Senior Seminar Research Proposal Free Essays

string(67) on the cadaver and start searching for a spot to start pupariation. Acquaintance Forensic entomology is utilized with decide such violations as murder, self destruction, and other criminal acts by analyzing different creepy crawlies as opposed to utilizing human tissues. This scientific instrument is utilized to decide the after death time frame carcass and the reason for death of a body when every single other type of human proof (human blood, tissues, hair, and so forth ) are absent at the scene. We will compose a custom exposition test on Senior Seminar Research Proposal or on the other hand any comparable theme just for you Request Now Measurable entomologists favor utilizing creepy crawlies to decide these variables of death on the grounds that the bugs produce comparable outcomes as human test materials, for example, human blood or tissues which yield the best expository outcomes for the legal entomologist. The utilization of criminological entomological proof has been acknowledged and utilized in numerous courts far and wide (Anderson, 1999). The utilization of this apparatus in court can bolster or discredit a suspect’s plausible excuse and improves the criminal examination against the suspect (Anderson, 1999). Despite the fact that measurable entomology is a proficient instrument to use in criminal examinations there are a few downsides to this explanatory apparatus. Such inconveniences incorporate ill-advised assortment of entomological proof and ill-advised examination of bugs after assortment, bringing about inaccurate entomological outcomes and a potential bogus conviction of a suspect. The proposed exploration of this paper concentrated on bugs being influenced by various groupings of ethanol during normal creepy crawly improvement and furthermore centered around the location of ethanol in bugs utilizing gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) to decide whether bugs were altogether influenced by ethanol presentation. The exploration additionally centered around the introduction of ethanol to the creepy crawlies and how this presentation influenced PMI (posthumous span) assurance. Criminological entomology is an ordinarily utilized device to decide cause and time of death by looking at different qualities of creepy crawlies that are gathered at the wrongdoing scene. Such qualities incorporate size of the insect(s) and the existence cycle phase of the creepy crawly gathered. Legal entomology turns into the most precise and once in a while the main apparatus accessible for deciding time of death, particularly following 72 hours (Anderson and VanLaerhoven, 1996). Measurable entomology can likewise decide whether a body has been moved here and there, figure out where the demise happened, decide the nearness of different kinds of medications and poisons present (assuming any), twisted area, and figure out who the suspect and casualty are because of the nearness of specific creepy crawlies on the body (Grisales, et al. 2010). Foundation/Literature Review There are five degrees of disintegration recognized by a criminological entomologist when directing an entomological examination which incorporate new, enlarged, dynamic, progressed, and remains (Grisales, et al. , 2010). These phases of decay are imperative to a criminological entomologist since cree py crawlies show up on a cadaver intermittently all through the disintegration cycle which in this manner decides the hour of death of a body. During these degrees of deterioration creepy crawlies start to arrive at the carcass either by flying (grown-up flies) or by tunneling through the ground (pupae). A few creepy crawlies can likewise arrive at the body by bring forth from eggs (hatchlings) that were laid on the carcass in the afterlife. The new phase of deterioration includes a drop in internal heat level and the presence of not very many flies on the body. The bugs that are gathered are commonly hatchlings and are gathered from the mouth of the cadaver. The enlarged phase of decay includes a huge increment in the body weight of a carcass because of precipitation introduction. The creepy crawlies that are gathered at this phase of deterioration are hatchlings found on the back, head, ears, and butt of the body (Grisales, et al. 2010). The dynamic rot phase of disintegration includes fly hatchlings benefiting from a body which essentially brings down the body weight of the cadaver and an expanded measure of fly hatchlings found in the digestion tracts/organs of the body (Grisales, et al. , 2010). The propelled phase of deterioration includes the change of internal heat level cont ingent upon the area of the carcass and a much greater decline in body weight because of expanded utilization of body tissues by fly hatchlings (Grisales, et al. , 2010). There is an expansion in grown-up flies that are gathered at this phase of decay. In the last phase of disintegration, stays, there is no proceeded with change of the carcass and the nearness of creepy crawlies discovered reductions (Grisales, et al. , 2010). The phases of decay and the bugs present at these stages are likewise used to decide the after death span (PMI) of a cadaver. PMI, or after death stretch, gives significant detail of circumstances that happened before time of death in instances of manslaughter and inconvenient demise (Byrd and Castner, 2001). Arthropods that are found on the body can decide the length of egg to fly change then to the recouped formative stage (Gennard, 2007). The best arthropods to utilize are the most established ones that were yielded from eggs when the hatchlings were first stored on the cadaver since they have the longest taking care of time on the body which permits them to completely create and hold any proof from the body any longer; this will deliver a progressively exact PMI. Such data can assist with recognizing both the crook and the casualty by taking out the suspects and interfacing the expired with others. The anticipated physical and compound results of death are normally the most dependable PMI markers, which means realizing what a bug ought to resemble at which formative level to decide when a dead body turned into a cadaver (Henssge et al. 1995). PMI is likewise connected with the progression pace of different bugs which is another instrument that is utilized to decide the hour of death of a carcass. The progression rate incorporates data about the time passed among death and the nearness of a specific arthropod or bug species and stage (Byrd and Castner, 2010). A dead body will experience truly unmistakable decay stages (physical, organic, and compound changes) that draw in different kinds of arthropods in every disintegration stage that are expected to decide the progression rate (Monthei, 2009). The most widely recognized progression rate evaluated by an examiner is the time of hatchlings and the time span among death and the appearance of hatchlings on the body (Byrd and Castner, 2010). The information on what bugs should be available and missing dependent on the season additionally assists with deciding PMI. Estimation of PMI includes five distinctive arthropod life stages (eggs, hatchlings, pupae, grown-up, and cadaver) for flies when gathering creepy crawlies from carcasses. The egg phase of the fly is portrayed by the laying of between 150-200 eggs, except for certain flies lying between 2000-3000 eggs, found on the body in group structure inside zones that give security, dampness, and food (Gennard, 2007). Fly eggs are regularly sparkling and white; the eggs have a comparative appearance to that of a grain of rice. The purpose behind explicit situation of eggs on a breaking down body is the way that the body contains a high caliber of supplements which are utilized as a taking care of hotspot for the fly eggs to develop, just as the impact of development on different types of creepy crawlies that feed on the disintegrating body. The larval phase of the fly species is portrayed into three phases (L1, L2, and L3) which relate to the quantity of cuts present on the backs of the hatchlings (Gennard, 2007). These cuts are utilized by entomologists to figure out what phase of life the hatchlings are in when gathered. In the third larval stage, where hatchlings are the biggest, the hatchlings quit benefiting from the cadaver and start searching for a spot to start pupariation. You read Senior Seminar Research Proposal in classification Free Research Paper Samples Pupariation is the last phase of advancement in transformation into the grown-up stage and is by and large called the larval post-taking care of stage (Gennard, 2007). Pupariation normally doesn’t happen on the body since bugs in this stage want to be in a cool, dim spot or underground, if conceivable. In certain cases of fly hatchlings in pupariation, the creepy crawlies were appeared to pupate on the carcass. The grown-up stage, or the finish of the existence cycle, is started by the arthropod propelling itself out of the puparium case and once the grown-up fly is liberated from the puparium case, the creepy crawlies make their excursion upward through the dirt. When the grown-up fly has arrived at the highest point of the dirt the bugs discharge their waste and extend their wings to advance toward different cadavers or deteriorating material. The grown-up stage might be the last phase of the existence cycle yet the cadaver of these grown-up flies can likewise be gathered as proof along will the remains of arthropods in every life stage. Entomotoxicology is the examination of bugs and creepy crawly stays for the nearness of poisons that may have been available in the carcass before death (Goff and Lord, 1994). Location of different poisons and controlled substances in creepy crawlies found on breaking down human remains has added to the assurance of both reason and way of death by figuring out what times of poisons were available in the cadaver before death (Lord 1990, Goff and Lord 1994, Nolte et al. , 1992). Entomotoxicology likewise fills in as an elective examination apparatus to decide the nearness of poisons or reason for death when certain examples aren’t accessible for assortment, for example, human blood or tissues. The toxicological examination of bug organic materials is led in a similar way as the toxicological investigation of human natural materials, making reason for death assurance increasingly precise (Definis-Gojanovic, 2007). A wide range of types of arthropods, such a

Philipino Tale: Juan Wearing a Monkey’s Skin Essay

This Filipino story was recorded in English dependent on a Kapampangan (Pampango, from the area of Pampanga) form in the mid twentieth century. There is likewise a Bicolano (Bikulano, from Bicol) variant of this story. Some time ago there was a couple which was from the outset childless. The dad was very anxiousto have a child to acquire his property: so he went to the congregation day by day, and asked God to give hima youngster, yet futile. At some point, in his incredible frustration, the man shouted without intuition, â€Å"O extraordinary God! let me have a child, regardless of whether it is as a monkey!† and just a couple of days after the fact his better half brought forth a monkey. The dad was so much humiliated that he needed to execute his son;but at last his better reas on won, and he saved the kid. He said to himself, â€Å"It is my fault,I know; however I articulated that summon without thinking.† So, rather than executing the monkey, the couple just concea led it from guests; and at whatever point any one requested the kid, they only replied, â€Å"Oh, he passed on long ago.† The opportunity arrived when the monkey developed to be mature enough to wed. He went to his dad, and stated, â€Å"Give me your approval, father, for I am leaving to search for a wife.† The dad was quite happy to be liberated from this offensive child, so he promptly gave him his approval. Before releasing him, be that as it may, the dad said to the monkey, â€Å"You should never return again to our house.† â€Å"Very well, I will not,† said the monkey. The monkey at that point went out, and went to discover his fortune. One night he imagined thatthere was a château amidst the ocean, and that in this stronghold abided a princess of unspeakable excellence. The princess had been put there with the goal that nobody may find her reality. The monkey, who had been purified through water two days after his introduction to the world and was named Juan,immediately fixed to the royal residence of the lord. There he posted a letter which read as follows: â€Å"I, Juan, realize that your Majesty has a daughter.† Normally the lord was furious to have his mystery found. He quickly sent officers to search for Juan. Juan was before long found, and brought to the royal residence. The ruler said to him, â€Å"How do you realize that I have a little girl? On the off chance that you can bring her here, I will offer her to you for a spouse. If not, howeve r, your head will be cut off from your body.† â€Å"O your Majesty!† said Juan, â€Å"I am certain that I can discover her and bring her here. I am willing to losemy head if inside three days I neglect to satisfy my promise.† After he had said this, Juan pulled back, and unfortunately went out to search for the shrouded princess. As he was strolling along the street, he heard the call of a winged creature. He turned upward, and saw a fledgling got between two branches so it couldn't get away. The feathered creature said to him, â€Å"O monkey, on the off chance that you will however discharge me, I willâ give all of you I have.†

