INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH AND CULTURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH AND CULTURE - Essay Example Old age may come with a few disadvantages. It is possible to have Lanesha’s grandmother preoccupied with other aspects of her life, and may be incapable of thinking critically about what her granddaughter needs. Marietta may have a tough time having a normal routine with all the people under her care (Cross Cultural Health Care 1). It is next to impossible to look after two children and an older person, while being expected to remember every detail of their lives. It may be easier if she was a little bit younger, but it is an issue many individuals face. It is also a daunting task trying to carry on with one’s daily life when other individuals are in need of attention and care. Lanesha’s situation is tricky to many individuals. It is difficult to cater to a growing child who is in such a condition while all alone. Lanesha is trying to cope with the situation in her own way. In most cases, people tend to react to their situation in a way to suggest they are handling their condition. Lanesha, in this case, tends to lash out at everything and everyone around her. It is a common phenomenon among individuals who might feel helpless when under such situations (Cross Cultural Health Care 1). It is an emotional reaction toward her condition, which suggests that she does not like depending on others to carry out basic functions. Marietta, on the other hand, chooses to look at it differently in that, she wishes she was not responsible for her grandchildren and aging mother. This is explained her lack of interest in Lanesha’s medication when she says it is not her responsibility to do so. This is an indicator of strong, pent up emotions of hurt and sadness, which seem to be the order of the day in her life. Futility is another common indicator of her feelings toward the situation she might be facing (Cross Cultural Health Care 1). This may arise because; she is afraid there is nothing she might do to assist her granddaughter with what she is

Resource Review - Social Media and Vaccine Rejection Essay

Resource Review - Social Media and Vaccine Rejection - Essay Example What is social media’s role in all of this? Traditionally, geographic proximity was necessary for mobilizing anti-vaccination forces. However, social media has circumvented this potential barrier, allowing individuals from disparate regions who likely would not have otherwise communicated to come into contact. In this process, individuals who had otherwise had their viewpoints rejected and been marginalized can be emboldened and can feel empowered. Social media also provides these individuals with new dynamic mechanisms to communicate their viewpoints. Researchers have observed this in several ways while studying vaccine concerns. 7 Vaccination is an important aspect of modern medicine and has been used to avert adverse effects of many diseases. It is believed that vaccines have saved more lives across the world more than any other medical product. The history of vaccination can be traced to 429 BC when the Greek historian, Thucydides noted that those who suffered from small pox in Athens were not re-infected with the disease. During the 900 AD, Chinese discovered and used a vaccination form called variolation which was carried as early as 10th century but was most used between 14th and 17th centuries (Hsu, 2012). The technology used to prevent people from small pox during this time was exposing healthy individuals to tissue from the disease’s scabs. Even though variolation caused mild illness and sometimes death, the rate of small pox infections were lower in many populations. During 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner, a British physician discovered the modern vaccination and proved to the medical professionals that it worked. This led to the support for vaccination in 1803 and founding of the Royal Jennerian institute which popularize vaccination in Europe and United States (Hsu, 2012). However, during 1870s, vaccination encountered violent oppositions as it spreads since

Research and Analysis Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

And Analysis - Research Paper Example the whole government of the United States and more specifically federal government appeared confused and unprepared for this calamity and there emergency response was very minimal, what they did was not satisfactory at all. Federal Emergency Management Agency or (FEMA) were not able to response on time instead they delayed to set up an immediate operation center in New Orleans, in addition to that they seemed not having a concrete plan of action to work upon. Including the president of the day Mr George Bush appeared to be unaware on how bad the situation was on the ground or entire affected region, the number of people stranded or missing, the figure of homes destroyed or under floods and much aid was needed (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009). One reporter described the aftermath of the disaster as a â€Å"total disaster zone† and a place people are â€Å"getting absolutely desperate† daily. Overall emergency needed proper management at different levels and coordination. Many people had nowhere to call home any more while at Superdome where people had gathered the suppliers were running low day by day, the officials were so adamant but finally accepted about 15,000 more refugees running from the storm that following Monday after which they locked the doors. The so called City leaders were seen as status because they had no appropriate plan to follow while tens of thousands citizens were desperate looking for food, water, and at the same time shelter. This led them to Ernest N. Morial and Convention Center complex but what they found was chaos all over, in other words it was now impossible to depart from New Orleans to any other place, this increased desperateness especially the poor people who had no cars and had to go nowhere, for example some group of people attempted to walk over famous Crescent City Connector overpass to the close by town of Grema but it was in vain since the standby police officers carrying short guns stopped them and insisted for them to go

