Customer Relationship in Tourism Industry - 13879 Words

School of sustainable development of society and technology EFO703 Bachelor thesis in Business Administration Business Administration, basic level-300, 15 ESTC-points Supervisor: Angelina Sundstrà ¶m Và ¤sterà ¥s, 2010-06-04 Customer Relationship in Tourism Industry --- A case study of Swedish travel agency Group 2546: Yanfei Yan Jie Yang Abstract Title: Customer Relationship in Tourism Industry – A case study on a Swedish Seminar date: 4th of June, 2010 Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, Basic level 300, 15 ECTS Authors: Yanfei Yan, Jie Yang Supervisor: Angelina Sundtrà ¶m marketing mix, service quality, customer satisfaction, customer retention. travel agency, Resia. Subject terms: travel agency, customer relationship†¦show more content†¦5 2.1.2 Choice of organizations ................................................................................................ 6 2.2 Motivation of Theories...................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Interviews ............................................................................................................................ 7 2.3.1 Choice of respondents ................................................................................................... 7 2.3.2 Interview process ........................................................................................................... 8 2.4 Analyzing the Empirical Data ........................................................................................... 9 2.5 Credibility of the Research ............................................................................................. 10 Chapter 3. Theoretical framework ................................................................................ 11 3.1 The Nature of Service ...................................................................................................... 11 3.1.1 The Service Marketing Mix (The 7 P’s) ....................................................................... 11 3.1.2 Service QualityShow MoreRelatedMarketing Practices And Communication Management992 Words   |  4 Pagescommunication technology (ICT) are considered as one of the most significant background factors of IMC. (Kitchen et al, 2004. Gurau, 2008. Kliatchko, 2009). According to advanced technology solutions, IMC programs are able to capture precise data on customers. This means that database management is of crucial importance for the IMC approach. (Kliatchko, 2005). 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A hotel is an establishment which provides lodging for a paid short term basis. Kotler (1996) defined customer satisfaction as â€Å"the level of a person’s felt state resulting from comparingRead MoreBachelor s Degree Lets Marketing Essentials1515 Words   |  7 PagesKotler (2008). Marketing has 4 strategies for example the 4 PS, Price, Product, Place and Promotional Strategy. Marketing involves the development of a product, the determination of its price, and a selection of a distribution channel to reach the customer s price and also the development and implementation of a promotional strategy. Marketing influences different travel organisers such as tour operators and travel agents. Within the marketing mix they would be influencing different destination organizations

The Israeli Palestinian Conflict, By Benjamin Netanyahu

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be seen from different perspectives, one of them being from the Likud party in the Israeli government. In particular, there are stances that Likud takes on the conflict. Right now, Benjamin Netanyahu is the Israeli Prime Minister, and his current approach to dealing with the conflict differs from the approach taken in 2009. The Likud party is considered hardliner and right-winged, meaning that it is harder to compromise with this political party due to their strict stances and beliefs. Therefore, their diplomatic approach towards the conflict is less compromising in comparison to the Zionist Union. Netanyahu’s stance on how to resolve the conflict differs from what it used to be in 2009: â€Å"The international uproar started when Netanyahu said a Palestinian state would not happen during his tenure if he won re-election to a fourth term, which widely sounded like a departure from his previously stated support for a two-state solution† (politifact.com). Contradictory to his previous thoughts in 2009, Netanyahu no longer sees a two-state solution as a realistic option any more. Someone cannot simply move Israeli citizens over night from their settlements for a number of reasons. The most significant reason is that it would be hard to evacuate lands and give them back to the Palestinians. Also, if Israeli citizens would evacuate the land surrounding Jerusalem and the West Bank, there is a fear that the Arab extremists would take control ofShow MoreRelatedEssay about Israel1022 Words   |  5 PagesIsraels government has changed dramatically since the new election in May of 1999. 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McMaster will provide the most thorough analysis of the outcomes from this simulation to provide the best suggestions for the United States involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The opening remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were that the ministers must agree in consen susRead MorePolitical Prediction In Israel1513 Words   |  7 Pagesscheduled date for the next Israeli legislative election is November 5, 2019. However, the government could hold early elections if it chooses to do so. Among all four sectors, geopolitical future looks the most worrisome. Political Prediction The continuity of political stability is predictable for a three-year time horizon. The democratic system in Israel is highly developed and entrenched. There was a peaceful transformation of power last year. Benjamin Netanyahu won fair and free electionsRead MoreJerusalem And The West Bank1234 Words   |  5 Pagesof danger because of its location, of the ambiguity about who is in control of which part. There s a lot of violence going on in the West Bank. There are thousands of Palestinians in the streets now that there have seen so many acts of violence. The recent reporting’s feature single independent attacks from young Palestinian men. In the past, there have been more collective acts of violence, but now a day there are single independent person s. Due to these actions of violence, the citizens haveRead MoreThe Role Of Politics In Israel1200 Words   |  5 Pages Surrounded by conflict and terrorism, Israel proved it was worthy of the U.S.’s support with its strong values and cultural history. The current prime minister of Israel is Benjamin Netanyahu, elected March 18, 2013. Since 1996, he has held the office of prime minister four times. He is a member of the Likud party and the 17th person to hold the position. The Likud party leans to the right, supporting a large military force, low corporate taxes, and opposes a Palestinian state (Jewish Virtual

Practicum Report free essay sample

I would like to acknowledge  the contributions of the following persons/individuals to the development of my paper/project: My classmates and Friends Who’s been there supporting me; every time that I  got questions about our paper,  I always ask for their advise. I greatly value their friendship and I deeply appreciate their belief in me. My Family None of this would have been possible without the love and patience of my family. My immediate family to whom this dissertation is dedicated to, has been a constant source of love, concern, support and strength all these years.I would like to express my heart-felt gratitude to my family. My extended family has aided and encouraged me throughout this endeavor. I warmly appreciate the generosity and understanding of my extended family who’s always giving me my allowance, for me to be able to go to my practicum site. To our practicum adviser, Mr. We will write a custom essay sample on Practicum Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Romeo Carangian I have been amazingly fortunate to have an adviser who gave me the freedom to explore on my own, and at the same time the guidance to recover when my steps faltered.We had  swapped from  City Garden Suite to Lotus Garden Hoteland our schedule for this time is for morning shift. At firstday of duty  in Kitchen, we felt already the presence of laughterand  enjoyment. Chefs  were  so  naughty  and  they  don’t  take  thework seriously. I mean while cooking they tend to be funny sothat everybody is happy and you won’t fell the tiredness. Forus, who are trainees, we’re only capable to be the assistant ofchef. We prepared food and ingredients needed for breakfast. Westocked  ready-to-used food  in  refrigerator  and  we  even cookedvegetable which used for garnish.How great it was to be withfunny chefs yet we’ve learned things which we could use in thefuture. They  shared  not  only  tips  in  cooking  but  also  itsprocedure. If  for  garnish,  we  are  allowed  to  make  it  becausethey are just simple to follow and prepare. How many times thatI was assigned to cook for the food of employees The other wayfor us to learn also was to take an insight of what the chef iscooking. I’ve known how to make different types of omelet too. Quite sometimes we’re washing used plates though it’s not partof our duty. That was to show our willingness and gratefulnessto work in their establishments.

The Election Of 1956 Essays - Richard Nixon, Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Election Of 1956 The election of 1956, 48 states were in the union at that time and Dwight Eisenhower was president. Even though Eisenhower had not made and major changes during his first term he was still the publics for choice for the next election. In a poll taken in 1954, 65% of Americans had approved of the job he was doing. Some critics reflected his as lazy. Saying he rather be golfing, one of his own speech writers once described his as an ?oaf?. But never the less he was unanimously nominated for the Republican ticket in 1956 along with Richard Nixon for vice president, who won with 457 electoral votes and 57.6% of the popular vote. For the Democrats Adlai E. Stevensons was anomously nominated and excepted the nomination. This campaign was won of the calmest in American history, for the same candidates ran in the election of 1952. Not many people thought the democrats even had a chance against Eisenhower. at a picnic at Eisenhowers' farm in Gettysburg, where he officially began his campaign, He addressed the leaders attending on the top two issues: his health and Richard Nixons place on the ticket. He assured them he felt fine. And Richard Nixon assured them he would be able to fulfill the duties of president.Dwight Eisenhower was one of the most popular American leaders. British General Bernard C. Montgomery, who had fought in the war with Eisenhower is quoted saying ?He merely had to smile at you and you trusted in him at once?. As a great World War II General people saw him as a sign of hope for peace in the post war era. He was elected in to office in 1952 by and overwhelming margin and an even greater one in 1956. In the 1956 election people were sure he would be re-elected, but they were not sure if he would accept the Republican parties nomination. Eisenhower suffers some medical difficulties, but always came back to tell the people he would seek re-election. Eisenhower did seek re-election and had won by a landslide getting 457 electoral votes compared to the democrats 73 elector votes. This was the last election to use the Whistle-stop campaign technique. Both parties had campaigned steadily, but it was rare to see a change in polls. During the campaign the top problems facing the nation were threat of war and foreign policy. Civil rights along with the high cost of living and agricultural problems didn't fall far behind. People of America for the most part supported Eisenhower as a man and Stevenson as the democratic party. The republican party did not even control the house after the election. Which shows how much people trusted in Eisenhower as a person more then for being Republican. Eisenhowers' platform was ?peace and prosperity?. His a few of his concerns were foreign policy and national defense, space exploration, civil rights and NATO. The democratic platforms were pretty much the same except the we for disarmament. They were for stopping testing of the H-bomb. In October of 1957 two major crises occurred which certainly helped increase the American peoples confidence in Eisenhower. First the Leader of Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, which caused great Britain, France, and Israel to attack Egypt. Eisenhower helps form a cease-fire. And the citizens of Hungary tried to over throw the communist government there. In turn the Soviet Union sent troops to support the dictator there. Eisenhower resisted challenging the Soviets. There wasn't much Stevenson could to win vote the American people were pretty solid on re-electing President Eisenhower for a second term. He had a strong running in African-American districts which was odd for a republican at that time. It was the first time in history that a to way presidential race that the presidential party did not win the house majority also. Eisenhowers' campaign was full of items, they had everything from pantyhose to umbrellas, bearing the ?I Like Ike? and other slogans. The American people apparenty believed in Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bibliography Students Atlas Of American Presidential Elections (1789-1996) Congressional Quarterly Incc., Washington DC 1997 Dwight D. Eisenhower, HTTP://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/glimpse/president/HTML/de34.html Eisenhower Presidential Library HTTP://sunsite.unc.edu./lia/president/eisenhower.html American History Essays