Delicious Dilemma

Delicious Dilemma What should I attend tonight? Option 1: 4th Annual LATKE-HAMENTASHEN DEBATE Today, 8:00 p.m. in Room 10-250 Dont miss this exciting debate between the fruit-filled cookies known as Hamentashen and the fried potato pancake known as the Latke. Two teams of MIT experts will present their arguments in favor of their respective type of food. Hear the arguments of these esteemed MIT professors: Hamentashen Team: Alan Guth (Physics) Daniel Kleitman (Mathematics) Alexander Slocum (Mech Eng) Latke team: Diana Henderson (Literature) Brian Robison (Music) Robert Silbey (Chemistry Dean of Science) Moderator: Walter Lewin (Physics) Join us after the debate for a reception with hundreds of latkes and hamentashen in Lobby 10. Event sponsored by MIT Hillel and supported by MITs Peter de Florez Fund for Humor, UA Finboard, and ARCADE. For information about this years debate and past years debates see: http://web.mit.edu/hillel/www/latke-hamentashen-debate.html Option 2: Tired of Ramen for dinner? Wish you could do something to make your nightly pasta taste better? Well, tomorrow is your lucky day! Julie Banda from Health Promotion and Wellness will be not only talking about how to eat better when you have to cook for yourself, but actually showing you how, too! Bronwyn, one of our wonderful Housemasters, has graciously offered the use of her kitchen to allow Julie to make some dishes that are simple, inexpensive, and nutritious! WHEN: 6 March, 8:00 PM (Monday night) WHERE: Bronwyns kitchen! (Conner 1, suite 111) WHY: Nutrition doesnt have to be tedious or boring Oh, if only all of lifes problems were this enjoyable. Option 3: The Undergraduate Association (UA) Presidential/VPial (?) debates Election 2006

First Comes Social Networking, Then Comes Marriage

Joe Gedutis STS359:455 John Wolf Journal Article Analysis Paper 10/27/16 â€Å"First Comes Social Networking, Then Comes Marriage? Characteristics of American Married 2005-2012 Who Met Through Social Networking Sites† Preliminary Analysis This article was published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal that is â€Å"known for its rapid communication articles and in-depth studies surrounding the effect of interactive technologies on behavior and society, both positive and negative.† This article has one author, and it was written by Jeffrey A. Hall, Ph.D, who is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas. Furthermore, Jeffrey A. Hall earned his doctorate from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. This article is about the characteristics of Americans who are married between 2005 and 2012 who met through social networking sites. The purpose of this study is to show that there is an increasing proportion of individuals who are meeting through social networking sites and to invite further research on factors that influence romantic relational development through social networking sites. Theory and Hypothesis The author cites that Americans married between 2005-2012 found that more individuals met online than any single offline location like work, school, or friends. The author states that although the internet draws considerable public andShow MoreRelatedSocial Networking1161 Words   |  5 PagesSocial Networking Online social networking is when people connect with other people online through certain websites. I believe the most common websites today include Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. What people do is create their own profile account, and post information, photos, videos, and comments. Those things then get reserved on a news-feed for your whole fan base to see. I believe that the good of social networking far outweighs the bad. It seems to me that if you have internet and knowRead MoreThe Marriage Of Arranged Marriage1666 Words   |  7 Pageswife? That is how arranged marriages work, someone else choses your spouse for you. We are now living in a generation where we are highly influenced by what we see in the media. Cultures that practice arranged marriage are now shifting toward the Western norms of marriage. Many people are not familiar with arranged marriages and come to judge to quickly without having any knowledge on the topic. Arranged marriage is a marriage that is organized b y two families for the marriage of their son or daughterRead MoreImpact of Social Media on Relationships1079 Words   |  5 PagesImpact of Social Media on Personal Relationships Introduction Social media has had a major influence on society in the 21st century, enabling people to engage with each other in radically new and different ways. In less than a decade, it has transformed how we stay in touch with friends, shop, network and gather our news. Many of the almost 1 billion users of Facebook — and the millions who use Twitter, or blogs — cannot imagine communicating without these tools. Hence, there is a great impactRead MoreObhr956 Words   |  4 Pagesfamiliar? Im going to paint you a picture, of how social networking affects our interpersonal relationships. Social networking is affecting numerous aspects of our lives, such as the work place, our love life, our identity, and how we spend our spare time. Did you know that fifty-four percent of companies prohibit the use of social networking, but fifty-seven percent of employees admit to using social networks during work time for personal use? Social networks such as Twitter, MySpace, and evenRead MoreThe Effects of Facebook to Study Habits1734 Words   |  7 PagesCollege High School Department S.Y. 2011 - 2012 THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING TO THE STUDY HABITS OF 4TH YEAR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS A Thesis Presented To: Mrs. Ma. Teresa C. Radovan In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements In English IV Submitted by: Juan Paulo Concepcion Renz Daniel Tenedero Jeffrey Sanchez John Lemuel Lastimado Jeoffrey Asuncion March 2011 CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM INTRODUCTION As many as you know, social networks have been famous since 2001 with Friendster, MySpaceRead MoreThe Birth of Social Media Essay888 Words   |  4 Pages Social media: (noun pl but singular or pl in constr) forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content. Social media has developed to allow for information to be shared instantaneously: image and video sharing, spontaneous group get-togethers, and worldwide, real time news announcements are sent through time and space with the click of a buttonRead MoreSocial Networking: â€Å"How Does It Affect My Life?†1466 Words   |  6 PagesNowadays, social networking has been taking a big part in our lives especially through the existence of gadgets that helps us to access programs such as; twitter, Face book, MySpace and many more. Did you know that fifty-four percent of companies prohibit the use of social networking, but fifty-seven percent of employees admit to using social networks during work time for personal use? And twenty percent of all divorce cases are directly caused by Face book. Complaints about inappropriate conversationsRead MoreTechnology Is The Application Of Scientific Knowledge For Practical Purposes1238 Words   |  5 Pagesforth. Life without these things would ha ve really been boring. Increasing technology has helped us stay connected to friends and family, play video games and much more. Social media has a positive impact upon society as it allows social networking, finding romantic partners through matrimonial sites and microblogging. Technology has come a long way since the nineteenth century. During that era, there were two major discoveries- telephone in 1890 and radio in 1891. Both these technologies exist even todayRead MoreThe Roma And Its Impact On Today s Society1108 Words   |  5 PagesRoma’s history is very complex; they have experienced throughout history exclusion, discrimination, and persecution. The majority of the Romani people in today’s society live in Western Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The social and political organization of this group has a traditional, complex way of life. In their traditional economic culture, the Roma all have very similar occupations that consist mostly in the fields of entertainment, crafts, and trading. ReligiousRead MoreThe Effects Of Social Media On Coca Cola1387 Words   |  6 Pagesprobably say Coca-Cola. This paper will explore social media presence for The Coca- Cola Company. Why do people drink Coke? Why is Coke so po pular? Questions such as these will be answered throughout this strategy recommendation project. This paper will discuss the current effects of social media and how Coca-Cola should use social media to their advantage. Social media is an amazing entity for companies to use for public relations. Social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and

