Life Shaping Experience free essay sample

Writing Life Shaping Experience – Personal Narrative There has been many life-shaping/life changing experiences in my life however if I have to pinpoint to one specific moment where I knew that my life as a child will be over was when I was 12 years old. My sister, grandmother and I just came back from spending 3 weeks in Nicaragua. I loved it so much I wanted to stay. A week or two after the family trip, my grandmother fell down concrete stairs and was pronounced dead once she went to the hospital. My life as a child or more likely my childhood was gone. At that moment I had to grow up, clean my house, take care of my sister, go to school and cook dinner. I am now 28 years old and still remember that day like it was yesterday. I was getting ready to preach for the first time in church. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Shaping Experience or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My grandmother went out to the grocery and she didn’t want my sister and I to go and help since I also had a mini job as a baby sitter at the time. My life was perfect at the moment. As the time went on, we noticed that she was taking a little long to get back home so we went outside twice to look for her but didn’t see her coming. About 10 or 15 minutes later I hear a strong banging coming from the door and it was my upstairs neighbor. She started crying and screaming hysterical saying that Mami had fell down (Mami was the nickname everybody on the block gave my grandmother). I ran outside and saw her with a black eye, the food she went to go buy all over on the floor and on top of her, and the vomit coming from her nose. She had fallen and hit her head. I couldn’t believe that the woman that had raised me was on the floor dead. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted her to be okay. I wanted a miracle from God like Lazarus (John 11:1-44). After she was admitted into the hospital, I stayed in the church for almost a week just praying and praying that a miracle would happen. I was in church praying when the Pastor came to me and told me that she had stopped breathing. It was like my life was crashing down on me. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want to let go. A week later I preached for the first time and I dedicated the sermon to her. I spoke how kind hearted she was, so patient and loving. She gave her last years to my sister and I. My family grew apart. No more family dinners or holidays together. She was the glue that held everything together. The next 6 or 7 years were hard on my sister and I. Even though we always had a bed to sleep in, we were always going house to house. We didn’t really had a home. We were basically left on our own like orphans. I took care of my grandfather, always worked, went to church and at the age of 18 gave birth to a beautiful healthy boy. I grew up too fast without realizing what to do or how to do it. However I remember her teachings and the way she cared for all her grandkids and I applied everything that was taught to my son. My son at the age of 2 was formally diagnosed with mild autism. I have to admit my life has never been full of roses but my grandmother made it worthwhile. She would have fell in love with my son. He looks just like my father (my father was murdered when I was 8 months old). The strength I receive every day to take care of my family is from my 12 years of life with my grandmother. The day she died changed my life forever but it also taught me many things. I agree that I grew a little too fast but everything happens for a reason. I will not be given a cross to bear that I am not able to handle. I can handle many situations and I thank my grandmother for that since I am a stronger and more wiser person for it.

AniSci Lesson Plan 1 Essays - Learning, Behavior Modification

AniSci Lesson Plan 1 Essays - Learning, Behavior Modification Chloe Kern Final Creative Work Animal Science 04/28/19 For this creative work, I have decided to make three lesson plans. These plans are geared toward an audience of Kindergarten-Second graders with little to no experience or knowledge about these topics. As an early childhood education major, I firmly believe that children should learn about animals and the connections that they have in their life from a very young age. This is something that I hope to incorporate into my future classroom so that students have an understanding, even if it begins as basic, of the world and all the animals around them. This lesson plan will focus on three main content areas: animal products, nutrition, and behavior. They will be put together in a way that will allow the educator to separate and expand on each content area or to teach these sections all at one time. In order to create a deeper level of understanding for each section, I feel that separating each specific lesson may be the most effective way to engage students. Each content area will hav e its own creative activity to enhance student understanding, but if there are time constraints these objectives can be reached without the creative activity. The central theme of these lessons focuses on helping students to understand the similarities and the connections that they have to animals. Lesson Plan #1 Age: K-2 Subject: Animal Science Topic: Animal Products Eggs and Fiber Time + Pacing Central Focus of Lesson: At the end of the lesson, students should feel comfortable recognizing that they most likely use and see animal products in their daily lives Part 2: Content Objectives SWBAT name at least one animal product that they have seen/used in their daily lives (meat, eggs, fibers) SWBAT name the 4 main different parts of an egg (shell, membrane, egg white, yolk) SWBAT name at least one type of fiber and where it comes from Key Vocabulary Shell Membrane Egg White Yolk Fiber Wool Cashmere Prior Academic Learning and Prerequisite Skills: Students have very little prior knowledge of this subject and these topics Students should also have a prior knowledge of how to use art supplies Students should be aware of typical classroom procedures Materials Needed Piece of Wool Piece of Cashmere White "Easter Eggs" Saran Wrap Small Yellow Pom Poms White Tissue Paper Board Projector Part 3: Lesson Introduction Gather the children in a group and explain that they are going to be learning about the things they use or see that comes from animals Ask students if they have any examples of things that they have used or seen that come from animals When suggestions are given, write them on the board and discuss with the group. If incorrect suggestions are given, write them on the board, discuss, and correct misconceptions before erasing incorrect information. After they are out of suggestions, explain that today they are going to be focusing on 2 types of products: eggs and fiber 5-10 min Introduction of New Information Begin with discussing Fibers: "Does anyone know what fibers are?" Give time for several students to answer, and if correct answer is not given then tell students that fibers come from the hair of animals, and they can sometimes be used to make cloth. Pull out the two examples of fiber that are included in materials Wool and Cashmere Let the student feel these two types of fiber "How are these two different?" After some discussion of the difference of the way these two types of fiber feel, call groups attention to the projector "These two types of material come from two different animals" The Wool (it may be helpful to hold up this piece so students can reference it): comes from sheep (project a picture of sheep). It is thicker than the other type of fiber we are talking about today. On sheep, it is the kind of fiber under a coat of hair. There are different types of wool that come from different types of sheep. The Cashmere (it may be helpful to hold up this piece so students can reference it): comes from goats (project a picture of goat), It is thinner/finer than the other type of fiber we are talking about today, and it grows under other hair like wool. Next, begin the discussion of Eggs: "How many of you like to eat eggs?" Give students time to raise hands "Does anyone know where the eggs we normally eat

Health and Medical Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health and Medical Technologies - Essay Example Radiographs play an important role by helping dentist detect dental problems that would otherwise be undetectable. Digital radiography is a major technological breakthrough as it plays a major role in ensuring quality dental care delivery. However, this technological advancement comes at a cost that society must bear. Additionally, more costs develop through need of skilled personnel, staff training, demand for utilization of the technology, and facility upgrade programs. Nevertheless, the benefits of digital radiography overshadow the costs of the technology (Shi & Singh, 2012). The implementation of a digital radiography technology is likely to increase satisfaction and improve physical comfort for patients. On the other hand, the dental team will be able to dedicate more efforts to services that utilize their skills, which will in turn raise morale and improve job performance. Additionally, installation of digital radiography will positively affect the cash flow of a health facility. Incorporating digital radiography not only leads to better dental care but also cuts the expenses of a healthcare facility (Shi & Singh,

GMO foods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GMO foods - Essay Example For instance, GMO foods are harmful to human beings to some extent. Some of the opposing views of GMOs are discussed in subsequent paragraphs. First, GMOs are unhealthy since numerous studies have found that they can leave materials inside the human body hence causing long-term problems (IRT 2). Because of this, doctors advise their patients to take or consume non-GMO diets because they have no effects. For instance, there are pieces of evidence that genes inserted into GM soy can transfer into the DNA of a bacteria living in a human being (IRT 2). Moreover, GMO food increases food allergies among individuals making it unsafe for consumption. Secondly, GMO foods are sourced from herbicides seeds, which are very harmful (IRT 4). GM crops are engineered to be herbicide tolerant hence not prone to weed attack and can survive. Because of this, they contain high chemical concentration, which causes harm to the environment. Moreover, GM food has higher residues of toxic herbicides, which is linked to several defects in the body. For instance, high concentration of herbicides and other chemicals increases one’s chances of getting sterility, hormone disruption, cancer, as well as birth defects when continuously used (IRT 4). Thirdly, GMO involves mixing of genes from different unrelated species making it unleash unpredictable side effects not intended (IRT 6). Many researchers do not know some of the genes inserted or mixed with others to produce the quality that is needed. Therefore, the process of creating or developing a GM plant can result in a collateral damage by producing new toxins, as well as nutritional deficiencies. The natural plants that produce food are naturally modified and have a balanced makeup to provide all the desired nutrients (IRT 6). However, GM foods does not contain balanced nutrient since the composition of the species may differ to interfere with the desired

