12 Research Essay Topics on Behavioral Ecology

12 Research Essay Topics on Behavioral Ecology Research essays must be factual, interesting and informative. That way, they can show a student’s ability to think critically about the topic. If you are assigned with a research essay on animal behavioral ecology, these 12 interesting facts will inspire you to come up with an exciting topic and complement your research with cold, hard facts that will guarantee you a good grade. There is a handy list of direct reference sources at the end, so check them out for more materials for your research essay. Animals have to navigate through complex living environments throughout their entire lives. This is a challenging task, especially for group-living animals. Effective navigation and response to environmental variables requires the transmission of vital information within the group. The transmission of the information follows a certain pattern. This pattern or network is based on the relative spatial position of each individual. The interactions, which are mapped from the perspective of the spatial range of one individual, can be categorized by the definition of range: Metric Range: Interaction with all individuals present within a fixed distance Topological Range: Interaction with a set number of neighbors Voronoi Range: Interaction with neighbors located in a shell or plane Potential mates are also considered a resource in the animal kingdom. Animals compete for mates among other resources such as food and territory. To maximize their chances of producing offspring, animals will try to distribute themselves across the available mating pool. The mating strategies of the males within a species differ widely. This is because the specific tactics used for obtaining mates are very different within a specific specie as well as among same species living in different environments. Animal migrations are a fascinating and ecologically significant phenomenon. Species migrate from one trophic level to another to seek food and better breeding grounds. Fluctuating resources can be better exploited in this manner. Fast moving species such as birds benefit the most from this strategy and travel hundreds of miles when winter sets in and habitats become inhospitable. Animal social behaviors and the underlying neural processes are affected by specific attributes. Within animal groups, traits such as rank in the hierarchy, physical strength, ability to effectively defend resources, age, and participation in cooperative activities are major factors which come into play. Highly altruistic behaviors, such as cooperative foraging, are observed in some species. This seems to go against the classical ideas of natural selection. Animals will make use of signaling to direct members of their own species and create a shared food source. The reason for this behavior is that animals in groups realize that incurring a little cost to their individual selves is offset by the advantages offered by a highly-fit cooperative group. Patterns of parental care differ vastly amongst animal species. Factors that affect parental patterns can be ecological or physiological. Among invertebrates, there is a pattern of no parental care. This allows the parents to produce a large number of eggs, the fate of which is left to chance. On the other hand, the female of the bee species, L. figueresi, will stock its larvae cells with nectar and pollen and then die before the offspring would hatch. Some animals are brood parasites. They do not take care of their offspring. Instead they essentially trick an animal belonging to another specie into becoming a parenting-proxy for them. When the offspring is born, it monopolizes the host’s resources and competes with the other â€Å"siblings†. The most common example of a brood parasite is the common cuckoo. The cuckoo hatchling is quite an aggressive brood parasite because it ejects all the other host’s hatchlings out of the nest. Cowbirds, large blue butterfly and honeyguides are also brood parasites. Animals are known to cooperate with each other and have even learned to show highly altruistic behaviors in some cases. The main reason for this is that the individual can maximize its own fitness levels by cooperating with other animals. In order to understand animal behavior, Niko Tinbergen, one of the pioneers of the field says that one must consider the four main factors connected to the behavior. These factors can be posed in terms of ‘why’ questions. The phenomenon is adequately explained if all these four factors are understood. The cause of the behavior The developmental aspect The adaptive function or the advantage it serves The connection with the evolutionary history The parental care pattern of most birds is centered on desertion. In cases where food sources are plenty, one partner will remain to take care of the offspring. Sometimes populational and environmental factors also play a role in desertion. For instance, if a partner has a significant chance to gain another mate, they will abandon their offspring. A major concept in behavioral ecology is economic defendability. The term is used in scenarios where an animal is defending currently held resources, but for a cost. This cost is in terms of energy expended and risk of injury. There is a definite benefit connected to it as well: having quick access to the resource. An imbalance in the costs and benefits is the root cause of territorial behavior observed in animals. Male lions sometimes practice infanticide. When a new male lion takes over a pride, they will sometimes kill the cubs already present. This is a curious behavior that is explained from an evolutionary perspective. Behavioral ecologists assume that killing the cubs ensures that the females regain their reproductive condition much faster. If the cubs are allowed to live, lionesses will come into oestrus after 25 months. Killing the cubs shortens this time to about 9 months. As the reproductive life of a male is short, this behavior does give them an advantage. These facts should be enough to get your academic paper going. If you find this article helpful then you may also check our 20 topics and 1 sample essay on behavioral ecology as well as our guide on writing a research essay on this subject. References: Strandburg-Peshkin, A., Twomey, C.R., Bode, N.W., Kao, A.B., Katz, Y., Ioannou, C.C., Rosenthal, S.B., Torney, C.J., Wu, H., Levin, S.A. Couzin, I.D. (2013) Visual sensory networks and effective information transfer in animal groups, Current Biology 23(17), R709-711. [PDF] Dominey, Wallace (1984). Alternative Mating Tactics and Evolutionarily Stable Strategies. American Zoology 24 (2): 385–396. doi:10.1093/icb/24.2.385. Dorst, J. (2015). migration | animal. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 8 March 2016, from britannica.com/science/migration-animal 63 Hamilton, I.M. et al. (2005) Size differences within a dominance hierarchy influence conflict and help in a cooperatively breeding cichlid. Behaviour 142, 1591–1613 64 Clutton-Brock, T. (2002) Breeding together: kin selection and mutualism in cooperative vertebrates. Science 296, 69–72 Torney, C., Berdahl, A., Couzin, I. (2011). Signalling and the Evolution of Cooperative Foraging in Dynamic Environments. Plos Comput Biol, 7(9), e1002194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002194 Parker, G. (1979). Sexual selection and sexual conflict. In: Sexual Selection and Reproductive Competition in Insects (eds. M.S. Blum and N.A. Blum). Academic Press, New York: pp123-166. Chapman, T.; et al. (2003). Sexual Selection. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18: 41–47.doi:10.1016/s0169-5347(02)00004-6. Payne, R. B. 1997. Avian brood parasitism. In D. H. Clayton and J. Moore (eds.), Host-parasite evolution: General principles and avian models, 338–369. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Davies, Krebs, West, Nicholas B., John R., Stuart A. (2012). An Introduction to Behavioral Ecology. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 307–333. ISBN 978-1-4051-1416-5. Davies, N., Krebs, J., West, S. (2012). An introduction to behavioural ecology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Beissinger, S.R.; Snyder, N.F.R. (1987). Mate desertion in the snail kite. Animal Behaviour 35: 477–487.doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(87)80273-7. Brown, Jerram (June 1964). The evolution of diversity in avian territorial systems. The Wilson Bulletin 76 (2): 160–169. JSTOR 4159278. Davies, N., Krebs, J., West, S. (2012). An introduction to behavioural ecology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Chicago Lifestyle and Sustainability essays

