The Psycho Lady of Flight 735 :: Personal Narratives

The Psycho Lady of Flight 735 Back in summer of summer of ’99, my mother, Judy, my father, Dale, my sibling, Brian and me, Michelle, got away to California. Our outing was amazing! We went to Disneyland, Universal Studios and each one of those other vacation spots. Everything was incredible until we got to the Los Angeles International Airport to fly home, on my absolute first plane ride ever! At the point when we arrived, we looked on the screen to check whether our flight was all the while running on time, yet amazingly, our flight was loading up! My father at that point shouted, Let’s move it! We ran through the air terminal to the terminal. I was battling on the grounds that I had three sacks filled to the edge, since I’m a substantial packer. At last we arrived at the terminal and we were prepared to registration and board. My father gave our passes to the leader, however she gave us a befuddled look, Sorry Mr. Snover, we simply shut the ways to get onto this flight. You should book another trip sometime in the not too distant future. We were totally frustrated and wouldn’t take no for an answer, so after a touch of belligerence and persuading, she yielded. She told us that our seats got isolated, however we as a whole could manage that. We got to our seats and plunked down to at long last unwind. Obviously, I, the extremely unfortunate one, stalled out close to an exceptionally huge lady. Not to be discourteous or anything, however she took every last bit of her seat and half of mine and had the most noticeably terrible personal stench I have ever smelled! It was so terrible I really began to choke. I pondered internally, Could this deteriorate?! Yes, yes it could! The flight was going tantamount to it could get by then, until I gazed upward from my book and saw all the flight attendants’ faces and their little side discussions. They all had terrified looks on their appearances, as though they all observed a phantom or something. Something wasn't right and I grew somewhat stressed. I got truly scared when I saw the co-pilot run back through the plane. A couple of moments later, the pilot raced to the back as well! Presently, I was frightened. I thought two things, What the hell is going on, and who the hell is flying the plane? Out of nowhere, an airline steward came over the uproarious speaker and said with an extremely temperamental voice, Consideration all travelers, we have to make a crisis arrival in Denver, Colorado.

Essay on Loosing Faith in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown

Loosing Faith in Young Goodman Brown   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, Young Goodman Brown is an account of sex, sin, and the Devil, all the engaging things throughout everyday life. Hawthorne utilizes numerous artistic gadgets to dazzle quality in his work. Hawthorne utilizes these methods to draw out the strict subjects inside the story. One of the primary scholarly gadgets would be symbolism. One of the most significant pictures found in the story relates to Faith and arriving at paradise. Goodman Brown says, ...I‘ll stick to her skirts and follow her to heaven.(H-CAL 375). This follows customary Puritan conviction that on the off chance that you have confidence you will go to paradise. The employments of dull and light additionally help pass on the strict topic of good and underhandedness. Dull is utilized to represent malicious, the forested areas is principally where this is seen. Light is for the most part found first and foremost, before Goodman enters the backwoods. Before everything gets dull and dark. Hues additionally assumed a significant job. First and foremost Faith pink strips in her hair, which speak to that she is youthful and glad. With white representing immaculateness and red speaking to passion,...

My Acceptance to the University of Illinois

My Acceptance to the University of Illinois Before I start to tell you guys about my experience being accepted to the university, I’ll first begin to tell you about my experiences that led to that point. As someone who wanted to major in art, I had to make a portfolio and apply to  Illinois  and the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Making a portfolio was probably one of the hardest parts for me when applying to colleges, because it took validation and directionâ€"two things I had very little of at the time. I was really anxious and scared.  I had never done it before, and being amongst unknown territory can be really frightening. After applying to Illinois, which happened to be the last school I applied for, my anxiety doubled because this was my top school, and not knowing what to expect was excruciating. Long story short, my acceptance to the university happened in a Chipotle. A friend and I would treat ourselves to Chipotle once in while to release the tension senior year brought, and although we didn’t have school that  day, I asked her if we could go because it was the day the university was letting applicants know their acceptance status. From what I remember, this was the longest day of my life, because the university didnt  alert applicants until 4:00 p.m., and I couldn’t sleep the night before because of a repeating thought in my mind of “what if I dont get in?” in addition to ridiculous scenarios that followed. As I waited in line at Chipotle, I constantly checked myIllini for updates. After I got my burrito, I checked the time, and it was a little after 4:00 p.m. But after having checked  the website constantly, this time I hesitated. The thought was back in my head: “What if you didn’t get in? How embarrassing would this be for you?” I told my friend about my fears of not being accepted, and she encouraged me to check myIllini by telling me something I haven’t ever  forgotten. She said, “If you don’t check it, you won’t know the result either way, and how embarrassing would it be if you got in and you let your own doubt get in the way of this opportunity?” So I checked, and here I am blogging for the University of Illinois today. Indyia Class of 2019 I’m an Art Foundation student in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, and after Art Foundation I plan on majoring in Art Education. With my degree and teaching certificate, I want to teach children how to use their emotions, thoughts, and surroundings to create art.

What Is Social Media Marketing Important For Solarworld s...

Executive Summary and Company Overview As the largest U.S. solar manufacturer for more than 35 years, SolarWorld is uniquely recognized as America’s solar leader. We meticulously carry out the most important steps in the solar production process on U.S. soil—from sourcing and manufacturing to assembling and hiring. (SolarWorldUSA, 2014) The core of SolarWorlds business activities is sustainability. SolarWorld aims to make the world better with its products. SolarWorld wants to assume responsibility for the environment and educate society about the benefits of sustainable energy. In order to be sustainable, SolarWorld must work economically. SolarWorld has to work internationally as a team that’s what will make them a strong team. In order to do this, SolarWorld must assume responsibility across departments and include our colleagues at all locations. SolarWorld must recognize the needs of their customers early and put them at the center of our business activities. Goals Why is social media marketing important for SolarWorld’s business? First we must understand what social media is and then why it is important to our business at SolarWorld. Definition of social media from New York Social Media is: – â€Å"Social media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media uses web-based technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogues. Social media utilization is believed to be a driving force in defining the

Kant and Morality Essay - 595 Words

Kant had a different ethical system which was based on reason. According to Kant reason was the fundamental authority in determining morality. All humans possess the ability to reason, and out of this ability comes two basic commands: the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative. In focusing on the categorical imperative, in this essay I will reveal the underlying relationship between reason and duty. The categorical imperative suggests that a course of action must be followed because of its rightness and necessity. The course of action taken can also be reasoned by its ability to be seen as a universal law. Universal laws have been deemed as unconditional commands that are binding to everyone at all times. Kant†¦show more content†¦First, all individuals do have a duty to what is right, whether they act accordingly or not. All citizens are held to a duty to uphold the laws, if there was no duty then laws would not exist. Morality coincides with being loyal to the laws, being a disciplined person, and living an orderly life. These essentials are all present in Kant’s perception of duty. Another key strength to the theory is the concentration on motivation. The motive for which an individual acts has more validity then the unknown consequences that lie ahead. According to Kant we are motivated by our duty, and we know that motivation comes from an internal source. Motive provides substance to personal decisions and choices that are made. In order to feel a duty to react or act in a certain manner, an individual uses internal reasoning when making decisions. As moral agents who have the ability to reason Kant’s theory is right on the target. We will consciously make decisions by the things or factors that we are motivated by. I feel that it is safe to say that most people actions are guided by motives whether they are morally correct or not. Utilitarians on the other hand would disagree with Kant on several points. Utilitarians would argue that actions should be decided by the consequences they would produce. Remember that utilitarians believe in the good for the greatest number. In an argument against Kant’s theory, they would say that theShow MoreRelatedImmanuel Kant And Kant On Morality1097 Words   |  5 Pagesdefinition of morality is the rules for right action and prohibitions against wrong acts. Sometimes morality is the single set of absolute rules and prohibitions that are valid for all men at all times and all societies. More loosely, a morality can be any set of ultimate principles, and there may be any number of moralities in different societies. Examples would be don’t cheat, don’t steal, and treat others as you would want to be treated. When dealing with the philosophers take on morality, there areRead MoreKant and Sexual Morality1394 Words   |  6 PagesGerman Philosopher Immanuel Kant claimed that it is morally wrong to use a person merely as a means to your end. This judgement helps us to understand and determined sexual morality. Thomas A. Mappes supports Kant’s claims and helps to further explain Kant’s statement by defining it and introducing the idea that one must give their voluntary informed consent in order for certain actions to be moral. Mappes also illustrates that voluntary informed consent can be undermined through both deception andRead MoreKant and Sexual Morality1383 Words   |  6 PagesGerman Philosopher Immanuel Kant claimed that it is morally wrong to use a person merely as a means to your end. This judgement helps us to understand and determined sexual morality. Thomas A. Mappes supports Kant’s claims and helps to further explain Kant’s statement by defining it and introducing the idea that one must give their voluntary informed consent in order for certain actions to be moral. Mappes also illustrates that vo luntary informed consent can be undermined through both deception andRead More Kant and the Morality of Anger4094 Words   |  17 PagesKant and the Morality of Anger Introduction This essay does not comprise a defence of retributive punishment, neither does it imply a rejection of deterrent punishment. The writer suggests that one possible reason for the tendency to advocate punishment of offenders with ever increasing severity can be discovered in the concept of the morality of anger. It is this explanation of the phenomenon that forms the principal burden of the arguments used in this essay. The salient characteristicsRead MoreKant And Hume On Morality Essay1952 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction ‘The relationship between Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) and David Hume (1711-1776) is a source of wide spread fascination’ (Standard Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Kant and Hume on Morality). Purpose of this essay is to provide Immanuel Kant’s claims on sympathy and David Hume’s assessment on it, backed up by their reasoning’s. By doing so, strong argument will separately be provided from both sides and the task then is to present my personal opinion on whose argument seems more compellingRead MoreMorality via Kant and Hegel1712 Words   |  7 Pagesendeavor in which few can be said to have been as influential as Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and his most trenchant critic, G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1831). Kant’s deontological attempt to unearth this criterion rests on one of the most metaphysical and abstract explanations ever given for the common intuitions of morality (Scruton 2001, 73). With the metaphysical dual-ism claimed by his Transcendental Idealism as his cornerstone, Kant argued that Reason – to him a defining and immutable trait of human natureRead MoreKant s Theory On Morality857 Words   |  4 Pagesgrounded in sympathy and experience. Immanuel Kant, however, is certain that morals should not be derived from experience but from pure reason. I for one believe that neither of these men are entirely correct. Both of their theories on morality are flawed in that one does not account for the human experience and the other takes the human experience too much into account. To begin with Kant’s theory is flawed in that it is founded in pure reason. Deriving morality from pure reason completely negates theRead MoreKant s View On Morality921 Words   |  4 PagesAnother topic that Kant contributed to is morality. According to Kant, moral laws cannot be derived from human nature. To put it in other terms, it is not human nature that should be used as a model to how we should behave morally. Kant believed that humans do not always make the right moral decisions because human nature can be flawed at times, often times choosing an animalistic desire over doing something that is morally permissible. In addition, Kant believed that the outcome of human natureRead MoreKant s Theory Of Morality982 Words   |  4 PagesImmanuel Kant is said by many to be one of the most influential â€Å"thinkers† in the history of Western philosophy (McCormick, n.d.), this being said, most of his theories continue to be taught and are highly respected by socie ty. Kant was a firm believer that the morality of any action can be assessed by the motivation behind it (McCormick, n.d.). In other words, if an action is good but the intention behind the action is not good, the action itself would be considered immoral. Those who follow theRead MoreKant s Theory On Morality1608 Words   |  7 Pagesto support his theory on morality. I believe that Kant’s argument is essentially correct – however, with every argument comes a set of flaws, and this one is no exception. Section One starts off with a question – is anything good in itself, and if so, what is it? Kant offers to the reader several valued attributes: wit, intelligence, loyalty, and judgment (393). One might think that these attributes are what make an action morally venerated and positive. However, Kant says that if the will behind