Do silver ions kill bacteria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Do silver ions kill bacteria - Essay Example & Etris, S.F. 1997 p.107-114). The mechanism of inhibition performed by silver ions on bacteria was analysed using gram-positive Straphylococcus aureus and gram negative E.coli by treating with AgNO3 and was analysed using a combined X-ray microanalysis and electron microscopy. Both S.aureus and E.coli cells exhibited similar morphological changes after silver treatment. The cell wall of the bacteria detached the cytoplasm membrane and a remarkable electron-light area surfaced in the middle of the cells that contained condensed DNA molecules. Several electron dense granules were also found deposited inside the cell or surrounding the cell wall. The presence of elements of sulphur and silver in cytoplasm and electron dense granules detected by X-ray microanalysis revealed the antibacterial actions of silver. The protein became inactivated and DNA lost its ability to replicate after the treatment of silver (Feng et al 2000 p.662-668). The anti-bacterial action of silver is based on the release of silver (Ag+ ions) that act by displacing essential ions of metals such as Zn+ or Ca2+. A study by Dowling et al using anti-bacterial silver coating deposited on heat sensitive polymeric substrates deploying a combination of neutral atom beam and magnetron sputtering indicates that platinum can be used to increase the release of Ag+ ions from the silver coating. In a galvanic setting platinum exhibits enhanced activity than silver and therefore platinum enhances silver ion formation during the galvanic action. The analysis of bacterial adhesion and bactericidal reaction on coated polymers using straphylococcus epidermidis reveals that the addition of 1% platinum significantly increases the anti-bacterial effectiveness of silver coatings. For every 5 nm thick Ag/1% Platinum coatings on silicone, up to a two log reduction in bacterial adhesion is achieved that did not show cytotoxicity (Dowling et al. 2003