Chicago Lifestyle and Sustainability essays As the world's population has grown it has become increasingly concentrated in large urban areas. The extent to which urbanization impacts the ecosystems of these cities is an important emerging area of study. Access to nature is vital to the physical, mental, emotional and social health of humans and their communities. Our increasing urbanization is depriving current and future generations of exposure to functional, productive green space, contributing to rising crime, violence, social alienation, poverty, hunger, and other individual and community-level dysfunctions (Kuo, 2001). This session will examine the effects of urbanization on Chicago, an older While it may seem strange to use the term "ecosystem" when discussing a major city, but urban ecosystems exist around the country (PBS, 2003). An urban ecosystem is the community of plants, animals, and humans that inhabit the urban environment. It is an area physically dominated by man- made structures, such as buildings, roads, sewers, and power lines. However, it also contains a rich patchwork of green spaces parks, yards, street plantings, greenways, urban streams, commercial landscaping, and undeveloped lots that make up the urban ecosystem. As separate and fragmented as these elements may appear, they collectively make up a single organism (PBS, 2003). The urban forest is one example. It is easy to imagine all of a city's trees whether in a park, on a street, in an undeveloped parcel, or in a backyard joined together in a citywide system, just as they appear to be when viewed from an airplane. This urban forest may be different than an undisturbed rural forest, but many of its There are major differences between urban ecosystems and other ecosystems that have been less dominated by humans (PBS, 2003). Urban ecosystems are typically highly disturbed sy...

The Strauss Car Rental Company. Reward management strategy Essay

The Strauss Car Rental Company. Reward management strategy - Essay Example In addition, it does not appear that a viable reward management system can be established by the human resources department, which is supposed to be in charge of matters concerning the treatment of workers, before changes are made in terms of communication between the senior management and ordinary workers. Kevin Pietersen, who has been in charge of the human resources department at Strauss, has not been emphatic in insisting that the company’s Board begin to consider the human resources company as a serious contributor to the goals of the company. From the information provided, human resources officials are not even invited to any meetings held by the board in which members consider serious issues and decide on regulations that will be followed in the organisation. For instance, the Strauss Car Rental’s Board is seriously considering redundancy programs and yet has not even elected to let the human resource department, which will be tasked with carrying out the practical aspects of this suggestion, know about the suggestion. Additionally, none of the workers have been informed about this, yet their lives will be irrevocably changed once this program is implemented. Kevin Pietersen, who runs the human resources department, also confirmed that the Board has decided on implementing plans without consulting the workforce, or the human resources department.

Domain Name System in Different Jurisdictions Term Paper

Domain Name System in Different Jurisdictions - Term Paper Example According to (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005, pp. 217-218), web addresses at Internet are acknowledged as domain names. The Domain Name System synchronizes the two main types of translations: website hostnames to IP (internet protocol) addresses as well as IP addresses into hostnames. The conversion of web-based IP addresses into website hostnames is indispensable if the remote machine presents confirmation or logging. In the working of the DNS, the Internet applications access DNS in the course of a resolver that is a software library connected by the application. A Domain Name System resolver interacts with one or more DNS servers to carry out these jobs on behalf of the application (Krishnan, 2004) and (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005). Basically, there are two levels of domain names. The first level is known as the top-level name like that amazon.com or phoenix.edu. While a second level name will be amazon.com/books or fuel.ac.uk. The top-level names are issu ed by central nonprofit companies that inspect the issues and potential violation of trademarks. Undoubtedly, organizations that sell products and services using Internet require customers to be capable to reach them without difficulty; therefore it is most excellent when the URL (web address) relates the organization’s name. However, troubles occur when a number of organizations that have matching names struggle for the same domain name. For instance, if a customer wants to reserve a room at a Holiday Inn hotel and the customer opens the URL ‘holidayinn.com’, and he finds the website for a hotel situated in Niagara Falls, New York. On the other hand, to go to the hotel chain’s website customer needs to open this URL holiday-inn.com, which looks similar. Furthermore, a number of cases of disputed name previously registered in the courts.

Response to Coments on DQ1 Smith and DQ2 Smith,WK2 Essay

Response to Coments on DQ1 Smith and DQ2 Smith,WK2 - Essay Example A way to determine whether the debt balance of a company is bad is by calculating the debt ratio and the current ratio. The debt ratio shows the ability of a company to pay off its long term debt, while the current ratio demonstrates the ability of a firm to pay off its short term debt. DQ2 The use of cash based accounting is more suitable for small operations that are highly dependent on the short term income to stay in business. An example would be a hot dog vendor. The hot dog vender uses the weekly sales to purchase more material to operate the next week. The hot dog vendor collects all his sales in cash. The majority of public corporations use accrued based accounting because they deal with large sums of money and numerous transactions. The existence of credit does not work in accounting unless the firm used an accrued based accounting system. In cash based accounting credit is not existent. Despite the differences between cash based accounting and accrued based accounting the a pplication of both systems will lead to the same accounting results. For example if the net income of a company is $10,000 under cash based accounting the use of accrued based accounting will also give a net profit of $10,000.