Level Of Crime Is Increasing And Crimes Are Becoming Violent Free Essays

Nowadays, it is observed that the level of crime is increasing and is more violent as compared many years ago. There are various factors that lead to this problem and some of them will be discussed and its solution will also be tackled. Nowadays, it is observed that the number of criminality is rising in several countries and is more violent. We will write a custom essay sample on Level Of Crime Is Increasing And Crimes Are Becoming Violent or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are various factors why this is happening and myriad of interventions to solve it. In this essay, I would enumerate some reasons and solutions about it. First of all, the root cause of present crime incidents is drugs. Suspects of heinous crimes like murder and rape are found under the influence of drugs. Even minor individuals are into drug addiction and are tempted to commit crimes in order to satisfy one’s longing. Another factor to the significant increase of crime rates is due to poverty. Many families are suffering from hunger and are struggling from their day to day living. Earning below minimum wage and the various increase in prices of the basic commodities make them uncomfortable and problematic. Due to this fact, they tend to resort to various crimes like stealing, car napping, hold up and even murder just for survival. In order to minimize drug related crimes, the government must implement stricter policy in enforcing the campaign against drug trafficking. Drug lords and dealers must be imprisoned for life and be penalized. In the case of poverty, the government should provide more budget to the Department of Education and even provide subsidized tuition to students of low-earning families. In this manner, these students will have a chance of attaining a degree and will have a much better career in the future that will lift their families from poverty. Thus, this will have a domino effect in decreasing the crime incidents in the community. Therefore, drug addiction and poverty should be primarily addressed by the government to decrease the country’s crime rate. How to cite Level Of Crime Is Increasing And Crimes Are Becoming Violent, Papers

Analysis Of Annual Report Of Bendigo And Adelaide Bank For Fy 2016

Question: Discuss about the Analysis Of Annual Report Of Bendigo And Adelaide Bank For Fy 2016. Answer: Introduction The title of the report is the analysis of the annual report of the company Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. The annual report of the company consists of the financial statements of the company and the directors report and the independent auditors report. The financial statements of the company tells about the financial performance of the company that it has gained during the reporting period and the financial position of the company that it has maintained at the end of the reporting period. Both the aspects go and work simultaneously and will inform about the working and functions of the company. The main aim of this report is to analyze the annual report of the company with respect to certain issues like assets and debts which will equip the users of the financial statements of the company including the stakeholders of the company about the working details of the company and to assess whether the company is working as desired by its stakeholders. With this consideration and the aim the report has been bifurcated into different section starting from the historical background of the company. After that the financial position of the company has been analysed by considering the balance sheet at the end of the reporting period. Thereafter the financial performance of the company has been analysed by considering the statement of profit and loss for the given reporting period. At the end the report has been ended by citing the conclusion stating the overall findings and the recommendation stating whether the stakeholders shall invest in this company. History Of The Company The company has its history started in the long back in late years of 1850s. The company has been incorporated in the year of 1858 as Bendigo Mutual Permanent Land and Building Society to help the people who are migrating from Victoria to give them the better living and the better working conditions. After twenty years of the society formation, in the year of 1877 another society was formed namely Hind marsh Building Society which has only one aim of providing home to everyone who is in Australia. With this aim the society so created has gained the importance from many people. With the passage of the time, the society goes on growing and keeps on merging and acquiring the other societies and in the year 1982, Bendigo Building society has come up as the first financial institution which has introduced both visa and credit cards. In the year of 1993, Bendigo building society acquires the company namely National Mortgage Market Corporation Limited which is engaged in the business of mor tgage and providing the introducers for the loans and acting as the brokers for arranging the loans. In the years of late 1990s the company with the development in the field of banking has converted its name from the bendigo building society to Bendigo Bank (Intelligent Investor, 2017). Bendigo bank opened its first branch office in Victoria and then has focused on the infrastructure projects of the country including the agricultural related business. The company has also been known as the company which has brought the account for offsetting the mortgage. This product has now standardized in the country of Australia. With this expansion and the growth in the business sector, the company in the year of 2007 has rejected the proposal from the Bank of Queensland for having the merger and merged with the well known bank namely Adelaide Bank. Soon after merging with the bank, the company with the approval of the members and shareholders of the company, the company has changed its name fr om Bendigo Bank to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (Company Official Website, 2016). With this merger, the existence of the Bendigo and Adelaide bank has come and is now regarded as the fifth largest retail bank in the Australia employing more than 70000 employees across its all branches and serving millions of the customers across Australia for achieving their financial goals. Analysis Of Financial Position Of The Company The financial position of any company is analyzed by critically evaluating the balance sheet of the company. The balance sheet of the company is prepared on the particular date therefore the financial position of the company has been analysed as on 30th June 2016 (Company Official Website, 2016). Goodwill As per Note number 27 of the Annual report of the company, goodwill amounting to1634.70 million dollars has been recorded as on 30th June 2016 as compared to 1580.50 million dollar as on 30th June 2015. As per theaccounting policy adopted by the company, intangible assets if acquired then are recognized at the cost price and then amortized accordingly. If the intangible assets are acquired on account of the mergers, acquisition or any form of business combination then they are recognized at the fair value as on date of such business combination. Goodwill is allocated to the cash generating units and then tested for the impairment if any. Four cash generating units has been identified Local connection, partner connection, wealth and the agribusiness. No business combination has been made during the year. Liabilities The first liability of the company that comes across in case of all the banks is the deposit and notes payable. As on 30th June, 2016, the total deposits of the company comes out as 57054.70 million dollar as compared to 53505.30 on the last year. The deposits are measured at the cost which is determined by deducting its issue cost from the fair value received and thereafter the deposits are amortized at the end of every year using the effective interest rate method. The effective interest rate is determined using the basic assumptions prevalent in the industry like risk, etc. Second liability is the subordinate debts which has been bifurcated according to the maturity analysis and are recognized at the cost and thereafter are amortized at the end of every year using the effective interest rate method. There are also other issues like financial assets held for sale, trading and maturity, met loans and other receivable and the investment made in property plant and equipment and also the risk factors that have been mentioned separately in the annual report. Analysis Of Financial Performance Of The Company The financial performance of the company is analysed from the statement of income for the financial year ending 30th of June 2016. Following issues have been identified (Company Official Website, 2016): Increase in Bad and Doubtful Debts The Company has written off the bad debts from the books amounting to 71.2 million dollars which is high in comparison to the last year amounting to 55.7 million dollars. It indicates that the chances of having the debts being irrecoverable have increased and therefore the company shall take corrective actions to reduce this. Increase in Fees and Commissions The amount of fees and commission paid has been considerably increased from 8.1 million dollar to 35.9 million dollar. The amount pertains to the fees and commission paid for having the loans and cases of loans. Due to this increase the companys operating expenses have been increased and thus reducing the profit margin. Decrease in EPS The earnings per share of the company been decreased from 92.5 cents for the year ending 30th June 2015 to 90.4 cents for the year ending 30th June 2016. The decrease is mainly encountered due to the increase in the operating expenses of the company. The company shall consider this matter as the interest of the shareholder may get reduced. Thus, apart from the above issues there other financial performance issues like Net Profit and the income tax expense, etc. Conclusion And Recommendation The banking industry plays very important role in not only the development of the country but also the development of the individuals by keeping their money safe and providing the interest on their funds and more importantly funding the company which requires for the development of any project which may be infrastructural or financial like agricultural related project or dam building project. Thus, in this way, the banking industry plays very important role in the development. The report has laid down how Bendigo and Adelaide bank has been formed and how the same have grown over the past 158 years at the increasing rate and still have the position of having more developments in the future. The report has analyzed the financial position and performance of the company and thus it is concluded that the report has raised the financial issues with regard to its recognition and presentation in the financial statements. It is recommended that the shareholders should invest and the stakeholders shall take interest in the company and shall make their decisions accordingly. References Company Official Website, (2016), Annual Report 2016, available on https://www.bendigoadelaide.com.au accessed on 23/05/2017. Intelligent Investor, (2017), Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (BEN), available on https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/company/Bendigo-and-Adelaide-Bank-Limited-BEN-249121 accessed on 23/05/2017.accounting