261 Zora Neale Hurston Professor Ramos Blog

261 Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) Quick Write What is the Harlem Renaissance? Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) How It Feels To Be Colored Me The Five Moves of Analysis Suspend Judgment: Set aside your likes and dislikes, your agreeing or disagreeing. Say to yourself, â€Å"What I find most interesting here is†. Notice and Focus: Simply put, pay close attention to details. â€Å"What do you notice?† What is significant/interesting/revealing/ strange. Slow down and take your time here. Don’t jump to interpretations before you’ve exhausted the details. Uncertainty is good. Look for Patterns: Start sifting through the text looking for Repetitions, Strands, Binaries, and Anomalies. Repetitions:   Anisdel Toro drink in Hills Like White Elephants, etc., sheep dog in How to Talk to a Hunter Strands:   Animals in How to Talk to a Hunter, alcohol in Sonnys Blues Binaries:   Light/Dark in Sonnys Blues, young/old in One of Star Wars, One of Doom Anomalies:   Mysterious notebook in One of Star Wars, One of Doom, tin of chocolates with Santa Claus fondling children painted on it in How to Talk to a Hunter Make the Implicit Explicit: Explain to the reader what the details or the patterns imply. Explain your thought process. Pull out the implications and show them why you think they are â€Å"folded in† to the meaning of the text or image. What does this mean and So What? Why is it important? Keep Reformulating Questions and Explanations: What else might this detail or pattern mean? How else could it be explained? What details don’t fit my theory? Can I adjust my theory to better fit with this?

Laurie Halse Anderson - Award Winning Young Adult Author

Laurie Halse Anderson - Award Winning Young Adult Author When Laurie Halse Anderson was Born: October 23, 1961 in Potsdam, New York Her Background: Anderson grew up in Northern New York and from an early age loved to write. She attended Georgetown University and graduated with a degree in languages and linguistics. After graduation she worked several different jobs including cleaning banks and working as a stockbroker. Anderson did some writing as a freelance reporter for newspapers and magazines and worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She published her first book in 1996 and has been writing ever since. Anderson is married to Scot Larabee and together they have four children. (Source: Scholastic) Laurie Halse Anderson’s Books: Anderson’s writing career is prolific. She’s written picture books, fiction for young readers, nonfiction for young readers, historical fiction, and young adult books. Here are some of her most well-known books for teens and tweens. Speak (Speak, 2006. ISBN: 9780142407325) Read Speak Review Twisted (Speak, 2008. ISBN: 9780142411841) Fever, 1793 (Simon and Schuster, 2002. ISBN: 9780689848919) Prom (Puffin, 2006. ISBN: 9780142405703) Catalyst (Speak, 2003. ISBN: 9780142400012) Wintergirls (Turtleback, 2010. ISBN: 9780606151955) Chains (Atheneum, 2010. ISBN: 9781416905868) Forge(Atheneum, 2010. ISBN: 9781416961444) For a complete list of all her books, including out of print books, visit the Laurie Halse Andersons  Web site. Awards and Recognition: Anderson’ s award list is long and continues to grow. Besides being a New York Times bestselling author and having her books listed multiple times on the American Library Association’s many teen lists, she has received starred reviews from the Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal. Her most prestigious awards are the following: Speak 1999 National Book Award Finalist2000 Printz Honor bookEdgar Allan Poe Award Finalist Chains   2008 National Book Award Finalist2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction   Catalyst  Ã‚     2002 Odyssey Book Award   (Source: Authors 4 Teens Web site) In 2009 Anderson received the American Library Association’s Margaret A. Edwards Award for significant and lasting achievement in young adult literature. The award focused specifically on Anderson’s books Speak, Fever 1793, and Catalyst. Censorship and Banning Controversies: Some of Anderson’s books have been challenged based on their content. The book Speak is listed by the American  Library Association as one of the top 100 books challenged between the years 2000-2009 and has been banned from some middle and high schools for sexuality, situations of suicidal thoughts in teens, and gritty teenage situations.  School Library Journal interviewed Anderson about Speak after a Missouri man tried to get it banned.  According to Anderson, there was a huge outpouring of support with people  posting comments and stories.  Anderson also received several requests for interviews and comments.  (Source: School Library Journal) Anderson takes a strong stance against censorship and discusses the topic along with her books on her Web site. Movie Adaptations: A movie adaption of Speak was made in 2005 starring Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame. The Author Online: Anderson stays in touch with her fans and provides materials for teachers and librarians on her Web site. Laurie Halse Anderson Trivia: Anderson milked cows and worked on a dairy farm to earn money for college.She loves listening to Mozart’s’ Requiem.A motto that Anderson lives by is: When life gets tough, pick up a book and read. (Source: Simon and Schuster Web site)

Strategic Quality and Systems Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Quality and Systems Management - Essay Example This strategy is meant to respond to the health and safety requirements of the society particularly as understood together with the matter of capital growth and human development. The current global trends in food and beverage businesses favor actions and policies that uphold diet and nutritional concerns of the modern societies. In order for PepsiCo to retain and improve its high position in the market, the management has devised new policies and business approaches that are tailored towards increasing its revenue base (Jurevicius, 2013). The corporation also intends to adopt innovative and results-oriented approaches of expanding its capital base. Such approaches will entail both long-term and short-term policies for spurring the growth of equity in a sustainable and efficient manner. PepsiCo has devised multiple strategies that are intended towards the safeguarding of capital gains against the unpredictable climate on the market. A strong and dependable financial policy is the driving force behind decades of stability and consistent growth. Stable financial policies are necessary for protecting against the shifting market realities. Primarily, every organization exists for growth and profits. In the wake of globalization and the liberalization of the market economy, there is every need for organizations to adopt policies and strategies for enhancing the quality of their products and services with the intention of staying above the fray of market competition. Accordingly, organizations evolve ways and strategies of effective operational management processes that aim at enhancing quality and harmonizing the sum of their operations in a manner that is consistent with the objectives of growth and revenue expansion. In the particular case of PepsiCo, the operational management processes are tied on the core goals of producing high quality food and beverages that meet the diverse tastes of the targeted

Health Promotion Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Promotion Plan - Essay Example Compared to the mortality rates from all races, deaths from malignant neoplasms are higher among African Americans as the mortality rate of malignant neoplasms from all races is only 321.2; meanwhile, hypertension is cited as the 10th most common cause of death among African Americans and the ever-present predisposing factor for diseases of the heart, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, and kidney diseases (HealthyPeople.gov, 2012, n.p.). With the identification of hypertension as the problem of the population or the underlying determinants of certain chronic diseases, health promotion will be geared towards addressing hypertension among African Americans aged 55 years and older, promoting multi-sectoral policies and programs to improve health and reduce health disparities, and educating the public about evidence-based interventions to prevent, treat and control hypertension. In addition, it is easy address hypertension than malignant neoplasms among African Americans as hypertension is a modifiable, controllable risk factor. Objective In the Healthy People 2020 Objectives for heart disease and stroke, a 10-percent improvement from baseline is set to determine efficacy of health promotion, intervention, or treatment. The proportion of adult African Americans who died from hypertension is 23.4; thus, the main objective of this paper is to reduce the proportion of adults (aged 55 years and older) who died from hypertension from 23.4 to 21.1 (HDS-5.1). Aspects of Collaboration To prevent hypertension and promote health, collaboration from government, local community, clinicians, other health care professionals, nurse-managed hypertension facilities, public health workers and community outreach workers, and patients is a must. Each of the following care professionals has their own aspects of collaboration of how to promote health and prevent hypertension. Government agencies are responsible for implementing policies and programs to address hypertension and in fundi ng for the general health of the population. Community aspects of collaboration include civic, philanthropic, religious, and senior organizations that could provide locally focused orientation to the health needs of the diverse target population. Clinicians and other health care professionals influence or reinforce instructions to improve patient lifestyles and blood pressure control. Nurse-managed hypertension facilities also contribute to better hypertension control. Public health nurses and community outreach workers screen, identify cases, refer and track follow-up appointments, and educate patients. Meanwhile, patient is at the central core of collaboration as their motivation and compliance to treatment facilitate better blood pressure control and reduction of incidence of hypertension. Therefore, collaborative groups’ shared roles in preventing hypertension and promotion of health include reinforcing awareness of hypertension risks, conveying the importance of blood pr essure management, and educating effective lifestyle interventions, pharmacologic therapies, and treatment adherence (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004, 62). . Organizational/Policy Changes The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion stated that health promotion action means building healthy public policy which puts health on the agenda of policy makers in all sectors and at all

