Therefore just for a moment she is listened to and is the centre of attention, this moment matters so much to her because she is being paid attention to for once, that she makes a very bad habit of it. However the ranch hands have got used to her scheming ways and do not want to risk getting â€Å"canned† because of a â€Å"tart†. However Lennie and George are different to the other ranch hands, they may live a lonely existence, but they have each other. Other than the other ranch hands expressing their feelings about their hopes, dreams, lonely lives etc, George and Lennie are the only characters we really get to know. All other ranch hands haven’t got a family or anything to look forward to, but it is different with George and Lennie; they believe they have a future and as long as they have got each other, it doesn’t matter whether they have a family or not. These men love each other. They talk to each other and know that the other cares for them, because George looks after Lennie, and Lennie looks after George. However, George has a much greater job in looking after Lennie, than Lennie has in looking after George. Lennie is a bit of a dunce and is always forgetting things, but George has the brains. They both are physically well built, but Lennie does not realise his own strength sometimes, he is dangerously strong. Lennie is the physical side of the pair, whereas George is the mental. The fact that they have each other gives them more of a chance of success, than the other ranch hands. Lennie loves George to tell him what; one-day things will be like. Their dream is to one day buy a little house, with a ten acres, a â€Å"win’mill†, a kitchen, an orchard to grow â€Å"cherries, apples, peaches, ‘cots, nuts, and a few berries†, a section on the land to grow alfalfa that Lennie will use to feed the rabbits with, hutches and pens full with pigs, chickens, cows, goats, cats, pigeons, a dog and rabbits that Lennie could pet, a smoke house so they could kill the pigs and then smoke it, for smoked ham and bacon etc, and for them to literally â€Å"live off the fatta the lan'†. They would only work six or seven hours a day. Lennie likes to pet, smooth, soft, furry things, as a kind of comfort. Other than for George and animals, love and affection are withheld, not only from Lennie, but also for all the ranch hands. This is why they have their own individual comfort or way of escaping from the repetitive daily routine and loneliness. Candy is a dissimilar character from the other ranch hands. He is very lonely and sad. He has no hand, but a very old dog that he cares for very much. This dog is similar to Candy. They are both very old and when Carlson shoots the dog, because it smells, has no teeth, he cannot eat, is stiff with rheumatism, is nearly blind and Carlson thinks it will be better to put the dog out of his ageing misery. Candy wants people to treat him once he is canned like this. This is because he â€Å"won’t have no place to go, an’ he can’t get no more jobs†. The other ranch hands say that he can replace the dog with one of Lulu’s pups, but of course that wouldn’t be the same, never is anyone or anything the equivalent, everyone and everything is unique. Candy seems to think that when he is dead, people will say the same thing about him. When a new ranch hand comes and replaces him, he’ll be forgotten. For obvious reasons Candy is upset and hurt by this. It is as if the characteristics of his dog and the way the other men treat the dog, symbolises Candy. Candy wants to join George and Lennie in their ‘dream’. Candy has already got three hundred bucks and another fifty coming at the end of the month, when the men get paid. He explains that he â€Å"ain’t much good, but I could cook, tend the chickens, and hoe the garden some†. Then when George and Lennie get their fifty bucks each at the end of the month, they will have four hundred and fifty bucks, and although the woman wants six hundred bucks, George thinks she will accept their offer as a deposit and then George will get a job and start to collect the rest, while Candy and Lennie could work on the land as well as sell eggs etc, making more money. This is Candy’s route of escaping. Everything seems to be falling into place and their dream looks like it could become reality. This is everything a man wants and Candy is thrilled he is part of it. However much their dream looks real, it all ends when Curley’s wife tries her old tricks with Lennie. Curley’s wife enters the barn, as Lennie sits there mourning over his pup, he has just accidentally killed! George has already warned Lennie about Curley’s wife, says she is trouble, so Lennie refuses to talk to her, â€Å"George says I ain’t to have nothing to do with you- talk to you or nothing†. Curley’s wife says in a innocent voice, â€Å"All the guys got a horse-shoe tenement goin’ on†, so â€Å"Why can’t you talk to me?† She eventually persuades Lennie that it is safe to talk to her. They talk for ages and Lennie tells her how he â€Å"likes to pet nice things with my fingers, sof’ things†. She tells Lennie to â€Å"feel right here†, on her hair. Lennie was enjoying stroking her hair until she warned him not to â€Å"muss it up†. She then got angry because Lennie wasn’t listening to her. She went to pull away and Lennie clasped his fingers tightly in her hair and wouldn’t let go. She began to shout, â€Å"you let go†. Lennie began to get scared because he thought George would hear and go mad. He covered her mouth and nose to prevent her screaming, and continued to beg her to be quiet. She continued to struggle and he shook her. Suddenly â€Å"her body flopped like a fish†. She was dead! Lennie ran to the brush that George had told him to hide in when they first arrived in Soledad if he ever got into trouble. When Candy found Curley’s wife dead and told all the ranch hands, they all knew it was Lennie! Most of the men wanted to kill Lennie, but George got there first. George knew that Lennie would be scared if half a dozen men ran towards him