Unit 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 3 - Essay Example Age and can possibly provide an example for this relationship. As one ages, resistance to diseases decreases. This means that the increase in age negatively affect resistance to diseases. Correlation studies can take many forms. Let us consider non-experimental correlation studies and quasi-experimental studies. Non-experimental studies involve measuring things as the objects appear. In non-experimental studies, the methods used include observation, case history, and surveys. It is it is unethical to manipulate independent variables. Non-experimental values are used to provide solutions to problems and question existing realities. Lawrence Lisa (2011), conducted a non-experimental descriptive correlation study to examine the relationship amongst four variables, moral distress, education level, CRP and work ethics and how these variables affected nurses work engagement. The study found out that there was a positive direct relationship between CRP and work engagement and a negative correlation moral distress and work engagement. According to Ramos-Alvarez, Moreno Fernandez, Valdez Conroy, & Catena (2008), quasi experiments are evaluations that attempt to determine whether a program or intervention has an expected effect on the participants. Quasi experiments take different forms but usually lack aspects of true experiments. This is the reason quasi experiments are not ideal for dissertation work. In a true experiment, there must be pre-test and posttest design, treatment group, control group and random assignment. For quasi experiment, either one or two of these aspects are lacking. Raanas, Grindel & Herting (2012) conducted a quasi experiment study to examine the health advantages of a bedroom window observethe natural background for patients undergoing a rehabilitation program. The funding for this research was that a blocked view appeared to influence negative physical health changes in women. For men, blocked views

The Iberian Lynx: Habitat, Features and Endangerment

The Iberian Lynx: Habitat, Features and Endangerment Josue Flanquin The Fate of the Iberian Lynx Among the many carnivore species that exist in Europe, the Iberian lynx and the European mink-Mustela lutreola are the only two indigenous species of the continent. In 1992, after series of careful observations and head count by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Iberian Lynx was quickly considered â€Å"critically endangered,† to see one of them go extinct is inacceptable. Despite the many researches, money and time spent in their protection and conservation, yet not much improvement has been shown in their survival. The Iberian lynx, also known as lynx of Spain and as lynx pardinus, will be the first member of the feline species to go extinct since the extinction of the Saber-toothed tiger 10,000 years ago. Being part of the wildcat family, the lynx pardinus displays many of their characteristics including long legs, ruff beard-like fur and tufted ears but unlike many other wildcats, the Iberian lynx coat is spotted, colored and shorter. Geographical Range The Iberian Lynx is known to be a native of Spain and Portugal, mainly in the Southern of the Iberian Peninsula. It is thought that before, they were well-spread all over the area, however, about a century and a half ago, their range has diminish tremendously. Before, their presence was known to be noticeable mainly in the south but also in some northern part of the area. Rapidly within fifty years they started to become extinct in the north Iberian region and an intense decline in density also began to ravage the south. From 1960 to 1990, the decline had become more extreme, and more prominent in south Spain and Portugal with about 80% with only 2% of their previous original range remained occupied. (Ferreras, et al., 2004) Two surveys were published, one in 1988 and the other in 2008. The first one estimated there were in a very fragmented range, about 800 to 1100 Iberian lynxes (adult) living in nine populations. And the other survey that was done in the more recent years has shown a much lower estimated head count to confirm that their presence were only spotted in the southwestern region of the Iberian peninsula. The total estimated number of Iberian lynx spotted and reported was between 475 to 680 Iberian lynxes living in five populations instead of nine populations as previously reported. In order to protect them, they are being kept in the Donana National Park. The species used to be very common in Portugal, but now its thought to be extirpated since their presence was last reported in January 1992. (Delibes, et al., 2000; Ferreras, et al., 2004) Habitat Like many wild felids, the Iberian lynx requires a wide range of terrains, especially below 1300 meters that contain mosaic of closed scrubland that is scattered among open patches of grassland. The reasons for choosing such landscapes are because it provides a great balance between wide-open space and shrub cover. Mostly, lynxes use scrubland as shelter and breeding while other areas that are not totally covered tend to become a shelter for their prey, more specifically their mainstay pray the European Rabbits, also know as Oryctolagus Cuniculus, which is very prominent in these locations. Unfortunately beside the many suitable habitat locations that are available, the species have been extinct from those areas presumably due to the low availability of their main prey (Ferreras et al., 2004). One of the features observed from felids is that they are very solitary and depend on a distributed demographic structure among populations where inbreeding is avoided. This requires passages b etween areas that meet the criteria of the suitable territory. Those passages allow the lynx to look for new habitats outside of the given endemic territory that fits their living condition. (Pedro Sarmento, et al., 2008) Physical Description The Felidae family has many other lynx species in their genus that includes the Canadian lynx (Lynx Canadensis), the Eurasian lynx and the Bobcat (Lynx rufus). The common