PP0126 Learning Arena As A Learning E Essay Example for Free

PP0126 Learning Arena As A Learning E Essay Medical Assistant profession is only known in Malaysia. It is part of the medical profession creates by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia in the sixties to overcome the shortage of medical officer in the country. We need to go through three years training program conducted by our Ministry of Health in order to be a qualified as a Medical Assistant. My speciality is in Emergency and Trauma care management, with sixteen years working experiences in the Emergency Department (ETD) and currently attached to the ETD in one of the hospital located in central region. In this assignment I will discuss and explore how practice arena can assist in learning as well to identify the learning opportunity available for learners and how I integrate my professional role to develop health care profession competency. My focus will be on the factors of physical and social climate and how does it affect learning in my practice arena. Based on the theories of humanism and Androgogy compare with the concept suggested in the literature, I will come with my recommendation on how I am going to promote my practice arena into a more conducive learning environment. There are few factors or element that can affect or influence learning environment. The most important elements are physical environment, social climate and learning opportunities (Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2006) that I am focusing now. Discussing about the physical element, resources are among thing that we should considered within the placement. Ileris (2011) claimed the variety of opportunity and situation offer to learners is the most significant factors influencing the quality of practice arena as 1 learning environment. He further quotes that difference type of workplace offer different  learning environment with different learning opportunity. The emergency and trauma department or my practice arena cover one whole block and the facilities and services available encompassing a wide range of emergent trauma and non trauma condition, from the critically ill or severely injured to those with minor ailment. The scope include pre hospital care services, resuscitation and stabilisation, diagnosis and definitive care management, one stop crisis centre and medical coverage. The facilities available are dividing into zone ranging from a critical to  a non critical zone where patient management are triage according to the severity of illness. There are three main zones, one observation bay equipped with 5 beds, a procedure room for minor surgical procedures and a sterilisation unit for collecting and receiving sterile item from the central sterilisation department. Each zone or treatment areas are equipped with standard equipment for it functionalities inclusive of an emergency trolley, cardiac monitor and defibrillators, portable ventilators and airway management, radiography machine, ultra sound machine, electrocardiogram,  refrigerator and blood analyser machine. It provide a wide range of learning opportunity to learners and students to develops their skills ,knowledge and understanding of the role and function with the organisation( Evan et. al, 2006). However all these equipment needs speciality and skills to be operates and 2 learners need period of time to get familiar with the equipment. The department need to send learners for user training and courses before they can handle the machine. My practice arena is amongst the busiest place in the hospital compound. Even worse  when facing the incidence of mass casualties where every staffs busy with their own task. However it doesn’t mean that they have no time with the learner. They are actually a good role model for learner where they can work and learn at the same time. They are willing to shares their working experience, skills, knowledge and ideas with student or learners even though they are very with their tasks. In fact chaotic working environment is rich for learning because of large volume of patient of varying acuity and learner will take responsibility of their own learning, identifying gap in knowledge, seeing feedback  and working toward closing these gap. (Goldman et. al, 2009) Every zone is fully air conditioning and furnished with patient’s beds, trolleys and wheelchairs. We also have an access to internet and intranet where Learners will have the opportunity to access the heath information system, interaction between the instructors and as well among learners as it is the key point for good practice and learning expectation for each area (Severs and Pearson, 1999), (Ileris, 2011). But there are limitations as some of the equipment and facilities only can be use by professional  and expert and the use of internet has been block by the management from being access in an improper way and only involved with certain website, this may lead to frustration and conflict to extensive use in workplace learning (Ileris, 2011). We also 3 have teaching room or a seminar room with selection of books, journal and handout available which is accessible to learners. Apart from the facilities above my placement arena also have 2 unit of type A, 3 unit of type B and 5 unit of type C ambulances. They are all equipped with standard equipment and also link by the radio communication services. In order to be part of the ambulance services team, learner need to undergo basic training on the basic equipment available inside the ambulance and how to use radio communication system. They are attached with qualified personnel as a mentor who is in charge of the ambulance services. For the convenience of every staffs, student and even public, my placement arena offer excellent facilities such as rest room with television set, tea room and pantry, accessible wash room and toilet, emergency fire exit with fire extinguisher and waiting area provided with chairs and queue number system. Quinn (2007) states that this basic needs make learner feel secure and comfortable and enable them to concentrate in their learning. Nevertheless my placement area doesn’t have any skill laboratory where student can practice their skills and knowledge. However the higher management has planned to set it up in few years time for the benefit of all parties. 4 My practice arena offer a placement for student nurses, newly graduates medical assistant and medical students doing their internships and housemanship program from the nearby colleges and higher institution. In fact the facilities has been gazetted as one  of the teaching hospital by the government and the Ministry of Health Malaysia as a whole. Learners and student will need to be introduced to the new environment to get them off to a good start by establishing a sense of belonging, creating a welcoming learning environment, supplying information that will answer their question and removing any uncertainties once they reporting themselves for the placement. Gopee (2008) stated this as an essential and effective when new experience are linked to prior knowledge where it begin with familiarisation with the clinical setting, clinical specialism,  get to know with mentor and staffs and feeling that they are part of the team inorder to meet the learning needs and achievement of their practice objective. The availability of the multidisciplinary staffs ranging from the higher level management and clinician to a well trained paramedics (Goppe, 2008) form the basis of inter- professional learning and will be an advantage for the student to learned and adopted as their role model and mentors. West et. al (2007) highlight that the practice is not only the environment where services is delivered to client but also a learning area where  future and qualified practioner continually utilise the opportunity provide to them as an experience to facilitate their professional development. 5 It is an effort of every personnel to create the practice arena into an interesting and conducive place to learn. Fox (2009) describe learning environment as a place or setting where learning occur. This include physical setting, interpersonal and instructional characteristic that influence learner’s performance. The nature of learning environment is important in establishing an expansive learning area (Evan et. al, 2006)  but sometime it is difficult to achieve as to some leader it is not a priority and therefore there must be a balance against priority in order to improve learning. Hand(2006) suggest that placement should be of higher quality accompanied by improved teaching support to help student gain better practical skills. But a high standard ward with rigid task allocation, with hierarchical system exist are unlikely to meet student learning needs (Fretwell, 1980) Relationship between manager and subordinates and vice versa is another important aspect of social climate in learning environment. Hand (2006) stated that mutual respect, integrated and valued student, manager’s commitment, interactive communication, motivated employers, supportiveness and openness are among the element that contributing to a conducive learning environment. Chan (2001) highlight that inter personnel relationship between staffs are crucial in order to develop a positive learning environment. Hand (2006) described the relationship between teacher and learner must be genuine, non- threatening, lasting relationship and encourage learner to give feedback in order to promote learning and Nolan (1998) found out that learning  desire will reduce without supportive from learning arena. 6 My unit manager is very supportive and committed person, caring attitude and openness especially toward professional development, friendly, approachable and knowledgeable. He motivates the staffs by sending them for courses, workshops and seminar to upgrade their skills and knowledge, counselling and indirectly benefit student placement in the areas. I believe he is a role model in my placement areas. The success and fall of the placement as a conducive learning arena depend on the management, leadership style and the relationship which exist between the people, the  manager and the goals in the organisation (Weir et. al, 2010). Inorder to develop a positive learning environment, there must be a positive management style and interpersonal relationship among manager, staffs and learner. Fretwell (1988), Pembrey (1988) described ward manager as a key figure in the organisation in establishing and maintaining a ward atmosphere conducive learning environment and patient care environment as well. Practice area learning are mostly student centred learning where learner and student needs to participates and involve themselves in the activities design in the practice  area. Self awareness is therefore very important and Cook (1999), mention that many nurses educationist are focused on self awareness to get the learning opportunity in the practice area. In this way student are able to make judgement of their own and identify their strength and weakness in consistent to andragogy approach as self assessment which help them to develop awareness of their own standard of practice (Chambers, 1998). This can be in the form of formal and informal learning activities. In my placement area, student or learners will have the opportunity to involve themselves in  7 discussion, case presentation, in house courses and continuous medical education which is plan weekly for every qualified personnel. For pre registration student this is a good chance to get new ideas, knowledge and skills and for post registration it is professional refreshment. Spouse (2001) clarified that knowledge quickly become outdated as rapid pace of technology and to be more effective this continuous professional development should be carried out under the guidance of experience and knowledgeable colleagues with the evidence of attendances. The collaboration of one  department with other organisation and between unit and section in the department should be considered as one of the factors that influencing the provision of good experience within the placement. This is because exchange and sharing of ideas between these two different organisations happened to achieve the same goal. We have been discussed many factors influencing learning in my practice setting such as physical environment, social climate and learning opportunities available in my practice setting and this will definitely give a better output toward learning environment  in the placement arena. Although I have identified many of the learning opportunities but there are some limitation on the implementation especially on the resources. I have made some recommendation to be bringing forward to improve the placement arena in future. I believe that this can be fulfils if the higher level management, training institution, mentors as well learners themselves is really committed to make changes toward the excellence learning environment. To make the process going smoothly everybody should take parts and plays their role accordingly.

Namely Mirambo the African Ruler Essay -- essays research papers

Namely Mirambo, was born in Uyowa in East and Central Africa in between 1870 and 1880, the son of the Mtemi clan an ordinary person but later his name was spread over shore of Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. His father was Kasanda, son of Mtula and Mtula was son of Mgandu and Mgandu was son of Mlolwa. Mirambo was determined to build a large army to capture more countries and spread his authority wider, his name called Mbula. The name Mirambo had not yet been given to him. Mirambo was very tall, he was brown and stooped slightly, he is one of the most handsome Africans. His body appears to be composed entirely of muscle, brownish, his height is above average. He is no smoke or drunk. Firstly he attacked Bunzali, he was yet in experienced in war. He call a mighty man called Mwana Magonho to teach Mbula the art of war. Mbula demonstrated his skill by killing many people. When the mighty man saw this he was surprised and he gave the name Mirambo to him. From that day Mbula was known by the name of Mirambo and his people began to be called Warambo. Mirambo’,s soldiers were given the name of ruga-ruga. The ruga-ruga’,s weapons were guns and pistols. All these weapon came from the eastern coast. Mirambo used to send rich trader to go with elephant tusks and exchange them for guns and powder. The Arab of the eastern coast used to barter guns and gunpowder for ivory. When Mirambo went with his army to sack a settlement, he approached carefully, when he was near he gave the order to the rugaruga to attack. Mirambo himself with his guards threw themselves into the battle. Men were killed, women were taken prisoner and sent to Urambo to be married off. Young men were taken and devided into groups, that is to learn the art o... ...lness of the throat which he had had for long time. When he saw that his illness was getting worse he sent people to call Father Lourdel to bring him medicine. But when the Father arrived he found Mirambo already dead in his camp since the previous day. A Protestant Missionary called Charles Stokes mentions the illness and even the actual date of Mirambo’,s dead. At the time Stokes was working for the Church Missionary Society. Mirambo dead on Tuesday, the 2nd of December 1884 of acute laryngitis. He dead at the seat of the war in which he was engaged in reducing one of his chiefs who had rebelled for some years. Mirambo died when he was between the age of 44 and 54 or in his prime. Although Mirambo had built up an empire between the great lakes Victoria and Tanganyika he had no time to establish his rule. He died before he had time to set up a lasting empire. Namely Mirambo the African Ruler Essay -- essays research papers Namely Mirambo, was born in Uyowa in East and Central Africa in between 1870 and 1880, the son of the Mtemi clan an ordinary person but later his name was spread over shore of Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. His father was Kasanda, son of Mtula and Mtula was son of Mgandu and Mgandu was son of Mlolwa. Mirambo was determined to build a large army to capture more countries and spread his authority wider, his name called Mbula. The name Mirambo had not yet been given to him. Mirambo was very tall, he was brown and stooped slightly, he is one of the most handsome Africans. His body appears to be composed entirely of muscle, brownish, his height is above average. He is no smoke or drunk. Firstly he attacked Bunzali, he was yet in experienced in war. He call a mighty man called Mwana Magonho to teach Mbula the art of war. Mbula demonstrated his skill by killing many people. When the mighty man saw this he was surprised and he gave the name Mirambo to him. From that day Mbula was known by the name of Mirambo and his people began to be called Warambo. Mirambo’,s soldiers were given the name of ruga-ruga. The ruga-ruga’,s weapons were guns and pistols. All these weapon came from the eastern coast. Mirambo used to send rich trader to go with elephant tusks and exchange them for guns and powder. The Arab of the eastern coast used to barter guns and gunpowder for ivory. When Mirambo went with his army to sack a settlement, he approached carefully, when he was near he gave the order to the rugaruga to attack. Mirambo himself with his guards threw themselves into the battle. Men were killed, women were taken prisoner and sent to Urambo to be married off. Young men were taken and devided into groups, that is to learn the art o... ...lness of the throat which he had had for long time. When he saw that his illness was getting worse he sent people to call Father Lourdel to bring him medicine. But when the Father arrived he found Mirambo already dead in his camp since the previous day. A Protestant Missionary called Charles Stokes mentions the illness and even the actual date of Mirambo’,s dead. At the time Stokes was working for the Church Missionary Society. Mirambo dead on Tuesday, the 2nd of December 1884 of acute laryngitis. He dead at the seat of the war in which he was engaged in reducing one of his chiefs who had rebelled for some years. Mirambo died when he was between the age of 44 and 54 or in his prime. Although Mirambo had built up an empire between the great lakes Victoria and Tanganyika he had no time to establish his rule. He died before he had time to set up a lasting empire.

