Introduction to Accounting and finance -- Economics, Finance and Assignment - 1

Prologue to Accounting and money - Economics, Finance and Management - Assignment Example The costs of the organization increments and friends might not have enough money accessible to meet its costs. Accordingly, the money shortfall is met by bank overdraft which influences company’s liquidity position. Organization ought not make all the deals and buys on layaway. It ought to pick a reasonable blend of money and credit deals/buys so that, company’s receivables and payables don’t arrive at top levels. It is most likely impractical to gather the aggregate sum of credit deals. Some measure of credit deals transforms into terrible obligation cost which can’t be recouped. Organization ought to assign little level of deals to awful obligations. Money is the thing that keeps the business working. Organization requires money available to pay for its working, contributing and financing costs. The measure of money accessible/deficiency is determined with income proclamation. Hisrich, Peter and Shepherd expresses that â€Å"Cash stream results from the contrast between genuine money receipts and money payments† (1998:p.297). The distinction between income articulation and benefit explanation is that income doesn’t consider installment of non-money costs, installment of credit head and withdrawals. (Rosemary, 2010) Benefits are created by deducting working costs from deals and it is determined through pay articulation. Salary articulation tells about the all out deals made during the year whether deals receipts are gathered or not. In June, Hidetoseek Ltd. is acquiring benefit yet its income is negative which shows that company’s costs are more prominent than receipts. In this manner, it should utilize bank overdraft to meet its costs. Whenever held profit are utilized, the liquidity position of the organization is gravely influenced. The money stores of organization diminishes which implies that if the organization needs to pay for its obligations or bring about some capital costs, it won't have the option to raise huge assets through its stores. An overdraft happens when

Importance Bookkeeping Essay

In business, there are numerous components that must be considered so as to guarantee that they business is in good shape, explicitly in money related issues. One of these is the part of accounting. This paper talks about the significance of accounting and will examine laws that administer bookkeeping angles. Significance of Bookkeeping is one of the most significant viewpoints in budgetary administration. It is the way toward recording the money related exchanges made by the organization and considered as the main fundamental advance of bookkeeping setting. Accounting is significant in light of the fact that it will help you as far as checking how the organization is going day by day, week after week and month to month. It is basic since it will enable the organization to arrange the money related exchange records which incorporate the receipts, checks, dropped, money distributions and deals. The accounting approach ensures that the budgetary angles are sorted out and adjusted and empowers the organization to know where their cash and other monetary issues are going. Having this sort of accounting is noted to be one of the crucial keys for having fruitful business. A lost receipt is comparable to lost derivation which may result for more cash to be covered out in charges. Having great accounting can enable the business to spare all the more monetarily. Moreover, having sorted out, precise and adjusted accounting records additionally permits the organization to acquire trusts from various speculators and loan specialists in the since quite a while ago ran since they will have the option to see total monetary information before furnishing you with your requirements. What's more, accounting records is likewise essential to deal with the budgetary status of the whole business and to monitor what is befalling the organization monetarily. Overseeing Laws in Accounting In request to realize that bookkeepers are carrying out their responsibilities precisely and sorted out with right data, various specialists has had the option to detail and set up bookkeeping laws which ought to be trailed by various organizations and businesses. Most bookkeeping laws points on reestablishing confidence from various partners. Bookkeeping laws fluctuates on various countries and every one of the administration attempts to force laws to fill in as a standard model for various organizations in making their bookkeeping articulations. One of the laws or strategies in bookkeeping is the worldwide bookkeeping gauges. Having the option to know the noteworthiness of monetary bookkeeping and detailing, researchers have normalized budgetary bookkeeping and built up the International Accounting Standards board of trustees (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2002). The IASC referred to today as International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) has had the option to set up the International Financial announcing Standards. The IFRS has been applied in the worldwide settings and Europe, US and different nations attempt to follow the new normalized and orchestrated bookkeeping strategies. IFRS strategies and laws are created to apply to general goal of the fiscal summaries and other budgetary detailing of various enterprises. This overseeing laws licenses diverse business substances to report their money related bookkeeping and explanations with more revelation. The reason for these overseeing laws is to make reasonable incentive for every single included partner in the budget summaries. Reference Price Water House Coopers (2008). Online accessible at https://www. pwc. com/gx/eng/about/svcs/corporatereporting/IFRSforSMEs. pdf Retrieved on December 12, 2008

Show, Dont Tell The Secret to Next-Level Writing

Show, Dont Tell The Secret to Next-Level Writing A distinguishing characteristic of a great writer is one who is able to show instead of tell in his or her writing. For example, when you tell your audience information about a character, you might describe the character as tall or imposing. However, when you show your reader this informationâ€"by having another character look up to them when speakingâ€"you allow your reader to feel like they are right there in the moment in ways that telling them details will never inspire.British novelist, poet, and essayist C.S. Lewis put it like this:Dont use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the things you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was terrible, describe it so that well be terrified. Dont say it was delightful; make us say delightful when weve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, Please, will you do my job for me?C.S. LewisWhy show instead of tell?Th ere are several reasons why its more appealing for a reader to be shown a scene rather than told a scene. Telling involves providing factual, brief information that avoids detail and conveys a broad message. In many cases, it is an effective way to communicate but not necessarily an effective way to stir the emotions.Showing, on the other hand does stir the emotions because it appeals to the readers sensory perception and understanding. While its not the most efficient way to communicate, it is the most expressive way, and provides details that telling does not offer. It also encourages a readers suspension of disbelief by allowing them to be in the moment youre showing in your writing, through sensory details they can easily access with a little imagination.Examples of Telling vs. ShowingSo how do you accomplish this in your own writing? Lets look at a few examples of how one might show instead of tell.Telling: He was cold.Showing: He shivered violently, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders.Telling: A storm was blowing in.Showing: To the west, dark clouds shifted as thunder rumbled in the distance, drawing closer.Telling: She knew he had been drinking alcohol.Showing: As he brushed past her stumbling, she smelled the stale scent of whiskey.Is it ever better to tell instead of show?While this show, dont tell rule holds true in general for creative writing, there are times when a summary of what is taking place is bestâ€"especially if it is a summary of plot details that arent of real value on the character arc. In other words, if you are merely biding time to move a character from point a to point b and the important things will happen at point b, there is no need to focus on showing details of how the character arrives to point b. That part can be more telling than showing, especially in contrast to the showing writing that you would want to have when the character finally reaches that important destination (point b).Consider a character who must take pa rt in an ultimate showdown against the antagonist. When that showdown occurs, you would obviously want to make your writing show as much as possible instead of telling it all. However, the journey to get to that showdown might not necessarily need to be shown, unless it is an important part of the plot (as is often the case in adventure novels). If it doesnt add value to the narrative or character arcs, there is no need to focus on showing instead of telling.Tips to stop tellingSo how to you avoid telling writing when you should be showing your reader instead? Obviously, theres no one-size-fits-all answer to this. However, here are a few tips to follow to get you started in the right direction:Consider all the sensesWriting that shows a reader what is happening is writing that includes a lot of sensory details. Dont just use images that your characters sees, but also include what is heard, felt, smelled and tasted through their senses. These types of sensory details help your reader feel like they are in the moment with the character instead of simply being told what is happening.Find adjectives and reconsider themAnother great way to turn your telling writing into writing that shows your reader a scene is to look for the spots where youve used adjectives. For example, lets say youve written the line: The beautiful woman smiled at him. Since beautiful is an adjective, lets take a moment to reconsider this sentence to allow it to show instead of tell. After doing so, you might come up with something like this: All she did was smile but to him, it was his own private heaven. Women like her didnt smile at him often and his face flushed warm red in the heat of her stare.Avoid overuse of -ly adverbsStephen King had much to say about adverbs:I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, theyre like dandelions. If you have one in your lawn, it looks pretty and unique. If you fail to root it out, howeve r, you find five the next day… fifty the day after that… and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally, completely, and profligately covered with dandelions. By then you see them for the weeds they really are, but by then its â€" GASP!! â€" too late.Stephen KingWhat King is trying to emphasize in this statement is that one or two adverbs are fine, but the more adverbs a piece of writing contains, the less it will show instead of tell. For example, consider the following line: He looked at his father angrily. How might a writer state the same idea without the adverb? It would be something like this: A frown wrinkled his forehead as he stared at his father, breathing hard and clenching his fists in buried hostility.Now, which of the sentences gives us more visual depth to the scene? Obviously, its the one without the adverb ending in -ly. In it, the reader sees the characters anger visually instead of simply being told about it. We see the characters emotions instead of being told how the character feels.Use metaphorsOne great benefit to using metaphors is they are a literary device that calls to mind sensory perceptions. For example, when you compare a characters smile to the sun through metaphor, your reader instantly envisions a smile that is bright and cheerfulâ€"one that lights up the room in a way similar to how the sun lights up the Earth. You give much more depth to your description through the use of metaphors and similes than telling writing could ever offer.A final wordOne thing to note in the struggle with showing instead of telling in your writing is that you can go overboard with description. For some writers (Anne Rice, for example), pages upon pages of descriptive writing work because their readers have come to expect it and enjoy that type of writing. However, with too much focus on description and not enough focus on moving the plot along, you risk losing your reader through overly done description that was written for the sake of showing instead of telling. So, rememberâ€"show, dont tell, but dont overdo it!

