Unemployment in 1930s Britain

Unemployment in 1930s Britain Examine the problems facing families living in areas of high unemployment in Britain in the 1930s Introduction The inter-war period is truly one of a double-edged transition. On the one hand, this period was to see the beginnings of revolution in many social institutions (such as marriage, family and the Church) that the men and women of the late Victorian era would have taken for granted. The inter-war period (which provided the necessary societal bases for the post-war creation of the Welfare State) also saw economic expansion and an improvement in welfare and living standards; infant mortality steadily decreased during the inter-war period, from 108 per 1000 live births in 1913, to 53 by 1938 (Thorpe, p.57, 1994) and the advent of mass consumerism and the wide-spread potential for leisure and tourism amongst Britons, in other words, hall-marks of a society in the process of modernisation (Stevenson, 1984). On the other hand, there is a darker side to this vision of untrammelled progress. The inter-war period has been characterised sinisterly as â€Å"the devil’s decade† (Stevenson, p.266, 1984). This epithet was bestowed on account of the image this decade has of general unemployment, which led to wide-spread impoverishment and Hunger Marches. The Wall Street Crash of 1929, which halted the American economic upsurge of the 1920s, led to a world-wide economic slump, and is the watershed for the mass unemployment that was to pervade Britain in the 1930s; for the eighteen years between 1921-1938, the official figure for unemployment never fell below one million (Harris, p.203, 1994). Britain’s worst years for unemployment were after 1931, a crisis year, because the disaster of the Wall Street Crash of 1929 had had time to take effect. In the winter of 1932-3, unemployment reached its highest peak, with just under three million workers (representing a quarter of the re gistered workforce) unemployed (Thorpe, p.88, 1994). As with any period of economic stagnation, unemployment brings with it a range of knock-on social problems for the family unit. Structural Unemployment Unemployment can be categorised as either cyclical or structural. The former is the type of unemployment that comes and goes in phases. It is linked with the economic cycle of boom and bust; when the economy is in boom, then unemployment in certain sectors will temporarily reduce, though the converse also holds. In the 1930s, which saw quite a dramatic economic cycle of boom and bust, cyclical unemployment was always a large and difficult problem. However, the problem of cyclical unemployment, being more immediately noticeable, is one that can easily mask an underlying problem of structural unemployment. This is the unemployment that still obtains, despite any periods of high economic activity. For example, even in those years of peak economic activity in the inter-war period, there was still a high level of unemployment in the staple export trades. For example, even before the world-wide economic crisis of 1929-1931, the traditional heavy industries, such as ship-building and coal-m ining, also faced high levels of unemployment. By 1929, a fifth of all coalminers were unemployed, and likewise for those workers in the iron and steel industries (Stevenson, p.269, 1984). The structural unemployment in these kinds of heavy industries, perhaps where a mine was abandoned or disused, for example, brought about the typical pattern of localised unemployment during the 1930s. The era saw depressed regions, where the local economy was dependent on heavy industry. In a region such as the north-east, with a strong and steady history of heavy industry, unemployment hit hard, as can be seen from the emotive Jarrow March to London, organised in 1936 by the local council, to draw attention to the problem of high unemployment, particularly in the heavy industry of ship-building (Thorpe, p.176, 1994). Poverty Contemporary commentators on 1930s Britain regarded the high unemployment of their time as a frightening new development. As a result, their anxieties reveal themselves in the large number of social investigations into the causes of poverty (defined as not having enough income to maintain health) and the impact of unemployment on families, and thence on societies. These studies helped to raise awareness of the plight of the unemployed, and to a large extent, provided the momentum for the social change that dawned after the Second World War (Harris, p.213, 1994). Poverty was not necessarily an immediate consequence of unemployment: some unemployed workers found that their benefits provided a more consistent wage compared to what they used to earn from insecure, seasonal labour. However, this was only a minority. The majority found that unemployment brought with it a drop in income. Thus, in order to supplement their income, many workers relied on their savings, or found themselves inc reasingly reliant on other methods in order to make ends meet. At the same time, it was found that unemployment was the major contributing factor towards the poverty of a household: in 1936, Seebohm Rowntree found that 86.4 per cent of the unemployed families living in York were living below the poverty line (Harris, p.214, 1994). Health and Malnutrition As might be expected, one of the more immediate consequences of living below the poverty line is worsened health and malnutrition. Rowntree also made detailed investigation into the health and diet of unemployed families, and compared them with that of the populace as a whole. His concluded that the families of the unemployed survived on a diet which was to all extents worse than that of those employed (Rowntree, p.182-5, 1941). Other studies of this period showed that unemployment had led to a higher incidence of childhood diseases (Harris, p.214, 1994), though it was difficult to prove conclusively that unemployment