The Life and Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach

The Life and Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach The Life and Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach Many important figures have impacted and shaped the comprehensive history of western classical music. Even today, most laymen know of the names of the great classical composers like prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and can even identify some of the most iconic melodies such as the opening subject to Ludwig Van Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Surprisingly, these men of great talent all stem from the foundation set by one German composer: Johann Sebastian Bach. Now, the name J.S. Bach evokes the Baroque period of music and its influence can be seen throughout the works of later periods and other composers. With such a substantial impact, J.S. Bach in actuality had a very modest and local career and after Bach’s death, his music was almost completely forgotten. It was through his legacy among musicians and protà ©gà ©s which sparked a rekindling of Bach’s music and he now receives immense admiration and veneration for his technically challenging keyboard works, his pote nt liturgical works, and his vast amount of sheer repertoire. Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 31st, 1685, into a highly musical family. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the director of the town musicians and was skilled in the violin and harpsichord. J.S. Bach was the youngest of eight children all of whom were trained in harpsichord, violin, and basic music theory. Bach also had many uncles who were all professional musicians working as local organists, court chamber musicians, and composers. Thus, J.S. Bach was immersed in music from a young age and also was trained in music theory, composition, the harpsichord, clavichord, organ, and violin. In particular, his older brother Johann Christoph Bach, an organist at the St. Michael’s Church in Ohrdruf and pupil of Johann Pachelbel, became a prominent musical figure in J. S. Bach’s life and further engendered his passion for music. At the age of 14, Bach attended the prestigious St. Michael’s School in Luneburg, Germany where he was exposed to a wide variety of c ultural sounds such as the music of Northern and Southern Germany, Italy, and France. In 1703, J. S. Bach was appointed the position of court musician at the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst III in the city of Weimar but was unhappy with his work as he was often unsatisfied with the church choirs and the amount of composing he was responsible for. Thus, Bach and his family was required to travel and move in order to seek better job opportunities. However, unlike most musicians, who would travel all across Europe performing and making a living, Bach lived relatively local moving from town to town all within the confines of Germany. Bach often had ideological differences with his employer and he would compose some of his greatest works all in different cities and churches as well require to teach students. For instance, in 1723, Bach was appointed the Cantor of the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig where he served and composed till his death 27 years later. Bach was required to teach the students of the St. Thomas Church singing and keyboard. It was at this time that Bach wrote his Inventions and Sinfonias for keyboard, a collection of exercises that most pianists play even to this day in order to improve their technique, articulation, dexterity, precision, and speed. It was also as Thomaskantor that he wrote his Mass in B minor, considered to be one of the greatest choral works of all time. Johann Sebastian Bach died on July 28th, 1750 and although he was celebrated as an organist and harpsichordist, very few people beyond the city of Weimar knew of Bach’s compositions. It was only the great composers and keyboardist to keep Bach’s music alive in conservatories and libraries. Thus, the even the greatest of composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frederic Chopin, and Felix Mendelssohn, all revered Bach’s work as excellent keyboard music. This is because Bach’s music was one of the most highly technical for the era, another being the music of Bach’s contemporary, George Frederic Handel. During the Baroque period, keyboard instruments were often for accompaniment to harmonize and contrast with the string instruments of the orchestra. However, substantial advances for keyboard in result of Bach’s compositions led to more solo prominence in music as well as facilitated the invention of the pianoforte, now one of the most learned m usic instruments. Moreover, Bach has left not only a large amount of music manuscripts but also his legacy as a keyboardist, and composer of liturgical and secular music. Through his travels and his encounters with different cultures and colleagues within the Baroque Era, Bach was able to capitalize on both the aesthetic culture of the time and the variety of styles across countries. Also, as Bach had shifted positions and employers many times, he was required to create new music contextually depending on purpose and location. As Bach was a religiously devoted man, he wrote a numerous amount of chorales, pastoral songs, and congregational hymns for the choir and organ or harpsichord. As Bach began teaching and instructing, Bach began to write more works for keyboard that included a variety of preludes and fugues, toccatas, fantasies, and theme and variation works. Baroque music in general is classified by its heavily ornate technicality and grandiose sounds all within a systematically controlled framework. Thus, Bach’s music is highly articulate and technical a reason why the great pianists Felix Mendelssohn and Franz Liszt both practiced with Bach works and built upon his keyboard foundation. Bach also further developed German music through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic, and motivic organization, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms and textures. However, after Bach’s death, much of his music was deemed archaic and old-fashioned as new composers such as Franz Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven brought forth the new era of Classical music. Soon, most of the general public did not know of J. S. Bach’s name in the beginning of the 19th century. Many pivotal figures reincarnated Bach’s name through the years. First, Johann Nikolaus Forkel’s wrote the composer’s biography in 180 2. The pianist and composer, Felix Mendelssohn further popularized Bach’s name by arranging and performing the St. Matthew Passion. The performance proved to be successful as Bach’s name and reputation as a composer soon revived. By the 1850s, the Bach-Gesellschaft, or the Bach Society, was founded in order to further preserve Bach’s works and promote his repertoire. New works by Bach are still being found to this day. Bach’s enormous library of music is simply a testament to his diligence and creativity. With such music, Bach was able to pave a way for future musicians and composers. Through his advancement in keyboard work, Bach provided the technique for great pianists. With his teachings and instructions, many of his protà ©gà ©s moved on to become great Classical era composers. Even presently, Bach’s works are performed by the finest of performers and has become truly a household name for both musicians and laymen alike. Works Consulted â€Å"Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750). â€Å"Encyclopedia of world biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998 Grout, D. J. (1980) A history of western music. New York, NY: W. W. Norton Kerman, J. and G. Tomlinson (2012). Listen (7th edition). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s Kennedy, M. (2006) The Oxford dictionary of music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Kevorkian, T. â€Å"Bach Family.† Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the early modern world. Ed. Jonathan Dewald. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2004 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan Publishers, 1980. Randel, D. M. (2003) The Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Red Convertible Essay -- essays research papers

