Humanistic Theory According To Abraham Maslow Education Essay

Humanistic Theory According To Abraham Maslow Education Essay This is the mental point of view advocated via Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow that accentuates the human limit with regards to decision and development. The superseding supposition that will be that people have through and through freedom and are not just destined to carry on in explicit manners or are zombies aimlessly responding to their condition. The humanists expressed that the topic or brain science is the human emotional experience of the world how human experience things, why they experience things, and so forth. Humanistic analysts take a gander at human conduct through the eyes of the eyewitness, however through the eyes of the individual doing the carrying on. Humanistic analysts accept that a people conduct is associated with his inward emotions and mental self portrait. In contrast to the behaviorists, humanistic therapists accept that people are not exclusively the result of their condition. Or maybe humanistic analysts study human implications, understandings, and encounters engaged with developing, educating and learning. They accentuate qualities that are shared by every person, for example, love, sorrow, mindful and self-esteem. Humanistic therapists concentrate how individuals are impacted by their self-observations and the individual implications joined to their encounters. Humanistic analysts are not principally worried about instinctual drives, reactions to outer boosts, or past encounters. Or maybe, they think about cognizant decisions, reactions to interior needs, and current conditions to be significant in molding human conduct. Humanistic hypothesis depends on the possibility that everybody can possibly make a commitment to society and be a decent and agreeable individual if their necessities are satisfied. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers drove the humanistic hypothesis development and it was Maslow who built up the pyramid of necessities. Maslow accepted that satisfying the requirements in the right request would permit people to become self actualised, completely capable people. So simply after the essential physiological needs, for example, food, cover, warmth are met would individuals be able to proceed onward to the following stages; the need to have a sense of safety, to be adored and acknowledged and so forth. Maslow built up his hypothesis not by concentrating intellectually sick patients, which is the place a lot of mental information had gotten from up to that point, yet by contemplating solid, beneficial, innovative people lives and professions. He inferred that there were normal attributes which were shared by effective people including self acknowledgment, receptiveness and regard for others. Carl Rogers felt that, notwithstanding Maslows progressive needs, all together for an individual to grow completely that they should have been in a domain which would furnish them with validity, acknowledgment and sympathy and that without such a feeding situation sound characters and connections would be not able to thrive. Humanistic hypothesis is fundamentally about the improvement of the person. It was mainstream during the 1970s however is by all accounts somewhat undesirable today as Western countries have commonly moved marginally towards the political right and there is more accentuation on adjusting and adding to, a somewhat progressively traditionalist society. Obviously, while humanistic hypothesis has an extremely solid spotlight on the individual, it depends on the conviction that all around created, effective people are best positioned to make a constructive commitment to society. Humanistic hypothesis recommends that the accomplishment of satisfaction is often reliant after accomplishing, or giving yourself the permit to, examine and seek after your own most profound interests and wants. Humanistic Theory as per Abraham Maslow Abraham Maslow has been viewed as the Father of Humanistic Psychology. Maslows hypothesis depends on the thought that experience is the essential marvel in the investigation of human learning and conduct. He set accentuation on decision, innovativeness, values, self-acknowledgment, all unmistakably human characteristics, and accepted that seriousness and subjectivity were a higher priority than objectivity. For Maslow, improvement of human potential, pride and worth are extreme concerns. Maslow dismissed behaviorist perspectives and Freuds hypotheses based on their reductionistic approaches. He felt Freuds perspective on human instinct was negative, and he esteemed goodness, honorability and reason. Likewise, Freud focused on the intellectually sick, and Maslow was keen on solid human brain science. Maslow and his associates came to allude to their development as third power brain research, the initial two being therapy and behaviorism. The third power depends on methods of reasoning of existentialism and humanism. He is renowned for suggesting that human inspiration depends on a progressive system of necessities. The most reduced degree of requirements are physiological and endurance needs, for example, craving and thirst. Further levels incorporate having a place and love, confidence, and self-realization. From Maslows point of view, the drive to learn is inborn. The reason for learning is to achieve self-realization, and the objectives of teachers ought to incorporate this procedure. Learning adds to mental wellbeing. Maslow proposed different objectives of getting the hang of, including disclosure of ones job or fate; information on values; acknowledgment of life as valuable, obtaining of pinnacle encounters, feeling of achievement, fulfillment of mental needs, consciousness of excellence and miracle throughout everyday life, drive control, creating decision, and wrestling with the basic existential issues of life. Maslows hypothesis of learning featured the contrasts between experiential information and onlooker information. He respected onlooker, or logical, information to be substandard compared to experiential. Properties of experiential learning include: drenching in the experience without attention to the progression of time immediately not acting naturally cognizant rising above time, spot, history, and society by being past and unaffected by them converging with that which is being experienced being guiltlessly responsive, as a kid, uncritical suspending briefly assessment of the involvement with terms of its significance or irrelevance absence of restraint, dying down of childishness, dread, preventiveness experience unfurls normally without endeavoring or exertion suspending analysis, approval, and assessment of the experience believing experience by latently allowing it to occur; relinquishing assumptions separating from sensible, logical, and judicious exercises Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Physiological Needs They comprise of requirements for oxygen, food, water, and a generally steady internal heat level. They are the most grounded needs in such a case that an individual were denied everything being equal, the physiological ones would start things out in the people scan for fulfillment. We need these for essential endurance. Maslows hypothesis said that you have to fulfill first the fundamental needs like Physiological needs and Safety needs, to get inspiration to genuinely achieve the more elevated level needs like social needs and regard. Wellbeing Needs At the point when every physiological need are fulfilled and done commanding our contemplations and practices, we progress to wellbeing needs. A people consideration goes to wellbeing and security for himself/herself to be liberated from the danger of physical and passionate mischief. Such needs may be satisfied by: Living in a protected zone Clinical protection Employer stability Monetary stores These incorporate the requirement for security. We frequently have little attention to these, with the exception of in the midst of crisis complication in social structure (war time, fear based oppressor acts, aggressive behavior at home, cataclysmic events). Maslows chain of command said that, if an individual feels that the person is in hurts way, higher necessities would not be accomplished that rapidly. Belongingness Love needs At the point when an individual has accomplished the lower level like Physiological and Safety needs, more elevated level needs become significant, the first are social needs. Social needs are those identified with association with others like: Requirement for companions Requirement for having a place Need to give and get love At the point when wellbeing and physiological needs are met, we want, to be adored by others and to have a place. Maslow states that individuals look to conquer sentiments of dejection estrangement. This includes both giving accepting adoration, warmth the feeling of having a place (family, companions, social gatherings). Regard Needs After the initial 3 classes of requirements are met, the requirements for regard can get predominant. These include requirements for both confidence for the regard an individual gets from others. Regard needs might be delegated interior or outer. Dignity and accomplishment are a few instances of Internal regard needs. Societal position and acknowledgment are a few instances of External regard needs. Some regard needs are: Sense of pride Accomplishment Consideration Acknowledgment Notoriety People have a requirement for a stable, immovably based, elevated level of sense of pride, regard from others. At the point when these requirements are fulfilled, the individual feels fearless important as an individual on the planet. At the point when these necessities are disappointed, the individual feels sub-par, frail, vulnerable useless. Requirement for Self-Actualization At the point when the entirety of the previous needs are fulfilled, at that point at exactly that point are simply the necessities realization actuated. The last need is the Self Actualization or Fulfillment Needs. This incorporates purposed, self-improvement, and the full acknowledgment of ones possibilities. This is where individuals begin getting completely utilitarian, acting absolutely on their own volition, and having a sound character. Maslow depicts self-completion as a people should be do what the individual was destined to do. An artist must make music, a craftsman must paint, and an artist must compose. These necessities make themselves felt in indications of anxiety (individual feels restless, tense, lacking something, anxious.) The individual must be consistent with their own inclination, be what you are intended to be. Maslow accepted that not many individuals arrive at the condition of self-completion. In spite of the fact that

Why are there so many nursing organizations Is the large number of Essay

For what reason are there such a significant number of nursing associations Is the huge number of nursing assocations a worth or a deterrent to the Profession - Essay Example Earlier years have bore witness to that there were expanded worldwide interest for attendants with huge open doors as far as budgetary compensation and profession openings. The rewarding possibilities given to nursing graduates and prompt arrangement in medical clinics and social insurance organizations everywhere throughout the world welcomed more understudies to seek after the nursing vocation. With different universal medical clinics requiring nursing staff from different social directions, the nursing affiliations thrived to give nurture the alternatives to pick dependent on nurture esteems and standards. These affiliations professionalize the norms expected of nursing and direct the nature of human services to be clung to under moral and good codes. At the point when the quantity of positions was at last filled all inclusive, nursing organizations and affiliations keep on tolerating applications for attendants without enough nearby, state or government locales to screen and cont rol the flexibly. The impact was oversupply of medical attendants that couldn't be utilized. Further, youthful alumni straight from nursing affiliations were regarded ailing in human services understanding and in the necessary high caliber of patient consideration. Without enough medical clinics or social insurance establishments to acknowledge these youthful attendants to promote their presentation, genuine preparing and involvement with medicinal services, issues with work as of now emerge.

Life Beyond the Classroom Student Organizations COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Life Beyond the Classroom Student Organizations COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog If youre thinking about coming to SIPA, you might also be thinking: Is the school only about studying? How else can I get involved in student life? Where can I meet friends that have similar interests to me? Don’t worry, there is life beyond the classroom! Once at SIPA, there is an astonishing number of student groups at your fingertips. 40+ student organizations provide social, professional, and educational activities to meet your diverse interests. You can take part in a policy group, a regional focus group, or the annual SIPA Follies â€" theres something for everyone. The student-run organizations offer the freedom to explore Columbia’s and New York City’s resources in a relaxed setting. Some groups invite visiting dignitaries to campus for informal discussions, while others coordinate research-focused Spring Break trips abroad. No matter your interests, there are ways to get involved at SIPA without getting lost in a sea of textbooks and policy memos. I want to share my personal experience in one of these organizations. I’m Sebastian Osorio, a second-year MPA student from Colombia. I was the president of one of the largest, most active and coolest () organizations at SIPA, the Latin American Student Association, known as LASA. When I started school over a year ago, I never imagined I would play an active role in a student group. I had just begun life at SIPA and was still navigating my way through class schedules and the nuances of grad school. After getting settled in New York and adjusting to student life, I found myself with some free time, especially after being used to working 12+ hour days. With that, I decided to research and participate in more student organizations. While I wanted to be busier, I didn’t realize then the commitment and responsibility required to lead one of these groups. I ended up running for president of LASA (and in a very old school Latin American way, I was the only candidate (but it doesn’t diminish my victory!)). Being a part of LASA has been the highlight of my graduate school experience. There, I met an incredible team and made amazing friends. The board was composed of thirteen members from eight different countries. The board’s diversity in experience and background helped us overcome obstacles and accomplish many ambitious initiatives. In the beginning, I barely knew any of the board members. But as the semester went on, we collaborated well together, creating a platform for discussions on national, regional and international public affairs of Latin America, while also sharing our broad and diverse cultures with the SIPA student body. LASA became one of the many prominent student organization at SIPA, and we led multiple activities and events like academic brown bag lunches with professors, cultural walks around El Barrio (East Harlem), movie nights, Spanish and Portuguese language sessions, fundraising events and welcome parties. At LASA, we tried to model our agenda after the age-old motto: work hard, play hard. Students came to depend on LASA as their one-stop shop for both professional and educational seminars as well as celebratory after-exam events. Overall, I gained a lot from being a part of LASA. Personally speaking, the lessons I learned from my time with LASA paralleled the knowledge I gained from classes. I was given the opportunity to test my leadership and managerial skills, while also coordinating a team with shared goals but different skill sets and interests. I had the chance to network and build relationships with notable speakers, esteemed faculty, and accomplished students from across Latin America. But mainly, I gained a family. With that said, I strongly encourage you to research the student organizations when you arrive at SIPA and find a place where you can contribute to student life and create an experience that you will carry with you long after you graduate.