Gatekeeping Survives the Modern Age

A Master of Science in Communication Studies has finally become the heir apparent to an idea I’ve had for many years. Getting a graduate degree was always something I thought worthwhile, but the field of study was not so obvious. I did not want to put forth the time, effort and money without a clear idea of why to choose a particular subject, and then how to put it to good use. My first career as a weekly newspaper reporter was wonderful.Fresh out of college, but with a speech communication major (because that sounded like fun and could get me out of school in four years) I learned the newspaper business from a gentle man in a small town. Because writing is my first love, I was able to easily put information into a readable format. The rest of the responsibilities – interviewing, researching, proofreading, editing, layout, paste-up, photography, developing film and printing pictures, I picked up on the job. I was young and single, then young and married, and life was go od. It got better with children, so I put the newspaper business aside.As a few friends earned their Master’s Degrees, I was envious but not compelled. English and writing were options, but didn’t appear sensible unless I taught high school or contacted New York for literary work (no small feat in those pre-technology days). I was not interested in either. Life with kids was busy and they were the priority for my time. Two decades later I resumed where I had left off. I was ready to work for pay again and fell into the perfect job as a weekly newspaper reporter. It has been a growing experience as I brushed up on and fine-tuned my skills.I dove into controversial issues as well as the mundane, and for the last four years have recorded the news of a very active community. From this has grown the idea that a master’s is the next logical step. I love to learn, as I have from every story written for the newspaper. I am interested in studying the media from ‘th e big picture’ and associating with fellow mass communication enthusiasts. There are particular aspects of the degree I will pursue because it may be the only way to learn computerized techniques useful in the field.Most of my kids are no longer home to teach me that. For my final years of employment I would like to work with a company or non-profit organization, or teach at a junior college. I plan to stay with my perfect job until my last child is out of high school. Then I may be ready for a job with set hours. I’m quite sure that one year at a respectable salary will reimburse the cost of the master’s tuition, compared to a reporter’s wage. At any rate, I am always up for an adventure, and have been excited since deciding to further my education. Pat Fridgen

Information Use CIS/207 Essay

In today’s world, most businesses rely heavily on the use of information technology ad information systems. Corporate communication is usually dependent upon wired as well as wired networks within the company. With these networks being set up in businesses, there has been a major shift in data storage to using computers to store and transfer data instead of the traditional ways of using paperwork and hard copies. Companies can securely share information with other companies through the use of virtual private networks, called VPNs. My current occupation is very technologically driven. My current occupation is based completely around technology and it’s use and innovation. The company contains a large area of production and workers that produces and delivers several different innovative pieces of machinery. They are involved in the production of items such as ATM machines, video rental kiosks, self-checkout registers, vending machines and other products of a similar nature. We also have a large information technology department that I am a part of to assist with servicing our products as well as providing third party support for other products from other vendors. In our area of business, networks are extremely important to our everyday work processes. I work in the smaller of two locations, but we are all connected to the same network and have the same job duties. We have multiple computer software programs that we use to accomplish our daily tasks and also have software to connect us to the same telephone queues and networks in order to assist clients. The computer network gives us access to all of the same information and data that is used to assist us with providing support to clients and also access to internal documents that are needed. We communicate with our other team members through instant messages and email networks that are used everyday all day. Without these networks, there are times that we would not be able to even communicate with members of our leadership that are in the other location. Our phone calls are routed though queues that all of our team members are assigned to in both call centers.  Some of the software and information we use are shared with clients and they also have access. In order to keep this information secure, we use a virtual private network, or VPN. We sign into this network to access the tools that are used daily. After signing in with individual passwords, we are able to access a complete set of software programs that we need to complete our job each day. Each location of ours, also contain local networks that are for business and personal use. There are employee and guest wireless (wifi) networks that are available for leadership and clients that need to access the Internet on their wireless devices and laptops. There is also an additional wifi network that is set-up for other employees to use on personal laptops, ipads, tablets, etc. As with everything computer related, there are times when the information systems have issues or fail. One of the reasons that we have two call centers is to have our call center serve as a backup for the main location. There are times when the main call center’s network goes down due to server issues while our area is still operable, and there are other times when our center goes down and they are still in operation. Unfortunately, at times there are still issues that shut down both locations simultaneously. With the use of computers and networks, there is also a large focus on security. Whenever there is sensitive data being stored and transferred through computer networks, there is the risk of unauthorized individuals gaining access to this information. To lower these chances, we have several different pieces of software and also require multiple passwords that are unique to each authorized individual and a requirement to change the passwords often. Today’s home and business processes rely more and more on the use of technology and information systems each day. Computers and networks have increased productivity greatly by speeding up the way information is transferred. Information can now be transferred across the world almost instantly, which is very useful in business endeavors. Large amounts of data  can also be stored in computers to save the amount of physical paper used, which is good for the environment also. Research and communication are also more effective and efficient through information technology. There is always a downside with the threat of hackers and unauthorized use, but with the proper network security and software, this can be reduced. Reference Turban, E., Volonino, L., & Wood, G. (2013). Information technology for management: Advancing sustainable, profitable business growth (9th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

School Essay Example

School Essay Example School Essay School Essay Essay Topic: Middle School Alright, there are several factors that led to the differences between the Chesapeake and New England colonies. The first factor would be the types of crops they grew. Farmers in New England grew sustenance crops, mostly to feed themselves. This led to small family owned farms, which would surround a group of houses which had an area of common ground in the middle of the town. Now, the south tended to favor cash crops such as tobacco and indigo and things of that nature. Tobacco required large tracts of land and completely destroyed the soil in which it was grown. Houses were often further apart than they were in New England (remember the centralized town with the farms on the outside) and therefore people interacted less. Another huge factor was the demographics of the regions. In New England, the population was almost equal between males and females, with the longest life expectancy in the world. This means growing families and huge leaps in population. Since slavery was relatively uncommon in New England, families had children to work on their farm. Since the families lived In close contact with one another, things like school and religion were extremely Important aspects of New England life. In the South, men greatly outnumbered women, and disease was fairly common. The life expectancy was really low there, and families much smaller than their northern counterparts. Since the labor was provided by slaves, people had no real reason to have children, especially with the life expectancy being so low. Since farms were so far apart, unlike northern towns, the south lacked schools and churches. This Isnt to say that they didnt have them, they were fewer and farther between than they were In New England. The gist of all of this Is that due to low life expectancy, the reliance on cash crops, and the lack of education, the north ND south were beginning to form different cultures. The North had these things, which created more tightly knit communities, and also created the common belief that Southerners were backwards and dumb. There was a lot of distrust between the colonies, which would disappear with the French and Indian War when people from the North and South would serve side-by- side In the military. I hope this helps you a little, Im working off of memory and left all of my American H school By Jeerer on their farm. Since the families lived in close contact with one another, things like school and religion were extremely important aspects of New England life. Far apart, unlike northern towns, the south lacked schools and churches. This isnt to in New England. The gist of all of this is that due to low life expectancy, the reliance on cash crops, There was a lot of distrust between the colonies, which would disappear with the side in the military.