Structural Family Therapy

Model Description Among the existing variety of therapies for a family, it is hard to define the most appropriate or the less effective because every family is unique, and its members face different problems and misunderstandings. In the current paper, one of the family therapy models, the structural family therapy by Salvador Minuchin, will be discussed. Its historical background, some facts from the developer’s life, and different aspects of the theory will be analyzed to make the evaluation of the case study within the frames of the chosen model possible.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Structural Family Therapy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Historical Background Structural family therapy (SFT) is one of the available models of treatment offered to all members of a family on the basis of the possible structural change and communication within a family. It was developed in the middle of the 1970s by one of the brightest representatives of the Philadelphian Child Guidance Clinic, Salvador Minuchin. His physician experience in the army in Israel and the work with children in New York helped to understand that personal problems are based on a family and the philosophies inherent to it. The Israel families turned out to be a good example for Minuchin on how a variety of cultures and interests may be gathered in one certain community that has to follow the order and mind the traditions around. Another historical perspective from Minuchin’s like comes from his childhood. As a son in a Jewish family during the 1920s, who had to live in a unique Argentina, Minuchin faced the necessity to learn different rules and truths and add them to the life of his own (Prochaska Norcross, 2013). In fact, his life was not only about the challenges. The existed cultural diversity helped Minuchin to realize that every person has to perform his/her own role and be ready to change it in acco rdance with the demands set by society. His practice at the Wiltwyck School for Boys opened a number of perspectives with the help of which Minuchin (in a company of several colleagues) started to develop some new approaches to family therapy and offered problematic boys the ideas of how to improve their lives (Miller, 2011). A chance to work with children and their families proved the idea that family therapy had to be based on trust and loyalty to the ideas; and the role of a therapist should not be only as a mentor or teacher but be a good advisor, a coach, who could implement the changes and participate in the process at the same time. Salvador Minuchin In fact, the life of Salvador Minuchin may serve as a good explanation of his structural family therapy and general intentions to help people around through the work with a whole family. Minuchin raised in a Russian-Jewish family in Argentina. The necessity to combine different traditions and perform the roles according to the ex pectations of the others was obvious (Miller, 2011).Advertising Looking for case study on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Being deeply impressed by the works of Jean-Jacque Rousseau about the delinquents and their place in society, he made a decision to connect his life with psychology in some way. He entered the medical university and united his education with politics opposing the ideas of Juan Peron, the head of the majority of Argentina’s institutions. With time, he moved to Israel and worked with oppressed children using his own experience in combining rules and traditions. The American practice in the sphere of psychiatry provided him with the necessary amount of knowledge. The works by Harry Stack Sullivan made Minuchin pay more attention to family therapy on the basis the troubled youth (Miller, 2011). Within a short period of time, he was ready to introduce a new theory of how to help families and d ivide their functions in a proper way. It was structural family therapy. Therapist’s Role In family therapy, a therapist can perform a number of roles from being a leader in the relations to guide every action properly to stay a third-party observant making notes and conclusions (Simon, 2012). One of the peculiar features of SFT is the attention to the therapist and his/her role in the process. According to this theory, the therapist remains to be an active participant as he/she is responsible for the implementation of the changes in a family and the process of restructuring itself. Due to his own experience, Minuchin underlines the fact that any therapist has to respect each family’s culture and underline its uniqueness; this is why it is an obligatory task for the therapist to gather some information before therapy takes place (Minuchin Fishman, 2009). It is necessary to clear up what each member find the best for a family and how it is possible to unite their inter ests within one community that is called a family.  The therapist has to help every family member and explain how they can establish healthy relations and consider their own skills and interests. It is possible for the therapist to use some physical objects and moves to achieve better results of a therapeutic process (Jones-Smith, 2014). In general, SFT presupposes the role of the therapist being important indeed, and Minuchin makes everything possible to explain what and when a professional counselor has to do.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Structural Family Therapy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Essence of the Theory of Change One of the primary SFT characteristics is the possibility to describe family problems and offer solutions with the help of â€Å"spatial and organizational metaphors† (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2012). These techniques promote the required portion of a change in any family organization and structure. The only important requirement that has to be considered is that the change should take place before all symptoms are relieved because the way of how a whole family can function defines the way of how every member functions within.  According to the theory, the structure of a family changes as soon as the positions of the family members undergo some changes and vice versa. Each new function is the possibility to define and analyze the same problem from a new perspective. The therapist, who is going to offer a change, has to check whether the experience of a family is appropriate for the chosen intervention. Every hierarchy created depends on the functions performed by every member. There has to be a leader, who should be an example for the rest and an advisor. At the same time, whose, who perform the supplementary roles, should not consider themselves diminished or misjudged. The therapist has to explain that any family therapy should be organized acco rding to such order. Target of Intervention When the therapist starts working with a family, he/she has to identify the targets of the therapy interventions in a proper way. A goal for change has to be established (Jones-Smith, 2014). The target of intervention is the change that happens when the therapist try to help each family member to create the necessary boundaries within a family that are â€Å"neither too rigid nor too diffuse† (Jones-Smith, 2014). The intervention results in the change in the frames of which it becomes easier to make decisions and distribute the issue of power in different ways to choose the most appropriate one. It is expected that dysfunctional family structures are improved, and a family gets the required portion of explanations and suggestions on how they have to behave and react to each other’s activities. Assessment from the Approach SFT provides the therapist with a chance to evaluate the conditions under which a family lives, define mi sunderstanding and challenges that take place, and offer several appropriate solutions for a situation to be improved. The following assessment of a family is possible from the therapy offered by Minuchin:Advertising Looking for case study on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Family hierarchy according to the powers gained (proper, improper, in need of improvements); Boundaries between each member of a family (proper, improper, in need of improvements); Subsystems of a family (present, absent, necessary); Therapist’s role (active, passive, leading, minimized). As soon as this kind of family evaluation takes place, the therapist is able to continue working and making the necessary implementations gradually. Normalcy, Health, and Pathology within the Model Normalcy, health, and pathology are the assumptions that help to identify the necessity and essence of assessment and interventions in a family. Family normalcy is usually characterized by the presence of absence of symptoms that can disturbed or destroy a family (Walsh, 2012). In the Minuchin’s therapy, a normal family is defined as â€Å"nonstressful, living in constant harmony and cooperation† (Walsh, 2012, p. 30). This is why when parents or other grown-ups of a family face the problems related to bringing up children, sexual life, or the outside world, they are bothered and require some professional help. It is normal for a family to struggle with some problems in case all struggles can be ended with some compromises. In terms of health, Walsh (2012) explains a healthy family as the parents of which know a lot and can solve intrapsychic conflicts and meet the needs to promote their children’s development. Finally, SFT defines pathology as the situation when families face with stress or other challenges and suffer from increasing â€Å"the rigidity of their transactional patterns and boundaries† and inabilities to â€Å"avoid or resist any exploration of alternatives† (Walsh, 2012, p. 31). Cultural and Diversity Factors within the Model SFT is the model that is too sensitive to cultural and diversity factors because it is based on the way of how the therapist, as well as a family, can define cultural priorities and survive the diversi ties around. Minuchin underlines that the therapist has to respect cultural preferences of a family and do not try to change them or diminish their role in a family’s life. In fact, both, cultural and diversity, factors play an important role in family therapy as it helps to show the family how unique and special their family life actually is.  Children are in need of an explanation of how their own cultures have to be introduced to society the most. They should feel respect to their diversity and a chance to share this uniqueness with a family but not feel sorry or disappointment. Parents are responsible for the way of how children understand their cultural needs in regards to their family hierarchy, and the therapist should explain all aspects accordingly. Type of a Model (Strength-Based or Deficit-Based) Therapy models may be of two types, strengths-based and deficit based. Deficit-based models aim at addressing the patient’s needs and problems, and strengths-base d models focus on people’s attributes that can promote health. The latter approach differs from the former by the possibility to use the already given features and work them out to avoid the development of possible pathologies (Xie, 2013). The therapy offered by Minuchin is of a strengths-based type as it focuses on the outcomes, considers family as the primary concept that has to be used, and defines the possibility to structure a family as one of the ways to help people and use their strengths avoiding weaknesses and deficits. Intervention Examples SFT may have a number of interventions. Still, the most crucial are as follows: Join a family in a friendly-formal way; Analyze the situation and evaluate family; Set the goals; Identify the rules that have to be followed; Define the roles according to the family hierarchy; Change the roles and observe the results; Support communication; Do not try to give the directions (but explain that these are just pieces of advice). All t hese steps help the therapist realize whether it is possible to help a family and identify the root of the existing and potential problems and overcome the majority of them. Model Application Role of the Counselor for the Case in Specific Aspects In the case under consideration, the role of the therapist remains to be crucial as he takes responsibility for the organization of communication between all members of a family. The therapist has to analyze each member separately and tries to define the aspects that can bother them. It is necessary not to become a friend for them because Jimmy is one of the most vulnerable members of the family, who want to gain more someone’s attention. The therapist should not provide Jimmy with empty hopes and clearly define his role as a counselor, who is going to understand and suggest the options that can change the situation within the family. Possible Changes within the Family Among the variety of possible changes for the family under consid eration, the following suggestions may be considered. For example: Jane is bothered by her inability to raise her little daughter Sunny (she may be offered to ask for a part-time job); Paul wants his wife paying more attention to him as a man (he may use his free time to amaze Jane with his own works and achievements); Jimmy is jealous of his father spending more time with Sunny than with him (he can think about some hobbies and the activities to be involved in together with his father). Aspects that Undergo Changes The therapist has to focus on the next aspects with the family and be ready to promote some changes in: Communication between the family members; Occupation of the family members; Identification of the family culture as the thing that can unite all of them; Social norms and rules that have to be followed by all family members as equal members of society; Obligations to each other. All these aspects have to be changed in some way, and every change has to be explained. Understanding of the Case within the Model’s Framework The Duncan’s is almost an ordinary American family that has to face some challenges because of the economic conditions of the country and the obligations that have to be followed. Jane and Paul Duncan have to understand that their new duties should not influence their relations, and they have to take some steps to develop the duties according to the hierarchy that has been developed earlier. The wife has to demonstrate her respect to the husband even in spite of the fact that it is she, who earns money. The husband has to remember that he has a son, who needs more attention. At the same time, e new-born daughter can take much time as well. The therapist should discuss all these points and advise how to improve the current weak situation. Model’s Assumptions around Normalcy, Health, and Pathology In general, the evaluation of the case from the normalcy, health, and pathology shows the following picture: The family’s level of normalcy is medium because of the evident stresses that take place from time to time. It is a health family because of the absence of bad habits and the necessity to feed properly. There are no evident pathologies, just the inability to communicate directly and speak out loud about personal discontents and desires. The family has all changes to be changed and â€Å"healed† because the cooperation is still possible, harmony can be achieved, and several alternatives can be offered by the therapist and accepted by the family as a result of open communications and discussions. Cultural and Diversity Aspects of the Case The case under analysis does not touch upon some cultural and diversity aspects of society. The family consists of the White Americans, who live under the traditions accepted by the United States. The family likes different thematic holidays and tries to participate in all parties to entertain children and show them how the majority of pe ople can live. At the same time, the family can use its cultural preferences as the thing that can unite them and offer a common hobby (for the father and the son) or a captivating holiday (for the husband and the wife). The family should get a strong basis that cannot be postponed, or moved, or neglected. The family has to have something to believe in. The cultural issue is one of the most available suggestions for the family under consideration. Model’s Status and the Case SFT, as the strength-based type of model, is applied to the case as the members of the family expect to achieve successful outcomes. They have a number of strengths and positive intentions to benefit from the changed offered by a professional. Interventions Applied in the Case The possible interventions in the case are: Private talks with every member of a family; Promotion of open communication between all members; Distribution of the roles and mutual exchange of the roles so that every member of the fa mily can understand the pros and cons of each other’s position; Identification of one common interest can unite a family and make its members spend together sometime. Assessment of the Model of the Hypothetical Case Study The success of SFT is the possibility to implement it in a variety of cases. The therapist has to be mature enough to be close to each family member but never cross the line and become a friend. Still, it is necessary to remember that Minuchin’s therapy is more applicable for large families so that their structures, boundaries, and functions can be changed. References Goldenberg, H. Goldenberg, I. (2012). Family therapy: An overview. Belmont, CA:Cengage Learning. Jones-Smith, E. (2014). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: An integrative approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Miller, A. (2011). Instructor’s manual for Salvador Minuchin on family therapy. Mill Valley, CA: Psychhotherapy.net. Minuchin, S. Fishman, C. (2009). Fami ly therapy techniques. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Prochaska, J. Norcross, J. (2013). Systems of psychotherapy: A transtheoretical analysis. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Simon, G. (2012). The role of the therapist: What effective therapists do. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38(1), 8-12. Walsh, F. (2012). Normal family processes: Growing diversity and complexity. New York: Guilford Press. Xie, H. (2013). Strengths-based approach for mental health recovery. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 7(2), 5-10. This case study on Structural Family Therapy was written and submitted by user Dario Snow 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.

