Twilight 10. INTERROGATIONS

10. INTERROGATIONS It was very hard, in the morning, to argue with the part of me that was sure last night was a dream. Logic wasn't on my side, or common sense. I clung to the parts I couldn't have imagined – like his smell. I was sure I could never have dreamed that up on my own. It was foggy and dark outside my window, absolutely perfect. He had no reason not to be in school today. I dressed in my heavy clothes, remembering I didn't have a jacket. Further proof that my memory was real. When I got downstairs, Charlie was gone again – I was running later than I'd realized. I swallowed a granola bar in three bites, chased it down with milk straight from the carton, and then hurried out the door. Hopefully the rain would hold off until I could find Jessica. It was unusually foggy; the air was almost smoky with it. The mist was ice cold where it clung to the exposed skin on my face and neck. I couldn't wait to get the heat going in my truck. It was such a thick fog that I was a few feet down the driveway before I realized there was a car in it: a silver car. My heart thudded, stuttered, and then picked up again in double time. I didn't see where he came from, but suddenly he was there, pulling the door open for me. â€Å"Do you want to ride with me today?† he asked, amused by my expression as he caught me by surprise yet again. There was uncertainty in his voice. He was really giving me a choice – I was free to refuse, and part of him hoped for that. It was a vain hope. â€Å"Yes, thank you,† I said, trying to keep my voice calm. As I stepped into the warm car, I noticed his tan jacket was slung over the headrest of the passenger seat. The door closed behind me, and, sooner than should be possible, he was sitting next to me, starting the car. â€Å"I brought the jacket for you. I didn't want you to get sick or something.† His voice was guarded. I noticed that he wore no jacket himself, just a light gray knit V-neck shirt with long sleeves. Again, the fabric clung to his perfectly muscled chest. It was a colossal tribute to his face that it kept my eyes away from his body. â€Å"I'm not quite that delicate,† I said, but I pulled the jacket onto my lap, pushing my arms through the too-long sleeves, curious to see if the scent could possibly be as good as I remembered. It was better. â€Å"Aren't you?† he contradicted in a voice so low I wasn't sure if he meant for me to hear. We drove through the fog-shrouded streets, always too fast, feeling awkward. I was, at least. Last night all the walls were down†¦ almost all. I didn't know if we were still being as candid today. It left me tongue-tied. I waited for him to speak. He turned to smirk at me. â€Å"What, no twenty questions today?† â€Å"Do my questions bother you?† I asked, relieved. â€Å"Not as much as your reactions do.† He looked like he was joking, but I couldn't be sure. I frowned. â€Å"Do I react badly?† â€Å"No, that's the problem. You take everything so coolly – it's unnatural. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking.† â€Å"I always tell you what I'm really thinking.† â€Å"You edit,† he accused. â€Å"Not very much.† â€Å"Enough to drive me insane.† â€Å"You don't want to hear it,† I mumbled, almost whispered. As soon as the words were out, I regretted them. The pain in my voice was very faint; I could only hope he hadn't noticed it. He didn't respond, and I wondered if I had ruined the mood. His face was unreadable as we drove into the school parking lot. Something occurred to me belatedly. â€Å"Where's the rest of your family?† I asked – more than glad to be alone with him, but remembering that his car was usually full. â€Å"They took Rosalie's car.† He shrugged as he parked next to a glossy red convertible with the top up. â€Å"Ostentatious, isn't it?† â€Å"Um, wow,† I breathed. â€Å"If she has that, why does she ride with you?† â€Å"Like I said, it's ostentatious. We try to blend in.† â€Å"You don't succeed.† I laughed and shook my head as we got out of the car. I wasn't late anymore; his lunatic driving had gotten me to school in plenty of time. â€Å"So why did Rosalie drive today if it's more conspicuous?† â€Å"Hadn't you noticed? I'm breaking all the rules now.† He met me at the front of the car, staying very close to my side as we walked onto campus. I wanted to close that little distance, to reach out and touch him, but I was afraid he wouldn't like me to. â€Å"Why do you have cars like that at all?† I wondered aloud. â€Å"If you're looking for privacy?† â€Å"An indulgence,† he admitted with an impish smile. â€Å"We all like to drive fast.† â€Å"Figures,† I muttered under my breath. Under the shelter of the cafeteria roof's overhang, Jessica was waiting, her eyes about to bug out of their sockets. Over her arm, bless her, was my jacket. â€Å"Hey, Jessica,† I said when we were a few feet away. â€Å"Thanks for remembering.† She handed me my jacket without speaking. â€Å"Good morning, Jessica,† Edward said politely. It wasn't really his fault that his voice was so irresistible. Or what his eyes were capable of. â€Å"Er†¦ hi.† She shifted her wide eyes to me, trying to gather her jumbled thoughts. â€Å"I guess I'll see you in Trig.† She gave me a meaningful look, and I suppressed a sigh. What on earth was I going to tell her? â€Å"Yeah, I'll see you then.† She walked away, pausing twice to peek back over her shoulder at us. â€Å"What are you going to tell her?† Edward murmured. â€Å"Hey, I thought you couldn't read my mind!† I hissed. â€Å"I can't,† he said, startled. Then understanding brightened his eyes. â€Å"However, I can read hers – she'll be waiting to ambush you in class.† I groaned as I pulled off his jacket and handed it to him, replacing it with my own. He folded it over his arm. â€Å"So what are you going to tell her?† â€Å"A little help?† I pleaded. â€Å"What does she want to know?† He shook his head, grinning wickedly. â€Å"That's not fair.† â€Å"No, you not sharing what you know – now that's not fair.† He deliberated for a moment as we walked. We stopped outside the door to my first class. â€Å"She wants to know if we're secretly dating. And she wants to know how you feel about me,† he finally said. â€Å"Yikes. What should I say?† I tried to keep my expression very innocent. People were passing us on their way to class, probably staring, but I was barely aware of them. â€Å"Hmmm.† He paused to catch a stray lock of hair that was escaping the twist on my neck and wound it back into place. My heart spluttered hyperactively. â€Å"I suppose you could say yes to the first†¦ if you don't mind – it's easier than any other explanation.† â€Å"I don't mind,† I said in a faint voice. â€Å"And as for her other question†¦ well, I'll be listening to hear the answer to that one myself.† One side of his mouth pulled up into my favorite uneven smile. I couldn't catch my breath soon enough to respond to that remark. He turned and walked away. â€Å"I'll see you at lunch,† he called over his shoulder. Three people walking in the door stopped to stare at me. I hurried into class, flushed and irritated. He was such a cheater. Now I was even more worried about what I was going to say to Jessica. I sat in my usual seat, slamming my bag down in aggravation. â€Å"Morning, Bella,† Mike said from the seat next to me. I looked up to see an odd, almost resigned look on his face. â€Å"How was Port Angeles?† â€Å"It was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was no honest way to sum it up. â€Å"Great,† I finished lamely. â€Å"Jessica got a really cute dress.† â€Å"Did she say anything about Monday night?† he asked, his eyes brightening. I smiled at the turn the conversation had taken. â€Å"She said she had a really good time,† I assured him. â€Å"She did?† he said eagerly. â€Å"Most definitely.† Mr. Mason called the class to order then, asking us to turn in our papers. English and then Government passed in a blur, while I worried about how to explain things to Jessica and agonized over whether Edward would really be listening to what I said through the medium of Jess's thoughts. How very inconvenient his little talent could be – when it wasn't saving my life. The fog had almost dissolved by the end of the second hour, but the day was still dark with low, oppressing clouds. I smiled up at the sky. Edward was right, of course. When I walked into Trig Jessica was sitting in the back row, nearly bouncing off her seat in agitation. I reluctantly went to sit by her, trying to convince myself it would be better to get it over with as soon as possible. â€Å"Tell me everything!† she commanded before I was in the seat. â€Å"What do you want to know?† I hedged. â€Å"What happened last night?† â€Å"He bought me dinner, and then he drove me home.† She glared at me, her expression stiff with skepticism. â€Å"How did you get home so fast?† â€Å"He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying.† I hoped he heard that. â€Å"Was it like a date – did you tell him to meet you there?† I hadn't thought of that. â€Å"No – I was very surprised to see him there.† Her lips puckered in disappointment at the transparent honesty in my voice. â€Å"But he picked you up for school today?† she probed. â€Å"Yes – that was a surprise, too. He noticed I didn't have a jacket last night,† I explained. â€Å"So are you going out again?† â€Å"He offered to drive me to Seattle Saturday because he thinks toy truck isn't up to it – does that count?† â€Å"Yes.† She nodded. â€Å"Well, then, yes.† â€Å"W-o-w.† She exaggerated the word into three syllables. â€Å"Edward Cullen.† â€Å"I know,† I agreed. â€Å"Wow† didn't even cover it. â€Å"Wait!† Her hands flew up, palms toward me like she was stopping traffic. â€Å"Has he kissed you?† â€Å"No,† I mumbled. â€Å"It's not like that.† She looked disappointed. I'm sure I did, too. â€Å"Do you think Saturday†¦ ?† She raised her eyebrows. â€Å"I really doubt it.† The discontent in my voice was poorly disguised. â€Å"What did you talk about?† She pushed for more information in a whisper. Class had started but Mr. Varner wasn't paying close attention and we weren't the only ones still talking. â€Å"I don't know, Jess, lots of stuff,† I whispered back. â€Å"We talked about the English essay a little.† A very, very little. I think he mentioned it in passing. â€Å"Please, Bella,† she begged. â€Å"Give me some details.† â€Å"Well†¦ okay, I've got one. You should have seen the waitress flirting with him – it was over the top. But he didn't pay any attention to her at all.† Let him make what he could of that. â€Å"That's a good sign,† she nodded. â€Å"Was she pretty?† â€Å"Very – and probably nineteen or twenty.† â€Å"Even better. He must like you.† â€Å"I think so, but it's hard to tell. He's always so cryptic,† I threw in for his benefit, sighing. â€Å"I don't know how you're brave enough to be alone with him,† she breathed. â€Å"Why?† I was shocked, but she didn't understand my reaction. â€Å"He's so†¦ intimidating. I wouldn't know what to say to him.† She made a face, probably remembering this morning or last night, when he'd turned the overwhelming force of his eyes on her. â€Å"I do have some trouble with incoherency when I'm around him,† I admitted. â€Å"Oh well. He is unbelievably gorgeous.† Jessica shrugged as if this excused any flaws. Which, in her book, it probably did. â€Å"There's a lot more to him than that.† â€Å"Really? Like what?† I wished I had let it go. Almost as much as I was hoping he'd been kidding about listening in. â€Å"I can't explain it right†¦ but he's even more unbelievable behind the face.† The vampire who wanted to be good – who ran around saving people's lives so he wouldn't be a monster†¦ I stared toward the front of the room. â€Å"Is that possible?† She giggled. I ignored her, trying to look like I was paying attention to Mr. Varner. â€Å"So you like him, then?† She wasn't about to give up. â€Å"Yes,† I said curtly. â€Å"I mean, do you really like him?† she urged. â€Å"Yes,† I said again, blushing. I hoped that detail wouldn't register in her thoughts. She'd had enough with the single syllable answers. â€Å"How much do you like him?† â€Å"Too much,† I whispered back. â€Å"More than he likes me. But I don't see how I can help that.† I sighed, one blush blending into the next. Then, thankfully, Mr. Varner called on Jessica for an answer. She didn't get a chance to start on the subject again during class, and as soon as the bell rang, I took evasive action. â€Å"In English, Mike asked me if you said anything about Monday night,† I told her. â€Å"You're kidding! What did you say?!† she gasped, completely sidetracked. â€Å"I told him you said you had a lot of fun – he looked pleased.† â€Å"Tell me exactly what he said, and your exact answer!† We spent the rest of the walk dissecting sentence structures and most of Spanish on a minute description of Mike's facial expressions. I wouldn't have helped draw it out for as long as I did if I wasn't worried about the subject returning to me. And then the bell rang for lunch. As I jumped up out of my seat, shoving my books roughly in my bag, my uplifted expression must have tipped Jessica off. â€Å"You're not sitting with us today, are you?† she guessed. â€Å"I don't think so.† I couldn't be sure that he wouldn't disappear inconveniently again. But outside the door to our Spanish class, leaning against the wall – looking more like a Greek god than anyone had a right to – Edward was waiting for me. Jessica took one look, rolled her eyes, and departed. â€Å"See you later, Bella.† Her voice was thick with implications. I might have to turn off the ringer on the phone. â€Å"Hello.† His voice was amused and irritated at the same time. He had been listening, it was obvious. â€Å"Hi.† I couldn't think of anything else to say, and he didn't speak – biding his time, I presumed – so it was a quiet walk to the cafeteria. Walking with Edward through the crowded lunchtime rush was a lot like my first day here; everyone stared. He led the way into the line, still not speaking, though his eyes returned to my face every few seconds, their expression speculative. It seemed to me that irritation was winning out over amusement as the dominant emotion in his face. I fidgeted nervously with the zipper on my jacket. He stepped up to the counter and filled a tray with food. â€Å"What are you doing?† I objected. â€Å"You're not getting all that for me?† He shook his head, stepping forward to buy the food. â€Å"Half is for me, of course.† I raised one eyebrow. He led the way to the same place we'd sat that one time before. From the other end of the long table, a group of seniors gazed at us in amazement as we sat across from each other. Edward seemed oblivious. â€Å"Take whatever you want,† he said, pushing the tray toward me. â€Å"I'm curious,† I said as I picked up an apple, turning it around in my hands, â€Å"what would you do if someone dared you to eat food?