Post devolution, do separate or dual identities exist in England and Dissertation

Post devolution, do separate or dual identities exist in England and Britain - Dissertation Example Such assumptions were based on the esoteric understandings of the two labels, British and English, and tended to affect the framing of the concept of a so called national identity that were based on territorial differentiation and the respective identities, nature of citizenship, and social inclusion. The nationalistic identity of any state which is dependent on its socio-political characteristics, may go through various transformations (like devolution); and under pressures from the changed local, political, and social conditions, may undergo differentiation. Under changed circumstances the nationalistic identity of ‘Britishness’ may take a back seat, with the regional identity of ‘Englishness,’ eclipsing the former. ... The Existence of Separate or Dual Identities in England and Britain post devolution period 1 Introduction 1.1 Background History â€Å"The history of England [is] not in England but in America and Asia† J.R. Seele Since 1997, United Kingdom has been undergoing devolution as regards to its 4 member states, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. England has been ‘eventually promised’ a new and ‘Greater London Authority,’ with a separate and Assembly and mayor, while separate regionally elected assemblies are also on the annals for England; while the remaining 3 states have been given varying degrees of autonomy in their assemblies. Thus this entire process of devolution spells out into new territorial contours within the realms of United Kingdom. A look at the history shows us that Britain did not quite have a homogenous nature right from the time of its conception, and the then British foreign secretary Robin Cook, ascertained that the concept of this â€Å"homogeneity of British identity that some people assume to be the norm was confined to a relatively brief period. It lasted from the Victorian era of imperial expansion to the aftermath of the Second World War...The diversity of modern Britain expressed through devolution and multiculturalism is more consistent with the historical experience of our islands† (Cook, 2001). The topic or concept of ‘British,’ after being reviewed by various experts has been found to consist of a large and gaping conceptual void (Kumar, 2000, 576). Historical records, in general, are found aplenty, starting with political, constitutional, social, and economic histories of England, yet there has

Gautam Buddha Essay Example for Free

Gautam Buddha Essay Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautam, Shakyamuni, or simply the Buddha, was a spiritual teacher from ancient times and the founder of Buddhism. He is universally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (Sammasambuddha) of our age. Yet his exact date of birth and death is uncertain but a majority of historians date his lifetime from circa 623 B. C. to 543 B. C. He is one of the few luminaries in the history of humans who is such a wide and lasting influence to the people. There are countless stories of the Buddha each tradition, each culture, each time period has their own stories . It is believed that, immediately after his birth he took seven steps and on each step a lotus blossomed which represents the seven colours of rainbow. The tales say he was a son of a king raised in a palace with every imaginable luxury, he was called Siddhartha Gautama-a prince among a clan of warriors â€Å"When I was a child† he said â€Å"I was delicately brought up most delicately, a white sunshade was held over me day and night to protect me from cold, heat, dirt and dust. My father gave me three lotus’s ponds one where red lotuses bloomed, one where white lotuses bloomed, one where blue lotuses bloomed† Pali talkie Gautam Buddha is the key figure in Buddhism. Discourses, and monastic rules were summarized only after his death and memorized. Passed down by oral tradition, the Tripitak- the holy book of Buddhism is also written on pali language only after 400 years of his death which is divided into 3 parts 1st the rules that a Buddhist monk needs to follow, 2nd Buddha’s admonition and 3rd Accounts of Buddha’s life. Siddartha Gautam: Siddhartha Gautam was born in southern Nepal at the foot of the Himalayas on the famous gardens of Lumbini, which is located in the Terai plains of southern Nepal, testified by the inscription on the pillar erected by the Mauryan Emperor Asoka in 249 B. C. Siddhartha was a child with a contemplative bent of mind. He was inclined towards meditation and spiritual pursuits much against the wishes of his father. His father feared that Siddhartha might leave home, and so, kept tried to insulate him from the harsh realities of the world outside by keeping him inside the palace all the time. Sealed from pain and suffering Siddhartha indulged in a life of pure pleasure. Every whim satisfied every desire fulfilled. The Buddha once said â€Å"During the rainy season I stayed in my palace where I was entertained by musicians and dancing girls I never thought of leaving. † when he was sixteen his father draws him in tighter in to palace life, married him to his cousin which wasn’t long before they fell in love. But one day when he goes outside travelling through the kingdom, and he has the first of four encounters he sees an old man and he ask his attendants and attendants replied oh! That is the change, no human being could stay young everybody needs to grow old. Then on his next tour outside he sees a sick man and doesn’t quite understand what it is, again he ask his attendants then his attendants replied oh! That happens to all of us everybody gets sick and don’t think you are a prince and you don’t get sick your father, your mother everybody will become sick. Then he sees that it isn’t just a sick person in fact it’s the universal and something is stimulated inside of him so he keeps getting the chariot to take him out then he sees horror after horror. And on his third trip outside he meets a corps then he recognizes impermanence, suffering and death as a real state of things, the world that he has been protected, sealed or kept from seeing and he was shocked then he realized this is my fate too I will also become old I will also become sick and eventually I will also die, how do I deal with these things. And then on his fourth trip outside he sees the spiritual seeker someone who was decided to live a life completely other than his life in order to escape impermanence, sufferings and death. Soon after he left his family and Kingdom at the age of 29 and went into the forest in search of peace and truth. Siddhartha was alone in the world for the first time, on the bank of the nearby river he drew his sword â€Å"although my father and step mother were grieving with tears on their faces† Siddhartha said â€Å"I cut of my hair I put on the yellow robes and went forth from home into homelessness. I have been wounded by the enjoyment of the world and I had come out longing to obtained peace. † Then he wandered from place to place to gain knowledge. He met many cholars and saints but he was not satisfied. At last he started hard meditation bearing great physical suffering. Emaciated, exhausted Siddhartha tortures’ himself trying to destroy anything within himself that he sees it’s bad. It is said that Siddhartha had lived many life before this one as countless animals, innumerable human beings and even gods across four incalculable ages that secret text say and many eons experiencing life in all at different forms. The Buddha: Gautam Buddha seated under a pipal tree—now known as the Bodhi tree—in Bodh Gaya small town in north eastern India. For Buddhist there are hundreds of holy places but none more sacred than Bodh Gaya. It is the sacred point from which the buddhits faith radiates. It is their mecca or jeroselum or any other initiation forms of initiator. Then he vowed never to arise until he had found the truth so he sat down with his rags he was wearing under the shade of Bodhi tree at the bank of the river and began to meditate. It was spring time with a full moon on the sky at night, before the sun would rise Siddhartha’s long search would be over. Siddhartha now got transformed into Buddha or the enlightened one at the age of the thirty five. The pipal tree under which he got Enlightment came to be known as Bodhi Vriksha. Buddha saw nature of the people envy, jealousy and strong negative mental stage. He analyzed all the people in the world they are like the fishes riddling in the very shallow water. So Buddha he himself is afraid to teach the people. Then, the myth says the god BRAHMA himself comes to the Buddha kneeling down and asked Buddha to teach people what he had gains during all his life BRAHMA implies that is what every human needed to satisfied one’s life otherwise the human life would never be fulfilled. And then Buddha decided to give his teachings. For the remaining 45 years of his life, the Buddha devote his rest of his life bringing his teachings the â€Å"Dharma† the fundamental laws of all things into the world. He preached his first sermon in Sarnath, near Varanasi. He taught that the world is full of sorrows and people suffer on account of desire. Hence desires needed to be conquered by following Eightfold Path. Of these eight paths, the first three would ensure physical control, the next two ensures mental control, and the last two would ensure intellectual development. It is said that the Buddha traveled in the Gangetic Plain, in what is now Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and southern Nepal, teaching a diverse range of people: from nobles to outcaste street sweepers, murderers such as Angulimala, and cannibals such as Alavaka. Cast was irrelevant to the Buddha so his teachings focused within the universe. From the outset, Buddhism was equally open to all races and classes, and had no caste structure, as was the rule for most Hindus in the-then society. Bliss, nirvana the Buddha taught could be found in a freeing movement through the practice of meditation the Buddha showed to his followers how to come to the terms with their own roiling thoughts and desires by paying attention to them, by becoming aware becoming mindful. What Buddha realizes is that if we can get rid of this fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of itself based on egotism, we won’t screw up everything we do, because we are thinking about it in a wrong way. Once you stop centering your feelings about feelings on yourselves, what naturally arise are simple compassions, compassions for your own sufferings and others as well. For decades the Buddha shared his teachings all across north eastern India that all beings are happy, he taught weak or strong, great or small. He said let us cherish all creatures as a mother her only child. Bare foot in his robes he was still walking along the roads when he was eighty an old age was upon him his back hurt, his stomach was often in pain, â€Å"I am old worn out† he told to a trusted disciple â€Å"like a deflated craft held together within straps†, the world is so sweet he said that he could understands to wanting to live at least another century but he was fragile and exhausted he become ill at the village named Kushinagar near Nepal. Kushinagar is revered by the pilgrims where the Buddha finally left this world. It was in Kushinagar where he grew weak and has to laid on his side in a quite grove of Sal trees as near the end his disciples began to weep striking with grief. But the Buddha reassured them that all things change he said whatever is born is subject to decay. He was saying these is natural process he tells his disciples, use this time, use the energy here even this, for your own awakening , so he use even his own death and their sadness as a time to remind them of what they real task was. In short: Now, Buddhism is more than 2500 years old there are more than 350 million followers in the world who follows Buddhism. The gist is Buddhism arose as a result of Siddhartha Gautam’s quest for Enlightenment in around the 6th century BC. There is no belief in a personal God in Buddhism. It is not centered on the relationship between humanity and god. Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent- change is always possible. The two main Buddhist Sects are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayam Buddhism, but there are many more. There is not particular place where Buddhists can worships they can worships both at home or at a temple. The path to enlightenment is through the practice and development of morality, mediation and wisdom. â€Å"It may be that after I am gone that some of you will think that now we have no teacher but that is not how you should see it, let the dharma and the discipline that I have taught you be your teacher, all individual things pass away strive on untiringly† Buddha’s last words. The fundamental need for the peace is the peace in the individuals mind. We can give others only the values and idea that we possess. Only the happy and satisfied person, therefore, can provide the happiness and love to others and be able to unite people. The present world situation is the result of our way of thinking. World peace is possible only when all the people love each other. If everybody thinks about each other we would not have problems, but we are habitual in our thinking and define everything according to ourselves or group or community or country. If we steal from another, we steal from ourselves. Instead, we should learn to give and take care of things that belong to our family, to the school, or to the public. Proper conduct shows respect for oneself and others. Our bodies are gifts from our parents, so we should protect them from harm. Young people should especially keep their natures pure and develop their virtue. It is up to them to make the world a better place to live. Religion is religion only when it unites people and not if divides. We therefore, need conversation from leaders to masters, religious persons to spiritual persons to achieve a level of World Peace.