How to Create User Control Components in VB.NET

How to Create User Control Components in VB.NET A user control is just like the Visual Basic supplied controls, such as TextBox or Button, but you can make your own control do whatever you like with your own code. Think of them like bundles of standard controls with custom methods and properties. Whenever you have a group of controls that youre likely to use in more than one place, consider a user control. Note that you can also create web user controls but theyre not the same as web custom controls; this article only covers the creation of user controls for Windows. In more detail, a user control is a VB.NET class. The class Inherits from the Framework UserControl class. The UserControl class gives your control the base functions it needs so it can be treated like the built-in controls. A user control also has a visual interface, much like a VB.NET form that you design in VB.NET. Four Function Calculator Control To demonstrate a user control, were going to create our own four function calculator control (this is what it looks like) that you can drag and drop right onto a form in your project. If you have a financial application where it would be handy to have a custom calculator available, you can add your own code to this one and use it just like a Toolbox control in your projects. With your own calculator control, you could add keys that automatically input a company standard such as a required rate of return, or add the corporate logo to the calculator. Creating a User Control The first step in creating a user control is to program a standard Windows application that does what you need. Although there are some extra steps, its still often easier to program your control first as a standard Windows application than as a user control, since its easier to debug. Once you have your application working, you can copy the code to a user control class and build the user control as a DLL file. These basic steps are the same in all versions since the underlying technology is the same, but the exact procedure is a little different between VB.NET versions. Using Different VB.NET Versions You will have a small problem if you have the VB.NET 1.X Standard Edition. User controls have to be created as DLLs to be used in other projects and this version wont create DLL libraries out of the box. Its a lot more trouble, but you can use the techniques described in this article to learn how to get around this problem. With the more advanced versions, create a new Windows Control Library. Follow this link to see the VB.NET 1.X dialog. From the VB main menu, click Project, then Add User Control. This gives you a form design environment almost identical to the one you use for building standard Windows applications. Add the components and code for your control and customize the properties you need. You can copy and paste from your debugged standard Windows app. In fact, the code for the CalcPad control (more on this below) was copied with no changes.Build your solution to get the DLL file for your control. Remember to change the Configuration to Release before the Build for production use.To move the control to the Toolbox, right-click the Toolbox and select Add/Remove Items...Using the .NET Framework Components tab, browse to the DLL for your component (probably in the bin folder of the Windows Control Library solution). Click Open when the DLL file is selected to move the control to the Toolbox, then choose OK. See this screenshot of CalcPad in the VB.NET 1.1 Toolbox. To check out your work, you can close the Windows Control Library solution and open a standard Windows Application solution. Drag and drop your new CalcPad control and run the project. This illustration shows that it behaves just like the Windows calculator, but its a control in your project. This isnt everything you need to do to move the control into production for other people, but thats another subject! The procedure for building a user control in VB.NET 2005 is almost identical to 1.X. The biggest difference is that instead of right-clicking on the Toolbox and selecting Add/Remove Items, the control is added by selecting Choose Toolbox Items from the Tools menu; the rest of the process is the same. Heres the same component (actually, converted directly from VB.NET 1.1 using the Visual Studio conversion wizard) running in a form in VB.NET 2005. Again, moving this control into production can be an involved process. Usually, that means installing it in the GAC, or Global Assembly Cache.

How are these works of arts reflect the tradition(s) of avant garde Essay

How are these works of arts reflect the tradition(s) of avant garde - Essay Example (Acton 25) A further understanding of the characteristics of avant-garde art can be achieved by examining paintings such as â€Å"The Scream† by Edvard Munch; Henri Matisse’s â€Å"The Dance† and â€Å"The Dance II†; â€Å"Portrait of Ambroise Vollard,† â€Å"Three Dancers† and â€Å"Woman with Mandolin† by Pablo Picasso and â€Å"Woman in Blue† by Fernand Leger. Expressionist artist Edvard Munch’s â€Å"The Scream† depicting an indistinct shape of a human whose face and mouth shown as distorted in fear or in anxiety. The figure seems to be unnerved by someone or something but may probably also be frightened by the bloodied sky overhead. In this painting from the Expressionist period, the artist portrayed the figure as an indistinct form to accentuate the raw emotion. The core of Expressionism was to paint and convey emotions through art therefore Munch exhibits in this painting the avant-garde way of addressing the principle of the art movement, which is to purely capture and express emotions through art without defining the form. Henri Matisse’s first version of â€Å"The Dance† shows lightly-hued human figures dancing and floating in plain green and blue background while â€Å"The Dance II† shows the human figures in an intense shade of red dancing and floating in a more vivid blue and green. The two paintings each possess an avant-garde character, the first version discards the foreshortening technique of painting; Matisse employed colors instead to give the figures an impression of distance and movement thus creating an innovation on the use of colors for his artwork. â€Å"The Dance II† has the same innovative avant-garde character as the first version, however, the artist made another new approach for the second version by using colors in their unmodified or slightly modified value resulting into colors that are more vibrant and more defined impression of

The Field Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Field - Essay Example ly greed for land stems from the Irish farmer’s deeply-rooted dedication to the land that feeds him and which ensures a stable homeland for his children. Add to this Bull McCabe’s cynicism toward technology. This greed for land is not due to harbored hatred from landlord-peasant disputes in the past. The Field portrays the struggle for ownership to a 4-acre land between Bull McCabe, an Irish farmer, and William Dee, an Irish businessman who came from England. Bull dreams of having his only son, Tadhg, inherit the field. This dispute over land ownership caused the murder William, which the local residents hid from the authorities. Bull’s obsession over the field makes the novel a powerful story. In fact, the book effectively depicted how the villagers, even without fully believing in the McCabes’ ethos and callous ways when they attacked William and killed him by accident, understand the feeling and ultimately protect the McCabes’ by their silence. It should also be noted that the villagers’ silence is partly caused by Bull’s threat â€Å"†¦keep your trap shut†¦There’s men around here would think nothing of puttin’ a bomb up agi’in a public door. ‘Twas done before, the time of the land division† (Keane , 1991, p. 51). Additionally, the villagers are also afraid that the McCabes might boycott people who go against Bull. Even Sgt. Leahy, who does not sympathize with Bull, is aware of this fact. Per Kean (1991), â€Å"There is nothing in your heads [he tells Bull and Tadgh], but pigs and cows and pitiful patches of land† (p. 29). Fr. Liam Mcdermot and Sgt. Leahy are both outsiders in the village, and Bull expresses even to them his convictions â€Å"When you’ll be gone, Father, to be a Canon somewhere, and the sergeant gets a wallet of notes and is going to be a Superintendent, Tadgh’s children will be milking cows and keeping donkeys away from our ditches. That’s what we have to think about and if there’s no grass, that’s the end of me