† â€Å"You're always curious.† He grimaced, shaking his head. He glared at me, holding my eyes as he lifted the slice of pizza off the tray, and deliberately bit off a mouthful, chewed quickly, and then swallowed. I watched, eyes wide. â€Å"If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn't you?† he asked condescendingly. I wrinkled my nose. â€Å"I did once†¦ on a dare,† I admitted. â€Å"It wasn't so bad.† He laughed. â€Å"I suppose I'm not surprised.† Something over my shoulder seemed to catch his attention. â€Å"Jessica's analyzing everything I do – she'll break it down for you later.† He pushed the rest of the pizza toward me. The mention of Jessica brought a hint of his former irritation back to his features. I put down the apple and took a bite of the pizza, looking away, knowing he was about to start. â€Å"So the waitress was pretty, was she?† he asked casually. â€Å"You really didn't notice?† â€Å"No. I wasn't paying attention. I had a lot on my mind.† â€Å"Poor girl.† I could afford to be generous now. â€Å"Something you said to Jessica†¦ well, it bothers me.† He refused to be distracted. His voice was husky, and he glanced up from under his lashes with troubled eyes. â€Å"I'm not surprised you heard something you didn't like. You know what they say about eavesdropners,† I reminded him. â€Å"I warned you I would be listening.† â€Å"And I warned you that you didn't want to know everything I was thinking.† â€Å"You did,† he agreed, but his voice was still rough. â€Å"You aren't precisely right, though. I do want to know what you're thinking – everything. I just wish†¦ that you wouldn't be thinking some things.† I scowled. â€Å"That's quite a distinction.† â€Å"But that's not really the point at the moment.† â€Å"Then what is?† We were inclined toward each other across the table now. He had his large white hands folded under his chin; I leaned forward, my right hand cupped around my neck. I had to remind myself that we were in a crowded lunchroom, with probably many curious eyes on us. It was too easy to get wrapped up in our own private, tense little bubble. â€Å"Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?† he murmured, leaning closer to me as he spoke, his dark golden eyes piercing. I tried to remember how to exhale. I had to look away before it came back to me. â€Å"You're doing it again,† I muttered. His eyes opened wide with surprise. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Dazzling me,† I admitted, trying to concentrate as I looked back at him. â€Å"Oh.† He frowned. â€Å"It's not your fault,† I sighed. â€Å"You can't help it.† â€Å"Are you going to answer the question?† I looked down. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Yes, you are going to answer, or yes, you really think that?† He was irritated again. â€Å"Yes, I really think that.† I kept my eyes down on the table, my eyes tracing the pattern of the faux wood grains printed on the laminate. The silence dragged on. I stubbornly refused to be the first to break it this time, fighting hard against the temptation to peek at his expression. Finally he spoke, voice velvet soft. â€Å"You're wrong.† I glanced up to see that his eyes were gentle. â€Å"You can't know that,† I disagreed in a whisper. I shook my head in doubt, though my heart throbbed at his words and I wanted so badly to believe them. â€Å"What makes you think so?† His liquid topaz eyes were penetrating – trying futilely, I assumed, to lift the truth straight from my mind. I stared back, struggling to think clearly in spite of his face, to find some way to explain. As I searched for the words, I could see him getting impatient; frustrated by my silence, he started to scowl. I lifted my hand from my neck, and held up one finger. â€Å"Let me think,† I insisted. His expression cleared, now that he was satisfied that I was planning to answer. I dropped my hand to the table, moving my left hand so that my palms were pressed together. I stared at my hands, twisting and untwisting my fingers, as I finally spoke. â€Å"Well, aside from the obvious, sometimes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. â€Å"I can't be sure – I don't know how to read minds – but sometimes it seems like you're trying to say goodbye when you're saying something else.† That was the best I could sum up the sensation of anguish that his words triggered in me at times. â€Å"Perceptive,† he whispered. And there was the anguish again, surfacing as he confirmed my fear. â€Å"That's exactly why you're wrong, though,† he began to explain, but then his eyes narrowed. â€Å"What do you mean, ‘the obvious'?† â€Å"Well, look at me,† I said, unnecessarily as he was already staring. â€Å"I'm absolutely ordinary – well, except for bad things like all the near-death experiences and being so clumsy that I'm almost disabled. And look at you.† I waved my hand toward him and all his bewildering perfection. His brow creased angrily for a moment, then smoothed as his eyes took on a knowing look. â€Å"You don't see yourself very clearly, you know. I'll admit you're dead-on about the bad things,† he chuckled blackly, â€Å"but you didn't hear what every human male in this school was thinking on your first day.† I blinked, astonished. â€Å"I don't believe it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I mumbled to myself. â€Å"Trust me just this once – you are the opposite of ordinary.† My embarrassment was much stronger than my pleasure at the look that came into his eyes when he said this. I quickly reminded him of my original argument. â€Å"But I'm not saying goodbye,† I pointed out. â€Å"Don't you see? That's what proves me right. I care the most, because if I can do it† – he shook his head, seeming to struggle with the thought – â€Å"if leaving is the right thing to do, then I'll hurt myself to keep from hurting you, to keep you safe.† I glared. â€Å"And you don't think I would do the same?† â€Å"You'd never have to make the choice.† Abruptly, his unpredictable mood shifted again; a mischievous, devastating smile rearranged his features. â€Å"Of course, keeping you safe is beginning to feel like a full-time occupation that requires my constant presence.† â€Å"No one has tried to do away with me today,† I reminded him, grateful for the lighter subject. I didn't want him to talk about goodbyes anymore. If I had to, I supposed I could purposefully put myself in danger to keep him close†¦ I banished that thought before his quick eyes read it on my face. That idea would definitely get me in trouble. â€Å"Yet,† he added. â€Å"Yet,† I agreed; I would have argued, but now I wanted him to be expecting disasters. â€Å"I have another question for you.† His face was still casual. â€Å"Shoot.† â€Å"Do you really need to go to Seattle this Saturday, or was that just an excuse to get out of saying no to all your admirers?† I made a face at the memory. â€Å"You know, I haven't forgiven you for the Tyler thing yet,† I warned him. â€Å"It's your fault that he's deluded himself into thinking I'm going to prom with him.† â€Å"Oh, he would have found a chance to ask you without me – I just really wanted to watch your face,† he chuckled, I would have been angrier if his laughter wasn't so fascinating. â€Å"If I'd asked you, would you have turned me down?† he asked, still laughing to himself. â€Å"Probably not,† I admitted. â€Å"But I would have canceled later – faked an illness or a sprained ankle.† He was puzzled. â€Å"Why would you do that?† I shook my head sadly. â€Å"You've never seen me in Gym, I guess, but I would have thought you would understand.† â€Å"Are you referring to the fact that you can't walk across a flat, stable surface without finding something to trip over?† â€Å"Obviously.† â€Å"That wouldn't be a problem.† He was very confident. â€Å"It's all in the leading.† He could see that I was about to protest, and he cut me off. â€Å"But you never told me – are you resolved on going to Seattle, or do you mind if we do something different?† As long as the â€Å"we† part was in, I didn't care about anything else. â€Å"I'm open to alternatives,† I allowed. â€Å"But I do have a favor to ask.† He looked wary, as he always did when I asked an open-ended question. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Can I drive?† He frowned. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Well, mostly because when I told Charlie I was going to Seattle, he specifically asked if I was going alone and, at the time, I was. If he asked again, I probably wouldn't lie, but I don't think he will ask again, and leaving my truck at home would just bring up the subject unnecessarily. And also, because your driving frightens me.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Of all the things about me that could frighten you, you worry about my driving.† He shook his head in disgust, but then his eyes were serious again. â€Å"Won't you want to tell your father that you're spending the day with me?† There was an undercurrent to his question that I didn't understand. â€Å"With Charlie, less is always more.† I was definite about that. â€Å"Where are we going, anyway?† â€Å"The weather will be nice, so I'll be staying out of the public eye†¦ and you can stay with me, if you'd like to.† Again, he was leaving the choice up to me. â€Å"And you'll show me what you meant, about the sun?† I asked, excited by the idea of unraveling another of the unknowns. â€Å"Yes.† He smiled, and then paused. â€Å"But if you don't want to be†¦ alone with me, I'd still rather you didn't go to Seattle by yourself. I shudder to think of the trouble you could find in a city that size.† I was miffed. â€Å"Phoenix is three times bigger than Seattle – just in population. In physical size -â€Å" â€Å"But apparently,† he interrupted me, â€Å"your number wasn't up in Phoenix. So I'd rather you stayed near me.† His eyes did that unfair smoldering thing again. I couldn't argue, with the eyes or the motivation, and it was a moot point anyway. â€Å"As it happens, I don't mind being alone with you.† â€Å"I know,† he sighed, brooding. â€Å"You should tell Charlie, though.† â€Å"Why in the world would I do that?† His eyes were suddenly fierce. â€Å"To give me some small incentive to bring you back.† I gulped. But, after a moment of thought, I was sure. â€Å"I think I'll take my chances.† He exhaled angrily, and looked away. â€Å"Let's talk about something else,† I suggested. â€Å"What do you want to talk about?† he asked. He was still annoyed. I glanced around us, making sure we were well out of anyone's hearing. As I cast my eyes around the room, I caught the eyes of his sister, Alice, staring at me. The others were looking at Edward. I looked away swiftly, back to him, and I. asked the first thing that came to mind. â€Å"Why did you go to that Goat Rocks place last weekend†¦ to hunt? Charlie said it wasn't a good place to hike, because of bears.† He stared at me as if I was missing something very obvious. â€Å"Bears?† I gasped, and he smirked. â€Å"You know, bears are not in season,† I added sternly, to hide my shock. â€Å"If you read carefully, the laws only cover hunting with weapons,† he informed me. He watched my face with enjoyment as that slowly sank in. â€Å"Bears?† I repeated with difficulty. â€Å"Grizzly is Emmett's favorite.† His voice was still offhand, but his eyes were scrutinizing my reaction. I tried to pull myself together. â€Å"Hmmm,† I said, taking another bite of pizza as an excuse to look down. I chewed slowly, and then took a long drink of Coke without looking up. â€Å"So,† I said after a moment, finally meeting his now-anxious gaze. â€Å"What's your favorite?† He raised an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth turned down in disapproval. â€Å"Mountain lion.† â€Å"Ah,† I said in a politely disinterested tone, looking for my soda again. â€Å"Of course,† he said, and his tone mirrored mine, â€Å"we have to be careful not to impact the environment with injudicious hunting. We try to focus on areas with an overpopulation of predators – ranging as far away as we need. There's always plenty of deer and elk here, and they'll do, but where's the fun in that?† He smiled teasingly. â€Å"Where indeed,† I murmured around another bite of pizza. â€Å"Early spring is Emmett's favorite bear season – they're just coming out of hibernation, so they're more irritable.† He smiled at some remembered joke. â€Å"Nothing more fun than an irritated grizzly bear,† I agreed, nodding. He snickered, shaking his head. â€Å"Tell me what you're really thinking, please.† â€Å"I'm trying to picture it – but I can't,† I admitted. â€Å"How do you hunt a bear without weapons?† â€Å"Oh, we have weapons.† He flashed his bright teeth in a brief, threatening smile. I fought back a shiver before it could expose me. â€Å"Just not the kind they consider when writing hunting laws. If you've ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Emmett hunting.† I couldn't stop the next shiver that flashed down my spine. I peeked across the cafeteria toward Emmett, grateful that he wasn't looking my way. The thick bands of muscle that wrapped his arms and torso were somehow even more menacing now. Edward followed my gaze and chuckled. I stared at him, unnerved. â€Å"Are you like a bear, too?† I asked in a low voice. â€Å"More like the lion, or so they tell me,† he said lightly. â€Å"Perhaps our preferences are indicative.† I tried to smile. â€Å"Perhaps,† I repeated. But my mind was filled with opposing images that I couldn't merge together. â€Å"Is that something I might get to see?† â€Å"Absolutely not!† His face turned even whiter than usual, and his eyes were suddenly furious. I leaned back, stunned and – though I'd never admit it to him – frightened by his reaction. He leaned back as well, folding his arms across his chest. â€Å"Too scary for me?† I asked when I could control my voice again. â€Å"If that were it, I would take you out tonight,† he said, his voice cutting. â€Å"You need a healthy dose of fear. Nothing could be more beneficial for you.† â€Å"Then why?† I pressed, trying to ignore his angry expression. He glared at me for a long minute. â€Å"Later,† he finally said. He was on his feet in one lithe movement. â€Å"We're going to be late.† I glanced around, startled to see that he was right and the cafeteria was nearly vacant. When I was with him, the time and the place were such a muddled blur that I completely lost track of both. I jumped up, grabbing my bag from the back of my chair. â€Å"Later, then,† I agreed. I wouldn't forget.