was significantly affecting infection rates of poverty-linked diseases (such as TB or anaemia). All in all, it could only be conclusively shown that unemployment did have a profound effect on the standards of nutrition, leading in some cases to severe malnutrition (Stevenson, p.283-4, 1984). Mental Health Though the main focus of much contemporary commentary was on the adverse effects unemployment placed on physical health, the deterioration of the mental health of the unemployed was also noted. At a time when the study of psychology was incipient, commentators still took account of the stark impact being out of work could have on self-esteem, and they also characterised the period following unemployment as falling into stages ranging from optimism that a new job could be found, to pessimism and possible suicidal feelings, when work was difficult or impossible to come by: Home Office Statistics of 1930 showed that two unemployed men were committing suicide every day (Stevenson, p.287, 1984) though care should be taken in attributing unemployment as the sole factor in suicide. No doubt unemployment had a part to play in the decision of a few to commit suicide, though this is only the extreme of a general feeling of malaise, boredom, hopelessness and shame that accompanied the status of unemployed. Many workers, especially the more skilled middle-classes who found themselves unemployed, reported a feeling of shame at finding themselves in that condition. Some men disliked to reveal their unemployment to their wives, and tried to conceal it for a while as best they could (Stevenson, p.286, 1984). Conclusion In dealing with a diffuse social problem such as unemployment, it is imperative not to draw hard and fast historical conclusions. Certainly, generalisations can be made, in that unemployment had a profound and long-lasting effect on those who were forced into this economic circumstance. However, unemployment, and the coping mechanisms used to deal with it, meant different things to different people. It is also the case that the related social problems linked to unemployment, namely those of poverty, malnutrition and depressed mental health, are all relative measures. It is true to say that the effects of unemployment were felt so keenly precisely because living standards had generally been on the increase since the dawn of the twentieth century. It was, however, the shocking social experiences of 1930s Britain that provided the catalyst for the creation of the Welfare State and other social reconstructions after the Second World War, and ignited the post-war aspiration to create a be tter, more equitable, society for all. Bibliography Harris, B., Unemployment and the Dole in Interwar Britain 203-220 in P. Johnson (ed.), 20th Century Britain: Economic, Social and Cultural Change (Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman Ltd., 1994) Rowntree, B.S., Poverty and Progress: A Second Social Survey of York (London, 1941) Stevenson, J., British Society 1914-1945 The Pelican Social History of Britain, J.H.Plumb (ed.), (London: Penguin Books Ltd., 1984) Thorpe, A., The Longman Companion To: Britain in the era of the two World Wars 1914-1945 (London: Longman Group Ltd., 1994)

Jackie Robinson Essays -- Sports, Dodgers, First Black Player

Throughout his professional career, Jackie Robinson, received criticism for being the first â€Å"black† player to play the game. Not only did Jackie Robinson manage to live up to the criticism, he also changed the face of America’s greatest past time forever. With his entrance into the MLB he opened the path for great black players like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, and Ozzie Smith just to name a few. In crossing the color-barrier in baseball Robinson not only strived as a great player on the field, but also a inspiration to the black community of the field with his humility, and willingness to move forward in a time where blacks were not considered â€Å"equal†. Jackie Robinson was one of the most profound individuals to ever walk on this earth. Robinson established a reputation as a man who never tolerated insults to his dignity (Kahn 6). One of his accomplishments was entering the major leagues and is one of the most remarkable and inspiring accomplishments in sports history. When Robinson became the first black to play in Major League Baseball, he changed Americans’ views on racism forever. Robinson was born the youngest of five children near Cairo, Georgia, on January 31, 1919. Robinson’s father, a sharecropper, left the family when Robinson was only about 2 years old. His mother, named Mallie McGriff Robinson, moved to Pasadena, California, to find work. (James 5) Trouble found Robinson at an early age, when he became a member of the Pasadena gang (7). At that school, he played several sports. He even lettered in: track, baseball, football, and basketball. His largest inspiration was most likely his older brother Matthew. He was a shortstop and catcher on the baseball team, a quarterback on the football team, a guard... ...a lifetime batting average of .311. He appeared in six All-Star Games and six World Series with the Dodgers. At the 1972 World Series, which commemorated the 25th anniversary of his rookie season, a physically deteriorating but still crusading Robinson, a diabetic, said he hoped to live to see blacks in baseball management jobs. Nine days later, he died of a heart attack at the young age of 53. Today, with the dominance of black players in professional sports, it seems unfathomable that a mere 50 years ago, not only were black athletes absent in all mainstream sporting arenas, it was simply not an option and even illegal in some states. His legacy is the inspiration he gives to athletes and people of all color. Robinson is heroic, in part, because of the excellence of his athletic achievement and equally important, for his political commitment to racial equality.