Womens Reproductive Rights - 2373 Words

Timothy Davey Mr. Stark Government 29 Nov. 2012 Women’s War for Reproductive Rights The most challenging social issue in America today is not just abortion, but a woman’s right to contraceptives and reproductive health. Generally abortion is an issue that has always been questioned but is an ambiguous subject, even though abortions have been allowed by the Supreme Court for almost five decades. The debate is where to draw the line for contraceptive availability, abortion laws, and healthcare. The argument ranges from; free contraceptives, full healthcare, and whenever the mother decides; to no contraceptives, paid-for healthcare, and none at all. Neither of these arguments can be supported and bring into question human morality,†¦show more content†¦AUL, or Americans United for Life, is a female Pro-Life Activist group that is a major political force that is trying to obviate Planned Parenthood as well as making states the sole arbiter of whether a woman can get an abortion or not. Kate Sheppard, a journalist from Mother Jones states â€Å"Indeed, A ULS greatest success may be its push to take down Americas largest abortion provider. In July 2011, AUL released ‘The Case for Investigating Planned Parenthood,’ a 174-page report detailing dozens of alleged abuses, ranging from poor patient care to the misuse of federal funds† (Sheppard 2). This goes completely against â€Å"Due Process Clause,† and it’s preposterousness to ban abortions. We don’t even have enough jobs for the people we already have. So if abortion isn’t available; the lower class grows, and the people most likely to get an abortion are already in the lower class system meaning that their most likely unemployed and the baby would be born into poverty, lessening not only the parent’s quality of life but also that baby. The biggest political player today would be our president who supports women’s reproductive rights, unlike his former Republican challenger Romney, the next biggest player in politics whom is opposed to women’s reproductive rights and made sure to voice his stance during the RepublicanShow MoreRelatedReproductive Rights : Women s Fight For Control1485 Words   |  6 PagesReproductive Rights: Women’s Fight for Control Women having been fighting for equal rights for many years. Because of our genitalia, we will be paid less, we will be judged more, and we will have to fight to protect our basic human rights. Most women are born with the amazing ability to carry life; this is a blessing and a curse. Because of this ability, some people believe that a woman’s body is not completely her own, but that the government has rights to that body as well. We have been fightingRead MoreAbortion : A Positive Impact For Women s Reproductive Rights Movement870 Words   |  4 PagesHyde Amendment get your way I used to think abortion is really a personal choice until I learned my aunt’s choice. After borrowing enough money form my relatives, she finally gets an appointment for her abortion. For my aunt, likes many low-income women on Medicaid in Texas, the only choice for their unwanted pregnancy is either high-cost and late-term abortions or giving birth. This choice is not from their personal preferences, but is influenced with abortion legislations. Abortion has been legalizedRead MoreUndue Burden : Obstacles Against Women s Reproductive Rights971 Words   |  4 PagesAgainst Women’s Reproductive Rights Undue Burden: Obstacles Against Women’s Reproductive Rights The topic of women’s reproductive rights has become a major, controversial issue in today’s society. Grounded in a history of opposition for religious, political, and moral reasons, reproductive rights have only legally been around for a short period of history. Specifically, the landmark case Roe v. Wade was the major stride that this country took towards enforcing women’s reproductive rights. The rulingRead MoreThe Reproductive Rights Of Women1940 Words   |  8 PagesThe reproductive rights of women have always been a hotly debated topic between those who support a women’s right to an abortion and those who vehemently oppose it. The United States Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Roe vs. Wade that it was legally a woman’s right to have an abortion in 1973, and clearly outlines that states â€Å"cannot pass laws that create an undue burden† for women who choose to exercise their rights and terminate their pregnancy. Since then, the re have been consistent challengesRead MoreWomen s Reproductive Rights Essay1199 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish II 3 October 2017 Women’s Reproductive Rights What if a sixteen year old decided to apply to adopt a child? She’d be denied that from the get-go, right? Of course, she’s way too young, not nearly mature enough, can’t support herself on her own, etc. If all of this is true, then why should a sixteen year old rape victim have to raise a child she didn’t plan for? Even women who aren’t ready to start a family or any other reason, shouldn’t have to. All women deserve true information and theRead MoreReproductive Freedom And Its Impact On Women s Rights1521 Words   |  7 Pagesof women’s reproductive rights once said, â€Å"Reproductive freedom is critical to a whole range of issues. If we can’t take charge of this most personal aspect of our lives, we can’t take care of anything. It should not be seen as a privilege or as a benefit, but a fundamental human right.† In many traditional societies around the world, women’s rights regarding their own reproduct ive choices may seem as limited as their opportunities for them. Cultures in which that deny women s rights and lessenRead MoreWomen s Health Care And Reproductive Rights1515 Words   |  7 Pagesof the hottest topics concerning women’s health care and reproductive rights. Tune into any presidential debate and you’ll notice candidates spending as much time discussing the topic as immigration, foreign policy, climate change, and gun control. There are a lot of misconceptions about the pro-choice movement but it can be explained in very simple terms. 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As well as it being a double standard between men and women. â€Å"The consequences of sexual relations between women and men simply were not fair. An old double standard dictated that men were rewarded for sexual prowess and women suffered a damaged reputation. Males were encouraged to sow a few wild oats while women were told good girls don t†.† In thisRead MoreThe Importance Of A Candidate For The Democratic Party945 Words   |  4 Pagesallow the women of America access to all the opportunities their male counterparts enjoy. In order to have these opportunities, we have identified three issues where women need support. First, Reproductive Rights allow women to make their own healthcare decisions in order to have choices about their bodies and when to have children. However, these rights are being threatened by ever increasing restrictions. We will propose a plan to increase funding and reduce barrier to allow all women who need care