Properties of Topological Insulating Material: Bi2Te3-PANI

Properties of Topological Insulating Material: Bi2Te3-PANI Synthesis, Characterization and Electrical properties of a Composite of Topological Insulating Material: Bi2Te3-PANI R. R. Urkudea[*], P. T. Patilb, S. B. Kondawarb, U. A. Palikundwara[† ] aX-ray Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur 440033, India bPolymer Nanotech Laboratory, Department of Physics, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur 440033, India Abstract In the present work, we carried out a systematic study of structure, UV-Vis Spectra and surface conductivity of pure Bi2Te3, pure Polyaniline (PANI) and Bi2Te3 (5%)-PANI (95%) composite. Bi2Te3 was synthesized by a method similar to solvothermal method, whereas, pure PANI and Bi2Te3-PANI composite were synthesized by a chemical oxidative method. The materials were structurally characterized and the electrical properties were investigated in the temperature range from room temperature to 100 °C. The electrical conductivity of the Bi2Te3-PANI composite is found to be higher than that of its pure constituents at all the temperatures. The enhancement in the surface conductivity may be due to the PANI generated ordered molecular arrangement of Bi2Te3 in the Bi2Te3-PANI composite, as confirmed from powder x-ray diffraction, UV–vis spectral analysis.  © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the International Conference on Nanomaterials and Technologies (CNT 2014). Keywords: Topological insulators; Bismuth telluride; thermoelectric material; Polyaniline composites; electrical conductivity. 1. Introduction Topological insulators (TIs) are electronic materials that have a bulk band gap like an ordinary insulator but have protected conducting states on their edge or surface (Hasan and Kane, 2010). Most of the current researches are focused on the materials, like Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3), Antimony telluride (Sb2Te3) and Bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) due to the topological insulating properties exhibited by them. Bi2Te3 is one of the best TI materials. It is a semiconducting compound with narrow bulk band gap of 0.2 eV. It is also a good material for thermoelectric applications (Das and Soundararajan, 1988). It has shown a drastic change in its thermoelectric properties when it is doped with Polyaniline (PANI) (Li et al., 2011). It has also given added advantages of polymers like inexpensiveness, intrinsically low thermal conductivity, flexibility and good processability etc. (Marjanovic et al., 2013). Various research workers have attempted to synthesize and characterize composites of Bi2Te3 with polyaniline (Zhao et al., 2002; Xu et al., 2005; Hostler et al., 2006; Chatterjee et al., 2009; Toshima et al., 2011). Very recently, mechanical blending method was employed by Li et al. (2011) for the synthesis of Bi2Te3–PANI; they found that the power factor of the composite is less than both of the individual components. However, a report on the synthesis of a Bi2Te3 and PANI hybrid by physical mixing and solution mixing showed a higher power factor in the case of the physical mixture (Toshima et al., 2011). Though there is a vast literature available on the TE properties of Bi2Te3-PANI composites, experimental reports on TI Properties of the composites are not available. Based on this background, in the present work, we carried out a systematic study of structure, UV-Vis Spectra and surface conductivity of Bi2Te3 (5%)-PANI (95%) composite, pure Bi2Te3 and pure PANI. Bi2Te3 was synthesized by a method similar to solvothermal method (Deng et al., 2002), whereas, pure PANI and Bi2Te3-PANI composite were synthesized by a chemical oxidative method (Stejskal and Gilbert, 2002). The materials were structurally characterized and the electrical properties were investigated in the temperature range from room temperature to 100 °C. The electrical conductivity of the Bi2Te3-PANI composite is found to be higher than that of its pure constituents at all the temperatures. The enhancement in the surface conductivity may be due to the construction of highly ordered chain structures of PANI on Bi2Te3, as confirmed from powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis spectral analysis. 2. Experimental details 2.1 Materials used Bismuth chloride (BiCl3), Tellurium (Te) metal powder, Potassium hydroxide (KOH), Sodium borohydrate (NaBH4), N-N dimethylformamide (DMF), Hydrochloric acid (HCl), Aniline (C6H5NH2), Acetone [(CH3)2.CO], Methanol (CH3OH) were purchased from Merck Chemicals. Ammonium persulphate [(NH4)2S2O8] was purchased from Hi-media. All the chemicals were of analytical reagent grade and are used without further purification, except aniline which was purified prior to use. 2.2 Preparation of Bi2Te3 A mixture of BiCl3 (10 mmol), Te powder (15 mmol), KOH (80 mmol) and NaBH4 (30 mmol) were put into a beaker of 100 ml capacity. The beaker was then filled with N-N dimethylformamide (DMF) up to 90 ml and was kept into a muffle furnace. Temperature of the furnace was maintained at 100-180 °C for 24 hours and was then slowly cooled to the room temperature. The product was filtered, washed with double distilled water and dried in vacuum oven at 80 °C for 12 hours. 2.3 Preparation of pure PANI and Bi2Te3 PANI Composite PANI was synthesized by using chemical oxidative method (Stejskal and Gilbert, 2002) 0.2 mol Aniline with 0.25 mol Ammonium persulphate was oxidized in acidic aqueous medium. Aniline and Ammonium persulphate were dissolved, separately, in 50 ml solution of 1.0 mol HCl in double distilled water. Both the solutions were kept at room temperature for 1h and were mixed together in a beaker. During the process, the colour of the solution changed from colourless to light blue and then to dark green. The solution was briefly stirred and was left to polymerize for 24 h. The precipitate of PANI was collected on a filter paper, washed with distilled water, then with 20 ml of 0.1M HCl and with Methanol. PANI (emeraldine salt) powder was dried in vacuum oven at 80 °C. A similar procedure was followed for the synthesis of Bi2Te3-PANI composite, but this time Bi2Te3 was introduced in aniline solution. 3. Characterization 3.1 Structural characterization The samples were structurally characterized by XRD and UV–vis spectral analyses. XRD measurements were performed using a Diffractometer (Rigaku Miniflex II x-ray Diffractometer) with Cu KÃŽ ± radiation (ÃŽ » = 1.541838 A °). The UV–vis spectra of the prepared samples were recorded by a spectrophotometer (UV-1800 Shimatzu Spectrophotometer) using samples dissolved in dimethyl formamide in a quartz cuvette. 3.2 Electrical characterization All the prepared samples were pressed at pressure less than 5 tonnes, at room temperature, to form the compacted pellets for measurement of the electrical conductivity. The measurements were carried out, in the temperature range 20-100  °C, by standard four-probe method with constant current source kept at 2 mA. 4. Results and Discussions 4.1 Powder X-ray diffraction Figure 1 shows the XRD patterns of Bi2Te3, pure PANI and Bi2Te3-PANI composite. All the peaks of the pattern for Bi2Te3 can be indexed in rhombohedral structure (JCPDS No: 015-0863) with unit cell parameters: a = 4.358A °; b = 4.358A ° and c = 30.48A °. Broad peaks at 22 ° and 25 ° for pure PANI are observed, which are due to the repeat unit of monomer. Compared with the pure PANI, only one peak is clearly observed at 25 °, the same position, in the XRD pattern of Bi2Te3-PANI composite. The observation of a single peak is related to the monodistribution of the periodicity of the repeat unit of the PANI and ordering of the molecular arrangement of the Bi2Te3 in the PANI matrix (Talwar et al., 2014). This suggests that PANI generate an ordered molecular arrangement of Bi2Te3 in the Bi2Te3-PANI composite. Figure 1 XRD patterns of Pure PANI, Pure Bi2Te3 and Bi2Te3-PANI composite 4.2 UV-vis spectroscopy Figure 2 shows the UV–vis spectra of the samples used to explore the electronic states of Bi2Te3, pure PANI and the Bi2Te3-PANI composite. A characteristic band centred at 697 nm, a shoulder at 478 nm, corresponding to a polaronic transition (polaron- Ï€*) and a band around at 389 nm, assigned to the π–π* electron orbital transition are observed in Bi2Te3-PANI composite. In comparison with UV–vis spectra of the pure PANI: a band around 385 nm, assigned to the π–π* electron orbital transition, shifts to longer wavelength at 389 nm in Bi2Te3-PANI composite. The polaronic transition (polaron- Ï€*) is absent in the pure PANI but is observed in Bi2Te3-PANI composite. These show an interaction between the quinoid ring of PANI and Bi2Te3 (Xia and Wang, 2003). This is a signature of an ordered molecular arrangement in Bi2Te3-PANI composite and it is the purely surface conducting state. Figure 2 UV-vis spectra of Pure PANI, Bi2Te3 and Bi2Te3-PANI composite 4.3 Electrical characterization Figure 3 Variation of the electrical conductivity with temperature of Bi2Te3, PANI and Bi2Te3-PANI composite. The variations of electrical conductivity as a function of temperature of the prepared samples are shown in figure 3. The value of electrical conductivity for Bi2Te3 slightly decreases with the increase in the temperature. However, both PANI and Bi2Te3-PANI composite show increase in the value of electrical conductivity with temperature. The electrical conductivity of the Bi2Te3-PANI composite is higher than that of its pure constituents over a whole temperature range. The enhancement in the surface conductivity indicates the increase in protected states at the surface compared to that of the pure Bi2Te3. This may be due to the large surface provided to the Bi2Te3 by the PANI generated ordered molecular arrangement of Bi2Te3 in the Bi2Te3-PANI composite. 5. Conclusions In conclusion, we carried out a systematic study of structure, UV-Vis Spectra and surface conductivity of Bi2Te3 (5%)-PANI (95%) composite, pure Bi2Te3 and pure PANI. Bi2Te3 was synthesized by a method similar to solvothermal method, whereas, pure PANI and Bi2Te3-PANI composite were synthesized by a chemical oxidative method. The materials were structurally characterized and the electrical properties were investigated in the temperature range from room temperature to 100 °C. The electrical conductivity of the Bi2Te3-PANI composite was found to be higher than that of its pure constituents at all the temperatures. The enhancement in the surface conductivity may be due to the PANI generated ordered molecular arrangement of Bi2Te3 in the Bi2Te3-PANI composite, as confirmed from powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis spectral analysis. Acknowledgements It is a pleasure to thank Dr. S. B. Kondawar for helpful discussions. This work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India, under women scientist scheme-A (WOS-A), File No. SR/WOS-A/PM-1001/2014. References Chatterjee K., Suresh A., Ganguly S., Kargupta K., Banerjee D., 2009. Bismuth nitrate doped polyaniline – Characterization and properties for thermoelectric application. Mater. Charact. 60, 597–601. Das Damodara V., Soundararajan N., 1988. Size and temperature effects on the thermoelectric power and electrical resistivity of bismuth telluride thin films, Phys. Rev. B 37, 4552-9. Deng Yuan, Xi-song Zhou, Guo-dan Wei, Jing Liu, Ce-Wen Nan, Shu-jing Zhao 2002. Solvothermal preparation and characterization of nanocrystalline Bi2Te3 powder with different morphology, J. of Phy. and chem. of Solids. 63, 2119-2121. Hasan, M., Z., Kane, C., L., 2010. Colloquium: Topological insulators, Reviews of modern physics 82, 3045-23. Hostler S., R., Kaul P., Day K., Qu V., Cullen C., Abramson A., R., 2006. Thermal and electrical characterization of nanocomposites for thermoelectric, IEEE ITHERM 07803295, 24, 1400–5. Li Y., Zhao Q., Wang Y., Bi K., 2011. Synthesis and characterization of Bi2Te3/Polyaniline composites, Mater. Sci. Semicond. Proc. 14, 219-222. Marjanovic, G., C., 2013. Recent advances in polyaniline composites with metals, metalloids and nonmetals, Synthetic Metals 170, 31-56 Stejskal J., Gilbert R.., G., 2002. Polyaniline: Preparation of a Conducting Polymer, Pure Appl. Chem. 74, 857-867. Talwar V., Singh O., Singh R., C., 2014. ZnO assisted polyaniline nanofibers and its application as ammonia gas sensor, Sensors and Actuators: B 191, 276-282. Toshima N., Imai M., Ichikawa S., 2011. Organic–Inorganic Nanohybrids as Novel Thermoelectric Materials: Hybrids of Polyaniline and Bismuth (III) Telluride Nanoparticles, J. Electron. Mater. 40, 898–902. Xia H., Wang Q., 2003. Preparation of Conductive Polyaniline/ Nanosilica particle composites through Ultrasonic Trradiation, J. Appl. Polym. Sci 87, 1811-7. Xu X., Chen L., Wang C., Yao Q., Feng C., J., 2005. Template synthesis of heterostructured polyaniline/Bi2Te3 nanowires, Solid State Chem. 178, 2163-6. Zhao X., B., Hu S., H., Zhao M., J., Zhu T., J., 2002. Thermoelectric properties of Bi0.5Sb1.5 Te3/Polyaniline hybrids prepared by Mechanical blending, Mater. Lett. 52, 147–9. [*]* Corresponding author. Tel.: +91 9921491567; fax: +0-000-000-0000 . E-mail address: [emailprotected] [† ] Corresponding author. Tel.: +91 9890155077; fax: +0-000-000-0000 . E-mail address: [emailprotected] [S1]Elsevier to update with volume and page numbers.