Social Media And Its Influence On Society - 1988 Words

It is perhaps easier to count the amount of persons who do not have an account on a social media platform. The dawn of social media has carved out a way in which all generations can keep in touch with the world. According to Facebook’s newsroom, Facebook has over 1 billion daily active users. On Instagram, an average of 80 million photos are uploaded daily and approximately 3.5 billion likes. No wonder social media and its networks have opened up numerous avenues for young budding entrepreneurs to get the â€Å"word out† and generate business. From Facebook to YouTube, and all in between, entrepreneurs have utilized these platforms to share, like, upload, tweet, re-post numerous activities all in the name of business. Whether it is to create their own page or use their personal profile to sell their business, they have made use of social media and its ability to reach the masses. Social Media and its’ networks have redefined the traditional view of the brick and mortar business in order to create new ventures for the aspiring entrepreneur. It has minimized the need for a physical building or address and the costs associated with advertising have been minimized. In addition to generating business for existing and established business, social media has created new job opportunities. It has also allowed businesses to expand their services to the far corners of the world. Companies are now hiring persons to manage their social media platforms; persons are showing their creative sideShow MoreRelatedSocial Media s Influence On Society1710 Words   |  7 Pagesnew social issue began to surface. As the internet rapidly gained international popularity, new branches of it were created. Currently, Social media dominates the internet world. 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Marshall McLuhan, a technological determinist, says in his book ‘Medium is the massage’ that the most widespread modern media influence how humans think, act and perceive the world around them. He states that the medium significantly influences the message that people will receive, and thus, the same message is perceived by the same individual in several ways if he receives them in a different way. The expression the medium is the message means that recipient receives messagesRead MoreMass Media And Its Impact On Society1719 Words   |  7 PagesIn today’s world society believes that mass media plays a key role in shaping and communicating our culture. Mass Media is defined as a technological advancement of communication. People receive information about the world through mass media and it helps shape people’s beliefs, values, perception, and behavior. Mass media is a controversial topic among sociologists, many of them have differentiating opinions of how mass media is influencing people daily lives today. Through this research analysis

Documentos para green card por matrimonio con ciudadano

La documentacià ³n para sacar la tarjeta de residencia por matrimonio con un ciudadano es numerosa y conviene tenerla en mano o al menos solicitada antes de empezar la tramitacià ³n. En este artà ­culo se distingue, para hacerlo mà ¡s claro, entre los trà ¡mites que se realizan cuando el cà ³nyuge extranjero està ¡ ya en los Estados Unidos y se sigue lo que se conoce como un ajuste de estatus. Y tambià ©n cuando se da la circunstancia de que està ¡ en otro paà ­s y se sigue lo que se llama procedimiento consular. Recordar, antes de empezar, que en los Estados Unidos producen los efectos migratorios los matrimonios entre una mujer y un varà ³n que los de personas del mismo sexo. Lo à ºnico que se pide en este à ºltimo caso, es que la boda se celebre en un lugar cuyas leyes permiten el matrimonio gay. Documentos para la tarjeta de residencia por matrimonio con ciudadano por ajuste de estatus Las personas extranjeras presentes en Estados Unidos pueden obtener la residencia, tambià ©n conocida como green card, por matrimonio con un ciudadano mediante un ajuste de estatus siempre y cuando hubieran ingresado al paà ­s de forma legal, con una visa o mediante el Programa de Exencià ³n de Visas. Es decir, no pueden hacerlo aquellas personas que ingresaron ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos. Los migrantes que se encuentren en esta situacià ³n deben asesorarse con un abogado de confianza antes de iniciar los trà ¡mites. Ello es porque a mitad de los mismos tendrà ¡n que salir del paà ­s y, en la mayorà ­a de los casos, tendrà ¡n una prohibicià ³n para regresar por 3 o 10 aà ±os. Es necesario informarse para estudiar honestamente si existe alguna posibilidad de regularizar la situacià ³n sin necesidad de salir del paà ­s. Para los que pueden ajustar su estatus, pueden realizar en un solo paquete dos tramitaciones distintas: la peticià ³n de esposo y el ajuste de estatus. Los documentos son los siguientes: - Formulario I-130, peticià ³n de familiar - Copia certificada del acta de matrimonio. Si el casamiento se celebrà ³ en otro paà ­s, asegurarse de que cumple con todos los requisitos para ser considerado và ¡lido en Estados Unidos. En este caso, si el documento o cualquier otro no està ¡ en inglà ©s, deberà ¡ traducirse. Este es  un modelo de carta para hacer una traduccià ³n certificada  para Inmigracià ³n. - Prueba de la nacionalidad estadounidense: pasaporte americano, acta o certificado de nacimiento en Estados Unidos, certificado de naturalizacià ³n, acta de nacionalidad por ser hijo o hija de americano a pesar de haber nacido en el extranjero o cualquier otro documento que pueda ser admitido para probar la nacionalidad. - Del cà ³nyuge extranjero es necesario presentar copia certificada del acta o partida de nacimiento. Si no estuviera en inglà ©s, deberà ¡ traducirse y certificarse dicha traduccià ³n. No es necesario obtener la apostilla de la Haya. - 6 fotografà ­as tipo pasaporte de cada uno de los cà ³nyuges (cada uno, la suya). - Formulario I-485 para ajuste de estatus - Formulario del affidavit of support, tambià ©n conocida como planilla de mantenimiento, I-864 - Prueba de cumplir con el  requisito de ingresos para patrocinar: W2 o 1099, copia de haber pagado impuestos (tax returns) en los à ºltimos aà ±os y una carta de la empresa o empleador para la que se trabaje en la que se especifique desde cuà ¡ndo se trabaja en dicha compaà ±Ãƒ ­a, quà © posicià ³n se ocupa y cuà ¡l es el monto del salario anual. - Copia de las tres à ºltimas nà ³minas (pay stubs). - Formulario de informacià ³n biogrà ¡fica, que es el G-325A - Planilla de los resultados del examen mà ©dico, I-693 - Si se desea un permiso de trabajo antes de recibir la green card, llenar el formulario I-765 - Si se desea viajar fuera de Estados Unidos y regresar mientras se realiza la tramitacià ³n, puede que sea necesario llenar el formulario I-131 para el advance parole, o permiso para viajar. - El pago de la tarifa de todo el proceso. El Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) se pondrà ¡ en contacto para la cita de datos biomà ©tricos.   El siguiente paso serà ¡ recibir el permiso de trabajo, tambià ©n conocido como EAD, si se ha solicitado uno. Despuà ©s, aproximadamente entre 2 y 4 meses de haber enviado la aplicacià ³n, se recibirà ¡ una cita para la entrevista. En ella un empleado del USCIS intentarà ¡ determinar si el matrimonio es de conveniencia, en cuyo caso se suspenderà ¡ la peticià ³n de la green card.   Es importante llevar a la entrevista documentacià ³n que sirva para acreditar que el matrimonio es de verdad, como por ejemplo: Cuentas bancarias a nombre de ambos asà ­ como la titularidad de propiedades que pertenezcan a los dos o hipotecas conjuntas.Pà ³lizas de seguros (incluidos mà ©dicos) a nombre de ambos o en los que uno de ellos sea beneficiario de la pà ³liza del otro, como por ejemplo en los casos de seguros de vida.Fotocopias a color y de calidad de fotografà ­as de la boda, de la fiesta de compromiso, si la hubiera habido, de la pareja sola y tambià ©n con miembros de la familia y amigos. Colocar 2 à ³ tres fotografà ­as en un folio en blanco y escribir en inglà ©s el nombre de las personas que aparecen, el lugar y la fecha en la que se tomaron. Repetir la operacià ³n cuantas veces sea necesario.Lease del alquiler de la vivienda, si lo hubiere o hipoteca.Copia de cualquier documento en el que figuren los nombres de ambos cà ³nyuges, como por ejemplo cualquier tipo de factura.Copia de la factura de telà ©fono que pueda probar la comunicacià ³n entre ambos cuando eran novios.Si lo hubi era, copia de los tiquetes de avià ³n para visitarse.Tambià ©n llevar identificacià ³n, incluido el pasaporte del cà ³nyuge extranjero. Si la entrevista es exitosa, se sellarà ¡ el pasaporte del cà ³nyuge extranjero con una Tarjeta de Residencia temporal, que sirve para viajar y para trabajar. En el plazo de uno o dos meses se recibirà ¡ la green card de plà ¡stico por correo.   Finalmente, si la green card se recibià ³ antes de cumplir dos aà ±os de casado, serà ¡ de carà ¡cter condicional. Dicha condicionalidad la hay que levantar a los dos aà ±os. Peticià ³n de ciudadano para cà ³nyuge extranjero que està ¡ fuera de Estados Unidos En este caso el proceso es un poco distinto. Se inicia con la peticià ³n con el formulario I-130 y envià ¡ndose el pago por la tramitacià ³n y la documentacià ³n de apoyo que sirve para probar que existe un matrimonio, la ciudadanà ­a del solicitante y la identidad del solicitado (ver mà ¡s arriba en apartado anterior). Una vez que la peticià ³n es aprobada, el USCIS la envà ­a al Centro Nacional de Visas (NVC, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Y serà ¡n ellos los que contacten y comiencen a pedir documentos y planillas, seguir las instrucciones al pie de la letra. Pedirà ¡n, entre otras cosas, el affidavit of support y todo lo relativo a probar que se tienen ingresos suficientes para patrocinar. Tambià ©n se darà ¡n instrucciones para el examen mà ©dico y, finalmente, para la entrevista en el consulado o embajada. Llevar toda la documentacià ³n que se indique. Si se pasa la entrevista, se recibe una visa de inmigrante que se estampa en el pasaporte. A partir de ese momento hay 6 meses para ingresar a los Estados Unidos. Y en ese momento, al llegar a un puerto de entrada terrestre, marà ­timo o de aeropuerto, se sella de nuevo el pasaporte con un sello de ingreso que junto a la visa de inmigrante equivale a una green card temporal, hasta que se recibe la de plà ¡stico. Al igual que sucede con el caso anterior, la green card de plà ¡stico es condicional si se recibe antes de llevar dos aà ±os de casado. En es caso hay que levantar dicha condicionalidad. Finalmente, destacar que si una persona està ¡ fuera de los Estados Unidos y piden a su nombre una green card, es muy difà ­cil que a partir de ese momento aprueben una peticià ³n de visa de turista. A tener en cuenta antes de iniciar los trà ¡mites para pedir a un cà ³nyuge De todas las cosas, dos destacan por su importancia y posibles consecuencias. En primer lugar hay que asegurarse de que se tienen ingresos suficientes o que se cuenta con un co-patrocinador. El USCIS no aprueba peticiones si no se cumple este requisito, no hay excepciones.   Y, en segundo lugar, informarse sobre las causas de denegacià ³n de la residencia. Y es que no es suficiente estar casado con un ciudadano. Hay que ser elegible para ingresar a los Estados Unidos y convertirse en residente. En algunos casos no es posible arreglar el problema. En otros es cuestià ³n de esperar a que pase el tiempo de castigo o, cuando se puede, pedir un perdà ³n, tambià ©n conocido como waiver o permiso. Esto à ºltimo hay que tenerlo especialmente en cuenta cuando el problema viene del hecho de haber estado ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos. Esto à ºltimo es un problema cuando se superan los 6 meses de ilegalidad  y se està ¡ fuera de Estados Unidos sin importar cà ³mo se habà ­a ingresado o cuando se està ¡ dentro y se ingresà ³ ilegalmente. Tambià ©n hay que tener en cuenta que en cosas del amor, las situaciones pueden cambiar. Si hay un cambio de opinià ³n por parte del ciudadano, podrà ­a poner fin a la peticià ³n.  Tambià ©n tener en cuenta que el divorcio, por parte de cualquiera de los cà ³nyuges, puede tener efectos migratorios importantes. Finalmente, para saber mà ¡s sobre la tarjeta de residencia se recomienda tomar este test de preguntas mà ºltiples, cuyas respuestas aclaran numerosas dudas. Este es un articulo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

A Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Pilates and Acupuncture Free Essays

Chronic low back pain is the diagnosis for individuals who have been suffering from acute back pain but have not showed any signs of improving. In a manner of speaking, chronic low back pain occurs when an individual’s acute back pain has reached the duration of 91 days without improvement (Bogduk McGuirk, 2002). Chronic low back pain has various treatments, and this research aims to determine which is appropriate. We will write a custom essay sample on A Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Pilates and Acupuncture or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to Colleen Craig (2001), pilates exercises abdominal muscles, and one of these abdominal muscles, if properly attended to, can prevent chronic low back pain. Acupuncture, on the other hand, is also used for the treatment of low back pain (Liao, Lee, Ng, 1994). Problem Statement and Hypothesis This study intends to determine whether or not pilates and acupuncture produce better results than that of traditional lumbar stabilization exercises for the treatment of chronic low back pain. The hypothesis of this research is that alternative methods, such as pilates and acupuncture, are superior over the traditional lumbar stabilization exercises in treating chronic low back pain. Assumption For this research, it is assumed that pilates and acupuncture produce better results than that of the traditional lumbar stabilization exercises when it comes to treating patients with chronic low back pain. Purpose and Significance This study aims to compare other modes of therapy to the traditional lumbar stabilization exercises and to determine whether other modes of therapy, specifically pilates and acupuncture, can help improve the conditions of patients who have chronic low back pain. The significance of the study is that it can provide information about which physical therapy is appropriate for individuals who have chronic low back pain. New information about various treatments can help enhance physical therapy and produce better results. Nature of Study and Theoretical Framework An integration of quantitative and qualitative methods will be conducted throughout the course of the study. The use of quantitative methods is vital for these will determine the empirical data that will contribute to the accuracy of the study. On the other hand, through the use of qualitative methods, the study will be able to provide insight on what the patients think of the aforementioned treatments. Research Questions This study aims to address the following: Which treatment is more effective in the treatment of chronic low back pain? Why is the treatment more effective than the other treatments? What are the pros and cons of alternative treatments for chronic low back pain?   Definition of Terms Chronic back pain – the condition wherein the individual has been suffering from acute back pain and has not shown any signs of improving after the duration of 91 days (Bogduk McGuirk, 2002). Pilates – a â€Å"system of exercises† (Breibart, 2005, p. 3) that helps to stretch and strengthen the body as well as improve its posture and tone (Breibart, 2005). Acupuncture – the insertion of â€Å"hair-fine needles† (Tierney, 1999, p. 1) into certain areas of the body in order to stimulate the healing capacity of the individual’s body (Tierney, 1999). How to cite A Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Pilates and Acupuncture, Papers