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 18 Free Essays

Around ten the next morning, the phone jolted me out of a dream I’d been having about jellyfish and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Rolling over, I picked it up, discovering in the process that I ached a lot less than I had last night. Immortal healing in action. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Blues CHAPTER 18 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey, it’s Seth.† Seth! Yesterday’s events rushed back to me. The birthday party. The ice cream. The perfume. I again wondered who he’d had to meet after dropping me off at the bookstore. â€Å"Hi,† I gushed, sitting up. â€Å"How are you?† â€Å"Not bad. I’m, uh, over at Emerald City, and I didn’t see you†¦ they said it’s your day off.† â€Å"Yeah, I’ll be back tomorrow.† â€Å"Okay. So, um, do you want to maybe do something today? Lunch? Or a movie maybe? Unless you have other plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No†¦ not exactly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I bit my lip, silencing the immediate acceptance that wanted to spring forth. I still had that strange, inexplicable attraction and sense of comfortable familiarity with Seth. I would have liked to hang out with him more, but I had already tried walking the line of friendship and dating with Roman, only to have that blow up in my face. It would be far better never to get started with Seth, despite my longings. Besides, I hadn’t forgotten about my angelic bodyguard; I didn’t really want him tagging along. Best to keep Carter indoors as long as possible. â€Å"But I’m sick.† â€Å"Really? I’m sorry.† â€Å"Yeah, you know†¦ just that kind of run-down feeling.† It wasn’t entirely a lie. â€Å"I don’t really feel up to getting out today.† â€Å"Oh. Okay. Do you need anything? Do you want me to bring you any food maybe?† â€Å"No†¦ no,† I hastily assured him, banishing images of Seth feeding me chicken soup while I lounged around in cute pajamas. Christ. This was going to be harder than I thought. â€Å"I don’t want you to have to keep taking care of me. Thanks, though.† â€Å"I don’t mind. I mean, no problem.† â€Å"I should be in tomorrow, if this doesn’t get worse†¦ so I’ll see you then. Maybe we can have coffee. Or rather, I’ll have coffee and you can†¦ not have coffee.† â€Å"Okay. I’d like that. Not having coffee, I mean. Would you mind†¦ that is, can I check on you later? Call you again?† â€Å"Sure.† The phone was safe enough. â€Å"Okay. If you need anything before then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know how to reach you.† We said our goodbyes and disconnected, and I clambered out of bed to see what mischief Carter had managed this morning. I found the angel sitting on a stool by my kitchen counter, feeding Aubrey sausage with one hand while he held some sort of breakfast sandwich in the other. An enormous McDonald’s bag sat on the counter near him. â€Å"I made breakfast,† he told me, eyes on Aubrey. â€Å"Don’t give her that,† I chastised. â€Å"It’s bad for her.† â€Å"Cats don’t eat kernels of dry food in the wilderness.† â€Å"Aubrey couldn’t survive in the wilderness.† I scratched her head, but she was more interested in licking the grease off her chops. Opening the bag, I found a variety of sandwiches and hash brown patties. â€Å"I didn’t know what you’d want,† Carter explained as I pulled out a Bacon, Egg, Cheese Biscuit. I bit into it, melting at that scrumptiousness, grateful weight gain and cholesterol were nonevents for me. â€Å"Hey, wait. Did you actually go to McDonald’s?† â€Å"Yup.† I swallowed the food. â€Å"You just left? Just now?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"What kind of bodyguard are you? What if the nephilim came back and attacked me?† He eyed me and shrugged. â€Å"You look okay to me.† â€Å"You’re not very good at this.† â€Å"Who was on the phone?† â€Å"Seth.† â€Å"The author?† â€Å"Yeah. Wanted to hang out today. I told him I was sick.† â€Å"Poor guy. You’re breaking his heart.† â€Å"Better that than something else.† I finished the sandwich and went for a second one. Aubrey watched me hopefully. â€Å"So what are we doing today?† â€Å"Nothing. At least, I’m not going out, if that’s what you mean.† â€Å"You aren’t going to attract nephilim attention that way.† He glanced around my apartment and grimaced when I didn’t respond. â€Å"It’s going to be a long day then. I hope you at least have cable.† We spent the rest of the morning more or less staying out of each other’s way. I let him use my laptop, and he got caught up in surfing eBay. What he could be looking for, I had no idea. As for me, I stayed in my pajamas after all, tossing a robe over them and deeming that good enough. I attempted to call Roman once, knowing I’d need to face him eventually, but I only managed to leave a voice mail message. I hung up with a sigh, opting to curl up on the couch with a book Seth had recommended in one of his e-mails. Just as I was starting to think I’d recovered from the dense breakfast and needed lunch, Carter suddenly peered over the top of the laptop, like a hound sniffing the wind. â€Å"I have to go,† he told me abruptly, standing up. â€Å"What? What do you mean?† † Nephilim signature.† I bolted upright from my lounging position. â€Å"What? Where?† â€Å"Not here.† With that, he blinked out of sight. I sat there, looking around uneasily. Whereas earlier I’d felt stifled by his presence, his sudden disappearance became a gaping hole in my environment. I was exposed. Vulnerable. When he didn’t return in a few minutes, I tried unsuccessfully to pay attention to my book, finally giving up after I’d reread the same sentence five times. Still wanting lunch, I called and ordered a pizza, making sure I included enough for Carter. Doing this wasn’t the best of ideas on my part since it meant opening the door eventually. When I did, I expected no less than an army of nephilim outside. Instead, I only found a bored-looking pizza guy, demanding $15.07. I munched on the pizza and tried to watch television with little luck. Turning to the laptop, I checked my e-mail and found that Seth had sent me a funny letter, much more eloquent than our earlier conversation, per usual. It only provided temporary distraction, and I was on the verge of breaking out the paint-by-number kit when Carter blinked back into my living room. â€Å"What the hell was that? Where have you been?† The angel regarded me with a calm, wry smile. â€Å"Easy there, haven’t you ever heard of respecting boundaries in a relationship? It was in that book you were so quick to discard.† â€Å"Cut it out. You can’t just say ‘ nephilim signature’ and then disappear like that.† â€Å"I can actually. I have to.† He found the cold pizza on my counter and bit into a piece. Swallowing, he continued, â€Å"This nephilim’s got a real twisted sense of humor. Every once in a while, it likes to unmask†¦ flash us, so to speak. This time it came from West Seattle.† â€Å"You can detect that from this far away?† â€Å"Jerome and I can. We never catch the creep, but we have to check it out anyway. Leads us on a merry chase.† The implications seemed obvious to me. â€Å"So you leave me? What if it’s a setup? What if it flashes you over there and then zaps back to me while all the attention’s away?† â€Å"It can’t just ‘zap’ around. Nephilim don’t move like higher immortals do; they’re constrained by the same limitations as you, fortunately. This one would have to get in a car and drive back over here, just like everyone else, which would hardly be a speedy process. You’re protected by miles of traffic congestion.† â€Å"Weird.† â€Å"Like we said, they’re unpredictable. They like breaking rules, shaking up the status quo just to see what we’ll do.† â€Å"Weird,† I repeated. â€Å"Does it even know you’re there? That it’s making you drop everything and come?† â€Å"If the nephilim’s close enough, it’d be able to sense the teleporting but nothing else past that. As long as we’re masked, our identities, strength, and whatever stay hidden. So, if it is lurking, it knows two higher immortals came to check it out, but not much more than that.† â€Å"And it just watches and waits,† I concluded. â€Å"Kind of twisted. Lord, these things are a pain in the ass.† â€Å"Tell me about it. They ‘do not go gently into that good night.’ â€Å" I blinked at the poetic reference. â€Å"Wait†¦ that’s what’s going to happen? You’re going to kill†¦ er, destroy it or something?† Carter cocked his head toward me curiously. â€Å"What’d you think would happen? Ten years and parole?† â€Å"I†¦ don’t know. I just figured†¦ wow. I don’t know. Are you into that? The whole smiting thing? I mean, I suppose you guys vanquish evil on a regular basis, huh?† â€Å"We smite, as you so cutely term it, when we have to. Demons tend to be more into it than we are. In fact, Nanette even offered to come up and take care of this nephilim,† he recalled, referring to Portland’s archdemoness. â€Å"But I told Jerome I’d help.† â€Å"Wouldn’t Jerome want to do it himself?† â€Å"Do you refuse backup when it’s offered?† he asked me, answering my question with a question which, really, was no answer at all. Thinking about it, he laughed softly. â€Å"Of course, I forget, Georgina rushes in where angels fear to tread.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know how that quote really goes.† I stood up and stretched. â€Å"Well, if the excitement’s over, I think I’ll take a bath.† â€Å"Wow. The harsh lifestyle of a succubus. I wish I had your job.† â€Å"Hey, our side’s always recruiting. You might need to be a little prettier to be an incubus, though. And a little more charming.† â€Å"Untrue. Mortal women go for jerks. I see it all the time.† â€Å"Touche.† I left him and took my bath, afterward finally giving up my pajamas for jeans and a T-shirt. I returned to the living room, turned on the television, and found The African-Queen just starting. Carter closed the laptop and watched with me. I’d always liked Katharine Hepburn but couldn’t help marvel at what a dull day this was turning out to be. Avoiding going outside wouldn’t do me any good in the long term since I’d have to drag Carter around with me tomorrow anyway when I went to work. My self-imposed enclosure today only prolonged the inevitable. In light of this, I considered breaking the cabin fever by seeing if he wanted to go to dinner after the movie. He shot up before I could speak, once more sensing a nephilim signature. â€Å"Twice in one day?† â€Å"It happens.† â€Å"Where now?† â€Å"Lynn wood.† â€Å"This guy gets around.† But I was speaking to empty air; Carter had disappeared. Sighing, I turned back to the movie, feeling a little more at ease after the angel’s last explanation. The nephilim was in Lynnwood, trying to be a nuisance to Jerome and Carter. Commuting time was rapidly approaching, and Lynnwood was no small jump away. No nephilim would beat the angel back. As Carter had pointed out, I was safe for the time being. I had no need to panic. Yet, I nearly jumped out of my skin anyway when I heard the phone ring a few minutes later. Nervously, I picked up the receiver, imagining a nephilim blasting out of it. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey. It’s me again.† â€Å"Seth. Hi.† â€Å"Hope I’m not bothering you. I just wanted to see how you are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Better,† I told him sincerely. â€Å"I liked your e-mail.† â€Å"Did you? Cool.† Our normal silence fell. â€Å"So†¦ did you get a lot of writing done today?† â€Å"I did actually. About ten pages. That never sounds like a lot, but – â€Å" A knock sounded at the door, and a chill ran down my spine. â€Å"Can-can you hang on?† â€Å"Sure.† Hesitantly, I prowled toward the door like a cat burglar, as though slow and drawn-out movements would actually do something against an insanely powerful supernatural being. Reaching the door, I carefully peered out the peephole. Roman. Exhaling with relief, I opened the door, resisting the urge to throw my arms around him. â€Å"Hi.† â€Å"Are you talking to me?† asked Seth through the phone. â€Å"Hi,† Roman told me, looking just as uncertain as I felt. â€Å"Can†¦ I come in?† † Er, no I’m not, I mean, yes you can, and yes I am talking to you now.† I stepped aside so Roman could enter. â€Å"Look Seth, can I, um, call you back? Or maybe†¦ I’ll just see you tomorrow, okay?† â€Å"Uh, yeah. I guess. Everything okay?† â€Å"It’s fine. Thanks for calling.† We hung up, and I gave Roman my full attention. â€Å"Seth Mortensen, famous author?† â€Å"I’ve been sick today,† I explained, using the same excuse I’d given Seth. â€Å"He just wanted to check on me.† â€Å"Terribly considerate of him.† Roman put his hands in his pockets and paced. â€Å"We’re just friends.† â€Å"Of course you are. Because you don’t date, right?† â€Å"Roman – † I cut off the onslaught that wanted to rush out, switching to safer territory. â€Å"Can I get you anything? Soda? Coffee?† â€Å"I can’t stay. I was passing through and got your message. I just thought I’d†¦ I don’t know what I was thinking. It was stupid.† He turned as if to leave, and I frantically reached out, grabbing his arm. â€Å"Wait. Don’t. Please.† He turned to face me, looking down from his lofty height, the normally good-humored face grave today. Fighting my natural reaction at such proximity, I felt surprised when his expression softened, and he noted, mildly astonished, â€Å"You really aren’t feeling well.† â€Å"W-what makes you say that?† I had shape-shifted my bruises away as Jerome had suggested and whatever smarting pain I felt was no longer visible. Gingerly, he reached out and stroked my cheek, fingers becoming bolder. â€Å"I don’t know†¦ you’re just†¦ kind of pale, I guess.† I started to point out I wasn’t wearing makeup and then realized I wanted to appear sick. â€Å"Probably a cold.† He let his hand drop. â€Å"Is there anything I can do for you? I don’t like†¦ seeing you like this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lord, how bad did I look? â€Å"I’m fine. I just need rest. Look, about the other night – â€Å" â€Å"I’m sorry,† he interrupted. â€Å"I shouldn’t have pushed you – â€Å" I stared, amazed. â€Å"You didn’t do anything. It was me. I was the nutjob. I’m the one who couldn’t handle things.† â€Å"No, it was my fault. I knew how you felt about getting serious, and I still kissed you.† â€Å"I did as much kissing as you. That wasn’t the problem. Me freaking out was the problem. I was drunk and stupid. I shouldn’t have done that to you.