shooting, but if George was to do it at the back of his head, just like Candy’s old dog it would be pain free. When George found him, Lennie asked for the story of their dream to be told to him and questioned George why he wasn’t mad at him, but obviously if this was George’s last moments with Lennie he didn’t want to be mad at him. As George told the story and paused every so often, Lennie would say â€Å"go on† or â€Å"Gonna do it soon† as if he knew what George was about to do and was encouraging George to get it over and done with. George finally shot Lennie. Lennie jarred forward and the settled peacefully as he lay on the sand. George just sat stiffly and silently n the bank, looking at his hand that had just pulled the trigger disgustedly. George knew it was for the best, where ever they were to go Lennie’s unrecognised strength would lead to trouble; it had already, both in Weed and Soledad. Lennie was trapped by his strength. Although, Lennie has now been released from pain by no longer being able to kill others and from not getting shot by half a dozen men cruelly, but peacefully by George. The upsetting thing is, that Lennie was so afraid of being alone and away from George, and now he was just that. It was all over!!! George is now free; he is no longer trapped by his want of freedom, of constantly looking after Lennie. I think the novel tries to give us the message that people try to lead their lives as successfully as possible, in order to result in the best possible outcome. However this is very hard to succeed. The ranch hands wanted the ‘American Dream’ to become reality, but is very unlikely and as shown does not happen. The novel gave a very positive view of the ‘American dream’, but this is erroneous and does not come true. The chances of finding true, lasting friendship and happiness are also very unlikely as it is always spoilt by misfortune, arguments, inconveniences and sometimes death, as in this case.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Jeffrey Young Believes That Moves Towards ‘Upmarket Burgers’ Essay

Jeffery Young has this belief that there would be a positive shift towards ‘Upmarket Burgers’ Well I believe this point to an extent as we have approached to the generation; people of all ages go for a healthier option as it has become a trend for all ages. But as the economy improves there would be an increase of income therefore a quality market opportunity. But the Future is unpredictable as we are presently in Double-dip recession as we have no idea how the future is going to be The local Community would go for a Low-Priced but good quality food but the disadvantage would the company GBK may fail as it does not have as many consumers as it is highly prices, overall I conclude It all depends on the Income of the economy. On the hand I have a stronger belief that the fast food Franchises (A franchise is a right granted to an individual or group to market a company’s goods or services within a certain territory or location), in this case it is called the ‘Low-market Burgers’ will not go extinct because the franchises like McDonalds, KFC, Burger King and Subway have the following USP’s (Unique Selling Points). Well it has food at a lower price which they specialise in which is affordable to the local community who do not have enough of income to buy ‘Upmarket Burgers’ at a daily rate. The second reason that they are more recognised as they have a recognisable trademark (a symbol, word, or words legally registered or established by use as representing a company or product.) for Example:- For McDonalds there are the two golden arches which is in the shape of an ‘M’. And also their reputation known world-wide, as they are set in the best locations for these small franchises and services, they are almost found along each mile near a town centre. To Conclude I would say that the franchises like McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Subway will not go into extinction as the customer loyalty increases through the years whereas the customer loyalty for GBK(Gourmet Burger Kitchen) will have a decrease because of their high quality, high priced products. Therefore, a reduction of GBK stores.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The Effects of Mentoring at-Risk Youth

THE EFFECTS OF MENTORING AT-RISK YOUTH Abstract: Mentoring has arguments both for and against its effectiveness in relation to at-risk youth. These programs have been known to help in areas of self-esteem, attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, grades, attendance and disciplinary problems in school. Although, the scope of at-risk youth can be quite narrow, if administered correctly it can be inclusive of all teens with emotional and behavioral problems. These programs should not be considered a quick fix to such a large problem, but it can be used as a means to an end.Mentoring programs for youth and teens considered to be at-risk have begun to grow throughout the country. Not all programs agree on a generalized approach, but it is fair to say the concept is the same when dealing with this group of youth. The term mentor is basically described as a trusted counselor or teacher. The term at-risk, for purposes of this study, relates to youth from single parent households, who exhibit emot ional and behavioral problems. The overall consensus is to pair a responsible and caring adult with a troubled adolescent youth.The ultimate goal is for a relationship to form and to build a bond of trust with an adult who can in turn, help them deal with the troubles that often arrive in life. Unfortunately, many adolescents are never given the opportunity to build relationships with caring adults. Nearly a quarter of all American children will live in single-parent homes, and half of the current generation of children will live in a single-parent household during some point in their childhood (Dryfoos, 1998).There are a host of factors that contribute to this situation such as changing economic, social