How Bills Become Laws in the US Congress

How Bills Become Laws in the US Congress Article I, Section 1 of the United States Constitution grants all legislative- bill making- powers to the U.S. Congress, made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives. In addition to its legislative powers, the Senate has the power to â€Å"advise and consent† in matters of treaties negotiated with foreign nations and nominations to non-elected federal offices made by the President of the United States. Congress also has the legislative power to amend the Constitution, declare war, and to approve all matters concerning the federal government’s expenditures and operating budget. Finally, under the Necessary and Proper and Commerce Clauses of Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress exercises powers not explicitly enumerated elsewhere in the Constitution. Under these so-called â€Å"implied powers,† Congress is allowed, â€Å"To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by th is Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.† Through these constitutionally-granted powers, Congress considers thousands of bills each session. Yet, only a small percentage of them will ever reach the top of the presidents desk for final approval or ​veto. Along their way to the White House, bills traverse a maze of committees and subcommittees, debates, and amendments in both chambers of Congress. The following is a simple explanation of the process required for a bill to become a law. For a complete explanation, see... How Our Laws Are Made (Library of Congress) Revised and Updated by Charles W. Johnson, Parliamentarian, United States House of Representatives. Step 1: Introduction Only a member of Congress (House or Senate) can introduce the bill for consideration. The Representative or Senator who introduces the bill becomes its sponsor. Other legislators who support the bill or work on its preparation can ask to be listed as co-sponsors. Important bills usually have several co-sponsors. Four basic types of legislation, all commonly referred to as bills or measures are considered by Congress: Bills, Simple Resolutions, Joint Resolutions, and Concurrent Resolutions. A bill or resolution has officially been introduced when it has been assigned a number (H.R. # for House Bills or S. # for Senate Bills) and printed in the Congressional Record by the Government Printing Office. Step 2: Committee Consideration All bills and resolutions are referred to one or more House or Senate committees according to their specific rules. Step 3: Committee Action The committee considers the bill in detail. For example, the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee will consider a bills potential impact on the Federal Budget. If the committee approves the bill, it moves on in the legislative process. Committees reject bills by simply not acting on them. Bills that fail to get committee action are said to have died in committee, as many do. Step 4: Subcommittee Review The committee sends some bills to a subcommittee for further study and public hearings. Just about anyone can present testimony at these hearings. Government officials, industry experts, the public, anyone with an interest in the bill can give testimony either in person or in writing. Notice of these hearings, as well as instructions for presenting testimony, is officially published in the Federal Register. Step 5: Mark Up If the subcommittee decides to report (recommend) a bill back to the full committee for approval, they may first make changes and amendments to it. This process is called Mark Up. If the subcommittee votes not to report a bill to the full committee, the bill dies right there. Step 6: Committee Action Reporting a Bill The full committee now reviews the deliberations and recommendations of the subcommittee. The committee may now conduct further review, hold more public hearings, or simply vote on the report from the subcommittee. If the bill is to go forward, the full committee prepares and votes on its final recommendations to the House or Senate. Once a bill has successfully passed this stage it is said to have been ordered reported or simply reported. Step 7: Publication of Committee Report Once a bill has been reported (See Step 6:) a report about the bill is written and published. The report will include the purpose of the bill, its impact on existing laws, budgetary considerations, and any new taxes or tax increases that will be required by the bill. The report also typically contains transcripts from public hearings on the bill, as well as the opinions of the committee for and against the proposed bill. Step 8: Floor Action Legislative Calendar The bill will now be placed on the legislative calendar of the House or Senate and scheduled (in chronological order) for floor action or debate before the full membership. The House has several legislative calendars. The Speaker of the House and House Majority Leader decide the order in which reported bills will be debated. The Senate, having only 100 members and considering fewer bills, has only one legislative calendar. Step 9: Debate Debate for and against the bill proceeds before the full House and Senate according to strict rules of consideration and debate. Step 10: Voting Once debate has ended and any amendments to the bill have been approved, the full membership will vote for or against the bill. Methods of voting allow for a voice vote or a roll-call vote. Step 11: Bill Referred to Other Chamber Bills approved by one chamber of Congress (House or Senate) are now sent to the other chamber where they will follow pretty much the same track of committee to debate to vote. The other chamber may approve, reject, ignore, or amend the bill. Step 12: Conference Committee If the second chamber to consider a bill changes it significantly, a conference committee made up of members of both chambers will be formed. The conference committee works to reconcile differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill. If the committee cannot agree, the bill simply dies. If the committee does agree on a compromise version of the bill, they prepare a report detailing the changes they have proposed. Both the House and Senate must approve the report of the conference committee or the bill will be sent back to them for further work. Step 13: Final Action - Enrollment Once both the House and Senate have approved the bill in identical form, it becomes Enrolled and sent to the President of the United States. The President may sign the bill into law. The President can also take no action on the bill for ten days while Congress is in session and the bill will automatically become law. If the President is opposed to the bill, he can veto it. If he takes no action on the bill for ten days after Congress has adjourned their second session, the bill dies. This action is called a pocket veto. Step 14: Overriding the Veto Congress can attempt to override a presidential veto of a bill and force it into law, but doing so requires a 2/3 vote by a quorum of members in both the House and Senate.  Under Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, overriding a presidential veto requires both the House and Senate to approve the override measure by two-thirds,​ a  supermajority vote of the members present. Assuming that all 100 members of the Senate and all 435 members of the House are present for the vote, the override measure would need 67 votes in the Senate and 218 votes in the House.

Children and Video Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Children and Video Games - Essay Example Therefore, parents should be vigilant on this particular issue since it could be detrimental to the health of their children. It is in the best interests of the parents to ensure the children have limited time in playing video games. This will be a prudent approach in ensuring the children are not adversely affected by the video games. However, neglecting such an approach could be detrimental to both the children and their parents. Video games are practically indoor games. The children have to gather in a room and start to play. This clears out any instance where the children will participate in outdoor games. This reduces the physical contact with other children. As such, their physical muscles are not enhanced. This acts negatively towards a growing child. Apparently, children need to exercise frequently and run during outdoor games. This clears out any chances of fat concentration in the body. According to research, obese children in the United States have increased in numbers. Th is is an issue that has been affecting many families in the United States. When in physical play, children burn out excessive fat in their bodies. This reduces the chances of becoming obese as the children are frequently engaged in activities that burn out excessive fat in their bodies. This goes to greater heights in reducing other conditions that are brought by excessive fat deposits in the body. For instance, the children will have reduced the risks of getting heart diseases. On the other hand, children that engage in video games rarely run and make physical contacts while playing (Vorderer and Bryant 14). This increases the chances of having fat deposits in the body as they are not burned out. Therefore, the children will continue to have fat deposits in... Video games are practically indoor games. The children have to gather in a room and start to play. This clears out any instance where the children will participate in outdoor games. This reduces the physical contact with other children. As such, their physical muscles are not enhanced. This acts negatively towards a growing child. Apparently, children need to exercise frequently and run during outdoor games. This clears out any chances of fat concentration in the body. According to research, obese children in the United States have increased in numbers. This is an issue that has been affecting many families in the United States. When in physical play, children burn out excessive fat in their bodies. This reduces the chances of becoming obese as the children are frequently engaged in activities that burnout excessive fat in their bodies. This goes to greater heights in reducing other conditions that are brought by excessive fat deposits in the body. For instance, the children will hav e reduced the risks of getting heart diseases. On the other hand, children that engage in video games rarely run and make physical contacts while playing (Vorderer and Bryant 14). This increases the chances of having fat deposits in the body as they are not burned out. Therefore, the children will continue to have fat deposits in their body, which is a threat to a healthy living. Therefore, they will have increased chances of developing health conditions, which include obesity and other related issues.

UNIT 2 DISCUSSION BOARD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UNIT 2 DISCUSSION BOARD - Essay Example er, as developed economies started to move towards perfect markets with stricter regulations like corporate governance and SOX, Investors started to pull out their capital towards countries which provide highest returns. The capital flight towards emerging markets and less developed countries is the part of the same phenomenon as capital is flowing towards those countries because with the passage of time, they not only have been able to develop their physical infrastructure and put in favorable environment in order to attract the foreign capital in the country. Less developed and emerging markets provide tax incentives, favorable terms to the foreign investors, and higher returns in terms of capital and money market instruments especially higher stock market returns. Probably the most important reason why capital is flowing from developed countries to less developed and emerging markets is the ease with which the investors can pull back their investments. Strict anti-money laundering laws have made it more inflexible for the genuine investors to move their capital at will within developed world therefore investors are now shifting their investments to less develop and emerging markets. Finally, the capital flight towards the less developed and emerging markets is taking place because governments of those countries are executing liberal monetary as well as fiscal policies raising the prospects of their country to be more lucrative and attractive to the foreign investors to bring in their capital and in due course improve upon their economies on more solid footings. â€Å"Emerging markets are countries that are restructuring their economies along market-oriented lines and offer a wealth of opportunities in trade, technology transfers, and foreign direct investment.† (Li, 2008) Whereas less developed economies are those economies which show lowest indictors on the various scales developed by many international bodies specially United Nations. Though they may be

Soldiers Home written by Ernest Hemingway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Soldiers Home written by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example Hemingway depicts a conflict revealing how society is demanding conformity from such struggling souls who fail to fit in the mold of that culture. The story takes a unique form as Hemingway sets it out for Harold Krebs who returns from World War I having lost all his possessions. It is his hometown which receives him with an odd expression, the community wondering why he returned so late. This dark picture of the society demanding and expecting Krebs to return to normal life reflects the cruelty and uncompassionate attitude towards the soldier. People expect him to glorify the experience of war, something that he did not even come close enough to experience. His familiarity with the war was as gruesome as for the other soldiers but, unfortunately, the community had already heard so many such stories that they refused to listen to his part. On his return home, Krebs already feared the stagnant life of his small hometown in America. Apparently, his father drove the same car but the onl y difference he could see was in the grown up and modern girls. Caught between the wishes of his pious mother and materialistic father, he induced self paralysis in him, an act he could not avoid because he could not adjust himself with the people around him. He wished for a simple life. But he has even gone in doubt about his relationship with God. When his mother asks him to look for a job for himself and says â€Å"There can be no idle hands in His Kingdom†, Krebs replies, â€Å"I’m not in His Kingdom† (Hemingway 351). According to Hemingway, Krebs is now just an observer and not the participant of his life. He does not feel the need to conform to the rules of the town such as courting a girl and settling down. He has no feelings for women. This depicts the negative connotations Hemingway hints at in the style of the story in which it is written. Surprisingly, Hemingway does not state whether it is good for Krebs or bad that he remains indifferent to the soci ety’s needs but ultimately gives in. Its demand for him not to change but remain who he was is very pressurizing for any human being leave alone an affected soldier who wishes to narrate his war experience to the people. When he does not get the right kind of attention he deserves, he is compelled to read books about war in which he had participated. He tries to comprehend his own experience by reading about the war. He has lost his natural experience which he did encounter during the wartimes as Hemingway states, â€Å"The times so long back when he had done the one thing, the only thing for a man to do, easily and naturally, when he might have done something else, now lost their cool, valuable quality and then were lost themselves† (Hemingway 348). When all is lost in a soldier’s life, there is nothing to give back but one’s own significant self. Krebs’ life is not destructive but people’s behavior has made it look like he will have to sec lude himself from the society if he resists the change they demand from him. His mother’s prayers for him and love for him signify a mother’s natural instinct; she is helpless in the hands of her husband and the people that surround them. She has become a typical woman of the era who would ask her son to do what the other boys his age are doing. He realizes