Foreign Investment And Trade Policy - 1565 Words

Foreign Investment and Trade Policy: Brazil can be seen as country that is open and inviting foreign investments. Brazil remains the top destination for FDI in the Latin American region and according the A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index for 2015, Brazil is ranked #6 as a global FDI destination. FDI inflows into Brazil stood at USD 60.5 billion as on Feb 2015, (Central bank of Brazil). The US Department of State’s report on Brazil states that Brazil is a foreign investment friendly country however complex tax, local content and regulatory requirements must be looked out for. The Brazilian economy’s GDP growth has been erratic, but is showing signs of stability and is expected to hit 2.1 % during the year†¦show more content†¦Foreign capital must be registered on this system before 30 days of its entry or customs clearance in the case of goods. Some of the highlights of this policy are: †¢ Besides registration of capital there is no restriction on remittances of capital abroad. †¢ Amounts paid out to foreign shareholders and partners are not taxed. †¢ Repatriation of capital is also tax exempt, subject to the amount not exceeding the original investment. †¢ Foreign investors may invest in Brazilian financial institutions subject to a few conditions. Brazil’s Trade Policy: According to a WTO policy document on Brazil, â€Å"Brazil considers the multilateral trading system fundamental to attaining its development goals based on sustainable and socially inclusive economic growth†. Brazil practices this goal by being an active participant in various international and regional forums like the WTO, BRICS, and the MERCOSUR. These multi-country organizations aim to facilitate trade between member countries and also help in achieving common goals. In Brazil the Chamber of Foreign Trade (CAMEX) is responsible for formulating and implementing the trade policy. All matters related to trade must be referred to the CAMEX before being implemented. Policy on imports: Brazil just like any other county places certain laws and regulations intended to deter the entry of illegal and dangerous material into its

Wayne State University Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Wayne State University is a public university with an acceptance rate of 71%. One of Michigans 15 public universities, Wayne State is located in the Midtown Cultural Center of Detroit, Michigan. High-achieving undergraduates might consider the Reid Honors College which offers smaller classes, early registration, and opportunities for undergraduate research. Wayne States strengths in the liberal arts and sciences have earned the school a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Wayne State also offers an extensive graduate program including schools of law, medicine, nursing, and social work.  The university competes in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) for all sports except fencing, in which it competes in the Midwest Fencing Conference (MFC). Considering applying to Wayne State University? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Wayne State University had an acceptance rate of 71%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 71 students were admitted, making Wayne States admissions process somewhat competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 16,210 Percent Admitted 71% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 26% SAT Scores and Requirements Wayne State University requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 89% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 510 610 Math 500 600 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of Wayne States admitted students fall within the  top 35% nationally  on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Wayne State scored between 510 and 610, while 25% scored below 510 and 25% scored above 610. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 500 and 600, while 25% scored below 500 and 25% scored above 600. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1210 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Wayne State University. Requirements WSU does not require the optional SAT essay section. Note that Wayne State does not superscore SAT results; your highest composite SAT score from a single test date will be considered. ACT Scores and Requirements Wayne State University requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 24% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 20 27 Math 19 26 Composite 21 27 This admissions data tells us that most of Wayne States admitted students fall within the  top 42% nationally  on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Wayne State received a composite ACT score between 21 and 27, while 25% scored above 27 and 25% scored below 21. Requirements Note that Wayne State University does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. WSU does not require the optional ACT writing section. GPA In 2018, the average high school GPA of Wayne State Universitys incoming freshmen class was 3.37, and 47% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.5 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants have primarily B grades. Admissions Chances Wayne State University, which accepts nearly three-quarters of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average range, you have a strong chance of being accepted. All applicants with a minimum high school GPA of 3.65, a minimum ACT of 26, or a minimum SAT of 1240 will be automatically considered for the Reid Honors College. Note that applicants to music, theater, or dance are required to participate in an audition or an interview. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. If You Like Wayne State University, You May Also Like These Schools University of MichiganUniversity of ToledoOhio State UniversityHoward UniversityUniversity of Michigan - DearbornBowling Green State UniversityMichigan State University All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Wayne State University Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Organ Sales Free Essays

Selling Organs Many people are dying each day because of the lack of organs available. Waiting lists can be as long as 106,000 people. On an average 17 patients in need of transplants die each day. We will write a custom essay sample on Organ Sales or any similar topic only for you Order Now Is this fair to the families or is selling organs a better option? What are the benefits of organ selling and should it be made legal? By legalizing organ selling we would be saving lives. People sell organs on the black market every day; the downfall to this is that the surgeons that remove the organs are not always sanitary or certified. The article legalizing paid organs: pros and cons states â€Å"Establishing a federal agency to oversee organ sales will cut dialysis costs and save lives, of both patients in need of new kidneys and those selling or receiving kidneys illegally by unregulated surgeons. † This is a good point, the organs would be ensured safe. The people donating would be more motivated to donate more organs if there was an incentive of making money. Some people fear that, â€Å"The lawful sale of organs would legitimize human sacrifice. † Although this might be true successful transplants depended on knowledge of characteristics of the donor. The origin of the organ to be sold must be known for it to be used. Although many fear legalization of this may bring about a â€Å"sacrifice spree† others realize that, â€Å"The black market cannot be regulated, but its purpose would be defeated if the sale of organs became lawful†. Also legalizing organ selling will create an unlevel playing field. Meaning that people that could not afford to buy an organ would die and the wealthy people will live. The selling of organs impacts health care workers in many ways. One way could include that the organ is harvested in an unsafe environment causing communicable infections. This puts not only the health care worker at risk but also the other patients. A health care worker could feel responsible if a person that has been on a waiting list dies due to the lack of organs when some other patient bought their organ and lived. An example being that a 4 year old boy dies because a 60 year old man bought an organ that the boy would need. This could place unwanted emotional distress on the medical professionals. A health care worker is also put in an ethical dilemma when they do not know where the organ was harvested from. This meaning that the organ may have been stolen from an unwilling donor and then sold. It could also mean someone was murdered in order to harvest and sell the organs for the sake of profit. I personally feel that they should legalize selling organs but it would need to be regulated. I feel that people selling the organs must first sign a waiver stating what organs they are willing to sell. They then would need to be harvested in a safe sanitary environment by a trained professional. I think that after selling the organs they would then be monitored for a period of time to ensure the safety of the patient. I think that the organs should be then given to the people on the waiting list. People would not be allowed to buy the organs they would go in order with the list. I feel that by giving people the incentive to sell organs buy offering a small amount of money the number of people willing to donate will increase significantly. Where does the money come from that they use to pay the donor? That will be taken off the bill from the hospitals. Surgeons are overpaid as it is, by deducting a small fee towards the donation process it will help in balancing the outcomes. The surgeon will however make up the difference by performing more transplant operations, so by legalizing the sale of organs it will in return solve many of the problems we face with the donation process today. Sources: Human Organs, Sale of http://www. idebate. org/debatabase/topic_details. php? topicID=141 Legalizing paid organ donation http://www. researchsea. com/html/article. php/aid/561/cid/6/research/legalizing_paid_organ_donation__pros_and_cons. html Legal Issues in Payment of Living Donors for Solid Organs http://www. abanet. org/irr/hr/spring03/livingdonors. html How to cite Organ Sales, Papers