family traits explain their resemblance and relativeness to each other, for example, although they are very similar in size as the Canadian lynx and the Bobcat lynx but yet smaller than the Eurasian lynx and black shorted-tipped tails. However, the Iberian lynx has some unique features of their own; they have small heads and flat faces, black tufted ears and jowls-bearded appearance and tawny pelage. Those differences have been used recently in the configuration and characterization of their size, shape and intensity of those distinctions in order to determine the degree of diversity genetically within the species. (Beltrà ¡n and Delibes, 1993; Cope, 1879; Delibes, et al., 2000; Meachen-Samuels and Van Valkenburgh, 2009) The mortality rate of the Iberian lynx is higher than their reproduction rate. According to a s tudy led by Delibes, et al 2000, 40% of their mortality happens while scattered over the land. The lifespan of the species and their longevity of captive individual are unknown. The oldest Iberian lynx as of date died at 13 years of age. The Iberian lynx has a straighten-reduced skull, small muzzles; long jaws that give each bite the â€Å"force of a smaller canines.† Those features are very beneficial adaptations for the Iberian lynx, they help them in catching small, fast prey and also enable them with the ability to kill their target with a single bite in the posterior region of the neck in order to puncture and damage the prey’s spinal cord, as opposed to suffocating bite practice by larger lynx. (Cope, 1879; Beltran and Delibes, 1993; Meachen-Samuels and Valkenburgh, 2009) Reproduction The Iberian lynx is known to be a monogamous polygynous species when observed in the Donana National Park, a close-up metapopulation at its carrying capacity density. With the total availability of suitable territories diminishing, Intrasexual interaction has become very competitive, resulting in the male Iberian lynx to have smaller territories that can be easily defended against other surrounding rivals looking for mates. Therefore, such circumstance turns the Iberian lynx to become more of a monogamy community since the males are forced to put all their strength on defending avoiding access to a particular, exclusive single female of that community. The Iberian lynx often reach sexual maturity within a period of nine months to a year after birth. Though even after sexual maturity the females will not breed until they have secured a set territory of their own. After maturity mating is always the next step, given the fact that females’ estrus peak is in January so breeding us ually happens from January to July since it is the only time that the males and females interact. Although males’ territories might overlap with those of the females’, aggressive interaction over mating right is uncommon; however the prominence of the population dictates the fluctuation rates of aggressive intrasexual, the higher the density rate, the higher the population rate will be and vice versa. (Fernà ¡ndez, et al., 2003) Food Habit The Iberian Lynx is a specialized feeder, its diet consist of 80%-100% Oryctolagus cunicuus. One adult Iberian lynx requires between 700 and 1100 kilocalories per day in order to gain the approximate amount of energy needed to function. By consuming their primary prey, the European rabbit. the Iberian lynx get that amount of energy from one single rabbit. One can imagine that an adult female with younger lynxes will require up to three rabbits per day. Because of their distinctive diet, it makes impossible or hardly do they show geographic variation. Threat to their Survival The Iberian lynx species has made it on the top of the red list of critically endangered species facing extinction, according to the IUNC. Many argument and debates are circulating over who or what is responsible for the Iberian lynx decline with barely 150 left in the Iberian Peninsula (see table 1). The three main cause of their death include but not limited to the decline in the Rabbit population, human hunting and human fragmentation. The rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, is wild invasive animal. This rabbit has been flagged as nearly endangered species in the IUNC red list due to the disease myxomatosis, habitat loss and human-induced mortality (Smith and Boyer 2008). Many Spaniards enjoy hunting. It is part of their way of life also their a way to make a living. Although the government of Spain and Portugal, both have passed laws that prohibits the hunting of the Iberian lynx, many locals still continue those habits. They would hunt them in order to used get their skin to directly sell them in the black market or to use them to make fur coats. Another main threat to the survival of the Iberian lynx is land fragmentation. During the beginning the 20th century when everything including culture start to get influenced by the western world, many rich companies moved to Spain due to low tax or free tax deal. The government allows big companies such as lumber industries to use portions of the iberian lynx habitat to be converted as stands for timbers, or also they have allowed the construction and development of tower-buildings, roads and highways, shopping malls and modern recreational public parks, invading huge part of the forest’s ecosystem and damaging the lynxes’ native habitat. Part of the life cycle of an Iberian lynx is â€Å"inter-population dispersal,† they use habitat corridors as passage, so with new roads being built that also take its toll on the species. Among the many different researches out there, there have not been enough evidence supporting the idea that human fragmentation as the main cause of death. However, according to â€Å"Delibes, et al., 2000,† most recent mortalities have been reported to be human induced which includes traffic collisions from roads, illegal hunting (5% annually), caught in traps (6% annually), and forest fires. Therefore according to the IUNC 2006, the rabbit’s decline remains the primary cause of death and extinction of the Iberian lynx. http://ge09d-geography-2010.wikispaces.com/file/view/Decline_in_Iberian_Lynx_Numbers_2.1.png/123004189/Decline_in_Iberian_Lynx_Numbers_2.1.pn Conservation