† â€Å"It’s no problem. Really. I’m just glad you’re okay.† A faint smile glimmered on his handsome features, and I remembered Seth saying I was easy to forgive. â€Å"Look, since we both feel we’re at fault, maybe we can make it up to each other. Go out sometime this week and – â€Å" â€Å"No.† The calm certainty in my voice startled both of us. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"No. Roman, we aren’t going out anymore†¦ and I don’t think we can really pull off friends either.† I swallowed. â€Å"It’d be better if we just make a clean break – â€Å" â€Å"Georgina,† he exclaimed, eyes widening. â€Å"You can’t be serious. You and I – â€Å" â€Å"I know. I know. But I can’t do this. Not now.† â€Å"You’re breaking up with me.† â€Å"Well, we weren’t ever really going out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What happened to you?† he demanded. â€Å"What happened to you at some point in your life that made you so terrified of getting close to another person? What makes you run like this? Who hurt you?† â€Å"Look, it’s complicated. And it doesn’t matter. That past is gone, remember? I just can’t do this with you now, okay?† â€Å"Is there someone else? Doug? Or Seth?† â€Å"No! There’s no one. I just can’t be with you.† We went around and around, rephrasing the same points in different ways, our emotions growing and growing. It felt like forever, but really only a few minutes passed as he pressed and I refused. He never turned angry or pushy, but his dismay was clearly apparent, and I felt certain I’d cry as soon as he left. Finally, glancing at the time, he ran a hand ruefully through his dark hair, turquoise eyes luminous with regret. â€Å"I have to go. I want to talk to you more – â€Å" â€Å"No. I don’t think we should. It’s better. I’ve really liked being with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He laughed harshly, walking toward the door. â€Å"Don’t say that. Don’t sugar coat things.† â€Å"Roman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I felt horrible. Anger and grief were written all over his face. â€Å"Please understand – â€Å" â€Å"See you around, Georgina. Or maybe not.† He had barely slammed the door when tears spilled down my cheeks. Going to my bedroom, I lay down on my bed, ready for a good cry that never came. No more tears issued forth, in spite of my mixed feelings of despair and relief. Part of me wanted to call Roman back right now, make him return to me; the other part coolly warned I now had clear reason to cut Seth off as soon as possible before things escalated. Good Lord, why did it seem I was always hurting people I cared about? What was it about me that made me repeat this cycle over and over? Roman’s devastated face still hovered in my mind, but I took comfort in the fact that he hadn’t been traumatized as much as Kyriakos. Not nearly as much. The discovery of my affair with Ariston had led to condemnation from both our families and an impending divorce coupled with the loss of my dowry. I think I might have been able to handle that scorn, even the hateful looks. What I could not handle was the way Kyriakos had been stripped of all life and caring. I almost wished he would turn angry and lash out at me, but there was nothing like that within him. Nothing at all. I had destroyed him. After several days of separation, I found him sitting on one of the rocky outcroppings overlooking the water. I tried to engage him in conversation a number of times, but he wasn’t responding to any of it. He would only stare out at that expanse of blue, face dead and expressionless. I stood by him, my own emotions writhing inside me. I had reveled in being a forbidden object of desire with Ariston, but I also wanted to be one of love with Kyriakos. I couldn’t have it both ways apparently. I reached out to wipe the tears from his cheeks, and he slapped my hand away. It was the closest he had ever come to hitting me. â€Å"Don’t,† he warned, leaping up. â€Å"Don’t ever touch me again. You sicken me.† I felt my own tears now, even if his anger meant he was still alive. â€Å"Please†¦ it was a mistake. I don’t know what happened.† He laughed hollowly, a terrible, mirthless sound. â€Å"Don’t you? You seemed to know perfectly well at the time. So did he.† â€Å"It was a mistake.† He turned his back to me and walked over to the edge of the cliff, staring out at the sea. He spread his arms out and tipped his head back, letting the wind blow over him. Gulls cried nearby. † Wh-what are you doing?† â€Å"I am flying,† he told me. â€Å"If I keep flying†¦ right over this edge, I will be happy again. Or better yet, I won’t feel anything at all. I won’t think about you anymore. I won’t think about your face or your eyes or the way you smile or the way you smell. I won’t love you anymore. I won’t hurt anymore.† I approached him, half-afraid my presence would make him go over. â€Å"Stop it. You’re scaring me. You don’t mean any of this.† â€Å"Don’t I?† He looked at me, and there was no more anger or cynicism. Only grief. Sorrow. Despair. Depression blacker than a moonless night. It was terrible and frightening. I wanted him to snap at me again, to yell at me. I would have even let him hit me, if only to see some sort of heat in him. There was none of that, though. Only darkness. He gave me a sad, bleak smile. The smile of one already dead. â€Å"I will never forgive you.† â€Å"Please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You were my life, Letha†¦ but no more. No more. I have no life now.† He walked away, and even as my heart broke, I exhaled in relief to see him moving away from the cliff. I wanted to run after him but gave him his space instead. Sitting down in his spot, I drew my knees up and buried my face in them, half wishing I was dead. â€Å"He’ll come back here, you know,† a voice suddenly said behind me. â€Å"The pull is too strong. And next time, he may go over.† I jerked my head up, startled. I hadn’t heard anyone approach. I didn’t recognize the man who now stood there, odd in a town where everyone knew everyone else. He was slim and well-groomed, dressed in clothes more elegant than I usually saw around here. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"They call me Niphon,† he said with a small bow. â€Å"And you are Letha, Marthanes ‘ daughter, formerly wife of Kyriakos.† â€Å"I still am his wife.† â€Å"But not for long.† I turned my face away. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"I want to help you, Letha. I’d like to help you with this mess you’ve gotten yourself into.† â€Å"No one can help me. Not unless you can undo the past.† â€Å"No. No one can undo the past. I can make people forget it, though.† I slowly turned back to him, assessing his bright eyes and dapper manner. â€Å"Stop joking. I’m not in the mood.† â€Å"I assure you, I am most earnest.† Staring at him, I suddenly somehow knew he was telling the truth, as impossible as it was to believe. Later I would learn that Niphon was an imp, but at the time, I had only sensed that he had a strange air about him, the whispering of power that promised he really could do what he said. â€Å"How?† His eyes gleamed, not unlike Hugh’s when he was on the edge of a major deal. â€Å"To erase the memory of what you’ve done is no small feat. It carries a price.† â€Å"Can you make me forget too?† â€Å"No. But I can make everyone else forget. Your family, your friends, the town. Him.† â€Å"I don’t know†¦ I don’t think I could go back to them then. Even if they didn’t remember, I still would. I couldn’t face Kyriakos like that. Unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated, wondering if it might not be better never to come in contact with them again. â€Å"Can you make them forget me altogether? Make it like I’ve never been born?† Niphondrew a sharp, excited breath. â€Å"Yes, oh yes. But a favor like that†¦ a favor like that carries an even higher price†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He’d explained it to me then, what I’d have to give in return to completely blot me from the minds of those I’d known. My soul was a given. I’d carry it as long as I walked the earth, but it would have a lease on it, so to speak. That was the standard price for any hellish deal. But hell wanted more of me: my eternal service in the corruption of souls. I would spend the rest of my days seducing men, fulfilling their fantasies for my own gain and for those whom I served. It was an ironic fate, considering what had brought me to this point. To aid me, I’d gain the ability to take any form I chose, as well as the power to enhance my own charm. And of course, I’d have eternal life. Immortality and invulnerability. For some, that might have been benefit alone. â€Å"You’d be good. One of the best. I can sense it within you.† Imps had the ability to look into a person’s soul and nature. â€Å"Most people think desire is only in the body, but it’s here too.† He touched my forehead. â€Å"And you would never die. You would stay young and beautiful forever, until the earth perishes.† â€Å"And after that?† He smiled. â€Å"That’s a long way off, Letha, whereas your husband’s life is at stake now.† That had been what sold me. The knowledge that I could save Kyriakos and give him a new life, a life free of me where he would have a chance to be happy once more. A life where I could slink away from my disgrace and maybe even be rightfully punished. My soul – which I barely understood anyway – seemed a small price. I’d agreed to the bargain, first shaking on it, then putting my mark on paperwork I couldn’t read. Niphon left me, and I returned to town. It was eerily simple. When I returned, it was exactly as he had promised. The wish had already been carried out. No one knew me. Passing people – people I’d known my entire life – gave me the glances reserved for strangers. My own sisters walked by me without recognition. I wanted to find Kyriakos, to see if it was the same for him, but I couldn’t muster the courage. I didn’t want him to see my face, not ever again, even if he didn’t recognize it. So I spent the day wandering, trying to accept the fact that I was gone to these people. It was harder than I thought it would be. And sadder. When nightfall came, I retreated again to the outskirts of town. I had nowhere to stay, after all. No family or friends. Instead, I sat in the dark, watching the moon and stars, wondering what I was supposed to do now. The answer came quickly. She rose almost from the ground, at first appearing as nothing more than a shadow, then gradually coalescing into the shape of a woman. The air vibrated with power around her, and suddenly I felt suffocated. I backed up, terror filling every part of me, my lungs unable to take in air. Wind rose from nowhere, whipping my hair and flattening the grass around me. Then, she stood before me, and the night was still again. Lilith. Queen of the Succubi. Lady of the Night. The First Woman. Fear like I had never known swept over me – and lust. I had never been attracted to a woman before, but Lilith has that effect on everyone. It is fixed in her being. No one can resist her. She wore a tall, slim shape that night, willowy and lovely. Her skin was the pale white of the aristocracy of that time – a white never achieved by those of us who worked outside regularly. Her hair was a raven’s wing of black, falling in gleaming waves to her ankles. And her eyes†¦ well, let me just say there’s a reason the old myths call succubi â€Å"flame-eyed.† Her eyes were beautiful and deadly, promising anything you could ever want or desire if only you would let her help you. I still can’t remember what color they were, but I could not look away from them that night. â€Å"Letha,† she crooned, approaching me. The air shimmered around her, and I actually trembled now from my desire. I wanted to run but instead sank to my knees, both from respect and the inability to stand. She came to me and tipped my chin so that I had to look in those eyes again. Sharp, black nails dug painfully into my skin, and it felt wonderful. â€Å"You will be my own daughter now, spreading discord and passion for the rest of your days. You will be both punisher and tester, a creature of both dreams and nightmares. Mortals will do anything for you, just for a touch. You will be loved and desired until the earth is dust.† I whimpered at her proximity, and then she moved closer still, lifting me up so I stood before her. Those glorious lips came to mine, and that kiss shot orgasmic pleasure through my body. My cries were lost, smothered in that kiss. I closed my eyes, unable to look at her and unable to break away. I soaked into that ecstasy pulsing over and over in my body. And yet, as I let that bliss consume me, something else happened too. My mortality was being stripped away. It felt like disintegrating, like I had become ashes in the wind. I wondered if that was how death felt. Like you were nothing. Gone. Then, just as quickly, I was put back together, myself once more. But I could feel the power burning through me now, different from the life that filled humans. My immortality shone like a star in the night, cold and pure. No longer would old age threaten. No longer would sickness haunt me. No longer would my flesh be passionately driven by the knowledge that time was short, that I had to leave my mark on the world. That I had to pass on my blood. I opened my eyes, and the onslaught of pleasure disappeared. So did Lilith. I stood alone in the darkness, quivering with my newfound power. And with that power, I could feel something more: an itch in my flesh. An itch that told me my skin could become anything I wanted it to be with only a thought. I was reborn. I was empowered. And I was hungry†¦ â€Å"What’s wrong?† Blinking back tears, I looked up at Carter. He stood in the doorway to my bedroom, pushing a lock of hair out of his eyes, face concerned. â€Å"Nothing,† I muttered, burying my face in my pillow. â€Å"No nephilim ?† â€Å"No nephilim.† An awkward pause followed. â€Å"Look†¦ are you sure you’re okay? Because you don’t look okay.† â€Å"I’m fine. Didn’t you hear me?† He still wouldn’t give up, though. â€Å"I know we’re not that close, but if you need to talk – â€Å" â€Å"Like you’d understand,† I scoffed, venom in my voice. â€Å"You’ve never had a heart. You don’t know what it’s like, so don’t even pretend like you do.† â€Å"Georgina.† â€Å"Go. Away. Please.† I turned back toward my pillow, waiting for another protest, but none came. When I dared a peek, the angel was gone. How to cite Succubus Blues CHAPTER 18, Essay examples