Frederick Douglass’s Slave Narrative Authenticity Essay

ROUGH DRAFT Storytelling has always been prominent among the human race ever since the oral tradition was established and the first written language came to be. It is not uncommon for a person to share their experiences, feelings, and thoughts through literature. The validity of these accounts often are not questioned. In 1845, Frederick Douglass published his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.Through writing and word of mouth, Douglass achieved international fame. Despite all of this, the validity of the slave narrative genre has come into question. Skeptics and naysayers claim that this genre of writing is fantasized, and use Olaudah Equiano’s narrative as a prime example. Although The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano has questionable history validity; Douglass’ writings have been affirmed by William Lloyd Garrison, a prominent American abolitionist, in the preface.It has also been published and categoriz ed as an autobiography. Accordingly, it is established that Douglass’ writing is non-fiction, therefore, it must be authentic. Being that the narrative was prefaced by William Lloyd Garrison, an exceptionally outspoken anti-slavery advocate, and author of William Lloyd Garrison and the Fight against Slavery, it would be almost impossible to claim that Frederick Douglass’ claims were falsified.Garrison indited, â€Å"I am confident that is it essentially true in all its statements; that nothing has been set down in malice, nothing exaggerated, nothing drawn from imagination; that it comes short of the reality, rather than overstates a single fact in regard to SLAVERY AS IT IS† which conveys that he had complete and total trust towards Douglass (Which is a good display of character on Douglass’ behalf). Therefore, William Lloyd Garrison’s regard for Frederick Douglass does nothing but further prove the believability of Douglass’ auto-biography .The authenticity of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is also substantiated by the writing being categorized as an autobiography. As things go, auto-biographies are considered to be non-fiction. If Douglass’ writings were untrue, it would be relatively easy to disprove his written accounts because of all of the factual information required in order to produce an autobiography. Frederick Douglass is also credited with the writing of his second autobiography, My Bondage and MyFreedom(1855), and his third, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass(1881). The print is comprised of detailed experiences, places, people, and events that are historically accurate. Because of this, Douglass’ experiences are considered to be factual information. By the same token, Frederick Douglass’ first autobiography was also a published work. Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave went through the process of publica tion in 1845, and was ultimately published by the American Anti-Slavery Society.In order to publish a non-fictional piece of literature, the piece must be—non-fictional. In the best interest of authors and publishers alike; it would be nonsensical to compose and publish a fictional text and write it off as a work of non-fiction. Considering that the memoir received publication status, it is established that the publisher did not see it as a risk to their good name, and that Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is authentic. In essence, Frederick Douglass’ piece is undoubtedly unbiased, authentic, and legitimate.The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave was not only published & categorized as an autobiography, but it was also endorsed by a high-principled source, William Lloyd Garrison. Many Caucasian autobiographies of the 17th-18th century are not besieged with criticism, such as Daniel Defoe’s Mother Ross: The Life and Adventures of Mrs. Christian Davies, Commonly Called Mother Ross, on Campaign with the Duke of Marlborough(1740). It could be possible that the criticism of the slave narrative genre is truly a form of discrimination, rather than genuine mistrust.