Psychology Q&A :: Psychology

Question 1 Psychology is defined as the scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of individuals. Before psychology, people did not know why we feel the things we feel or think the things we think. So psychology began with some goals in mind. The first goal is to observe behavior and describe what is happening. This allows for the next goal which is to explain what is happening. It is important to be able to explain how and why behavior happens. It is necessary to find motives or triggers that will cause outcomes. By knowing what causes behaviors to occur we can then predict what will happen in the future. We can then know what to expect and intervene to control the outcome of behavior. Predicting behavior will allow psychologists to better help people by being able to control the outcome of their behavior. There have been a few pioneers that have paved the road for modern psychology. In Leipzig, Germany, a scientist by the name of Wilhelm Wundt became one of the largest contributors to the development of psychology. Wundt created a laboratory strictly for the study of psychology. Another key player is Edward Titchener who founded the first experimental psychology lab in the United Sates. One of the most important documents written in psychology, The Principles of Psychology, was written by William James. With all of these great minds at work an argument arose. The argument was about the right subjects to study and the correct methods to use while studying them. One side of the argument was structuralism. Structuralism uses the idea that all mental processes could be explained by knowing what the mind is made of. The other side of this argument was functionalism. Functionalism asks not so much what the mind is made of but how and why it operates. Functionalism states that the mind depen ds on it’s adjustment to the environment and that it will be an ever-changing entity. In psychology, there are many different perspectives that are employed. The psychodynamic perspective was made famous by Sigmund Freud. Freud exclaimed that behavior motivated by internal forces such as instincts or heredity. The behaviorist perspective declares that behavior is determined from reactions to environmental occurrences. Another perspective is the humanistic perspective which believes that no matter what inheritance or environment provides people are still able to make a choice as to how we behave. The cognitive perspective states that a human is designed to think and imagine.

In Search of Excellence :: Essays Papers

In Search of Excellence Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr., wrote â€Å"In Search of Excellence† as a model covering all elements of operations and functions of businesses big and small. In Search of Excellence gives great analysis and interesting examples to back up their theories. This book discusses eight core principles and McKinsey 7-S framework chart provided to companies for success. The authors break down the topics into specific themes with thoughts and charts for knowledge. Their findings suggest that eight core principles are common for excellent organization; bias for action, close to the customer, autonomy and entrepreneurship, productivity through people, hands on, value driven, stick to knitting, focus on what you do best, simple form lean staff and balance between centralized/decentralized organization. The McKinsey 7-S Framework deals with strategy, structure, style, systems, staff (people), skills, and shared values (culture). Informal organizations can manage executives that are intractable, irrational and intuitive. When 7-S framework chart is used. Meaning that a new manger performance would be like the old manager is ludicrous. The organization of workers must adjust and adapt to the new manager’s way of business. Peters and Waterman’s does a great job of explaining and giving examples of these eight principles while applying McKinsey 7-S framework chart. When nurturing and reward employees for excellence. Provide a climate of security and creativity in which employees developed loyalty and understanding of corporate values, and in turn developed to their full potential. Those long-term customer relationships based on trust, high quality and value in products and service. Re-inventing your company continuously within a defined sense of mission and social purpose. The eight principles below demonstrate values that work because they make sense. Growth is really about: the ability to learn and teach. This research was the first of its kind identifying these principles. The first principle is a bias for action. This is saying "Do it, work it or apply it" When Arby’s has a rush of customers and their supplies for making food are low, one customer would say "You know what, my food is cold" or "You forgot my pickles and onions?" They act and fix the problem, make it over if necessary, and get the problem solved as quickly as possible. The second Principle is to be close to the customer. This means good service and listening to what the customer has to say. If the producer, Arby’s is not in touch with what the customer wants to eat, then the business will most likely fail.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall

The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, designed by architect Frank Gehry and completed in 2003, suits its function as both a concert hall and a monument to the Bunker Hill area’s status as a civic center. Its innovative, futuristic form is well-suited to the city’s postmodern landscape, while the interior retains many of the features of traditional concert halls. The building’s form suits its purpose as a music venue.Crafted to include abundant natural light as well as to preserve traditional halls’ acoustic qualities, it features a steel-clad exterior with an undulating, abstract shape, using its own artistic qualities to underscore the facility’s artistic purpose. The interior is vast, dominated by a large pipe organ, but the use of wood, the seating arrangement (which surrounds the orchestra platform instead of simply facing it), and the skylights render the hall comfortable rather than dark and formal.As a cultural facility, the building s uits both the physical and cultural contexts of Los Angeles. The location, the once run-down neighborhood of Bunker Hill, has been revitalized in recent years as a business, shopping, and cultural area, and the structure’s presence attests to the city’s efforts to redefine the place. The concert hall evokes a sense of fascination with the shining, undulating exterior, which gives the building the appearance of a large work of art instead of a traditional venue.The large interior conveys grandeur but is not overwhelming; the wood paneling and abundant sunlight make it seem pleasant rather than stifling. The Disney concert hall’s originality communicates Los Angeles’ efforts to transform Bunker Hill into a relevant, important place for the new century. By using innovative design and informality, Gehry creates a venue that is imposing but not stifling, grand but not intimidating, and artistic in appearance but also efficient and human-focused in its function .