Change Management in Action Transforming Corporate Culture

Question: Discuss about the Change Management in Action for Transforming Corporate Culture. Answer: Draw on each of the elements of the cultural web to discuss how the culture at Heinz Australia has changed and is continuing to evolve under Widdows leadership. This is a very dynamic generation, dynamic as in, where everything is changing at a very fast pace and in a very rapid manner, the way of eating, the way of wearing, the way of functioning, the way of carrying out your day to day activities and many other things ,almost everything is evolving gradually. What we used to wear 10 years before or may be even 5 years before is already outdated and new trends, and structure of functioning are already taking over, but what we wear now will also not be the same in the years to come, due to the dynamic scenario impact in the environment the way we function now will gradually differ from the days to come in the future. But this does not necessarily mean that being dynamic or adapting change is a bad thing, changing according to the environment is actually a good thing to do. Change is actually a very important in any ones life or any business as well to progress positively and also to bring profitability in a specific organization. In order to keep up with this rapidly changing environment and in order to develop as a person change, but in a properly managed and structured way is very vital and important. To define all this adapting to rapidly changing scenario or environment, there is actually a term called "change management" which means to bring a positive change in an individual, an organizational structure or any other feature to transition from average to great performer for overall development(Solutions, n.d.). This is exactly what Heinz Australia adapted after Widdows was recruited as a managing director in 2003 and chief executive officer 3 years after that. Peter Widdows was an individual or a professional who had a large work experiences; he had an experience of working in various types of working culture, which made him a very good evaluator of the right wrong way of doing things in a working environment. And because of his widespread experience of working at different organizations and different or variety o f working culture, as soon as he joined the Heinz force he had this bad feeling that the way that the company was functioning is not going on the right track, by his ability to compare the differences between other working cultures and working structure . So, in order to bring positive change, progress and development accordingly in the working environment he took an initiative to make things better for the company once and for all. Changes are thought to be vital in any organization as they empower it to contend in an industry more productively ( K.P. D.S., 2014).He first analyzed, and evaluated the situation and the whole functioning structure of Heinz company and noted down the various things and structures that were not supporting for the company to perform its best and bring profitability in the organization. While Peter Widdows was analyzing and evaluating the company to note down the faults, the following points are the list of things that Widows found that was not actually providing any kind of contribution the company to develop and prosper: The basic tasks of the company required too much effort than it actually needed, making things more complex and more time consuming, as they could utilize that time to be more productive in other sectors. The company did not have work- friendly environment as the works were very monotonous for the staffs and employees to be excited about and perform their best. The workers or the staffs were given no credibility for their performed work with no compliments, bonus or promotion of posts for their good work, rather they focused how they could negatively reinforce the workers to perform better and how could they be strict enough to discipline them to make them follow their orders and demands. There was no motivation to perform well and put in their contribution for the company, as the employees didnt feel their importance in their company, they felt as if they were just there for the sake of just following the order of the higher staffs . They didn't feel that their work, ideas or contribution was actually valued by the organization leading them to leave or resign the company. In addition to that, it is pretty obvious that there was a high employee turnover rate, brought about by the negative corporate culture. This implies that it was difficult for the company to retain employees as they did not feel that they had any form of obligation to the company (Alam, 2013) After Widdows recognized the problems that were bringing the company back, he implemented an idea of a great place to work, hoping that it would impact the company positively. To solve this ongoing problem regarding the organization's structure and the working attitude among the staffs, he gave more force on changing the attitude in the workplace, on treating the colleagues, seniors and the staffs in a more pleasurable way, by respecting each other and motivating each other to perform well and contribute their ideas, where they were taken seriously to the company. The overall attitude or behavior was restructured in order for the working environment to be pleasant. A huge need of implementing a transition in order to make sure that the staffs and employees had a good perception of their organization so that they could put their focus on their improvement as an employee rather than gaining organizational success was very important. (Kerzner, 2013).To make the duty and job of the peopl e not so time consuming and more simple and less time consuming, he also restructured the working hierarchy of the organization by, cutting off paid staff members by 25%, making the organization cost efficient, and also added new- middle level board which got rid of the old complex and confusing working structure and brought more productivity and efficiency in the business. This culture change implementation was well taken by the organization and the staffs as well bringing immediate increase in profits, record of 50% top line growth each year and launch of more than 200 products in one year. After all the implemented changes and its very successful result and feedbacks, now there is no turning back for Heinz Company, as they plan to continue this culture and evolve accordingly keeping in mind the demands and wants of the staffs to keep them motivated and productive. Making the staffs and workers feel valued in a working environment is the major need for implementation of change(Loz ano, 2011). Based on your cultural web audit, identify the key forces for and against change. Force Field Analysis is a technique for posting, examining, and assessing the different strengths for and against a proposed change. At the point when a change is arranged, Force Field Analysis helps you take a look at the bigger picture by investigating the greater part of the strengths affecting the change and measuring the advantages and disadvantages(Outreach, n.d.). So, the main problem that I recognized before the change in Heinz Australia, was lack of validation and appreciation given to the workers or staffs for their contribution which demotivated them causing downfall in the productivity of their business. Hence, the goal or proposed change would be to make positive transitions in the behavior or attitude of the senior staffs. So, first talking about the forces that go for the change could be: The manager is deciding on the changes, so implementing these changes wouldnt be as much as hard These decisions mostly take the staffs side, so majority of them would agree on implementing this whole thing Since its about changing the behavior or the attitude of the staffs into a bit motivating and positive one, so the approach to change it would also be the same, a positive one. This in return will be easier to convince the staffs. But everything has its negative side to it, and therefore the forces that could go against the change are: Since, the staffs are already demotivated, the effort to make this change could be completely unresponsive thinking its just another effort that will eventually fail Since, the manager is trying to bring a huge change to the whole organization, the expense could be massive. Handling all the responsibilities by manager himself could be a lot. What appear to be the key strengths of the new culture? As soon as the new culture was incorporated in the organization, instant improvements were starting to be visible, from staffs or employees being corporative and highly productive, to increasing in profits of the organization. This adaptation of change would also determine the manager to know that the company is able to withstand the changes that will be introduced (S.H., et al., 2012).So, this new culture was with no doubt was a huge success. With the well thought organizational structure to the change in the attitudes of each and every staffs and workers, this plan turned out to be one of the ground-breaking ideas. In my opinion the major strength of the new culture was restructuring the behavioral attitudes of the staffs, and changing the working model of the organization. The change in the working model of the company really helped to understand the work of the company more clearly, which used to be very complex thing to do before and also helped the overall organization to manag e their time in things that were actually productive and contributing to the Heinz company rather than taking very long time to do a basic simple task. This also helped to cut off the unnecessary expenses which contributed in cost efficiency of the company. This model is effortlessly reasonable and can be connected in any authoritative circumstance extending from changing the corporate structure, worker inspiration and the corporate society ( Jackson Burnes, 2011). By, associating the team to participate in what does a great place to work mean to you? was a very productive thing to do, as everyone got to project their hidden emotions and wants as a staff in a working environment, which gave a whole new perspective to the manager to know where they had to improve or what changes they could bring in to the workplace in order to prosper and develop accordingly. This was ascribed to the low profitability of representatives and the absence of confidence in the whole workforce (Rigby, 20 11)So after the implementation of the change in attitudes of the seniors to their staff members, they started to be more positive with them by encouraging them to work better, and asking for their opinions and ideas on new projects, which made the employees fell important in their company, which ultimately helped them to stay motivated and increased their productivity in a huge scale. It was also noted that the high turnover cost the company approximately $2 million dollars on an annual basis, mainly due to the recruitment and training process (Kinicki, et al., 2014). So, change in the structure of the company also helped to cut off many unrequired costs and focus on what is required and important to the organization, because successful people tend to focus on the positive aspect that beholds the future of their work rather than focusing on the past failures(canfield, 1944). So, the main key factor of Heinz Company was that Widdow had an extraordinary talent of analyzing the GAPS of the company, which led him to realize all the factors that made the companys performance very poor. So, we could say that Widdow was very valuable and asset to Heinz company, as he succeeded to implement all the changes in the company successfully. What aspects of the organization need to be monitored and sustained to ensure the organization does not slide back into the old ways of thinking and working? Heinz Australia really worked hard to get to the point where they are right now, it took a lot of time and effort to design and think of the right format of restructuring to implement to the organization so that huge improvement can be claimed by the organization for higher productivity and increase in sales revenue as a whole. But even after they have attained this huge success, it does not necessarily mean that it will now keep on sustaining in the market, the company have to keep on assuring that every aspect or function of the company are monitored closely and the ways and methods adapted to make the company productive is made consistent in order to be on the track, develop and sustain in the market. Many of the company who fail to stay on track is simply because they didn't stay the course to achieve the objective(Holtzclaw, 2012). So in order to maintain this consistency on their productivity, the company must monitor various aspect of the company to make sure that the company doesnt end up where it first started. The first thing that Heinz Australia have to make sure is that their organizational structure doesnt get jumbled up. Maintaining a proper organizational structure play a very vital role in bringing flexibility, efficiency and effectiveness to a particular company. Organizational structure is particularly important for decision making (Suttle, n.d.). If they succeed to maintain their organizational structure then the communication becomes very effective among the staffs and employees, and good communication ultimately means the fluent work flow in the Heinz Australia. Communication helps in smooth operation of administration. Administrative errand must be performed when communication framework is successful (notes.tyrocity, n.d.). When talking about communication, Heinz Australias main problem that caused its development to decline was its improper attitude among the seniors and staffs. Basically, the seniors or the upper hierarchy of the Heinz A ustralia did not acknowledge the employees work and only focused on what punishment could be given in order to bring the employees or the staffs to the right track, they didnt even consider the staffs contribution or ideas towards the organization, which made the employees feel less important and made them think that they were just work slaves to the company which resulted in demotivation of the employees causing them to resign from the company. So, in order for them to not fall back to that situation again they must keep in mind that all the employees in the workplace must be treated with same level of respect because every employee brings some level of experience and knowledge to the workplace(Lee, n.d.). Their ideas and contribution also must be acknowledged and the employees must be taken along the course, while nurturing them accordingly in order to keep them motivated to do work and to incline the production rates. Workers need acknowledgment for their commitments, and this is a significant human need more than once professed by social analysts(Smith, 2016). Ground breaking organizations are stepping to effectively address this negative perspective of execution administration. They are executing creative arrangements that guarantee forms convey genuine results and enhance execution(Factors, n.d.). This company has to monitor the overall functioning, structure along with the activities, behavior and working attitude of the employees among one another, to ensure that everything in going steadily in a smooth pace, along with consistency in order develop, grow and sustain, rather than falling back to what it was before. References Jackson, P. Burnes, . B., 2011. Success and failure in organizational change: An exploration of the role of values. Journal of Change Management. K.P. , B. D.S., . D., 2014. A time for change: QSENizing the curriculum, s.l.: s.n. Alam, S., 2013. Successful Organization Change at National Database and Registration , s.l.: s.n. canfield, j., 1944. s.l.: s.n. Factors, S., n.d. Importance of Performance Management Process Best Practices To Optimize Monitoring Performance Work Reviews/Feedback and Goal Management. [Online] Available at: https://www.successfactors.com/en_us/lp/articles/optimize-performance-management.html Holtzclaw, E., 2012. Power of Consistency: 5 Rules. [Online] Available at: https://www.inc.com/eric-v-holtzclaw/consistency-power-success-rules.html Kerzner, H. R., 2013. s.l.: s.n. Kinicki, A., Williams, ,. B. K., Scott-Ladd, B. Perry, . M., 2014. Management: A practical introduction. , NY: McGraw-Hill Education, New York: NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Lee, T. L., n.d. Nurturing Employees to Greatness: 4 Things Great Leaders Do. [Online] Available at: https://www.emergenetics.com/blog/great-leaders-nurture-talent/ Lozano, R., 2011. Are Companies Planning Their Organisational Changes for Corporate Sustainability? An analysis of three case studies on resistance to change and their strategies to overcome it. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, s.l.: s.n. notes.tyrocity, n.d. Importance of business communication. [Online] Available at: https://notes.tyrocity.com/importance-of-business-communication/ Outreach, I. S. U. E. a., n.d. Force Field Analysis. [Online] Available at: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/force-field-analysis Rigby, D. K., 2011. Management Tools 2011: An Executives Guide. , Boston: Boston: Bain Company.. S.H., A., S., H., J.L., M. , Malo, 2012. Back to the Future: Revisiting Kotters 1996 Change Model. Journal of Management Developmen. Smith, M. M., 2016. Nurturing Corporate Culture: Its Critical to Get Your Employees On Board. [Online] Available at: https://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/nurturing-corporate-culture-its-critical-to-get-your-employees-on-board/ Solutions, T., n.d. What is Change Management What is OD?. [Online] Available at: https://tolerosolutions.com/what-iwhat-is-change-management-why-is-it-important-to-your-organization/ Suttle, R., n.d. The Importance of Organizational Structure. [Online] Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-organizational-structure-2783.html