The House of Lords decision in Bolitho (Bolitho

The House of Lords decision in Bolitho (Bolitho The House of Lords decision in Bolitho (Bolitho v City and Hackney HA [1998] AC 232) is a belated and welcome departure from judicial deference to medical opinion but there is still too much deference and more has to be done. Critically comment on the above statement. In any negligence claim, in order to succeed the claimant must show that he was owed a duty of care by the defendant, that the duty of care was breached, and that the breach of duty caused the damage complained of.[1] Kennedy and Grubb comment that the duty of care arises ‘from a request for medical services by an individual and a consequent undertaking by a doctor [or other health care professional] to provide these services.[2] Margaret Brazier has observed: ‘[a] patient claiming against his doctor †¦ usually has little difficulty in establishing that the defendant owes him a duty of care’.[3] The second stage of a clinical negligence action is to show that the doctor has breached his standard of care. In any negligence claim, the standard of care is set by law and is an objective standard.[4] Words such as reasonable or responsible are normally attributed to such a standard. Such adjectives are not normally equated with a practice that is ‘common’ or ‘accepted’. With respect to medical negligence claims however, the law has not taken such a view. The case of Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee[5] has established that ‘a doctor is not guilty of negligence if he has acted in accordance with a practice accepted as proper by a responsible body of medical men skilled in that particular art’. The Bolam case was a decision at first instance, but was later approved by the House of Lords in Whitehouse v Jordan.[6] The courts have continuously taken a protectionist view of the medical profession in clinical negligence claims. Jackson acknowledges that this could be due to the complexity of medical evidence, but it could also be explained by a sense of professional solidarity.[7] The medical profession has been highly regarded in society, and the courts have also expressed their respect. In Wilsher v Essex AHA,[8] Mustill LJ comments: â€Å"For all we know, [The doctors in this case] far surpassed on numerous occasions the standard of reasonable care. Yet it is said that for one lapse they (and not just their employers) are to be held liable in damages. Nobody could criticise the mother for doing her best to secure her son’s financial future. But has not the law taken a wrong turning if an action of this kind is to succeed?† It is interesting to note the difference in policy in cases involving medical professionals. In other negligence cases, the courts have commented that the function of the law of negligence (and the law of torts in general), is to compensate injured parties for loss. The judiciary have had no moral objections to awarding damages in cases where they can apply the ‘deepest pocket’ principle. Thus, in Nettleship v Weston,[9] Lord Denning had no problems in asserting that a learner driver would be held to the same standard of a competent driver (competent would be ascertained on an objective basis by the court), as the driver would be insured and thus, the law will award damages from the deepest pocket. Yet, there has been considerable hesitation in holding doctors negligent for public policy reasons, despite the fact that doctors will be also be insured. Furthermore, doctors working in the NHS will generally not be personally held accountable for the negligence – the action is brought against the Trust vicariously and NHS Trusts in England and Wales are part of an ‘insurance like’ scheme, the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) administered by the NHS Litigation Authority. The Bolam principle may be formulated as a rule that a doctor is not negligent if he acts in accordance with a practice accepted at the time as proper by a responsible body of medical opinion even though other doctors may adopt a different practice. ‘In short, the law imposes the duty of care; but the standard of care is a matter of medical judgment.’[10] In Maynard v West Midlands RHA,[11] Lord Scarman seemed to favour an approach that a doctor will not be negligent if there are other reasonably held approaches that are the same as the defendant doctor’s approach: â€Å"I have to say that a judge’s ‘preference’ for one body of distinguished professional opinion to another also professionally distinguished is not sufficient to establish negligence in a practitioner whose actions have received the seal of approval of those whose opinions, truthfully expressed, honestly held, were not preferred †¦ For in the realm of diagnosis and treatment negligence is not established by preferring one respectable body of professional opinion to another.† The pure Bolam approach is the subject of scathing academic criticism. Kennedy and Grubb comment: â€Å"It may seem curious that the law would defer to the medical profession in setting the content of the duty in negligence.†[12] Despite the deference to the medical profession in the courts, there have been some exceptions and one example is the case of Hucks v Cole.[13] The case involved a pregnant woman with a septic finger whose doctor failed to prescribe her penicillin. The patient suffered puerperal fever as a result and a number of witnesses gave evidence stating that they would not have prescribed penicillin in the same situation. However, the Court of Appeal held that even if there are relatively small risks involved, the fact that it would have been easy to avoid such risks so easily and inexpensively, is clearly not reasonable. Sachs LJ comments: â€Å"On such occasions the fact that other practitioners would have done the same thing as the defendant practitioner is a very weighty matter to be put on the scales on his behalf; but it is not †¦ conclusive. †¦ Despite the fact that the risk could have been avoided by adopting a course that was easy, efficient and inexpensive, and which would have entailed only minimal chances of disadvantages to the patient, the evidence of the four defence experts to the effect that they and other responsible members of the medical profession would have taken the same risk in the same circumstances has naturally caused me to hesitate †¦ The reasons given by the four experts do not to my mind stand up to analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The approach taken in Hucks v Cole was also adopted by the House of Lords in Bolitho v City and Hackney HA,[14] in which the traditional Bolam approach was departed from. Lord Browne-Wilkinson comments: â€Å"In the vast majority of cases the fact that distinguished experts in the field are of a particular opinion will demonstrate the reasonableness of that opinion. In particular, where there are questions of assessment of the relative risks and benefits of adopting a particular medical practice, a reasonable view necessarily presupposes that the relative risks and benefits have been weighed by the experts in forming their opinions. But if, in a rare case, it can be demonstrated that the professional opinion is not capable of withstanding logical analysis, the judge is entitled to hold that the body of opinion is not reasonable or responsible.† The relevance of the Bolitho decision was initially regarded as a major shift from the pure Bolam approach. Following the decision, Kennedy and Grubb comment that ‘the law has been put back on its proper course’.[15] Lord Browne-Wilkinson was suggesting that medical approach must be defensible and capable of withstanding logical analysis. However, he qualified this by stating that this would only occur in ‘rare’ cases. Hucks v Cole was certainly one of those rare cases, but it is arguable whether there has been a significant shift in approach by the courts. In Wisniewski v Central Manchester Health Authority,[16] the defendant did not follow a procedure that would have detected that a baby’s umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck during birth and the medical opinion differed over the reasonableness of such. Brooke LJ comments that: â€Å"Hucks v Cole itself was unquestionably one of the rare cases which Lord Browne-Wilkinson had in mind †¦ In my judgment the present case falls unquestionably on the other side of the line, and it is quite impossible for a court to hold that the views sincerely held by [the experts supporting the actions of the defendant] cannot logically be supported at all †¦ the views expressed by [those experts] were views which could be logically supported and held by responsible doctors.† There have been a small number of ‘rare’ cases where the courts have gone as far as questioning the logic and defensibility of medical authority. The case of Reynolds v North Tyneside Health Authority,[17] is one such example. Thus, Gross J comments that it is one of those ‘rare cases where the Court could and should conclude that such body of opinion was unreasonable, irresponsible, illogical and indefensible.’ Similarly, in Marriott v West Midlands RHA,[18] the Court of Appeal stated that the expert evidence given by the witnesses defending the doctor’s conduct could not be logically supported. The Court of Appeal also affirmed that the trial judge was entitled to question whether an opinion was reasonably held and Mason and Laurie comment that ‘[o]n the face of things, then, Marriott moves the Bolitho test from one of logic to one of reasonableness, which is much more akin to the reasoning applied in other, non-medical standard of care decisi ons.’[19] The approach taken by the courts post Bolitho seems to suggest that the courts are only prepared to examine the credibility of witnesses and not the content of their evidence. So long as the evidence given is ‘truthfully held’ and ‘honestly expressed’ then the court is reluctant to question the evidence.[20] Furthermore, there have been a number of post-Bolitho decisions and it seems as though there is still a constant reluctance to question medical experts, and if there has been any departure from the traditional Bolam approach, this certainly seems to have been on the basis of the credibility of expert witnesses, and not on the reasonableness of their opinion. Thus, the subsequent case law suggests a somewhat restrictive approach on the modification of the Bolam principle in its new Bolitho interpretation.[21] Writing extra judicially, Lord Woolf comments that there have been a number of reasons for a shift away from the traditional approach in Bolam.[22] The courts apparently now have a less deferential approach to those in authority.[23] The courts have also apparently recognised the difficulties that genuine claimants have in successfully bringing a clinical negligence claim. At the same time, there has been a raise in the number of clinical negligence claims in England and Wales over the last number of years.[24] Furthermore, with an increasing awareness of patient rights, an increasing loss of faith in the public health service following various health ‘scandals’ such as Bristol and Alder Hey, a judicial deference to the medical profession certainly has its days numbered. Also, as Woolf acknowledges, ‘our courts were aware that courts at the highest level of other Commonwealth jurisdictions, particularly Canada and Australia, were rejecting the approach of the Engli sh Courts. They were subjecting the actions of the medical profession to a closer scrutiny that the English Courts †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢[25] Other commentators have also noted the way in which lawyers approach the issue of using expert witnesses. Teff comments: â€Å"Reassertion at the highest level of the court’s role in scrutinizing professional practice is welcome, not least because of current concerns about the dynamics of providing expert evidence for the purposes of adversarial litigation. Some law firms’ choice of experts is apt to depend too much on perceived presentational skills and acuity in advancing the client’s case, and too little on detached expertise†¦ †¦ One prominent medicolegal authority has bluntly declared that ‘Bolam will only work fairly if the use of hired hands as defence medical experts is eliminated. It would then be possible to talk of a responsible body of medical opinion’.