Welfare and Drug Testing

The welfare program was designed to be a temporary solution to help families in need to get back on their feet, and meet their basic needs. It Is estimated that 50 to 80 percent of family based services involve drugs or alcohol abuse (Chug 2001). Some advantages of mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients are that it fosters self-reliance, averts abuse of the welfare system, gives people an opportunity to receive treatment, and ensures correct allocation of tax dollars. So why not drug test the recipients before a person an get qualified for services? Drug abuse has been a problem in the United States for a very long time.In the beginning before there were regulations narcotics were freely used In elixirs and other medical and homemade remedies. It was not until the effects of these drugs were known, and the damage was already done that government regulations were put into place. It has been determined that the use of drugs has been the main cause of most crimes in the United St ates. Statistically it has been shown that nearly half of the current inmate population has some history of drug abuse. It has been brought to the attention of legislators that there is a drug abuse problem within the welfare system.When the welfare reform act of 1996 was passed there was a provision stated to allow drug testing on an as needed basis. This protocol has not been widely used, and seems to have been forgotten, until now that is. The government has identified a problem within the welfare system, and would like to recoup some of the losses, and also help some of the individuals that do have a problem. Welfare was meant to be a temporary fix† to help a person get back on their feet. If a drug problem Is present, a person will tend to stay on the system, not be employable, and use the benefits for which they were not Intended.To get this issue in check law makers would like to see people be drug tested before being approved for benefits, and periodic random tests whi le they are receiving them as well. There are also provisions for persons who have a drug problem to receive the treatment they need. This pale chart represents the results off poll Fox News did In 2010. The question was, â€Å"Do you Delves welfare recipients snouts De Aragua tested There are many different types of tests used to detect drugs in a person's yester. The type of testing used will be determined on the types of drugs being tested for and the cost effectiveness and time allotment.Some states are proposing the individual will pay for the testing, but will be reimbursed once the results come back negative. Other states are proposing the amount of money they will save by cutting back on benefit fraud will be more than enough to cover the costs of testing. The most cost effective and time efficient method of testing is urinalysis. This test can be administered in an office setting and the results are available immediately. The only down fall to this test is it can be beat b y taking herbal supplements that are made to mask the drug.It is also not accurate in testing for substances like cocaine and alcohol as they are not testable in the urine after 3 days. Hair testing is another option. This test is administered in a clinical setting, and requires small amounts of hair taken from different areas of the head. One inch of hair gives the clinician sixty days of history, and cannot be faked. Blood tests also require a clinical setting and a laboratory to read the results. With the last two options of testing turnaround time an be days, weeks, or months, and can be quite expensive.There are already a few states such as Michigan, Florida, and New Hampshire that have this protocol in place. The strongest argument for the testing of individuals is having such a program in place will help reduce the miss use and miss appropriation of taxpayer's monies. Governor Rick Scott, R Florida, states † It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for somebody's drug addiction, On top of that, this is going to increase personal responsibility, personal accountability. We shouldn't be subsidizing people's addiction. (Scott, 2011). The state of Florida approved this bill that took effect July 1, 2011.Governor Scott also stated â€Å"It's the right thing for taxpayers,† Scott said after signing the measure. â€Å"It's the right thing for citizens of this state that need public assistance. We don't want to waste tax dollars. And also, we want to give people an incentive to not use drugs. † (Scott, 2011) It is perceived it would help reduce domestic violence and other drug related crimes. Individuals would also receive intervention and care they might not normally have access to without this program. If an individual were to fail a drug test they would be given the option to enter a state treatment program.If the person was to refuse treatment or have a second offense after completing the treatment they would lose their benefits fo r a period of one year. As with all new laws trying to be passed there are also those who are against it. Opponents of drug testing believe that it is violating the constitutional protections in the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment to the U. S Constitution states, the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.Columnist William Safari in The New York Times writes, Not only is my home my castle, my body is my citadel. Unless I give you a probable cause to suspect me of a crime, what goes on in my home and body and mind is my business Robin Merrill of Maine Equal Justice, which provides legal services for the poor states, â€Å"Random drug testing is very questionable legally with respect to constitutional issues. If the government has the right to drug- test people based on receipt of aid from public assistance programs, what is to stop en government Trot requiring Aragua tes ting Tort anyone won receives a student loan or any other government benefit?This law would create a very slippery slope with respect to infringement on people's right to privacy. † Another point in question is will this really save the tax payers any money? How much will the added administrative personal and the testing itself cost? The Miami Herald reports that the savings in Florida could reach one hundred thousand dollars, but no reports of administrative costs have been reported. Adversaries also raise the question about discrimination and alienation. They believe that singling out individuals because of their financial status could be disastrous and have negative effects.Cutting off families benefits because of the actions of an individual could do more harm than good. Just because an individual has a substance abuse problem, how can you prove they are not using their benefits appropriately? (Dona 2005) Whether you are in favor or opposed to welfare recipients being drug tested, the issue is one that most people will encounter on Election Day. People who are in favor say testing will allow people to get help that otherwise would fall through the cracks. It would also raise the UN employment rate by allowing those individuals to become better qualified to obtain and keep Jobs.