Time in Gatlinburg :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

Time in Gatlinburg Gatlinburg, Tennessee is a prime tourist destination that is filled with action packed adventures. Day or night there is never a dull and moment. You can visit the quaint little shops in the light of day or patrol the dark and somewhat wild street of the night. However, you plan to spend your time in Gatlinburg, you are guaranteed to have an awesome time. When you get to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, you will need a place to stay for the duration of your visit. The Howard Johnson Inn will accommodate your needs says Hojogatlinburg.com. The weekend price is seventy dollars for a room with two double beds and a spectacular view. This is a great place to stay. For dog lovers, consider leaving Rover at home because the Howard Johnson Inn doesn’t allow pet. The Howard Johnson Inn is located in downtown Gatlinburg on 200 East Parkway, and right around the corner from all the wonderful attractions Gatlinburg, Tennessee, has to offer. After unloading your luggage consider going down to the Peddler. The Peddler might be able to satisfy your wants and desires. The Peddler carries everything for fresh fish, to mouthwatering chicken and even marinated steaks. The Peddler is a classy restaurant so dress accordingly. Expect the cost for the meal to be a bit on the "pricey" side. The Peddler is located on the corner where River Road intersects with Ski Mountain Road. If unwilling to empty your wallet on one nights feast, take a stroll over to Pancake Pantry where excellent breakfast is served for a moderate price. The Pancake Pantry is located on the corner where Cherokee Orchard road meets Parkway. According to Gatlinburg.com, the Pancake Pantry has twenty-four different types of pancakes, an array of waffles, and they serve soup and sandwiches for lunch. The Pancakes Pantry serves lunch after eleven thirty and breakfast all day for those of you who eat bacon and eggs for supper. After you have had your fill at the Pancake Pantry, consider heading over to Camp Thunder Fun Center. Camp Thunder Fun Center is located right across the street from Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, where you can ride go-karts at speeds up to twenty-five miles per hour on an outdoor track. "Ride till your hearts content," says Camp Thunder Fun Center, but not in the rain as that is a recipe for certain disaster. There is no doubt that you will find all sorts of fun and thrilling adventures at Camp Thunder Fun Center.

How Child Labor Affects a Child in the Philippines Essay

According to NSO Survey, in the year 2011 the population of child labor grew up to 3 million compared in the year 2001 that has 2.4 million population of child labor. 25% of the population are doing hazardous jobs that can harm them. Many laws had been passed but the population of child labor still increases. Child labor refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, their ability to attend regular classes, and totally dangerous for them. In the developing countries like in the Philippines with high poverty and poor schooling opportunities, child labor is still present. Vast majority of child labor is found in the rural places and an unreached help of the government. Poverty and lack of schools are considered as the primary cause of child labor. For better information, the researcher includes the history and the effects of the topic. Its history can be traced in some dark realms of industrialization but in a more detailed study, the practice can reveal that child labor was present, much before industrialization spread out. Unfortunately, they work at a lower pay. The effects of child labor are definitely unimaginable for such a young age. Child labor deprives the child’s proper childhood. Their time of childhood days was now taken by their jobs. It also suffers their physical and mental mind that makes them tortured. They are forced to feed their family and it gives them such a hard responsibility to handle out. This leads to another new generation because of adult modeling. The parents must be aware of the rights of their children to be dresses, to be fed, and to attend in school to have a better future.

Distinguish Between French Verbs Savoir and Connaître

Distinguish Between French Verbs Savoir and Connaà ®tre French has two verbs which can be translated to the English verb to know: savoir and connaà ®tre. This can be confusing to English speakers (though it might be easy for Spanish speakers), because in fact there are distinct differences in meaning and usage for the two verbs. Possible Uses for Savoir to know how to do something; savoir is followed by an infinitive (note that the word how is not translated into French):Savez-vous conduire  ?Do you know how to drive?Je ne sais pas nager.I dont know how to swim.to know plus a subordinate clause:Je sais quil la fait.I know he did it.Je sais oà ¹ il est.I know where he is.In the passà © composà ©, savoir means to learn or to find out:Jai su quil la fait.I found out that he did it. Possible Uses for Connaà ®tre to know a personJe connais Pierrette.I know Pierrette.to be familiar or acquainted with a person or thingJe connais bien Toulouse.I know / am familiar with Toulouse.Je connais cette nouvelle - je lai lue lannà ©e dernià ¨re.I know / am familiar with this short story - I read it last year.In the passà © composà ©, connaà ®tre means to meet (for the first time) / become acquainted with:Jai connu Pierrette Lyon.I met Pierrette in Lyon.Note that connaà ®tre always needs a direct object; it cannot be followed by a clause or infinitive:Je connais son poà ¨me.I am familiar with his poem.Je connais bien ton pà ¨re.I know your father well.Nous connaissons Paris.We know/are familiar with Paris.Il la connaà ®t.He knows her. Savoir or Connaà ®tre For some meanings, either verb can be used. to know (have) a piece of information:Je sais / connais son nom.I know his name.Nous savons / connaissons dà ©j sa rà ©ponse.We already know his response.to know by heart (have memorized):Elle sait / connaà ®t cette chanson par cÅ“ur.She knows this song by heart.Sais-tu / Connais-tu ton discours par cÅ“ur?Do you know your speech by heart? Ignorer Ignorer is a related verb which means not to know in the sense of to be unaware of. Depending on the context, it can replace either ne pas savoir or ne pas connaà ®tre. Jignore quand il arrivera.I dont know when he is arriving.Il ignore Ionesco.Hes not aware of (doesnt know about) Ionesco.

Who is Gary Soto essays

Who is Gary Soto essays The great Gary Soto is a well-known Chicano writer, the word Chicano means Mexican-American, a slang word they use to describe themselves and their culture. Soto is talented poet as well as writer; he has created many short stories, novels, and scripts ( ). All his writings have been influenced by events during his lifetime, including his childhood, college days and married life. Gary Soto was born April 12, 1952 in Fresno, California to a poverty ridden family. Soto went through the toughest times, he worked for half his childhood to help support his family, and doing this he took away time from his education, which showed through his low grades ( ). He attended Roosevelt High School and graduated with a GPA of 1.6. It was obvious that school was not that of importance to him, but soon later he realized that education is the key to success in life ( ). At the age of 20, life for Soto was becoming clearer to him. He first started getting interested with literature, while he was attending California State University at Fresno. There he received his Bachelor of Arts in English in 1974, and continued his education at UC Irvine, where he acquired his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing ( ). While Soto was working hard to get his graduate degree he met his wife Carolyn Oda. She was a young Japanese-American woman who was working on her degree to become a Veterinarian. Together they had a daughter, and named her Mariko ( ). The United Farm Workers movement had an influence to his writing. As a fellow Chicano he believe it was important to gather the underpaid minorities in California a chance to form a union to raises wages and benefits. This movement was lead by Cesar Chaves and Dolores Huerta in the mid-1960s ( ). To go along with this movement, he was also a follower in the Civil Rights Movement. It stressed the equality of all minorities in the world, so they could be trea ...

The Role of Secession in the American Civil War

The Role of Secession in the American Civil War The Civil War was a fight to preserve the Union which was the United States of America. From the conception of the Constitution, there were two differing opinions on the role of the federal government. Federalists believed that the federal government and the executive needed to maintain their power in order to ensure the survival of the union. On the other hand, anti-federalists held that states should retain much of their sovereignty within the new nation. Basically, they believed that each state should have the right to determine the laws within its own borders and should not be forced to follow the mandates of the federal government unless absolutely necessary. As time passed the rights of the states would often collide with various actions the federal government was taking. Arguments arose over taxation, tariffs, internal improvements, the military, and of course slavery. Northern Versus Southern Interests Increasingly, the Northern states squared off against the Southern states. One of the main reasons for this was that the economic interests of north and south were opposed to each other. The South was largely comprised of small and large plantations that grew crops such as cotton which were labor intensive. The North, on the other hand, was more of a manufacturing center, using raw materials to create finished goods. Slavery had been abolished in the north but continued in the south due to the need for inexpensive labor and the ingrained culture of the plantation era. As new states were added to the United States, compromises had to be reached concerning whether they would be admitted as slave or as free states. The fear of both groups was for the other to gain an unequal amount of power. If more slave states existed, for example, then they would garner more power in the nation. The Compromise of 1850 - Precursor to the Civil War The Compromise of 1850 was created to help stave off open conflict between the two sides. Among the five parts of the Compromise were two rather controversial acts. First Kansas and Nebraska were given the ability to decide for themselves whether they wanted to be slave or free. While Nebraska was decidedly a free state from the start, pro and anti-slavery forces traveled to Kansas to try and influence the decision. Open fighting broke out in the territory causing it to be known as Bleeding Kansas. Its fate would not be decided until 1861 when it would enter the union as a free state. The second controversial act was the Fugitive Slave Act which gave slave owners great latitude in traveling north to capture any escaped slaves. This act was hugely unpopular with both abolitionists and more moderate anti-slavery forces in the north. Abraham Lincolns Election Leads to Secession By 1860 the conflict between northern and southern interests had grown so strong that when Abraham Lincoln was elected president South Carolina became the first state to break off  from the Union and form its own country. Ten more states would follow with secession: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. On February 9, 1861, the Confederate States of America was formed with Jefferson Davis as its president. The Civil War Begins Abraham Lincoln  was inaugurated as president in March 1861. On April 12, Confederate forces led by General P.T. Beauregard opened  fire on Fort Sumter which  was a federally held fort in  South Carolina. This began the American Civil War. The  Civil War  lasted from 1861 until 1865. During this time, over 600,000 soldiers representing both sides were killed either by battle deaths or disease. Many, many more were wounded with estimates of more than 1/10th of all soldiers being wounded. Both the north and the south experienced major victories and defeats. However, by September 1864 with the taking of Atlanta, the North had gained the upper hand and the war would officially end on April 9, 1865. The Aftermath of the Civil War The beginning of the end for the Confederacy was with General Robert E. Lees unconditional surrender at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.  Confederate General Robert E. Lee  surrendered the  Army of Northern Virginia  to Union General  Ulysses S. Grant. However, skirmishes and small battles continued to occur until the last general, Native American Stand Watie, surrendered on June 23, 1865. President  Abraham Lincoln  wanted to institute a liberal system of Reconstructing the South. However, his vision of  Reconstruction  was not to become reality after  Abraham Lincolns assassination  on April 14, 1865. The  Radical Republicans  wanted to deal harshly with the South. Military rule was instituted until  Rutherford B. Hayes  officially ended Reconstruction in 1876. The Civil War was a watershed event in the United States. The individual states after years of reconstruction would end up joined together in a stronger union. No longer would questions  concerning secession  or nullification be argued by individual states. Most importantly, the war officially ended slavery.