Status The Iberian lynx is the most threatened species in Europe. This carnivore has fewer than 200 breeding individuals left. They have suffered not only a huge decline in their population rate and a decline in their prey’s availability but also a massive lost of range contraction. The preservation of this species requires immediate intervention from both government, Spain and Portugal accordingly, in order for it to be successful. Many captive breeding programs have begun but little is known about their success and may need to be thoroughly investigated. The inability of the species to disperse due to habitat fragmentation, has led to their isolation. Habitat fragmentation includes road construction, urban development, agriculture and elimination of corridors. Inter-population dispersal is very important in the species’ life cycle; to disperse they use habitat corridors. Another important step that need to be taken into consideration is the restoration of habitat corridors, their protection is important in the recovery of the iberian lynx, if we need re-establish successful inter-population connectivity Pedro Sarmento, et al., 2008). Furthermore, poaching remains on the list as one of the main threat of death of the Iberian lynx with 5% of annual mortality. Spain government in 1973 and Portugal in 1974 have long passed laws prohibiting exploitation and trade of the Iberian lynx by humans, because such activities are kept secret, sensitivity program has been put in place to inform the locals not to partake in such activities and report them. (Beltrà ¡n and Delibes, 1993) Citations Smith, A.T. Boyer, A.F. 2008. Oryctolagus cuniculus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Francisco Palomares, Miguel Delibes, Eloy Revilla, Javier Calzada and Jose Marà ­a Fedriani, Wildlife Monographs No. 148, Spatial Ecology of Iberian Lynx and Abundance of European Rabbits in Southwestern Spain (Oct., 2001) GIL-Sà NCHEZ J, MCCAIN E. Former range and decline of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) reconstructed using verified records.Journal Of Mammalogy[serial online]. October 2011;92(5) Sunquist, M. and Sunquist, F. (2002) Wild Cats of the World. The University of ChicagoSunquist, M. and Sunquist, F. (2002) Wild Cats of the World. The University of Chicago F. palomares, vegetation Structure and Prey Abundance Requirements of the Iberian Lynx: Implications for the Design of Reserves and Corridors Journal of Applied Ecology Vol. 38, No. 1 (Feb., 2001), pp. 9-18 JESUS M. PEREZ, The dilemma of conserving parasites: the case of Felicola (Lorisicola) isidoroi (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) and its host, the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) Insect Conservation and Diversity (2013) Carlos Carroll and Dale G. Miquelle, Spatial Viability Analysis of Amur Tiger Panthera tigris altaica in the Russian Far East: The Role of Protected Areas and Landscape Matrix in Population Persistence Journal of Applied Ecology vol 43 Ferreras, P., Gaona, P., Palomares, F. and Delibes, M. (2001), Restore habitat or reduce mortality? Implications from a population viability analysis of the Iberian lynx. Animal Conservation, 4:265–274. Palma, L., Beja, P. and Rodrigues, M. (1999), The use of sighting data to analyse Iberian lynx habitat and distribution. Journal of Applied Ecology J. Torres, R. Garcà ­a-Perea, J. Gisbert and C. Feliu (1998). Helminth fauna of the Iberian lynx, Lynx pardinus. Journal of Helminthology, 72, pp 221-226. Meli ML, Cattori V, Martà ­nez F, Là ³pez G, Vargas A, et al. (2009) Feline Leukemia Virus and Other Pathogens as Important Threats to the Survival of the Critically Endangered Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus).

ABC Electric Company :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

ABC Electric Company Introduction ABC Electric has been in business since 1970. The company makes hand-held arc welders its primary customers are construction firms, shipbuilders, auto-repair shops, and â€Å"self-help† amateurs. The company has 30% of the current market share along with four other competitors it has an annual sales of $800 million. The company has a satisfied customer-base. Although, their products are priced above the competitors, customers prefer ABC’s welders due to their superior finish, reliability, and durability. Recently, demand for hand-held welders in the U.S. was steadily growing at a rate of 7% rate annually but has currently drop. However, demands are growing in the West European market, which is currently value at $1 billion. Recently, ABC Electric found its market share and profitability decreasing. Due to the fact that the company has made some gain in its customer base by improving product quality and service while maintaining price. Moreover, a component supplier of ABC has raised its price by almost 10%. In addition, industry wide competition has generated excessive price reduction, which help in the fluctuation of the company profitability. Strategic Issues Facing ABC Electric ABC Electric is facing several issues that needs to be address in order to stabilize their competitors growth as well as increasing their market share and profitability. These issues are closely related to their external competitive strategy, which seems to be non-existence on a whole. Base on my brief discussion above, I believe that ABC Electric has in-voluntarily allows, one of its competitors to make advancement by improving its quality and service of their product without increasing price. Due to the fact that, ABC perceived its customers to be immune to price thereby remaining loyal to its product because of the quality and reliability that comes with the product image. As a result, this perceived brand loyalty created a threat to the company. The second issue facing the company is, a supplier of whom ABC purchases its electric motors from for its welder has raised the price by almost 10%. In looking at this, the bargaining power of the supplier is very strong bec ause the switching cost might be very high. Moreover, it will become damaging to the company based on the current reduction in price within the industry if the problem is not solved.