Perceptions & Deceptions: Life before and after Vietnam for Henry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever wanted to take the summer off from work and escape from reality in order to travel around the world without having any worries? Well this is what Henry and Lyman in the â€Å"Red Convertible† by Louise Erdrich decided to do one summer. Henry and Lyman are two brothers who grew up on the Indian reservation. They perceive life on the reservation as an ongoing circle with a harmonious atmosphere. During their trip to Montana and Alaska Henry and Lyman’s idea of a carefree life is only reinforced, but when Henry is sent to Vietnam this perception is surpassed by a new reality and changes Henry’s reactions to the surrounding circumstances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Henry and Lyman grew up on the reservation where life was peaceful and harmonious. The two brothers had a very close relationship growing up together and were able to expand their adolescence and simplicity with the purchase of the red convertible. A red convertible was not the typical car you would expect to see on the reservation but Henry and Lyman saw the car and bought it on a whim. They traveled to many different places with the car. The red convertible only let the two brothers enjoy their summer by taking them to many comfortable and peaceful places other than the reservation. One of the places they traveled to was filled with willows. â€Å"I remember I laid under those trees and it was comfortable. ...

Shadow Kiss Chapter 5

Five MOST DISCIPLINARY ISSUES AT the Academy went to Headmistress Kirova. She oversaw Moroi and dhampirs alike and was known for her creative and oft-used repertoire of punishments. She wasn't cruel, exactly, but she wasn't soft, either. She simply took student behavior seriously and dealt with it as she saw fit. There were some issues, however, that were beyond her jurisdiction. The school's guardians calling together a disciplinary committee wasn't unheard of, but it was very, very rare. You had to do something pretty serious to piss them off to get that sort of response. Like, say, willfully endangering a Moroi. Or hypothetically willfully endangering a Moroi. â€Å"For the last time,† I growled, â€Å"I didn't do it on purpose.† I sat in one of the guardians' meeting rooms, facing my committee: Alberta, Emil, and one of the other rare female guardians on campus, Celeste. They sat at a long table, looking imposing, while I sat in a single chair and felt very vulnerable. Several other guardians were sitting in and watching, but thankfully, none of my classmates were there to see this humiliation. Dimitri was among the watchers. He was not on the committee, and I wondered if they'd kept him off because of his potentially biased role as my mentor. â€Å"Miss Hathaway,† said Alberta, fully in her strict-captain mode, â€Å"you must know why we have a hard time believing that.† Celeste nodded. â€Å"Guardian Alto saw you. You refused to protect two Moroi – including the one whose protection you were specifically assigned to.† â€Å"I didn't refuse!† I exclaimed. â€Å"I†¦ fumbled.† â€Å"That wasn't a fumble,† said Stan from the watchers. He glanced at Alberta for permission to speak. â€Å"May I?† She nodded, and he turned back to me. â€Å"If you'd blocked or attacked me and then messed up, that would be a fumble. But you didn't block. You didn't attack. You didn't even try. You just stood there like a statue and did nothing.† Understandably, I was outraged. The thought that I would purposely leave Christian and Brandon to be â€Å"killed† by a Strigoi was ridiculous. But what could I do? I either confessed to screwing up majorly or to having seen a ghost. Neither option was appealing, but I had to cut my losses. One made me look incompetent. The other made me look insane. I didn't want to be associated with either of those. I much preferred my usual description of â€Å"reckless† and â€Å"disruptive.† â€Å"Why am I getting in trouble for messing up?† I asked tightly. â€Å"I mean, I saw Ryan mess up earlier. He didn't get in trouble. Isn't that the point of this whole exercise? Practice? If we were perfect, you'd already have unleashed us upon the world!† â€Å"Weren't you listening?† said Stan. I swore I could see a vein throbbing in his forehead. I think he was the only one there as upset as I was. At the very least, he was the only one (aside from me) showing his emotions. The others wore poker faces, but then, none of them had witnessed what had happened. If I'd been in Stan's place, I might have thought the worst of me too. â€Å"You didn't mess up, because ‘messing up' implies that you have to actually do something.† â€Å"Okay, then. I froze.† I looked at him defiantly. â€Å"Does that count as messing up? I cracked under the pressure and blanked out. It turns out I wasn't prepared. The moment came, and I panicked. It happens to novices all the time.† â€Å"To a novice who has already killed Strigoi?† asked Emil. He was from Romania, his accent a bit thicker than Dimitri's Russian one. It wasn't nearly as nice, though. â€Å"It seems unlikely.† I dealt out glares to him and everyone else in the room. â€Å"Oh, I see. After one incident, I'm now expected to be an expert Strigoi killer? I can't panic or be afraid or anything? Makes sense. Thanks, guys. Fair. Real fair.† I slumped back in my seat, arms crossed over my chest. There was no need to fake bitchy defiance. I had plenty of it to dish out. Alberta sighed and leaned forward. â€Å"We're arguing semantics. Technicalities aren't the point here. What's important is that this morning, you made it very clear you did not want to guard Christian Ozera. In fact †¦ I think you even said you wanted us to be sure we knew that you were doing it against your will and that we'd soon see what a horrible idea it was.† Ugh. I had said that. Honestly, what had I been thinking? â€Å"And then, when your first test comes around, we find you completely and utterly unresponsive.† I nearly flew out of my chair. â€Å"That's what this is about? You think I didn't protect him because of some kind of weird revenge thing?† All three of them stared at me expectantly. â€Å"You aren't exactly known for calmly and gracefully accepting things you don't like,† she replied wryly. This time, I did stand up, pointing my finger at her accusingly. â€Å"Not true. I have followed every rule Kirova laid down for me since coming back here. I've gone to every practice and obeyed every curfew.† Well, I'd fudged some of the curfews but not willfully. It had always been for the greater good. â€Å"There's no reason I'd do this as some kind of revenge! What good would it do? Sta – Guardian Alto wasn't going to really hurt Christian, so it's not like I'd get to see him punched or anything. The only thing I would accomplish is getting dragged into the middle of something like this and possibly facing removal from the field experience.† â€Å"You are facing removal from the field experience,† replied Celeste flatly. â€Å"Oh.† I sat down, suddenly not feeling as bold. Silence hung in the room for several moments, and then I heard Dimitri's voice speak from behind me. â€Å"She has a point,† he said. My heart thumped loudly in my chest. Dimitri knew I wouldn't take revenge like that. He didn't think I was petty. â€Å"If she were going to protest or take revenge, she'd do it in a different way.