Printable organs concepts

The topic of 3-D printable organs very evidently, is starting to receive an increasing amount of attention. The whole mechanism of creating live tissue and organizing cells to form organs seems impossible and amazing.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Printable organs concepts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Until recent time, scientists had problems to keep cells in balance and preserve their survival, as there were few issues. Presently, it has been accomplished by combining stem cells with liquid medium in which the cells have the ability to spawn and continue growth (Benayoun 2013). The process of 3-D printing has been around for some time, printing physical objects, ranging from robotic parts, to photographs, guns and other everyday items. It is clear that no one thought that this process could go so far. In personal opinion, printing 3-D objects is very useful, as it saves time and increases efficiency of pr oduction and social involvement. Printing organs is very much relative and as of right now, people are unable to grasp the concept very closely. It seems extremely futuristic and the majority of population cannot even imagine the technology, particularly the printer that will create live organs. But in case this does work, it would prove extremely beneficial for humanity. There are many people who are on the waitlists for skin transplants, not to mention organs. It is difficult to find donors and there is no guarantee that the organ or tissue will be accepted by the body. Person’s own stem cells can be used in creating organs, and it means that they will be better accepted by the organism, so there will be very little risk involved and chances of survival are greatly increased.Advertising Looking for essay on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This sort of development will have very many benefits that will solve p roblems between hospitals and patient care. For a very long time, since doctors started experimenting and practicing transplanting organs, there has been a battle among professional and patients. The ethical questions on who must decide where the organs will go and how to separate those in particular need from those who can wait some time longer has been under debate. One thing for certain is that there is no way to predict the long term deterioration in patient’s health, so it quite impossible to develop a degree of needs between individuals. As previously discussed, the topic of 3-D organ printing is receiving enormous amount of attention and people are starting to wonder if there will be any ethical problems. With the ability to create living tissue, people are starting to wonder if it will become possible to replicate a whole human being and cloning has been mentioned as one of the unwanted outcomes. The merging of â€Å"real† people with artificially created human organism has been described in numerous science fiction movies and books but no one has imagined that it might become a part of reality. The primary problem is that people will start playing God, and the whole ethical issue of whether the cloned or â€Å"printed† people will be considered an individual or will they be a mere duplicate that can be experimented on and used for organs is questioned (Magnus 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Printable organs concepts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The existence of soul and character will become very problematic, as these are things that are impossible to discover or quantify. This can be compared to infants that are grown in labs, using modern technology but the cells that are used are taken from parents and are already formed, as comparing to stem cells that are neutral and then, are later manipulated to produce the required organ. This sort of artifi cial involvement and unnatural modification by humans can be the basis for much debate and argument. One thing for sure, is that the progress and technological advancements cannot be stopped and the future is defined by the knowledge and human ability to better people’s organisms. This sort of technology can be compared to the current prostatic usage and it has proven to be extremely beneficial for people. If it is acceptable to better joints and bones, then organs can be added to the same category. There should not be a problem with the organs because it is the patient themselves that donates their own stem cells and so, there is no ethical dilemma present. But people are starting to wonder if it will become possible to replicate brains and human individuality. It would be wise to leave this issue to the future because the current debate is centered on organ manufacturing and this without a doubt is a positive direction that must be further studied and developed.Advertising Looking for essay on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The growing attention to 3-D organ printing is continuing to increase the amount of people who consider this technology extremely beneficial. The most recent advances have explained how the technology is used and people are becoming more familiar with and used to the whole idea. The mixture of stem cells and bio liquid allows for layered growth of cells into any organ that humans have. The further progress in computer technology and bioresearch has made it evident that almost any part of human body can be â€Å"printed† (Fernandes 2011, p. 164). The following diagram illustrates the technique, where a â€Å"form† of an organ is used and stem cells surround it and start growing, replicating the physical copy of the organ. (Loh 2012, p. 3). Scientists are now talking about being able to produce tracheas and organs that have an intricate system of blood vessels and nervous endings. The use of produced live tissue has already been applied in testing drugs and treatments. Another most recent developed was in the production â€Å"a self-healing hydrogel that binds in seconds and is able to be stretched repeatedly† (Loh 2012, p. 4). As genetics and DNA has been extensively studied in the past, this can be considered the continuation of the already existing experimentation. It is fascinating that scientists have developed a technique of â€Å"inserting† genetic material into the cell and are able to manipulate the living processes (Khademhosseini 2008, p. 128). I think that this sort of technology is inevitably connected to humanity and evolution. People were given intricate brains in order to discover ways to better ourselves. Unfortunately, it will probably be impossible to replicate individualities because there is much more immaterial and unexplained aspects involved in making someone who they are. Just as there are limitations on certain things that people cannot achieve, like flying, walking through walls or changing into other live organism or objects, Nature will not allow people to become creators of other human beings. Of course, it is possible that some secret governmental facilities are in fact cloning people who are already walking amongst the population but there is no conclusive evidence. One thing for sure, is that problems must be dealt with as soon as they arrive and not before, otherwise, there will be an overload of the mind. References Benayoun, J 2013, The Latest in Biotech: Printable Organs. Web. Fernandes, P 2011, Advances on Modeling in Tissue Engineering, Springer New York, United States. Khademhosseini, A 2008, Micro and Nanoengineering of the Cell Microenvironment, Artech House, Campridge, United States. Loh, X 2012, Polymeric and Self Assembled Hydrogels, Royal Society of Chemistry Cambridge, United Kingdom. Magnus. T 2008, ‘Stem Cell Myths’, The Royal Society, vol. 363. no. 1489, pp. 9-22. This essay on Printable organs concepts was written and submitted by user Trinity Osborne to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Bananas Are Radioactive (So Are Many Ordinary Objects)

Bananas Are Radioactive (So Are Many Ordinary Objects) You may have read about everyday objects setting off radiation alarms at border crossings between the US and Canada and Mexico. Newsweek has an article describing how medical radiation treatments (e.g., bone scans) may lead to traveling delays when they trigger radiation sensors. When the sensors are tripped, border officials conduct more intensive inspections to make sure you arent carrying nuclear weapons. There are other ways to set off the alarms. Do you carry kitty litter in your car to help provide traction in icy weather or to absorb oil? Its slightly radioactive. Do you have tile or granite in your vehicle for a home improvement project? It has a relatively high radiation signature. Do you have a lot of bananas? They are also slightly radioactive. Key Takeaways: Bananas Are Radioactive Bananas are slightly radioactive due to the presence of a natural isotope of potassium. Potassium is a key mineral in the fruit.Many other common materials are also radioactive, including potatoes, bricks, and cat litter.For the most part, these substances do not present a health risk. However, they can set off radiation sensors at ports of entry and their radioactivity is detectable using a Geiger counter. Its pretty easy to understand why tile, granite, and kitty litter are radioactive. They contain low levels of minerals that naturally decay. Bananas are radioactive for a similar reason. The fruit contains high levels of potassium. Radioactive K-40 has an isotopic abundance of 0.01% and a half-life of 1.25 billion years. The average banana contains around 450 mg of potassium and will experience about 14 decays each second. Its no big deal. You already have potassium in your body, 0.01% as K-40. You are fine. Your body can handle low levels of radioactivity. The element is essential for proper nutrition. If you have a banana in your car for your lunch you arent going to set off a Geiger counter. If you carry a produce truck full of them, you might encounter some problems. Ditto for a truck of potatoes or potassium fertilizer.The point here is that radiation is all around you. If you do an internet search, youll note significant concern (panic?) over bananas being radioactive. Are they radioactive? Barely. If you set a banana on a detector you wont hear mad clicking. It wont glow in the dark when you turn out the lights. There is a perception that radiation is bad, bad, bad. Its just a part of life. Bricks are radioactive. Anything containing carbon (you) is slightly radioactive. Bananas are radioactive and its no big thing. Well... except maybe to Homeland Security.

The Effect of Shoe Heel Height And Floor Incline Research Paper

The Effect of Shoe Heel Height And Floor Incline - Research Paper Example Discovered on Egyptian wall paintings dating back to 3500 B.C., high heels were owned by the privileged people and were made by fastening together leather parts, which were set to characterize the emblem for life. The prehistoric citizens of Renaissance, Rome and Greece would put on (kothorni) or buskins shoes with wood or cork soles. These shoes inferred social prominence and significance on the stage of a theater and on the streets of a civilization. Roman women were straightforwardly acknowledged as prostitutes by their high heels. The Middle Ages saw the entrance of designs, or wooden soles, which kept both sexes’ costly shoes from being stained by street rubbish. In the 1400s, chopines were massively prevalent among European women. Venetian women, in particular, made these seven or even thirty inch high heels conspicuous on the perilous Italian streets. For the reason that promenading requisite canes or servants for sustenance, escape from the harem was unmanageable. Chop ines were sooner or later banned for being too hazardous. Fashion dominated functions upon the official invention of high heels by the diminutive imminent Queen of France, Catherine de Medici. So as to appear more astounding and bewitching than her fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s concubine, Diana de Poitiers, Catherine dressed on a pair of 2 inch high heels for her wedding to the Duke of Orleans. She thrived with monarch after monarch ensuing her high heel tendency. High heels turned out to be so well-liked that the word well-heeled acknowledged a person of power or wealth. After Catherine de Medici put on her heels, high heels instigated their strenuous journey through history.  