Bloodlines Chapter Nineteen

IF I'D HAD TROUBLE SLEEPING BEFORE, Adrian's dream only made things worse. Even though I was safely back in my own bed, I couldn't shake the feeling of violation. I imagined that my skin was crawling with the taint of magic. I'd been so anxious to get out of the dream that I'd only half-realized what I'd been agreeing to. I respected Adrian's desire to go to college but now wondered if I should really be helping with that after my father's chastisement about â€Å"getting friendly† with vampires. I wasn't in the greatest of moods when I finally got up a few hours later. The tension in our room was thick as Jill and I prepared for school. Jill's defiance from yesterday was gone, and she kept watching me nervously when she thought I didn't notice. At first, I figured my outburst from last night had made her uneasy. But as we walked out of the room for breakfast, I knew there was more to it. â€Å"What?† I asked bluntly, breaking the silence at last. â€Å"What do you want to ask me?† Jill gave me another wary glance as we joined the rush of other girls heading downstairs. â€Å"Um, something happened yesterday.† A lot of things happened yesterday, I thought. That was my overtired, bitter self talking, and I knew that wasn't what she was leading up to. â€Å"Such as?† I asked. â€Å"Well†¦ I was starting to tell you about how Lee took me to that store. That clothing boutique where he knew the owner? Her name's Lia DiStefano. We talked, and she, uh, offered me a job. Kind of.† â€Å"The modeling job?† We reached the cafeteria's food line, though I had little appetite. I selected a yogurt, which looked sad and lonely in the middle of my otherwise empty tray. â€Å"We talked about that. It's not safe.† Still, it was ironic that a random visit could land Jill a job when three formal interviews had failed for Adrian. â€Å"This isn't for posed pictures that would be in a magazine or anything, though. It's a runway show of local designers. We told her this story that we're part of a religion that has rules about photos and identity. Lia said she'd actually been thinking of having her models wear half masks. Like the kind you wear at a masquerade? Between that and the lighting and the movement†¦ well, it'd be hard to identify me if any candid shots got out. It's just a onetime event, but I'd have to see her beforehand for fittings†¦ and to practice. She'd pay me too, but I'd need rides to get there and parental permission.† We sat down, and I spent an unnecessary amount of time stirring my yogurt as I mulled over her words. I could feel her gaze on me as I thought. â€Å"It's kind of silly, I guess,† she continued when I didn't answer. â€Å"I mean, I don't have any experience. And I don't even know why she'd want me. Maybe it's some gimmick she's going for. Weird models or something.† I finally ate a bite of yogurt and then looked up at her. â€Å"You're not weird, Jill. You really do have the ideal body type for modeling. It's hard to find. For humans, at least.† Once again, I tried not to think about how hard it was for us humans to live up to Moroi perfection. I tried not to think about how, years ago, my dad had criticized my figure and said, â€Å"If those monsters can do it, why not you?† â€Å"But you still think it's a terrible idea,† she said. I didn't respond. I knew what Jill wanted, but she couldn't bring herself to directly ask me for it. And I couldn't easily give it to her yet. I was still too upset about yesterday and not feeling kindly toward any favors. On the other hand, I couldn't tell her no either. Not yet. Despite how irresponsibly she'd behaved, her words about how miserable her life was here had hit me hard. This was something positive and good that would fill her time. It was also a muchneeded ego boost. Laurel had thrived on using Jill's unusual features against her; it would do Jill good to see that others viewed them positively. She needed to realize she was special and wonderful. I didn't know whether to curse or thank Lee for this opportunity. â€Å"I don't think we can decide anything until we go talk to Mrs. Weathers,† I told her at last. I glanced at a nearby clock. â€Å"In fact, we need to meet with her now.† I took a few more bites of my yogurt before throwing it away. Jill took a donut to go. When we returned to our lobby, we found out a delivery had arrived for Jill: a bouquet of perfect red roses and an apologetic note from Lee. Jill melted, her face filling with adoration at the gesture. Even I admired the romance of it, though a snarky part of me said maybe Lee should've sent flowers to Eddie and me instead. We were the ones he needed to apologize to. Regardless, the flowers were quickly forgotten when we sat down in Mrs. Weathers's office and learned the verdict on Jill. â€Å"I spoke to the principal. You aren't being suspended,† she told Jill. â€Å"But for the next month, you are restricted to your dorm when not in class. You are to report to me immediately after classes end so that I know you're here. You may go to the cafeteria for meals – but only your dorm's. Not the one on West Campus. The only exceptions to this policy are if an assignment or teacher requires you to go elsewhere outside of school hours, like the library.† We both nodded, and for a moment, I was simply relieved that Jill hadn't been expelled or anything like that. Then the real problem hit me like a slap in the face. I'd told Jill this meeting would impact any modeling decisions, but there was something much worse on the line. â€Å"If she's grounded to the dorm, then she can't leave the school,† I said. Mrs. Weathers gave me a wry smile. â€Å"Yes, Miss Melrose. That is what ‘grounded' generally means.† â€Å"She has to, ma'am,† I argued. â€Å"We have family gatherings twice a week.† Ideally, we had them more than that, but I was hoping a lowball number might buy us freedom. It was absolutely essential Jill get blood, and two days a week was about the minimum a vampire could survive on. â€Å"I'm sorry. Rules are rules, and in breaking them, your sister has lost the privilege of functions like that.