The Effect Of Technology On English Essay free essay sample

, Research Paper Jarrod Farrar English 255-01 November 20, 2000 The Effect of Technology on English Technology has ever had a manus in the defining of linguistic communications. From the clip cave mans formed tools to pull images to the cyberspace age, engineering has changed the manner we write and speak. With the spread of the? cyberspace age? we have seen many alterations in English in the last few old ages. The English linguistic communication will go on to germinate and distribute with our increased dependance on these new engineerings. The December 31, 1999 issue of the Economist wrote? The birth of the computing machine and its American operating systems gave English a nudge in front ; that of the cyberspace has given it a immense push? ( p85 ) . With America being the leader in computing machine and cyberspace engineering, English speech production people have reaped the benefits. Silicon Valley is traveling to provide to the patronage that it is most disposed to make and do the highest net income from. That is good intelligence for English talkers, bad for those that speak another linguistic communication. The chief option for these non-English talkers is to larn adequate English to be able to work Farrar 2 the computing machine package. This leads to the spread of English throughout the universe. The planetary economic system is another manner that engineering effects English. In an article in Fortune, Justin Fox writes, ? To vie globally, more and more European concerns are doing English their official linguistic communication? ( p209 ) . The planetary economic system is merely successful if the engineering available plants. The engineering that encompasses the planetary economic system includes: telephone orders, telecommunications, cyberspace concerns, web sites etc. Without equal engineering, the economic system would be more focussed on local concern. In this engineering, as with computing machine package, English is the dominant linguistic communication. In order for non-English speech production companies to vie on the planetary market, they must be able to pass on with English talking clients. If they force the client to pass on in their native lingua, odds are that they will non harvest the benefits available. The addition in planetary concerns led to the spread of E nglish throughout the universe. The combination of computing machine package and planetary concerns leads to the cyberspace. The cyberspace is the most of import tool in the spreading of English throughout the universe. Through the usage of confab suites and voice confab Sessionss, non-English talkers are exposed to English. This exposure leads to Farrar 3 more English speech production people. English talkers comprise the great bulk of cyberspace users, so most web sites are written in English. In order to acquire the most out of the cyberspace? s capablenesss ; users must be able to understand English. This leads to a farther spreading of English throughout the universe. The merchandise of this increased dependance on English and engineering leads to the formation of new words. Wilson Quarterly wrote in an article about the add-on of new words in the Merriam-Webster? s Collegiate Dictionary in the 1990? s that, ? Lending 24 of the 99 footings added in the 2nd half of the decennary, engineering is the prima linguistic communication generator. The cyberspace entirely ( surprisingly, the term was merely added in 1997 ) has spawned a brood of 12 nouns: newsgroup, chat room, clip art, place page, hyper nexus, netiquette, netizen, screen rescuer, hunt engine, spare, URL, and World Wide Web? ( p13 ) . The add-on of these words in such a short span of clip shows the influence of engineering on English. English is germinating to suit the new footings needed to map in the? wired? universe. The coming of these intelligence words leads to confusion covering with beginning of the words former significances. Richard Lederer writes in Writer? s Digest, ? The hot new engineering of the computing machine exhaustively befuddled the significances of back up, spot, boot, browser, clang, disc, point, hacker, difficult thrust, hit, mail, Farrar 4 memory , bill of fare, mouse, cyberspace, park, prompt, supplier, coil, Spam, breaker, virus, web site ( no longer merely where Charlotte lives ) , and window? ( 43 ) . Even if the article quoted from was written in joke, we can visualize a hereafter where words are muddled. Apparently mundane new engineering based words pop up that have their beginning in already used words. With the addition of these words, it is possible that English can go littered. One word may possess many significances that have no direct correlativity. This would do it hard on people larning English, or at least do it harder to hold on. The formation of these new words and significances besides widens the spread between those that are computing machine understanding and those that are non. There are a big per centum of people that have phobias covering with computing machines. With the addition of new words, people non already utilizing computing machines may be less willing to get down. The increasing dependance on computing machines makes it a necessity to be computing machine literate. It will be harder for those that do non understand computing machine slang to go successful. Another of import consequence of engineering on English trades with the manner we write and spell. When pass oning over the cyberspace, grammar and spelling is non every bit of import as in formal Hagiographas. The intent of this communicating trades with acquiring your thought across. Spelling is non seen as Farrar 5 awfully of import every bit long as the reader can understand what is written. This can take to hapless spelling wonts and grammar use. When composing an e mail or utilizing a confab room, seldom does one range for a dictionary. With the increasing usage of e mail as a manner to pass on, these bad wonts will non be corrected. Finally, words deemed misspelled today may non be considered misspelled in the hereafter. English words could finally germinate into a wholly phonic type linguistic communication. Of class we can ever utilize enchantment and grammar cheque on our computing machines in order to rectify our errors. Dick Teresi writes, ? Even in the yearss of typewriters, authors knew that their word pick would be 2nd guessed by editors, referees and the similar. Now we must confront the extra invasion of our ain computing machines, which critique us before we can even publish out? ( p39 ) . These spelling and grammar tools can be seen as short term solutions to long term jobs. The computing machine will rectify your spelling, but you are non rectifying your spelling. This leads to utilizing the computing machine as a crutch. Peoples will non work on their hapless spelling if they know that the computing machine will make it for them. These computing machine tools besides take off from a authors creativeness. By allowing a computing machine edit and clean up your paper, a big constituent of authorship Farrar 6 is taken from the author. With the increasing engineering, composing could finally go a? by the Numberss? activity. The user could type in a few abstract thoughts and the computing machine could manner a paper from the keywords. This could take into the loss of words that the computing machine universe could hold as unneeded. We can see from these illustrations that engineering has had a profound consequence on English. Technology has revolutionized the manner we can pass on with people from around the universe outright. English speech production states hold a monopoly on the technological universe and our linguistic communication is distributing because of it. The spreading of English helps us pass on, but it is besides evolves the linguistic communication. The consequence that engineering has had on English shows that linguistic communication alterations and adapts to the universe around it. Farrar 7 1. ? The World Language? Economist 12 Dec. 1999. P 85 2. Fox, Justin. ? The Triumph of English? Fortune 18 Sept 2000. P 209 3. ? Wordss to Populate By? . Wilson Quarterly Winter 2000. p13 4. Lederer, Richard. ? Brave New Words? Writer? s Digest Dec. 1999. p43 5. Teresi, Dick. ? Name Me Fishmeal? Forbes Winter 2000. p39

Explain How and Why the Populist Party Was Created free essay sample

The Populist Party was formed because farmers and laborers called for the abolition of national banks, a graduated income tax, direct election of Senators, civil service reform, a working day of eight hours and Government control of all railroads, telegraphs, and telephones. Many people in the nation were upset with the fact that senators Were elected unfairly, and they wanted a direct election so that chances of reforms happening were possible. Farmers wanted to regulate railroads because they needed fair prices on their crops. The party was founded when The Farmers Alliance promoted collective economic action by farmers and achieved widespread popularity in the South and Great Plains. The Farmers Alliance joined with the National Grange. Low cost insurance was offered through the Alliance, as well as other benefits were promised. The Alliance and the National Grange, along with other labor groups, met in 1891 and 1892 to think over plans for a Political Party. We will write a custom essay sample on Explain How and Why the Populist Party Was Created or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page James B Weaver was appointed as the Populist Presidential Candidate n the 1 892 election to run against Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland. Obviously Weaver lost, but he did have 22 electoral votes and over One Million Popular Votes. The Populist Party tried to reform political standings by backing causes held by Laborers and Farmers. Since a lot of the population were Farmers laborers, many people came to the party. The party was short lived because many business leaders began backing the Republican party by millions of dollars, and the party did not appeal to many people.

Paralinguistic Cues in Computer

Paralinguistic Cues in Computer Abstract Computer based communication is an integral communication modality within the social, educational and professional environments. However, when using text-based CMC, it is common for people to form prejudice impressions about the personality traits of another individual.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Paralinguistic Cues in Computer-Mediated Communications in Personality Traits specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This experiment investigated the effect of the presence or absence of paralinguistic cues in computer-mediated communications on personality traits. The findings suggest that the impressions formed about a personality trait of an individual rely on the presence or absence of paralinguistic cues during interaction. Introduction Computer based communication has become more popular and vary greatly with the ways in which individuals communicate within social, educational and professional environments. Th e differences not only lie in the surrounding environment, but also in the method of communication (Storms, Grottum Lycke, 2007). Communication entails both verbal and non-verbal aspects. While verbal communication involves exchange of words between individuals, non-verbal communication takes in different forms (Walther, Deandrea Tong, 2010). Computer-mediated communications (CMC) refers to the communicative transaction involving the use of computers and communicative networks. The scope of computer mediated communications cuts across sociopsychological elements, particularly the topic on online interactions and their relations to everyday life, and to the application of paralinguistic aspects like emoticons (Storms, Grottum Lycke, 2007).Advertising Looking for report on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Paralinguistic cues play a significant role in human speech communication. A lot of studies have been carried out in attempts to elucidate how the use of paralinguistic features such as body language, facial expression and posture affect the level of communication (Amant, 2007). It is common for human beings to form prejudices about others even before speaking to them when socializing on a face-to-face basis. These preconceptions are often based on paralinguistic cues like gestures and appearance (Epley Kruger, 2005). However, in the computer-mediated communications, these impressions would only be formed based on text message interactions. According to DeLamater and Myers (2007), the accuracy of communication is greatly enhanced by the use of multiple cues, as opposed to a single communication channel. Computer-mediated communication features such as lack of social context cues often make this form of communication less personal (Holland, 2008). There is need to gain more insight on how the presence or absence of paralinguistic cues affects the expectations or preconceptions that people form of each other in CMC interactions. Various theories have been proposed in attempts to explain the role of paralinguistic cues in influence the stereotypes and expectancies over computer-mediated communication. Some of these theories include the social context cues theory and the social information processing theory.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Paralinguistic Cues in Computer-Mediated Communications in Personality Traits specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The social context cues theory proposes that the absence of paralinguistic cues in CMC makes it highly ambiguous (Epley Kruger, 2005). As a result, people depend on their personal stereotypes to make preconceptions about the other person’s character. CMC, thus, allows the persistence of expectancies or stereotypes due to the absence of paralinguistic cues ordinarily the question then (Holland, 2008). A highly standardized experiment was perfor med by Epley and Kruger (2005) to investigate impressions on different communication channels and the resultant stereotypes and expectancies. The researchers performed three experiments, whereby they moderated the participant’s anticipations regarding the interviewee. The interviews were done either on phone or e-mail. Phone communication was found to confer features reminiscent of face-to-face interaction, even though the conversations relied on simple, preset questions and rapid responses. In contrast, communication through e-mail conferred no actual interactions between the parties, though the answers the interviewees gave were similar to those from phone communication. The results indicated that the preformed notions about the interviewee persisted more over e-mail than over the phone (Epley Kruger, 2005). Conversely, the social information processing theory suggests that potential deficiencies of CMC are indemnified by the use of text based non-verbal cues like ‘L aughing Out Loud’ (LOL) and ‘mhhh’. The usage of emoticons in CMC provides an emotional setting to users (Walther D’Addario, 2001).Advertising Looking for report on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More CMC users can, thus, express socios of the responses from a target were â€Å"DEFINITELY at the beach. †¦..: D, LOL†¦..sure thing:), yep. Just be warned†¦dun dunduuuuuun! Extraversion ratings were on a scale of 1-7, depending on the responses of the participants. The responses to the questions had seven options to choose from. To measure the personality, the extraversion scale was utilized whereby individuals with introvert personality would have a score of 20 to 80 while those having an extrovert personality would have a score range of between 80 and 140. Procedure The sample was divided into three groups A, B, and C who observed a CMC interaction. Group A was the paralinguistic cues group with 120 men and 342 women (M=20.7 years, SD=5.3). Group B was the plain text group with 125 men and 308 women (M=21.2 years, SD=5.4). Group C was the control group with 131 men and 329 women (M=20.9 years, SD=5.1). The total sample had 1355 participants (M=20.9, SD=5.23). Conveni ence sampling was adopted as this study was part of the course requirement. Initially, the participants were naà ¯ve regarding the true nature of the study. However, they were debriefed and instructed online as to the intent and procedure. The participants were directed to observe a past CMC activity. A profile stimulating the expectation in participants that the target individual was introverted was designed. Participants looked at this profile, and then observed the target individual communicating with an uncontrolled third party. Participants were then divided into two groups. One group looked at the basic text interaction while the other looked at a realistic paralinguistic communication with many cues hinting that the target was an extrovert. The text used for the interactions was made from a real paralinguistic interaction from which all cues were removed to produce a basic text interaction. Therefore, the conversations had identical contents apart from the paralinguistic int roduced. The major aim was to establish if paralinguistic information in CMC provided enough evidence to clear the preformed ideas that the target was an introvert. Design The study used an independent measure design. There were two levels of independent variable conditions used. These were the group with the basic text interaction and the group with the paralinguistic interaction. The dependent variable was the extroversion rating. Results The participants were asked questions, which they were to respond to from the given options such as strongly disagree, disagree, somewhat disagree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat agree, agree, and strongly agree. From the 20 questions posed to the participants, responses were measured on an extraversion scale of 1-7, with the highest possible personality score being 140 and the lowest being 20. The higher the score, the more the extraverted rating an individual was given. It was predicted that presence or absence of paralinguistic cues woul d not influence the extroversion ratings when considering the social cues theory. In relation to the social information processing theory, it was also predicted that the presence or absence of paralinguistic cues would influence extroversion ratings. Group A, which had participants observing a CMC interaction for paralinguistic cues, rated the targets as extrovert (M=91.74, SD=37.42) while group B, with participants observing plain text interaction, rated the targets as introvert (M=79.84, SD=29.08). Group C, which was the control, indicated that the targets were introverts (M=72.16, SD=29.08). Discussion The results indicate that the presence of paralinguistic cues in computer-mediated communication can influence the impressions formed about the personality traits of an individual. In group A, the participants rated the target as highly extrovert in spite of the fact that the targets were presented as introverts. The findings further advance the social information processing theory which emphasizes more on the style of communication as an important aspect of impression formation. Use of non-verbal, text based cues such as emoticons, ellipses and hyphens can help in deciphering the personality trait of a person in a CMC interaction (Hancock Dunham, 2001; Walther, Deandrea Tong, 2010). In group B, most participants used their preformed concepts to rate the target as being introvert. This is because plain texts may often undermine the impressions about the personality traits as a result of the inadequate information it relays. These results, therefore, support the social cues theory proposition that absence of social cues in a computer-mediated communication environment increases ambiguity, hence people use their stereotypes to form preconceptions about personality traits. The findings are in agreement with the arguments by Epley and Krugler (2005) that absence of nonverbal cues hinders people from discerning another person’s characters. Conclusion The data from group C, the control, rated the targets as introverts. Given that this data falls between the data for groups A and B, then group C suggests that the profile was successful in measuring the objectives of the study. It can, therefore, be concluded that the presence or absence of paralinguistic cues in computer-mediated communication can influence the impressions about the personality traits of a person. The impressions formed depend on the communication style. References Amant, K. (2007). Linguistic and cultural online communication issues in the global age. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. DeLamater, J. D., Myers, D. J. (2007). Social psychology, 6th edn. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. Epley, N., Kruger, J. (2005). What you type isn’t what they read: The perseverance of stereotypes and expectancies over email. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 41, 414-422. Hancock, J. T., Dunham, P. J. (2001). Impression formation in computer-mediated c ommunication revisited: An analysis of the breadth and intensity of impressions. Communication Research, 28, 325-347. Holland, S. (2008). Remote relationships in a small world. New York, NY: Peter Lang. Storms, H. I., Grottum, P. P., Lycke, K. H. (2007). Content and processes in problem-based learning: A comparison of computer-mediated and face-to-face communication. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 23(3), 271-282. Walther, J. B., D’Addario, K. P. (2001). The impacts of emoticons on message interpretation in computer-mediated communication. Social Science Computer Review, 19, 324-347. Walther, J. B., Deandrea, D. C., Tong, S. T. (2010). Computer-mediated communication versus vocal communication and the attenuation of pre-interaction impressions. Media Psychology, 13, 364-386.