Information Systems in Organizations - Case Study Essay

Information Systems in Organizations - Case Study - Essay Example Also, this system can act as a getaway to financial costs by exposing the organization to other sources of revenue to help them maintain flawless exchanges. Algorithm is fast assuming popularity in the trading world and it is common for any other client to ask for it. It brings with it many benefits including cutting down transaction costs and giving freedom to managers conducting any transactions to be fully responsible for the respective trading processes. These trading features allow for analysis of all quotes and trade in the stock markets. However, it also poses great risks. In case a trader fails to choose the appropriate feature then there will a lack of visibility and transparency during execution of orders (Avison, 2003). Use of programmed trade as from the case study can be linked to a resultant flush crush. The system handles a very large amount of information including trading information such as algo-trading which includes the use of an electronic platform to enter trading orders, with an algorithm in place that determines the features of the order. It also has the ability to handle huge volumes of data from messages. It is capable of handling up to a million messages per second which is highly beneficial. With this ability to handle such amount of information, the customers are able to get efficient services and this gives credit to the company and opening up a way of increasing their profits. Also the ability to handle one million messages per minute allows the system to give attention to countless users and ensures that there are no communication delays. This in the long term results to satisfied and loyal customers. The main functions of an information system include assembling, processing, retrieval and dissemination of information. In using this kind of system, there will be minimized overload since it has very high processing speed as compared to physical

Analysis of the Marketing Strategy of Apple Inc Dissertation

Analysis of the Marketing Strategy of Apple Inc - Dissertation Example The death of Jobs in 2011 has left Apple’s stakeholders, its many avid followers, and the business community in a state of uncertainty about the company’s future and its ability to sustain continuous innovation as it had under Jobs. The dissertation aimed to examine the marketing strategy and related systems that are responsible for the success of Apple, Inc. since 1997. The objectives included an assessment of the fundamental changes in Apple under Steve Jobs, the marketing systems and corporate strategy supporting its most successful products, the analysis of Apple’s competitive strategy compared with that of Microsoft, its longest running and most important competitor, and an analysis of the likely prospects of the firm moving forward. A review of academic literature was undertaken on market strategy and the related topics of strategic management and planning competitive strategy, innovation management and change management. Its purpose was to explore theoretical frameworks which may support an analysis of Apple’s case relating to these topics and market strategy in particular. The theories aided in the assessment of the secondary data gathered from reports and online sources dealing with Apple’s market performance in the period 1997 to 2011, with particular attention given to the market success of the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad in the period 2005 to 2011. Attention was focused on corporate strategy, specifically the Digital Lifestyle vision of Jobs which gave rise to the Digital Hub strategy in its innovation management. ... Steve Jobs provided the foresight, the inspiration and the motive force behind Apple’s recent successes, and there is every indication that given the leadership style of the new CEO Tim Cook that balances corporate and innovative strategies, Apple will continue to be successful into the future. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Chapter 1: Introduction 6 1.1 Background of Study 6 1.2 Steve Jobs & the Apple Story 7 1.3 Marketing & Strategy at Apple 8 1.4 Industry Dynamics 9 1.5 Research Aim 9 1.6 Motivation for this Research 10 1.7 Scope and Delimitation 10 Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature 11 2.1 Overview 11 2.2 Strategic Management 11 2.4.1 SWOT 13 2.4.2 PESTEL 14 2.3 Marketing Strategy 14 2.4 Competitive Strategy 18 2.5 Change Management 20 2.6 Innovation Management 23 2.7 Synthesis 26 Chapter 3: Research Methodology 28 3.1 Overview 28 3.2 Research Approach 28 3.3 Data Collection & Analysis 29 3.4 Research Validity and Reliability. 30 3.5 Limitations of the research methodol ogy 31 Chapter 4: Results and Analysis of Results 32 4.1 Overview 32 4.2 Fundamental changes undertaken by Steve Jobs, 1997-2005 32 4.3 Marketing systems and corporate strategy, 2005 to present 35 4.4 Discussion of Marketing strategy, Innovation management, and Change management 38 4.5 Competitor analysis of Apple vs. Microsoft 41 4.6 Future implications of the existing strategy of Apple 46 Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations 50 5.1 Overview 50 5.2 Summary of findings 50 5.3 Conclusion 52 5.4 Recommendations 53 5.5 Directions for future research 54 Bibliography 56 Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Background of Study The year 2009 was marked by of one of America and the world's worst financial crises, which became known as the Credit Crunch or the Global Financial

National Security Safeguards and Countermeasures Techniques Final Essay

National Security Safeguards and Countermeasures Techniques Final - Essay Example That promotes higher levels of responsibility since the executive is aware of the close supervision. Every item that makes it to the budget undergoes great consideration to determine the effect it would have on the budget and the reaction of the legislature on such expenditure. A shortfall of the concept is that it allows little or no breathing time. The executive and legislature are continually involved in the budgeting process. That may limit the time available to analyze government activities. The basis for the development of safeguards and countermeasures is the concern over the increasing threat of terrorist attacks. There has been great development in nuclear weaponry necessitating greater efforts to boost countermeasures and safeguards. The aim is to ensure national security and safety. Countermeasures help detect and identify any material with the potential to be converted into weapons that can be used in terrorism. 3. In National Security Safeguards and Countermeasures Techniques, reciprocity is necessary as it allows for the sharing of classified information, facilities and services by the different security agencies. That helps manage costs of

Wireless Area Network Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wireless Area Network - Coursework Example Wireless network for a company of 100 employees for purpose of data sharing and printing is discussed in the paper. In a company any employee can get connected with any other computer on the network to access data collectively. Printers can be shared and data sharing becomes extremely convenient. Hardware can be shared remotely without physical connection. Applications can be used for conferencing, messaging, screen sharing and file transfers. Besides these advantages of networking, wireless networks give mobility, flexibility, range and low equipment cost over conventional wired networks. The main downside of wireless networking includes limited or slow data transfer rates because of less bandwidth available as compared to wired network. Furthermore, security threats are more. Security features have evolved over time, making intrusion difficult. There are two types of networks. Server based or infrastructure and peer to peer. Server based networks utilize central servers. These servers store data and provide to clients (connected computers on network) on request (Mitchell, 2011). Peer to peer networks have no dedicated server, and computers can act as servers and clients (Allen, 2002). Server based networks offer more security and reliability of data as it is stored centrally and is typically used for large scale corporations. Peer to peer networks are more flexible and convenient for data sharing between computers and to incorporate flexible user base. Therefore, for the company with 100 computers a peer to peer network supported by infrastructure based wireless network is most suitable. Protocols are the standards used to operate a network. Most commonly used protocols for wireless network are 802.11a/b/g and n. 802.11n is suitable for the company as it offers greater range, increased bandwidth of over 150 Mbps, improved security and can even support voice calls (DeBeasi, 2009). For security,

Communication, Conflict and Decision-Making Essay - 1

Communication, Conflict and Decision-Making - Essay Example This essay discusses that in every society, communication is the backbone of professional and social relationships. Communication facilitates the flow of ideas and/or concepts from one given source to the other. The best process of communication needs the existence of a message sender, as well as the receiver. Individuals share the views and ideas through the thriving process of communication. For any communication process to be regarded as thriving, the receiver must comprehend the message content in accordance with the sender’s aim. This means that certain processes of communication lead to unsuccessful ends. Thus, it is worth noting that communication process encounters some hindrances that deter efficient information delivery to the anticipated parties. No matter the effort put in to evade a conflict, it appears to always arise at the worst moments. Thus, ineffective communication leads to a conflict of views or ideas among the parties involved. During communication, confl ict begins from a merely simple flicker of emotions or varies all the way to supportive proof that one presents. While conflict may lead to both positive and negative impacts, this social disagreement may boost maturity of social abilities among the individuals involved. Conflict management involves the application of measures that promote the advancement of positive effects forms a social discord. Efficient conflict management process promotes learning among parties involved and the entire society on how to address incompatible vies in the future.

Research-based Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research-based Analysis - Essay Example As viewers strive to be recognized alongside film characters considered as heroes, so do violence and aggression creep in from the psychological influence caused by such scenes. Consequently, the photo about Kony Make Him Famous 2012 elicits both violent and affectionate feelings from viewers of such photo or the real; film represented by the photo. Elicited feelings are much deeper in those who understand the main character, Kony. The photo conveys strong messages visually; this is further enhanced by the actual meaning of used words, the perceived meaning, the color and shadows, and the entire idea behind the photo. Bower (1-3) explains the use of symbolism in films, and the effects that such symbolism has to the viewer. For example, Bower (2) narrates the scenes in the movie, The Hours, where Woolf has some servants preparing food for her, and after doing all the cooking, she rejects the food to continue with her writing. In this case, Bower argues regarding the powerful messages passed to the viewer in such a case. One of the messages maybe that Woolf was too dedicated in her work and could not sacrifice the slightest moment to eat, or she was indeed detached from her workers that their food evoked no appetite in her. Similarly, in the photo regarding Kony, the same symbolic sentiments may be construed. For example, the photo portrays a dark, red background, and a feature that looks like a cave is visible at the background. The combination of words and the background color evokes perception of blood in viewers; blood is dark red after pouring out of the body. Blood and Kony are suggestive of violence as the history of Kony is told of his fighting with the government in a guerrilla war. Cohen (4) defines the monster and explains the body of the monster incorporates fear, anxiety, and fantasy, all which offer the monster the life they require, and an uncanny independence. Moreover, the monster is not an obvious creature as it in most cases hides, but only to resurfaces to cause havoc among the people. People are intimidated and averse with great fear. The monster does not die immediately as it incorporates a corporal and incorporeal body. This signifies its threat just shifts, but the creature never dies; it will be back again to cause more terror (Cohen, 5).The same characters can be deduced from photo about Kony. First, a monster evokes fear just as the name Kony evokes sentiments of fear in his home country. AS the photo portrays, the dark red color is the blood that Kony signifies, meaning similar to vipers or monsters, he is dangerous, hiding, and will only resurface again to spread terror and then hide again. This may be construed from the cave like features at the background of the picture. Just as the name monster itself without seeing the actual creature evokes fear, terror, and beastly acts (Cohen x-xii), so does the name Kony alone without seeing his picture evoke fear to the people affected. Kony and the beast described by K ohen have similar meanings to the viewer of such photo; they both spread terror and cause much fear in their subjects. Harold in his book, A Moral Never-Never Land explains that violence in media can stimulate views through both sympathetic and repulsive elements contained in such films (243). Moreover, Sobchack explains that increasing violence