† Well, not too petty, at least. Celeste frowned. â€Å"Yes, but after the scene she made this morning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dimitri took a few steps forward and stood beside my chair. Having his solid presence nearby comforted me. I had a flash of d? ¦j? ¤ vu, back to when Lissa and I had returned to the Academy last autumn. Headmistress Kirova had nearly expelled me, and Dimitri had stood up for me then too. â€Å"This is all circumstantial,† he said. â€Å"Regardless of how suspicious you think it looks, there's no proof. Removing her from the experience – and essentially ruining her graduation – is a bit extreme without any certainties.† The committee looked thoughtful, and I focused my attention on Alberta. She had the most power here. I'd always liked her, and in our time together, she'd been strict but always scrupulously fair. I hoped that would still hold true. She beckoned Celeste and Emil toward her, and the other two guardians leaned closer. They had a whispered conference. Alberta gave a resigned nod, and the others leaned back. â€Å"Miss Hathaway, do you have anything you'd like to say before we tell you our conclusions?† That I'd like to say? Hell, yeah. There were tons of things. I wanted to say that I wasn't incompetent. I wanted to tell them that I was one of the best novices here. I wanted to tell them that I had seen Stan coming and had been on the verge of reacting. I especially wanted to tell them that I didn't want to have this mark on my record. Even if I stayed in the field experience, I'd essentially have an F for this first test. It would affect my overall grade, which could subsequently affect my future. But again, what choice did I have? Tell them that I'd seen a ghost? The ghost of a guy who'd had a major crush on me and who had quite likely died because of that crush? I still didn't know what was going on with these sightings. One time I could write off to exhaustion†¦but I'd seen him – or it – twice now. Was he real? My higher reasoning said no, but honestly, it didn't matter at the moment. If he was real and I told them, they'd think I was crazy. If he wasn't real and I told them, they'd think I was crazy – and they'd be right. I couldn't win here. â€Å"No, Guardian Petrov,† I said, hoping I sounded meek. â€Å"Nothing more to add.† â€Å"All right,† she said wearily. â€Å"Here's what we've decided. You're lucky you have Guardian Belikov to advocate for you, or this decision might have been different. We're giving you the benefit of the doubt. You'll go on with the field experience and continue to guard Mr. Ozera. You'll just be on a probation of sorts.† â€Å"That's okay,† I said. I'd been on probation for most of my academic life. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"And,† she added. Uh-oh. â€Å"Because the suspicion isn't entirely removed, you'll be spending your day off this week doing community service.† I jumped out of my chair again. â€Å"What?† Dimitri's hand wrapped around my wrist, his fingers warm and controlling. â€Å"Sit down,† he murmured in my ear, tugging me toward the chair. â€Å"Take what you can get.† â€Å"If that's a problem, we can make it next week too,† warned Celeste. â€Å"And the next five after that.† I sat down and shook my head. â€Å"I'm sorry. Thank you.† The hearing dispersed, and I was left feeling weary and beaten. Had only one day gone by? Surely the happy excitement I'd felt before the field experience had been weeks ago and not this morning. Alberta told me to go find Christian, but Dimitri asked if he could have some time alone with me. She agreed, no doubt hoping he'd set me on the straight and narrow. The room emptied, and I thought he'd sit and talk to me then and there, but instead he walked over to a small table that held a water dispenser, coffee, and other beverages. â€Å"You want some hot chocolate?† he asked. I hadn't expected that. â€Å"Sure.† He dumped four packets of instant hot chocolate into two Styrofoam cups and then added in hot water. â€Å"Doubling it is the secret,† he said when the cups were full. He handed me mine, along with a wooden stirrer, and then walked toward a side door. Presuming I was supposed to follow him, I scurried to catch up without spilling my hot chocolate. â€Å"Where are we – oh.† I stepped through the doorway and found myself in a little glass-enclosed porch filled with small patio tables. I'd had no idea this porch was adjacent to the meeting room, but then, this was the building the guardians conducted all campus business out of. Novices were rarely allowed. I also hadn't realized the building was built around a small courtyard, which was what this porch looked out to. In the summer, I imagined one could open the windows and be surrounded in greenery and warm air. Now, encased in glass and frost, I felt like I was in some kind of an ice palace. Dimitri swept his hand over a chair, brushing off dust. I did the same and sat down opposite him. Apparently this room didn't see a lot of use in the winter. Because it was enclosed, the room was warmer than outdoors, but it wasn't heated otherwise. The air felt chilly, and I warmed my hands on my cup. Silence fell between Dimitri and me. The only noise came from me blowing on my hot chocolate. He drank his right away. He'd been killing Strigoi for years. What was a little scalding water here and there? As we sat, and the quiet grew, I studied him over the edge of my cup. He wasn't looking at me, but I knew he knew I was watching. Like every other time I looked at him, I was always struck by his looks first. The soft dark hair that he often tucked behind his ears without realizing it, hair that never quite wanted to stay in its tie at the back of his neck. His eyes were brown too, somehow gentle and fierce at the same time. His lips had that same contradictory quality, I realized. When he was fighting or dealing with something grim, those lips would flatten and turn hard. But in lighter times †¦ when he laughed or kissed†¦well, then they'd become soft and wonderful. Today, more than his exterior hit me. I felt warm and safe just being with him. He brought comfort after my terrible day. So often with other people, I felt a need to be the center of attention, to be funny and always have something clever to say. It was a habit I needed to shake to be a guardian, seeing as that job required so much silence. But with Dimitri, I never felt like I had to be anything more than what I already was. I didn't have to entertain him or think up jokes or even flirt. It was enough to just be together, to be so completely comfortable in each other's presence – smoldering sexual tension aside – that we lost all sense of self-consciousness. I exhaled and drank my cocoa. â€Å"What happened out there?† he asked at last, meeting my gaze. â€Å"You didn't crack under the pressure.† His voice was curious, not accusatory. He wasn't treating me as a student right now, I realized. He was regarding me as an equal. He simply wanted to know what was going on with me. There was no discipline or lecturing here. And that just made it all the worse when I had to lie to him. â€Å"Of course it was,† I told him, looking down into my cup. â€Å"Unless you believe I really did let Stan ‘attack' Christian.