Frostbite Chapter 4

FOUR I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. JANINE Hathaway. My mother. My insanely famous and stunningly absent mother. She was no Arthur Schoenberg, but she did have a pretty stellar reputation in the guardian world. I hadn't seen her in years because she was always off on some insane mission. And yet†¦here she was at the Academy right nowright in front of meand she hadn't even bothered to let me know she was coming. So much for motherly love. What the hell was she doing here anyway? The answer came quickly. All the Moroi who came to campus would have their guardians in tow. My mother protected a noble from the Szelsky clan, and several members of that family had shown up for the holidays. Of course she'd be here with him. I slid into my chair and felt something inside of me shrivel up. I knew she had to have seen me come in, but her attention was focused elsewhere. She had on jeans and a beige T-shirt, covered with what had to be the most boring denim jacket I'd ever seen. At only five feet tall, she was dwarfed by the other guardians, but she had a presence and way of standing that made her seem taller. Our instructor, Stan, introduced the guests and explained that they were going to share real-life experiences with us. He paced the front of the room, bushy eyebrows knitting together as he spoke. â€Å"I know this is unusual,† he explained. â€Å"Visiting guardians usually don't have time to stop by our classes. Our three guests, however, have made time to come talk to you today in light of what's happened recently†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused a moment, and no one needed to tell us what he was referring to. The Badica attack. He cleared his throat and tried again. â€Å"In light of what's happened, we thought it might better prepare you to learn from those currently working in the field.† The class tensed with excitement. Hearing storiesparticularly ones with a lot of blood and actionwas a hell of a lot more interesting than analyzing theory from a textbook. Apparently some of the other campus guardians thought so too. They often stopped by our classes, but they were present today in a larger-than-usual number. Dimitri stood among them in the back. The old guy went first. He launched into his story, and I found myself getting hooked in. It described a time when the youngest son of the family he guarded had wandered off in a public place that Strigoi were lurking in. â€Å"The sun was about to set,† he told us in a gravelly voice. He swept his hands in a downward motion, apparently to demonstrate how a sunset worked. â€Å"There were only two of us, and we had to make a snap decision on how to proceed.† I leaned forward, elbows propped up on my desk. Guardians often worked in pairs. Onethe near guardusually stayed close to those being guarded while the otherthe far guardscouted the area. The far guard still usually stayed within eye contact, so I recognized the dilemma here. Thinking about it, I decided that if I were in that situation, I'd have the near guardian take the rest of the family to a secure location while the other guardian searched for the boy. â€Å"We had the family stay inside a restaurant with my partner while I swept the rest of the area,† continued the old guardian. He spread his hands out in a sweeping motion, and I felt smug over having made the correct call. The story ended happily, with a found boy and no Strigoi encounters. The second guy's anecdote talked about how he'd gotten the drop on a Strigoi stalking some Moroi. â€Å"I wasn't even technically on duty,† he said. He was the really cute one, and a girl sitting near me stared at him with wide, adoring eyes. â€Å"I was visiting a friend and the family he guarded. As I was leaving their apartment, I saw a Strigoi lurking in the shadows. He never expected a guardian to be out there. I circled the block, came up behind him, and †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The man made a staking motion, far more dramatic than the old guy's hand gestures had been. The storyteller even went so far as to mimic twisting the stake into the Strigoi's heart. And then it was my mother's turn. A scowl spread over my face before she even said a word, a scowl that grew worse once she actually launched into the story. I swear, if I didn't believe her incapable of having the imagination for itand her bland clothing choices proved she really didn't have an imaginationI would have thought she was lying. It was more than a story. It was an epic tale, the kind of thing that gets made into movies and wins Oscars. She talked about how her charge, Lord Szelsky, and his wife had attended a ball put on by another prominent royal family. Several Strigoi had been lying in wait. My mother discovered one, promptly staked it, and then alerted the other guardians present. With their help, she hunted down the other Strigoi lurking around and performed most of the kills herself. â€Å"It wasn't easy,† she explained. From anyone else that statement would have sounded like bragging. Not her. There was a briskness to the way she spoke, an efficient way of stating facts that left no room for flourishes. She'd been raised in Glasgow and some of her words still had a Scottish lilt. â€Å"There were three others on the premises. At the time, that was considered an unusually large number to be working together. That's not necessarily true now, considering the Badica massacre.