Dystopian Society, V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta History has a tendency to repeat itself. One of humanity’s most popular ways of getting its point across is through violence. When words are no longer enough to argue a point, human casualties not only directly solve the problem, but symbolically send a message to all those affected as well. Just as the American colonies fought against the British for Freedom when their voice was no longer heard, and just as the Islamic extremists used terrorism to send an evil message to America, both V and Chancellor Sutler used violence to gain a voice in a world of chaos. In the film V for Vendetta the viewer is welcomed to a dystopia in which the government not only controls its citizens, but removes their privacy, civil rights, general freedoms, and even regulates what types of foods, jobs, and materials one is allowed. As the plot moves along, Chancellors Sutler’s actions to reach this dystopia are revealed. His use of biological warfare against the â€Å"weak† minorities of England was not only violent, but cruel, heartless, and sickening. His intentions were not for the well being of his country, but for his own selfish greed and control. Chancellor Sutler was able to take advantage of the chaos, uncertainty, and fear within the world and manipulate the lives of his people with lies and a nonexistent hope. On the other hand, V took the fear that still existed in peoples’ minds, but helped them to realize they shouldn’t be afraid. In his plot to regain control on November Fifth he did made what could be his most important move. He gave a nationally broadcasted speech to the citizens of his country, exposing and reminding the citizens of England what their government was doing to them. He helped them to recover the fact that this new life, this life that they had become accustomed to, had considered normal, was not in fact a country in which â€Å"England would prevail,† but rather a country which needed a face, and an idea. V slowly created a chaos, but not a chaos for the people, one for the government. V was able to turn the tables and remind those of popular sovereignty, power in numbers. These actions were all peaceful, although V did find it necessary to directly take hold of the source of the countries disguised turmoil. His murders and assassinations of the people responsible sent not another message of fear, but a message of true hope, and a change for the better. Although both V’s and Sutler’s intentions of harm and hope were total opposites, it’s hard to deny the fact that their actions were similar. While V targets the government and Chancellor Sutler destroys the nation’s security, both use violence to let those uninformed hear what couldn’t be heard before. Many argue that two wrongs don’t make a right, and killing for killing is unethical. So in order to fully understand the plot of the movie, you have to take a front seat to the hypocrisy of it all, and understand that whatever force is exerted, another force of equal value is created. It’s the balancing act of life. V may have disrupted the ideals that we as humans are given to believe, but he was only fighting the fight that was inevitably going to be fought. The movie not only gives us a glimpse to the potential evil and manipulative people of the world, but also helps us to understand that sometimes violence is necessary. When actions are so terrible, so negative, and so extreme that people lose sight of right and wrong, and learn to accept the unacceptable, death is the only real verdict for some. V let England know that people like this would not be tolerated. Although violence was used, the ideas and symbolism were the true importance, and ideas are bulletproof.

Masters level program in leadership for non-profit organizations in Essay

Masters level program in leadership for non-profit organizations in Juniata College - Essay Example Leadership is a key issue and this creates a good prospect for the new course on leadership for non profit organizations to be launched by the university. In the present case the university would segment the target population on the basis of organization type and the hierarchical position of an individual within the organization. A demographic market segmentation strategy would be used to segment the entire market. Traits like job experience and position within an organization would be the chosen yardsticks for segmenting the total market population. Juniata University would target non profit organizations and specifically those individuals who are in a managerial position in the organization. Leadership training for individuals in decision making capacity in these organizations can help them to be better acquainted with business aspects that can help them propel their organizations to the next orbit. It would also help in infusing greater professionalism in the company that would he lp them generate greater operational abilities. Leadership traits can also generate a good vision and long term planning that would help in generating competitive advantage. The choice of the segment also assumes importance as the managerial level individuals would also have a good monetary compensation that would allow them to afford the training cost. Moreover the training for managerial level individuals would also add greater value proposition in their careers that can help them in developing a good career path in the sector by improving their learning curve helping them achieve milestones in their professional careers. The University would also target proprietors of family owned non profit business houses so as to provide them the professional edge in running an organization. Targeting involves creating strategies that can help in capturing the members of the market segment. Targeting involves crafting strategies that form the

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 1 - Essay Example Thus, the lessons learned at the early age become the foundation for an individual’s growth in the professional life. In addition, the experience gained in life within a shorter period of time is also imperative towards shaping the professional life of an individual. In my case, it was engineering and for Mr. Ramsay’s case it was the field of sports. Such decisions are taken at so early age, that there is hardly any self- knowledge or experience to support, whatever the decision has been made is the best and justifies the background to which an individual belongs. Thus, the best thing in this aspect is to expect that the future will be bright and will offer loads of opportunities. This study aims to shed light on the qualities of an entrepreneur and evaluate whether I posses those qualities or not. In order to verify it, the study will pursue different techniques. Once the characteristics and definition of entrepreneurship is being identified, a known entrepreneur will be chosen and his qualities will be compared with mine. A General Enterprising Tendency (GET) Test will be also carried out. Furthermore, interview session will be also held to get deeper insights. On the basis of the findings, a conclusion to the study will be drawn. Introduction – What Entrepreneurship Means to Me From the childhood days, I had a fascination on technology and as a result of that I have always been enthralled with new technological innovations. It is the interest in technology, which made me feel that innovation and discovery has been the fuel of comprehensive development of the society. My early role model was Charles Babbage, who is also known as the father of computers and the inventor of computers. However, with the course of time it shifted from an inventor to an entrepreneur. As I came to know about the life story of Bill Gates and understood the contribution made by him in the society, I contentedly considered him to be my role model. In addition, I a lso consider the recent sensation, Mark Zuckerberg to be one of my role models. When I slowly started to gain knowledge on social science, my perception of an entrepreneur was a person who has the ability to take risk and open a new firm. Although, the meaning of entrepreneurship, which I identified later, was much broader, this definition was not fully impractical. Rather, it was supported by a renowned scholar, where he states that entrepreneurs are the person who undertakes the risk of new enterprise (Mohanty 1). However, later I realized entrepreneur to be someone who has the ability to make correct judgmental decision pertaining to the coordination of sparse resources. In addition, I have also identified that an entrepreneur is an individual and not a committee, team or an organization. With deeper thought, I have been also able to identify that there are two types of entrepreneur namely successful entrepreneur and unsuccessful entrepreneur. Now, when I compare myself with succ essful entrepreneurs, I found that I also have the tendency to become self-suffice. However, I do not consider myself to be entrepreneur as I am yet to develop a firm which is self sustaining. Moreover, I also believe that a huge different exists between â€Å"thinking of becoming an entrepreneur† and ultimately â€Å"becoming a successful entrepreneur†. The challenge for every potential successful entrep

Non require Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Non require - Essay Example inning as a renegade sect of Judaism that was banned by the Roman government (largely because it did not allow for the kind of religious pluralism that the Roman state was based on), to a tolerated, legal but minority religion (under the reign of Constantine),1 very briefly back to being an illegal religion (under Julian the Apostate) before finally becoming the official religion of the Roman state.2 Along with these changes in official status came changes in church structure – early Christian churches likely operated on a very small scale, with priests and bishops (where they existed) mainly serving the role of teachers and communicators, without actually wielding much power.3 As Christianity became more officially recognized, it became a more strongly organized church in itself, with greater emphasis put on hierarchy and the power and authority of church elders and leaders, and less emphasis on the importance of individual believers. Through these broad changes many disagree ments emerged: questions about who were church leaders, how their power was exercised, who got to set doctrinal legitimacy, and theological questions such as the nature of the divine. Through the broad history of Christianity, it becomes apparent that more and more of these conflicts were solved by the creation of a strict hierarchy, which put older, educated men at the head, forming church policy, while diminishing the importance and voice of anyone else. The role of women in the Church was an early issue that demonstrates the shift of power from ordinary believers into the hands of the same kind of people that ruled Roman society, older, patriarchal men. Women played an incredibly important role in early Christianity – Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Jesus were both incredibly important members of the early church. Likewise, Paul had many â€Å"coworkers† that demonstrate that women were indeed an important part of the early church.4 Women may have even had a role in

W3a2-frank lloyd wright Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

W3a2-frank lloyd wright - Assignment Example The movement was anti-industrial and pushed for social and economic reforms. Frank Lloyd also designed the building in Prairie style to promote the philosophy of organic architecture which promoted harmonization between the structure and its natural site. The Frank Wright Home was designed during the Victorian Shingle architectural period by Architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd in the design of the his home, he based the plan on the Shingle architectural elements including asymmetrical floor plan, porches, irregular roof line, cross gables, eaves on several levels, and continuous wood shingles on siding and roof. He used the building as a site for experimentation by designing it multiple times to refine his ideas. The design was influenced by the nineteenth century culture whereby he drew most of the inspirational ideas. He borrowed the transcendentalists ideas of Ralph Emerson and Henry Thoreau who advocated for an honest life inspired by the nature. Wrights principles in designing the building were influenced by the Arts and crafts movement which promoted simplicity and craftsmanship in architecture. The plan and interior of the building was influenced by the household art movement which aimed at bringing art into homes (Unite d States. National Park Service) Frank Lloyd Wright designed and constructed the house for himself and his family while he was working at the Adler and Sullivan firm in Chicago. The building with two floors, Wright used it for experimentation of his architectural skills by revising its design several times. The exterior of the structure featured the Shingle architectural elements which were fashionable for the vaction homes of the wealthy East Coast families. The interior of the building liberates space with the groung floor featuring a suite of rooms arranged around. The interior structure of the

Environment issues in business subject Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Environment issues in business subject - Essay Example The responsibility of an organization for its activities that it has performed and decisions that has been taken which has an impact on society and its surroundings. The Social Corporate Responsibility ensures that the company must undertake sustainable development and should have care for the health and welfare of the society. It makes sure that the company should abide the applicable law and should adhere to the international norms and behavior (Australian Government 2012). The aim to create global standards is to minimize the impact of an organization’s decisions and activities on society and the environment. It is the commitment of the industry to manage health and safety of its workers while pertaining to care for environmental and economic issues and to publicly report the progress of the industry. It also focuses in delivering the shareholders value and to cover the expectation of their shareholders. These norms have been defined by the principal industry body known as the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) which is responsible to look in to the matter of Mineral industries and monitor their operations. However, if industries do not adhere to the principles outlined by the global body then companies might pose serious threat to the overall community (Australian Government 2012). The reporting of CSR activities is the new approach amongst different companies because it addresses issues for the society’s well-being. It can have an impact on the performance and the goodwill of the company which is a greater concern for its stakeholders. It outlines priorities of the company and its stakeholders. It is considered to be an accountability practice for firms that are willing to improve their performance and profitability. In new ways, it is considered to be a marketing strategy to grab attraction of audience (Alfonso 2011). There are numerous social and environmental factors that results in the criticism of the