Sustainability Practices Of Star Bangalore â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Sustainability Practices Of Star Bangalore? Answer: Introduction Tourism is one of the worlds fastest growing industries. In many developing countries, it is the prime source of foreign currency inflow and employment. Sustainable tourism refers to the processes and ways that develops the tourism industry of a country while maintaining a balance in the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of the industry. Sustainable tourism plays an important role in conserving the biodiversity of a country. The prime purpose of sustainable tourism is to generate employment, income and conserve local ecosystem while minimalising the impact on local environment and culture so that those could be made available to the future generations (Kaur, 2016). Sustainable tourism enhances the positive impacts of the tourism industry on biodiversity as well as reducing poverty, thus effectively promoting overall sustainable development of the country. The revenues that are generated by the tourism are often used in the protection and conservation of the biodivers ity and making sure that the natural habitat is not altered. Sustainable tourism also acts as an awareness raising program that advocates changing behaviour that would result in environmental development. The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is a five-star hotel in Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The hotel is considered to be the flagship property among the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. In 2017, the hotel became the first building in the country to have intellectual property rights on its architectural design (Shah, 2014). The Taj Mahal has won numerous national and international awards for their services and performance in the hospitality sector and the group as a whole is considered to be one of the finest luxury hotel chains in the world, which only burdens them with more responsibility to take care of the environment. CSR and the Taj Mahal Hotel and communicating the stakeholders The Taj group of hotels understand that the activities of the hotels have significant impact on the local communities where the hotels are situated. The group has very explicit policies that advocated caring for the local communities. The brands slogan We sincerely care for you is an ideology that is adhered to in every activity of the hotel and also is believed by every employee of the hotel. The Taj has a number of stakeholders that the hotel has to serve, which include everyone from the customers, the employees and the shareholders. The stakeholders are notified about the CSR activities, the key projects and the impact s they have on the society and the environment through the annual reports, Taj web platforms and other relevant ways (Kaur, 2016). The Taj Mahal Palace has been internationally recognised for their CSR activities and the proposed new projects that are to be launched and undertaken over the next few years. These projects are expected to set new benchmarks across the planet for global sustainability and social responsibility. Implementation of the CSR policies is a commitment of an organization to fulfill their corporate social responsibilities. In the context of Hotel Taj, the CSR responsibilities are based on their legacy in order to giving back to the society. This organization is associated with the Tata group to bring improvement in the quality of life. This organization focuses on the socio-cultural development of its operational regions. However, in India this organisation intends to become a significant contributor to CSR activities by establishing the social improvement projects. Such projects aim to improve the life of unprivileged communities in Indian village and towns (Ferus-Comelo, 2014). According to the Company Act 2013, the CSR program includes vocational skill development program, promotion of indigenous culture and disaster relief and rehabilitation campaign. These CSR activities are carried out by this organization. In order to carry out the CSR activities, such organization needs to ensure that they have to spend more in every financial year to carry out the CSR activities (Tajhotels.com, 2017). In order to develop the CSR responsibilities, such organization has a CSR committee with three or more directors in this committee. The CSR activities are categorized under the section 135 of the Company Act. 2% of the total profit of per year is spent by this organization to implement the CSR activities. On the other hand, any surplus from the CSR program should not be added to the company benefit. CSR policies of Taj Hotel in social aspects The CSR policies of the Taj hotel are associated with the social development. In order to develop the social life of the people this organization follows the Company Act 2013. Based on this Act, disaster relief, vocational skill development and promotion of indigenous culture are included as the CSR policies of such organization (Fatma, 2016). The CSR activities include the development social projects to improve the life style of the unprivileged community. However, community development is a big part of the CSR policy in context of social aspect. The target community of their CSR policies is less privileged and marginalized women and youth. Therefore, school dropout youth, disaster victims and people from the rural areas are also categorized under the target group (Kumar, 2014). Hence, hotel Taj tries to bring improvement in their quality of life by adoption the above CSR policies. Improvement of the social life is a crucial CSR activity. Providing funding to the disaster victim is a vital social responsibility that can be categorized under the CSR activities. Hotel Taj has a project monitoring team that ensures the implementation of the CSR policies based on the Act. Stakeholder communication is an important part to implement the CSR policies within an organization (Hsieh, 2012). However, in order to make an association with Tata web stakeholder communication is necessary for the Taj hotel. Development of the vocational skill focuses on the social development of the indigenous people. The supporter partners of Taj hotel in this activity are NGOs and Tata Company. Such stakeholder association establishes CSR programs and provides skill training to the hospitality industries skill training to rural people, less privileged people and schedule cast people. This is an effective CSR policy of Taj hotel to bring the lifestyle of such people who are discriminated by the society. Therefore, 30 skill-training programs are in progress all over the country, which will be improved further to develop the indigenous youth more efficient (Tajhotels.com, 2017). In order to develop the personality and building the character of the indigenous youth vocational skill development program is a significant CSR activity for Hotel Taj. Development of the indigenous culture and the heritage is another CSR policy that is associated with the social development (Dodds Joppe, 2017). Providing support and improve the destination of the areas where the IHCL hotels are situated is crucial. For this purpose, it is important for the Taj hotel to extend support to the sites where the touristic interest occurs. On the other hand, preservation of heritage is another step f the CSR activity. In order to maximize the sustainable development associated with the social development, it is vital to provide training to the guides as well as the tourism department of Taj hotel. Apart from these clean India campaign in the hotel areas, villages, gardens and other public places is a beneficial approach of Taj hotel that is included in their CSR activities. However, such policy is helpful to enhance the social development by improving the lifestyle of the people (Coulson-Thomas, 2015). Neighborhood improvement and the initiative to impro ve the maintenance are the big components of the social development. It is mandatory for the hospitality sectors to carry out the clean campaign to make awareness among the staffs and the customers of their organization. Promotion of the indigenous culture and the art is an effective CSR policy to maximize the social development program. Such promotion can be done by displaying handicrafts and the social arts. The strategic partnership will be helpful for an organization to maintain their CSR activities (Shanti, 2016). In the context of hotel Taj, they have made a strategic partnership with the NGOs and the Tata Company, which enables them to carry out their social development project by meeting the needs of the indigenous people. Livelihood enhancement program is also undertaken by this hotel to figure out their social development activities. In order to carry out this program, it is essential to develop a responsible supply chain partnership. The purchase managers of the hotel should be conscious of the society and the environment. Training is required for the development of the supply chain partnership. This will allows the staffs to control the quality of the raw materials, design and the financi al management. Apart from these, the disaster relief program is another effective CSR activity of Taj hotel to improve the social life. They often provide funding for the disaster relief, which ensures their social responsibilities (Ferus-Comelo, 2014). Hence, the above CSR policies of such organization highlight on their different CSR policies in social aspects. These policies focus on their social development projects to improve the life of the unprivileged people in the society. Environmental sustainability The Taj Mahal Palace is heavily focused upon conserving the environment in which it operates and understands the needs for preserving environmental biodiversity in order to achieve sustainability. The main emphasis is given upon Resource Efficiency, which advocate water, energy and waste management programs, that are inclined towards making sure the non-renewable sources of energy are preserved for the future generations. The hotel understands that the environment is not only comprised of vegetation and wildlife diversity, but humans are also very much part of it (Ferus-Comelo, 2014). This has led the hotel to undertake projects that strive to protect the indigenous heritage, culture, art and handicraft to maintain the unique characteristics of the local communities. The hotel aims to support and improve the local destinations where the hotel is located. The Taj has various programs and initiatives that promote environmental safeguarding. Taj safaris are one of the most important and popular projects and tourism plans of the hotel that is committed towards preserving the countrys diverse and rich natural treasures. This initiative is driven by some basic social and conservation principles. The safari plans of the hotel adopts sustainable ecotourism models while providing the guests with the ultimate wildlife experience. The Taj has collaborated with Beyond to make sure that sustainable methods are adopted that promote responsible tourism. Controlling and reducing the food wastage quantity is another key aspect that is given a lot of focus by the hotel. Food wastage is one of the biggest issues on the planet at the moment and it has significant negative impacts on the environment (Verma, 2017). The Taj aims to resolve this or at least reduce the amount of wasted food as much as possible. Economic sustainability aspects of the hotel The hotel management understands that without a firm economic planning and a strong economy, no social or environmental causes can be fought for and hence the countrys and local economies must be boosted as much as possible (Mukherjee Ghosh, 2014). With this aim in mind, the Taj offers internships to numerous management and hotel industry students every year and also accepts voluntary work that does entail payment of different sorts (Kaur, 2016). The employees of the hotel are involved in every step of every activity so that the hotel can grow with everyone. This is the very way which helps to achieve sustainable development, where inclusive growth is prioritised every stakeholder is given much importance. Awards and market position Nine of the Taj Hotels have been accredited with EarthCheck, Gold, which is the global benchmark for environmental conservation certification. This organisation has its focus highlighted upon the tourism and hotel industry. This award was given to the hotels because of their remarkable feat of successfully conserving a huge amount of energy, that helped to bring electricity to 53,490 homes and reducing both a huge amount of waste as well as CO2 emissions. The stunning success of the Taj EARTH program has led the hotels to be internationally recognized as a global leader in the hospitality industry with a focus on sustainable development and promoting sustainable tourism. Conclusion From the above discussion it can be inferred that the Taj Mahal Palace is focused upon trying to create a tourism package that promotes tourism and ushers in a lot of foreign currency in the country, all the while keeping the social, environmental and socio-economic aspects in mind. the hotel is dedicated to achieving sustainable growth by maintaining a balance in the tourism operations of the hotel and the environment where the hotel is located. The hotel aims to, in the years to come, to rise and be recognised as one of the most hard working hotels in the planet that has the best interests of the planet at the core of its operations. References Coulson-Thomas, C. (2015). CSR Strategy: Width or Depth.Corporate Social Responsibility: An Actionable Business Agenda, New Delhi, IOD Publishing, 19th January, 54-59. Dodds, R., Joppe, M. (2017). The demand for, and participation in corporate social responsibility and sustainable tourismimplications for the Caribbean.ARA: Revista de Investigacin en Turismo,2(1). Fatma, M. (2016). The Impact of CSR on Consumer Responses in the Hospitality Industry: CSR and Consumer Responses. InCorporate Social Responsibility in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry(pp. 46-62). IGI Global. Ferus-Comelo, A. (2014). CSR as corporate self-reporting in India's tourism industry.Social Responsibility Journal,10(1), 53-67. Ferus-Comelo, A. (2014). CSR as corporate self-reporting in India's tourism industry.Social Responsibility Journal,10(1), 53-67. Hsieh, Y. C. (2012). Hotel companies' environmental policies and practices: a content analysis of their web pages.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,24(1), 97-121. Kaur, I. (2016). CSR in Hotel Industry in India. InCorporate Social Responsibility in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry(pp. 9-27). IGI Global. Kaur, S. (2016). CSR in Indian Tourism and Hospitality Industry: A Special Reference to Aviation and Hotel Industry and CSR Initiatives by Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Tourism. InCorporate Social Responsibility in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry(pp. 106-117). IGI Global. Kumar, R. (2014). Corporate Social Responsibility-A study on hotel industry.Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies,2(4). Mukherjee, R., Ghosh, I. (2014). Going Green: The New Strategy for nvironmental Sustainability and CSR in India.The International Journal of Business Management,2(2), 108. Shah, S. (2014). Corporate social responsibility: a way of life at the Tata Group.Journal of Human Values,20(1), 59-74. Shanti, J. (2016). A study on environmental sustainability practices of star hotels in Bangalore.Asian Journal of Business Ethics,5(1-2), 185-194. Tajhotels.com. (2017).CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) POLICY OF THE INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY LIMITED (IHCL). Retrieved 3 November 2017, from https://www.tajhotels.com/content/dam/thrp/investors/CSR-Policy-IHCL.pdf Verma, N. (2017). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India: Responsibility-Cum-Advantage.

Using Operant Conditioning to Increase Productivity Among Workers free essay sample

If I would be a manager of a large automobile factory, I would be interested in increasing the productivity among all workers. A good tool for this is Operant Conditioning. I would have 3 types of workers: white collar office employees, factory line workers, and quality control employees. I would use different techniques for each type. For quality control workers I would use punishment. If they didn’t notice a defect in the product that they were supposed to check, they would get a fine taken off their paycheque. I would use fixed ration scheduling for punishment, so that every mistake is noticed and punished. This will make them extra careful, and will increase the quality of the product on the market. This form of treatment – punishment – might make them angry. But they can’t express their anger on me because I’m their manager and I might fire them. So they will be angry with workers and will be checking product for defects with special passion. We will write a custom essay sample on Using Operant Conditioning to Increase Productivity Among Workers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For white-collar office employees and for factory line workers I would use Positive reinforcement. This technique will bring enthusiasm and optimism to workers, will create positive environment, and will increase their productivity. If I will reword workers for extra work done, or for being done the assignment before the due date, I will strengthen their motivation for work because it is followed by the presentation of reward (money added to the pay check). I would use variable ratio schedule for the rewords to be given out, meaning that on average I will reward every 5th outstanding achievement. I would not choose variable interval, because giving reward simply after a period of time wouldn’t bring the response as fast and efficient as I want.

Two Kinds of Homage

Two Kinds of Homage Two Kinds of Homage Two Kinds of Homage By Maeve Maddox Way back in elementary school when we learned about feudalism, we were told that the medieval vassal paid homage to his lord. My teachers pronounced the word homage: [hom-ij]. Note: Some English speakers don’t pronounce the h in this homage. When I became interested in movie criticism, I came across the word homage in connection with the practice of incorporating a name or a scene or a bit of dialogue from an old movie within a new production. When I read the word in my head, I pronounced it [hom-ij]. The first time I heard the pronunciation [oh-mazh] in an interview with someone from the film industry, I thought I was hearing a new word. I soon realized that when movie people talk about homage, they give it a French pronunciation. That’s when I realized that homage is a kind of heteronym. heteronym: A word having the same spelling as another, but a different sound and meaning. Both versions have to do with showing respect for someone or something, but the latter is used in the context of art. In general use, homage now means â€Å"acknowledgement of superiority in respect of rank, worth, beauty, or some other quality.† It’s usually used in the expression â€Å"to pay homage to.† The other kind of homage is â€Å"a work of art or entertainment which incorporates elements of style or content characteristic of another work, artist, or genre, as a means of paying affectionate tribute.† It can also refer to an example of such a tribute within a work. I noticed one in an episode of the television police drama Castle. The episode was presented as a frame story. The â€Å"frame† was the present day investigation. The story within the frame followed the usual Castle characters in a plot set in the 1930s. The homage [oh-mazh] reenacted a scene from the James Cagney movie Public Enemy (1931). See if you can tell which kind of homage is meant in the following examples from the Oxford English Dictionary: He must do homage to Philip for his lands in Normandy and Anjou, accept Philip as his overlord. Before leaving the mountains Picasso embarked on a major homage to El Greco. There is no country in which so absolute a homage is paid to wealth. That vice pays homage to virtue is notorious; we call this hypocrisy. Her first volume, however, was not the battle cry of a new poetry; it was a homage to Keats. This character is named after Humphrey Bogarts Fred Dobbs in the 1948 film, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but its an homage that doesnt appear to make much sense. Proust pens homages to such modern inventions as the railroad, the telephone, the airplane. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Beautiful and Ugly Words15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their SynonymsFew vs. Several