† A few people flinched at the casual way she spoke about the attack. Once again, I could see the bodies. â€Å"We had to dispatch the remaining Strigoi as quickly and quietly as possible, so as not to alert the others. Now, if you have the element of surprise, the best way to take Strigoi is to come around from behind, break their necks, and then stake them. Breaking their necks won't kill them, of course, but it stuns them and allows you to do the staking before they can make an y noise. The most difficult part is actually sneaking up on them, because their hearing is so acute. Since I'm smaller and lighter than most guardians, I can move fairly quietly. So I ended up performing two of the three kills myself.† Again, she used that matter-of-fact tone as she described her own stealthy skills. It was annoying, more so than if she'd been openly haughty about how awesome she was. My classmates' faces shone with wonder; they were clearly more interested in the idea of breaking a Strigoi's neck than analyzing my mother's narrative skills. She continued with the story. When she and the other guardians had killed the remaining Strigoi, they'd discovered two Moroi had been taken from the party. Such an act wasn't uncommon for Strigoi. Sometimes they wanted to save Moroi for a later â€Å"snack†; sometimes lower-ranking Strigoi were dispatched by more powerful ones to bring back prey. Regardless, two Moroi were gone from the ball, and their guardian had been injured. â€Å"Naturally, we couldn't leave those Moroi in Strigoi clutches,† she said. â€Å"We tracked the Strigoi to their hideout and found several of them living together. I'm sure you can recognize how rare that is.† It was. The evil and selfish nature of Strigoi made them turn on each other as easily as they did their victims. Organizing for attackswhen they had an immediate and bloody goal in mindwas the best they could do. But living together? No. It was almost impossible to imagine. â€Å"We managed to free the two captive Moroi, only to discover that others were being held prisoner,† my mother said. â€Å"We couldn't send the ones we'd rescued back by themselves, though, so the guardians who were with me escorted them out and left it to me to get the others.† Yes, of course, I thought. My mother bravely went in alone. Along the way, she got captured but managed to escape and rescue the prisoners. In doing so, she performed what had to be the hat trick of the century, killing Strigoi in all three ways: staking, decapitation, and setting them on fire. â€Å"I had just staked a Strigoi when two more attacked,† she explained. â€Å"I didn't have time to pull the stake out when the others jumped me. Fortunately, there was an open fireplace nearby, and I pushed one of the Strigoi into it. The last one chased me outside, into an old shed. There was an axe inside and I used that to cut off her head. I then took a can of gasoline and returned to the house. The one I'd thrown into the fireplace hadn't completely burned, but once I doused him in gasoline, he went up pretty quickly.† The classroom was in awe as she spoke. Mouths dropped. Eyes bugged. Not a sound could be heard. Glancing around, I felt like time had frozen for everyoneexcept me. I appeared to be the only one unimpressed by her harrowing tale, and seeing the awe on everyone's faces enraged me. When she finished, a dozen hands shot up as the class peppered her with questions about her techniques, whether she was scared, etc. After about the tenth question, I couldn't take it anymore. I raised my hand. It took her a while to notice and call on me. She seemed mildly astonished to find me in class. I considered myself lucky that she even recognized me. â€Å"So, Guardian Hathaway,† I began. â€Å"Why didn't you guys just secure the place?† She frowned. I think she'd gone on her guard the moment she called on me. â€Å"What do you mean?† I shrugged and slouched back in my desk, attempting a casual and conversational air. â€Å"I don't know. It seems to me like you guys messed up. Why didn't you scope out the place and make sure it was clear of Strigoi in the first place? Seems like you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble.† All eyes in the room turned toward me. My mother was momentarily at a loss for words. â€Å"If we hadn't gone through all that ‘trouble,' there'd be seven more Strigoi walking the world, and those other captured Moroi would be dead or turned by now.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I get how you guys saved the day and all that, but I'm going back to the principles here. I mean, this is a theory class, right?† I glanced over at Stan who was regarding me with a very stormy look. He and I had a long and unpleasant history of classroom conflicts, and I suspected we were on the verge of another. â€Å"So I just want to figure out what went wrong in the beginning.† I'll say this for hermy mother had a hell of a lot more self-control than I did. Had our roles been reversed, I would have walked over and smacked me by now. Her face stayed perfectly calm, however, and a small tightness in the set of her lips was the only sign that I was pissing her off. â€Å"It's not that simple,† she replied. â€Å"The venue had an extremely complex layout. We went through it initially and found nothing. It's believed the Strigoi came in after the festivities had startedor that there might have been passages and hidden rooms we hadn't been aware of.† The class ooh'ed and ahh'ed over the idea of hidden passages, but I wasn't impressed. â€Å"So what you're saying is that you guys either failed to detect them during your first sweep, or they broke through the ‘security' you set up during the party. Seems like someone messed up either way.† The tightness in her lips increased, and her voice grew frosty. â€Å"We did the best we could with an unusual situation. I can see how someone at your level might not be able to grasp the intricacies of what I'm describing, but once you've actually learned enough to go beyond theory, you'll see how different it is when you're actually out there and lives are in your hands.