and cultural conditions have increased the vulnerability of negative life outcomes for adolescents’ (Dryfoos, 1998). Natural mentors are described as close family members such as father, mother, uncles, aunts, brother’s, sister’s and/or grandparents. In order to address the problems that have come to light as a result of the diminished availability of natural mentors, volunteer mentoring programs ave multiplied in recent years (Freedam, 1993; Rhodes, in press). Just as natural mentoring, volunteer mentoring involves building a relationship between the youth and adults, as to off support in meeting the youth’s academic, social, career, and/or personal goals (Dubois, et al. , in press). It is estimated that as many as five million American youth are involved in some type of mentor program being it in school or community based.They range from such programs as the renowned Big Brothers/Big Sisters to other less structured programs. Without such programs to assist these youth, once they are adults, they are more likely candidates for divorce, high unemployment; physical and mental problems, drug and alcohol abuse, and quite often become involved in more criminal activity (Patterson, Debaryshe, & Ramsey, 1989). If left unchecked, these pr oblems could prove costly both to society and the individual.Whereas the approximate average cost of a well organized and operated mentoring program is estimated at around $1,000, taking into account a per child per year projection, it could eliminate or at least marginalize the need for future social services (Grossman & Gary, 1997). Youth without the proper social support framework or low levels of social support, has a tendency to be withdrawn, and show a lack of concern about their future. They are negligent, and more likely to harm others than were youth who had the privilege of being exposed to a proper social support system (Kashani, Reid, & Rosinberg, 1989).Although only a vice mentoring could provide some social support and could improve the way these youth function in society. Some theorize that youth develop deviant behavior because they lacked the opportunity to interact and or relate with positive role models within their community (Hawkins & Weis, 1985). Mentors can at times be that beacon of hope or the voice of reason which would allow these youth to see and appreciate appropriate social behavior and could in turn curve their delinquent behavior.Most mentoring programs are forced to rely on the kindness of the community for support and this usually comes in the form of volunteers and donations (Keating, Tomishima, & Foster, 2002). Even though the effectiveness of mentoring programs are often brought into question, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America organization has a proven track record of successful unions between caring adults and at-risk youth. This organization conducted a study of at-risk youth over the course of approximately one year to show the effects of a positive mentor to mentee relationship.The results revealed they were less likely to become involved in the following activities: 46% illegal drugs, 27% start drinking, 52% skip a day of school, and 37% to skip a class. The mentees were more trusting of parents, and not as prone to lie to them, they also felt more support from their friends. High intensity programs can be effective, especially those with more one-on-one interaction in the form of frequent meetings throughout the month, meeting between 2-4 hours at each visit along with frequent phone contact (Tiernay and Grossman, 1995) (Keating, Tomishima, & Foster, 2002).In this age of technology there is a host of opportunities available for the tech savvy to capitalize on when it comes to mentoring. E-mentoring is the next step in mentoring programs. A program has been in existence for the past 11 years, created by a group of researchers from Drexel University called the â€Å"I Could Be† program, in order to study the effects of online mentoring. So far the results have been mostly positive. Online mentoring can be both an effective and viable option when compared to the traditional face-to-face method.Given the current nature of working conditions, organizations may seek to implement e-mentori ng programs due to their ability to be both cost-effective and time saving compared to the traditional approach. The study showed that students who were comfortable using computers tended to get the most out of the program. Students with the lowest level of confidence at the beginning of the program saw the biggest gains. One of the major drawbacks is that, you’re not face-to-face. The major advantage is the ease of access to more than one mentor.Concerns regarding the overall security of children may have helped to slow the growth of this type of program. Unfortunately high dropout rates and poor academic performance have seemingly became synonymous with the experience of African American male youth. Upon visiting just about any public school in the Country you are bound to find African American male youth almost aimlessly wondering the halls, as if they have been alienated from the educational process and left to their own devices to discover the American dream for them.The ir presence is scarcely seen in the gifted and advanced academic classes, while at the same time they are highly represented in remedial classes. When it comes to suspension and expulsion they dominate the list in comparison to their White male counter-parts (Bailey, 1996; Center for the Study of Social Policy, 1990; â€Å"Federal Report,† 1999; Ford, Grantham, and Bailey, 1999; Lee, 1992; Skiba, Michael, Nardo, and Preston, 2000; Trescott, 1990). They are often observed hanging out on street corners or in the malls, where they are viewed with both fear and contemptment.They often give up on the education process entirely because they feel as if the things learned there do not apply to them and they seek elsewhere for success. The educational system is often viewed as a way