† â€Å"They're religious,† I said. I hated to play the religion card, but that was something the school would have a hard time countering. And hey, it had apparently worked on the fashion designer. â€Å"We go to church as a family on those days – us and our brothers.† Mrs. Weathers's face showed me I had indeed gained ground. â€Å"We'd need a signed letter from your parents,† she said finally. Great. That had worked so well in PE. â€Å"What about our brother? He's our legal guardian here.† Surely even Keith couldn't drag his feet on this, not with blood on the line. She considered this. â€Å"Yes. That might be acceptable.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I told Jill when we walked outside to catch the shuttle. â€Å"About the modeling. We're going to have a hard enough time getting you permission to leave for feedings.† Jill nodded, making no effort to hide her disappointment. â€Å"When's the show?† I asked, thinking maybe she could do it when her punishment was over. â€Å"In two weeks.† So much for that idea. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I repeated. To my surprise, Jill actually laughed. â€Å"You have no reason to be. Not after what I did. I'm the one who's sorry. And I'm sorry about Adrian too – about the interviews.† â€Å"That's something you have no reason to be sorry about.† It struck me again how easily everyone made excuses for him. She proved this with her next comment. â€Å"He can't help it. It's how he is.† He can help it, I thought. Instead, I said, â€Å"Just hang in there, okay? I'll get Keith to sign off on our religious experiences.† She smiled. â€Å"Thanks, Sydney.† We usually parted ways when the bus reached Central Campus, but she held back once we got off. I could see again that she wanted to tell me something but was having trouble getting the courage. â€Å"Yes?† I asked. â€Å"I†¦ just wanted to tell you I really am sorry for giving you so much grief. You do a lot for us. Really. And you being upset, it's because†¦ well, I know you care. Which is more than I can say for other people back at Court.† â€Å"That's not true,† I said. â€Å"They care. They went to a lot of trouble to get you here and keep you safe.† â€Å"I still feel like it was more for Lissa than for me,† she said sadly. â€Å"And my mom didn't put up much of a fight when they said they were going to send me away.† â€Å"They want you safe,† I told her. â€Å"That means making hard choices – hard for them too.† Jill nodded, but I don't know if she believed me. I gave Eddie the morning report when I reached history. His face displayed a range of emotions with each new development in the story. â€Å"You think Keith will write the note?† he asked in a low voice. â€Å"He has to. The whole point of us being here is to keep her alive. Starving her to death kind of defeats the purpose.† I didn't bother telling Eddie that I was in trouble with my father and the Alchemists and that in two weeks, there was a good chance I might not even be around. Eddie was clearly upset over Jill's situation already, and I didn't want him to have one more thing to worry about. When I met up with Ms. Terwilliger at the end of the day, I turned in the last of the notes I'd made for her on the old books. As I was settling myself at a desk, I noticed a folder of articles sitting on a table. Carlton College was printed on the folder in embossed gold letters. I remembered now why I'd thought the name was familiar when Adrian had mentioned it in the dream. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger†¦ didn't you say you knew people at Carlton College?† She glanced up from her computer. â€Å"Hmm? Oh yes. I should think so. I play poker with half of the history faculty. I even teach there in the summers. History, that is. Not poker.† â€Å"I don't suppose you know anybody in admissions, do you?† I asked. â€Å"Not so much. I suppose I know people who know people there.† She turned her attention back to the screen. I said nothing, and after several moments, she looked back at me. â€Å"Why do you ask?† â€Å"No reason.† â€Å"Of course there's a reason. Are you interested in attending? Goodness knows you'd probably get more out of there than here. My class being the exception, of course.† â€Å"No, ma'am,† I said. â€Å"But my brother wants to attend. He heard classes haven't started yet but isn't sure if he can get in on such short notice.† â€Å"It's very short notice,† agreed Ms. Terwilliger. She scrutinized me carefully. â€Å"Would you like me to make some inquiries?† â€Å"Oh. Oh no, ma'am. I was just hoping to get some names I could contact. I'd never ask you to do something like that.† Her eyebrows rose. â€Å"Why ever not?† I was at a loss. She was so difficult to understand sometimes. â€Å"Because†¦ you have no reason to.† â€Å"I'd do it as a favor to you.† I couldn't muster a response for that and simply stared. She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose. â€Å"That's impossible for you to believe, isn't it? That someone would do a favor for you.† â€Å"I†¦ well, that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, still unsure what to say. â€Å"You're my teacher. Your job is to, well, teach me. That's it.† â€Å"And your job,† she said, â€Å"is to report to this room during last period for whatever mundane tasks I have for you and then turn in a paper at the end of the semester. You are not in any way required to fetch me coffee, show up after hours, organize my life, or completely rearrange your own to meet my ridiculous requests.† â€Å"I†¦ I don't mind,† I said. â€Å"And it all needs doing.† She chuckled. â€Å"Yes. And you insist on going above and beyond in your tasks, don't you? No matter how inconvenient for you.† I shrugged. â€Å"I like to do a good job, ma'am.† â€Å"You do an excellent job. Far better than you need to. And you do it without complaint. Therefore, the least I can do is make a few phone calls on your behalf.