Wireless Area Network Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wireless Area Network - Coursework Example Wireless network for a company of 100 employees for purpose of data sharing and printing is discussed in the paper. In a company any employee can get connected with any other computer on the network to access data collectively. Printers can be shared and data sharing becomes extremely convenient. Hardware can be shared remotely without physical connection. Applications can be used for conferencing, messaging, screen sharing and file transfers. Besides these advantages of networking, wireless networks give mobility, flexibility, range and low equipment cost over conventional wired networks. The main downside of wireless networking includes limited or slow data transfer rates because of less bandwidth available as compared to wired network. Furthermore, security threats are more. Security features have evolved over time, making intrusion difficult. There are two types of networks. Server based or infrastructure and peer to peer. Server based networks utilize central servers. These servers store data and provide to clients (connected computers on network) on request (Mitchell, 2011). Peer to peer networks have no dedicated server, and computers can act as servers and clients (Allen, 2002). Server based networks offer more security and reliability of data as it is stored centrally and is typically used for large scale corporations. Peer to peer networks are more flexible and convenient for data sharing between computers and to incorporate flexible user base. Therefore, for the company with 100 computers a peer to peer network supported by infrastructure based wireless network is most suitable. Protocols are the standards used to operate a network. Most commonly used protocols for wireless network are 802.11a/b/g and n. 802.11n is suitable for the company as it offers greater range, increased bandwidth of over 150 Mbps, improved security and can even support voice calls (DeBeasi, 2009). For security,

Research-based Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research-based Analysis - Essay Example As viewers strive to be recognized alongside film characters considered as heroes, so do violence and aggression creep in from the psychological influence caused by such scenes. Consequently, the photo about Kony Make Him Famous 2012 elicits both violent and affectionate feelings from viewers of such photo or the real; film represented by the photo. Elicited feelings are much deeper in those who understand the main character, Kony. The photo conveys strong messages visually; this is further enhanced by the actual meaning of used words, the perceived meaning, the color and shadows, and the entire idea behind the photo. Bower (1-3) explains the use of symbolism in films, and the effects that such symbolism has to the viewer. For example, Bower (2) narrates the scenes in the movie, The Hours, where Woolf has some servants preparing food for her, and after doing all the cooking, she rejects the food to continue with her writing. In this case, Bower argues regarding the powerful messages passed to the viewer in such a case. One of the messages maybe that Woolf was too dedicated in her work and could not sacrifice the slightest moment to eat, or she was indeed detached from her workers that their food evoked no appetite in her. Similarly, in the photo regarding Kony, the same symbolic sentiments may be construed. For example, the photo portrays a dark, red background, and a feature that looks like a cave is visible at the background. The combination of words and the background color evokes perception of blood in viewers; blood is dark red after pouring out of the body. Blood and Kony are suggestive of violence as the history of Kony is told of his fighting with the government in a guerrilla war. Cohen (4) defines the monster and explains the body of the monster incorporates fear, anxiety, and fantasy, all which offer the monster the life they require, and an uncanny independence. Moreover, the monster is not an obvious creature as it in most cases hides, but only to resurfaces to cause havoc among the people. People are intimidated and averse with great fear. The monster does not die immediately as it incorporates a corporal and incorporeal body. This signifies its threat just shifts, but the creature never dies; it will be back again to cause more terror (Cohen, 5).The same characters can be deduced from photo about Kony. First, a monster evokes fear just as the name Kony evokes sentiments of fear in his home country. AS the photo portrays, the dark red color is the blood that Kony signifies, meaning similar to vipers or monsters, he is dangerous, hiding, and will only resurface again to spread terror and then hide again. This may be construed from the cave like features at the background of the picture. Just as the name monster itself without seeing the actual creature evokes fear, terror, and beastly acts (Cohen x-xii), so does the name Kony alone without seeing his picture evoke fear to the people affected. Kony and the beast described by K ohen have similar meanings to the viewer of such photo; they both spread terror and cause much fear in their subjects. Harold in his book, A Moral Never-Never Land explains that violence in media can stimulate views through both sympathetic and repulsive elements contained in such films (243). Moreover, Sobchack explains that increasing violence

Hopeless Free

Hopeless Free Will Essay The question of what it means to be human has been asked by not only famous philosophers of old, but by anyone who struggles to define what it means. Ishiguro conveys this very same question in his novel Never Let Me Go. Ishiguro demonstrates that in spite of the shared physical qualities of humans, the students undeniably have lives unprotected of human virtues like free will and a hope for change. Regardless of their forfeited human virtues and the questions of morality surrounding their existence, the students are designed for a specific purpose, to be organ donors. To be human, most would suggest one must possess a mind, heart and will. The mind of humans allow for rational thoughts, not instincts like animals. The heart allows a human to feel the consciousness of the human experience, unlike a robot or other forms of artificial intelligence. The will endows a human to make decisions or choices that have either constructive or adverse consequences. In this capacity for action, one can select â€Å"this† over â€Å"that† and â€Å"those† instead of â€Å"these†. Unfortunately, the students have no free will to choose â€Å"this† over â€Å"that† and â€Å"those† over â€Å"these† in regards to their lives and how to live it, despite possessing the human characteristics of a mind, heart and will. Their destinies were chosen for them long before air filled their human lungs. It is a life well-ordered with a specific purpose independent of their will or wishes. The inherent freedom of choice most humans have was never fully given to the students, except to choose a sex partner. Their willingness to accept, without question, the rules surrounding their lives starts at Hailsham and continues throughout the novel. For example, while at Hailsham they are told by the guardians not to leave school grounds and to stay healthy, they do not know why and never questions anyone as to why. Leona Toker and Daniel Chertoff write, â€Å"Indeed, they appear to be incapable of thinking outside of the system in general; they do not ask the basic eschatological questions typical of adolescents† (166). Ishiguro clearly demonstrates how fate is the dominant force in the lives of the students, and a life void of free will is their destiny when Miss Emily states, â€Å"your life must now run the course that’s been set for it† (Ishiguro 266). To be human means one is capable to hope and dream, to adjust and change, to love and learn. Hope promotes the belief in a good outcome related to events and circumstances in ones life. The students have the abilities to do these things but without any benefit or reward. Their sense of hope comes from falsehoods and misbeliefs. This misguided hope encourages Ruth to seek out information about Madame in hopes that Kathy and Tommy would receive a deferral. The illusive hope of the make-believe deferral program is what drives Tommy to begin drawing again, and motivates Kathy and Tommy to visit Madame. In spite of the unrewarding efforts of the students, their ability to hope is a fundamental response genetically programmed in humans. Tail Sharot writes, â€Å"A growing body of scientific evidence points to the conclusion that optimism (hope) may be hardwired by evolution into the human brain† (1). The students like all humans hope for change in their lives. Regrettably, their hopes would never get an opportunity to become reality, because the overseers of their lives never consider them human. Miss Emily emphasizes this point with the declaration, â€Å"So for a long time you were kept in the shadows, and people did their best not to think about you. And if they did, they tried to convince themselves you weren’t really like us. That you were less than human† (Ishiguro 263). Beyond the dystopian story of Never Let Me Go, a fundamental theme is apparent: free will and the certainties of hopes are absent in lives of the students. As humans our decisions are independent of nature and nurture than any animals; we are aware of our ability to think, to choose and to hope and dream. The students possesses all attributes that makes one humans except for the confidence of having a choice or hope for a future free of being considered â€Å"poor creatures†. Works Cited Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go. New York: Vintage Books, 2005. Print. Leona Toker, Daniel Chertoff. Reader Respone and the Recycling of Topoi in Kazua Ishiguros Never Let Me Go. Partial Answers: Journal of Literature and the History of Ideas 6. 1 (2008): 163-180. Sharot, Tali. The Optimisim Bias. Time 28 May 2011: 28. Print.

Terrorism: The Biggest Threat To International Relations?