Health and social care media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health and social care media - Essay Example In addition to that, I will also identify and describe different techniques for presenting information in the media while analyzing how the different ways in which information is presented influences the attitudes and behavior of people. Furthermore, I will also explain the ways in which information may be used to influence the attitudes and behavior of people in relation to health and social care. In order for a message about health care and social change to reach the targeted audience media is used in many forms to accomplish this goal. Imagine for example the importance of television when it comes to launching a campaign about the care of terminally ill people. Or take for example, the campaign about raising money for health care issues such as solving the cancer problem for the children at Saint Luke's Hospital. In addition to using the TV other forms of media proved efficient when it came to raise awareness about the healthcare issues and the social changes. Such forms of media are print media which usually comes in forms of brochures, pamphlets, direct mail, books, etc. Radio media is again an important source of making people conscientious about health care issues and the social change. Less used are the outdoor forms of media such as billboards, although in some cases billboards are also used to raising awareness among people. Returning to the launching of print c... , first of all the launching of the campaign is meant to improve the ways in which advocacy about such health issues is used in order to better the patient's conditions. Furthermore, through the commission of the pocket guides the media who launched the campaigns hoped to "help hospital staff to understand better the needs of vulnerable older patients and their families and perhaps to appreciate more fully the importance of taking a person-centered approach." Additionally, the launching of the campaign had another purposed of raising awareness about the need for the people of 65 years of age or older to receive better quality care podiatric care in order to reduce the risk of falls, and the also meeting the needs and understanding the role of older careers. Regards the attitudes toward the health care issues such as depression, the launching of the campaign has promoted a "concept of 'successful ageing' developed at the Nuffield Institute for Health, the report calls for improved health and care services to improve older people's quality of life through meaningful activities, socializing and help in adjusting to loss." It is obvious that the launching of the campaign in forms of guides, pamphlets, brochures, etc has raised the awareness among the people about the health issues and the social change of the older people; not only it has raised the awareness, but through that I had proposed solutions to improving or eliminating the existing health care issues. In conclusion, we notices so far the information relevant to health and social care usually reach the public domain through some sort of campaign in which media is involved, The forms of media used, ad we have seen previously are TV, radio, and in the case that we studied print media had prove to be the most

Christopher marlowe, doctor faustus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Christopher marlowe, doctor faustus - Essay Example The use of typical Biblical jargon and tone can be witnessed in the words delivered by both the speakers. Dr. Faustus looks ambitious for embracing the satanic path for twenty four years of his life, where he could be in a position to dominate over others with the help of the evil magic bestowed upon him by Lucifer through his servant Mephistopheles. The author has skilfully thrown light on the intensity of lust and unabated series of desires for the achievement of power, pelf, possession, prestige and pecuniary gains in life, and appears to be unaware of the silent arrival of the death at last. Since Faustus belongs to the lower stratum of society, as the Chorus narrates, he seems to be in a hurry to acquire finances and status immediately by using unfair and even devilish means. Here, the language of the play again points out the spiritual message delivered by Marlowe that this mortal world would certainly end within a jiffy; so running amuck chasing materialistic objects may pave the way towards the horrible trench of curse, humiliation and mortification at last. Thus, Faustus is unable to apply foresightedness and declares hell as Elysium for him. (Line 63) The dialogue between Dr. Faustus and Mephistopheles emphasises upon the very fact that Marlowe maintained unflinching belief in monotheism and unconditional complying with the commandments of the Lord. It is therefore his protagonist admits that the eternal place of the atheist philosophers is not other than the ditch of inferno, where Dr. Faustus would remain forever in the company of the rebels of Almighty God. (Lines 64-67) Hence, Marlowe has applied the same sonorous tone used by John Milton, in the speech made by Satan while addressing his comrades, in his famous Paradise Lost. Thus, the distinguished playwright has pointed out towards the very reality that the rebel angels do never feel shy of their disobedience and rebellion they have raised against the all-Powerful out of the sheer jealousy and m alice for Adam. Consequently, they were tossed in the inferno headlong and still abide by there out of their consent. (Lines 77-78) Marlowe partly admires the steadfastness of the rebel angels which look engaged in enticing the innocent children of Adam and Eve out of their grudge for their first parents. Since the servants of Beelzebub consider it a war against the supremacy of man over them, they display their reverence for the cause of rebellion. It is therefore Mephistopheles prefers Lucifer’s service to the every blessings and bounties offered to him by the Lord. (Lines 79-82) To conclude, it becomes crystal clear that Marlowe has applied philosophical and intellectual language in the Biblical style while depicting the dialogue under examination. On the one side he looks condemning and censuring Dr. Faustus for his obnoxious decision of embracing satanic ways to join the devils in hell, and on the other side he seems to be encouraging and supporting the Lucifer junta for sticking to their cause forever and ever by refuting all rewards and bounties offered by the Lord to the pious and obedient at large. Bibliography Marlowe, Christopher (1592/1994) A Tragic history of Dr. Faustus Dover

Environmental Management System of Starbucks Coffee

Environmental Management System of Starbucks Coffee Background of the company Starbucks Coffee is the number one purveyor of coffee in the world. Starbucks Coffee is an American global coffee company and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Moreover, Starbucks Company is the largest coffeehouse company in the world ahead of Costa Coffee, with 20,737 stores worldwide. Howard Schultz, the Chairman and CEO of Starbucks . With what stated above, Howard is actually trying to make Starbucks a second home in our daily lives. That is why, they are trying to bring ‘family’ into the picture whereby people of all ages can come to Starbucks and enjoy themselves. Starbucks started their first store in 1971 opened in Seattle, Washington. Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker got the idea from Alfred Peet of opening Starbucks coffee store. Starbucks is now introducing a healthier option of food and drinks for children. Therefore, working parents can now enjoy their cup of coffee while doing their work without worrying about what food and drinks t heir children can consume. Furthermore, with a family concept it too can build a closer relationship between families. Introduction to the services / products of the company Starbucks is very particular about meeting all their customers’ needs. The environment of their outlet is well equipped from friendly staff, a comfy place to relax to enjoy a good cup of coffee with your loved ones and not to mention good Wi-Fi. Thus, working parents can come to Starbucks and do their work without feeling stressed out. All in all, Starbucks is the perfect place for families to dine in. In addition, Starbucks serve both hot and cold beverages, whole-bean coffee, micro-ground instant coffee, full-leaf teas and also snacks. Most Starbucks stores also sell pre-packaged food items, hot and cold sandwiches, and items such as mugs and tumblers. Since 1987, Starbucks had opened an average of two new stores every day and had been profitable as local company in early 1980s. In addition the store initially sold just coffee beans and coffee making equipment rather than the drinks they had become famous nowadays. Starbucks is also famous for having good services and serve good quality of coffee. Moreover, Starbucks also introduced the new drive-thru concept stores with consistency in kind so that customers have the option to enjoy their favorite coffee on the go, or at the store should they prefer to stretch their legs and relax. Identification of the potential environmental impacts that maybe caused by the services / products of the company. (10marks) Overall, Starbucks Coffee is recognized by many environmental associations for their endless contribution as a â€Å"Green† company. Throughout the process of growing, processing and transporting the coffee beans, Starbucks Coffee has been in support of environmentally-sound coffee growing practices and to ensure the sustainability of its product supply. Starbucks Coffee strives to reduce their environmental impact through some initiatives targeting issues like recycle, reuse, waste reduction as well as education partners and consumers. However, there are some negative environmental impacts that are caused by the services and products of Starbucks Coffee. Firstly, based on the Starbucks 2007 CSR Annual Report, each Starbucks Coffee store uses 6.78kW/h of electricity, 0.058 thermos of natural gas, and 25 gallons of water, on average, per square foot per month (Saed, 2009). The most serious environmental impact is water wastage. Recently, Starbucks Coffee is criticized by environmental experts for wasting 23.4 million liters of water per day caused by running taps at its nearly 10,000 outlets worldwide (Saed, 2009). The wastage of water is a threat to the environment and wildlife as the tap water is sourced from rivers and underground water. Since coffees are brewed and served to customers in packaging like paper cups, undoubtedly another inevitable wastage of Starbucks Coffee is its coffee cups. It is estimated that the company produces more than 2 billion paper cups per year (Mother Nature Network Holding Company, 2010). Since Starbucks Coffee uses disposable paper cups made of 10% recycled paper fiber and 90% new paper, enormous quantity of natural resources like trees, water and energy are required for the processing of the paper cups. In addition to that, the company’s paper cups are laminated with plastic resin lining, thus are unable to be recycled. After consuming their coffees, the paper cups are highly likely to end up in a landfill in which decomposing of the paper cups occurs. This will result in the release of methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas with 23 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide (Saed, 2009). Emission of this greenhouse gas causes greenhouse effect which will lead to global wa rming. Although Starbucks Coffee is encouraging customers to bring in their own reusable cups and enjoy a 10% discount by doing so, more initiative is needed to motivate customers to be more environmental-friendly. The company’s environmental management system. There are five environmental management system that have been implement by Starbuck Company are building greener stores, recycling reducing waste, Starbucks recycling infrastructure, reducing waste with reusable Cups and water conservation. First Starbuck build greener stores. Starbuck is a store that having LEED ® Certified Stores. They have created environmental awareness on a global scale since from the design stage right through to construction and operations. Besides that, Starbuck also pay attention in energy conservation renewable energy, they have pay attention and committed to reducing the quantity of using energy and also supporting new, renewable solutions and prefer to use the energy in the green way. Second, recycling and reducing waste. Starbuck company said that they have 39% of their retail stores in USA AND Canada were able to offer front of store recycling and 71% of coffee were able to recycle and be a fertilizer. Starbuck also working with Paper Recovery Alliance to increase acceptance of their materials while customize their recycling program to accommodate varying regional requirements as much as possible. Besides that, in 2013 Starbuck have 80%(more than 3,200) of their stores in USA and Canada have recycled cardboard boxes and other back-of-store items. Starbuck Company also encourage their customers to find out if their packaging is recyclable in their neighbourhoods at Earth 911. Third, Starbuck recycling infrastructure. Starbuck Company proves that the cups that they are using can be accepted as a valuable raw material in a variety of recycling systems. Starbuck also working and collaboration as a member of the Foodservice Packaging Institute’s Paper Recovery Alliance and the Plastics Recovery Group to find and bring up solutions to scale and address common challenges. Fourth, reducing waste with reusable cups. Reusable cups are an important component for Starbuck Company in the waste reduction strategy. Since 1985 Starbuck rewarded customer with 5% discounts that bring their personal tumblers and 5% of the beverages made in their stores in tumblers and brought in by their customers. I felt that this is the effective way to encourage people to involve in recycling.      Lastly, water conservation. In 2008, Starbuck Company has set a goal to reduce water consumption by 25% in 2015. Since then, they have identified a number of opportunities to use this precious resource more wisely and spent the last few years testing and validating these solutions. They have cut water consumption by 21.1% through several measures, including the use of efficient fixtures and equipment that actively monitors consumption to identify spikes in water usage and taking action and upgrading the water filtration systems in their stores to take care and protect about the cleanness of river and streams. Starbuck Company have also dominate water extends to water consumption, protection and serving clean water in coffee-growing communities. Through C.A.F.E. Practices and the resources, Agronomists of Starbuck Company have provide coffee farmers at their six farmer support centers around the world, Starbuck Company help increase their yield and quality, while still reducing the water usage for coffee processing and ensuring workers have access clean drinking water to provide customers a good and clean coffee. What are Starbuck doing now are managing water that can be seen â€Å"going down the drain† provides one set of challenges, but much of their water footprint happens behind the scenes. Leaks can develop below floors, outside in sprinkler systems, even in toilets. To combat these invisible enemy, Starbucks Energy and Resource Conservation team uses advanced analytics to identify stores that are using excessive amounts of water. Facilities experts will visit the stores that are using excessive amounts of water to diagnose and rectify aberrant. This practice has relief in excessive water use. The company objectives whether it complies with SMART approach in EMS. The Starbucks Company has complied with SMART approach in EMS. The company has specific target to address, measurable target with showing percentage, achievable target, realistic with showing how they achieve the target, and time-bound. The Starbucks Company is searching the ways to reduce environmental footprint, tackle climate change and stimulate others to do the same. The company have specific target to achieve their objectives such as reducing and recycling waste, energy conservation, water conservation, and building greener stores. For the specific target of reducing and recycling waste, the Starbucks Company has a measurable plan that to have recycling available in all of their stores and serve 5% of beverages in reusable cups by 2015. The target is achievable and realistic because the Starbucks Company offered a 10-cent discount for customer in order to encourage customers to use reusable tumblers or mugs for their beverage in the US and Canada. Furthermore, the customers who drink hot beverage in store are served with ceramic mugs. Besides, cardboard boxes, milk jugs, syrup bottles, and coffee grounds which can be found behind the counter are sent to recycling services but recycling success depends on the obtainability of commercial recycling services where the store is located. Another specific target is energy conservation, time-bound is year 2015, the Starbucks Company has measurable target that commit to reduce 25% of energy consumption and to cover 100% electricity consumption with renewable energy. The target is achievable and realistic because the company has made substantial progress in developing and understanding new approaches to reduce energy consumption in the last few years and continue to find additional renewable solutions. Furthermore, the specific target of water conservation, the Starbucks Company commit to reduce 25% water usage in all their stores by 2015. The target is achievable and realistic because the company has changed continuous streams of water to manual faucets, and clean blender jugs using a blast of higher pressure water instead of open tap. Besides, the company also plans to install efficient water fixtures, such as toilets, spray heads used to rinse dishes, and low-flow faucets in new stores. Alternative ways to improve environmental performance of the company beside the approach stated in company policy. Recycling and reducing waste About the cup being used, there are many ways to reduce the cup waste through encourage customer to use ceramic mug. Offer discount for using ceramic mug and their own cup instead of only their Starbuck brand cup. When staff giving order, may ask customer for using ceramic mug if they are having their coffee in the shop. Use ceramic mug also for customers when request for water, reduce the use of paper and plastic cup possible. In addition, customer environmental awareness is important too, not provide paper tissue in self-counter which customer use extravagance, is only provided one to two tissue for them when purchasing one drink. Energy conservation Energy play an important role in a coffee shop, from roasting coffee to the whole shop, it use energy. However to reduce the use of energy is difficulty, even the LED lighting was installed, but it just reduce not much percent. There is a way to reduce one of the use of energy which is HVAC system: heating, ventilation, cooling. It could consider landscaping the outdoor environment, put some comfortable furniture at outdoor, have a cover and more plant to make it a cool place and good ventilation. If customer prefer have drink at outside rather than indoor, thus it could save more facilities provided. Water conservation Water is everything for the Starbuck’s business, from the making beverages until the cleaning job, all about the water. A small wisdom of life for cleaning, we can use the water in a useful way which use more than one. For example, use the water to flush toilet after wash the vegetables and fruits, and after mop the indoor would use the water to flush the outdoor. Moreover, there are many save water technique offer in the market. In the market, there is a save water toilet which only flush 1.5 liter water once instead of normal 3 liter water, it save 50% of water in normal toilet use. In order to save water, sensory faucet would also consider to use for customer and staff, it will come out right amount water for wash hand. Tackling climate change Currently Starbucks’s coffee-growing communities in Sumatra, Indonesia, and Chiapas, Mexico, however there are many Starbucks store in different countries. In other means, there is a high cost for transfer the coffee bean to each country which only from certain coffee-growing communities, it also consume a lot of fuel. Fuel is precious naturals mineral, one day there will be exhausted. There is a way to reduce the use of fuel which is develop more coffee-growing communities in different countries so that coffee bean can get in local and not transfer from other place, it also benefit to reduce cost of the beverage. References Mother Nature Network Holding Company (2010). Starbucks and the Environment. Retrieved on November 22, 2014 from: http://www.mnn.com/money/sustainable-business-practices/stories/starbucks-and-the-environment Saed, T. (2009). The Impact of One Cup of Starbucks Coffee. Retrieved on November 22, 2014 from: http://globalcitizens.pbworks.com/w/page/9036435/The%20Impact%20of%20One%20Cup%20of%20Starbucks%20Coffee Taylor,B. Kelly,J. (2013)Global Responsibility Report Goals Progress 2013. Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/global-report. Starbucks Corporation. (2014). Environmental Stewardship. Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com.my/responsibility/environment.