Psychological Effects of Imprisonment on Young Offenders

Psychological Effects of Imprisonment on Young Offenders The aim of this dissertation is to examine the claim of authors such as Harrington and Bailey (2005) that a substantial proportion of young offenders in the UK suffer from severe mental illness. In accepting this claim, the secondary aim of this paper is to glean a greater understanding of why this is the case; do these offenders acquire mental illness as a result of the modern prison regime and regardless, why is the modern youth justice system so ineffective in dealing with this seemingly widespread problem? The researcher of this paper shall argue that the currentyouth justice system needs, if it to achieve one of its primary aims,namely to rehabilitate youth offenders and prevent them from becomingrecidivists, to focus their research and practice more heavily on thepsychological processes which cause a young person to offend, so thatsuch offenders, who are clearly suffering from mental problems, can bemore easily identified and, where possible, positively helped toresolve these issues whilst they are serving their custodial sentencesso that upon release these individuals are more likely to desist fromcriminality. The principle methodology of this paper will be a literature review,a review of both primary and secondary sources from the subject fieldsof forensic psychology, criminology and penology. Introduction: The primary issue which will be raised and explored throughout thisdissertation is the contention that the current youth justice system,and in particular the youth prison system, is failing to adequatelyaddress the psychological needs (or as they are described by manycriminologists: ‘criminogenic needs’) of youth offenders in the UK.Such an argument necessarily involves a simultaneous examination notonly of the statistics which are available regarding the prevalence ofmental illness in youth prisons and the rates of recidivism of thoseyouths who have been previously sentenced to immediate custody, butalso an examination of the latest psychological research in prisons,the current (and, to a lesser extent, historical) policies andpractices pertaining to the ‘treatment’ of those imprisoned offenderswho have been diagnosed with mental illness and also the writings ofexpert researchers in these relevant fields who provide originalinterpretative insights into the problems associated with mentalillness in youth offenders and potential approaches to minimise thisapparent epidemic. The structure of this review shall take the following form: Thisdissertation will commence with a brief overview of past and presentsystems of caring for children serving custodial sentences and howtheir mental health needs were and are now met, including anexamination of the changing definition of ‘needs’ in this context. Theresearcher, using research from government enquires, literature andreports concerned with this issue will then seek to identify thoseyouth justice policies and practices which are apparently ineffectiveand/or inappropriate in reducing this problem and, in conclusion, makerecommendations for future necessary/ effective reforms and also futureresearch which should be conducted to assist in our understanding ofthe psychological causes of crime and to assist in the formulation ofsuch reforms. The researcher of this paper is greatly interested in the subject ofthis paper: After reading in Society Guardian articles about our youngprison population the researcher was surprised to learn that there areover 11,000 young people between 15-20 in jail in England and Waleswith a diagnosable mental disorder, that 10% will suffer a severepsychotic disorder in comparison with 0.2% of the general populationand that the UK has the highest number of prisoners under 21, incomparison with the rest of Europe, 3000 of them being held in youthoffenders institutes. Similar surprise ensued from discover of researchconducted by the UK Office for National Statistics which found thatnine out of ten youth offenders in the UK suffer from a mentaldisorder. The researcher feels strongly that more research needs to beconducted into these issues so that these worrying findings can bediluted; it is primarily for this reason that the researcher has chosento conduct this research on that topic. Intending t o pursue a career inthe youth justice system working with young offenders in the UK, theresearcher also feels strongly that a deeper substantive knowledge inthis area will aid not merely his professional development but also hisability to help reduce the incidence of mental disorder in the UK youthjustice system. The researcher concedes that the objectives of this research didchange direction at various points of the review: Initially, the aimwas to identify the current practical failings of the youth justicesystem and to convincingly demonstrate that these failings directly orindirectly contribute to the problematic prevalence of mental illnessin youth offenders and to likewise suggest practical reforms whichshould be employed to reduce this phenomenon; latterly, the researcherunderstood that rather than suggesting changes in practical reform thathe should attempt to identify the failings in the current research andthe strategies employed by the justice system, and to suggestalternative strategies and ideas for future research which will then inturn result in more effective justice practice. The structure of this paper, as described in paragraph two of thisintroduction, has been carefully constructed to complement itsarguments: the historical analysis of trends in UK penal policy andpractice (pertaining to youth offenders) over the past fifty years,with which this paper will commence, provides ample support for thelater contention that the current approach employed by the youthjustice system in the UK to reduce the incidence of mental illness inits prisons is inadequate and also for those policy reforms which willbe recommended by the researcher in this paper’s conclusions. The Structure of the Literature Review: As noted previously in the introduction, above, the literaturereview of this paper will not confine itself to any one particulardiscipline; after all, the subjects of criminology, forensicpsychology, social work and, to some extent, penology are havededicated varying proportions of their research on the issues withwhich this paper is concerned; namely the prevalence of mental illnessin young offenders in the UK Youth Justice system, in particular thoseoffenders currently serving custodial sentences in young offendersinstitutes, and practical methods for reducing this problematicphenomenon. A clear concern to any researcher conducting amulti-disciplinary literature review of this kind is that the order ofthe analysis is prone to be confusing; a researcher could choose toperform a separate review of the literature from each respectivesubject area or, alternatively, a researcher might choose to make nosuch division but rather separate the review into the relevantquestions and under each separate heading utilize the literature fromany relevant discipline in no particular order. The researcher of thispaper has chosen to adopt the latter of these two approaches; he feelsthat to divide the review analysis according to topic area is whollyartificial, especially in light of the fact that any research orliterature which will be discussed will be wholly relevant to the sameissues pertaining to young offenders. With this methodological approach in mind, the questions which thisliterature review will seek to discuss and, where possible, answer, areas follows: 1] What is defined as ‘mental illness’ and how has this definition changed over the past 60 years? 2] How prevalent is mental illness in young offenders who arecurrently serving custodial sentences in young offenders’ institutes inthe UK? 3] To what extent is this a recent phenomenon? And to what extent isthis a phenomenon which is particular to young offenders serving asentence in a secure institution rather than to those young offenderswho are serving non-custodial sentences or those young persons who havenot been involved in the Youth Justice system at all? 4] Historically, how has the UK Youth Justice System responded tothe problem of mental illness in young offenders who are currentlyserving custodial sentences in young offenders’ institutes? 5] Is there convincing evidence which suggests that there is linkbetween this prevalence of mental illness and the high rates ofrecidivism in young offenders serving custodial sentences? 6] What is the approach which is currently employed by the UK Youth Justice System to tackle this problem? 7] To what extent is the current policy approach of the UK YouthJustice System appropriate in achieving its objectives in this regard? 8] How is this policy approach being implemented by the UK Youth Justice System? 9] Are these practical reforms appropriate in light of the policyapproach adopted to reduce the incidence of mental illness in youthoffenders in the UK? 10] What changes should be made to the current policy and practiceof the UK Youth Justice System to effect a more successful reduction ofthis problem? 11] What further academic research is needed to assist in the formulation of these new policies and practices? 1] What is defined as ‘mental illness’ or ‘mental health’ and how has this definition changed over the past 60 years? Any literature review on the prevalence of ‘mental illness’ in aparticular population, in this case young offenders serving custodialsentences, would be incomplete without a preliminary discussionpertaining to the definition of ‘mental illness’ or ‘mental health’ inthat context. Within the context of young offenders, it is interesting to notethat there is very little consistency in the definition of ‘mentalhealth’: In fact, ‘a review of over 60 national and local education,health and social care documents (policy, strategy and guidance)revealed little consistency within, as well as, across agencies. Therewere 10 different terms or phrases used to label the positive end ofthe mental health continuum and 15 to describe the negative’ [JointCommissioning Strategy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Servicesin Kent, Draft Report, 15th January 2007, p6]. This having been said, it does not seem that the definition of ‘mentalhealth’ in this context is particularly contentious. The Kent andMedway Multi Agency CAMHS Strategy Group have provided a workingdefinition which incorporates each of the individual definitions foundduring their literature review of relevant policy documents: ‘Mentalhealth can be defined as: The ability to develop psychologically,emotionally, intellectually and spiritually, to initiate, develop andsustain mutually satisfying personal relationships, including theability to become aware of others and to empathise with them, and theability to use psychological distress as a developmental process, sothat it does not hinder or impair further development’ [JointCommissioning Strategy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Servicesin Kent, Draft Report, 15th January 2007, p6].   However, to find a comprehensive definition of ‘mental illness’ in thiscontext is not so straightforward: It would seem that practitioners inthe field of forensic psychology have divided mental ill-health intothree separate categories separated on the basis of severity ofsymptoms; namely, ‘mental health problems’, ‘mental health disorders’and ‘mental illness’. Mental health problems, the least serious form of mental ill-health,‘may be reflected in difficulties and/or disabilities in the realms ofpersonal relationships, psychological development, the capacity forplay and learning and in distress and maladaptive behaviour. They arerelatively common, and may or may not be persistent’ [JointCommissioning Strategy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Servicesin Kent, Draft Report, 15th January 2007, p6]. Mental health disorder is the term subscribed to those persons whoare suffering from persistent mental health problems which affect theirfunctioning on a day-to-day basis. Whilst most young people will atsome stage in their development suffer from mental health problems, itis not normal to expect such persons to suffer from mental healthdisorders. As noted by the Kent and Medway Multi Agency CAMHS StrategyGroup, mental health disorder, as a term, ‘[implies] a marked deviationfrom normality, a clinically recognised set of symptoms or behaviourassociated in most cases with considerable distress and substantialinterference with personal functions or development’ [JointCommissioning Strategy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Servicesin Kent, Draft Report, 15th January 2007, p6]. Finally, mental illness, the most serious of the three forms ofmental ill-health, can be recognized in those young persons sufferingfrom severe clinical psychosis or neurosis, e.g. those suffering fromschizophrenia. These definitions provide a clear and useful taxonomy from which wecan begin to analyse the statistics on the prevalence of mentalill-health in young offenders in the UK. However, before we commencethis analysis, it is first important to briefly examine the perceivedhistorical relationship between mental ill-health and crime ; afterall, it has often been the case in the past that societies across theworld have attributed certain (if not all) aspects of criminality tosymptoms of mental ill-health, in particular mental disorder and mentalillness. For example, The USSR during the Cold War often incarceratedpolitical ‘criminals’ on the basis that they must be mentally insanefor holding such opinions and beliefs. Whilst the above example would shock most people of today, thisphenomenon is not that far removed from how the UK government hastraditionally treated the mentally ill: ‘In the UK, mental health carewas for decades provided only in large ‘asylums’ keeping ‘mentallyill’ people out of society believing this to be for their own good andthat of their communities. Beginning in the 1950s and accelerating atthe end of the 1980s, government policy switched to providing moreservices in the community and in most cases limiting hospital treatmentto when it is needed most acutely’ [All-Party Parliamentary Group onPrison Health, House of Commons, November 2006, p2]. In light of the fact that historically the mentally ill have beendealt with in the same way as convicted criminals, it is not toodifficult to understand why there has developed a publicly perceivedlink between mental illness and criminality. This misconception hasalso been given weight by a small number of brutal homicide cases inwhich the perpetrator was schizophrenic; whilst social workers andpsychiatrists of today realise that schizophrenia does not necessarilycause its owners to be criminally violent, public opinion is still notas understanding: ‘Our understanding of mental ill health has†¦developed [since] that time, though public debate on the topic has notalways been in step†¦ the popular assumption that mental ill health andcriminality are inextricably linked needs to be broken and policyinformed by a deeper understanding of the complex links between mentalill health and offending’ [All-Party Parliamentary Group on PrisonHealth, House of Commons, Novemb er 2006, p2]. Therefore, whilst theremay be certain links between mental ill-health and criminality, thereis no intuitive similarity between these two respective phenomena. 