Poll 211 Wek 8 Dis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Poll 211 Wek 8 Dis - Essay Example s member-states include the normalization and balance of economic policies to ensure that member states are uniformly represented in the conduction of business within the Eurozone. Among the institutions that make up the European Union include the Council of European Union, European Council, Monetary Union, European Commission, European Central Bank, and the Court of Auditors in addition to others. The overall functions of the European Union are related to the individual functions of the comprising institutions (Hahari, 2014). The causes of the Eurozone Crisis are cumulative and form from the economic and financial decisions the members of the EU made as well as the corresponding effects on the economy. In the development of the Euro as the legal tender for the EU, member states had to decide on how to balance states with a larger economies with those with lower economies. In doing so, the value of the Euro was set averagely low value which affected large economies and small ones as well. Since large economies, like Germany, developed slower than smaller economies, like Greece, the low value of the Euro increased the chances of developing states to borrow cheaply (Jordan, and Adelle, 2012). In addition, nations such as Greece had high public debt of â‚ ¬240 billion while Ireland’s was â‚ ¬85-billion debt, Portugal’s was â‚ ¬78-billion public debt, Spain’s was â‚ ¬41-billion in loans, and Cyprus’s was â‚ ¬10-billion contributing and integrated with the collapse of the banking system. Provided that majority of the loans involved in the Eurozone crisis were funded by other members of the Eurozone, it was inevitable that the union would not sustain its operations as financial constrains were

Working with young children from 16 to 36 months Essay

Working with young children from 16 to 36 months - Essay Example You may choose to include photographs, observations and evidence of activities carried out (to include one out of the setting context). Your portfolio should be well supported by theory and your own critical reflections. Present and communicate complex information and ideas verbally and in written form, using specialist vocabulary where appropriate.? Critically identify, assess, select and use information from a wide range of sources. Materials from the portfolio and the reflective report can be used in the validation process. 4,000- 5,000 words (100% weighting) Rationale This module will consider current research and pedagogical approaches when working with young children, and what those who work with children need to know about theory, research and practice. It will consider the development of policies in providing for the youngest children in the UK in recent times. In the context of the rapid changes in the field of early childhood education and care, this module will critically discuss the complex policy context in the UK. It will attempt to provide an overview of the recent history of policy development, considering the impact of Every Child Matters, The Early Years Foundation Stage and the developing role of the Early Years Professionals. Key aspects of practice will be explored in the light of this discussion. This module aims to enable students to: Apply critical, analytical skills to approaches of early childhood ?pedagogy. Synthesise the theory and practice of working with young children. Gain knowledge and understanding of current initiatives and their ?effect on early childhood education and care. Develop critically reflective and questioning perspectives on how ?young children develop and learn and the role of the adult. Recognise processes which improve quality of provision. Understand the role of an early years team. ?The distinctive features of the module are to provide an overview of theoretical underpinnings of early childhood practice with t he youngest children and to examine research studies in to the learning and development of children from 16 to 36 months. The emphasis of the module is concerned with linking theoretical aspects with the experience acquired in placement and ways in which high quality provision can be offered to young children to support development and learning. Learning Outcomes Demonstratebreadthanddepthofawarenessandunderstandingofthe expected patterns of children’s physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and behavioural development from 16-36 months. Demonstrate the ability to identify how to use everyday care routines, play and planned learning activities to promote children’s well-being, development and learning, and knowing how to critically evaluate and adapt them to meet children’s varied needs. Demonstrateabreadthanddepthofknowledgeandunderstandingof current legal requirements, national policies and guidance on health and safety and their implications for ea rly years settings. Intellectual skills: 4. Coherently collate, critically evaluate and analyse evidence about effective practice and use it to improve their own and others practice. 5. Engage with complex theory, new concepts and evidence from a range of sources associated with early childhood development and apply it to the learning process. Transferrable Skills: 8. Present and communicate complex information and ideas verbally and in written form, using specialist vocabulary where appropriate.? 9. Critically identify, assess, select and use information from a wide range of sources. Essay Task Portfolio –

Research Methods for Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Methods for Criminology - Essay Example Series of measurements are taken to make sure that the experiment is able to measure different sets of conditions under which the person or the instrument has to work. Now the question arises how to make sure that the series of measurements are not only reliable but valid as well. Or can we make use of a measurement which happens to be reliable but low on reliability or vice-versa. This study cannot be an area specific but it cannot be generalized for all experiments as well. There might be some areas where we can use such measurements, but there might be areas where we need to be doubly sure that the measurement is both reliable as well valid. It is worthwhile here to mention that while validity can be tested and can be termed as an objective parameter, it is difficult to do exact calculation for reliability as it is subjective in nature. Reliability is therefore estimated in order to come to the nearest perfection point. Four general classes of reliability are1; While there's no doubt that a measurement with high validity and high reliability is the most sought after type of measurement, a measurement with low validity and low reliability is never used for making any calculations. Measurements low on validity and high on reliability imply that we are consistently measuring wrong values, which in a way defeats the very purpose of carrying out the research. In such cases we continue to get incorrect information quite consistently. Therefore, we seldom use such measurements. Quite often it so happens that the repeated measurements fail to show consistent patterns, but for a group of parameters, the measurements hold good. In this case, though on an average we do get the valid results, the consistency is not there. In such cases, the measurements can be useful depending upon the criticality of the usage. For example, if we are to make use of these measurements for the operation of

The United States education Essay Example for Free

The United States education Essay I studied in Korea for 14 years. But, now I have been studying in US. Knowledge of the United States education can be helped to understand US culture. There are similarities and differences between Korea and US educations. Korea and US educations have similarities. First, we study almost the same subjects like English, Math, Science, and P. E. So some Korean students who had studied in Korea’s school can understand pretty well in USA College, even though their English skill is not so high. Second, Korea and USA classroom have almost the same equipment (especially college). There are chairs and desks, blackboard, chalks, and backboard for some notices. However, both educations have a lot of differences. First, Korea’s class is bigger than US class. Korea’s class usually has 40~50 students. But US class has just 15~20 students. So US teachers have more attention than Korea teachers to the students. Second, Most Korean students usually studied alone in the classes. But, now we have to discuss with our classmates in US classes. Discussions require to student more activity. So most American students are more activity than Korean students. Finally, the biggest difference between Korea and the United States is teacher’s teaching skills. Most Korean teachers want to memorize the textbook for all students. So, Korean students try to memorize the textbook. But US teachers require summarizing information from textbook. US teaching skill help students to be more creative and active. In conclusion, US education requires to students to be creative and active but, Korea education want to be same for all the students. That makes competition between students. This competition can be helpful, but actually it makes a lot of problem. Korea education has to change more creative and active like US education.