†[26] Teff has thus outlined some of the practices that demonstrate how the Bolam principle is deferential in practice. Lawyers tend to look for an expert who will make their case stronger, and a survey of 500 expert witnesses revealed that about a quarter noted comments that in some instances, witnesses were requested to change comments that were alteration of their opinions.[27] The problems associated with the Bolam test have not only presented themselves in clinical negligence cases. The traditional Bolam approach was also questioned under the scope of ‘informed consent’ cases, which involve a claim of negligence for failing to warn of risks inherent in treatment. The leading case on the issue of disclosure of risks in treatment is Sidaway v Board of Governors of the Bethlem Royal Hospital.[28] Discussion of the Bolam test was present in practically all of the judgments delivered. Lord Bridge asserted that the law should reject the ‘reasonable patient’ test and follow a modified version of the Bolam test. Accordingly, disclosure of information is ‘primarily a matter of clinical judgment’, but this does not mean that the profession is entitled to set its own standard in such cases. Thus, a judge would be entitled to hold that a clinician should have disclosed a risk where there was a procedure that involved a ‘substantial risk of grave adverse consequences’, giving the example of a 10 per cent risk of stroke as substantial, but a 1 or 2 per cent risk of spinal cord damage was not substantial. Similarly, Lord Templeman also suggested that a modified Bolam approach should be taken. Subsequent interpretation of the Sidaway case has not been straightforward. The reasoning of the judges in the case is far from consistent, and furthermore, according to Lord Browne-Wilkinson, the modified test put forward to Bolitho did not apply to such cases. The Court of Appeal in Gold v Haringey HA,[29] merely referred to the judgment of Lord Diplock and therefore applying the Bolam principle in its purest form, an approach not generally followed by the House of Lords in Sidaway. The Australian High Court on the other hand decided the issue differently in the case of Rogers v Whitaker.[30] In that case, the shortcomings of the Bolam test were identified by the High Court: â€Å"One consequence of the application of the Bolam principle to cases involving the provision of advice or information is that, even if a patient asks a direct question about the possible risks or complications, the making of that inquiry would logically be of little or no significance; medical opinion determines whether the risk should or should not be disclosed and the express desire of a particular patient for information or advice does not alter that opinion or the legal significance of that opinion. The fact that the various majority opinions in Sidaway †¦ for example, suggest that, over and above the opinion of a respectable body of medical practitioners, the questions of a patient should truthfully be answered (subject to the therapeutic privilege) indicates a shortcoming in the Bolam approach.† The Australian High Court specifically chose not to follow the Bolam test in information disclosure cases, commenting: â€Å"In Australia, it has been accepted that the standard of care to be observed by a person with some special skill or competence is that of the ordinary skilled person exercising and professing to have that special skill †¦ But, that standard is not determined solely or even primarily by reference to the practice followed or supported by a responsible body of opinion in the relevant profession or trade †¦ Even in the sphere of diagnosis and treatment, the heartland of the skilled medical practitioner, the Bolam principle has not always been applied †¦ Further, and more importantly, particularly in the field of non-disclosure of risk and the provision of advice and information, the Bolam principle has been discarded and, instead, the courts have adopted the principle that, while evidence of acceptable medical practice is a useful guide for the courts, it is for the courts to adjudicate on what is the appropriate standard of care after giving weight to the paramount consideration that a person is entitled to make his own decisions about his life.† The comments made by Lord Woolf[31] in his paper are clearly justified when examining the decision in Rogers v Whittaker. Commonwealth decisions have been far more willing to examine and scrutinize medical evidence and it may not always be a question of what is more preferential for the judge to follow, but it is instead what the judge feels is reasonable. This does not involve the judge merely accepting that two courses of treatment may have both been reasonable in the circumstances in the opinion of medical experts. The judge’s actual role is to establish the reasonableness of each on the basis of the evidence presented to him and that does not necessarily mean that both have to be right. Mason and Laurie comment: â€Å"[W]hile the courts are increasingly determined to see that the Bolam principle is not extended [into areas such as judging ‘best interests’], they still have an innate reluctance to abandon it in respect of medical opinion; there is a sense that Bolitho, although welcome, is being used mainly in a ‘back-up’ position. What is certain is that Bolam can no longer be regarded as impregnable.† Thus, on the basis of the above comment, the post-Bolitho meaning of Bolam is that it is merely a back up for when the case faced by the court suits a change in approach. Furthermore, while the courts have been apparently reluctant to extending the Bolam principle into the best interests test,[32] the principle has already been incorporated into the concept of best interests. Airedale NHS Trust v Bland[33] required an analysis of what was in the best interests of a patient in a persistent vegetative state, who was being kept alive by artificial nutrition and hydration. In an analysis of whether such nutrition and hydration should be withdrawn (resulting in the death of the patient), the Law Lords turned to analyse the patient’s best interests. The treatment was apparently not in the patient’s best interests. This was because it was regarded as futile. In Lord Goff’s words[34], ‘the patient is unconscious and there is no prospect of any improvement in his condition’. In deciding whether the treatment was futile, the doctor had to act in accordance with a responsible body of medical opinion. More precisely the doctor had to satisfy the Bolam test. It is difficult to comprehend how it is relevant in deciding what is in the best interests of a patient –conflicting views of doctors will always be Bolam reasonable as long as one other doctor supports that view. In conclusion, the courts have established a completely different system of establishing the standard of care for medical professionals to that of other professionals. The Bolam approach has traditionally been interpreted as a principle that a doctor will not be negligent if other professional opinion holds his actions as reasonable, even if that opinion is a minority. The courts have been deferential to the profession, and the apparent move away from such approach in Bolitho is a disappointment of this deference. Lord Browne-Wilkinson’s words were read quite literally, the emphasis being placed upon the words, ‘but if in a rare case’ – the courts have only questioned ‘reasonable and responsible’ medical opinion in a very small amount of cases and it seems as though the Bolitho approach is, as Mason and Laurie commented, a mere ‘back up’ if the judge wishes to find for the claimant. Whilst the courts have slowly begun to depart fro m the traditional approach, more needs to be done before there is any comparison with the approach of other Commonwealth jurisdictions, such as Australia. Furthermore, the courts should be more clear in their reasoning, as it is also important to be able to ascertain objectively how cases should be decided on grounds of precedent. The majority of clinical negligence claims that are commenced, are settled by the NHS Litigation Authority before they even reach court and would it not be more economic for the NHS to be able to ascertain with greater certainty when a doctor has been negligent? Finally, the decision in Bolitho is far from a departure of judicial deference to the medical profession, it is a mere spin on the language originally used in Bolam. The courts now have ground to make in establishing a more fair, predictable and objective approach in line with other negligence actions. Bibliography Brazier, M. ‘Medicine, Patients and the Law’ (2003, 3rd edn) Penguin Books, London Davies, M. ‘Textbook on Medical Law’ (2001, 2nd edn) Blackstone Press, London Jaskson, E., ‘Medical Law – Text, Cases and Materials’ (2006) Oxford University Press, Oxford Kennedy, I. Grubb, A. ‘Medical Law’ (2000, 3rd edn) Butterworths, London Mason, JK et al, ‘Law and Medical Ethics’ (2002, 6th edn) Butterworths, London Montgomery, J. ‘Health Care Law’ (2003, 2nd edn) Oxford University Press, Oxford National Audit Office, Handling Clinical Negligence Claims in England, 2001 Singer, P., ‘Rethinking Life and Death: The Collapse of our Traditional Ethics’ (OUP Oxford 1994) Journal Articles Brazier, M., Miola, J., ‘Bye-Bye Bolam: A Medical Litigation Revolution?’ (2000) 8 Med L Rev 85 Keown, J., ‘Reining In the Bolam Test’ (1998) 57 CLJ 248 Teff, H., ‘The Standard of Care in Medical Negligence – Moving on from Bolam?’ (1998) 19 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 473-84 Woolf, Lord., ‘Are the Courts Excessively Deferential to the Medical Profession?’ (2001) 9 Medical Law Review 1-16. 1 Footnotes [1] The establishment of negligence is a common law creation – see Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] All ER Rep 1 [2] Kennedy and Grubb, ‘Medical Law’ (3rd edn, 2000) at pp 278 [3] Medicine, Patients and the Law, (3rd Edn, 2003) at pp 141 [4] See for example, Nettleship v. Weston [1971] 2 QB 691 [5][1957] 2 All ER 118 [6] (1981) unreported, and Maynard v. West Midlands Regional Health Authority [1985] 1 All ER 635 [7] Jackson, E., ‘Medical Law – Text, Cases and Materials’, (2006, OUP), Oxford at page 123 [8] [1987] 1 QB 730 [9] above, n 4. [10] Lord Scarman in Sidaway v Board of Governors of the Bethlem Royal Hospital [1985] 1 All ER 643 [11] [1985] 1 All ER 635 [12] Kennedy and Grubb, ‘Medical Law’ (3rd edn, 2000) at pp 418 [13] [1993] 4 Med LR 393. Despite the fact that the case was reported in 1994, the decision was actually made in 1960 [14] [1997] 4 All ER 771 [15] Kennedy and Grubb, ‘Medical Law’ (3rd edn, 2000) at pp 445 [16] [1998] Lloyd’s Rep Med 223 CA [17] Unreported, 30 May 2002 [18] [1999] Lloyds Rep Med 23 [19] Mason, J.K., Laurie, G.T., ‘Mason McCall Smith’s Law and Medical Ethics’, (2006, 7th Edn) Oxford University Press, Oxford. [20] See for example, De Freitas v O’Brien [1995] 6 Med LR 108 [21] see for example, Briody v St Helen’s Knowsley AHA [1999] Lloyd’s Rep. Med. 185, Hallatt v NW Anglia HA [1998] Lloyd’s Rep. Med. 197, and Rhodes v W Surrey NE Hampshire HA [1998] Lloyd’s Rep. Med.. 256 [22] ‘Are the Courts Excessively Deferential to the Medical Profession?’ (2001) 9 Medical Law Review 1-16. [23] Ibid [24] Ibid. Also see, National Audit Office, Handling Clinical Negligence Claims in England, 2001 [25] Lord Woolf, above n 22 [26] ‘The Standard of Care in Medical Negligence – Moving on from Bolam?’ (1998) 19 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 473-84 [27] Ibid [28] [1985] 1 All ER 643 [29] [1988] QB 481 [30] (1992) 67 ALJR 47 [31] above, n 22 [32] See for example Re S (adult patient: sterilisation) [2001] Fam 15, [2000] 3 WLR 1288. [33] [1993] 1 All ER 821 [34] [1993] AC 789 at 869