Terrorism: The Biggest Threat To International Relations? Contemporary international relations refer to the state of affairs during the period that began in the late 1980s with the end of the Cold War. The fall of communism and the assumed victory of liberal democracy had many, such as Francis Fukuyama, hopeful for an End of History and a New World Order of peace and collective security between all states. The truth of the international situation revealed certain issues and threats -new and old that much of the international community have since had to face. This essay will aim to assess the extent to which terrorism is the most significant threat to contemporary international relations, whilst also suggesting other factors that have created danger; such as climate change ,the proliferation of nuclear arms. It will conclude that whilst the prolonged and unknown potential danger that climate change poses to the planet is arguably the most catastrophic, the strain and instability of the acquisition of nuclear arms and the difficulty of contr olling who has access to them, causes it to be the biggest threat that the international community has to face. Terrorism, defined by Douglas Lackey, is, the threat of the use of violence against non-combatants for political purposes.  [2]  The very characteristics of terrorism makes it a threatening prospect for any state, as any violent act, [where] the civilian is the direct and intentional target of attack,  [3]  causes a great deal of difficulty in its prevention. Globalisation, the advancement in technology and the growth of cities whilst improving living standards for many civilians has made more locations prime targets for terrorists. Terrorist acts have become more sophisticated and increased the risk of multiple casualties using many forms of attack; arson, suicide bombers and remote detonated bombs, hacking into a states infrastructure and intelligence networks. Terrorism itself is not a new or recent phenomenon; the problem that the international community faced, and still faces in the Post Cold War period, is a change in the nature of terrorism. During and prior to the Cold War, terrorism was often an intra-state occurrence and a symptom of political separatism and instability within a country. Examples of this are the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Tamil Tiger rebels; both of which caused civil wars in Ireland in the 1920s and in 1983 in Sri Lanka. Whilst this is still mainly the case for many African, Middle and Far Eastern countries, the western world has seen an increase in inter-state terrorism. Arguably intra-state terrorism is easier to combat, due to the fact that intra-state terrorists tend to have a clearer and more precise focus; such as the police or members of the entrepreneurial class; which makes it easier for the state authorities to target and track down. On the other hand, terrorist organisations with a religious objective give a broader scope of the enemy. This may lead to a perception in which every member of a different religion or creed becomes a potential enemy or a potential target. It is this re ligious variant of terrorism that has increased after the Cold War and is at the centre of current international discussions. According to Europols EU Terrorism Report carried out in 2007  [4]  and 2008,  [5]  there were almost 500 acts of terrorism across the European Union in 2006, with a 24% increase in the next year. Whilst most of these attacks were intra-state related an increased amount were by Islamist terror groups from outside the EU. The US and parts of Russia and North Africa have seen similar patterns occurring, showing that this form of terrorism is not a matter for individual states to deal with, but acts that are aimed at the global community . whilst arguably this can, and has, strengthened the relations between co-operating countries, it has placed strains on relations between other states, and subsequently hinders the progression towards international peace and collective security agreements; which is key in current international relations. This is because for certain states, terrorism and its prevention are not high on their foreign policy agenda. In some severe cases there are instances of the support of global terrorism. The US Department of State recognises four countries to be state-supporters of terrorism;  [6]  Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria. All are known to have been terrorist safe havens for several terrorist groups, whilst some such as Iran and Syria have politically and financially supported groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. By failing to take action against the threat of terrorism to the international community and in some cases promoting it these states become isolated as enemies of the counterterrorism Global Initiative  [7]  and the United Nations. The effects of this are sanctions, such as restrictions on foreign aid, controls on exports and financial restrictions, placed on these enemy states by the members of the initiative; isolating them further and, , causing a sense for more terrorist action to be taken against the international community. If these state-supported terrorist groups successfully carry out an attack against another state, this action has the potential to become a trigger or catalyst for state military retaliation against the supporter; as seen with the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan after the 9/11 bombings in New York. This clearly causes a step backwards for UN peace agreements which clearly states the need to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism.  [8]   As well as state support of terrorism hindering international relations, so too does the expansion of the grey-areas of where the roots of terrorism lie. Recruitment and training grounds are now vast, with evidence now suggesting that there is a reason for a, fear of the enemy within  [9]  . Data from multiple sources has pointed towards an increase in terrorist organisations recruiting from within the states at the heart of the terrorist aggression. The global reach of Al-Qaeda is a source of great concern as more than 3,000 of its members have been arrested in 98 countries since the 9/11 attack; evidence that this group exists in at least half the worlds countries. This factor challenges previously accepted state-intelligence, that inter-state terrorism can be location specific to rogue or failing states outside the targeted state itself. This increases the threat levels, as no clear idea of who the enemy is creates instability and a need for increased defence levels. It is als o difficult to establish the source of the terrorists finance. As previously mentioned this can be acquired from the governments of terrorist-supporting states, but can also be acquired by the groups themselves setting up commercial businesses that provide a flood of sources of finance for its operations. Hence, law enforcement and intelligence agencies must now identify these sources of funding in order to destroy their ability to operate. But with some organisations such as Jemaah Islamiah connected to around 50 commercial businesses, this is a complex and expensive process for states to carry out.  [10]   Some cynics such as Daniel Wagner have stated that, no matter how good security becomes, it will never be good enough to thwart all of the terrorist threats we face.  [11]  To an extent this is true. Even if collectively the international community does manage to discover the sources of terrorism, it is not likely that they would be able to put a stop to terrorism altogether due to the fact that it has now become something of an ever-changing ideology. Al Qaeda is an example of this. During the Cold War the group aimed at expelling the Soviets from Afghanistan. Once this was achieved, attentions focused on fighting what they thought was the corruptness of the Arab world. Recently, the objective has changed to fighting and targeting those who are considered to be the main outside supporters of these corrupt regimes a clear reference to the US with its very substantial strategic interest in that part of the world.  [12]  This aggressive fight for a continually shifting goal su ggests that no matter how hard states battle against groups like Al Qaeda, it is unlikely the war on terror will ever end. However threatening and incessant terrorism is to international affairs, it is arguably within state power and resources, especially in the western world, to singularly or collectively combat it. Governments have the advantage of finance and institutions, such as Counter-Terrorist Units and federal bureaus, with extensive resources especially to deter terrorist acts. Through the use of international relations and international organisations such as the UN and NATO, the amount of resources and expertise can be jointly used in order to overcome the problems faced by terrorism. It could therefore be argued that terrorism in some respects supports the idea of collective security as it forces good international relations and links states with a common goal: to destroy its threat potential, even if it cannot destroy terrorism altogether. Due to the power that states have in accordance with their state sovereignty, arguably the proliferation of nuclear arms is a threat more potent than that faced from rebel terrorist forces. The catastrophic capabilities of nuclear weapons of any kind are highly threatening for any state, but in the past this had led to a stalemate that was the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. This has come to be known as the first nuclear age and ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the subsequent relinquish of nuclear arms by the Ukraine and other former soviet states to the primary control of Russia. Whilst splitting the international stage in two and with the threat of nuclear war hanging over the world, it was, on the whole, a rather stable conflict fought between two superpowers. Many critics are now suggesting that the second nuclear age, which had begun subsequently, will be notoriously unstable and carry with it a greater threat of nuclear war. This age is far more complex, as countries such as Israel, India, Pakistan, China, Iran and North Korea now all have their own nuclear programs; and with countries such as Iran and North Korea both having deep nationalistic feelings, they are arguably prone to destructive visions of national dominance;  [13]  having access to nuclear arms places a great strain on relations with these states with others such as the US. The fact that Iran is known for supporting some terrorist groups increases the threat of nuclear terrorism against the west and Israel. Many other states that wish to obtain nuclear weapons, especially those in Africa, are now choosing to spend state funds on their acquisition rather than their conventional military forces. This can often lead these states to become dependent upon their nuclear weapons; which makes all-out nuclear war all the more likely. However what creates the most strain on relations arguably is the fact that it would appear that there is the consensus among a few that it is acceptable for certain states to retain their nuclear programs but others cannot even start or continue their own. Whilst arguably in support of the UNs non-proliferation program, todays emerging nuclear states have a great difficulty in getting the international institutions to allow them to have any nuclear capabilities. States are forced to give up their programs under international pressure, but also due to the influence of the US. This often causes animosity between the nuclear-weapon states and those seeking a nuclear program. As seen recently with the case of Iran, the US and European Union has tried to persuade other countries such as Russia and China to start placing sanctions against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for refusing to relinquish its nuclear program. Whilst some would say that this is hypocritical of the nuclear-weapon stat es, it would appear they are seeking to set an example. On 8th April 2010, the two former Cold War Superpowers, and the current two largest nuclear powers in the world, the US and Russia, signed a new treaty that promised the 30% reduction of their nuclear armoury. President Obama stated himself that, By upholding our own commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, we strengthen our global efforts to stop the spread of these weapons, and to ensure that other nations meet their own responsibilities; a clear sign to other states that they do have the right to a moral high-ground placing pressure on Iran and the like. The issue of climate change came to the forefront of international politics towards the end of the Cold War with the first UN Conference on the Human Environment at Stockholm in 1972. Since then the threat that climate change poses to the modern world has been a top priority for all UN member states. Perhaps what makes this issue so threatening is the lack of control and the influence climate change can have within our societies. Atmospheric pollution can lead to the degradation in biodiversity which in turn threatens our food supplies, fossil fuels are set to deplete severely within the next fifty years; all of which are going to place enormous pressure on international relations. It is likely to affect the poorer countries first increasing the need for international aid on already stretched resources. This could lead certain states into pull out of the idea of collective security and focus on their own survival, thereby tearing through the international agreements and treaties put in place to prevent the affects of climate change. The community is already witnessing the reluctance of some states such as the US and China to cut down on their carbon emissions, as stated in the Kyoto Agreement, due to the adverse repercussions on their respective economic performance. This sets a precedent that makes collective action by all UN states extremely difficult as a lack of trust in the collective initiative depleats. It would appear therefore that some environmental policies are more popular than others. Whilst the fact that the world is running out of the natural resources , that we as humans have come to depend on, is a cataclysmic notion, the threat of climate change has arguably brought many parts of the international community together towards a common goal: the protection of the entire planet and therefore the continuation of the human race. Despite the fact that many of the summits held to voice the issues facing the environment has sometimes been ineffective, as seen with the Copenhagen summit in 2009, and caused rifts between states, there have been breakthroughs that suggest that progression can be made. The fact that climate change can cause so many repercussions into our manmade issues, such as the distribution of resources and the population problem, there is very little that the international community can do to stop it. It can only hope to slow its progression down. The global society faces far bigger threats within human control with the proliferation of nuclear weapo ns that could lead to the premature destruction of the world if placed in the wrong hands. Improving Student Engagement | Literature Review Improving Student Engagement | Literature Review Warwick, P., Hennessy, S. Mercer, N. (2011) Promoting teacher and school development through co-enquiry: developing interactive whiteboard use in a dialogic classroom. The authors reason for conducting the study was to show that an interactive whiteboard (IWB) can be a key classroom tool and that it can be used as a vital instrument in dialogic manor. The authors, Paul Warwick, Sara Hennessy and Neil Mercer, report on the works of three classroom teachers, who confidently use an interactive whiteboard (IWB) in their classrooms. The authors clearly state that they wanted to conduct their study because Given the pervasiveness of IWBs in the UK, we wished to explore the development of its uses in the classroom where there was a dialogic pedagogy. (Warwick, Hennessy and Mercer, 2011, p. 303). It is obvious from the start that the authors firmly believe that IWBs play a major part in a childrens learning and that an IWB is a crucial resource when it comes to teaching practices today. Their argument is reinforced by their suggestions in the hypothesis. The authors also state that an IWB plays a key part in maintaining a childs engagement during their learning. However this is the first point of the research where the authors can be criticised for not recognising that there are a number of different factors and methods that can influence a childs commitment and engagement to learning. Some different examples of other factors that can have an influence on a childs engagement with their learning can be seen in the Four aces of effective teaching Ace 3: Engagement (Walls, 1999). One method mentioned is that a class teacher should limit a discussion to no more than 30 minutes before introducing a learning activity (Walls Cather, 1987). This learning activity doesnt need to be one using an IWB; it can be done on paper etc. All the way through this research paper Warwick, Hennessy and Mercer make numerous claims about IWB and the way teachers use them. However, there are studies that have shown that teachers have only been considered capable when they have grasped specific technological skills, such as using an IWB. An example of an article that states this is one conducted by the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992), they state that technology is a teachers liberator to help re-establish the role and value of the classroom teacher. Teachers must enter into collaboration or partnership with technology in order to create a community that nurtures, encourages, and engages the learning processes. Nevertheless, Warwick, Hennessy and Mercer (2011) dispute this by stating that it is in fact the classroom teacher that is vital in stimulating dialogic approach not the IWB. However they do state that the IWB does have an important role in the classroom, but this is only correct when it is used in an engaging and suitable manner in the classroom. To conclude, the information gathered from the research shows that IWB play a key role in the classroom, but they shouldnt be seen as being a replacement for teaching or the classroom teacher. This study highlights the need of a teacher and that they need to develop relationships with children in their class so that they can conduct solid lessons that will engage their pupils, which will then lead onto developing dialogical pedagogy. I believe that additional studies are needed when it comes to the outcomes of the use of IWBs in the classroom. Simon et al. (2008) Puppets promoting engagement and talk in science. The impacts of using puppets in classrooms has become a popular research point for writers. During the same time period of Simon et al. (2008) writing about the impacts of puppet use in the classroom, there was also a similar research going on with the impact of puppets in Maths lessons. However, the main focus of the authors writing this article was to conclude whether or not the use of puppets in science lessons, stimulated the pupils to be more actively involved in their science lessons and also to see if the puppets could encourage childrens talk in science lessons. The research was designed to conclude weather the use of large puppets would help teachers to change their whole class discourse (Simon et al., (2008), p.1229) in their science lessons. A key strength of the research for the article was that it focuses on a vast amount of different ideas. The research was carried out by a mixture of teachers, across two different regions, interviewing two different age groups; 7-9 and 10-11, and the teachers had the option of using one or two puppets. From the research of Neil Mercer and Lyn Dawes (2008) about exploratory talk, the authors of this article discuss the importance of communication with other children, so that the children have the skill to critically participate with their peers and their peers ideas. Simon et al. (2008) claims that the use of puppets assists in this area. When children start to enter a more in depth conversation with the puppet, the puppet can provide encouragement or interest in the childs responses, which then generates talk which involves the whole class, or talk on a peer to peer level. Therefore, from using the puppet can promote reasoning, problem solving and explanations, which are all key factors in science lessons. The research that was carried out for this article was strong in various ways. Firstly, the focus wasnt just in a single school, it was in two different areas of England; Manchester and London. Secondly, there were two different age groups that were examined, and both of these groups had pupils who had a different response to the puppets. Thirdly, the teachers had the option to introducing a single puppet to the class, or they could introduce two puppets to the class. Some teachers used two puppets in a lesson whilst others used only one. Though using two puppets enabled teachers to set up discussion by getting the puppets to put forward opposing views, teachers found that one puppet was much simpler to use whilst still making it possible to present problems and to set up cognitive conflict. (Simon at al., (2008) p. 1243) Finally, the use of the pilot study to find out more information and gain more of an understanding into the use of puppets helped finalise the main study for the ar ticle. Therefore, because of the strong research strategy, the final research produces remarkable but rigorous results. One of the main disadvantages of this study was that training the teachers to correctly and effectively use the puppets acquired a lot of time. Even though this was good for the research side, the amount of time spent of training the teachers wouldnt be practical for every teacher, especially teachers in larger schools. This then brings up an issue; if teachers dont have experience with puppets and havent had training would the puppets be as effective as they were during the research stage. Overall, this article has proven that using a puppet during science lessons has been effective when trying to create talk. This has been backed up from the interviews, with pupils and teachers. The interviews also revealed that pupils who are often more shy and dont contribute as much in lessons, were more confident during lessons where a puppet was used as they felt at ease talking to a puppet. In my own practice, I will be using a puppet throughout the curriculum as I feel that the use of a puppet will engage the children and improve class and pupil discussions. However, before I feel fully confident in using a puppet, I will practice with a smaller group and build up to using the puppet in front of the whole class. Brown K Kennedy H (2011) Learning through conversation: exploring and extending teacher and childrens involvement in classroom talk School Psychology International 32 (4) pp377-396 This article discusses the professional development progression over a twelve week period, that six teachers in the UK, who work at a school with children who have been recognised has having social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The main research area for the article is focused on how teachers use conversation in their class to help integrate childrens ideas and link these to the learning progression. Through reflective and exploratory discussion, enhanced by videos of interactive sequences within classes, teachers explored and developed aspects of their interactional styles. Brown K Kennedy H (2011) One of the key strengths of the research is that two educational phycologists (EPs) were also heavily involved with the researched and they worked alongside the six teachers. With reference to Schoà ¡Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¦s model of reflective teaching (1983), the class teachers and the EPs intended to reflect on the teachers interactional methods that happened within the teaching. They also wanted to be able to work together to discover and extend classroom conversations. Therefore, through reflective and exploratory conversation with the EPs and with the help of recordings of interactive sessions that happened within the class, teachers watched back their lessons and were then able to explore and develop aspects of their interactional methods of teaching that they used with their class. At the end of the twelve weeks, the videos and recordings taken were compared. The main focus was to see the changes between the beginning sessions to the sessions at the end of the project. Brown K Kennedy H (2011) stated that from the teachers looking back at their lessons, and working alongside the EPs they were able to adapt a change in their lessons to promote talk. Changes included the teachers using conversation to build more on childrens ideas and actively support the cooperation between children. Changes in the nature of talk amongst children showed evidence of building more on ideas within conversations and making less new initiatives. The changes in conversations are considered with reference to childrens participation and learning. Brown K Kennedy H (2011) Given the importance of childrens metacognitive awareness of interactive processes within the class (Mercer, 2000), I feel that one of the main weaknesses of this article and its research was that it would have been useful to have a greater insight into the changes that occurred throughout the lessons, from the points of view of the children that were involved with the study involved. All the children who participated did so voluntarily, however, they were not included in the ongoing preparation, development, and evaluation. The children involved might have provided valuable insights into how the learning procedure seemed from their point of view, and how they felt that changes the teachers made worked for them, especially when the teachers developed their interactional styles. I would be interesting to see what extent the children felt the changes had on their incentive, contribution and learning. Overall, this research has shown that looking back and watching how you have interacted with the children and what interaction styles you use can have an impact on childrens learning. The article has also proven Schoà ¡Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¦s model of reflective teaching (1983) to be effective, as the if the teachers hadnt looked back and reflected on their interactional styles, there wouldnt have been any progression in talk. I will now use different interactional styles during my lessons, and I also feel that it would be beneficial for me to record myself teaching and watch this back to help me improved on my own teaching skills.