Observation, Assessment and Planning Cycle in Childcare

Observation, Assessment and Planning Cycle in Childcare Gurcharan Pall Explain the observation, assessment and planning cycle. The process of effective planning observation and assessment is a vital factor in identifying children’s individual needs interests and abilities. In order to plan for their learning and development. This process has been recommended by Early Years (2013) and this involves the practitioners following a three step cycle which consists of planning, observation, and assessment. The practitioner will discuss each stage of the cycle and its practical application to the child’s individual needs. Every child whatever their background or circumstances has the right to support, which they need to enjoy and achieve and make a positive contribution. (Every Child Matters 2003.) With the use of planning observation and assessment the practitioner can support the learning and development requirements for each child in their care. The cycle follows three steps. STEP 1 PLANNING Planning every area of learning and development is important to ensure the child`s achievement The Practitioner should follow identified observation and assessment of the child through relevant play through a range of mixed adult –led and child initiated activities. Step 2 Observation The second stage is of observation which looks at the part of process that helps practitioners learn about the individual children .Observation may also identify the delayed areas of the child’s development which would signal that additional support may be required. A good point. There are two types of observations which are formal and spontaneous. More information can be collected from spontaneously observing the child, as without prior warning, the child will be playing naturally. Formal observation may find the child nervous and self-conscious and they may not play or interact, therefore no observation can then take place. Formal observation is more directed towards observing the child’s development of a particular task/skill or the child understands and knowledge. Step 3 ASSESSMENT Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs and to plan activities and support† (Early Years 2013) The two types of assessment use are; formative assessment and summative assessment. Firstly formative assessment is an on-going children’s assessment. (CHILD DEVELOPMENT) This is gone by the practitioner observing the child on a regular basis for example playtime on a weekly basis. The second assessment is the summative assessment and this is the evidence that is collected though the formative assessment over a period of time. These assessments are used to review the development progress of children against meowed development on milestones REF For example, the child is formatively assessed a weekly basis dewing play and building blocks. The summative assessment will be that the child’s development has improved, as the child can now not only connect the building blocks together but over a period of time the building blocks have progressed and the child can now build wall’s to make a building. There are showing their development. EFFECTIVE PLANNING (WRITE IN ESSAY FORM) > is based on regular, a curate assessment of children’s learning, Knowledge and skills > reflects supports and challenges children’s current interest, Enthusiasms and their learning and development > is a flexible, working document, which is responsive to spontaneous events > enables all practitioners to contribute, understand and articulate why experiences have been planned > enables children, parents and practitioners to have a voice in the planning process PLANNING IN PRACTICE- KEY ELEMENTS; Provide opportunities for individual children’s emerging needs, interests and stage of development based on previous observations and evaluations Identify appropriate links between experiences and EYFS development statements (learning intentions) Provide interesting and challenging experiences for all children within the seven areas of learning and development Outdoor activities are planned and taken on a daily basis Identifies differentiation for individual children or groups of children Provides a range of child initiated and adult-led experiences Identify high quality teaching strategies’ together with support and intervention that mach individual children’s needs (next steps) to ensure good progress Evaluate planned and unplanned learning Reflect on learning environment to adapt and enhance provision DESCRIBE HOW TO DEVELOP PLANNING FOR INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN Planning when being arranged should be flexible to take into account different age group children`s different background the weather and the unexpected. The child`s planning should be based upon your assessment and observation of the individual child so you can take the best steps for their further learning and development. The Development Matters guidance is and can be a very useful tool in planning successfully the child`s ability to move on to the next stage of development. There are 3 steps of planning. Long term. Providing you with themes and topics you may cover over the term. All links to learning and development areas, a balance of indoor, and outdoor activities. Periods of rest and being quite are also required. Medium term. A better detailed plan of topics and themes to be covered. Consideration of other routines such as mealtimes babies sleeping times. All main resources within your setting`s as play areas, equipment storage areas, book corner. A observation area for you to identify the child`s needs. Short term. A weekly plan of plans, observational findings and activities to be carried out. Making reference to the child`s interest .The particular piece of equipment or resource that may be needed the area or amount of room required, health and safety issues that may arise. Ensure you have made arrangements for all the different age groups, and children with disabilities and special educational needs. A good outline of the different types of planning. Long term planning will provide an overview of topics and themes practitioner will cover for children in their care however long term planning will not identify which interest children will have so any planning should be flexible to be able to adapt at last minute if required. Spontaneous activity is one of the most effective learning experiences. Weather is a very strong interesting subject for the children i.e. rain , snow, winds and sunshine many points of interest can be made from the weather many activities can be made use of, Rain, flooding control of water what rain stops you doing, Snow, melting snow building objects snowball fights to began. Wind, power of wind, moving objects leaves trees people movement, flags, sun, heat outdoor activities. The Main difference between formative and summative assessments methods is primarily the time scale involved in each of the assessment types. Formative Assessment is the process of obtaining factual information. Based on firsthand knowledge, gathered by the practitioner whilst spending time with the child, observing the habits and routines of the child. The Sources of information can range from photographs, videos or even conversations with the child’s parents as this can highlight things that otherwise could be missed as behaviour at home can be very different for some children. The process of assessing what young children know and can do poses particular challenges for young learners. Assessing children is often â€Å"unreliable,† as young children’s performance is not necessarily consistent over even short periods of time. Contextual influences and emotional states can affect how they perform on assessments. Moreover, young children develop at vastly different rates and their developmental and learning patterns can be episodic, uneven, and rapid. Understanding what children know is important for tea chers, since children’s new knowledge builds on prior knowledge. Given these factors, teachers’ use of formative assessment to inform instruction is an essential piece of effective pedagogy. Formative assessment is much more than repeated assessment measures over time. Formative assessment is a process, which includes a feedback loop to assist children in closing the gap between current status and desired outcomes, milestones, or goals. It informs and supports instruction while learning is taking place, by having children receive feedback from the instructor. It also includes multiple sources of evidence gathered over time. The formative assessment process is not a single event or measurement but rather an ongoing planned and intentional practice to evaluate learning with teaching. Formative assessments yield descriptive data—not necessarily judgments. It often takes the form of observational protocol using evidence collection as a means to examine children’s cognitive processes. Formative assessment may be defined in different ways in state regulations and interpretations. The definition best captures the essence of formative assessment for the purposes of this brief focused on young children. It is defined as, â€Å"a process used by carers for children during instruction periods that provide feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning, to improve children’s achievement of intended instructional outcomes.† Summative Assessment is almost a conclusion of your collective knowledge gained from doing your Formative assessment’s, this is obviously an assessment that is done over a longer period of time as all the prerequisite Formative assessments need to be completed. This knowledge gives the practitioner the ability to make an educated verdict on the achievements of the child. The EYFS Profile is the summative assessment used to review children’s progress along the early learning goals. Summative assessment also employs a variety of tools and methods for obtaining information about what has been learned. In this way, summative assessment provides information at the early year’s levels. Defining characteristics of effective summative assessment include a clear alignment between assessment and instruction, as well as the use of assessments that are both valid and reliable. When objectives are clearly specified and connected to instruction, summative assessment provides i nformation about a children’s achievement of specific learning objectives. Individual Learning Programmes can be formed from using these particular assessments, these assessments should also, supports and endeavour to comply with the ethos devised through â€Å"Every Child Matters†. Conclusion I can conclude that it’s a vital part of the process between carer/care organisation’s to stringently follow the observation assessment and planning cycle as this can effectively show any pitfalls in the learning and development process of the children. With formative and summative being the most useful and statutory assessments in situ, the only problem I find, is they can be restrictive or to slow in fully identifying issues and vital time can be lost to the carer/ organisation and the child. Flexibility by that carer/organisation is crucial to the learning development of the children and individual learning programmes can be a good guideline to promote the weaknesses and turn them into strengths through focused sessions which should be reviewed as frequently as possible to ensure the child’s learning does not become static and too focused on any one particular set of problems or issues, learning the child’s strengths through the formative and summative methods can genuinely help create Individual learning programmes tailored to the child allowing you to improve their weaknesses through their strength i.e. a young person learns through music quicker than reading so using song’s to remember the alphabet (using strength to overcome a weakness) this is the main focus of correctly using the above mentioned methods and adhering to the observation, assessment and planning cycle. Reference www.barniesdaynurseries.com, http://ceelo.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ceelo_policy_report_formative_assessment.pdf, Department of Education (2013): Improving the functionality and range of education and childcare from birth to 5 years, www.gov.uk/government/ Updated 1st Sep 2014 Accessed 27th Oct 2014 http://www.education.com/reference/article/formative-and-summative-assessment/ Every child matters 8th September 2003 (from HM Treasury – www.gov.uk/government/uploads (Presented to parliament by the chief secretary to the treasury by command of her majesty September 2003) Observation, Assessment and planning cycle Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage DFE 2014 Ref united nations (1989)convention on the rights of the child, united nations, network Childeminding and Ofsted effective practice: observation, planning

The Importance of Ecumenism

The Importance of Ecumenism That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me (John 17:21) Ecumenism must always be a concept that is central to good Christian living; it is a concept that should be alive and active and a concept that should always be served effectively through thought, through word and through action. Ecumenism is a word that is mentioned a lot within the wider universal church, but what exactly is it? What does it mean, and does it really matter? It is a concept within the Christian faith that aims to restore unity both amongst and within different Christian denominations. Central to the concept of ecumenism are the themes of unity, fellowship and collaboration. Christian unity and thus ecumenism is something that all Christians should be concerned with. For Catholics, ecumenism should be considered a vital mission of the Church, for it was Christ who gave us the gift of unity and thus all of us should strive to enhance, restore and maintain this gift as appropriate. In recent times, more than ever before, He has been rousing divided Christians to remorse over their divisions and to a longing for unity. Everywhere large numbers have felt the impulse of this grace, and among our separated brethren also there increases from day to day the movement, fostered by the grace of the Holy Spirit, for the restoration of unity among all Christians. This movement toward unity is called ecumenical (U.R., 1964). Quite often as Christians it can be all too easy for each of us to identify the divisions and obstacles between ourselves and those of other Christian denominations, but what unites us is far stronger than what divides us. If Christians are to be truly ecumenical in their outlook, then better relationships and better understandings of different Christian perspectives are essential both from an internal and external perspective on the part of the individual. Catholics in particular should remember that within the Roman Catholic Church there are many different rites and that while all are focused on the same God adored in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the different rites are often unique in terms of aspects of heritage, liturgy, tradition, customs and cultures. The key word with regard to the uniqueness of the different rites within the Catholic Church and between other Christian denominations is diversity and diversity should be a source of celebration and rejoicing rather than division and separation. The Ordinariate, for example, as a rite within the Catholic Church has a style and patrimony that is distinct from other rites and groups within the wider Catholic Church and what is important to remember is that diversity is not a bad thing but it is a good thing. Rather than looking at diversity as something that prevents unity or acts as a barrier to it, we should come to understand and appreciate that diversity is actually something that seeks to enhance unity. The Catholic Church embraces with hope the commitment to ecumenism as a duty of the Christian conscience enlightened by faith and guided by love. Here too we can apply the words of Saint Paul to the first Christians of Rome: Gods love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit; thus our hope does not disappoint us (Rom 5:5). This is the hope of Christian unity, which has its divine source in the Trinitarian unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (U.U.S., 1995). In a society where the message of the Gospels appears to be absent in so many ways, all Christian denominations should seek to work together to be people of faith in what can often be a dark and troubled world. Spreading the message of Jesus to those around us is part of our duty as Christians. We must also see the face of God in all of those around us and constantly seek to do what is right and just. For Catholics, working and engaging positively and in cooperation with other Christian denominations who worship or pray in a different manner from ourselves and who express their faith in different ways is essential for unity. What is important is that God must always be our focus, that individuals should strive to be dignified and reverent in their own style of worship and prayer. Further to this, Catholics should acknowledge their duty to engage with other Christian denominations at every opportunity. This can be through local partnerships and national initiatives, there are many opportunities for Catholics to engage with other Christians in a unified manner. For they are of the opinion that the unity of faith and government, which is a note of the one true Church of Christ, has hardly up to the present time existed, and does not to-day exist. They consider that this unity may indeed be desired and that it may even be one day attained through the instrumentality of wills directed to a common end, but that meanwhile it can only be regarded as mere ideal. They add that the Church in itself, or of its nature, is divided into sections; that is to say, that it is made up of several churches or distinct communities, which still remain separate, and although having certain articles of doctrine in common, nevertheless disagree concerning the remainder; that these all enjoy the same rights; and that the Church was one and unique from, at the most, the apostolic age until the first Ecumenical Councils. Controversies therefore, they say, and longstanding differences of opinion which keep asunder till the present day the members of the Christian fami ly, must be entirely put aside, and from the remaining doctrines a common form of faith drawn up and proposed for belief, and in the profession of which all may not only know but feel that they are brothers. The manifold churches or communities, if united in some kind of universal federation, would then be in a position to oppose strongly and with success the progress of irreligion (M.A., 1928) The need for greater care and attention to be shown to the whole human race is very much apparent in todays society and through common fellowship centred on Jesus Christ; Christians of all denominations can be a common and unified voice of faith in our society. The voice of Christians who are united is one that can promote the values of honesty, integrity, kindness, compassion, support and sensitivity throughout society and can show to society as a whole that valuing the human dignity and worth of every single person is something of great importance. The path to full Christian unity is an ongoing journey, but all of us must respect our brothers and sisters of different denominations, remembering that unity is something desired by God. Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time.Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us, . . . so that the world may know that you have sent me.The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit. (C.C.C., 2011) It is fantastic that the Year of Mercy was embraced by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike and even though the Year of Mercy has now officially ended, its legacy will live on for many years to come. In order for us all to be able fully to embrace the concept of Christian unity, forgiveness and mercy must be central elements in our approach to the idea of unity with all of us remembering that unity is like teamwork, it gives us all the potential to allow us to achieve far more collectively than we can on an individual level. In addition to physical action, prayer is a key component in achieving Christian unity. It is though prayer that we become closer to God and while praying may not always be easy, it is a way in which all of us can truly open our hearts and minds to God. Praying for Christian unity is something of great importance and is something we should all try to do, as is praying with our fellow Christians. We must remember that unity begins at the foot of the cross. As with teamwork, unity is a collective effort that has the potential to achieve far more than can be achieved on an individual level. As individuals, we are all precious in the eyes of God, we are all equal and though Christian unity we can all seek to glorify God in collective and sincere manners. Striving for unity both within the Catholic Church and within the Christian faith as a whole must continue. The challenges and barriers to unity must be constantly worked on in order for unity to be achieved. All of us have our part to play, through prayer, acknowledgement, understanding, appreciation, engagement and fellowship with all Catholics and people of the Christian faith. Ecumenism should not be seen as a trivial matter as its aim is ultimately for us all to be one, one with each other and one with God, the father of all. Christian unity is something all Christians should be concerned with. Perhaps we should all ponder on the first few words of Psalm 132 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. All Bible quotes are from The Jerusalem Bible. Catechism Catholic Church, 2011. YOUCAT. English Language ed. s.l.:Catholic Truth Society. Web resourses: internet source 1: John Paul II, 1995. Ut Unum Sint (25 May 1995) | John Paul II. Available at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unum-sint.html[Accessed 10th February 2017]. Internet source 2: Pius XI, 1928. Mortalium Animos (January 6, 1928) | PIUS XI.Available at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19280106_mortalium-animos.html[Accessed 11th February 2017]. Internet source 3: Vatican II, 1964. Unitatis redintegratio. Available at: http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html[Accessed 10th February 2017]. Word count 1125.