2] How prevalent is mental ill-health in young offenders who arecurrently serving custodial sentences in young offenders’ institutes inthe UK? N.B. At the outset of this section of the literature review it isimportant to remind ourselves that secondary reviews of primary datacan often be misleading or, worse, erroneous. For example, to quote asection from the website of the government’s ‘Crime Reduction Toolkit‘A recent report by the Office for National Statistics, PsychiatricMorbidity Among Young Offenders, found that 9 in 10 young offendersaged between 16-20 years old showed evidence of mental illness’. Thisstatement would, using the taxonomy of mental ill-health discussed insection [1] above, appear to suggest that 90% of young offenders in UKPrisons are suffering from severe psychiatric illnesses such aschizophrenia: such a contention is clearly erroneous as if this werethe case then 90% of young offenders in Prison should in fact not be inprison at all but rather in secure mental hospitals. What the statementshould have said is: ‘A recent report by the Office for NationalStatistics, Psyc hiatric Morbidity Among Young Offenders, found that 9in 10 young offenders aged between 16-20 years old showed evidence ofmental ill-health’. Hopefully this example has shown how careful onemust be when attempting to describe or analyse the data findings fromprimary research. All of the literature and research supports the contention thatmental ill-health among young offenders in UK Prisons is prevalent. Arecent Report suggests that â€Å"Young people in prison have an evengreater prevalence of poor mental health than adults, with 95% havingat least one mental health problem and 80% having more than one. [Laderet al., 2000, cited by Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, March 2006,p3]†. This same conclusion is reported by Singleton et al. (1998): ‘95per cent of young prisoners aged 15 to 21 suffer from a mentaldisorder. 80 per cent suffer from at least two. Nearly 10 per cent offemale sentenced young offenders reported already having been admittedto a mental hospital at some point.’ A more recent research study conducted by Professor RichardHarrington and Professor Sue Bailey on behalf of the Youth JusticeBoard, entitled ‘Mental Health Needs and Effectiveness of Provision forYoung Offenders in Custody and in the Community’, found thatapproximately 33% of the young offenders sampled had at least onemental health need, approximately 20% suffered from clinicaldepression, approximately 10% of these young offenders had a history ofself-harm   and approximately 10% suffered from post traumatic stressdisorder and severe anxiety . This study also found that approximately5% of the young offenders sampled had symptoms indicative of clinicalpsychosis and that 7% of the sample population seemed to suffer fromhyperactivity. [Harrington and Bailey, 2005]. In conclusion, it seems indisputable that mental ill-health isprevalent among young offenders in the UK, in particular among thoseyouths serving custodial sentences. 3] To what extent is this a recent phenomenon? And to what extent isthis a phenomenon which is particular to young offenders serving asentence in a secure institution rather than to those young offenderswho are serving non-custodial sentences or those young persons who havenot been involved in the Youth Justice system at all? Whilst there is evidence that even as far back as 200 years ago UKPrisons were occupied to some extent by persons who suffered frommental problems, disorders and illness [Thomas Holmes, 1900], it isdifficult to ascertain whether this was due to the same reasons whichcause the phenomenon today, or whether these offenders were simply putin prison because of their mental ill-health, a practice which, asdiscussed above, was common in the nineteenth century. Unfortunately,in regards to the historical po sition, this is not a problem which canever be easily resolved, and it is a question which is still relevantto a discussion of the phenomenon of today: Is the prevalence of mentalill-health among young prisoners due to their treatment within theyouth justice system or did these individuals suffer mental ill-healthprior to their involvement with the justice system? Hagell (2002) p37 suggests that mental ill-health is more prevalent inyoung offenders than in their law-abiding peers, but this still doesnot answer the question of whether the reason that these individualsbroke the law in the first place was because of their mental problems,disorders or illness: â€Å"there is little doubt that young people caughtup in the criminal justice system do have elevated rates of mentalhealth problems when compared to other adolescents. A conservativeestimate would suggest that the rates of mental illness in these youngpeople is three times as high as that for their peers.† Likewise, an article by Sir David Ramsbotham entitled ‘The Needs ofOffending Children in Prison’, which was published in the Report fromthe Conference of the Michael Sieff Foundation entitled ‘The Needs ofOffending Children’, at p19, that whilst 95% of young offenders incustody are suffering from mental ill-health, only 10% of the generalpopulation are suffering from such problems, disorders or illnesses. This finding is supported in result, if not precise figures, by aresearch study which was conducted by the Mental Health Foundationentitled: The Mental Health of Young Offenders. Bright Futures: Workingwith Vulnerable Young People [Hagell, 2002]. This study stated:â€Å"Despite methodological hindrances, it is clear from this review of theliterature that there is a consensus that young people who offend arelikely to have much higher than usual levels of mental health problems.Estimates from research studies suggest that the rates of problems wereapproximately three ti mes as high as for their peers in the generalpopulation. In general, the mental health needs of young offenders arethe same as those of the general adolescent population but more acute.†[Hagell, 2002, p28]. Regarding whether the prison regime itself is responsible for thisprevalence, or merely the fact of incarceration, a study by Nicol et al(2000) found that there was very little difference between the levelsof mental needs in those young persons held in prison and those held inother forms of welfare establishment. This implies that the same mentalproblems, disorders and illnesses which lead a young person to beincarcerated in a welfare institution are also present in those youngoffenders who break the law and are subsequently sentences toimprisonment. A study commissioned by the Youth Justice Board [Harrington andBailey, 2005, p8] seemed to suggest that the mental needs of youngpersons were reduced as a result of being sent to Prison: â€Å"Youngoffenders in the community were found to have significantly more needsthan those in secure care†¦Needs increased for young offendersdischarged from secure facilities back into the community, suggestingthat needs are only temporarily reduced while in custody. In conclusion, there is no doubt that the prevalence of mentalill-health amongst young incarcerated offenders is not a newphenomenon, although it is impossible to state with any certaintywhether this phenomenon is worse now than it ever has been in historypreviously. Regarding whether this phenomenon is particular to youthoffenders over their law-abiding peers, it would seem that it iscertainly more pronounced with this former group, but also with thoseoffenders serving community sentences and those young persons who arebeing held in welfare establishments. 4] Historically, how has the UK Youth Justice System responded to theproblem of mental illness in young offenders who are currently servingcustodial sentences in young offenders’ institutes? As noted earlier, ‘In the UK, mental health care was for decadesprovided only in large ‘asylums’ keeping ‘mentally ill’ people out ofsociety believing this to be for their own good and that of theircommunities. Beginning in the 1950s and accelerating at the end of the1980s, government policy switched to providing more services in thecommunity and in most cases limiting hospital treatment to when it isneeded most acutely’ [All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prison Health,House of Commons, November 2006, p2]. During the 1950’s and 1960’s the link between mental ill-health andcriminality had arguably never been stronger; all prisoners wereregarded as patients who could be effectively ‘treated’ to prevent themfrom re-offending in the future and whilst little specific attentionwas paid to the individual mental needs of offenders, the types oftreatment reforms which were offered by the Criminal Justice System atthis time were very similar to the kinds of group treatment therapiesbeing offered to those mentally disordered and mentally ill patients inthe mental asylums and hospitals of the day. During the 1970’s thisparadigm of offender treatment was abandoned primarily as a result ofresearch studies conducted into the success of some of these treatmentreforms: conclusions from several research studies into theeffectiveness of these criminal treatments on reducing criminalbehaviour strongly suggested that ‘nothing works’ (Thomas-Peter, 2006,p29). T hese embarrassing findings caused the pendulum to swing awayfrom rehabilitation towards a firmer commitment to incapacitation andpunishment through positive custody. During the 1980’s, the wave of ‘new public management’ was born(Thomas-Peter, 2006, p30). This movement focussed heavily upon theprocedural roles of the Prison and Probation Services in reducingre-offending. The Prison service started to contract out some of theirprimary responsibilities in a quest to encourage more efficient servicefrom both their private sub-contractors and also their remaining statePrisons who would have to meet their performance targets to avoid beingprivatised in the same way as so many other Institutions had been.Likewise, the Probation service was reorganised and reintegrated toencourage greater efficiency of performance: ‘[The Probation Service,rather than] a loosely co-ordinated collection of individual socialworkers [became a unified and managed service] with a clearer sense ofdirection and purpose, which was more able to engage on equal termswith other services and to contribute and give effect to nationalpolicies’ (Faulkne r, 2007, p7). During the 1990’s researchers revisited the studies conducted in the1970’s and found that rather than demonstrating that ‘nothing works’,rather they supported the contention that certain types of treatmentinitiatives were working with certain types of individuals: Whilst only10% of a group may have responded well to that treatment, if thesimilarities between those responding offenders could be identifiedthen for this new group, the reform could be said to be verysuccessful. This has lead researchers such as Harper and Chitty (2005)to argue that the new question should not be ‘what works?’ but ‘whatworks for whom, and why’? This paradigm shall be discussed in greaterdetail in section [6] of this literature review. It is important to note that, except for the changes made to theProbation Services in the 1980’s, the above discussion summarizes thedevelopments in the paradigm of Criminal Justice generally and does notspecifically answer the question of how the Criminal Justice system hashistorically dealt with the problem of mental ill-health in youngimprisoned offenders. The fact is that even as late as 2002, there was no real unifiedsystem implemented to deal specifically with this particular problem.Research on this topic was sparse and focused rather than on nationalstrategies, on local remedies such as the pioneering work done by theAdolescent Forensic Services in the Midlands. Generally, where YoungOffenders Institutions were involving forensic psychiatrists or mentalhealth social workers this was not being done with the aim of treatmentor rehabilitation but rather for the purposes of assessment. Also,rather than assessing each young offender, these processes tended to beused for those offenders who were clearly suffering from mentalill-health and those offenders who specifically asked for suchassistance. A report published by the Mental Health Foundation in 2002,entitled ‘The Mental Health of Young Offenders. Bright Futures: Workingwith Vulnerable Young People’ [Hagell, 2002, p23] summarized theposition at that time in the followin g way: â€Å"As far as the MentalHealth Foundation is aware, there is no recent research data availableon the provision of psychological and psychiatric services to youngoffenders across the criminal justice system. However, at the time ofwriting it is clear that, from existing fragmented information, thereis no routine, standardised screening employed across the criminaljustice system and that responses to problems are inadequate andfragmented.† Whilst it is true that certain practical initiatives were introducedfrom the mid-nineties, such as Youth Offending Teams, Detention andTraining Orders, Parenting Orders and Child Safety Orders, thediscussion of the effects of these reforms shall be reserved forsections [6] and [9] of this literature review, in which we shallanalyse the current policy and practical approach employed by the YouthJustice System in dealing with the problem of prevalent mentalill-health among young prisoners. 5] Is there convincing evidence which suggests that there is linkbetween mental illness and the likelihood of being sentenced toimmediate custody? Is there convincing evidence which suggests thatthere is link between mental illness and the prevalence of mentalillness and the high rates of recidivism in young offenders servingcustodial sentences? One would be right to question the relevance of this enquiry to themain purposes of this research paper; after all the objective of thispaper is to examine the current strategy in dealing with the problem ofmental ill-health in young offenders institutes and to proposerecommendations for future clinical research and immediate reform.However, the researcher of this paper has chosen to dedicate a sectionof its literature review to the issues raised in the title of thissection because he feels that, if a convincing link between mentalill-health and criminality/criminal recidivism can be demonstrated thenit would provide additional support for the importance of reform inthis area. After all, the youth of today are the adults of the future,and if it can be shown that reducing the prevalence of mentalill-health in young offender institutions has a positive (reducing)effect on the rates of recidivism then the Criminal Justice System maybe compelled to dedicate extra time, money and resource s on furtherresearch in this area and also on the implementation of reformsdesigned to reduce the prevalence of this problem. The first point to note is that there is a body of research whichsuggests that young persons with mental disorders are more likely to bearrested, charged and convicted for their criminal behaviour than thoseyoung people in similar circumstances who do not have such severemental problems [Teplin, 1984]. This is supported by the research studyconducted by Singleton et al (1998) which found that the majority ofprisoners who had been diagnosed as having mental illness had, prior tohaving contact with the Justice System, already had contact with theNHS and other welfare services. These findings cannot be squared easily with the findings of otherresearch studies which suggest that â€Å"further offending [is] notpredicted by mental health needs or alcohol and drug abuse problems.[Harrington and Bailey, 2005, p8]† After all, if mental ill-health canpredict first instance-offending in young persons, then it must alsosurely be a predictor of recidivism in these persons also. Thisresearcher is therefore more inclined to rely upon other researchstudies which suggest that this is not the case: For example, the studyconducted by the Mental Health Foundation [Hagell, 2002, p24] foundthat: The outcomes for young offenders in need of mental healthservices include: further offending and worsening mental healthproblems if the needs are not met. The two are interlinked. While theoffending may have been a risk factor for mental health problems in thefirst place, it has long been understood that mental health problems inturn go on to be a risk factor for continued off ending (Kandel, 1978;Rutter et al 1998). Early detection may reduce the likelihood thatyoung offenders will persist into adulthood.† 6] What is the approach which is currently employed by the UK Youth Justice System to tackle this problem? As discussed earlier