About Going to School Essay

As young Americans living in the 21st century, we have many options when it comes to what we want to do after we graduate high school. Many choose to go to college and earn a degree while others choose to go straight to work or join the military. While all are very good choices for the young men and women who choose each path, some might be more rewarding than others. Earning a degree is something I think all young adults should do regardless of which path they choose; it brings much more economic security, many more job opportunities, and, in most cases, a broader understanding of the world and how it works. One of the first major reasons for my believing this is the economic benefits of the college degree. As we all know, we have been in economic downturn for the past several years, and one study in 2008 found that this was due to a lack of college degrees, or partially at any rate. â€Å"One of the biggest developments in this year’s report is the strength of the relationship between higher education and the economy,† said Dewayne Matthews, Lumina’s vice president for policy and strategy. â€Å"People are beginning to understand that job growth is a structural issue, and that higher education is the key to economic growth. (UPI Top New, 2010) See more: My Writing Process Essay As you can tell, there is a correlation between what our economy does and the education that we, as Americans, receive after we leave high school and start to enter the real world. It is saying that the American economy cannot survive with employees that have limited knowledge and education. This is not to say that those who do not go to college do not contribute to society however there is an extremely important need for an educated populous to pull us out of this economic deficit. The opportunities for person to find a well paying job are exponentially increased upon receiving a degree from an accredited college or university. â€Å"America needs more workers with college degrees, certificates and industry certifications. † (Arabia 2000, 2010) This quote indicates another point I am trying to make: The employers in America simply cannot find the people they need to fill the jobs that require higher education and training. It used to be that you didn’t need a degree to get a job, sure it helped, but you didn’t have to have it. Well in today’s society it’s practically a requirement and the trend seems to only be growing. If this is the case, wouldn’t you want to arm yourself with as much education and prowess before meeting with employers who won’t consider your application if you do not have a degree attached to it? The answer is yes, you are more likely to get a job over someone if you have a degree and they do not. There is a correlation between jobs and degrees, and the article â€Å"Help Wanted: Projecting Jobs and Education Requirements through 2018† (Arabia 2000, 2010) indicates that this relation is growing closer and even estimates that 63% of all jobs will require some type of post-secondary degree by the year 2018. As you can see, there is substantial evidence leaning towards employers needing a degree, specifically the ones that will allow you to live in a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Instead of exercising the appropriate mental muscles, we’re allowing ourselves to become a nation of nitwits, obsessed with the comings and goings of Lindsay Lohan and increasingly oblivious to crucially important societal issues that are all but screaming for attention. What should we be doing about the legions of jobless Americans, the deteriorating public schools, the debilitating wars, the scandalous economic inequality, the corporate hold on governmental affairs, the commercialization of the arts, the deficits? † (Guelph Mercury (ON, 2010) this seems rather harsh, but it speaks some truth. There seems to be a lot of Americans these days not contributing anything but TV ratings to society. It’s not a very pretty picture to paint of our country, but the author is saying that our world view is extremely limited and higher education helps broaden that. Going to college is a unique experience in its own, going off on your own, being independent and everything that comes with it. But what about the education you are receiving, when you receive a college education you receive the social responsibility as a global citizen to help us advance as a society. Through your college experiences you are obtaining the tools to go out and change the world, to be a responsible global citizen and to change the way things are going in this country. By not obtaining higher education you are sitting by and watching as the world zooms passed and doesn’t even glance your way. For those who choose to go to work or the military instead of college first, there are still options for you to earn a degree and become successful and earn a higher pay and better job. If you attended a career center and decided to go straight to work, you can and should pursue a degree in the field that you trained in, some jobs might even pay for you to go and getting more training in order to have you as a strong asset in the future. Other companies might even pay towards your student loans after graduating college. New Hampshire has a program called â€Å"Stay Work Play† (Work-Life Newsbrief & Trend Report, 2009) that uses incentives for companies to keep jobs in the state by paying $8,000 towards your college loans and get you to work for them. As for the military, you have the option to go to college for free. The GI Bill of Rights (FDCH Congressional Testimony, 2010) was created at the end of World War II and contains a provision to help pay for servicemen and women to attend college. This give you the option to earn a degree and still serve your country, and get a high pay and maybe earn a higher status in the military by having a degree that helps you perform a job for them. There are thousands of opportunities awaiting you when you start your journey after earning a high school diploma, as you can see. Living in this current economy is not a fun experience and the more money you can make helps not only you but it helps the economy start to thrive again. You have the opportunity to prove the nay-sayers in the world wrong, and help change the world and become an effective global citizen. For those who don’t think they should earn a degree or think they can’t because they chose to go into the military or work, you can still do it! In this day and age we all need an edge in order to get anywhere and succeed, empower yourself to become the successful young man or woman you know you can be and get a degree.