The No Load Circuit And Short Circuit Characteristics Biology Essay

The No Load Circuit And Short Circuit Characteristics Biology Essay The Ward-Leonard system is a conventional speed control method. It consists of a 3 phase induction machine controlling a separately excited DC generator. The DC generator in turn supplies a variable DC voltage to a DC motor. It is basically a DC variable speed drive [2]. The Ward-Leonard system is shown below in Figure 1. Figure : Ward-Leonard system setup The principle behind the Ward-Leonard system is that the DC generator can actually influence the motor to develop a torque and speed required by the load [3]. Thus the speed of the generator is directly proportional to the armature voltage applied to the DC motor [2]. The output voltage of the DC generator is controlled by adjusting the exciting voltage (field voltage), this then controls the speed of the DC motor [2]. Applications Travelling cranes Lifts Mine hoists Boring machines Table : Ward-Leonard system advantages and disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages Very wide range of speeds High cost Provides step less speed control Low over-all efficiency Experiment Apparatus 2- coupled induction machine and dc motor (as shown below in Figure 2) 4- digital multimeters (DMM) 2- Variac (Excitation field) Tachometer Figure : Coupled induction machine and dc machine Objectives of the experiment Characterise the DC machines and determine the equivalent circuits. Derive the power flow equations between the DC machines in terms of the equivalent circuits. Control the power flow between the DC machines by adjusting the field currents. Then compare the measured results with the expected theoretical power flow. Experiment procedure and setup No-load Test This test was used to determine the armature voltage. Before the experiment began the armature and field resistance were both measured. The Variac (exciter) was then connected to the field port on the DC machine. The Digital multimeter was connected to the armature port on the DC machine in order to measure the armature voltage. The DC machine was coupled to a three phase induction machine which was first turned on to run the DC machine. The setup is shown below in Figure 3. Using the knob on the Variac, increase the field voltage with an increment of 10V ( also increases) and for each case determine the armature voltage. This was done from 0V to the rated field voltage 110V. Now decrease the field voltage to demagnetise the DC machine from 110V to 0V also with an increment of 10V. Note the residual magnetism. Figure : No-Load test setup Short-Circuit Test This test was used to determine the armature current. The same procedure for the No-Load test was followed but in this case the digital multimeter was connected in series in the armature port in order to measure the current. Using the knob on the Variac, increase the field voltage with an increment of 10V and for each case determine the armature current. This was done from 0V to the rated field voltage 110V. The DC machine was demagnetised from 110V to 0V also with an increment of 10V recording the armature current. Ward Leonard experiment This setup was used to determine the power flow between the machines. The two coupled machines were connected together as shown below in Figure 4. A coupled machine is shown in Figure 1. The coupled machines were connected together through the armature. The positive terminals of the armature were connected together and the negative terminals were connected together. A digital multimeter was connected in between the positive terminals of the armature in order to measure the current. Each DC machine was connected to Variac through the field port. Both the Variac machines were turned down to 0V. The two induction machines were switched on both at the same time from the 3 power supply. The Variac knobs were both turned at the same time with an increment of 10V from 0V. This is done up until the multimeter reads 0A. The 0A was obtained at a field voltage of 110V. At this stage the second machine was left constant and the field voltage of the first machine was turned down at an increment of 10V, whilst recording the current and the speed of the machine without exceed the speed of 1502 rpm. A tachometer was used to measure the speed. After that the first machine was calibrated back to 110V, were the multimeter reads 0A. Now the first machine was left constant and the field voltage of the second machine was turned down at an increment of 10V, whilst recording the current and the speed of the machine without exceed the speed of 1502 rpm. A tachometer was used to measure the speed. After this then the practical is complete, the next step is to deduce an equation for the power as a function of excitation (field current) based on the machine characteristics. Then plot the graphs. Figure : Power flow setupC:UsersMashDesktopf.bmp Safety Do not exceed the ratings of the machines and all the other equipment. Switch off the equipment after completing the practical. Results Characterisation of DC machine Table : Armature and field resistance Resistance Before After 7.3 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ 9.8 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ 573 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ 542 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ No-load characteristics G:Machine Pracopennn.bmp Figure : No-load circuit Table : No-load test results Magnetizing Demagnetizing Field volts (V) Armature volts (V) Field volts (V) Armature volts (V) 0 0 1.6 9 10 27.8 10 35 20.8 61.1 20.5 68 30 88.9 30.1 97 40 116.8 38.2 119 50.1 141.1 50.1 148 60.6 165.1 60.1 170 70 181.9 69.5 185 80 196.2 80.4 200 90 209 90.5 211 100.2 218 100.9 220 110.3 227 110.3 227 Figure : No load test results plot The following table shows the calculated field current using the measured field resistance of 573 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦. Table : Amperes in the field coils Magnetizing Demagnetizing Field volts (V) Field Amperes (A) Field volts (V) Field Amperes (A) 0 0.0000 1.6 0.0028 10 0.0175 10 0.0175 20.8 0.0363 20.5 0.0358 30 0.0524 30.1 0.0525 40 0.0698 38.2 0.0667 50.1 0.0874 50.1 0.0874 60.6 0.1058 60.1 0.1049 70 0.1222 69.5 0.1213 80 0.1396 80.4 0.1403 90 0.1571 90.5 0.1579 100.2 0.1749 100.9 0.1761 110.3 0.1925 110.3 0.1925 Figure : DC generator no-load characteristics Comments The graph shows the relationship between the no-load armature voltage and the field current at a constant speed of 1496 rpm. The magnetization curve is a straight line up to a field current of 0.1A, after this point the graph approaches a condition known as saturation, thus any increase in the field current does not result in an increase in the armature voltage. Consequently the demagnetizing plot is above the magnetizing plot, this is due to the residual magnetism and hence the curve begins just above the 0 mark (a little way up). Closed circuit test G:Machine Pracshortt.bmp Figure : Closed circuit diagram Table : Closed circuit results Magnetizing Demagnetizing Field volts (V) Armature current (A) Field volts (V) Armature current (A) 1.7 2.54 1.6 0.21 10.8 3.63 10.7 1.1 20.5 4.52 18.8 1.81 30.8 4.72 29.5 2.64 40 5.54 39.9 3.37 50.9 6.4 50.2 3.93 60.7 5.59 60.8 4.44 70 6.01 70.7 5.05 80 6.1 80.8 5.5 90 6.52 90 5.9 100 6.92 100 6.54 111 7.4 111 7.4 Figure : Short-circuit characteristics Nameplate Information No-load circuit calculations Figure : No-load Fitted-curve This can be written as Using Figure 10 we can use the fitted plot of the no-load saturation curve above to determine the constant. The measured speed is used. From Thus we can calculate: But in practice we can approximate the value of the torque constant Short-circuit calculations Figure : Short circuit fitted plot This can be written as As calculated above Thus by substitution Thus now we can determine the armature resistance Coupled machines (Ward-Leonard system) ) 110.1 110 0.1 1492 1491 0.205224 0.15597 110.1 100 0.15 1492 1492 0.186567 0.212687 110.1 90 0.49 1490 1494 0.16791 0.625299 110 79.9 0.86 1486 1499 0.149067 0.974303 110.1 70 1.22 1490 1498 0.130597 1.210896 110 60 1.59 1480 1499 0.11194 1.352687 110.1 50 2.03 1484 1501 0.093284 1.439179 110.1 40.3 2.45 1484 1503 0.075187 1.399974 Power flow ) 110 110 0.1 1492 1492 0.205224 0.15597 100 110 -0.83 1492 1496 0.186567 -1.17687 90 110 -1.17 1480 1500 0.16791 -1.49306 80 110 -1.56 1470 1500 0.149254 -1.76955 70 110 -2.05 1474 1500 0.130597 -2.0347 60.1 110 -2.25 1483 1502 0.112127 -1.91737 Derivation of power equation Figure : Ward-Leonard system setup Figure : Ward-Leonard system equivalent circuit Now from Figure above we expect that Where (For the generator) (For the motor) (For the generator) (For the motor) Equate equation (1) and (2) Rewrite the equation Now we observe that Let This equation remains the same, it just depends which machine is a generator and which machine is a motor. As mentioned above to determine which machine acts as a generator or motor, we look at the following sign conversion. Conclusion DC machine Characterisation The DC machine characterisation of the generator was successfully done, both the no-load test and the short circuit test were done and all the parameters were calculated. The parameter calculated include the armature resistance which was found to be 6.25 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ as compared to the measured and the rated armature resistance it is within range ( difference). The characterisation also helps us understand how the dc works; by using the saturation curves we can determine the point where the machine starts saturation and determine the critical resistance. We can also determine information about the machine which would normally be given in the nameplate. Ward-Leonard system and the power flow The power flow equation was successfully derived and found as the equation below The equation was derived from the Ward-Leonard system that was setup in the practical. The practical showed that the power can be controlled between two DC machines using this setup. In the practical the power flowed from the generator to the motor, this was seen through the current having a negative current flowing in one direction and a positive current flowing to the other direction. The practical was successful and it clearly corresponds to the theory. What I leaned The practical was useful in terms of helping us understand the concept of residual magnetism which is the same as in the theory. The practical was also a good representation in terms of how an elevator/lift works.

Dramatic Monologues Essay -- essays papers

Dramatic Monologues The dramatic monologue features a speaker talking to a silent listener about a dramatic event or experience. The use of this technique affords the reader an intimate knowledge of the speaker's changing thoughts and feelings. In a sense, the poet brings the reader inside the mind of the speaker. (Glenn Everett online) Like a sculpturer pressing clay to form a man, a writer can create a persona with words. Every stroke of his hand becomes his or her own style, slowly creating this stone image. A dramatic monologue is an ideal opportunity for a poet to unveil a character. A dramatic monologue is a species of lyric poem in which the speaker is a persona created by the poet; the speaker's character is revealed unintentionally through his or her attitudes in the dramatic situation. This persona must be identified, but not named. He or she can be a real person, an imaginary character, an historical or literary figure; in essence, anyone except the poet or a neutral voice. The writer does this through various techniques within a dramatic monologue by using mood, diction and imagery to mold the character before the reader's eyes. Firstly, by creating a certain mood, the writer attempts to give his or her reader a particular feeling. This, in turn, reveals new insight to a side of the character that the reader has yet to discover. In William Butler Yeats' poem, An Irish Airman Foresees His Death, Yeats adds a very distinct mood to the clay that creates this airman. This man, who very obviously sees no meaning in either his life or his death, speaks carelessly about his non existent self-worth. This creates a dark and depressing atmosphere for the reader. In the finishing lines of this poem, Yeats writes... ... and Atwood manipulate to achieve a similar goal: the unveiling of their character. In much the same way that a sculptor molds clay, the writer uses mood, diction and imagery to shape its characters. Through a dramatic monologue the poet allows the reader to not only envision the characters in their physical forms, but feels their pain, celebrates their triumphs and journeys with them throughout their various dramatic experiences.  Works Cited Atwood, Margeret. Journals of Susanna Moodie Macmillan of Canada, 1980. Johnson, Pauline. Flint and Feather McCelland and Stewart, 1972. Kennedy, Ronald. The Yeats Reader Dundurn, 1968. Landy, Alice, Martin, Dave. The Heath Introduction to Literature Canadian Edition, Heath and Company, 1980. http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/rb/dm1.html http://www.uvic/writersguide/eng/dramatic.mono.com