† â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"I don't believe that. I never did. I knew you'd be unhappy when you found out about the assignments, but I never once doubted that you'd do what you'd have to for this. I knew you wouldn't let your personal feelings get in the way of your duty.† I looked up again and met his eyes, so full of faith and absolute confidence in me. â€Å"I didn't. I was mad†¦Still am a little. But once I said I'd do it, I meant it. And after spending some time with him†¦well, I don't hate him. I actually think he's good for Lissa, and he cares about her, so I can't get upset about that. He and I just clash sometimes, that's all†¦ but we did really well together against the Strigoi. I remembered that while I was with him today, and arguing against this assignment just seemed stupid. So I decided to do the best job I could.† I hadn't meant to talk so much, but it felt good to let out what was inside of me, and the look on Dimitri's face would have gotten me to say anything. Almost anything. â€Å"What happened then?† he asked. â€Å"With Stan?† I averted my eyes and played with my cup again. I hated keeping things from him, but I couldn't tell him about this. In the human world, vampires and dhampirs were creatures of myth and legend – bedtime stories to scare children. Humans didn't know we were real and walking the earth. But just because we were real didn't mean that every other story-time paranormal creature was. We knew that and had our own myths and bedtime stories about things we didn't believe in. Werewolves. Bogeymen. Ghosts. Ghosts played no real role in our culture, short of being fodder for pranks and campfire tales. Ghosts inevitably came up on Halloween, and some legends endured over the years. But in real life? No ghosts. If you came back after death, it was because you were a Strigoi. At least, that's what I'd always been taught. I honestly didn't know enough now to say what was going on. Me imagining Mason seemed more likely than him being a true ghost, but man, that meant I might seriously be heading into crazy territory. All this time I'd worried about Lissa losing it. Who had known it might be me? Dimitri was still watching me, waiting for an answer. â€Å"I don't know what happened out there. My intentions were good †¦ I just†¦ I just messed up.† â€Å"Rose. You're a terrible liar.† I glanced up. â€Å"No, I'm not. I've told a lot of good lies in my life. People have believed them.† He smiled slightly. â€Å"I'm sure. But it doesn't work with me. For one thing, you won't look me in the eye. As for the other†¦ I don't know. I can just tell.† Damn. He could tell. He just knew me that well. I stood up and moved to the door, keeping my back to him. Normally, I treasured every minute with him, but I couldn't stick around today. I hated lying, but I didn't want to tell the truth either. I had to leave. â€Å"Look, I appreciate you being worried about me†¦but really, it's okay. I just messed up. I'm embarrassed about it – and sorry I put your awesome training to shame – but I'll rebound. Next time, Stan's ass is mine.† I hadn't even heard him get up, but suddenly, Dimitri was right behind me. He placed a hand on my shoulder, and I froze in front of the door leading out. He didn't touch me anywhere else. He didn't try to pull me closer. But, oh, that one hand on my shoulder held all the power in the world. â€Å"Rose,† he said, and I knew he was no longer smiling. â€Å"I don't know why you're lying, but I know you wouldn't do it without a good reason. And if there's something wrong – something you're afraid to tell the others – â€Å" I spun around rapidly, somehow managing to pivot in place in such a way that his hand never moved yet ended up on my other shoulder. â€Å"I'm not afraid,† I cried. â€Å"I do have my reasons, and believe me, what happened with Stan was nothing. Really. All of this is just something stupid that got blown out of proportion. Don't feel sorry for me or feel like you have to do anything. What happened sucks, but I'll just roll with it and take the black mark. I'll take care of everything. I'll take care of me.† It took all of my strength just then not to shake. How had this day gotten so bizarre and out of control? Dimitri didn't say anything. He just looked down at me, and the expression on his face was one I'd never seen before. I couldn't interpret it. Was he mad? Disapproving? I just couldn't tell. The fingers on my shoulder tightened slightly and then relaxed. â€Å"You don't have to do this alone,† he said at last. He sounded almost wistful, which made no sense. He was the one who'd been telling me for so long that I needed to be strong. I wanted to throw myself into his arms just then, but I knew I couldn't. I couldn't help a smile. â€Å"You say that†¦but tell me the truth. Do you go running to others when you have problems?† â€Å"That's the not the same – â€Å" â€Å"Answer the question, comrade.† â€Å"Don't call me that.† â€Å"And don't avoid the question either.† â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"I try to deal with my problems on my own.† I slipped away from his hand. â€Å"See?† â€Å"But you have a lot of people in your life you can trust, people who care about you. That changes things.† I looked at him in surprise. â€Å"You don't have people who care about you?† He frowned, obviously rethinking his words. â€Å"Well, I've always had good people in my life†¦and there have been people who cared about me. But that doesn't necessarily mean I could trust them or tell them everything.† I was often so distracted by the weirdness of our relationship that I rarely thought about Dimitri as someone with a life away from me. He was respected by everyone on campus. Teachers and students alike knew him as one of the deadliest guardians here. Whenever we ran into guardians from outside the school, they always seemed to know and respect him too. But I couldn't recall ever having seen him in any sort of social setting. He didn't appear to have any close friends among the other guardians – just coworkers he liked. The friendliest I'd ever seen him get with someone had been when Christian's aunt, Tasha Ozera, visited. They'd known each other for a long time, but even that hadn't been enough for Dimitri to pursue once her visit was over. Dimitri was alone an awful lot, I realized, content to hole up with his cowboy novels when not working. I felt alone a lot, but in truth, I was almost always surrounded by people. With him being my teacher, I tended to view things as one-sided: He was the one always giving me something, be it advice or instruction. But I gave him something too, something harder to define – a connection with another person. â€Å"Do you trust me?† I asked him. The hesitation was brief. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Then trust me now, and don't worry about me just this once.† I stepped away, out of the reach of his arm, and he didn't say anything more or try to stop me. Cutting through the room that I'd had the hearing in, I headed for the building's main exit, tossing the remnants of my hot chocolate in a garbage can as I walked past.