† â€Å"No doubt,† I agreed. â€Å"Who am I to question your methods? I mean, whatever gets you the molnija marks, right?† â€Å"Miss Hathaway.† Stan's deep voice rumbled through the room. â€Å"Please take your things and go wait outside for the remainder of class.† I stared at him in bewilderment. â€Å"Are you serious? Since when is there anything wrong with asking questions?† â€Å"Your attitude is what's wrong.† He pointed at the door. â€Å"Go.† A silence heavier and deeper than when my mother had told her story descended over everyone. I did my best not to cower under the stares of guardians and novices alike. This wasn't the first time I'd been kicked out of Stan's class. It wasn't even the first time I'd been kicked out of Stan's class while Dimitri was watching. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I crossed the short distance to the doora distance that felt like milesand refused to make eye contact with my mother as I passed. About five minutes before the class let out, she slipped out of the room and walked over to where I sat in the hallway. Looking down on me, she put her hands on her hips in that annoying way that made her seem taller than she was. It wasn't fair that someone over half a foot shorter than me could make me feel so small. â€Å"Well. I see your manners haven't improved over the years.† I stood up and felt a glare snap into place. â€Å"Nice to see you too. I'm surprised you even recognized me. In fact, I didn't even think you remembered me, seeing as how you never bothered to let me know you were on campus.† She shifted her hands from her hips and crossed her arms across her chest, becomingif possibleeven more impassive. â€Å"I couldn't neglect my duty to come coddle you.† â€Å"Coddle?† I asked. This woman had never coddled me in her life. I couldn't believe she even knew the word. â€Å"I wouldn't expect you to understand. From what I hear, you don't really know what ‘duty' is.† â€Å"I know exactly what it is,† I retorted. My voice was intentionally haughty. â€Å"Better than most people.† Her eyes widened in a sort of mock surprise. I used that sarcastic look on a lot of people and didn't appreciate having it directed toward me. â€Å"Oh really? Where were you for the last two years?† â€Å"Where were you for the last five?† I demanded. â€Å"Would you have known I was gone if someone hadn't told you?† â€Å"Don't turn this back on me. I was away because I had to be. You were away so you could go shopping and stay up late.† My hurt and embarrassment morphed into pure fury. Apparently, I was never going to live down the consequences of running away with Lissa. â€Å"You have no idea why I left,† I said, my voice's volume rising. â€Å"And you have no right to make assumptions about my life when you don't know anything about it.† â€Å"I've read reports about what happened. You had reason for concern, but you acted incorrectly.† Her words were formal and crisp. She could have been teaching one of my classes. â€Å"You should have gone to others for help.† â€Å"There was no one I could go tonot when I didn't have hard proof. Besides, we've been learning that we're supposed to think independently.† â€Å"Yes,† she replied. â€Å"Emphasis on learning. Something you missed out on for two years. You're hardly in a position to lecture me about guardian protocol.† I wound up in arguments all the time; something in my nature made that inevitable. So I was used to defending myself and having insults slammed at me. I had a tough skin. But somehow, around herin the brief times I had been around herI always felt like I was three years old. Her attitude humiliated me, and touching on my missed training already a prickly subjectonly made me feel worse. I crossed my arms in a fair imitation of her own stance and managed a smug look. â€Å"Yeah? Well, that's not what my teachers think. Even after missing all that time, I've still caught up with everyone else in my class.† She didn't answer right away. Finally, in a flat voice, she said, â€Å"If you hadn't left, you would have surpassed them.† Turning military-style, she walked off down the hall. A minute later, the bell rang, and the rest of Stan's class spilled into the hall. Even Mason couldn't cheer me up after that. I spent the rest of the day angry and annoyed, sure that everyone was whispering about my mother and me. I skipped lunch and went to the library to read a book about physiology and anatomy. When it was time for my after-school training with Dimitri, I practically ran up to the practice dummy. With a curled fist, I slapped its chest, very slightly to the left but mostly in the center. â€Å"There,† I told him. â€Å"The heart is there, and the sternum and ribs are in the way. Can I have the stake now?† Crossing my arms, I glanced up at him triumphantly, waiting for him to shower me with praise for my new cunning. Instead, he simply nodded in acknowledgment, like I should already have known that. And yeah, I should have. â€Å"And how do you get through the sternum and the ribs?† he asked. I sighed. I'd figured out the answer to one question, only to be given another. Typical. We spent a large part of the practice going over that, and he demonstrated several techniques that would yield the quickest kill. Every movement he made was both graceful and deadly. He made it look effortless, but I knew better. When he suddenly extended his hand and offered the stake to me, I didn't understand at first. â€Å"You're giving it to me?† His eyes sparkled. â€Å"I can't believe you're holding back. I figured you'd have taken it and run by now.† â€Å"Aren't you always teaching me to hold back?† I asked. â€Å"Not on everything.