The Indigo Spell Chapter Nine

AS JILL HAD SAID, Adrian was more than happy to begin our hunt that afternoon. In fact, when I finally got ahold of him, he offered to pick me up when classes ended, in order to maximize our time. I didn't mind this since it meant I'd get to ride in the Mustang. Admittedly, I would've preferred to drive it myself, but I'd take what I could get. â€Å"When are you going to name the car?† I asked him once we were on the road to Los Angeles. â€Å"It's an inanimate object,† he said. â€Å"Names are for people and pets.† I patted the Mustang's dashboard. â€Å"Don't listen to him.† To Adrian, I said, â€Å"They name boats all the time.† â€Å"I don't really understand that either, but maybe I would if my old man ever fronted me the money for a private yacht.† He shot me a quick, amused look before returning his attention to the road. â€Å"How can someone as cold and logical as you be so obsessed with something as frivolous as this?† I wasn't sure which part bothered me the most – being called cold or obsessed. â€Å"I'm just giving the proper respect to a beautiful machine.† â€Å"You named your car after coffee. That's a sign of respect?† â€Å"The highest1respect,† I said. He made a noise that sounded like a cross between a scoff and a laugh. â€Å"Okay, then. You name it. Whatever you want, I'll go along with.† â€Å"Really?† I asked, a bit startled. True, I'd been badgering him about naming the car, but I wasn't sure I wanted to be the one to wield that sort of power. â€Å"It's a big decision.† â€Å"Life or death,† he said, deadpan. â€Å"Better choose carefully.† â€Å"Yeah, but you're the so-called creative one!† â€Å"Then this'll be good practice for you.† I fell silent for a good part of the drive, struck by the gravity of the dilemma that lay before me. What should the name reflect? The car's sunny yellow color? Sleek lines? Powerful engine? The task was overwhelming. Adrian pulled me out of my thoughts when we began nearing the outer Los Angeles suburbs. â€Å"We're not actually going into the city, are we?† â€Å"Huh?† I'd been waging a mental debate between Summer Wind and Gold Dust. â€Å"Oh, no. We're heading north. Take the next exit.† Mrs. Santos had provided me with two neighborhoods known for their Victorian-style houses. I'd researched them extensively online, even going so far as to look at satellite pictures. I'd finally chosen one that most resembled my vision and crossed my fingers I'd have the same luck as I'd had in finding Marcus's apartment. Surely the universe owed me a few favors. Unfortunately, things didn't look too promising when we finally reached the street I'd been given. It was a peaceful residential area, filled with those same distinctive houses, but nothing that quite matched the one I'd seen in my vision. We drove up and down the street as I scanned each side, hoping maybe I'd missed something. â€Å"Ugh,† I said, slouching back into my seat. No luck. The universe had apparently cut me off. â€Å"We'll have to check the other location, but seriously, it didn't look like a match.† â€Å"Well, it can't hurt to – † Adrian suddenly made an abrupt turn onto a side street we'd nearly driven past. I jerked upright as he clipped the curb. â€Å"What are you doing? Think about your tires!† â€Å"Look.† He made another turn, putting us on a parallel street. Most of it was contemporary California housing . . . but one block had more Victorian houses. I gasped. â€Å"There it is!† Adrian came to a stop on the side of the street opposite from the house of my vision. Everything was there, from the wrapping porch to the hydrangea bush. And now, in the full light of day, I could make out the sign in the front yard: OLD WORLD BED-AND-BREAKFAST. Smaller print identified it as a historic site. â€Å"Well, there we go.† Adrian was clearly very pleased with his find, despite the risk to the car's tires. â€Å"Maybe Jackie's sister is staying here.† â€Å"Odd choice to run nefarious magical activities out of,† I remarked. â€Å"I don't know. Seeing as there aren't any ancient castles in the neighborhood, then why not a bed-and-breakfast?† I took a deep breath. â€Å"Okay, then. Let's go make some inquiries. You sure you can muddle the minds of those who see me?† â€Å"Easy,† he said. â€Å"Easier still if you were wearing your wig.† â€Å"Oh, shoot. I forgot.† I ducked down and retrieved a shoulder-length brown wig that Ms. Terwilliger had supplied me with. Even with Adrian's magic, we wanted to take extra precautions. While it would be good if people were visited by an unmemorable blonde, it'd be better still if they were visited by an unmemorable brunette. I tugged the wig on, hoping no one had seen my transformation. I lifted my head. â€Å"Does it look okay?† Adrian's face showed approval. â€Å"It's cute. You look even brainier, which I didn't think was possible.† We left the car, and I wondered if I wanted to look brainier. A lot of people already thought I was boring. Blond hair might be the only exciting thing I had going for me. Then I thought for a minute about my recent experience scaling a fire escape, breaking and entering, and getting into a fistfight with a fugitive. Not to mention that I was now hunting a powerful evil witch alongside a vampire who could control people's minds. Okay, maybe I wasn't so boring after all. We stepped inside to find a cute little lobby with an ornate desk and a sitting area with wicker furniture. Stuffed rabbits dressed in ball gowns adorned the shelves, and the walls actually had oil paintings of Queen Victoria. The owners apparently took their theme very literally, though I wasn't sure how the rabbits fit in. A girl my age sat at the desk and glanced up in surprise from a magazine. She had short platinum hair and hipster glasses. Tons of necklaces hung around her neck in a gaudy display that went against my minimalist sensibilities. Hot pink plastic beads, a sparkly green star, a gold and diamond locket, a dog tag . . . it was mind-boggling. Even worse, she was chewing gum loudly. â€Å"Hi,† she said. â€Å"Can I help you?† We'd had a whole routine planned, but Adrian immediately went off script. He slung his arm around me. â€Å"Yeah, we're looking for a weekend getaway, and a friend of ours swears this is top-of-the-line romance.† He pulled me closer. â€Å"Our anniversary's coming up. We've been dating for one year, but man, it hardly seems like it.† â€Å"That's for sure,† I said, trying to keep my jaw from dropping. I forced what I hoped was a happy smile. The girl glanced back and forth between us, her expression softening. â€Å"That's so sweet. Congratulations.† â€Å"Can we check the place out?† Adrian asked. â€Å"I mean, if there are any vacant rooms?† â€Å"Sure,† she said, standing up. She spit her gum into a trash can and walked over to us. â€Å"I'm Alicia. My aunt and uncle are the owners.† â€Å"Taylor,† I said, shaking her hand. â€Å"Jet,† said Adrian. I nearly groaned. For inexplicable reasons, â€Å"Jet Steele† was a pseudonym Adrian really liked using. In our rehearsal today, he was supposed to be called Brian. Alicia glanced back and forth between us, a small frown on her face that soon smoothed out. I had to guess it was Adrian's compulsion, confusing her perceptions of us a bit. â€Å"Follow me. We have a few vacant rooms you can see.† With one last puzzled look at us, she turned and headed toward a stairway. â€Å"Isn't this great, sweetie?† Adrian asked loudly as we walked up the creaking stairs. â€Å"I know how much you like rabbits. Didn't you have one when you were little? What was his name, Hopper?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, resisting the urge to punch him on the arm. Hopper? Really? â€Å"Best rabbit ever.† â€Å"Oh, neat,† said Alicia. â€Å"Then I'll take you to the Bunny Suite first.† The Bunny Suite had more of those well-dressed stuffed rabbits as part of the decor. The quilt covering the king-size bed also had a border of alternating hearts and rabbits stitched in. Several books sat on the mantel above the wood-burning fireplace, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Rabbit, Run. Until that moment, I hadn't realized just how absurdly far a theme could be taken. â€Å"Wow,† said Adrian. He sat down on the bed and tested its bounciness, giving it a nod of approval. â€Å"This is amazing. What do you think, buttercup?† â€Å"I have no words,† I said honestly. He patted the spot beside him. â€Å"Want to try it out?† I answered with a look and felt relieved when he stood up. Adrian and beds stirred up too many conflicting feelings in me. After that, Alicia showed us the Morning Glory Suite, the Velvet Suite, and the London Suite, all of which competed to outdo the others in tackiness. Nonetheless, despite the absurdity of Adrian's ruse, the tour had given me the opportunity to take note of the other labeled doors in the hallway. We followed Alicia back downstairs. â€Å"We don't get to see the Sapphire Suite or the Prince Albert Suite?† I asked. Alicia shook her head. â€Å"Sorry. Those are occupied. I can give you a brochure with some pictures, if you want.† Adrian had his arm around me again. â€Å"Angel cake, wasn't the Prince Albert Suite where Veronica stayed? She's not still here, is she?† â€Å"I'm not sure,† I said. This, at least, was similar to what we'd rehearsed. I glanced over at Alicia. â€Å"You probably can't tell us that, huh? If our friend Veronica's here? She's really pretty, has long dark hair.† â€Å"Oh, yeah,† said Alicia, brightening. â€Å"Of course I remember her. She was in the Velvet Suite, actually, and just checked out yesterday.† I resisted the urge to kick the desk. So close. We'd missed her by a day. Yes, the universe was definitely done giving me breaks. I wouldn't be able to cast the scrying spell until the next full moon, which was a month away. â€Å"Oh, well,† said Adrian, still with that easy smile. â€Å"We'll see her for Christmas anyway. Thanks for your help.† â€Å"Do you want to book a room?† Alicia asked hopefully. â€Å"We'll get back to you on that,† I said. I actually wouldn't have put it past Adrian to book one and then claim it was part of our cover. â€Å"We're checking out a few places. A one-year anniversary isn't something you want to make a hasty decision on.† â€Å"But,† said Adrian, giving her a wink, â€Å"I've got a good feeling about the Bunny Suite.† Alicia walked us out, her eyes widening when she saw the Mustang. â€Å"Wow, nice car.† â€Å"It's an amazing car,† I said. â€Å"That's our baby – well, until we have real ones. Don't you think it needs a name?† asked Adrian. â€Å"I keep trying to convince Taylor.† Once again, I had to fight the urge to punch him. â€Å"Oh, definitely,† said Alicia. â€Å"That kind of car . . . it's like royalty.† â€Å"See?† Adrian shot me a triumphant look. â€Å"And Alicia's an expert on royalty. Didn't you see all those paintings?† â€Å"Thanks for your help,† I told her, steering him forward. â€Å"We'll be in touch.† We got in the car, and after waving goodbye to Alicia, Adrian drove away. I stared blankly ahead. â€Å"Much like with the Bunny Suite, I have no words to describe what just happened. I mean, really? Our anniversary? Jet?