Organ Donation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Organ Donation - Essay Example Usually, the organs are taken from people who have died, or from brain dead patients. In other instances, close relatives, donate their body parts so that their loved ones can survive (Ebadat et al., 2014). In this speech, an argument is made about the positive nature of organ donation, and the need to educate people. Support for organ donation comes from the chance that a dead person has to make a positive difference for the living. A person, who has died in an accident, can give a second chance to another person. Some diseases such as dialysis require expensive treatments, besides placing the patient through trauma and pain. Organ donation can help to remove such issues. The recipient can perhaps rest more easily, if he knows that the organs will be donated to another person. The donor and his family can find comfort in knowing that though their loved one has passed away, the death is not in vain (Brown et al., 2010). Organ donation requires consent from the donors, either through explicit consent or through presumed consent. Explicit consent is a written and signed consent, given by person or close surviving relatives, allowing the organs to be donated. Presumed consnet is controversial and it assumes that a dead person would be willing to donate the organs. Healthy humans have two kidneys, and it is possible to lead a normal life even with a single kidney. However, many people are averse to this concept, and they refuse to refuse to sign any documents giving explicit consent, and on their death, relatives refuse permission to let the organs to be harvested . There is the fear that the organs would be used by criminals, and by people from other religious and ethnic backgrounds (Moraes et al., 2009). The practice of organ donation has unfortunately become embroiled in controversies through the illegal sale of body parts. Poor people are often enticed with money to donate their organs, and some