to place a label upon them and to stifle the potential for them to grow as individuals (Narine, 1992) (Bailey & Paisley, 2004). Reports have stated that approximately 1 out of every 4 male African American s have to report for court ordered supervision and that there are more African American men controlled by the court than there are enrolled in college (Bass & Coleman, 1997; Green & Wright, 1992; Mauer, 1990).Although only 15% of African American youth are represented in the juvenile population, they constitute approximately 43% of juveniles in public facilities and 34% in private custody (Bailey, 1999, FBI, 1996; Sickmund et al. , 1997). There is an apparently clear overrepresentation of African American male youth in juvenile facilities. This in turn makes for a negative self-image as well as creating an inherit distrust and disrespect of authority (Lee & Bailey, 1997) (Bailey & Paisley, 2004). Minority and poor populations are grossly underserved within the educational system.As a result these students are less likely to be assigned to classes that would prepare them for college and they are quite often being taught by teachers working out of their field (The Education Trust, 199 8). Unfortunately, the majority of most minority and poor populations have the least amount of qualified teachers. The fact is most of these kids will not escape the confines of such experiences and thus will not seek higher education because of feeling an inability to perform in the college arena (Bailey & Paisley, 2004).African Americans populate a mere 17% of the total school system, yet they account for 32% of suspensions and 30% of all expulsions (Skiba et al. , 2000). When it comes to graduating from college African American males have a devastating 1 in 12 chance and when it comes to high school dropout rates they have a 1 in 4 chance (Trescott, 1990). For those who realize the need for higher education and choose to pursue college and university enrollment in the United States, they will find what it means to be a true minority because African American males only account for 3. % of the college population (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 1998) (Bailey & Paisley, 2004). Mentoring is viewed by some as an intervention for at-risk youth who need assistance and preparation for adult life as well as being a conduit of sorts to curb dropout rates, delinquency, unemployment and a host of other ill’s associated with troubled youth (Mech, Pryde, & Rycraft, 1995) (Blechman, 1992). The effects of mentors and mentor programs in general vary greatly and according to how the study is conducted it allows for objective to be set in order to quantify the study.Some studies suggest that mentors have no beneficial impact on the mentee, while they do note some changes occurred but some of the changes were outside the scope of the study (Royse, David, 1998). The first thing we should mention is that the study conducted by Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America was conducted over a 15 month period. It is believed that more relevant changes might have taken place had the study been conducted over a 24 or 30 month period. Longer matches between mentor’s and menteeâ€⠄¢s were believed to be more productive by parents than shorter ones.It is important to note while mentoring does have positives effects, it is not and should not be considered the quick fix to our at-risk youth, problems (Frecknall & Lurks, 1992) (Royse & David, 1998). The second thing to consider is although most mentors kept accurate logs concerning time spent with mentee’s, some did not. This in turn made it difficult to accurately account or report the times of volunteers since these logs were incomplete. With that being said, it made accounting for actual time of contact between mentor’s and mentee’s difficult, to say the least.If the mentor is not consistent when meeting the mentee, the overall objective could be hindered significantly (Roaf, Tierney, & Hunte, 1994). It is vital to keep records in regard to the relationship between the mentor and mentee. This can be difficult because mentee’s are sometimes concerned about their image among peers so they are reluctant to explain the presence of a mentor. Even though some results say mentoring is ineffective, the fact remains that the lives of at-risk youth are substantially affected by a caring adult (Garmezy, 1985; Rutter, 1987; Werner & Smith, 1992; O’Sullivan, 1991).This should be evidence enough as to the need for even more mentoring projects to be formed, refined, and applied to those in need of such services. These programs may not always have immediate tangible results. They have proven to be not harmful while at the same time, having potential to catapult mentee’s into their destiny (Royse & David, 1998). In conclusion, I’ve often heard it said that children are the future and we should teach them well and let them lead the way. Although they are the future, yet and still, America is letting a minority segment fall by the way.One thing is sure, if people are not given hope and allowed to see themselves as viable members of society; they will abando n all morals and rules that govern the land. Although mentoring can be a key element in getting at-risk youth back on track, it should not be the only source to help these youth. This must be done with all due diligence in order to insure the future survival of all Americans. If something is not put in place soon, America will have alienated an entire generation.This will have created a third world society within the borders of the land of the free and the home of the brave. References: Bailey, D. F. , Paisley, P. O. (2004). Journal of Counseling and Development v. 82 no. 1 p. 10-17 http://www. icouldbe. org/csewi/public/pg_evaluation. asp http://www. infed. org/learningmentors/youth_mentoring_in_perspective. htm Keating, L. M. , Tomishima, M. A. , Foster, S. (2002). Adolescence v. 37 p. 717-34 Royse, D. (1998). Adolescence v. 33 no 129 p. 145-58