Why is New Mexico poor and what should be done about it Research Paper - 1

Why is New Mexico poor and what should be done about it - Research Paper Example Poverty is a factor that is present in nearly all corners of the world. New Mexico is one of the nations strongly affected and hit by poverty (Garcia, 2006). This country has the highest poverty levels in the world, with a 22 percent of poverty levels. According to reports, New Mexico has the highest number of children under poverty. This is the highest level in the United States of America. New Mexico belonged to the Spanish empire for over two centuries and also the independent Mexico for more than two and half decades before being conquered by the United States in the American-Mexican war, in 1846 (Melzer et al, 2011). After the United States moved to conquer this state, many of the New Mexicans looked forward to the day that it would become a state and part of the United States. This took long, more than sixty years before it became a state. By the time this state was becoming a state of the United States; other nations had already gained their statehood. This delay in acquiring statehood is one of the factors that are attributed to its high poverty levels. Despite efforts by the New Mexican leaders and residents to support their nation, there are some factors that led to the delay in the acquisition of statehood. The first factor that hampered early efforts was a common ignorance on the state and unfair suspicion about its citizens. The other states of the United States were against the acquisition of statehood of New Mexico because of the high population of the Native Americans and the Hispanics who were considered foreign in terms of language, culture and religion. The people in the other states questioned the Hispanics and the Native Americans loyalty, who had for long lived under the Mexican and Spanish rule (Melzer et al, 2011). Secondly, territorial politics hampered New Mexico’s opportunities of acquiring statehood. The government was dominated by a bunch of corrupt politicians and businessmen. After the other states realized this, they tried to prevent New Mexico from becoming state by criticizing it. According to Melzer et al (2011), this led to the delayed statehood of the nation, which later culminated to the high poverty levels within the nation. In addition, the national policies adopted hampered the nation’s progress towards attaining statehood. Most of the policies adopted within the political arena had nothing to do with the New Mexico, and this immensely affected the progress towards statehood. Another cause of the delayed statehood of New Mexico was the prolonged Indian wars, which were very costly. In addition, these wars perpetrated the region’s reputation as a region typified by violent and primitive people. While some of the United States defeated some Indian uprisings, some Native American soldiers such as Geronimo fought many United States troops till 1886. The prolonged nature of the fights consumed a lot of resources (Melzer et al, 2011). These resources would have been used in developme nt projects, which would have assisted in alleviating the present high poverty levels. By this time, New Mexico was under the claim of United States, Spain, Mexico and numerous Indian nations. The Indian-Mexican wars started as early as the end of the 16th century, when the Indians tried to go against Spanish rule. Later, the Indians came together to fight, kill, and chase Spanish colonists (Saragoza et al, 2012). The Indians continued to fight against the Spanish till when the United States army general, Kearny, promised the inhabitants of New Mexico that they would defeat the rebelling tribes once the country became a state and made part of United States. The United States forged with numerous strategies that would defeat the other Indian and Spanish tribes.

Should there be limits on international trade Essay

Should there be limits on international trade - Essay Example The strategic initiatives undertaken by the international trade regimes are deemed as pivotal towards understanding how organizations work to good effect within the industrial basis which are spanning all over the world. Therefore what one must comprehend is the fact that international trade will remain supreme no matter how tough or trying the times are in the future and what kind of conditions the world is going to engulf. Advantages International trade and world output are interlinked. Their relation is made stronger by the fact that there is a supply and demand relationship which exists between the two. The trade output in essence depends upon the world output and hence the relation seems to affect one another in a number of different ways. If the world output is less in a specified period of time, say for instance in any single year, then it would imply that the trade output has remained low as well (Warburton, 2010). If the world output has been higher during this while, the tr ade output would essentially go up and be stable as well. However when there are times of financial hardship and misery, recession will have drastic effects on the people as well. They would not mingle within the purchase domains as such and hence try to make do with whatever has been made available to them. The purchase of the products would go down and thus these people will derive comfort from the fact that they have made their financial future secure already. It is also a fact that during such recessionary times, the country’s currency will become weak and hence having imports from different countries with which it regularly has such a trade link will also become quite costly. It would be in the interest of this country if it disengages from the trade regime and tries to focus on making the trade output higher (Amin, 2008). This will eventually up the world output by quite a fair value and hence no problems would be encountered when there is another economic recession wit hin the country. The advantages of international trade are immensely driven by the desire to set things right for the sake of the people spread in all parts of the world. These advantages are significant towards gaining the vital understanding of the international trade realms. Disadvantages The problem with international trade is such that it depends on the stakeholders with which this trade is coming into actual basis. The trade links work wonders for the different trade organizations and lobby associations. If the market is not functioning in a proper and cohesive fashion, there could be problems for the international trade to happen. Also on the global front, international trade can take a nosedive if there are significant issues related with political tensions across the borders. This could mean that a particular country has trouble in importing goods from its links that have already been established over a period of time. Similarly this could mean that the international trade suffers when exportation of these goods is about to take place, but since the political climate is not appropriate at a certain time, these international trade links would come to a halt (Nkowani, 2009). There could be a multitude of reasons behind having