Power, Morality, and Terror Essay -- Terrorism Terrorist September 11

Power, Morality, and Terror In the wake of events stemming from the bombing of the World Trade Center, citizens of the United States have slowly been coming to grips with many changes- new threats, new fears, and a new vision of the world and our place within it. As we re-adjust the lens through which we see our geopolitical landscape and begin to formulate a national security policy which can effectively respond to the terrorist threat, we must acquire a firm understanding of what motivates terrorist operatives. It will not suffice to merely throw out simplistic explanations of terrorist motives such as, "they’re evil. . .they hate us. . .they’re irrational. . .they hate freedom." Rather, we must take a systematic look at what motivates terrorism on the theoretical level. In some ways, terrorism is just a new variation on an old theme. For as long as men have lived in societies, there have been the haves and the have-nots, the dominant classes and the oppressed groups, the weak and the strong. Whereas the tactics of terrorists may be more technologically advanced and, arguably, more cruel than those used by insurgents of the past, their primary goal of altering either the regional or global polarity is as old as mankind itself. For their part, those dominant nations against whom the repressed campaign tend to engage in a brand of rhetoric which portrays the opposition as morally depraved. While this may or may not be the case, two important questions follow which are asked all too rarely. The first question is: how valid are the claims of the repressed that the dominant state itself is morally culpable? In the current case, the United States is responsible for committing a number of evils against Muslims. This is esp... ...orism is the last resort of a desperate people. Perhaps its best cure is to confront and rectify the grievances of those who suffer so greatly at our hands (often because of our narrow oil-interests in the Persian Gulf). Even a minimal increase in the standard of living in such countries, even a small acknowledgment of our role in maintaining and exacerbating this suffering- would instill in potential insurgents the one thing that stops terrorism dead in its tracks- hope. Sources: Betts, Richard K. ed. Conflict After the Cold War: Arguments on Causes of War and Peace. Carr, Edward Hallett. "Realism and Idealism." Second Edition. Longman Press: New York. 2002. Coates, AJ. The Ethics of War. Manchester University Press. New York: 1997. Liang, Qiao and Wang Xiangsui. Unrestricted Warfare. Beijing: PLA Literature and Arts Publishing House. 1999.