† â€Å"I look more like a Jet than a Brian,† he argued. â€Å"Besides, that was a much better story than the one about how we wanted to pay a surprise birthday visit to our ‘friend' Veronica.† â€Å"I don't know about that. But it did give us the information we needed. Which isn't good.† Adrian grew serious. â€Å"Are you sure? Maybe Veronica left the area altogether. Maybe you and the other girls are out of danger.† â€Å"That would be good, I guess . . . except, it just means some other poor girl somewhere else would suffer instead, and we wouldn't have any way to stop it.† From my purse, I pulled out Ms. Terwilliger's list of magic-using girls. â€Å"One of these addresses is in Pasadena. We can at least swing through on our way back and warn her.† The girl we sought was named Wendy Stone. She was a student at Cal Tech, which seemed like an odd vocation for a wannabe witch. Of course, Ms. Terwilliger had said these were girls who weren't actively studying the magical path. They simply possessed magical ability, and I supposed the fact that they had no mentors suggested that they might actually be resistant to their inborn abilities – kind of like me. Wendy lived in an apartment near campus that was easy to find. It was a no-nonsense, primarily student residence, but it seemed like a luxury palace after Marcus's building. As we passed busy students carrying backpacks and talking about classes, I felt a pang of longing that I hadn't experienced in a while. Inheriting the Alchemist mantle meant I couldn't go to college. College was a dream I'd held on to for a long time, though enrolling at Amberwood had helped ease some of my longing. Now, in this buzz of academia, a surge of jealousy sprang up in me. What would it be like to have this kind of life? To have your days solely devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, with no intrigue or life-threatening situations? Even Adrian, with his part-time art classes, was able to have some sort of collegiate experience. â€Å"Don't be so down,† he said when we reached Wendy's floor. â€Å"You might get to college someday.† I looked over at him in wonder. â€Å"How did you know that's what I was thinking?† â€Å"Because I know you,† he said simply, no mockery in his eyes. â€Å"Your aura got sad, and I figured being on a college campus had something to do with it.† I couldn't meet his gaze and turned away. â€Å"I don't like that.† â€Å"What, that someone actually knows what's important in your life?† Yes, that was exactly it. But why did it bother me? Because it was Adrian, I realized. Why was it that a vampire understood me so well? Why not one of my friends? Why not one of my human friends? â€Å"You can be Jet if you want,† I said brusquely, trying to get us back on track and cover up my troubled feelings. After all, this wasn't Sydney's Therapy Hour. â€Å"But we are not posing as a couple again.† â€Å"Are you sure?† he said. His tone was lighter now, turning him back into the Adrian I knew. â€Å"Because I've got a lot more terms of endearment to use. Honey pie. Sugarplum. Bread pudding.† â€Å"Why are they all high-calorie foods?† I asked. I didn't want to encourage him, but the question slipped out before I could stop it. â€Å"And bread pudding isn't really that romantic.† We had reached Wendy's door. â€Å"Do you want me to call you celery stick instead?† he asked. â€Å"It just doesn't inspire the same warm and fuzzy feelings.† â€Å"I want you to call me Sydney.† I knocked on the door. â€Å"Er, Taylor.† A girl with freckles and frizzy red hair answered. Her eyes narrowed warily. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"We're looking for Wendy Stone,† I said. She scowled. â€Å"Are you from the registrar's office? Because I told them the check's on its way.† â€Å"No.† I lowered my voice and made sure there were no witnesses. â€Å"My name's Taylor. We're here to talk to you about, um, magic.† The transformation was sudden and startling. She went from suspicious and cautious to shocked and outraged. â€Å"No. No. I've told you guys a hundred times I don't want to be involved! I can't believe you'd actually show up at my door to try to convert me to your little coven freak show.† She tried to shut the door, but Adrian managed to stick his foot in and block it. Very manly. â€Å"Wait,† he said. â€Å"That's not what this is about. Your life might be in danger.† Wendy turned incredulous. â€Å"So you guys are threatening me now?† â€Å"No, nothing like that. Please,† I pleaded. â€Å"Just let us talk to you for five minutes inside. Then we'll leave and never bother you again.† Wendy hesitated and then finally gave a nod of resignation. â€Å"Fine. But I'm getting my pepper spray.† Her apartment was neat and tidy, save for a pile of papers and engineering books scattered on the floor. We'd apparently interrupted her homework, which brought back my wistfulness. She made good on her promise to get the pepper spray and then stood before us with crossed arms. â€Å"Talk,† she ordered. I showed her the picture of Veronica. â€Å"Have you ever seen this woman?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Good.† Or was it? Did that mean Veronica might have Wendy tagged as a future hit and was waiting to pounce? â€Å"She's dangerous. I'm not exactly sure how to put it. . . .† â€Å"She finds girls with magic and sucks away their souls,† supplied Adrian helpfully. Wendy did a double take. â€Å"I'm sorry, what did you say?† â€Å"That's not exactly the case,† I said. â€Å"But it's close enough. She seeks out girls with power and takes it for herself.† â€Å"But I don't use magic,† Wendy countered. â€Å"Like I told you, I don't want anything to do with it. There's a witch who lives in Anaheim who's always telling me how much potential I have and how I should be her apprentice. I keep telling her no, and I've never even tried any spells. This soul-sucking lady has no reason to come after me.† Ms. Terwilliger had warned me some of the girls might say this. In fact, she'd said most would have this argument. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. â€Å"That won't stop her.† Wendy looked terrified now, and I didn't blame her. My reaction had been similar. It was frustrating to know the very thing you were trying to get away from might come after you. â€Å"Then what should I do?† she asked. â€Å"Well, avoid her if you can. If she comes to see you . . . I mean, don't let her in. Don't be alone with her.† That was slightly lame advice, and we all knew it. â€Å"If you do see her, I'd tell that witch in Anaheim. In fact . . . I know you don't want to, but if I were you, I'd get in touch with that witch now and try to get her help. Maybe even learn a few defensive spells. I understand you don't want to – believe me, I really do – but it could save your life. Also . . . † I held out the agate charm. â€Å"You should take this and wear it at all times.† Wendy eyed the charm as though it were a poisonous snake. â€Å"Is this some trick to get me to learn magic after all? You come here with this whole act about how if I don't learn, I could get my soul sucked away?† Again, I had to give her points. I would think exactly the same thing. â€Å"We're telling the truth,† I insisted. â€Å"There's no proof I can offer – well, wait. Give me your email address, and I'll send you this article about another girl it happened to.† Wendy looked like she was on the verge of using the pepper spray. â€Å"I think I would've heard if some girl had her soul magically sucked away.† â€Å"It wasn't really obvious to those who don't know about the magical world. Let me send it to you, and then you can make your own decisions. It's the best I can offer.† She reluctantly agreed and wrote down her email address. Adrian stepped forward to take it from her, but he must have moved too quickly because she suddenly thrust the can of pepper spray in his direction. â€Å"Stay back!† she exclaimed. At the exact same moment, I sprang in front of him, terrified he was about to get a face full of pepper spray. I cast the first spell I could think of, a simple one that created a flashy – but harmless – show of colored light. A shielding spell would've been much more useful, but I hadn't practiced any yet. That would have to be rectified, in case our future errands involved more pepper spray. â€Å"You back off,† I warned. As I'd hoped, the brilliant display was terrifying to someone anti-magic like Wendy. She retreated to the far side of her apartment and thankfully didn't use the spray. â€Å"G-get out,† she stammered, eyes full of fear. â€Å"Please take precautions,† I said. I set the charm on the floor. â€Å"And please wear this. I'll email you the article.† â€Å"Get out,† she repeated, making no move toward the charm. As Adrian and I walked out of her building and into the sun, I sighed loudly. I was dismayed enough that I didn't even have the chance to feel down about being at a college. â€Å"That didn't go so well,† I said. He thought about it, then grinned. â€Å"I don't know, Sage. You threw yourself in the line of pepper spray for me. You must like me just a little bit.† â€Å"I – I figured it'd be a shame to ruin your pretty face,† I stammered. In truth, I hadn't been thinking of anything that specific. All I'd known was that Adrian was in danger. Protecting him had been instinctual. â€Å"Still, that spell was kind of badass.† I managed a small smile. â€Å"It was harmless, and that's the thing. Wendy didn't know any better. The reason Veronica goes after these girls is that they don't have any magical protection – and that's exactly why they probably can't stop her. I don't think pepper spray will help, but maybe the article will convince her. Oh, shoot. I'll have to make a fake email address for Taylor.† â€Å"No worries,† said Adrian. â€Å"I already have a Jet Steele one you can use.† This actually made me laugh. â€Å"Of course you do. For all the online dating you do, right?† Adrian didn't comment one way or the other, which bothered me more than it should have. I'd meant it as a joke . . . but was there truth to it? If rumors – and some of my own observations – were true, Adrian had experience with a lot of women. A lot. Thinking of him with others upset me, far more than it should have. How many other girls had he kissed with that same intensity? How many had been in his bed? How many had felt his hands upon their bodies? He couldn't have loved them all. Some – probably most – had been conquests, girls whose faces he forgot the next morning. For all I knew, I was just the ultimate conquest for him, a test for his skills. You probably couldn't find a greater challenge than a human with hang-ups about vampires. And yet, thinking back on all the things said and unsaid between us, I was pretty sure that wasn't true. No matter how crazy this romantic entanglement was, he loved me – or thought he did. I was no superficial conquest. It'd probably be better if I was, though. Without an emotional connection, he'd eventually give up and easily find comfort in someone else's arms. This would probably be a good time for me to suggest he do that anyway. But I stayed silent.