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty

I ALMOST ASKED, â€Å"Are you serious?† But let's face it: that probably wasn't the kind of thing she would joke about, especially considering how grave her face looked. Other questions popped into my head, but I held back on those as well. They weren't that weird, but I didn't want to draw attention to myself by showing unusual interest in a grisly murder. Instead, I simply thanked Mrs. Dawson for her help with the letter and returned to East Campus. Mrs. Weathers was at her desk when I entered the dorm. I brought her the letter, which she read over twice before tucking it away in her filing cabinet. â€Å"All right,† she said. â€Å"Just make sure your sister signs in and out each time.† â€Å"I will, ma'am. Thank you.† I hesitated, torn over whether to go or ask the questions Mrs. Dawson's information had triggered. I decided to stay. â€Å"Mrs. Weathers†¦ ever since Jill disappeared, I just keep thinking about that girl you told me about. The one who died. I keep thinking that could've been Jill.† Mrs. Dawson's face softened. â€Å"Jill's fine. I shouldn't have told you that. I didn't mean to scare you.† â€Å"Is it true that girl's throat was slit?† â€Å"Yes.† She shook her head sadly. â€Å"Terrible. Simply terrible. I don't know who does that kind of thing.† â€Å"Did they ever find out why it happened? I mean, was there anything unusual about her?† â€Å"Unusual? No, not really. I mean, she was a lovely girl. Smart, pretty, popular. A good – no, great – athlete. Had friends, a boyfriend. But nothing that would especially make her stand out as a target. Of course, people who do awful things like that probably don't need a reason.† â€Å"True,† I murmured. I walked up to my room, wishing Mrs. Weathers had elaborated a little more on how pretty Kelly was. What I really wanted to know was if Kelly had been Moroi. If she had, I'd hoped Mrs. Weathers might comment on how tall or pale she was. By both Clarence's and the Alchemists' accounts, no Moroi on record had lived in the Palm Springs area. That didn't mean someone couldn't slip through the cracks, however. I'd have to find the answer myself. If Kelly had been Moroi, then we had three young Moroi women killed in the same way in southern California within a relatively short time span. Clarence might argue for his vampire hunter theory, but to me, this pattern screamed Strigoi. Jill was in our room, serving out her house arrest. The more time passed, the less angry I felt toward her. Having the feeding issue fixed helped. I would've been a lot more upset if we'd been unable to get her off campus. â€Å"What's wrong?† she asked me, looking up from her laptop. â€Å"Why do you think anything's wrong?† She smiled. â€Å"You've got that look. It's this tiny frown you get between your eyebrows when you're trying to figure something out.† I shook my head. â€Å"It's nothing.† â€Å"You know,† she said, â€Å"maybe all these responsibilities you have wouldn't be as bad if you talked them out and got help from other people.† â€Å"It's not quite like that. It's just something I'm trying to puzzle out.† â€Å"Tell me,† she entreated. â€Å"You can trust me.† It wasn't a matter of trust. It was a matter of unnecessarily worrying Jill. Mrs. Weathers had feared she would scare me, but if someone was killing Moroi girls, I wasn't in danger. Looking at Jill and her unwavering gaze, I decided if she could handle living with the knowledge that her own people were trying to kill her, she could handle this. I gave her a brief summary of what I knew. â€Å"You don't know if Kelly was Moroi, though,† she said, once I'd finished. â€Å"No. That's the crucial piece here.† I sat cross-legged on my bed with my own laptop. â€Å"I'm going to check our records and local newspapers to see if I can find a picture of her. All I learned from Mrs. Weathers is that Kelly was a star athlete.† â€Å"Which may mean she's not Moroi,† said Jill. â€Å"I mean, look at how terrible I perform in this sun. What happens if she's not? You've got a lot of theories hinging on her being Moroi. But what if she was human? What then? Can we ignore it? It could still be the same person†¦ but what would it mean if the murderer had killed two Moroi and one human?† Jill had a point. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. My search didn't take long. The Alchemists had no record of the murder, but then, they wouldn't if Kelly had been human. Lots of newspapers had stories about her, but I couldn't find any pictures. â€Å"What about a yearbook?† asked Jill. â€Å"Someone must keep them around.† â€Å"That's actually pretty brilliant,† I said. â€Å"See? I told you I'm useful.† I smiled at her and then remembered something. â€Å"Oh, I've got good news for you. Maybe.† I briefly recapped Kristin and Julia's â€Å"plan† about Jill joining the sewing club. Jill brightened but was still cautious. â€Å"You really think that would work?† â€Å"Only one way to find out.† â€Å"I've never touched a sewing machine in my life,† she said. â€Å"I guess this is your chance to learn,† I told her. â€Å"Or maybe the other girls will be happy to just keep you around as their in-class model.† Jill smirked. â€Å"How do you know only girls sign up for that?† â€Å"I don't,† I admitted. â€Å"Just playing off gender stereotypes, I guess.† My cell phone rang, and Ms. Terwilliger's number flashed on the display. I answered, bracing for a coffee run. â€Å"Miss Melbourne?† she said. â€Å"If you and your brother can be at Carlton within an hour, you can speak to someone in the registrar's office before they close. Can you manage that?† I looked at the time and took it on faith Adrian wasn't doing anything important. â€Å"Um, yes. Yes, of course, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you very much.† â€Å"The man you'll want to talk to is named Wes Regan.† She paused. â€Å"And could you bring me a cappuccino on your way back?† I assured her I could and then called Adrian with instructions to be ready for me. Quickly, I changed out of my uniform and into a blouse and twill skirt. Glancing at my reflection, I realized he was right. There really wasn't a lot of difference between Amberwood attire and my normal wardrobe. â€Å"I wish I could go,† said Jill wistfully. â€Å"I'd like to see Adrian again.† â€Å"Don't you kind of see him every day in a way?† â€Å"True,† she said. â€Å"Although I can't always get into his head when I want to yet. It just happens randomly. And anyway, it's not the same. He can't talk back to me through the bond.† I nearly replied that it sounded better than being around him in person but figured that wouldn't be helpful. Adrian was ready to go when I reached Clarence's, excited and eager for action. â€Å"You just missed your friend,† he said as he got into Latte. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Keith.† I made a face. â€Å"He's not really my friend.† â€Å"Oh, you think? Most of us figured that out on day one, Sage.† I felt a little bad about that. Some part of me knew that I shouldn't let my personal feelings for Keith mix with business. We were co-workers of sorts and should've been presenting a united, professional front. At the same time, I was kind of glad these people – even if they were vampires and dhampirs – didn't think I was friendly with Keith. I didn't want them thinking he and I had much in common. I certainly didn't want to have a lot in common with him. The full meaning of Adrian's words suddenly hit me. â€Å"Wait. He was just here?† â€Å"A half hour ago.† He must have come straight from the school. I was lucky to have missed him. Something told me he wouldn't approve of me furthering Adrian's education. â€Å"What was he here for?† â€Å"Dunno. I think he was checking on Clarence. The old guy hasn't been feeling well.† Adrian pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. â€Å"Do you mind?† â€Å"Yes,† I replied. â€Å"What's wrong with Clarence?† â€Å"I don't know, but he's been resting a lot, which makes things even more boring. I mean, he wasn't the greatest conversationalist, but some of his crazy stories were interesting.† Adrian turned wistful. â€Å"Especially with scotch.† â€Å"Keep me updated on how he's doing,† I murmured. I wondered if perhaps that was why Keith had been in such a hurry earlier. If Clarence was seriously ill, we were going to have to make arrangements with a Moroi doctor. That would complicate our setup here in Palm Springs because we'd either have to move Clarence or bring in someone. If Keith was working on it, then I shouldn't have concerned myself†¦ but I just didn't trust him to do a good job with anything. â€Å"I don't know how you put up with him,† said Adrian. â€Å"I used to think you were weak and just didn't fight back†¦ but now, honestly, I think you're actually pretty tough. It takes a hell of a lot of strength to not complain and lash out. I don't have that self-control.† â€Å"You've got more than you think,† I said, a little flustered by the compliment. I was down on myself so much for what I saw as not pushing back sometimes that it had never occurred to me that took its own strength. I was even more surprised that it would take Adrian to point this out to me. â€Å"I'm always walking a line. My dad – and the Alchemists – are really big on obedience and following the directions of your superiors. I'm kind of in a double bind because I'm on shaky ground with them, so it's extra important for me to not make a fuss.† â€Å"Because of Rose?† His tone was carefully controlled. I nodded. â€Å"Yup. What I did was tantamount to treason in their eyes.† â€Å"I don't know what ‘tantamount' means, but it sounds pretty serious.† I could see him studying me out of the corner of his eye. â€Å"Was it worth it?† â€Å"So far.† It was easy to say that since Zoe had no tattoo yet and I hadn't seen a re-education center. If those things changed, so might my answers. â€Å"It was the right thing to do. I guess that justified dramatic action.† â€Å"I broke a lot of rules to help Rose too,† he said, a troubled tone in his voice. â€Å"I did it out of love. Misguided love, but love nonetheless. I don't know if that's as noble as your reasons, particularly since she was in love with someone else. Most of my ‘dramatic actions' haven't been for any cause. Most of them have been to annoy my parents.† I actually found myself a little jealous of that. I couldn't fathom purposely trying to get a reaction from my dad – though I'd certainly wanted to. â€Å"I think love's a noble reason,† I told him. I was speaking objectively, of course. I'd never been in love and had no point of reference to really judge. Based on what I'd observed in others, I assumed it was an amazing thing†¦ but for now, I was too busy with my job to notice its absence. I wondered if I should be disappointed by that. â€Å"And I think you have plenty of time to do other noble things.† He chuckled. â€Å"Never thought my biggest cheerleader would be someone who thought I was evil and unnatural.† That made two of us. Hesitantly, I managed to ask a question that had been burning inside me. â€Å"Do you still love her? Rose?