Thorn Queen Chapter Nineteen

I returned to my castle in shock-and in a downpour. My control of water let me shift the rain away from me, but after a while, I didn't feel like wasting the mental effort on it. It felt kind of good after such a hot day, and besides, I had a few other things on my mind. Like if it was going to rain every time I got aroused. That was not cool. I guessed I could handle it so long as it rained other times as well. I didn't want the connection to be so obvious. Hey, it's raining! The queen must have gotten laid. Ooh†¦is that hail? Must have been into some kinky shit today†¦. I was also debating whether or not having a guy stick his hand up your skirt and get you off was technically cheating or not. Okay, I supposed there wasn't much â€Å"technically† about it. I was getting caught up in gender stereotypes. If I'd gotten him off-say, like, by going down on him-there would have been no question of infidelity. So, this was no different. Fuck. How had it happened? One minute we'd been arguing†¦the next? Grope central. There'd been emotion and magic, and it had all happened so fast. I shivered, thinking of all the warnings about using strong magic. Was that to blame? Or just my own weakness? And at the same time, I couldn't also help but think that strong magic could solve a few of my problems. Excepting, of course, the problem of whether or not I should tell Kiyo what had happened between Dorian and me†¦ â€Å"Your majesty!† Nia went crazy when she saw my drenched state. She had a hundred remedies for me, but all I wanted was a simple towel and the jeans and shirt I'd arrived in earlier. Waiting for the servants to draw hot baths around here took too much time and effort; I could get back to Tucson and into my own shower or sauna much more easily. And after still being unnerved by Dorian, I was particularly anxious to return to what I saw as safety. Though lately, I was starting to think no place was safe anymore. Before leaving, I exchanged brief updates with Rurik and Shaya. I told Rurik that we had a date for demon hunting, and that Jasmine would indeed be going with us. His feelings on that were mixed. He knew her power was useful, but secretly-or, well, not so secretly-he was part of the camp that felt I should kill her. He seemed a little reassured about her, at least, because Girard had brought the custom cuffs as promised. They provided greater mobility for her but were even more limiting for magic. Judging from Jasmine's dismayed reaction, Rurik felt they'd been successful. Well, that was something, I supposed. And from the look on Shaya's face, Dorian's help with the ore was a good thing too-even if it had come with strings attached. â€Å"That was very kind of my lord,† she said. Both Shaya and Rurik often used the honorific â€Å"my lord† when discussing Dorian, as though he were still their master. I considered their old loyalty endearing but wondered if they'd ever feel like they truly worked for me. â€Å"It's expedited things immensely. You can't imagine how quickly things will move once the ore is processed.† She grinned, eyes gleaming as all sorts of plans and organizational thoughts swirled in her mind. â€Å"You must have been very pleased at what my lord did for you.† Well, â€Å"pleased† was one way of looking at it, I supposed. Oh, and I was happy about the expedited ore too. A strange feeling settled over me, that same one I got each time Dorian did something nice for me-sexual gratification aside. I had no idea what his role in my life was anymore, save that he was helping me a lot. Judging from Shaya's face, this was a big favor he'd done for me. An idea for repayment came to me. â€Å"Shaya†¦is Girard still here?† She nodded. â€Å"I gave him a room for the night, so that he wouldn't have to travel in the rain. Is that all right?† â€Å"Yeah, yeah. I just want to talk to him for a sec.† She led me to his room, and like before, he was overjoyed and overeager to see me. Seeing him reminded me of Leith, which gave me a small pang of regret. I still felt badly about what had happened with the Rowan prince, but there was nothing to be done about it. I couldn't return his feelings. Girard, fortunately, was a different matter. He wanted prestige and position for his talents, and I was more than willing to give that after explaining to him the project I wanted to commission. â€Å"Yes, your majesty. I can most certainly do that. Why, I can start sketching right now.† No doubt he was happy to work on something that wasn't part of Katrice's woodland animal collection. I left him to it, gushing with praise and how much it would mean to me. Girard was a nice guy, despite his ambition, and I decided I'd rather surround myself with those wanting job promotion over getting me into bed. I returned to Tucson at last, grateful to find the house quiet. Tim was out, but he'd left me macaroni and cheese-the good homemade kind with bread crumbs on top-and a note: Bitch receptionist called and wants to make sure you don't forget your job tomorrow. I hadn't forgotten the job tomorrow, but the reminder was a good one with as much as had been going on lately. One of the cats rubbed against my leg as I microwaved my dinner, and I absentmindedly scratched her on the head, wishing it was actually Kiyo's fox form circling my ankles. I didn't like the way he and I had left things, even if they'd ostensibly been friendly. There was still tension between us, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he just wasn't understanding me lately†¦and that Dorian was. Argh. Dorian. As I tossed my clothes on the bathroom floor-including that damned thong-I couldn't help but think of him again. Stop it, Eugenie. You're obsessing. Surely†¦surely I would have said no if we hadn't been interrupted earlier, right? Right? And Kiyo, Kiyo†¦what was I going to tell Kiyo? Just because we were having friction in our relationship, it didn't mean I had license to do what I'd done today. I had no respect for lies or any other subtle dishonesty. I didn't like that behavior in others. I didn't like it in myself. But after standing in scalding water for twenty minutes, no real answers about anything came to my mind. I finally emerged, my skin sufficiently plump and pink, and toweled off. After that, it was into comfy pajamas: blue and gray flannel shorts and a white cotton tank top. It might have been raining in the Thorn Land, but here it was dry and hot. Night had cooled the air somewhat, and I'd opened all the windows to air out the house. As a light breeze blew in, it took everything in me not to start tinkering around with the air. I could sense every particle, and the thought of controlling them sent a shiver through me. No, I scolded myself. I'd done enough today. I needed to have a no-magic-in-Tucson rule, I decided. Establishing that magic and men were issues that were not going to be solved tonight, I set out to work on another. It wasn't quite ten yet, which meant Roland would be up. Sprawling on the couch in front of the breezy patio screen door, I dialed him on my phone. â€Å"Eugenie,† he said with delight. â€Å"We've been wondering what happened to you. You haven't been returning calls. Your mother was worried, but I told her you were probably just busy.† I smiled. It was nice to have Roland in my life, someone who understood the ups and downs of this job. â€Å"I have been. Really busy.† I almost started to offer him the overflow of jobs I'd had Lara turn down for me and stopped myself at the last minute. If he knew I wasn't keeping up with my work, it would only trigger an alarm for him and subject me to questions I wasn't ready to answer. â€Å"Did you ever talk to Art and Abigail?† he asked. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, â€Å"and that's actually why I was calling you. I think†¦well, I think they're trafficking in gentry girls or something.† There were several moments of silence. â€Å"Trafficking? What does that mean, exactly?† â€Å"It means I think they're abducting girls and†¦I don't know. Either pimping them out or selling them or something equally disgusting. It's like a fairy sex trade.† One of the cats, a calico, came and made herself comfortable on my stomach. â€Å"Eugenie†¦I've known Art for almost ten years. I've known Abigail longer. What you're saying is absurd. You have to be getting bad information.† â€Å"They've both been sighted in the Otherworld, right around where their gate opens! I even talked to one girl who all but identified Art! She was totally traumatized, Roland. And both Art and Abigail live better than they should be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That's not evidence,† he said. â€Å"They're probably doing good business.† â€Å"In a town that size? Even with a gate like that, they can't have enough work to afford the stuff they have. You and I have a ton more jobs than they do, and we don't live that well.† â€Å"It's a moot point. This whole thing is far-fetched, and your evidence is sketchy. I mean, have you seen gentry girls tied up in his house?† â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"Largely because he won't ever let me inside. Which is also suspicious.† â€Å"No, Eugenie, it's really not.† Roland sounded tired. â€Å"Look, it sounds like all you've got is circumstantial gentry evidence. And you know how they are.† â€Å"I know that their people are being taken against their will and possibly having horrible things done to them.† â€Å"Key words: their people.† â€Å"Are you saying it's okay for girls to be sold into a sex trade? After what happened to Mom?† â€Å"How can you ask me that?† he exclaimed. â€Å"But this isn't the same thing. We're not police who work both worlds. We protect humans. There must be someone over there whose job it is to protect them.† There is, I thought. Me. â€Å"Can you at least talk to Art?† I asked. â€Å"And what? Ask him if he's kidnapping gentry girls?† â€Å"Well†¦maybe you could pose it a bit more delicately.† I squelched a yowl of pain as the cat leapt up off me and onto the back of the couch. Her hair puffed up, and she twitched her tail in agitation. Not surprising. Both dogs had just entered the room. â€Å"I can't ask him that,† said Roland. â€Å"And what if he says yes? Then what are you going to do?† Dorian's words came back to me. Kill them. â€Å"Look, I don't know yet, but I just need to find out if-â€Å" I heard a low growl from one of the dogs and was about to yell at them to knock it off. The cats and dogs didn't usually fight, but every once in a while, there would be a brawl. I couldn't see the dogs, though, and the bristling calico's attention seemed to be on the screen door, not the floor. I sat up and saw the dogs sitting right in front of the door, staring out into the night as well. â€Å"Eugenie? Are you still there?† â€Å"Yeah, hang on a sec.† Balancing the phone on my shoulder, I stood up and instinctively reached for my weapons, which were on the coffee table. I shoved the wand and my silver athame under the elastic waistband of my shorts and took the gun and iron athame with my hands. One of the dogs growled again, and I slowly approached them at the door. â€Å"Eugenie? What's going on?† Roland's voice was worried now. â€Å"I'm going to have to call you back.† I managed to disconnect the phone and drop it on the floor without losing the athame. Outside, the night was still, the only noises coming from the wind in the trees and the faint sounds of traffic on the far side of my quiet neighborhood. I closed my eyes a moment, reaching out to search for anything that didn't feel right in this world. Some shamans had this ability, but not many. The more time I spent in the Otherworld and among gentry, the more developed my senses became. Finally, I caught it. The sense of something Otherworldly. The animals, God love them, had noticed before me. Whatever this interloper was, it was keeping to the farthest edges of the house's property. It had apparently been lurking for a while, which seemed odd. â€Å"Ah,† I realized with a soft chuckle. â€Å"Stopped by the wards, huh, you son of a bitch?† I'd had a witch lay protective lines and spells all around the house when the attacks on me first started. It was kind of a magical home-security system. It wouldn't keep out everything, but it definitely thinned out a lot of my nuisances. I could have simply ignored whatever was out there, but the idea of Otherworldly creatures loose in my neighborhood didn't sit well with me. Sliding open the door, I slipped outside, every nerve in my body on high alert. I walked the perimeter of my backyard, keeping inside the ward's lines. My house was on a cul-de-sac, backing up to a small stretch of open, scrubby land before giving way to the next neighborhood over. I doubted whatever this was would be out in the front of the house, where it would be in sight of neighbors. Ah, no-not an it. They. I could sense more than one. Standing on tiptoe to peer over the wooden fence, I nearly missed his eyes on my first sweep. A rock elemental-that is, one of the gentry who lacked the strength to travel to my world in his full form. He was blocky and unwieldy looking, his stone body mottled black and white. I had only a second to make my assessment before he charged. His weight and strength cracked the wooden fence, and then-he hit the ward. It was like an invisible wall that bounced him back. His disorientation gave me what I needed. I dropped the gun and reached for my wand. Silver bullets weren't as effective against gentry as steel ones anyway, and I certainly wasn't going to fire off shots and possibly get the police called if I could help it. I channeled my will into the wand, ripping open a path to the Otherworld. My snake tattoo burned on my arm as I summoned the power of Hecate. I recited the incantation to finish the ritual. The elemental felt the magic of the banishing seize him but couldn't fight it. He was too weak. In a moment, he dissolved from this world, sent back to his own, leaving only a pile of rubble behind. Another shape appeared beside where he'd been, and I saw the dim lighting shine off water. Another gentry who hadn't been able to cross in his true body. He'd appeared as a water elemental, a man-shaped body of liquid that dripped and sloshed with each step. Stupid, stupid, I thought. Whoever he was should have known better. I didn't need a wand for this. My own magic would rip him apart- A hand suddenly jerked me backward, and I felt a knife at my throat. The hand gripping it was solid and flesh but tingling with magic. A powerful gentry, then. One with enough power to cross my wards and come over in body. Without hesitation, I kicked backward, dodging out of his grasp skillfully enough that the blade only nicked me. I turned to face him, glad I'd held on to the iron athame. He was no one I knew, young and good-looking, even with a scar on his cheek. He was well-muscled from physical activity, and the leather armor he wore over his red tunic suggested a possible military or guarding profession back in the Otherworld. In a weird flash, Jasmine's words came back to me. I know the difference between a bunch of gross beggars and trained soldiers. A coincidence, I decided. Any gentry brave enough to come seek me in my own world would likely have to be a good fighter. We circled, and there was a small smile on his face as he waited for an opening. I wasn't afraid. One-on-one combat I could handle, and I had long since developed the ability to banish while fighting. It was tricky but hardly impossible. Of course, as he lunged and I ducked, I realized I didn't need anything so complicated. Almost like an inhalation of breath, I sucked the air from around us, creating a miniwhirlwind that pulled the dust and sand from within my yard. I blasted it forward at him. He cried out as the sand blinded his eyes and immediately started rubbing them-which wouldn't do him any favors. I was about to start the banishing when I faintly heard the sound of chanting and a tingle of shamanic magic. Startled, I turned to find the source and instead saw the water elemental come charging through the opening in the fence his friend had made. Someone had broken the wards. I held out my iron athame to block him, though I knew it would only give me a few seconds. That was all I needed as I began to work the water magic that would tear him apart. A blow to my back suddenly shoved me forward, straight into him. Despite being made of water, he was solid, and his hands instantly grabbed hold of me. I twisted my head back and saw that the other gentry had recovered himself enough to come striding forward, though I could see tears streaking his face from where the sand had stung his eyes. I tried breaking free of the elemental's grip but couldn't match that physical force. Again, I summoned water magic and heard him groan in pain as his substance began to rip apart. Then, the other gentry was on me, punching me again and breaking my concentration. He started to reach around me once more with the copper blade, and then I heard a startled cry of pain from him as he was pulled away from me. I didn't look back to see what had happened but instead completed the magic on the water elemental. He exploded in a downpour that soaked me-great, twice in one day-and I immediately turned to see what else had happened. The other gentry was distracted, squaring off with someone else: Roland. Roland's own athame was out in his left hand, and he was simply relying on the strength of his other fist-which was considerable-to sock the gentry in the face. The gentry was strong, though, and got a few good blows in on Roland. Seeing my stepfather take those punches kindled an anger in me. Rather than begin a banishing, I called to the air again, sucking it from around the gentry just as I had Ysabel. Eyes widening, he dropped the blade, his hands going to his throat in an instinctive gesture to draw breath. There was none to be had, though. I leapt on him, knocking him to the ground and delivering a solid punch to the face in exchange for what he'd done to Roland. Around us, I felt the tingling of a banishing. Roland was opening up a hole to the Otherworld. He chanted the words and then snapped, â€Å"Eugenie, get away!† I did, jerking backward lest I get sucked in with the choking gentry. Power crackled around him, and a moment later, he disappeared, shoved back to his own world. Silence fell. I was sitting on the now-muddy ground, soaking wet with my heart pounding. Roland walked over and extended his hand to help me up. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked. He snorted. â€Å"You can't end a call like that and not expect me to show up.† â€Å"True,† I said. I was weak and woozy from the combat and the magic, and my bare legs were skinned up from the fight. I'd need some soap and antiseptic. â€Å"Thanks.† Roland shrugged, not needing my thanks. Even in the dimness, I could see the angry look in his eyes. â€Å"What the hell did you think you were doing?† Seeing as I'd just done several things, I wasn't entirely sure which he was referring to. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"That.† He pointed to the spot where we'd banished the gentry. â€Å"You were†¦you were using magic to choke him!† â€Å"I was keeping him subdued while you banished him,† I growled, unwilling to admit I was kind of freaked out myself. It had all happened so fast. My only impulse had been to incapacitate the gentry. The means had just sort of happened. Realizing what I'd done-again-gave me a sick feeling. I'd sworn I'd never do it. â€Å"Pinning him with the athame would have worked! Where the hell did you learn to do that?† â€Å"I've picked up a few things here and there.† Roland's face was a mask of fury. â€Å"You have no business using that kind of magic, Eugenie. None.† My own anger was growing. â€Å"In case you've forgotten, that magic is in my blood.† â€Å"No,† he said softly. â€Å"I haven't forgotten. Which is why it's so important you don't use it. What else can you do? How long have been using this kind of power?† â€Å"It's not important. I can do a few things-things that have kept me alive when assholes like this come try to rape me-and it's not a problem. I can control it.† â€Å"You need to stop this. You need to stay away from the gentry. You're getting too involved with their world, with their magic†¦.† â€Å"It's part of who I am. You can't change that. And if you didn't want me taking drastic steps, then why'd you break the wards?† Roland frowned. â€Å"I didn't. I thought that gentry had.† â€Å"No, he crossed them, but his buddies were locked out-for a while, at least. Then I heard someone undoing them. It was our kind of magic. I thought it was you.† â€Å"Why on earth would I do that?† â€Å"Then some other shaman did.† The accusing tone in my voice provided no need for elaboration. â€Å"Stop this. Art and Abigail aren't out doing what you think. They certainly wouldn't break the wards so gentry could attack you. You think they're out in your neighborhood right now? One of the gentry must have done it. You were probably distracted.† â€Å"Have you lost all faith in me? All you keep saying tonight is that I'm wrong, that I'm mistaken. Roland, I know what shamanic magic feels like. Just like I know what gentry magic feels like, especially considering-as you keep pointing out-I use it all the time.† I'm not sure which part of my tirade did it, but I could tell he was done with the conversation. There was something weary in his face that made him look older than he was. â€Å"I'm not going to stand out here in the dark and argue with you, Eugenie. All I can ask is that if you can't control yourself for my sake, then think of your mother. Otherwise, do what you want.† â€Å"Roland†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But he was already walking away into the night, and as I watched the man I'd always regarded as my father leave, I uneasily wondered whose daughter I truly was.