Hardys novel The Mayor of Casterbridge Essays

Hardys novel The Mayor of Casterbridge Essays Hardys novel The Mayor of Casterbridge Paper Hardys novel The Mayor of Casterbridge Paper Essay Topic: Literature In Hardys novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge, the theme of Patriarchal Victorian morality is explored through the different characters. In light of Lucettas character, the extent to which it can be agreed that Hardy reveals his dissatisfaction with patriarchal Victorian morality will be discussed. Hardy uses Lucettas emotions to reveal his dissatisfaction with patriarchal Victorian morality. Lucetta is indeed an emotionally volatile character, who is lonely and in a way, desperate. In Henchards reminisces about Lucetta, it is learnt that they were involved in a highly scandalous affair which was off course, ruin to her. This is structurally important as first, the reader learns Henchards perspective, yet, she is then publically humiliated, which further captures her vulnerable character. The reader is encouraged to see Lucetta in a moral light. Additionally, we see her sympathising with Susan, as Lucetta does visit her grave. Hardy writes The personage was in mourning like herself, was about her age and size, and might have been her wraith or double and the imagery created through words such as mourning is important, as we see that Lucetta identifies the tragic circumstances of the life of a Victorian woman, therefore, Hardy is bringing into question Victorian Patriarchal morality. Hardy further brings into question Victorian patriarchal morality, by Lucettas opprobrium in Jersey, and evoking to the reader how she has changed through that experience. Through Elizabeths eyes, the reader sees that Lucetta has a public persona of sophistication which is false. : For example, upon first seeing Lucetta, Elizabeth allowed herself the pleasure of feeling fascinated, the omniscient narrator further commenting that The stumpy and practical walk of honest homeliness which mostly prevailed there, the two styles of dress whereabouts equally avouched that this figure was no Caster bridges womans which highlights Lucettas false public persona of sophistication, a result, of yet again, Victorian patriarchal morality. Hardy, however, portrays the harsh reality of Victorian patriarchal morality through the fact that she has manipulated and concealed the truth. In one of the early letters she writes to Henchard, Lucetta writes I thus look upon the whole as a misfortune of mine, and not a fault of yours. So that, Michael, I must ask you to overlook those letters with which I pestered you day after day in the heat of my feelings. This clearly evokes that her reputation is in ruins, and her response to this shows that she has learnt the values, and knows that if she breaks them, there will be social repercussions, therefore, she only asks for the letters to protect herself from further public humiliation. Hardy further emphasises his dissatisfaction with Victorian patriarchal morality through Lucettas tragic destruction by the skimmity ride. According to critics, this idea is indeed rather collusive with Marxist theories, as the Casterbridge proletariat become avenged in folk-ritual, planning the skimmity ride, which triggers an epileptic fit in Lucetta. Furthermore, feminists would argue that her manner of death by falling to the floor in epileptic seizures could be reductive in itself, portraying that women were viewed as emotionally weak. This also creates a contrast to Elizabeth-Jane, as she is a stronger, stoic, and an emotionally stronger character when compared to Lucetta. Therefore, Hardy is bringing into question Victorian morality through Lucettas suffering. Hardy further encourages the reader to echo his cynical view on Victorian patriarchal morality by employing an effective use of setting. Lucettas place, High-Street Hall is rich in symbolism, effective in conveying Hardys dissatisfaction with Victorian patriarchal morality. For example, Hardy writes It was not altogether aristocratic, still less consequential, yet the old-fashioned stranger instinctively said blood built it and wealth enjoys it. The latter part of Hardys comment, suggests the oppression of poor people, which is rather collusive, yet again, of Marxist theories. Furthermore, the house is clearly allegorical of Lucetta herself. Its location so near the centre of town suggests that Lucetta is thrown into the heart of the novel, by this point. Hardys intricate description of High-Street Hall further highlights the intrigue that Lucetta brings to the novel. Hardy starts of his description of the Hall by writing The Hall, with its grey facade and parapet was the only residence of its sort so near the centre of town, and the facade is not only capturing Hardys own clear interest in intricate architecture, but it also clearly symbolic of Lucetta, and her mysterious and sophisticated character. The intrigue of the ever-looming shadow of her past is further shown through words such as stranger, which accentuates the mysterious nature of her past with Henchard. Therefore, through symbolising Lucettas suffering through the house, Hardy is revealing how she has indeed suffered because of patriarchal Victorian morality However, feminists argue that Hardy fails to overcome the ideology of Victorian patriarchal morality. His description of Victorian women, like Elizabeth and Lucetta is very aesthetic-oriented. For example, he describes Lucettas appearance as an artistic perfection focusing highly on her looks. This shows how Victorian women (especially middle class) were expected to look perfect. Feminists would argue that Hardys aesthetically-oriented narrative of women is degrading in itself; therefore, he remains collusive with the ideology of Victorian patriarchal morality, making the statement agreeable. Overall, this statement can be agreed to a great extent. Lucettas character brings light to the fact that Casterbridge is after all, a society of twisted morality. The skimmity ride is the ultimate shameful act which destroys Lucetta, showing that the ever-looming shadow of her past she is not really accepted in Casterbridge, and she does suffer opprobrium. Therefore, Hardy is revealing his dissatisfaction with Victorian Patriarchal morality. The statement is further agreeable, because through the aesthetically oriented description Hardy does ultimately fail to overcome the ideology of Victorian patriarchal morality.