The Golden Lily Chapter 1

MOST PEOPLE WOULD FIND being led into an underground bunker on a stormy night scary. Not me. Things I could explain away and define with data didn't frighten me. That was why I kept silently reciting facts to myself as I descended deeper and deeper below street level. The bunker was a relic of the Cold War, built as protection in a time when people thought nuclear missiles were around every corner. On the surface, the building claimed to house an optical supply store. That was a front. Not scary at all. And the storm? Simply a natural phenomenon of atmospheric fronts clashing. And really, if you were going to worry about getting hurt in a storm, then going underground was actually pretty smart. So, no. This seemingly ominous journey didn't frighten me in the least. Everything was built on reasonable facts and logic. I could deal with that. It was the rest of my job I had a problem with. And really, maybe that was why stormy underground trips didn't faze me. When you spent most of your days living among vampires and half vampires, ferrying them to get blood, and keeping their existence secret from the rest of the world†¦ well, it kind of gave you a unique perspective on life. I'd witnessed bloody vampire battles and seen magical feats that defied every law of physics I knew. My life was a constant struggle to hold back my terror of the unexplainable and try desperately to find a way to explain it. â€Å"Watch your step,† my guide told me as we went down yet another flight of concrete stairs. Everything I'd seen so far was concrete – the walls, floor, and ceiling. The gray, rough surface absorbed the fluorescent light that attempted to illuminate our way. It was dreary and cold, eerie in its stillness. The guide seemed to guess my thoughts. â€Å"We've made modifications and expansions since this was originally built. You'll see once we reach the main section.† Sure enough. The stairs finally opened up to a corridor with several closed doors lining the sides. The decor was still concrete, but all the doors were modern, with electronic locks displaying either red or green lights. He led me to the second door on the right, one with a green light, and I found myself entering a perfectly normal lounge, like the kind of break room you'd find in any modern office. Green carpet covered the floor, like some wistful attempt at grass, and the walls were a tan that gave the illusion of warmth. A puffy couch and two chairs sat on the opposite side of the room, along wit h a table scattered with magazines. Best of all, the room had a counter with a sink – and a coffee maker. â€Å"Make yourself at home,† my guide told me. I was guessing he was close to my age, eighteen, but his patchy attempts at growing a beard made him seem younger. â€Å"They'll come for you shortly.† My eyes had never left the coffee maker. â€Å"Can I make some coffee?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Whatever you like.† He left, and I practically ran to the counter. The coffee was pre-ground and looked as though it might very well have been here since the Cold War as well. As long as it was caffeinated, I didn't care. I'd taken a red-eye flight from California, and even with part of the day to recover, I still felt sleepy and bleary-eyed. I set the coffee maker going and then paced the room. The magazines were in haphazard piles, so I straightened them into neat stacks. I couldn't stand disorder. I sat on the couch and waited for the coffee, wondering yet again what this meeting could be about. I'd spent a good part of my afternoon here in Virginia reporting to a couple of Alchemist officials about the status of my current assignment. I was living in Palm Springs, pretending to be a senior at a private boarding school in order to keep an eye on Jill Mastrano Dragomir, a vampire princess forced into hiding. Keeping her alive meant keeping her people out of civil war – something that would definitely tip humans off to the supernatural world that lurked beneath the surface of modern life. It was a vital mission for the Alchemists, so I wasn't entirely surprised they'd want an update. What surprised me was that they couldn't have just done it over the phone. I couldn't figure out what other reason would bring me to this facility. The coffee maker finished. I'd only set it to make three cups, which would probably be enough to get me through the evening. I'd just filled my Styrofoam cup when the door opened. A man entered, and I nearly dropped the coffee. â€Å"Mr. Darnell,† I said, setting the pot back on the burner. My hands trembled. â€Å"It – it's nice to see you again, sir.† â€Å"You too, Sydney,† he said, forcing a stiff smile. â€Å"You've certainly grown up.† â€Å"Thank you, sir,† I said, unsure if that was a compliment. Tom Darnell was my father's age and had brown hair laced with silver. There were more lines in his face since the last time I'd seen him, and his blue eyes had an uneasy look that I didn't usually associate with him. Tom Darnell was a high-ranking official among the Alchemists and had earned his position through decisive action and a fierce work ethic. He'd always seemed larger than life when I was younger, fiercely confident and aweinspiring. Now, he seemed to be afraid of me, which made no sense. Wasn't he angry? After all, I was the one responsible for his son being arrested and locked away by the Alchemists. â€Å"I appreciate you coming all the way out here,† he added, once a few moments of awkward silence had passed. â€Å"I know it's a long round-trip, especially on a weekend.† â€Å"It's no problem at all, sir,† I said, hoping I sounded confident. â€Å"I'm happy to help with†¦ whatever you need.† I still wondered what exactly that could be. He studied me for a few seconds and gave a curt nod. â€Å"You're very dedicated,† he said. â€Å"Just like your father.† I made no response. I knew that comment had been intended as a compliment, but I didn't really take it that way. Tom cleared his throat. â€Å"Well, then. Let's get this out of the way. I really don't want to inconvenience you any more than is necessary.† Again, I got that nervous, deferential vibe. Why would he be so conscientious of my feelings? After what I'd done to his son, Keith, I would've expected rage or accusations. Tom opened the door for me and gestured me through. â€Å"Can I bring my coffee, sir?† â€Å"Of course.† He took me back into the concrete corridor, toward more of the closed doors. I clutched my coffee like a security blanket, far more frightened than I'd been when first entering this place. Tom came to a stop a few doors down, in front of one with a red light, but hesitated before opening it. â€Å"I want you to know†¦ that what you did was incredibly brave,† he said, not meeting my eyes. â€Å"I know you and Keith were – are – friends, and it couldn't have been easy to turn him in. It shows just how committed you are to our work – something that's not always easy when personal feelings are involved.† Keith and I weren't friends now or then, but I supposed I could understand Tom's mistake. Keith had lived with my family for a summer, and later, he and I had worked together in Palm Springs. Turning him in for his crimes hadn't been difficult for me at all. I'd actually enjoyed it. Seeing the stricken look on Tom's face, though, I knew I couldn't say anything like that. I swallowed. â€Å"Well. Our work is important, sir.† He gave me a sad smile. â€Å"Yes. It certainly is.† The door had a security keypad. Tom punched in a series of about ten digits, and the lock clicked in acceptance. He pushed the door open, and I followed him inside. The stark room was dimly lit and had three other people in it, so I didn't initially notice what else the room contained. I knew immediately that the others were Alchemists. There was no other reason they'd be in this place otherwise. And, of course, they possessed the telltale signs that would have identified them to me even on a busy street. Business attire in nondescript colors. Golden lily tattoos shining on their left cheeks. It was part of the uniformity we all shared. We were a secret army, lurking in the shadows of our fellow humans. The three of them were all holding clipboards and staring at one of the walls. That was when I noticed what this room's purpose was. A window in the wall looked through to another room, one much more brightly lit than this one. And Keith Darnell was in that room. He darted up to the glass separating us and began beating on it. My heart raced, and I took a few frightened steps back, certain he was coming after me. It took me a moment to realize he couldn't actually see me. I relaxed slightly. Very slightly. The window was a oneway mirror. He pressed his hands to the glass, glancing frantically back and forth at the faces he knew were there but couldn't see. â€Å"Please, please,† he cried. â€Å"Let me out. Please let me out of here.† Keith looked a little scragglier than the last time I'd seen him. His hair was unkempt and appeared as though it hadn't been cut in our month apart. He wore a plain gray jumpsuit, the kind you saw on prisoners or mental patients, that reminded me of the concrete in the hall. Most noticeable of all was the desperate, terrified look in his eyes – or rather, eye. Keith had lost one of his eyes in a vampire attack that I had secretly helped orchestrate. None of the Alchemists knew about it, just as none of them knew about how Keith had raped my older sister Carly. I doubted Tom Darnell would've praised me for my â€Å"dedication† if he'd known about my sideline revenge act. Seeing the state Keith was in now, I felt a little bad for him – and especially bad for Tom, whose face was filled with raw pain. I still didn't feel bad about what I'd done to Keith, however. Not the arrest or the eye. Put simply, Keith Darnell was a bad person. â€Å"I'm sure you recognize Keith,† said one of the Alchemists with a clipboard. Her gray hair was wound into a tight, neat bun. â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† I said. I was saved from any other response when Keith beat at the glass with renewed fury. â€Å"Please! I'm serious! Whatever you want. I'll do anything. I'll say anything. I'll believe anything. Just please don't send me back there!† Both Tom and I flinched, but the other Alchemists watched with clinical detachment and scrawled a few notes on their clipboards. The bun woman glanced back up at me as though there'd been no interruption. â€Å"Young Mr. Darnell has been spending some time in one of our Re-education Centers. An unfortunate action – but a necessary one. His trafficking in illicit goods was certainly bad, but his collaboration with vampires is unforgiveable. Although he claims to have no attachment to them†¦ well, we really can't be certain. Even if he is telling the truth, there's also the possibility that this transgression might expand into something more – not just a collaboration with the Moroi, but also the Strigoi. Doing what we've done keeps him from that slippery slope.† â€Å"It's really for his own good,† said the third clipboard-wielding Alchemist. â€Å"We're doing him a favor.† A sense of horror swept over me. The whole point of the Alchemists was to keep the existence of vampires secret from humans. We believed vampires were unnatural creatures who should have nothing to do with humans like us. What was a particular concern were the Strigoi – evil, killer vampires – who could lure humans into servitude with promises of immortality. Even the peaceful Moroi and their half human counterparts, the dhampirs, were regarded with suspicion. We worked with those latter two groups a lot, and even though we'd been taught to regard them with disdain, it was an inevitable fact that some Alchemists not only grew close to Moroi and dhampirs†¦ but actually started to like them. The crazy thing was – despite his crime of selling vampire blood – Keith was one of the last people I'd think of when it came to getting too friendly with vampires. He'd made his dislike of them perfectly obvious to me a number of times. Really, if anyone deserved to be accused of attachment to vampires†¦ †¦ well, it would be me. One of the other Alchemists, a man with mirrored sunglasses hanging artfully off his collar, took up the lecture. â€Å"You, Miss Sage, have been a remarkable example of someone able to work extensively with them and keep your objectivity. Your dedication has not gone unnoticed by those above us.† â€Å"Thank you, sir,† I said uneasily, wondering how many times I'd hear â€Å"dedication† brought up tonight. This was a far cry from a few months ago, when I'd gotten in trouble for helping a dhampir fugitive escape. She'd later been proven innocent, and my involvement had been written off as â€Å"career ambition.† â€Å"And,† continued Sunglasses, â€Å"considering your experience with Mr. Darnell, we thought you would be an excellent person to give us a statement.† I turned my attention back at Keith. He'd been pounding and shouting pretty much nonstop this whole time. The others had managed to ignore him, so I tried as well. â€Å"A statement on what, sir?† â€Å"We're considering whether or not to return him to Re-education,† explained Gray Bun. â€Å"He's made excellent progress there, but some feel it's best to be safe and make sure any chance of vampire attachment is eradicated.