† â€Å"But on some things.† I heard the double meaning in my voice and wondered where it had come from. I'd accepted a while ago that there were too many reasons for me to even think about him romantically anymore. Every once in a while, I slipped a little and kind of wished he would too. It'd have been nice to know that he still wanted me, that I still drove him crazy. Studying him now, I realized he might not ever slip because I didn't drive him crazy anymore. It was a depressing thought. â€Å"Of course,† he said, showing no indication we'd discussed anything other than class matters. â€Å"It's like everything else. Balance. Know which things to run forward withand know which to leave alone.† He placed a heavy emphasis on that last statement. Our eyes met briefly, and I felt electricity race through me. He did know what I was talking about. And like always, he was ignoring it and being my teacherwhich is exactly what he should have been doing. With a sigh, I pushed my feelings for him out of my head and tried to remember that I was about to touch the weapon I'd been longing for since childhood. The memory of the Badica house came back to me yet again. The Strigoi were out there. I needed to focus. Hesitantly, almost reverentially, I reached out and curled my fingers around the hilt. The metal was cool and tingled against my skin. It was etched along the hilt for better grip, but in trailing my fingers over the rest of it, I found the surface to be as smooth as glass. I lifted it from his hand and brought it to me, taking a long time to study it and get used to its weight. An anxious part of me wanted to turn around and impale all of the dummies, but instead I looked up at Dimitri and asked, â€Å"What should I do first?† In his typical way, he covered basics first, honing the way I held and moved with the stake. Later on, he finally let me attack one of the dummies, at which point I did indeed discover it was not effortless. Evolution had done a smart thing in protecting the heart with the sternum and ribs. Yet through it all, Dimitri never faltered in diligence and patience, guiding me through every step and correcting the finest details. â€Å"Slide up through the ribs,† he explained, watching me try to fit the stake's point through a gap in the bones. â€Å"It'll be easier since you're shorter than most of your attackers. Plus, you can slide along the lower rib's edge.† When practice ended, he took the stake back and nodded his approval. â€Å"Good. Very good.† I glanced at him in surprise. He didn't usually hand out a lot of praise. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"You do it like you've been doing it for years.† I felt a delighted grin creep over my face as we started leaving the practice room. When we neared the door, I noticed a dummy with curly red hair. Suddenly, all the events from Stan's class came tumbling back into my head. I scowled. â€Å"Can I stake that one next time?† He picked up his coat and put it on. It was long and brown, made of distressed leather. It looked very much like a cowboy duster, though he'd never admit to it. He had a secret fascination with the Old West. I didn't really understand it, but then, I didn't get his weird musical preferences either. â€Å"I don't think that'd be healthy,† he said. â€Å"It'd be better than me actually doing it to her,† I grumbled, slinging my backpack over one shoulder. We headed out to the gym. â€Å"Violence isn't the answer to your problems,† he said sagely. â€Å"She's the one with the problem. And I thought the whole point of my education was that violence is the answer.† â€Å"Only to those who bring it to you first. Your mother isn't assaulting you. You two are just too much alike, that's all.† I stopped walking. â€Å"I'm not anything like her! I mean†¦we kind of have the same eyes. But I'm a lot taller. And my hair's completely different.† I pointed to my pony tail, just in case he wasn't aware that my thick brown-black hair didn't look like my mother's auburn curls. He still had kind of an amused expression, but there was something hard in his eyes too. â€Å"I'm not talking about your appearances, and you know it.† I looked away from that knowing gaze. My attraction to Dimitri had started almost as soon as we'd metand it wasn't just because he was so hot, either. I felt like he understood part of me that I didn't understand myself, and sometimes I was pretty sure I understood parts of him that he didn't understand either. The only problem was that he had the annoying tendency to point out things about myself I didn't want to understand. â€Å"You think I'm jealous?† â€Å"Are you?† he asked. I hated it when he answered my questions with questions. â€Å"If so, what are you jealous of exactly?† I glanced back at Dimitri. â€Å"I don't know. Maybe I'm jealous of her reputation. Maybe I'm jealous because she's put more time into her reputation than into me. I don't know.† â€Å"You don't think what she did was great?† â€Å"Yes. No. I don't know. It just sounded like such a †¦ I don't know†¦like she was bragging. Like she did it for the glory.† I grimaced. â€Å"For the marks.† Molnija marks were tattoos awarded to guardians when they killed Strigoi. Each one looked like a tiny x made of lightning bolts. They went on the backs of our necks and showed how experienced a guardian was. â€Å"You think facing down Strigoi is worth a few marks? I thought you'd learned something from the Badica house.† I felt stupid. â€Å"That's not what I† â€Å"Come on.† I stopped walking. â€Å"What?† We'd been heading toward my dorm, but now he nodded his head toward the opposite side of campus. â€Å"I want to show you something.† â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"That not all marks are badges of honor.†