Historical Trends at American Colleges and Universities Essay

Historical Trends at American Colleges and Universities The colonial colleges were among the first colleges created and were established under religious auspices. It was believed that an educated ministry was needed to establish Christianity in the New World. Harvard College was established in 1636, followed by Yale, William and Mary, Princeton and King ‘s College later to be called Columbia University and there were also others. The general colonial college curriculum included Latin, Greek, Hebrew, rhetoric, and logic. Later philosophy, metaphysics, ethics and mathematics were added. The argument later arose that colleges for agriculture and mechanical science should be established with support from federal land grants, thus the Morill Act of 1862 was created. This act granted each state 30,000 acres of public land for each senator and representative of Congress and the income from this grant was to support state colleges for agricultural and mechanical instruction. Many leading state universities today originated as land-grant col leges. It is noted that the largest and most popular higher education institutions is the two-year community college which originated as junior colleges in the late 19th and 20th century. These junior colleges were reorganized into community colleges with the broader function of serving the needs of their communities’ educational needs. The greatest growth in American higher education came after World War II with the passage of the G.I. Bill in 1944. To help readjust society to peacetime and reintegrate returning service people into domestic life, this bill provided federal funds for veterans for education. Seven million, eight hundred thousand veterans took advantage of this bill’s assistance to attend technical schools, colleges and universities. This increased growth in higher education enrollments that has continued through today. Since the 1980’s the cost of attending colleges have increased rapidly. Rising costs of for Medicare, highways and prisons have caused many states to reduce a percentage of their budget for higher education. Colleges and Universities currently face a very serious challenge: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The need to contain escalating costs so that higher education is affordable for most people. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The need to maintain high standards of instruction while educating la... ...s assimilationists’ past. Recent Historical Trends Some recent historical trends just to list a few are movements toward gender equity, equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities, increased professionalism of education, and reduction of violence in schools. Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act and the Women’s Educational Equity Act of 1974 prohibited discrimination against women in federally aided education programs. In 1975, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which improved opportunities for a group of children who had previously lacked full access to a quality education. War on Terrorism On September 11, 2001, foreign terrorists hijacked and deliberately crashed commercial airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The attack and resulting loss of nearly 6000 lives have changed the way Americans view the world and life in their own country. This was mentioned to show how education is part of our ongoing culture, how schools have responded to crises in the past and how schools can promote democratic values and multicultural understanding in a time of crisis.

Uses of a College Education Essay -- University College Degree Purpose

Uses of a College Education Is there really a difference between common sense and book sense? In general, common sense is that sixth sense or that survival intuition that has been given to every animal on earth. Therefore, common sense is literally an instinct or an advanced understanding about one’s surroundings. Many people think of common sense as intuition or wisdom that comes from living a life that exposes one to many different experiences and circumstances. On the other hand, book sense can be derived from the same experiences and circumstances as common sense, but there is a difference. Book sense is learning and analyzing other people’s intuition or wisdom. Many of the courses we learn in college are not based on our individual experiences or circumstances. A college education comprises of other people’s insights, wisdom, and intuition about the world and how things work in this world. Many people believe that college is not for everyone. They believe that knowing and learning about life cannot be gained by reading books. In the meantime, there are many people who believe that college does prepare students for the real world. They believe college offers students valuable tools that will equip them for the real world. For instance, open classrooms where students can engage in stimulating conversations prepare students for professions that pay people who can think fast and come up with creative ideas for their companies. Moreover, professors assign homework, exams, and papers to stimulate thinking and prepare students for deadlines and job assignments. However, college may prepare students for the professional world, but does it really prepare students for the real world. The purpose of this essay is... ...s intuition and understanding of his surroundings could handle a CEO position with the added training of a college education. A commonplace is that the person last in his class in medical school is generally called a doctor. It is the experiences one goes through in college that prepares the students for the real world. Common sense and perseverance are more important than book sense. According on one philosopher, â€Å"it is a thousand times better to have common sense without an education than to have education without common sense.† A college education alone is not sufficient. Life experiences, perseverance, and common sense are proponents that many people believe they possess. However, a college education should refine these qualities. People should not dwell on book sense because a college education is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.