High Stakes Test In Trinidad And Tobago

High Stakes Test In Trinidad And Tobago High stakes tests are defined as those tests that carry serious consequences for students or educators. The consequences from standardized achievement tests range from grade retention for school children to rewards or punitive measures for schools and school districts. The nature of standardized achievement tests used in these situations poses validity problems for the decisions. Numerous unintended negative consequences for students, teachers, curriculum, and schools have been identified. (Ohio Journal of Science) High-stakes are not a characteristic of the test itself, but rather of the consequences placed on the outcome. For instance, no matter what test is used whether it is a written multiple choice, oral examination, performance test a student wanting a medical license must pass the medical licensing test to practice medicine. The acuity of the stakes may vary. For instance, college students who wish to omit an introductory-level course are often given exams to see whether they have already mastered the material and move to the next level. By passing the exam they can attain credits that can reduce tuition expenses and time spent at  university. A student who is anxious to have these benefits may consider the test to be a high-stakes exam. Another student, who places no importance on the outcome, so long as he is placed in a class that is appropriate to his skill level, may consider the same exam to be a low-stakes test. To further concretize the idea what high stakes testing really is one can examine the phrase high stakes. High stakes is derived directly from a  gambling  term. In gambling, a  stake  is referred to the quantity of money or goods that is risked on the outcome of some specific event. A high-stakes game is one in which, in the players individual opinion, a large quantity of money is being risked. The term is meant to imply that executing such a system introduces indecision and potential losses for test takers, who must pass the exam to win, instead of being able to obtain the goal through other means. High Stakes Test in Trinidad and Tobago In Trinidad and Tobago, in the early 1960s the high stakes test of Common Entrance Examination was introduced and served to replace the College Exhibition. It was intended that it would be the only tool of qualification for secondary education in this country. It was not intended to be a pass or fail examination and the number of awards depended on the number of secondary school places available at the time. This examination, for all intent and purposes, was a multiple-choice examination. The multiple choice tests were in English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science with the exception of the Composition aspect of the examination. Students were then placed into secondary schools on the basis of their order of merit and their parents choice of school. The Common Entrance Examination system had its drawbacks. Many critics stated that anxiety, depression, pains, fever, delirious behaviour and severe panic attacks were some of the effects the Common Entrance Examination had on students. These and many other reasons led to the failure of this system and it was because of this failure that a Task Force chaired by Mr. Clive Pantin, and which included Dr. Anna Mahase, Dr. Janet Stanely-Marcano, Mr. Anthony Garcia among others, was set up to look at the removal of this Examination. The Task Force in its findings found that anxiety and stress remained an attribute of the Common Entrance Examination and those immediately concerned with it. It also highlighted the sense of unworthiness and disappointment which became a characteristic of not only those who failed to gain a place, but also of those who were successful but failed to gain admission to the school of their choice. It further stated that due to the importance of the examination and due to a lack of acceptable alternatives to public secondary education the examination began to exert an inordinate influence on the primary school, the curriculum and teaching practices. Teachers were often very restricted to that subject which would be tested at the examination. It was found that students, even those who performed well in the examination, entered secondary school without the necessary basic preparation for secondary school work. It found that nearly fifty percent (50%) of the students who wrote the Common Entrance Examination appeared to be semi literate and innumerate. The Task Force recommended, among other things, that there was need to develop a Secondary Entrance Examination which would test the students level of competence in the key areas of English, Mathematics and Written Composition. It stated that this needed be done in a manner which would indicate readiness of the secondary education programme. Additionally, it stated that Science and Social Studies should be omitted because of the unwarranted influence they had on the final result in the Common Entrance Examination placement of students and because they were unsatisfactorily tested. It also recommended that a Continuous Assessment Programme (CAP) should become an integral part of the School System. The Continuous Assessment Programme was to be used to determine the students readiness for promotion. The Secondary Entrance Assessment, a system of education which prepared the child for entry into a secondary school and included mechanisms to determine when the child was ready and where he or she would be placed, was the major aims of that new system of education. According the Universal Secondary Education Project Implementation Unit December 28th 1999, the implementation of the Secondary Entrance Assessment would provide a link between separate elements of the Universal Secondary Education in Trinidad and Tobago. Secondary Entrance Examination would assess students readiness for secondary schools by testing their skills in Language, Mathematics and Problem-solving and covers the national curriculum for Primary-level education with a focus on Standards three-five. Students who are in Standard five and have not yet attained the age of 15 are eligible to write the SEA. It alluded to the fact that there would be no multiple-choice questions, a feature of the Common Entrance Examinati on. Furthermore, it stated that placement in the secondary schools would be based on marks scored on the exam; the available of places in their school of choice, availability of secondary places in their education division and taking into account the 20 percent (20%) provision granted to denominational school under the Concordat. Interviews and results Interview Schedule for High Stakes Test Research Paper Two week schedule Tasks Activity Time Frame Duration 1. Sensitization of teacher, parent and students 1. Meeting to set the purpose for forthcoming interview March 2nd 2010 One hour 2. Development of questionnaires 1. Questionnaires will be formulated by interview personnel March 3rd and 4th 2010 Two days 3. Set up appointments for interviews 1. Interview personnel set up appointment with stakeholders for interviews. March 5th 2010 One day 4. Interview with teacher 1. Interview personnel interviews teacher on a one on one basis using questionnaire March 8th 2010 One hour 5. Interview with parent 1. Interview personnel has a one on one interview with parent March 9th 2010 One hour 6. Interview with three students 1. Interview personnel has a one on one interview with students at different times. March 10th 2010 Three hours 7. Analyze and synthesize data 1. Interview personnel analyzes and synthesizes data collected March 11th and 12th 2010 Two daysTeachers Perception of the High Stake Test. The teacher I interviewed has been teaching the Standard Five class for the past fifteen years. Upon receiving his new class he does a standard diagnostic test to measure the level of readiness of his students. He is faced with many challenges namely lack of resources, varying abilities of students, improper infrastructure, limited parental support, overcrowding and most importantly the high demand of workload to completed before the SEA examination. He uses his initiative to alleviate some of these challenges for instance creating his own resources, schedule parent conferences, plan and execute lessons using various teaching strategies to meet the needs of his students. To complete his program of work before the examination he sacrifices personal time during the vacation and on Saturdays and sometimes on afternoons after school to conduct classes for slower learners. In his opinion a multiple choice test which was the main form of testing in the Common Entrance examination does not truly reflect the abilities of students. He feels that children need to express themselves and think critically when dealing with problems. Hence the SEA examination is the better choice for the high stake testing in Trinidad and Tobago. Examination in its many forms poses some level of anxiety among students, teachers and parents and the fact remains that the coping mechanism for this is all the individuals responsibility. He is of the opinion that the SEA examination is an appropriate assessment tool to measure students performance in our rapidly changing society. There are many advantages and disadvantages to high stakes testing and more so the SEA examination. This teacher believes that this form of assessment will assist all students to learn more by demanding higher student proficiency and providing effective methods to help students achieve high standards; provide parents, schools, and communities with an unprecedented opportunity to debate and reach agreement on what students should know and be able to do; focus the education system on understandable, objective, measurable, and well-defined goals to enable schools to work smarter and more productively; reinforce the best teaching and educational practices already found in classrooms and make them the norm; and provide real accountability by focusing squarely on results and helping the public and local and state educators evaluate which programs work best. He also believes that there are many shortcomings with respect to high stakes testing. These include the careless implementation of programmes of work that may not meet the varying abilities of students which may result in negative consequences. Sacrifice, diligence, determination are the key for the successful completion of any examination was the closing comments by this standard teacher. Parents Perception There is a high level of anxiety for this parent by having a child in the Standard five class. She feels that this examination is heavily weighted and causes a lot of stress related incidents at home and school for parents and children as well. Being a housewife, she has sufficient time to assist her child with his preparation for the test. She feels that the child has to do this examination whether it is fair or not because this is the norm in this country. This parent is of the opinion that SEA is less demanding than the common entrance examination because the emphasis is on mathematics and language arts areas and there is no longer the science and social studies component. She believes that SEA is the best means of measuring her childs performance. Time management and lack of knowledge of content are some of the challenges that this parent encounters when trying to assist her child. She seeks assistance from other parents and the teacher when uncertainty arises in assisting her child. Motivation is a key factor in the success of her child. She believes that if the child is motivated he will do well. She tries to emulate her parents as she was also motivated to do her best. She is quite confident that her child will succeed in the SEA examination because of the teachers competences, her support and most importantly the childs effort. As a parent she feels that she did her best in preparing her child for this high stakes test. Childrens Perception The three students aspire to successfully acquire their first choice in the high stakes test and plan to work diligently towards achieving this goal. They believe that the SEA examination is one of the most important one that they will have to write. They feel they do not have enough time to prepare and it is a lot of sacrifice and hard work. They all believe that their teacher is the best and they will definitely succeed. They have been doing many past papers and attending extra classes. With the exception of one child, they feel that their parents provide ample support for them. All three students have the confidence that they are prepared for the SEA examination and they will secure their first choice. Common themes All stakeholders believe that the SEA examination is an appropriate assessment tool to measure students performance Sacrifice, hard work, dedication and commitment are crucial for successful attainment in the SEA examination. Stress and anxiety affects everyone in any examination. Support from all stakeholders are essential components in the preparation for high stakes test. Teacher competency is a key factor in the success of any student. Conclusion High stakes in its entirety is relevant in Trinidad and Tobago. It serves as the medium from the primary level to the secondary level. Much emphasis is placed on this test and it is the stepping stone for advance studies and is crucial to attainment of certificates and diplomas that will secure a good job. While there may be shortcomings in the implementation of programmes of work which may not meet the varying abilities of students can result in negative consequences. However, in preparing for high stakes test students will develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. It allows students to achieve higher standards. With respect to schools, it promotes well define goals which will lead to more productivity and provide real accountability. The Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) in Trinidad and Tobago is the high stake test that assesses students readiness for secondary schools by testing their skills in Language, Mathematics and Problem-solving. Appendix 1 Teacher Questionnaire How long have been teaching a standard five class? On receiving a new class of students, how do you diagnose the level of your students readiness? What are some challenges you face in teaching a standard five class? What are some strategies you used to overcome these challenges? What is your opinion of the removal of the common entrance examination and the implementation of the SEA examination? Do you think the level of anxiety of students is the same with to the shift from the common entrance examination to the SEA examination? Is the SEA examination an appropriate assessment tool to measure students performance? What do you think is the advantages of this assessment tool? What are the disadvantages of this assessment instrument? What recommendation can you give to alleviate the pressures of this exam? Appendix 2 Parent Questionnaire How do you feel as a parent having a child in an SEA class? Do you spend sufficient time assisting your child in his school work? Do you think it is fair to your child for this examination to be the determining factor of his placement in a secondary school? What is your opinion the removal of the Common entrance examination and the implementation of the SEA examination? Do you think it is an appropriate assessment tool to measure your childs abilities? What are some challenges you face as a parent with a child in a SEA class? How do you cope with the challenges faced? Do you think motivation is necessary to alleviate some of the stress that your child faces? Why? Do you think your child is capable of successfully completing the SEA examination? Why? Do you feel that you have fulfilled your duty as a parent in preparing your child for the examination? Appendix 3 Student Questionnaire What are your aspirations upon entering in SEA class? What are your opinions with respect to the upcoming SEA examination? What are some of the challenges you are facing in preparing for the exam? Do you think your teacher is competent in preparing you for this examination? What have you been doing to prepare for the examination? How are your parents supporting you in the preparation for the examination? Do you feel you are ready for the examination? What do you think the outcome of the exam will be?