† She laughed again. â€Å"That startles you most of all, doesn't it? Having someone praise you.† â€Å"Oh no,† I said lamely. â€Å"I mean, it happens.† She took off her glasses to look at me more intently. The laughter was gone. â€Å"No, I'm thinking it doesn't. I don't know your particular situation, but I have known a lot of students like you – ones whose parents ship them off like this. While I appreciate the concern for higher education, I find that more often than not, a bigger piece of students coming here is that their parents simply don't have the time or inclination to be involved with – or even pay attention to – their children's lives.† We were dealing with one of those interpersonal areas that made me uncomfortable, particularly because there was an unexpected element of truth in them. â€Å"It's more complicated than that, ma'am.† â€Å"I'm sure it is,† she replied. Her expression turned fierce, making her look far different from the scattered teacher I knew. â€Å"But listen to me when I say this. You are an exceptional, talented, and brilliant young woman. Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you're less. Do not ever let anyone make you feel invisible. Do not let anyone – not even a teacher who constantly sends you for coffee – push you around.† She put her glasses back on and began randomly lifting up pieces of papers. At last, she found a pen and grinned triumphantly. â€Å"Now, then. What is your brother's name?† â€Å"Adrian, ma'am.† â€Å"Right, then.† She took out a piece of paper and carefully wrote down the name. â€Å"Adrian Melbourne.† â€Å"Melrose, ma'am.† â€Å"Right. Of course.† She scribbled out her mistake and muttered to herself, â€Å"I'm just glad his first name's not Hobart.† When she was finished, she leaned back casually in her chair. â€Å"Now that you mention it, there is one thing I'd like you to do.† â€Å"Name it,† I said. â€Å"I want you to make one of the spells from that first book.† â€Å"I'm sorry. Did you say, make a spell?† Ms. Terwilliger waved a hand. â€Å"Oh, don't worry. I'm not asking you to wave a wand or do an animal sacrifice. But I'm terribly intrigued by how complex some of the formulas and steps of the spells were. I have to wonder, did people actually follow them in such painstaking detail? Some of these are quite complicated.† â€Å"I know,† I said dryly. â€Å"I typed them all out.† â€Å"Exactly. So, I want you to make one. Follow the steps. See how long it takes. See if half the measurements they ask for are even possible. Then write up the data in a report. That part, I know you excel at.† I didn't know what to say. Ms. Terwilliger wasn't actually asking me to use magic, certainly not in the same way vampires did. Such a thing wasn't even possible. Magic was not the province of humans. It was unnatural and went against the ways of the universe. What the Alchemists did was based on science and chemistry. The tattoos had magic, but it was us bending vampire magic to our wills – not using it ourselves. The closest we came to anything supernatural was the blessings we called down on our potions. She was only asking me to reenact a spell. It wasn't real. There was no harm. And yet†¦ why did I feel so uneasy? I felt like I was being asked to lie or steal. â€Å"What's the matter?† she asked. For a moment, I considered using religion again but then dismissed it. That excuse had come up too often today, though this time, it was actually semilegitimate. â€Å"Nothing, ma'am. It just seems weird.† She picked up the first leather book and flipped to the middle. â€Å"Here. Do this one – an incineration amulet. It's complicated, but at least you'll have an arts and crafts project when you're done. Most of these ingredients should be easy to come by, too.† I took the book from her and scanned it. â€Å"Where am I going to get nettle?† â€Å"Ask Mr. Carnes. He has a garden outside his classroom. I'm sure you can buy the rest. And you know, you can give me receipts. I'll pay you back whenever I send you out to get something. You must've spent a fortune on coffee.† I felt a little better when I saw how random the ingredients were. Nettle. Agate. A piece of silk. There wasn't really even anything flammable. This was nonsense. With a nod, I told her I'd start soon. In the meantime, I typed up an official letter to Amberwood on Keith's behalf. It explained that our religious beliefs required family church attendance twice a week and that Jill needed to be excused from her punishment during those times. It also promised that Jill would check in with Mrs. Weathers both before and after the family trips. When I finished, I was rather pleased with my work and felt that I'd made Keith sound far more eloquent than he deserved. I called him up when school ended and gave a brief rundown on what had happened with Jill. Naturally, I got the blame. â€Å"You're supposed to keep an eye on her, Sydney!† Keith exclaimed. â€Å"I'm also supposed to be undercover as a student here, and I can't be with her every second of the day.† It wasn't worth mentioning that I'd actually been out with Adrian when Jill had run away – not that Keith could do any more to me. He'd already done his damage. â€Å"And so I have to suffer the consequences,† he said in a world-weary voice. â€Å"I'm the one who gets put out for your incompetence.† â€Å"Put out? You don't have to do anything except sign the letter I wrote for you. Are you home right now? Or will you be? I'll drive it over to you.† I figured he'd jump all over the offer, seeing how annoyed he seemed to be by the matter. So, it was a surprise when he said, â€Å"No, you don't have to do that. I'll come to you.† â€Å"It's not a problem. I can be at your place in less than ten minutes.† I didn't want him to have any more reason than necessary to go on and on about how I was inconveniencing him – or complain to the Alchemists. â€Å"No,† said Keith, with surprising intensity. â€Å"I'll come to you. I'm leaving right now. Meet you at the main office?† â€Å"Okay,† I said, totally puzzled at this change of heart. Did he want to check up on me or something? Demand an inspection? â€Å"See you soon.