Theories of Motivation for Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

Theories of Motivation for Second Language Acquisition (SLA) This paper is an attempt to understand the complex relationship between Second Language Learning (SLA) and motivation. The paper first develops some common theories in SLA and attempts to show the difficulties L2 learners have when learning a new language. The paper highlights these difficulties in relation to language acquisition and motivation. Motivation is discussed with reference to SLA learning and shows how our understanding of motivation can lead us to better equip the learner for success. The paper develops some language Learning strategies, used in relation to motivation, and how we can measure them for a better outcome in the classroom. MOTIVATION AND THE L2 LEARNER HOW CAN IDEAS OF MOTIVATION IN L2 ACQUISITION LEARNING BEST EQUIP THE TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP FOR SUCCESS? There are many reasons why somebody would learn a new language. This paper attempts to show that the relationship between Second language learner and motivation plays a key role in this desired success for learner. The paper discusses some common themes in Second Language Learning (SLA) and shows how learners face their own difficulties according their decision as to when to start to learn a language. With these difficulties recognised the paper goes on to show how early theories of motivation and its relationship to SLA provided a foundation for language learning strategies to develop. These developments, it will be argued, have lead to a greater understanding of the effects motivation have on the L2 learner. The paper moves on to discuss some common learning strategies theories that equip the teacher to provide better motivational strategies within the classroom. The strategies for the teacher are discussed in relation to different kinds of motivation. The importance of motivation and SLA: Many researchers have used, to some extent, a social-psychology model of learning in conjunction with the Second Language Acquisition model. The cognitive Social Learning Theory (SLT), which stems from the Social Cognitive Theory was extensively cited and empirically tested by Bandura (1989). Banduras work focused heavily on behavior and methods that stimulated behavioral change. His theory has three guiding principles: understand and predict individual and group behavior, identification of methods where behaviors can be modified or changed, and the development of personality, behavior, and health promotion (Bandura, 1997). The aspect of self-efficacy and self-perceptions led to the understanding of self-regulation when it came to adult modification of behavior (Zimmerman 1990). In a study of second language learning, Prinzi (2007) explained the importance of motivation. He posited that there is a very close relationship between motivation and second language learning. With low motivation, students may idly sit by and miss valuable learning experiences. This may limit their success and that can lead to increased frustration and in a loss of even more motivation (3). Motivation in second language learning was defined by Gardner (1985) as referring to the extent to which the individual works or strives to learn the language because of a desire to do so and satisfaction experienced in this activity (10). Motivation is not a simple concept to explain. Motivated second language learners exhibit many other qualities in addition to effort, desire, and positive effects. Motivated individuals have specific goals to achieve. They show consistent effort, strong desire, and effects. They also may experience satisfaction when they are successful and dissatisfaction when they are not (Gardner, 2001: 9). Second Language Acquisition: The second language acquisition classroom is unique in that it emphasizes oral and written communication, strives for authentic information and cultural interaction, builds vocabulary, and focuses on comprehension (Brecht, 2000). It is unique in comparisons to other classrooms in that the student learns and acquires information in a language other than the primary language. However, in order to grasp a better understanding of second language acquisition, a definition and an understanding of how acquisition occurs is required. There are various definitions of Second Language Acquisition. The definitions stem from many cross-disciplinary fields: applied linguistics, social psychology, educational philosophy, behavior psychology, and so on. The terminology for second language acquisition stems from the field of applied linguistics, the rationalist way of describing language learning (Brecht, 2000). Acquisition of a second language requires an individual to process subconsciously the sounds and utterances of the target language (Krashen, 1985). In language acquisition, the learner concentrates on the communicative act and not on the form or correctness of the language (Krashen, 1985). According to Krashen, acquisition of a language is very similar to the way children learn their first language and constitutes a simple but natural way of language acquisition. According to Chomsky (1986) and Krashen (1985), people are born with the ability to learn their first language. The first language learned as a child or your primary or mother tongue, is considered Language one (LI). In Universal Grammar, children are born with an inborn code to learn LI from birth, which is called the innate Language Acquisition Device (LAD). This device is believed to play a significant role in adult acquisition of L2 (Chomsky, 1986; Krashen, 1985). On the other hand, second language learning requires the formal instruction of language, and is comprised of a conscious process of factual knowledge about the language. Learning differs from acquisition in that the individual makes a deliberate and conscious effort, focusing on the correctness and accuracy, to speak the language; thus, at times, hindering fluency. Therefore, when one is introduced to a language at an older age, it is first learned, coupled with comprehension, and then acquired. Acquisition of a second language by adults occurs similarly to children if the adult student is not fixated on correctness of the language and accepts errors (Krashen, 2004). The acquisition of a language requires one to feel through a language and allow for trial and error. When trial and error occurs, the student may not be in conscious awareness of it but feels his/her way through the language, sensing correctness, thus birthing comprehension in the language (Krashen, 1985; Krashen, 2004). Krashens second language acquisition theory (1985) is comprised of five hypotheses: the Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, the Monitor Hypothesis, the Natural Order Hypothesis, the Input Hypothesis, and the Affective Filter Hypothesis. The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, as described in the previous paragraph, makes a distinction between the conscious learning process and the subconscious learning process. According to Krashen, what is consciously learned through the teaching of grammar and rules does not become acquisition of the target language. Krashen views second language acquisition as an informal venue, focusing on the input of messages, which can be understood in L2 and then acquired. By contrast, Ellis views language learning as an integral, important aspect of second language acquisition (Ellis, 1985). The Monitor Hypothesis claims that learnt material acts as a monitor device to edit output materials. According to Krashen, we acquire language through trial and error. When we attempt to transmit a message and fail, we continue through trial and error until we arrive at the correct utterance or form. The conscious learning of a language, through formal instruction, provides rule isolation, which can only be used as a monitor or an editing device, which normally occurs prior to output (Krashen, 1985, Krashen, 2004). The Natural Order Hypothesis states that we acquired the grammar rules and regulations of a language in a natural order (Krashen, 1985). To truly acquire a language, individuals must comprehend the message being sent or received, which is known as comprehensible input. Comprehensible Input (CI) is seen as the central aspect of Krashens Input Hypothesis (IH). Krashen believes that IH is the key to acquiring a second language because it is completely embedded in CI. Input plus the next level along the natural order equates CI (i+1) (Krashen, 1985, Krashen, 2004). Krashen views CI as the road to acquisition. Many other second language acquisition theorists agree with comprehensible input but do not completely agree with Krashens model of Input Hypothesis, which places Learnt Knowledge towards the end or after CI. Ellis (1985) found Krashens model posed some theoretical issues pertaining to the validity of the acquisition-learning distinction (p. 266). When input or instruction is just above the level of the student, coupled with instruction rooted in a meaningful context, it invites modification, interaction and collaboration. Input is not to be construed as intake. Input is what the teachers are contributing; intake is what the students take in from the teacher. Comprehensible input can be blocked by Affective factors-factors that deal with an individuals emotion (e.g. fear, anxiety, self-perception) (Erhman Oxford, 1990). Lastly, Affective Filter Hypothesis is viewed as blockages for CI to occur. The learner may not be able to use CI if there is a block that prevents the full use of profiting from the comprehensible input. Yet, once the comprehensible input hits the LAD and is then processed, the knowledge of the language is acquired. The conscious aspect of the language starts to act as a monitoring device before the output occurs. Krashen sees focusing on the conscious aspect of language learning (specifically grammar accuracy) as a hindrance to the acquisition of a second language (Krashen, 2004). Krashen believes we have an innate ability to acquire language with involvement from our surroundings, thus enhancing the utterances and nuances, which develop childrens language into adulthood. Yet, many researchers feel that acquisition doesnt occur or occurs less, in young adolescents and adult second language learners (Felder Henriques, 1995). McLaughlin (1992) explained the difficulties adults face when trying to acquire a second language, and why children seem to learn a second language more easily than older learners (McLaughlin, 1992). First, adolescent and adult second language learners are not placed in situations where they are forced to speak the target second languages, unless they are in the target language country. Second, the requirements to communicate for children are different than those of adults. Adult and adolescent language-learners have difficult words to communicate and a richer, more developed language vocabulary than do children. According to McLaughlin (1992), once these issues are addressed it is possible for an adult to acquire a second language, and to achieve competence and fluency in a second language. Motivation and Language Acquisition A number of factors have been shown to influence performance in the second or foreign language classroom. Gardner (1985) found motivational components such as attitudes towards learning the language, motivational intensity and desire to learn the language had a positive influence on performance in the language-learning classroom. Researchers have confirmed motivation as an influence on performance in the second or foreign language-learning classroom, with attitude as a situational support (Gardner, 1985; Gardner, Masgoret Tremblay, 1997). The motivational construct, which is derived from the two types of motivation, are motivational intensity, the desire to learn a language and the attitude one has towards learning the language (Gardner, 1985). Gardeners motivational propositions, which is comprised of intergrativeness, attitude towards learning the language, and desire to learn the language, instrumental orientation, refers to an interest in language learning for pragmatic reasons, and language anxiety, referring to the anxiety reaction of the individual when called upon to use the target language (Gardner, 1985). These propositions have been shown to have an effect on second language learning. These constructs were shown to have an affect on second or foreign language achievement (Gardner, Masgoret Tremblay, 1997). The socio-educational second language acquisition model was a catalyst for the development of the Attitude Motivation Test Battery (AMTB), which was created to assess various individual variable differences within the second or foreign language-learning classroom (Gardner, 1985; Gardner, Masgoret Tremblay, 1997; Hashimoto, 2002). The model described by Gardner was seen as a good start to understanding motivation within the second language acquisition classroom (Dornyei, 2005; Hashimoto, 2002). Although Gardners proposition have been used, cited and extensively supported, it has practically gone unchallenged until the 1990s (Dornyei, 2005). In addition, the many facets of motivation within a second language acquisition classroom was suggested to be very robust to be limited to just intergrativeness and instrumentation (Dornyei, 2005). Researchers find that Gardners model excludes some variables, and that limited concepts of cognition, and self-efficacy are mentioned (Dornyei, 2005; Maclntyre, MacMaster Baker, 2001). One study to test Gardners propositions was conducted by Gardner et al. (1997), who conducted an exploratory/explanatory study about the predictive validities of different measures to determine the underlying dimensions of the relationships among constructs used such as language attitude, motivation, anxiety, self-confidence, language aptitude, learning strategies, field independence, and measures of achievement in the target language. Although many of the relationships between some of these constructs had been investigated, there had not been a study that considered all of these constructs together (Gardner et al., 1997). The literature review consisted primarily of empirical studies testing the relationship between each of the above-mentioned constructs and their effect on language-learning achievement (Gardner et al., 1997). Gardner et al. (1997) identified a shortage of empirical studies concerning the relationships between the constructs and L2 achievement in terms of a causal model and the predictive validity of those constructs on second language academic achievement (Gardner et al., 1997). A random sample of 102 (82 females and 20 males) university students enrolled in introductory French was studied. Participants were tested in two stages; the first stage was a questionnaire containing the constructs of attitudes, motivation, achievement and self-rating scales of French Proficiency, and the second stage was a short language history questionnaire (Gardner et al., 1997). Data collection procedures were clearly described. There was no indication of whether or not the study was IRB approved. Reported Cronbachs alphas for the three subscales that make up the Motivation construct were .86 for Attitudes towards Learning French, .78 for Desire to Learn French, and .76 for Motivational Intensity (Gardner et al., 1997). To investigate the factor structure of the instrumentation, Gardner et al. (1997) conducted exploratory factor analysis, and specified an eight-factor varimax factor analytic solution. Eight values were required to be more than 1.0. Regardless of the different theoretical models, they grouped together into five independent clusters. These five factors were identified as: Self-confidence with French, Language Learning Strategies, Motivation to Learn French, Language Aptitude, and Orientation to Learn French (Gardner et al., 1997). Results indicated that some of the variables