† If Keith's current behavior was â€Å"excellent progress,† I couldn't imagine what poor progress looked like. Sunglasses readied his pen over his clipboard. â€Å"Based on what you witnessed in Palm Springs, Miss Sage, what is your opinion of Mr. Darnell's state of mind when it comes to vampires? Was the bonding you witnessed severe enough to warrant further precautionary measures?† Presumably, â€Å"further precautionary measures† meant more Re-education. While Keith continued to bang away, all eyes in my room were on me. The clipboard Alchemists looked thoughtful and curious. Tom Darnell was visibly sweating, watching me with fear and anticipation. I supposed it was understandable. I held his son's fate in my hands. Conflicting emotions warred within me as I regarded Keith. I didn't just dislike him – I hated him. And I didn't hate many people. I couldn't forget what he'd done to Carly. Likewise, the memories of what he'd done to others and me in Palm Springs were still fresh in my mind. He'd slandered me and made my life miserable in an effort to cover up his blood scam. He'd also horribly treated the vampires and dhampirs we were in charge of looking after. It made me question who the real monsters were. I didn't know exactly what happened at Re-education Centers. Judging from Keith's reaction, it was probably pretty bad. There was a part of me that would have loved to tell the Alchemists to send him back there for years and never let him see the light of day. His crimes deserved severe punishment – and yet, I wasn't sure they deserved this particular punishment. â€Å"I think†¦ I think Keith Darnell is corrupt,† I said at last. â€Å"He's selfish and immoral. He has no concern for others and hurts people to further his own ends. He's willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get what he wants.† I hesitated before continuing. â€Å"But†¦ I don't think he's been blinded to what vampires are. I don't think he's too close to them or in danger of falling in with them in the future. That being said, I also don't think he should be allowed to do Alchemist work for the foreseeable future. Whether that would mean locking him up or just putting him on probation is up to you. His past actions show he doesn't take our missions seriously, but that's because of selfishness. Not because of an unnatural attachment to them. He†¦ well, to be blunt, is just a bad person.† Silence met me, save for the frantic scrawling of pens as the clipboard Alchemists made their notes. I dared a glance at Tom, afraid of what I'd see after completely trashing his son. To my astonishment, Tom looked†¦ relieved. And grateful. In fact, he seemed on the verge of tears. Catching my eye, he mouthed, Thank you. Amazing. I had just proclaimed Keith to be a horrible human being in every way possible. But none of that mattered to his father, so long as I didn't accuse Keith of being in league with vampires. I could've called Keith a murderer, and Tom would have probably still been grateful if it meant Keith wasn't chummy with the enemy. It bothered me and again made me wonder who the real monsters were in all of this. The group I'd left back in Palm Springs was a hundred times more moral than Keith. â€Å"Thank you, Miss Sage,† said Gray Bun, finishing up her notes. â€Å"You've been extremely helpful, and we'll take this into consideration as we make our decision. You may go now. If you step into the hall, you'll find Zeke waiting to take you out.† It was an abrupt dismissal, but that was typical of Alchemists. Efficient. To the point. I gave a polite nod of farewell and one last glance at Keith before opening the door. As soon as it shut behind me, I found the hallway mercifully silent. I could no longer hear Keith. Zeke, as it turned out, was the Alchemist who had originally led me in. â€Å"All set?† he asked. â€Å"So it seems,† I said, still a bit stunned over what had just taken place. I knew now that my earlier debriefing on the Palm Springs situation had simply been a convenience for the Alchemists. I'd been in the area, so why not have an in-person meeting? It hadn't been essential. This – seeing Keith – had been the real purpose of my cross-country trip. As we walked back down the hallway, something caught my attention that I hadn't noticed before. One of the doors had a fair amount of security on it – more so than the room I'd just been in. Along with the lights and keypad, there was also a card reader. At the top of the door was a deadbolt that locked from outside. Nothing fancy, but it was clearly meant to keep whatever was behind the door inside. I stopped in spite of myself and studied the door for a few moments. Then, I kept walking, knowing better than to say anything. Good Alchemists didn't ask questions. Zeke, seeing my gaze, came to a halt. He glanced at me, then the door, and then back at me. â€Å"Do you want†¦ do you want to see what's in there?† His eyes darted quickly to the door we'd emerged from. He was low-ranking, I knew, and clearly feared getting in trouble with the others. At the same time, there was an eagerness that suggested he was excited about the secrets he kept, secrets he couldn't share with others. I was a safe outlet. â€Å"I guess it depends on what's in there,† I said. â€Å"It's the reason for what we do,† he said mysteriously. â€Å"Take a look, and you'll understand why our goals are so important.† Deciding to risk it, he flashed a card over the reader and then punched in another long code. A light on the door turned green, and he slid open the deadbolt. I'd half-expected another dim room, but the light was so bright inside, it almost hurt my eyes. I put a hand up to my forehead to shield myself. â€Å"It's a type of light therapy,† Zeke explained apologetically. â€Å"You know how people in cloudy regions have sun lamps? Same kind of rays. The hope is that it'll make people like him a little more human again – or at least discourage them from thinking they're Strigoi.† At first, I was too dazzled to figure out what he meant. Then, across the empty room, I saw a jail cell. Large metal bars covered the entrance, which was locked with another card reader and keypad. It seemed like overkill when I caught sight of the man inside. He was older than me, mid-twenties if I had to guess, and had a disheveled appearance that made Keith look neat and tidy. The man was gaunt and curled up in a corner, arms draped over his eyes against the light. He wore handcuffs and feet cuffs and clearly wasn't going anywhere. At our entrance, he dared a peek at us and then uncovered more of his face. A chill ran through me. The man was human, but his expression was as cold and evil as any Strigoi I'd ever seen. His gray eyes were predatory. Emotionless, like the kinds of murderers who had no sense of empathy for other people. â€Å"Have you brought me dinner?† he asked in a raspy voice that had to be faked. â€Å"A nice young girl, I see. Skinnier than I'd like, but I'm sure her blood is still succulent.† â€Å"Liam,† said Zeke with a weary patience. â€Å"You know where your dinner is.† He pointed to an untouched tray of food in the cell that looked like it had gone cold long ago. Chicken nuggets, green beans, and a sugar cookie. â€Å"He almost never eats anything,† Zeke explained to me. â€Å"It's why he's so thin. Keeps insisting on blood.† â€Å"What†¦ what is he?† I asked, unable to take my eyes off of Liam. It was a silly question, of course. Liam was clearly human, and yet†¦ there was something about him that wasn't right. â€Å"A corrupt soul who wants to be Strigoi,† said Zeke. â€Å"Some guardians found him serving those monsters and delivered him to us. We've tried to rehabilitate him but with no luck. He keeps going on and on about how great the Strigoi are and how he'll get back to them one day and make us pay. In the meantime, he does his best to pretend he's one of them.† â€Å"Oh,† said Liam, with a sly smile, â€Å"I will be one of them. They will reward my loyalty and suffering. They will awaken me, and I will become powerful beyond your miniscule mortal dreams. I will live forever and come for you – all of you. I will feast on your blood and savor every drop. You Alchemists pull your strings and think you control everything. You delude yourselves. You control nothing. You are nothing.† â€Å"See?† said Zeke, shaking his head. â€Å"Pathetic. And yet, this is what could happen if we didn't do the job we did. Other humans could become like him – selling their souls for the hollow promise of immortality.† He made the Alchemist sign against evil, a small cross on his shoulder, and I found myself echoing it. â€Å"I don't like being in here, but sometimes†¦ sometimes it's a good reminder of why we have to keep the Moroi and the others in the shadows. Of why we can't let ourselves be taken in by them.† I knew in the back of my mind that there was a huge difference in the way Moroi and Strigoi interacted with humans. Still, I couldn't formulate any arguments while in front of Liam. He had me too dumbstruck – and afraid. It was easy to believe every word the Alchemists said. This was what we were fighting against. This was the nightmare we couldn't allow to happen. I didn't know what to say, but Zeke didn't seem to expect much. â€Å"Come on. Let's go.† To Liam, he added, â€Å"And you'd better eat that food because you aren't getting any more until morning. I don't care how cold and hard it is.† Liam's eyes narrowed. â€Å"What do I care about human food when soon I'll be drinking the nectar of the gods? Your blood will be warm on my lips, yours and your pretty girl's.† He began to laugh then, a sound far more disturbing than any of Keith's screams. That laughter continued as Zeke led me out of the room. The door shut behind us, and I found myself standing in the hall, numbed. Zeke regarded me with concern. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦ I probably shouldn't have shown you that.† I shook my head slowly. â€Å"No†¦ you were right. It's good for us to see. To understand what we're doing. I always knew†¦ but I didn't expect anything like that.† I tried to shift my thoughts back to everyday things and wipe that horror from my mind. I looked down at my coffee. It was untouched and had grown lukewarm. I grimaced. â€Å"Can I get more coffee before we go?† I needed something normal. Something human. â€Å"Sure.† Zeke led me back to the lounge. The pot I'd made was still hot. I dumped out my old coffee and poured some new. As I did, the door burst open, and a distraught Tom Darnell came in. He seemed surprised to see anyone here and pushed past us, sitting on the couch and burying his face in his hands. Zeke and I exchanged uncertain looks. â€Å"Mr. Darnell,† I began. â€Å"Are you okay?† He didn't answer me right away. He kept his face covered, his body shaking with silent sobs. I was about to leave when he looked up at me, though I got the feeling he wasn't actually seeing me. â€Å"They decided,† he said. â€Å"They decided about Keith.† â€Å"Already?† I asked, startled. Zeke and I had only spent about five minutes with Liam. Tom nodded morosely. â€Å"They're sending him back†¦ back to Re-education.† I couldn't believe it. â€Å"But I†¦ but I told them! I told them he's not in league with vampires. He believes what†¦ the rest of us believe. It was his choices that were bad.† â€Å"I know. But they said we can't take the risk. Even if Keith seems like he doesn't care about them – even if believes he doesn't – the fact remains he still set up a deal with one. They're worried that willingness to go into that kind of partnership might subconsciously influence him. Best to take care of things now. They're†¦ they're probably right. This is for the best.† That image of Keith pounding on the glass and begging not to go back flashed through my mind. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mr. Darnell.† Tom's distraught gaze focused on me a little bit more. â€Å"Don't apologize, Sydney. You've done so much†¦ so much for Keith. Because of what you told them, they're going to reduce his time in Re-education. That means so much to me. Thank you.† My stomach twisted. Because of me, Keith had lost an eye. Because of me, Keith had gone to Re-education in the first place. Again, the sentiment came to me: he deserved to suffer in some way, but he didn't deserve this. â€Å"They were right about you,† Tom added. He was trying to smile but failing. â€Å"What a stellar example you are. So dedicated. Your father must be so proud. I don't know how you live with those creatures every day and still keep your head about you. Other Alchemists could learn a lot from you. You understand what responsibility and duty are.† Since I'd flown out of Palm Springs yesterday, I'd actually been thinking a lot about the group I'd left behind – when the Alchemists weren't distracting me with prisoners, of course. Jill, Adrian, Eddie, and even Angeline†¦ frustrating at times, but in the end, they were people I'd grown to know and care about. Despite all the running around they made me do, I'd missed that motley group almost the instant I left California. Something inside me seemed empty when they weren't around. Now, feeling that way confused me. Was I blurring the lines between friendship and duty? If Keith had gotten in trouble for one small association with a vampire, how much worse was I? And how close were any of us to becoming like Liam? Zeke's words rang inside my head: We can't let ourselves be taken in by them. And what Tom had just said: You understand what responsibility and duty are. He was watching me expectantly, and I managed a smile as I pushed down all my fears. â€Å"Thank you, sir,† I said. â€Å"I do what I can.†