The Importance of Music Educat essays

The Importance of Music Educat essays A few weekends ago I was talking to a relative of mine who happens to teach music at the local elementary school in my hometown. We were discussing her students and how the year was going for her so far. She had nothing but positive things to say about the children, however I could tell that something was wrong. She explained to me that a lot of music teachers in her department were losing their jobs due to cut backs in the school budget. According to the board of education music is not important enough to put forth the money to support it. They feel that reading, writing and arithmetic are the things that children need to focus on the most. They seem to be looking past the fact that we are not trying to raise a society of robots who eat, sleep, and think alike. We are trying to raise individuals with unique thoughts and creative minds as well as being intelligent people. They are looking past the fact that music nurtures the mind and soul and music education could be a simple soluti on to the problems in society today. I am a secondary ed. English major and most would think that Id be on the side of the budget-cutters, stating that music should go; but in all reality, and Im sure I can speak for others in that I dont know what Id be without the influence of music in my life. The benefits of learning about music at a young age are incredible. It helps children become well rounded; it supplies discipline; it helps children interact with others; it helps keep a grasp on to our culture; it gives children a way to express themselves and vent. There are so many positive aspects involved in music education that it is unbelievable that it is even an option on the ballot of what gets cut from the budget. This paper will discuss the benefits of music education. While studying the education of the ancient Greeks I learned that their society was based on the foundation that an intelligent individual not only ...