were more highly related than others to indices of achievement based on measures of specific skills taken more or less at the time when these other variables were assessed. Furthermore, most measures demonstrated comparable correlations when criterion was a more global measure, such as French grades, that reflects competence in a number of characteristics over a long period of time. Nevertheless, most of the variables in this study (except for the measures of Learning Strategies and Field Independence, and to some extent Language Attitudes) were found to be significantly related to measures of L 2 proficiency (Gardner et al., 1997). These results led Gardner at al. (1997) to conclude the following: 1) there are some functional relationships among the measures, and that even these categories are not mutually exclusive; 2) when achievement is assessed by relatively objective measures taken at the same time as the other measures, indices of language anxiety, self confidence, and can-do evidence much higher correlations with achievement than do indices of Language Aptitude, Motivation, or Language Attitude (Gardner et al., 1997). Results provided strong support for the causal model, suggesting that the model permitted a way to understand how variables interrelated and complemented one another (Gardner et al., 1997). The authors suggested that further research might benefit from investigating the possible confounds of all the variables, with self examination of French proficiency, as well as feelings of anxiety, which might further assist language educators in developing new ways to improve L2 achievement (Gardner et al., 1997). Language-Learning Strategies and Second Language Acquisition According to OMalley and Chamot (1990), much of the prior research in second language acquisition focused on the teacher creating information that would enhance comprehensible input. Very little research actually focused on the process of the learner intake or what goes on with the learner. The focal point was placed on how information is stored and retrieved for future use but not on the enhancement of learning. To arrive at a definition for learning strategies, Chamot and OMalley (1990), thought to identify the process by which strategies were stored and retrieved. Thus, the definition used for learning strategies stemmed from Andersons (1983) cognitive theory, which focuses on how information is stored and retrieved (Chamot OMalley, 1990). The cognitive model of learning indicates that learning is active and presents learners as active participants in the learning process. In the cognitive model learners select information from their environment, organize it, relate it to prior k nowledge, retain what is important, and retrieve it when necessary (Anderson, 1983; Chamot OMalley 1994). According to many experts in the field of language acquisition, active learners are better learners than those who do not actively participate in their own learning processes (Chamot OMalley 1994; Krashen 1985). Metacognitive strategies have been seen as the most important and extensively studied of all the strategies due to the need for students to gain some control of their second language acquisition process. Metacognition has been used by many in the field of second language acquisition to refer to knowledge about cognition or the regulation of cognition (Chamot OMalley, 1990). Metacognition is very much needed in order for students to understand what their cognitive processes are and to guide their learning processes (Chamot OMalley, 1990; Zimmerman Risenberg, 1997). A branch of metacognitive strategy, which social psychologists and educational researchers call self-regulated or self-directed learning, involves goal setting, regulation of efforts to reach a goal, self-monitoring, time management, and physical and social environment regulation (Zimmerman Risenberg, 1997). Since students need to learn to manage the knowledge they receive, it has been noted that students should become more aware of their cognitive learning processes and strategies in order to use and apply metacognitive strategies. Metacognitive strategies aid in providing the learner with self-guidance towards the learning processes, which requires manipulation of the cognitive aspect of learning. Cognitive strategies operate directly on incoming information, manipulating it to further enhance learning (Zimmerman Risenberg, 1997; Chamot OMalley, 1994). Thus, teaching strategies within the academic foreign language classroom, or any content, supports the learner in gaining an important perspective on learning, seeing the relationship between the strategies used and his/her own learning effectiveness, and planning and reflecting on learning, to gain greater directedness or autonomy as a learner. Language-learning strategies are techniques or steps taken by the student to improve their own learning. The term language-learning strategies is used extensively in Oxfords research study to involve naturalistic practice that facilitate the acquisition of language skills, noting guessing and memory strategies are equally useful to both learning and acquisition (Chamot OMalley, 1990; Oxford, 1990). Many researchers sought to classify the language-learning strategies in general, but Oxford (1990) created the most comprehensive classification assessment of strategies called the Strategy Inventory for Language Learners (SILL), which contains six types of strategies, classified into two sub-groups of direct and indirect. The three sub-scales classified as direct language learning strategies are Memory, Cognitive, and Compensation, and the three sub-scales classified, as indirect language-learning strategies are Metacognitive, Affective, and Social strategies. Oxfords development of the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) was originally developed to assist with the improvement of foreign language learning for the department of defence and other governmental institution. The original development of the SILL consisted of 121 strategies. The strategies were revised and the current of 80 and 50 items, version 7.0, is the most comprehensive and widely used language-learning strategy inventory to date (Oxford, 1990). Oxfords language learning strategy theory is embedded in the SILL. The two main parts of the SILL consist of direct and indirect strategies. The direct strategies are strategies that deal directly with learning mental processes such as Memory, Cognitive and Compensatory strategies. The first mental process of Memory is a strategy used to assist the learner in retrieving and storing information for later use (Oxford, 1990). This strategy works along with the Cognitive strategies, which are skills that involve manipulation or transformation of the language in some direct way, such as the following: note taking, functional practice in natural setting, reasoning, analysis, formal practice with structures and sounds Oxford, 1990). Cognitive strategies tend to be linked to individual tasks. Learners, who use Cognitive strategies, use many methods to manipulate information mentally through elaborating, image making, or taking notes and physically grouping (Chamot OMalley, 1990; Oxford, 1990). The next three strategies are described as indirect strategies, which are Metacognitive, Affective, and Social strategies. These indirect strategies are behaviors and techniques used to assist the learner with acquiring the second language. Metacognitive Strategies are seen as higher order executive skills that involve planning, monitoring and evaluating the accomplishment of the learning objective. Metacognitive strategies are also seen as actions used for centering, arranging, planning, and evaluating ones learning (Chamot OMalley, 1994; Oxford, 1990). According to Chamot and OMalley (1994) and others, such as Oxford (1990), models can be created for assessing strategies that request metacognition. This strategy is important if learners desire to gain executive control over the learning process and understand their own learning approaches (Oxford, 19990). Affective strategies and Social Strategies are significant in second language acquisition, as presented in Krashens model The Affective Filter, due to its focus on cooperative interaction and control over affects (Krashen, 1982). These strategies are further described, categorized and classified together in the CALLA handbook by Chamot and OMalley (1994). The Affective and Social strategies are not as developed as the other categories in the context of foreign language acquisition due to the nature of individual emotions and attitude towards the topic. This normally falls under the research of social psychologists that look at the affective factors as a possible predictor or hindrance of foreign language achievement (Chamot OMalley, 1990; Krashen, 1985; Oxford, 1990). As a driving energy or reason for someones action or behavior, motivation is an important factor in L2 achievement (Norris-Holt, 2001). Masgoret and Gardner (2003) stated that in the case of second language learning, people understand that motivation inspires language learners goal-directed behavior. One can use a number of individual features to measure motivation. In his study, Song (2002) showed that motivation for foreign language learning involved two further components: the need for achievement with goal-directed behavior and attributions regarding past failures. If heritage students have goals or reasons for learning the language, such as communication with non- English-speaking family members, recognition of their identity, and better career building, they can expect to learn at a higher rate of proficiency. Learner-centered Education One of the most effective educational theories for heritage language education is learner-centered education. According to Tran (n.d.), learner-centered education is a philosophy based on a fundamental change in orientation from the traditional teacher or content centered education. This teaching method focuses on the following characteristics: Goal of learning focused on production rather than knowledge conservation; Focus on learners needs, skills, and personal interests; Focus on individual processes and on personal and interpersonal relationships, beliefs, and perceptions that are affected or supported by the educational system as a whole; and Focus on balance of personal domain, content domain, organizational domain, and technical domain. Focus on self-evaluation and reflection of teaching and learning process In other words, students personal needs are the focus of the learning procedures. Teachers need to maximize learners productivity, knowledge acquisition, skills, augmentation, and development of personal and professional abilities. To accomplish these educational goals, teachers utilize various instructional strategies and educational tools. The educational efforts of learner-centered education facilitate the exploration of meaning and content knowledge through personal and interpersonal discovery. Chickering Gamson (1991) stated the following seven principles of good practice in learner-centered education: Frequent student-faculty interaction should occur Cooperative learning activities should be interspersed among other engaging instructional formats. Students should be actively involved with learning. Instructors should provide prompt, constructive feedback on student performance. Instructors must keep students focused on learning, not on the fear of embarrassment or other distractions. Teachers should communicate high expectations. Teachers must respect diverse talents and ways of learning. (4) Constructivism Constructivism, one of the basic educational theories, is a good and effective paradigm for teaching and learning in this language-learning model. Developing a proper definition of constructivism is the first step to understanding the constructivist learning theory. Hein (1991), defined constructivism as the term [which] refers to the idea that learners construct knowledge for themselves-each learner individually (and socially) constructs meaning-as he or she learns (1). In the constructivist model, learning or education is constructed. This concept is the main characteristic of constructivism. In the actual field of education, constructivism posits that students come to the educational setting with their previous knowledge or experiences and existing ideas. Students can build up a new structure of knowledge with existing information and previous experiences because these are the raw material. In other words, students can construct their own understanding from formulated knowledge and previous experiences. According to Thanasoulas (2004), constructivism in the field of education usually emphasizes students active attitudes in learning. In the constructivist classroom, learning activities require the students full support and active participation. The most important part of the learning process is students reflection and discussion of problem solving methodologies. Notably, reflection is one of the major characteristics of constructivist learning. Students have the ability to control their own learning process to solve the problem, and they lead the way by reflecting on their previous knowledge and prior experiences. While constructivism heavily stresses students own opinions, it also considers integration or collaboration an effective strategy for developing students. In a practical setting, constructivist learning depends upon collaboration among students. The major reason constructivism uses collaboration so extensively is that students learn from their classmates, who have different ideas and experiences. When they share, review, and reflect on their subject together to solve the problem, they can adopt ideas and specific strategies from one another. According to Jaworski (1996), in a constructivist setting teachers try to help create situations where students feel safe questioning and reflecting on their own learning process, in a private or group setting. Teachers also support students with activities for reflecting on their existing knowledge from education and experiences from the past. Constructivist teachers usually have their own roles, which are to coach, facilitate, suggest, and provide the student space to think, criticize, experiment, ask questions, and attempt new things that may or may not work. Teachers encourage students with challenging ideas when they ask for help to set their own goals and means of evaluation or assessment. Constructivist teaching requires inquiry-based activity for problem solving. To encourage students, teachers need to use inquiry methods to start solving the problem. They also need to investigate a main theme or topic and use a variety of materials to find answers. Students may sometimes have incorrect answers, inaccurate solutions to the problems, or unsuitable ideas to explain. These educational procedures are valuable temporary steps to integrating knowledge and experience through exploring the problem. Vygotsky (1986) stated that constructivist teachers also encourage students to constantly assess how an activity is helping them gain understanding of the contents, because teachers believe that students can build up their own comprehension and construct knowledge of the world through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. In other words, constructivist learning requires students to take duty and responsibility for their own learning by using questions and analyzing answers (Carvin, n.d.). There are many different understandings and definitions of motivation. Donoghue and Kunkle (1979) described it from three different perspectives behavioristic, cognitive, and constructivist: The behavioristic point of view of motivation is understood in matter of fact terms. This perspective places emphasis on reward. Driven to acquire positive reinforcement, and by previous experiences of reward for behavior, we act accordingly to