Australia Essay -- essays research papers

Australia- Trade and Immigration Background As Joycelyn has mentioned Australia's having greater and greater interaction with its Asian neighbours, through the areas of trade and its active role in the regional trade organization - APEC. Despite its location, Australia can hardly be thought of being an Asian country. Not so long ago, Asian were looked down upon, with a mixture of fear because of the communist aggression, pity because of their poverty, and contempt, as they dumped cheap and poorly made products to do Australian workers out of job. For decades, high prohibitive tariffs blocked the imports of Asian goods, and a 'White Australia' policy fenced off Asian migrants. However, the situation is reversed in the past 2 decades. With East Asia being the fastest growing economy, and the development of regional trade blocs in their traditional trading partners such as the EC and NAFTA that tend to emphasize internal trade, Asia becomes Australia's single most promising opportunity. And now, Australia is eager to be Asian. Trade (See overhead - Exports) In 1994, some 60% of Australia's total exports equivalent to more than 60 B A$ went to Asia. While Japan remains to be their largest trading partner, S Korea replaced US to take the second place. But at the same time, Australia's share of Asia's total imports is declining, down from 3% in 1985 to 2% in 95. The main reason is that Asian countries are trading more among themselves, and importing more hi-er value-added products, rather than the common Australian exported commodities. However, steering towards value-adding industries is not easy. Besides infrastructure and labor reform, Australian manufacturers will become head on with some of Asia's most efficient operations. Anyway, Australia has shown its committment to free trading. The former Labor government has committed to cutting the average tariff for most imports to 5% by 2000, compared to 20% in 1983. And the trend towards a more open economy will be continued by the new Liberal-National gov't. Most domestic business will not survive under such open competition, but Australia sees this as an opportunity to reshape its manufacturing base to become narrower and deeper, and more competitive. They see an ideal picture of Australia importing cheap manufactured goods from Asia instead of making expensive ones at home behind tariff, and Asia buying mineral... ...or a tv program 'Embassy' which he claimed was mocking Malaysia. Australia also got into diplomatic problems with certain authoritarian regimes for critizing their behaviors. Its relationship with Indonesia is always tense for its criticisms of Indonesia over human rights, corruption, and the status of East Timor. Even Singapore didn't like Australia's comment on its harrassment of the Asian Wall St Journal and other newspaper. As other Asian countries all share similar culture and values, Australia with its western nature would easily be labelled as intruder. And they all understand that Australia's friendliness towards Asia is economically driven, it comes out of the mind, not the heart. Moreover, some of them even suspect it of acting as a stalking horse for western interests. Malaysia proposed a regional East Asia Econ Caucus which will exclude the US and Australia, and this is clashing over with APEC in which Australia and US are active participant. So, how can Australia manage its odd man role in the Asian region? Should it go for Multiculturalism or a melting pot policy like the US? How can it balance its relationship with its neighbours while preserving its western values?

Concert Report Essay -- essays research papers

On June seventh at eight o’clock pm I attended a concert at Beneroya Hall. The concert was part of the Masterpiece series, performed by the Seattle Symphony and conducted by Hermann Michael; also including a special performance by the pianist Hà ©là ¨ne Grimaud. The performance included four pieces, two by Ludwig Van Beethoven, one by Maurice Ravel, and the last was by Richard Strauss. The two pieces by Beethoven were; Overture to The Construction of The House, and piano Concerto No. 4 in g major, Op. 58. The piece by Ravel was Pavane for a Dead Princess. Finally the last by Strauss was Death and Transfiguration. I truly enjoy going to the symphony, the music is quite a bit better than on any type of recording I have ever heard. The segment that I enjoyed the most was the Piano Concerto, beca...

History of Alberta :: essays research papers

Date Entered into Confederation: Alberta became a province of Canada in 1905. They joined into Confederation because of many reason. One of the big factors was because of the fur trading. Canada was in big demand of fur, therefore having Alberta join would add to their business. Another reason was because of Manifest Destiny, the construction of an inter-colonial railway between Canada and the Maritimes was necessary since all goods were being transported on American lines. The Grand Trunk Railway needed increased traffic on its line to avoid bankruptcy. Also, transcontinental railway uniting the Atlantic to the Pacific would have to be built to open up the West and to prevent a possible takeover by the United States. Railway construction however was extremely expensive. The only way to ensure its construction would be for all the colonies to unite and to contribute to its construction. All of these causes for Alberta and the other provinces to join Canada was to prevent America from taking over the continent. The Provincial Flower: The Wild Rose is the provincial flower of Alberta. It grows almost everywhere during the summer in the province. It brightens Alberta with its soft pink petals and is sometimes grows in gardens. The Provincial Flag: Although first used in 1967, it was proclaimed into force June 1, 1968, following an act of the Legislature. The flag shows the Alberta Coat of Arms on a dark blue background. The flag is twice as long as it is wide. The shield is positioned in the center of the flag. On the top of the shield is a red St. George's Cross on a white background. Underneath there are white snow capped mountains. Behind the mountains there is a dark blue background, with rolling green hills in front. Below the mountains is a wheat field full of yellow grain. On the flag the blue represents the sky and gold or deep yellow for the prairies. Two other symbols of Alberta: Bird - Great Horned Owl It was adopted on May 3, 1977, following a province-wide children's vote. The Great Horned Owl, resides in Alberta throughout the year and was selected to symbolize the growing concern of diminishing wildlife, not only in Alberta, but throughout the world. Tree - Lodgepole Pine It was adopted on May 30, 1984, a result of the efforts of the Junior Forest Warden Association of Alberta. The Lodgepole Pine, played a significant role in Alberta's early history, providing railway ties for the railroad which linked the province to eastern Canada.