† Along with not knowing what it felt like to be in love, I also didn't know how long it took to recover from love. Adrian's smile faded. His gaze turned inward. â€Å"Yes. No. It's hard to get over someone like that. She had a huge effect on me, both good and bad. That's hard to move past. I try not to think about her much in terms of love and hate. Mostly I'm trying to get on with my life. With mixed results, unfortunately.† We soon reached the college. Wes Regan was a big man with a salt-and-pepper beard who worked in Carlton's registration office. Ms. Terwilliger had tutored Wes's niece for free one summer, and Wes felt he owed her a favor. â€Å"Here's the deal,† he said once we were seated across from him. Adrian was wearing khaki pants and a sage-colored button-down shirt that would've been great for job interviews. A little too late. â€Å"I can't just enroll you. College applications are long and require transcripts, and there's no way you can swing one in two days. What I can do is get you in as an auditor.† â€Å"Like with the IRS?† asked Adrian. â€Å"No. Auditing means you're attending the class and doing the work but not getting a grade for it.† Adrian opened his mouth to speak, and I could only imagine what comment he had about doing work for no credit. I quickly interrupted him. â€Å"And then what?† â€Å"Then, if you can throw together an application in, oh, a week or two – and are accepted – I can retroactively change you to student status.† â€Å"What about financial aid?† asked Adrian, leaning forward. â€Å"Can I get some money for this?† â€Å"If you qualify,† said Wes. â€Å"But you can't really file for it until you've been accepted.† Adrian slumped back, and I was able to guess his thoughts. If getting enrolled would take a couple of weeks, there'd undoubtedly be a delay with the financial aid filing too. Adrian was looking at a month or more of living with Clarence, and that was probably optimistic. I half-expected Adrian to get up and nix everything. Instead, a resolute expression crossed his face. He nodded. â€Å"Okay. Let's get started with this auditing thing.† I was impressed. I was also jealous when Wes brought out the course catalog. I'd been able to lull myself into contentment with Amberwood's classes, but looking at real college offerings showed me the two schools were worlds away. The history classes were more focused and in depth than anything I could have imagined. Adrian had no interest in those, however. He immediately honed in on the art department. He ended up signing up for two introductory courses in oil painting and in watercolors. They met three times a week and were conveniently back-toback. â€Å"That'll make it easier if I'm busing in,† he explained as we were leaving. I gave him a startled look. â€Å"You're taking the bus?† He seemed amused by my astonishment. â€Å"What else? Classes are in the daytime. You can't take me.† I thought about Clarence's remote house. â€Å"Where on earth would you catch the bus?† â€Å"There's a stop about a half mile away. It transfers to another bus that goes to Carlton. The whole trip takes about an hour.† I confess, it left me speechless. I was amazed that Adrian had researched that much, let alone was willing to go to all that trouble. Yet on the ride back, he never uttered one word of complaint about how inconvenient it would be or how long he'd have to wait to move out of Clarence's. When I arrived back at Amberwood, I was excited to tell Jill the news about Adrian's collegiate success – not that she needed me to tell her. With the bond, she would probably know more than I did. Still, she always worried about him and would undoubtedly be pleased to see something go well for him. Jill wasn't in our room when I returned, but a note informed me she was studying elsewhere in the dorm. The only bright part of her punishment was that it limited where she could be at any time. I decided to use this opportunity to go make Ms. Terwilliger's crazy amulet. I'd accrued most of the necessary ingredients, and along with compliance from the biology teacher, Ms. Terwilliger had secured me access to one of the chemistry labs. No one was there this time of night, and it gave me plenty of space and quiet to mix up the concoction. As we'd noted, the instructions were extremely detailed and – in my opinion – superfluous. It wasn't enough to just measure out the nettle leaves. The instructions called for them â€Å"to rest for an hour,† during which time I was supposed to say to them, â€Å"into thee, flame I imbue† every ten minutes. I also had to boil the agate stone â€Å"to infuse it with heat.† The rest of the instructions were similar, and I knew there was no way Ms. Terwilliger would actually know if I followed everything to the letter – particularly the chants. Still, the whole purpose of this stunt was to report on what it was like to be an ancient practitioner. So, I followed everything dutifully and concentrated so hard on performing every step perfectly that I soon fell into a lull where nothing existed except the spell. I finished over two hours later and was surprised at how exhausted I felt. The final result certainly didn't seem to justify all the energy I'd expended. I was left with a leather cord from which hung a silk pouch filled with leaves and rocks. I carted it and my notes back to my dorm room, intending to write up my report for Ms. Terwilliger so that I could put this assignment behind me. When I reached my room, I gasped when I saw the door. Someone had taken red paint and drawn bats and fanged faces all over it. Scrawled across the front, in big blocky letters, were the words VAMP GIRL Full of panic, I burst into the room. Jill was there – along with Mrs. Weathers and another teacher I didn't know. They were going through all of our things. I stared in disbelief. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked. Jill shook her head, face mortified, and couldn't answer. I'd apparently arrived at the end of the search because Mrs. Weathers and her associate soon finished up and walked to the door. I was glad I'd taken my Alchemist supplies with me to the lab tonight. The kit contained a few measuring tools I had thought I might need. I certainly didn't want to explain why I owned a collection of chemicals to dorm authorities. â€Å"Well,† said Mrs. Weathers sternly. â€Å"There doesn't appear to be anything here, but I may do another spot check later – so don't get any ideas. You're already in enough trouble without adding yet another charge to it.† She sighed and shook her head at Jill. â€Å"I'm very disappointed in you, Miss Melrose.† Jill blanched. â€Å"I'm telling you, it's all a mistake!† â€Å"Let's hope so,† said Mrs. Weathers ominously. â€Å"Let's hope so. I've half a mind to make you clean up that vandalism outside, but in light of no hard proof†¦ well, we'll have the janitors take care of it tomorrow.† Once our visitors were gone, I immediately demanded, â€Å"What happened?† Jill collapsed backward onto her bed and groaned. â€Å"Laurel happened.† I sat down. â€Å"Explain.† â€Å"Well, I called the library to see if they had those yearbooks in – the ones about Kelly Hayes? Turns out they do normally have them, but they've all been checked out by the newspaper staff for some Amberwood anniversary edition. And you'll never believe who's heading that project: Laurel.† â€Å"You're right,† I said. â€Å"I never would have guessed that. Isn't she in Freshman English?† Laurel was a senior. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"I guess everyone needs an activity,† I muttered. Jill nodded. â€Å"Anyway, Miss Yamani was in the building, so I went to ask her about joining the sewing club and working for Lia. She was really excited and said she'd make it happen.† â€Å"Well, that's something,† I said cautiously, still unsure how this was leading up to vandalism and a search of our room. â€Å"As I was coming back, I passed Laurel in the hall. I decided to take a chance†¦ I approached her and said look, I know we've had our differences but I could really use some help. Then I explained that I needed the yearbooks and asked if I could borrow them just for the night and that I'd get them back to her right away.† To this, I said nothing. It was certainly a noble and brave thing for Jill to do, particularly after I'd encouraged her to be better than Laurel. Unfortunately, I didn't think Laurel would reciprocate the adult behavior. I was right. â€Å"She told me in†¦ well, very explicit terms that I'd never get those yearbooks.† Jill scowled. â€Å"She told me a few other things too. Then I, um, called her a raving bitch. I probably shouldn't have, but, well, she deserved it! Anyway, she went to Mrs. Weathers with a bottle of†¦ I don't know. I think it was raspberry schnapps. She claimed I sold it to her and had more in my room. Mrs. Weathers couldn't punish me without harder evidence, but after Ms. Chang's hangover accusation on the first day, Mrs. Weathers decided that was enough for a room search.† I shook my head in disbelief, anger growing within my chest. â€Å"For such an elite, prestigious place, this school sure is quick to jump on any accusations that come up! I mean, they believe anything anyone says about you. And where did the paint outside come from?† Tears of frustration glinted in her eyes. â€Å"Oh, Laurel, of course. Or, well, one of her friends. It happened while Laurel was talking to Mrs. Weathers, so of course she's got an alibi. You don't think†¦ you don't think anyone's on to anything, do you? You said before it's just a mean joke†¦ and humans don't even believe in us†¦ right?† â€Å"Right,† I said automatically. But I was beginning to wonder. Ever since that phone call with my father, when he'd mentioned that there were humans who suspected and wouldn't be silenced, I'd wondered if I'd been too quick to dismiss Laurel's teasing. Had she simply found a cruel joke to run with? Or was she one of those humans who suspected about the vampire world and might make a lot of noise about it? I doubted anyone would believe her, but we couldn't risk attracting attention from someone who would. Is it possible she really thinks Jill is a vampire? Jill's forlorn expression turned angry. â€Å"Maybe I should do something about Laurel. There are other ways to get back at her besides freezing water.† â€Å"No,† I said quickly. â€Å"Don't lower yourself to that. Revenge is petty, and you're better than that.† Plus, I thought, any more supernatural activity, and Laurel might realize her taunts have more backing than she originally thought. Jill gave me a sad smile. â€Å"You keep saying that. But don't you think something needs to be done about Laurel?† Oh yes. I definitely did. This had gone too far, and I'd been wrong to let it slide. Jill was right that there were other ways to get back at someone. And I was right that revenge was petty and nothing that Jill should sully herself with. That was why I was going to do it. â€Å"I'll take care of it,† I told her. â€Å"I – I'll have the Alchemists issue a complaint from our parents.† She looked dubious. â€Å"You think that'll fix things?† â€Å"Positive,† I said. Because that complaint was going to pack an extra punch. A glance at the time told me it was too late to go back to the lab. No problem. I simply set my alarm extra early, with the intent to get up and head back there before classes started. I had one more experiment in my future, and Laurel was going to be my guinea pig.