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 3

The bright morning sun shone on the long, winding drive that led to the garage behind the boardinghouse. Puffs of white cloud scudded across the light blue sky. It was such a peaceful scene that it was almost impossible to believe that anything bad had ever happened in this place. The last time I was here, thought Stefan, putting on his sunglasses, it was a wasteland. When the kitsune had held sway in Fel ‘s Church, it had been a war zone. Children against parents, teenage girls mutilating themselves, the town half-destroyed. Blood on the streets, pain and suffering everywhere. Behind him, the front door opened. Stefan turned quickly to see Mrs. Flowers coming out of the house. The old woman wore a long black dress, and her eyes were shielded by a straw hat covered with artificial flowers. She looked tired and worn, but her smile was as gentle as always. â€Å"Stefan,† she said. â€Å"The world is here this morning, the way it should be.† Mrs. Flowers stepped closer and gazed up into his face, her sharp blue eyes warm with sympathy. She looked as if she were about to ask him something, but at the last minute seemed to change her mind and instead said, â€Å"Meredith cal ed, and Matt, too. It seems that, against al the odds, everyone has survived unscathed.† She hesitated, and then squeezed his arm. â€Å"Almost everyone.† Something twisted painful y in Stefan's chest. He didn't want to talk about Damon. He couldn't, not yet. Instead, he bowed his head. â€Å"We owe you a great debt, Mrs. Flowers,† he said, choosing his words with care. â€Å"We never could have defeated the kitsune without you – you were the one who held them at bay and defended the town for so long. None of us wil ever forget that.† Mrs. Flowers's smile deepened, an unexpected dimple flickering in one cheek. â€Å"Thank you, Stefan,† she said with equal formality. â€Å"There is no one I would have rather fought alongside than you and the others.† She sighed and patted his shoulder. â€Å"Although I must be getting old at last; I feel the need to spend most of today dozing in a chair in the garden. Fighting evil takes more out of me than it used to.† Stefan offered his arm to assist her down the porch steps, and she smiled at him once more. â€Å"Tel Elena that I'l make those tea biscuits she likes whenever she's ready to leave her family and come visit,† she said, then turned toward her rose garden. Elena and her family. Stefan imagined his love, her silky blond hair tumbling about her shoulders, little Margaret in her lap. Elena had another shot at a real human life now, which was worth everything. It had been Stefan's fault that Elena lost her first life – he knew that with a hard certainty that gnawed at his insides. He had brought Katherine to Fel ‘s Church, and Katherine had destroyed Elena. This time he would make sure Elena was protected. With one last glance at Mrs. Flowers in her garden, he squared his shoulders and walked into the woods. Birds sang at the sun-dappled edges of the forest, but Stefan was headed much deeper in, where ancient oaks grew and the underbrush was thick. Where no one would see him, where he could hunt. Stopping in a smal clearing several miles in, Stefan took off his sunglasses and listened. From nearby came the soft crackle of something moving beneath a bush. He concentrated, reaching out with his mind. It was a rabbit, its heart beating rapidly, looking for its own morning meal. Stefan focused his mind on it. Come to me, he thought, gently and persuasively. He sensed the rabbit stiffen for a moment; then it hopped slowly out from under a bush, its eyes glassy. It came toward him docilely and, with an extra mental nudge from Stefan, stopped at his feet. Stefan scooped it up and turned it over to reach the tender throat, where its pulse fluttered. With a silent apology to the animal, Stefan gave himself over to his hunger, al owing his fangs to click into place. He tore into the rabbit's throat, drinking the blood slowly, trying not to wince at the taste. While the kitsune had threatened Fel ‘s Church, Elena, Bonnie, Meredith, and Matt had insisted he feed on them, knowing human blood would keep him as strong as possible for the fight. Their blood had been almost otherworldly: Meredith's fiery and strong; Matt's pure and wholesome; Bonnie's sweet as dessert; Elena's heady and invigorating. Despite the foul taste of the rabbit in his mouth, his canines prickled with remembered hunger. But now he wouldn't drink human blood, he told himself firmly. He couldn't keep crossing that line, even if they were wil ing. Not unless his friends' saf ety was at risk. The change from human to animal blood would be painful; he remembered that from when he had first stopped drinking human blood – aching teeth, nausea, irritability, the feeling that he was starving even when his stomach was ful – but it was the only option. When the rabbit's heartbeat stopped altogether, Stefan gently disengaged. He held the limp body in his hands for a moment, then set it on the ground and covered it with leaves. Thank you, little one, he thought. He was stil hungry, but he had already taken one life this morning. Damon would have laughed. Stefan could almost hear him. Noble Stefan, he would scoff, his black eyes narrowing in half-affectionate disdain. You're missing all the best parts of being a vampire while you wrestle with your conscience, you fool. As if summoned by his thoughts, a crow cawed overhead. For a moment, Stefan ful y expected the bird to plummet to earth and transform into his brother. When it didn't, Stefan gave a short half laugh at his own stupidity and was surprised when it sounded almost like a sob. Damon was never coming back. His brother was gone. They'd had centuries of bitterness between them and had only just started to repair their relationship, joining together to fight the evil that always seemed drawn to Fel ‘s Church and to shield Elena from it. But Damon was dead, and now Stefan was the only one left to protect Elena and their friends. A latent worm of fear squirmed in his chest. There was so much that could go wrong. Humans were so vulnerable, and now that Elena had no special powers, she was as vulnerable as any of them. The thought sent him reeling, and immediately he took off, running straight toward Elena's house on the other side of the woods. Elena was his responsibility now. And he would never let anything hurt her again. The upstairs landing was almost the same as Elena remembered it: shining dark wood with an Oriental carpet runner, a few little tables with knickknacks and photographs, a couch near the big picture window overlooking the front drive. But halfway to the stairs, Elena paused, glimpsing something new. Among the silver-framed photos on one of the smal tables was a picture of herself and Meredith and Bonnie, faces close together, grinning widely in caps and gowns and proudly brandishing diplomas. Elena picked it up, holding it close. She had graduated from high school. It felt odd to see this other Elena, as she couldn't help thinking of her, her blond hair pul ed back in an elegant French twist, creamy skin flushed with excitement, smiling with her best friends, and not remember a thing about it. And she looked so carefree, this Elena, so ful of joy and hope and expectations for the future. This Elena knew nothing of the horror of the Dark Dimension or the havoc the kitsune had caused. This Elena was happy. Glancing quickly among the photos, Elena located a few more she hadn't seen before. Apparently this other Elena had been queen of the Snow Bal , though Elena remembered Caroline had won that crown after Elena's de ath. In this picture, however, Queen Elena was resplendent in pale violet silk, surrounded by her court: Bonnie fluffy and adorable in shiny blue taffeta; Meredith sophisticated in black; auburn-haired Caroline looking aggrieved in a tight silver dress that left very little to the imagination; and Sue Carson, pretty in pale pink, smiling straight into the camera, very much alive. Tears stung Elena's eyes once more. They had saved her. Elena and Meredith and Bonnie and Matt and Stefan had saved Sue Carson. Then Elena's gaze landed on another photograph, this one of Aunt Judith in a long, lacy wedding dress, Robert standing proudly beside her in a morning suit. With them was the other Elena, clearly the maid of honor, in a dress the color of green leaves, holding a bouquet of pink roses. Beside her stood Margaret, shining blond head ducked shyly, grasping Elena's dress with one hand. She was wearing a ful -skirted white flower girl's dress tied with a wide green sash, and she clutched a basket of roses in her other hand. Elena's hands shook a little as she put this picture down. It looked as if a good time had been had by al . What a pity she hadn't actual y been there. Downstairs, a glass clinked against the table, and she heard Aunt Judith laugh. Putting aside al the strangeness of this new past she'd have to learn, Elena hurried down the stairs, ready to greet her future. In the dining room, Aunt Judith poured orange juice from a blue jug while Robert spooned batter onto the waffle iron. Margaret was kneeling behind her chair, narrating an intense conversation between her stuffed rabbit and a toy tiger. A great surge of joy fil ed Elena's chest, and she grabbed Aunt Judith in a tight hug and spun her around. Orange juice spil ed across the floor in a wide arc. â€Å"Elena!† scolded Aunt Judith, half laughing. â€Å"What's the matter with you?† â€Å"Nothing! I just I love you, Aunt Judith,† Elena said, hugging her tighter. â€Å"I real y do.† â€Å"Oh,† said Aunt Judith, her eyes soft. â€Å"Oh, Elena, I love you, too.† â€Å"And what a beautiful day,† Elena said, pirouetting away. â€Å"A wonderful day to be alive.† She dropped a kiss on Margaret's blond head. Aunt Judith reached for the paper towels. Robert cleared his throat. â€Å"Are we to take it that you've forgiven us for grounding you last weekend?† Oh. Elena tried to figure out how to respond, but after she'd been living on her own for months, the whole concept of being grounded by Aunt Judith and Robert seemed ridiculous. Stil , she widened her eyes and put on an appropriately contrite expression. â€Å"I'm truly sorry, Aunt Judith and Robert. It won't happen again.† Whatever it is. Robert's shoulders relaxed. â€Å"We'l say no more about it, then,† he said with obvious relief. He slid a hot waffle onto her plate and handed her the syrup. â€Å"Do you have anything fun planned for today?† â€Å"Stefan is picking me up after breakfast,† Elena said, then paused. The last time she had talked to Aunt Judith, after the disastrous Founder's Day pageant, Aunt Judith and Robert had been seriously anti-Stefan. They, like most of the town, had suspected him of being responsible for Mr. Tanner's death. But apparently they had no problem with Stefan in this world, because Robert simply nodded. And, she reminded herself, if the Guardians had done what she asked, Mr. Tanner was alive, so they couldn't have suspected Stefan of kil ing him†¦ Oh, it was al so confusing! She went on: â€Å"We're going to hang out in town, maybe catch up with Meredith and the others.† She couldn't wait to see the town back to its old, safe self and to be with Stefan when, for once, they weren't battling some horrible evil but could just be a normal couple. Aunt Judith grinned. â€Å"So, just another lazy day, hmm? I'm glad you're having a nice summer before you go off to col ege, Elena. You worked so hard al last year.† â€Å"Mmm,† said Elena vaguely, cutting into her waffle. She hoped the Guardians had gotten her into Dalcrest, a smal col ege a couple hours away, as she'd requested. â€Å"Come on up, Meggie,† Robert said, buttering the little girl's waffle. Margaret scrambled up onto her chair, and Elena smiled at the obvious affection on Robert's face. Margaret was clearly his darling little girl. Catching Elena's eye, Margaret growled and thrust the toy tiger across the table toward her. Elena jumped. The little girl snarled, and her face was momentarily transformed into something savage. â€Å"He wants to eat you with his big teeth,† Margaret said, her little-girl voice hoarse. â€Å"He's coming to get you.† â€Å"Margaret!† Aunt Judith scolded as Elena shuddered. Margaret's briefly feral look reminded her of the kitsune, of the girls they had driven mad. But then Margaret gave her a huge grin and made the tiger nuzzle Elena's arm. The doorbel rang. Elena crammed the last bite of waffle into her mouth. â€Å"That's Stefan,† she mumbled around it. â€Å"See you later.† She wiped her lips and checked her hair in the mirror before opening the door. And there was Stefan, as handsome as ever. Elegant Roman features, high cheekbones, a classical straight nose, and sensual y curving mouth. He held his sunglasses loosely in one hand, and his leaf green eyes caught hers with a gaze of pure love. Elena broke into a wide, involuntary smile. Oh, Stefan, she thought to him, I love you, I love you. It's so wonderful to be home. I can't stop missing Damon and wishing we could have done something differently and saved him – and I wouldn't want to stop thinking of him – but I can't help being happy, too. Wait. She felt like someone had slammed on the brakes and she'd been thrown against a seat belt. Though Elena was sending the words, and a huge wave of affection and love with them, toward Stefan, there was no response, no return of emotions. It was as if there were an invisible wal between her and Stefan, blocking her thoughts from reaching him. â€Å"Elena?† Stefan said aloud, his smile faltering. Oh. She hadn't realized. She hadn't even thought about this. When the Guardians took her powers, they must have taken everything. Including her telepathic connection to Stefan. It had lingered†¦ She was sure she had stil heard him, and reached his mind, after she had lost her connection to Bonnie. But now it was gone completely. Leaning forward, she grasped his shirt, pul ed him to her, and kissed him fiercely. Oh, thank God, she thought, as she felt the familiar, comforting sense of their minds entwining. Stefan's lips curled into a smile beneath hers. I thought I'd lost you, she thought, that I wouldn't be able to reach you like this anymore, either. Unlike with the telepathic connection they'd shared, she knew the thoughts weren't reaching Stefan as words but as images and emotions. From him, she felt a wordless, steady stream of unfailing love. A throat was cleared pointedly behind them. Elena reluctantly released Stefan and turned to see Aunt Judith watching them. Stefan straightened with an embarrassed blush, the slightest look of apprehension in his eyes. Elena grinned. She loved that he'd been through hel – literal y – but was stil scared to upset Elena's aunt. She put her hand on his arm, trying to send a message that Aunt Judith now accepted their relationship, but Aunt Judith's warm smile and greeting said it for her. â€Å"Hel o, Stefan. You'l be back by six, won't you, Elena?† Aunt Judith asked. â€Å"Robert's got a late meeting, so I thought you, Margaret, and I could go out for a girls' night together.† She looked hopeful yet hesitant, like someone knocking on a door that might be slammed in her face. Elena's stomach knotted with guilt. Have I been avoiding Aunt Judith this summer? She could imagine that, if she hadn't died, she might have been eager to move on with her life and chafed at the family that wanted to keep her home and safe. But this Elena knew better – knew how lucky she was to have Aunt Judith and Robert. And it seemed that this Elena had a lot of making up to do. â€Å"Sounds like fun!† she said cheerful y, pasting a bright smile on her face. â€Å"Can I invite Bonnie and Meredith? They'd love a girls' night.† And it would be nice, she thought, to have friends around who were as clueless about what had been going on in this version of Fel ‘s Church as she was. â€Å"Wonderful,† Aunt Judith said, looking happier and more relaxed. â€Å"Have a good time, kids.† As Elena headed out the door, Margaret ran out of the kitchen. â€Å"Elena!† she said, wrapping her arms tightly around Elena's waist. Elena bent and kissed the top of her head. â€Å"I'l catch you later, bunny rabbit,† she said. Margaret motioned for Elena and Stefan to kneel down, then put her lips right next to their ears. â€Å"Don't forget to come back this time,† she whispered before retreating inside. For a moment, Elena just knelt there, frozen. Stefan squeezed her hand, pul ing her up, and even without their telepathic connection, she knew they were having the same thought. As they headed away from the house, Stefan took her by the shoulders. His green eyes gazed into hers, and he bent forward to brush a light kiss upon her lips. â€Å"Margaret's a little girl,† he said firmly. â€Å"It could just be that she doesn't want her big sister to leave. Maybe she's worried about you going off to col ege.† â€Å"Maybe,† Elena murmured as Stefan wrapped his arms around her. She inhaled his green, woodsy scent and felt her breathing slow and the knot in her stomach loosen. â€Å"And if not,† she said slowly, â€Å"we'l work it out. We always do. But right now I want to see what the Guardians gave us.†