SAT Score to GPA Conversion Table

SAT Score to GPA Conversion Table SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you want to convert your GPA to SAT scores, orvice versa? Perhapsyou're wondering what SAT score you might get based on your high school grades. In this article, we've pored through the statistics to let you do just that! Before we jump into the data, though, wedo have some caveats to be aware of. Is Converting Between GPA and SAT Scores Possible? First, you should know that the SAT measures completely different things than a GPA does. The SAT is a single test that occursover just a few hours, whereas a GPA takes years of work to build and is based on classwork and overall class performance. Therefore, you cannot compare the two in a predictive sense.You can't say that just because you have a perfect GPA that you'll get a perfect SAT score, or vice versa. Suppose the fastest 100-meter dash time was9.7 seconds and the fastest marathon time was two hours and 10 minutes. Getting 9.7 seconds in the dash doesn't mean you'd for sure get 2:10 in the marathon! In spite of this, you can roughly convert between GPA and SAT score by looking at how "good" each one is. In other words, you can say that the fastest sprinter runs 100 meters in9.7 seconds, which converts to the fastest marathon runner at 2:10. This scale matches SAT to GPA based on how good each one is- more precisely, the percentiles of people earning each. Conversion Between SAT Scores and GPA Below, we've created a table that contains conversions between composite SAT scores and GPA (on an unweighted 4.0 scale). SAT Score GPA (4.0 Scale) 1600 4.00 1593 4.00 1587 4.00 1580 4.00 1573 4.00 1567 4.00 1560 4.00 1553 4.00 1547 4.00 1540 4.00 1533 4.00 1527 4.00 1520 3.99 1513 3.99 1507 3.99 1500 3.99 1493 3.99 1487 3.99 1480 3.99 1473 3.99 1467 3.99 1460 3.99 1453 3.99 1447 3.99 1440 3.99 1433 3.99 1427 3.99 1420 3.99 1413 3.99 1407 3.99 1400 3.99 1393 3.99 1387 3.99 1380 3.99 1373 3.98 1367 3.98 1360 3.98 1353 3.98 1347 3.98 1340 3.98 1333 3.98 1327 3.98 1320 3.97 1313 3.97 1307 3.97 1300 3.97 1293 3.97 1287 3.96 1280 3.96 1273 3.96 1267 3.95 1260 3.95 1253 3.95 1247 3.94 1240 3.94 1233 3.93 1227 3.93 1220 3.92 1213 3.92 1207 3.91 1200 3.91 1193 3.90 1187 3.89 1180 3.88 1173 3.87 1167 3.86 1160 3.85 1153 3.84 1147 3.83 1140 3.82 1133 3.81 1127 3.79 1120 3.78 1113 3.76 1107 3.75 1100 3.73 1093 3.71 1087 3.69 1080 3.68 1073 3.66 1067 3.63 1060 3.61 1053 3.59 1047 3.57 1040 3.54 1033 3.51 1027 3.49 1020 3.46 1013 3.43 1007 3.40 1000 3.37 993 3.34 987 3.31 980 3.28 973 3.25 967 3.22 960 3.19 953 3.16 947 3.12 940 3.09 933 3.06 927 3.02 920 2.99 913 2.95 907 2.92 900 2.88 893 2.85 887 2.81 880 2.77 873 2.74 867 2.70 860 2.66 853 2.62 847 2.58 840 2.54 833 2.49 827 2.44 820 2.39 813 2.35 807 2.30 800 2.25 793 2.20 787 2.15 780 2.10 773 2.05 767 2.00 760 1.95 753 1.89 747 1.84 740 1.79 733 1.73 727 1.68 720 1.62 713 1.55 707 1.48 700 1.39 693 1.31 687 1.23 680 1.12 673 0.99 667 0.87 660 0.75 653 0.62 647 0.48 640 0.31 633 0.15 627 0.02 620 0.00 613 0.00 607 0.00 600 0.00 593 0.00 587 0.00 580 0.00 573 0.00 567 0.00 560 0.00 553 0.00 547 0.00 540 0.00 533 0.00 527 0.00 520 0.00 513 0.00 507 0.00 500 0.00 493 0.00 487 0.00 480 0.00 473 0.00 467 0.00 460 0.00 453 0.00 447 0.00 440 0.00 433 0.00 427 0.00 420 0.00 413 0.00 407 0.00 400 0.00 Did you know boosting your SAT score by 160points can dramatically change your chances of getting into your dream school?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: How Did We Calculate These SAT-GPA Conversions? Now that you've seen the conversion table, you're likely wondering how we actually calculated these SAT-GPA conversions. First, we usedreal official data released by the College Boardto get precisepercentiles down to the exact person.We then used grade percentile data from this study to calculate common class grade percentiles. Next, we presumed that, to get the GPA, a student with a median class grade of K (out of 100) could score uniformly 6 points higher or lower. This let us map percentiles to course grades to GPA. Note that our methodologyfor mapping student class grades to GPA is proprietary. At least converting SAT scores to a GPA isn't as confusing as converting different types of money is. What Can You Use These SAT-GPA Conversions For? You've seen the table and understand how we calculated these conversions- but what now? What can you actually use SAT-GPA conversions for? In other words, how can they help you? Below, we give you two reasons for why you might want to use these conversions, and explain how they can potentially aid you during the college application process. #1: You Want to Estimate Your SAT Score Before Taking the Test As I mentioned at the beginning, one big reason you might want to use these SAT-GPA conversions is to estimate what your potential SAT scores could be based on your current GPA.Doing this can be helpful for students who have yet to take their first SAT and want to get a rough idea of the general range they should be scoring in based on their performance in school. For example, if you're a 4.0 student, you'd probably want to be scoring pretty highly on the SAT- ideally in at least the 1400s.On the other hand, if you've got a 3.1 GPA, you might expect to score around average (though you could certainly score higher depending on how hard you prep!). Again, note thatyour GPA is not an accurate predictor of your SAT score (in reality, your PSAT score is a much better predictor). Even if you have a lower GPA, this doesn't necessarily mean that you'll for sure get a below-average SAT score. However, you can use your GPA to give yourself a rough baseline of where you should be scoring on the SAT. #2: You Want to Estimate the Average GPA of Admitted Applicants to Colleges The other way you might want to use these SAT-GPA conversions is to estimate the average GPA of admitted applicants to certain colleges based on their average SAT scores.This is helpful if a college website offers data on admitted applicants' SAT scores but noton their GPA. For example, say you're applying to the University of Texas. You currently have a GPA of 3.4 and want to know what the average GPA of admitted students is, so you go to the UT Austin website. Unfortunately, all you can find is the middle 50% ranges of applicants' SAT/ACT scores. But the good news is that you can use this information to estimate what the average GPA (or GPA range) of admitted applicants is. According to UT Austin's website, the middle 50% of SAT scores is 1160-1390. Using the conversion table above, we can look for these scores and then come up with a (rough) GPA range of admitted students to UT Austin. The chart shows that 1160 converts to a GPA of 3.85, while an SAT score of 1390 converts to a GPA of 3.99. We can therefore say thatadmitted applicants to UT Austin typically have a GPA in the range of 3.85-3.99.This means you'll likely need a fairly high GPA to get admitted to UT Austin. What’s Next? Wonderingwhat SAT score you should be aiming for?Learn what your target SAT score should be based on the colleges you're interested in. Not sure how to begin studying for the SAT? Check out this guide which goes over the pros and cons of each prep method.It'll help you figure out exactly how you should be studying! Want to get some more SAT practice in? Taking practice tests is one of the best ways to prepare for the SAT and learn how well you're doing. Check out these free and official SAT practice tests and get started! Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Senior project progress report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Senior project progress report - Research Paper Example I have chosen, â€Å"World health Organization† as the corresponding health care organization. The major aim of the health care organization, I have chosen, is to develop such ideas and function as to alter the unhealthy activities of the persons in different regions of the world. However, the WHO does not only guide to cut the utilization of alcohol or perform works physically, it symbolizes as the organization that aims to reduce the diseases in the world and make the people healthy. In order to gather the information, I utilized the quantitative method and utilized primary as well as secondary sources. The primary sources include the web content directly published by the World Health organization. However, secondary sources include the information available on different web sites, journals and other publications. The issue is considerably most in the age group of 13-30 years and thus the targeted audience is from this age group. The training may include the publication of written and electronic advertisements that will give rise to the issues and make the issues global. Pahl, Ray. (1999). â€Å"Policy Futures for UK Health: The Social Context of Healthy Living: No 6 Social Trends: Technical Series†. The Nuffield Trust, London. Can also be retrieved from

Professional Development and Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Professional Development and Research - Essay Example There is the need to incorporate organizations into research because individually; it is harder to pursue more complex research (Zuber-Skerritt, 1992). It is crucial to have such organizations incorporated into learning institutions because; there is a chance of increasing effectiveness from all quarters. This paper will examine articles that look into the growing career path taken by many, and how it is impacting school cultures. Article by Zuber-Skerritt, Ortrun on Professional development in higher education: A theoretical framework for action research. In this article, the biographer believes that by incorporating educational research and teaching in higher learning institutions, action research has a chance at giving professional development a theoretical framework. This means that different assumptions and theories about learning may be provided from the well-known paradigms of learning, considered by many, traditional. Action research involves the enquiry into different subjec ts, providing the results to the public, and actively participating in problem solving in many fields. The basics for the theoretical framework are provided in this article. It provides the foundation from which action research can build an institution, and help it address most of the issues it faces. Professional development is crucial in the growth and development of an institution. Professionals are likely to find out the best possible areas that need addressing. They can, therefore, provide theories, strategies and methods that build on this framework. Advocating for an action research model may assist education personnel develop an attitude toward problem-solving. Article by Darling-Hammond, Linda on Professional development schools: Schools for developing a profession. A description of recent trends affecting schools is found in this article. The acquisition of knowledge among schools is paid attention to by the author in the article. Schools are keen on getting this knowledge , and sharing it among institutions in their circle. They have one common characteristic; they depend on the collaboration between research practitioners to feed them this knowledge. The structure, function and philosophy that guide the professional development school are covered in the article. Such trends affect the learning environment positively. Research conducted in the same area or locality may provide an avenue for all the education facilitators. This is through sharing ideas about the development and growth of the learning environment. Eventually, this works in pushing for education reforms. The evaluation of professional development is expanding so as to allow for student achievement. This goes a long in promoting the education sector, and not just some its divisions. Training, implementation, and transfer to teacher’s repertoire (adapted from Joyce & Showers, 1995). In this article, cartain theories are presented to the audience. One, if a concept in an area of lea rning is introduced; there is the probability that a high number of people may understand its introduction. This goes for its modelling in the same capacity. However, in both cases, it is next to impossible for the learner to apply most of the skills they gain from such concepts. They tend to grasp little skills from the concepts from theoretical work. In other cases, it is possible for practice and coaching to achieve different results. Those