How the Prologue in Romeo and Juliet Prepares the Audience for the Play Essay Example

How the Prologue in Romeo and Juliet Prepares the Audience for the Play Essay Example How the Prologue in Romeo and Juliet Prepares the Audience for the Play Essay How the Prologue in Romeo and Juliet Prepares the Audience for the Play Essay The prologue to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’ prepares the audience by doing a short sum-up of the drama so it gets the audience believing about what the narrative is about. The prologue is a sonnet which is a 14 line verse form. it is besides known as an English. elizabethan sonnet which contains 3 quatrains and a rhymed pair. A sonnet is normally a love verse form and that is precisely what Romeo and Juliet’ is approximately. The first quatrain of the sonnet is about the feud and struggle between the two households. Both of the households have the same position both likewise in dignity’ but they seem to be keeping a grudge’ against each other. we aren’t told what causes the hatred within the two houses but it is at that place and drags the families into battles this is particulaly shown in line 4 where civil blood make civil custodies unclean’ the word blood’ is intending that decease and hurts occur due to the feud the households have. Civil’ is meant to intend poliet or just which is a spot dry since there isn’t any niceness. The 2nd quatrain is about the lovers. Romeo and Juliet. and their deceases. From forth the fatal pubess of these two foes’ this line is stating that the two family enemies have produced a brace of lovers. this is chiefly emphasised in the phrase fatal loins’ this implies that these being in love is lifelessly and they are besides involved with the feud of their parents. It besides means that their destiny has been decided and that decease will be their fate. The 2nd line A brace of star cross’d lovers take their life this is connoting that the stars which is intending their fates. since they believed that stars told their fate like horoscopes. so being star cross’d lovers means that their fates are entwined but they are besides against each other due to the feud. The last line of the 2nd quatrain doth with their decease bury their parents’ strife’ this shows that in order to stop the feud the deceases of Romeo and Juliet seem to take affect on their parents. The following quatrain is about both love and hatred. The first line The fearful transition of their death-marked love’ this means that all the events that they go through will take them them to their fates of decease. The 2nd line says that their parents choler is something that isn’t easy to take away but in the following line which but their children’s terminal. zero could remove’ this means that the lone thing they can’t halt is their children’s decease and it was caused by their hatred to one another. The last line is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage’ this implies that the events that they have mentioned will now take topographic point on the phase by the histrions. The riming pair is the last to lines of the sonnet. The which. if you with patient ears attend. what here shall lose. our labor shall endeavor to repair. ’ These two lines are now directed to the audience and that now they are traveling to demo them the drama if they are willing to remain. The phrase patient ears attend’ show that because they are on a phase they don’t normally use scenery so you have to listen and utilize their imaginativeness to assist what is go oning. In decision the prologue to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’ prepare the audience for the drama by adverting the cardinal facts to the drama so they know what to anticipate when that peculiar event is being performed besides it helps to explicate the parts of the drama which seem to be a enigma like the parents hatred. the audience would non cognize that the two households are meant to be sharing the same position merely that there are two groups who don’t like each other. It besides prepares the audience like a warning stating that decease will happen in the drama every bit good as love and hatred.

Case study - The Virgin- The global enterpreneur Essay

Case study - The Virgin- The global enterpreneur - Essay Example Virgin Galactic could essentially pursue investment and growth under the Directional Policy Matrix. This implies a high business strength and high industry attractiveness. The ultimate goal and objective Virgin Galactic is highly creative and innovative. Suborbital space business is yet to realize the start of its exploitation. The company has identified the underlying business opportunity, and can move swiftly to exploit the market before numerous entries are made. To do this, Virgin Galactic has to make substantial investments in the project as it continues to pursue its growth strategies. The investment and growth factor would require that Virgin Galactic rank high and strong in long-term market attractiveness and SBU strength respectively. In this respect, market size and market share are critical factors to consider. The passenger service line that Virgin Galactic is persistently pursuing is an extremely expensive investment. In order to maintain a favourable business portfolio, investment returns from the project would also be expected to be high (Shahi & Greco, 2008, p.81). As a result, the target market becomes the high and mighty. The implication here is that the market size and market share could be relatively small, but the returns could be substantially high. The Virgin SBU, Virgin Galactic, bases its operations in a business line that is substantially risky to invest in (Otto, 2010, p.58). On the same note, the costs involved, operational technicalities, and the underlying technological factors further limits the number of players in this business. Consequently, the market share only accounts for those consumers who can afford the passenger services once launched. Notably, the company and market potential strengthens the SBU’s operations now and in future. Moreover, the corporate parent enjoys a substantial financial resource base and competent management. As earlier noted, the market size in the spaceflights industry is relatively small.

Keeshig-Tobias's and his love for boxing Research Paper

Keeshig-Tobias's and his love for boxing - Research Paper Example   Boxing was his life as he sought to beat the world. Nevertheless, boxing meant something else for Keeshig-Tobias. She knew of her father boxing at a young age and she was not convinced as to why her father was into boxing despite his age, family commitments, and lack of earnings from the sport. Keeshig-Tobias's father was a young man who struggled with his family and was loved and hated by his family in equal measure. His family and especially his daughter Keeshig-Tobias struggled to understand him to no avail. He was a man of mixed feelings and his love for boxing was a mystery.Keeshig-Tobias learnt something as he grew more mature that changed her relationship with her father. She learned that her father was actually fighting the world and had nothing to mistreat them. She learned that it was out of struggles that he behaves in an undefined manner and that she cannot engage him behind his back but must face him (Lanette 285). After learning this, their relationship changed trem endously in that she started practicing boxing also, they started talking, they opened up to one another, and they understood and trusted each other. It is arguably true that what Keeshig-Tobias experiences with her father are not unique. Indeed, many families are in the same situation where children cannot understand the lives of their parents as they struggle to sustain their families. However, as seen in this story, with time, it all comes out clear and families can relate at ease when the children mature.