Chapter 19 The Servant of Lord Voldemort

Hermione screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Harry felt as though he'd received a huge electric shock. â€Å"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow,† said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep this wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. â€Å"Very useful, Potter, I thank you†¦.† Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. â€Å"You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?† he said, his eyes glittering. â€Å"I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did†¦lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight.† â€Å"Severus –† Lupin began, but Snape overrode him. â€Å"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout –â€Å" â€Å"Severus, you're making a mistake,† said Lupin urgently. â€Å"You haven't heard everything — I can explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry –â€Å" â€Å"Two more for Azkaban tonight,† said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. â€Å"I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this†¦He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin†¦a tame werewolf –â€Å" â€Å"You fool,† said Lupin softly. â€Å"Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?† BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes. â€Å"Give me a reason,† he whispered. â€Å"Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will.† Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred. Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to believe. He glanced around at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked just as confused as he did, still fighting to keep hold on the struggling Scabbers. Hermione, however, took an uncertain step toward Snape and said, in a very breathless voice, â€Å"Professor Snape — it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?† â€Å"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school,† Snape spat. â€Å"You, Potter, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue.† â€Å"But if — if there was a mistake –â€Å" â€Å"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!† Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. â€Å"DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!† A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at Black's face. Hermione fell silent. â€Å"Vengeance is very sweet,† Snape breathed at Black. â€Å"How I hoped I would be the one to catch you†¦.† â€Å"The joke's on you again, Severus,† Black snarled. â€Å"As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle† — he jerked his head at Ron — â€Å"I'll come quietly†¦.† â€Å"Up to the castle?† said Snape silkily. â€Å"I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black†¦pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay†¦I –â€Å" What little color there was in Black's face left it. â€Å"You -you've got to hear me out,† he croaked. â€Å"The rat — look at the rat –â€Å" But there was a mad glint in Snape's eyes that Harry had never seen before. He seemed beyond reason. â€Å"Come on, all of you,† he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. â€Å"I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him too –â€Å" Before he knew what he was doing, Harry had crossed the room in three strides and blocked the door. â€Å"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already,† snarled Snape. â€Å"If I hadn't been here to save your skin –â€Å" â€Å"Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year,† Harry said. â€Å"I've been alone with him loads of times, having defense lessons against the Dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?† â€Å"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works,† hissed Snape. â€Å"Get out of the way, Potter.† â€Å"YOU'RE PATHETIC!† Harry yelled. â€Å"JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN –â€Å" â€Å"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!† Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. â€Å"Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black — now get out of the way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!† Harry made up his mind in a split second. Before Snape could take even one step toward him, he had raised his wand. â€Å"Expelliarmus!† he yelled — except that his wasn't the only voice that shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out. Harry looked around. Both Ron and Hermione had tried to disarm Snape at exactly the same moment. Snape's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed next to Crookshanks. â€Å"You shouldn't have done that,† said Black, looking at Harry. â€Å"You should have left him to me†¦.† Harry avoided Black's eyes. He wasn't sure, even now, that he'd done the right thing. â€Å"We attacked a teacher†¦We attacked a teacher†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. â€Å"Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble –â€Å" Lupin was struggling against his bonds. Black bent down quickly and untied him. Lupin straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had cut into them. â€Å"Thank you, Harry,† he said. â€Å"I'm still not saying I believe you,† he told Lupin. â€Å"Then it's time we offered you some proof,† said Lupin. â€Å"You, boy — give me Peter, please. Now.† Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest. â€Å"Come off it,† he said weakly. â€Å"Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked up at Harry and Hermione for support, â€Å"Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat — there are millions of rats — how's he supposed to know which one he is after if he was locked up in Azkaban?† â€Å"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question,† said Lupin, turning to Black and frowning slightly. â€Å"How did you find out where he was?† Black put one of his claw-like hands inside his robes and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held out to show the others. It was the photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers. â€Å"How did you get this?† Lupin asked Black, thunderstruck. â€Å"Fudge,† said Black. â€Å"When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page on this boy's shoulder†¦I knew him at once†¦how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts†¦to where Harry was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"My God,† said Lupin softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. â€Å"His front paw†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What about it?† said Ron defiantly. â€Å"He's got a toe missing,† said Black. â€Å"Of course,† Lupin breathed. â€Å"So simple†¦so brilliant†¦he cut it off himself?† â€Å"Just before he transformed,† said Black. â€Å"When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself — and sped down into the sewer with the other rats†¦.† â€Å"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?† said Lupin. â€Å"The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger.† â€Å"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right –â€Å" â€Å"Twelve years, in fact,† said Lupin. â€Å"Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?† â€Å"We — we've been taking good care of him!† said Ron. â€Å"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?† said Lupin. â€Å"I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again†¦.† â€Å"He's been scared of that mad cat!† said Ron, nodding toward Crookshanks, who was still purring on the bed. But that wasn't right, Harry thought suddenly†¦Scabbers had been looking ill before he met Crookshanks†¦ ever since Ron's return from Egypt†¦since the time when Black had escaped†¦. â€Å"This cat isn't mad,† said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. â€Å"He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me†¦Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What do you mean?† breathed Hermione. â€Å"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't†¦so he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me†¦As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry's brain seemed to be sagging under the weight of what he was hearing. It was absurd†¦and yet†¦ â€Å"But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it.† croaked Black. â€Å"This cat — Crookshanks, did you call him? — told me Peter had left blood on the sheets†¦I supposed he bit himself†¦Well, faking his own death had worked once.† These words jolted Harry to his senses. â€Å"And why did he fake his death?† he said furiously. â€Å"Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!† â€Å"No,† said Lupin, â€Å"Harry–â€Å" â€Å"And now you've come to finish him off!† â€Å"Yes, I have,† said Black, with an evil look at Scabbers. â€Å"Then I should've let Snape take you!† Harry shouted. â€Å"Harry,† said Lupin hurriedly, â€Å"don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down — but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father — Sirius tracked Peter down –â€Å" â€Å"THAT'S NOT TRUE!† Harry yelled. â€Å"HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP. HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!† He was pointing at Black, who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly over bright. â€Å"Harry†¦I as good as killed them,† he croaked. â€Å"I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me†¦I'm to blame, I know it†¦The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies†¦I realized what Peter must've done†¦what I'd done†¦.† His voice broke. He turned away. â€Å"Enough of this,† said Lupin, and there was a steely note in his voice Harry had never heard before. â€Å"There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat.† â€Å"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?† Ron asked Lupin tensely. â€Å"Force him to show himself,† said Lupin. â€Å"If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him.† Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head. â€Å"Ready, Sirius?† said Lupin. Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face. â€Å"Together?† he said quietly. â€Å"I think so†, said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. â€Å"On the count of three. One — two — THREE!† A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly — Ron yelled — the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then — It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up. He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again. â€Å"Well, hello, Peter,† said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. â€Å"Long time, no see.† â€Å"S–Sirius†¦R–Remus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. â€Å"My friends†¦my old friends†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning took, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual. â€Å"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed –â€Å" â€Å"Remus,† gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, â€Å"you don't believe him, do you†¦? He tried to kill me, Remus†¦.† â€Å"So we've heard,† said Lupin, more coldly. â€Å"I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so –â€Å" â€Å"He's come to try and kill me again!† Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Black, and Harry saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. â€Å"He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too†¦You've got to help me, Remus†¦.† Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes. â€Å"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out,† said Lupin. â€Å"Sorted things out?† squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again, the only door. â€Å"I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!† â€Å"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?† said Lupin, his brow furrowed. â€Å"When nobody has ever done it before?† â€Å"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!† Pettigrew shouted shrilly. â€Å"How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!† Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room. â€Å"Voldemort, teach me tricks?† he said. Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him. â€Å"What, scared to hear your old master's name?† said Black. â€Å"I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?† â€Å"Don't know what you mean, Sirius –† muttered Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face was shining with sweat now. â€Å"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years,† said Black. â€Å"You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter†¦They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them†¦I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information†¦and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways. If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter –â€Å" â€Å"Don't know†¦what you're talking about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Pettigrew again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. â€Å"You don't believe this — this madness, Remus –â€Å" â€Å"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat,† said Lupin evenly. â€Å"Innocent, but scared!† squealed Pettigrew. â€Å"If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban — the spy, Sirius Black!† Black's face contorted. â€Å"How dare you,† he growled, sounding suddenly like the bearsized dog he had been. â€Å"I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter — I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us†¦me and Remus†¦and James†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath. â€Å"Me, a spy†¦must be out of your mind†¦never†¦don't know how you can say such a –â€Å" â€Å"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it,† Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. â€Å"I thought it was the perfect plan†¦a bluff†¦Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you†¦It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters.† Pettigrew was muttering distractedly; Harry caught words like â€Å"far-fetched† and â€Å"lunacy,† but he couldn't help paying more attention to the ashen color of Pettigrew's face and the way his eyes continued to dart toward the windows and door. â€Å"Professor Lupin?† said Hermione timidly. â€Å"Can — can I say something?† â€Å"Certainly, Hermione,† said Lupin courteously. â€Å"Well — Scabbers — I mean, this — this man — he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?† â€Å"There!† said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Ron with his maimed hand. â€Å"Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?† â€Å"I'll tell you why,† said Black. â€Å"Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him†¦.† Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk. â€Å"Er — Mr. Black — Sirius?† said Hermione. Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her. â€Å"If you don't mind me asking, how — how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?† â€Å"Thank you!† gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. â€Å"Exactly! Precisely what I –â€Å" But Lupin silenced him with a look. Black was frowning slightly at Hermione, but not as though he were annoyed with her. He seemed to be pondering his answer. â€Å"I don't know how I did it,† he said slowly. â€Å"I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me†¦but it kept me sane and knowing who I am†¦helped me keep my powers†¦so when it all became†¦too much†¦I could transform in my cell†¦become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He swallowed. â€Å"They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions†¦They could tell that my feelings were less — less human, less complex when I was a dog†¦but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand†¦.† â€Å"But then I saw Peter in that picture†¦I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry†¦perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Black as though hypnotized. â€Å"†¦ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies†¦and to deliver the last Potter to them. if he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors†¦.† â€Å"So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had told Mrs. Wealsey. ‘The guards say he's been talking in his sleep†¦ always the same words†¦ ‘He's at Hogwarts.† â€Å"It was as if someone had lit a fire In my head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it†¦It wasn't a happy feeling†¦it was an obsession†¦but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog†¦It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused†¦I was thin, very thin†¦thin enough to slip through the bars†¦I swam as a dog back to the mainland †¦I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your father did, Harry†¦.† He looked at Harry, who did not look away. â€Å"Believe me,† croaked Black. â€Å"Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them.† And at long last, Harry believed him. Throat too tight to speak, he nodded. â€Å"No!† Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Harry's nod had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying. â€Å"Sirius — it's me†¦it's Peter†¦your friend†¦you wouldn't –â€Å" Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled. â€Å"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them,† said Black. â€Å"Remus!† Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. â€Å"You don't believe this — wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?† â€Å"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter,† said Lupin. â€Å"I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?† he said casually over Pettigrew's head. â€Å"Forgive me, Remus,† said Black. â€Å"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend,† said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. â€Å"And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?† â€Å"Of course,† said Black, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. â€Å"Shall we kill him together?† â€Å"Yes, I think so,† said Lupin grimly. â€Å"You wouldn't†¦you won't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled around to Ron. â€Å"Ron†¦haven't I been a good friend†¦a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you†¦you're on my side, aren't you?† But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion. â€Å"I let you sleep in my bed!† he said. â€Å"Kind boy†¦kind master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Pettigrew crawled toward Ron â€Å"You won't let them do it†¦I was your rat†¦I was a good pet†¦.† â€Å"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter,† said Black harshly. Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes. â€Å"Sweet girl†¦clever girl†¦you — you won't let them†¦Help me†¦.† Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified. Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry. â€Å"Harry†¦Harry†¦you look just like your father†¦just like him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?† roared Black. â€Å"HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?† â€Å"Harry,† whispered Pettigrew, shuffling toward him, hands outstretched. â€Å"Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed†¦James would have understood, Harry†¦he would have shown me mercy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Both Black and Lupin strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them. â€Å"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort,† said Black, who was shaking too. â€Å"Do you deny it?† Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor. â€Å"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord†¦you have no idea†¦he has weapons you can't imagine †¦I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen†¦He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me –â€Å" â€Å"DON'T LIE!† bellowed Black. â€Å"YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!† â€Å"He — he was taking over everywhere!† gasped Pettigrew. â€Å"Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?† â€Å"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?† said Black, with a terrible fury in his face. â€Å"Only innocent lives, Peter!† â€Å"You don't understand!† whined Pettigrew. â€Å"He would have killed me, Sirius!† â€Å"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!† roared Black. â€Å"DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!† Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised. â€Å"You should have realized,† said Lupin quietly, â€Å"if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter.† Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall. â€Å"NO!† Harry yelled. He ran forward, placing himself in front Pettigrew, facing the wands. â€Å"You can't kill him,† he said breathlessly. â€Å"You can't.† Black and Lupin both looked staggered. â€Å"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents,† Black snarled. â€Å"This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family.† â€Å"I know,† Harry panted. â€Å"We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors†¦He can go to Azkaban†¦but don't kill him.† â€Å"Harry!† gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. â€Å"You — thank you — it's more than I deserve — thank you –â€Å" â€Å"Get off me,† Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. â€Å"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because — I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers — just for you.† No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Black and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands. â€Å"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry,† said Black. â€Å"But think†¦ think what he did†¦.† â€Å"He can go to Azkaban,† Harry repeated. â€Å"If anyone deserves that place, he does†¦.† Pettigrew was still wheezing behind him. â€Å"Very well,† said Lupin. â€Å"Stand aside, Harry.† Harry hesitated. â€Å"I'm going to tie him up,† said Lupin. â€Å"That's all, I swear.† Harry stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged. â€Å"But if you transform, Peter,† growled Black, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew too, â€Å"we will kill you. You agree, Harry?† Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him. â€Å"Right,† said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. â€Å"Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing.† He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, â€Å"Ferula.† Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince. â€Å"That's better,† he said. â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"What about Professor Snape?† said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure. â€Å"There's nothing seriously wrong with him,† said Lupin, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. â€Å"You were just a little — overenthusiastic. Still out cold. Er — perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safety back in the castle. We can take him like this†¦.† He muttered, â€Å"Mobilicorpus.† As though invisible strings were tied to Snape's wrists, neck, and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. Lupin picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket. â€Å"And two of us should be chained to this,† said Black, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. â€Å"Just to make sure.† â€Å"I'll do it,† said Lupin. â€Å"And me,† said Ron savagely, limping forward. Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Ron's left. Ron's face was set. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult. Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high.