Asi Questions Essay

The Interview Format – Does It Have to be an Interview? This is perhaps the most often asked question regarding the ASI. In the search for faster and easier methods of collecting data many clinicians and researchers have asked for a self-administered (either by computer or paper and pencil) version of the instrument. We have not sanctioned the use of a self-administered version for several reasons. First, we have tested the reliability and validity of the severity ratings by having raters use just the information that has been collected on the form – without the interview. This has resulted in very poor estimates of problem severity and essentially no concurrent reliability. Second, we have been sensitive to problems of illiteracy among segments of the substance abusing population. Even among the literate there are problems of attention, interest and comprehension that are especially relevant to this population. Finally, since the instrument is often used as part of the initial clinical evaluation, it has been our philosophy that it is important to have interpersonal contact for at least one part of that initial evaluation. We see this as simply being polite and supportive to a patient with problems. We have seen no convincing demonstration that the interview format produces worse (less reliable or valid) information than other methods of administration and we have found that particularly among some segments of the substance abusing population (eg. the psychiatrically ill, elderly, confused and physically sick) the interview format may be the only viable method for insuring understanding of the questions asked. Particularly in the clinical situation, the general demeanor or â€Å"feel† of a patient is poorly captured without person-to-person contact and this can be an important additional source of information for clinical staff. There are of course many useful, valid and reliable self-administered instruments appropriate for the substance abuse population. For example, we have routinely used selfadministered questionnaires and other instruments with very satisfactory results (eg. Beck Depression Inventory, MAST, SCL-90, etc.) but these are usually very focussed instruments that have achieved validity and consistency by asking numerous questions related to a single theme (eg. depression, alcohol abuse, etc.). The ASI is purposely broadly focussed for the purposes outlined above, and we have not been successful in creating a viable self-administered instrument that can efficiently collect the range of information sought by the ASI. Thus, it should be clear that at this writing there is no reliable or valid version of the ASI that is self-administered and there is currently no plan for developing this format for the instrument. We would of course be persuaded by comparative data from a reliable, valid and useful self-administered version of the ASI and this is an open invitation to interested parties. Role of the Interviewer – What are the qualifications needed for an ASI interviewer? Having indicated the importance of the interview process it follows that the most important part of the ASI is the interviewer who collects the information. The interviewer is not simply the recorder of a series of subjective statements. The interviewer is responsible for the integrity of the information collected and must be willing to repeat, paraphrase and probe until he/she is satisfied that the patient understands the question and that the answer reflects the best judgment of the patient, consistent with the intent of the question. It must be emphasized that the interviewer must understand the intent of each question. This is very important since despite the range of situations and unusual answers that we have described in the manual, a new exception or previously unheard of situation occurs virtually each week. Thus, ASI interviewers should not expect to find answers in the workbook to all of the unusual situations that they will encounter in using the ASI. Instead it will be critical for the interviewer to understand the intent of the question, to probe for the most complete information available from the patient and then to record the most appropriate answer, including a comment. There is a very basic set of personal qualities necessary for becoming a proficient interviewer. First, the prospective interviewer must be personable and supportive – capable of forming good rapport with a range of patients who may be difficult. It is no secret that many individuals have negative feelings about substance abusers and these feelings are revealed to the patients very quickly, thereby compromising any form of rapport. Second, the interviewer must be able to help the patient separate the problem areas and to examine them individually using the questions provided. Equally important qualities in the prospective interviewer are the basic intelligence to understand the intent of the questions in the interview and the commitment to collecting the information in a responsible manner. There are no clear-cut educational or background characteristics that have been reliably associated with the ability to perform a proficient ASI interview. We have trained a wide range of people to administer the ASI, including receptionists, college students, police/probation officers, physicians, professional interviewers and even a research psychologist!! There have been people from each of these groups who were simply unsuited to performing interviews and were excluded during training (perhaps 10% of all those trained) or on subsequent reliability checks. Reasons for exclusion were usually because they simply couldn’t form reasonable rapport with the patients, they were not sensitive to lack of understanding or distrust in the patient, they were not able to effectively probe initially confused answers with supplemental clarifying questions or they simply didn’t agree with the approach of the ASI (examining problems individually rather than as a function of substance abuse). With regard to assisting the interviewer in checking for understanding and consistency during the interview, there are many reliability checks buil t into the ASI. They are discussed in some detail in the workbook and they have been used effectively to insure the quality and consistency of the collected data. Severity Ratings – How important and useful are they? It is noteworthy that the severity ratings were historically the last items to be included on the ASI. They were considered to be interesting but non-essential items that were a summary convenience for people who wished a quick general profile of a patient’s problem status. They were only provided for clinical convenience and never intended for research use. It was surprising and interesting for us to find that when interviewers were trained comparably and appropriately, these severity estimates were reliable and valid across a range of patient types and interviewer types. Further, they remain a useful clinical summary that we continue to use regularly – but only for initial treatment planning and referral. A Note on â€Å"Severity† – It should be noted that much of the reason for the reliability and validity of these severity ratings is the structured interview format and the strict (some would say arbitrary) definition of severity that we have adopted: ie.†need for additional treatment.† Many users of the ASI have selected the instrument exclusively for research purposes and these ratings have never been used for this purpose – especially as outcome measures. Other users do not agree with our definition of severity. Still others do not have the time or inclination to check and recheck severity estimates among their various interviewers. For all of these potential users the severity ratings would not be useful or worth the investment of man-hours required to train reliability. Even for those with primary clinical uses, these ratings are not essential and are perhaps the most vulnerable of all the ASI items to the influences of poor interviewing skills, patient misrepresentation or lack of comprehension and even the surroundings under which the interview is conducted. Therefore, it is entirely acceptable to train ASI interviewers and to use the ASI without referral to the severity ratings. Composite Scores – What are they for, why were they constructed this way and what are the norms? Users familiar with earlier editions of the ASI know there is a separate manual designed to describe their use and to show how to calculate them (See Composite Scores from the Addiction Severity Index – McGahan et al. 1986). The composite scores have been developed from combinations of items in each problem area that are capable of showing change (ie. based on the prior thirty day period, not lifetime) and that offer the most internally consistent estimate of problem status. The complicated formulas used in the calculation of these composites are necessary to insure equal weighting of all items in the composite. These composites have been very useful to researchers as mathematically sound measures of change in problem status but have had almost no value to clinicians as indications of current status in a problem area. This is due to the failure on our part to develop and publish normative values for representative groups of substance abuse patients (eg. methadone maintained males, cocaine dependent females in drug free treatment, etc.). At the risk of being defensive, our primary interest was measuring change among our local patients and not comparing the current problem status of various patient groups across the country. Further, we simply did not foresee the range of interest that has been shown in the instrument. A Note on â€Å"Norms† for the Composite Scores – At this writing, we are collecting ASI data from a variety of patient sampl es across the country. These samples will be used to convert the composite raw scores into T-scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10 (as MMPI and SCL-90 scores are presented). Our intention is to publish these â€Å"normative data† and to circulate copies of the tables to all individuals who have sent to us for ASI packets. We will also provide programs written in Basic, Lotus 123 ® or Excel ®to calculate these composite scores and to convert existing composite scores into Tscores. In this way we hope to make up for the lack of standardization that has been a problem with the composite scores to this time. Appropriate Populations – Can I use the ASI with samples of Substance Abusing Prisoners or Psychiatrically Ill Substance Abusers? Because the ASI has been shown to be reliable and valid among substance abusers applying for treatment, many workers in related fields have used the ASI with substance abusing samples from their populations. For example, the ASI has been used at the time of incarceration and/or parole/probation to evaluate substance abuse and other problems in criminal populations. In addition, because of the widespread substance abuse among mentally ill and homeless populations, the ASI has also been used among these groups. While we have collaborated with many workers on the use of the instrument with these populations; it should be clear that there are no reliability or validity studies of the instrument in these populations. This of course does not mean that the ASI is necessarily invalid with these groups, only that its test parameters have not been established. In fact, workers from these fields have turned to the ASI because they felt that no other suitable instrument was available. In cases where this is true, it is likely that the ASI would be a better choice than creating a totally new instrument. However, it is important to note circumstances that are likely to reduce the value of data from the ASI among these groups. For example, when used with a treatment seeking sample and an independent, trained interviewer, there is less reason for a potential substance abuser to misrepresent (even under these circumstances it still happens). In circumstances where individuals are being â€Å"evaluated for probation/parole or jail† there is obviously much more likelihood of misrepresentation. Similarly, when the ASI is used with psychiatrically ill substance abusers who are not necessarily seeking (and possibly avoiding) treatment, there is often reason to suspect denial, confusion and misrepresentation. Again, there is currently no suitabl e alternative instrument or procedure available that will insure valid, accurate responses under these conditions. The consistency checks built into the ASI may even be of some benefit in these circumstances. However, it is important to realize the limits of the instrument. Regardless, systematic tests of the reliability and validity of the ASI in populations of substance abusers within the criminal justice system and within the mental health system are necessary but have not been done and this is an open invitation to interested parties. A Special Note on Adolescent Populations – Despite the fact that we have repeatedly published warnings for potential users of the ASI regarding the lack of reliability, validity and utility of the instrument with adolescent populations there remain instances where the ASI has been used in this inappropriate manner. Again, the ASI is not appropriate for adolescents due to its underlying assumptions regarding self-sufficiency and because it simply does not address issues (eg. school, peer relations, family problems from the perspective of the adolescent, etc.) that are critical to an evaluation of adolescent problems. At this writing, there are two versions of the ASI that have been developed for adolescent populations and have shown at least initial evidence of reliability and validity in this population. A third instrument is not in the same format as the ASI but has shown excellent reliability and validity. Interested readers may contact these individuals directly for more information about these instruments. Kathy Meyers, Research Department, Carrier Foundation, Belle Meade, New Jersey â€Å"Carrier – Addiction Severity Index† or Yifrah Kaminer, Adolescent Chemical Dependency Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. â€Å"Teen – Addiction Severity Index† or Al Friedman, Adolescent Substance Abuse Program, Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia Psychiatric Center, Phila., Pa. â€Å"Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Diagnostic Assessment† ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE ASI Can I ask additional questions and/or delete some of the curr ent items? As indicated above, the ASI was designed to capture the minimum information necessary to evaluate the nature and severity of patients’ treatment problems at treatment admission and at follow-up. For this reason, we have always encouraged the addition of particular questions and/or additional instruments in the course of evaluating patients. In our own work we have routinely used the MAST, an AIDS questionnaire, additional family background questions and some self-administered psychological tests. We do not endorse the elimination or substitution of items currently on the ASI. Again, the ASI items (regardless of whether they are good or bad for particular individual needs) have been tested for reliability and validity as individual items and as part of the composite and/or severity scores. The elimination or substitution of existing items could significantly reduce the reliability and comparability of these ASI scores. It is possible to eliminate whole sections (problem areas) of the ASI if particular problems are not applicable for specific populations or the focus of specific treatment interventions. In the current version of the ASI and in this workbook, we have included a set of additional items and instruments that have been developed by us and others over the past ten years, to add information in areas that are now inadequately covered by the existing ASI questions. The items themselves are presented on the latest version of the form (See Appendix 1) and the specific instructions for asking these questions and for interpreting the answers are discussed in each of the problem areas in the Specific Instructions part of the workbook. It should be clear that we have not used these items in the calculation of the composite scores or in the determination of severity estimates. Obviously, the use of additional information for these purposes would alter the reliability and validity of the ASI and reduce the comparability of the resulting scores across sites and time points. Thus it is important to stress that the use of earlier ASI versions will still provide comparable data on the composite scores and on the majority of items, since they have not been changed or eliminated, only supplemented in the current version. In addition to these items, there has also been significant work over the past ten years in the development of general and specialized information collection interviews and questionnaires for substance abusers. Some of these instruments bear special note in that they can be used instead of or in addition to the ASI to provide enhanced or specialized information. Some of the more widely used and better validated instruments are presented below but the interested reader is advised to consult the tests and measurements literature for additional information.