† I was already on Central Campus, so it took no time at all to reach the main office. I sat outside on an ornate stone bench with a good view of the visitors parking lot and waited. It was hot out, as usual, but being in the shade actually made it pretty pleasant. The bench was situated in a little clearing filled with flowering plants and a sign that read The Kelly Hayes Memorial Garden. It looked new. â€Å"Hey, Sydney!† Kristin and Julia were walking out of the building and waved at me. They came and sat down beside me to ask what I was doing. â€Å"I'm waiting for my brother.† â€Å"Is he cute?† asked Kristin hopefully. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"Yes, he is,† countered Julia. â€Å"I saw him in your dorm last weekend. When you all went out for lunch.† It took me a second to realize she meant Adrian. â€Å"Oh. Different brother. They don't have a lot in common.† â€Å"Is it true your sister's in big trouble?† asked Julia. I shrugged. â€Å"Only a little trouble. She can't leave campus, except for family stuff. It could be worse. Although†¦ it did cost her a modeling job, so she's sad about that.† â€Å"Modeling for who?† asked Kristin. I racked my brain. â€Å"Lia DiStefano. There's some show in two weeks, and she wanted Jill to walk in it. But Jill can't practice because she has to stay here.† Their eyes went wide. â€Å"Lia's clothes are amazing!† said Julia. â€Å"Jill has to do it. She might get free stuff.† â€Å"I told you. She can't.† Kristin tilted her head thoughtfully. â€Å"But what if it was for school? Like some kind of career or vocational thing?† She turned to Julia. â€Å"Is there still a sewing club?† â€Å"I think so,† said Julia, nodding eagerly. â€Å"That's a good idea. Does Jill have an activity?† Along with a sport, Amberwood also required its well-rounded students to participate in hobbies and activities outside of class. â€Å"There's a sewing club she could join†¦ and I bet she could get working with Lia counted as some kind of special research.† In attempting to fix a loose thread on her cardigan the other day, Jill had nearly unraveled the entire sweater. â€Å"I don't think that's really Jill's thing.† â€Å"Doesn't matter,† said Kristin. â€Å"Most of the people in it can't sew anyway. But every year, the club volunteers with local designers. Miss Yamani would totally let walking in the show count as volunteering. She loves Lia DiStefano.† â€Å"And they'd have to let her go,† said Julia, face full of triumph. â€Å"Because it'd be for school.† â€Å"Interesting,† I said, wondering if there was any chance of it working. â€Å"I'll tell Jill.† A familiar blue car pulled into the driveway, and I stood up. â€Å"There he is.† Keith parked and got out, scanning around for me. Kristin gave a small sound of approval. â€Å"He's not bad.† â€Å"Believe me,† I said, walking forward. â€Å"You want nothing to do with him.† Keith gave the girls what was probably supposed to be a charming smile and even winked at them. The instant they were gone, his smile dropped. Impatience radiated off of him, and it was a wonder he didn't tap his foot. â€Å"Let's make this fast,† he said. â€Å"If you're in such a rush, you should have just let me come by when you had more time.† I took out a binder containing the letter and handed it over with a pen. Keith signed without even looking at it and handed it back. â€Å"Need anything else?† he asked. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Don't mess up again,† he said, opening the car door. â€Å"I don't have time to keep covering for you.† â€Å"Does it matter?† I challenged him. â€Å"You've already done your best to get rid of me.† He gave me a cold smile. â€Å"You shouldn't have crossed me. Not now, not back then.† With a wink, he turned around and began to leave. I stared, unable to believe the audacity. It was the first time he'd directly referenced what went down years ago. â€Å"Well, that's the thing,† I shouted at his retreating figure. â€Å"I didn't cross you back then. You got off easy. It's not going to happen again. You think I'm worried about you? I'm the one you need to be scared of.† Keith came to a halt and then slowly turned around, his face awash with disbelief. I didn't blame him. I was kind of surprised myself. I couldn't ever remember a time I'd so openly countered someone in a higher position of authority, certainly not someone who had so much power to affect my situation. â€Å"Watch it,† he said at last. â€Å"I can make your life miserable.† I gave him an icy smile. â€Å"You already have, and that's why I've got the advantage. You've done your worst – but you haven't seen what I can do yet.† It was a big bluff on my part, especially since I was pretty sure he could still do worse. For all I knew, he could get Zoe out here tomorrow. He could get me sent to a re-education center in a heartbeat. But if I went down? So would he. He stared at me for a few moments, at a loss. I don't know if I actually scared him or if he decided not to dignify me with an answer, but he finally turned and left for good. Furious, I went inside to deliver the letter to the office. The front desk secretary, Mrs. Dawson, stamped it and then made a copy for me to give to Mrs. Weathers. As she handed it to me, I asked, â€Å"Who's Kelly Hayes?† Mrs. Dawson's usually dimpled face grew sad. â€Å"That poor girl. She was a student here a few years ago.† My memory clicked. â€Å"Is she the one Mrs. Weathers mentioned? Who went missing?† Mrs. Dawson nodded. â€Å"It was terrible. She was such a sweet girl too. So young. She didn't deserve to die like that. She didn't deserve to die at all.† I hated to ask but had to. â€Å"How did she die? I mean, I know she was murdered, but I never heard any details.† â€Å"Probably just as well. It's pretty gruesome.† Mrs. Dawson peered around, as though afraid she'd get in trouble for gossiping with a student. She leaned over the counter toward me, face grave. â€Å"The poor thing bled to death. She had her throat cut.†