NFL and NASCAR Sponsorships Essay -- advertising, finance, sports

Abstract The National Football League (NFL) and NASCAR thrive on sponsors and vice versa. An NFL game is by far the most watched single game event in the country and gaining popularity exponentially worldwide. Their championship, the Super Bowl, is arguably the most watched television program in that particular year. In NASCAR, the Daytona 500 is their â€Å"Super Bowl† and is a very large event in its own right. Corporations all over the world jump on these mega advertising vehicles with the hope that their name is popularized which will result in profitability. In many cases, most of those who do buy airtime during NFL games, the Super Bowl, and during the major NASCAR races are very visible names and products that we already know about. Most of the time, these companies are trying to market new products or products that have been enhanced. â€Æ' NFL Sponsorships Sport is one of the largest mediums that corporations can utilize to get that mass message out to their customers. Many of us have different ways that â€Å"tickle† our fancy so to speak. What interests one does not necessarily interest another, but, even if one person can convince others to try a product or service a domino effect may occur. Corporations are always trying to â€Å"spice† up their advertisement. They probably do this to see if they can manipulate a consumer to try their service or product. For example, Budweiser has been running beer ads for many, many years and incorporated comedy into their commercials. They went from frogs to lizards to obnoxious acting. In my opinion, people are swayed by these tactics and tend to try a Budweiser beer more often than they had. I believe all sports are good vehicles or tools to market and advertise, but, none is... ...d July 15, 2009, from www.promomagazine.com Ross, Brian, Chuchmach, Megan, Eslocker, Asa, and Rhee, Joe, (2009, Feb 2). Bailed Out Bank of America Sponsors Super Bowl Fun Fest. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from www.abcnews.go.com Lefton, Terry (2009, Jan 19). NFL close to adding P&G to sponsor list. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from www.sportsbusinessjournal.com Bibliography Cotsonika, Nicholas (2009, Jun 9). Sponsor logos may show up on practice jerseys. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from www.freep.com Krantz, Matt (2005, Feb 20). NASCAR sponsorship revs stocks' engines. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from www.usatoday.com Paul, Peralte C. (2009, Mar 25). AFLAC upgrades its NASCAR sponsorship. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from www.ajc.com Associated Press, (2009, Jun 2). NASCAR: GM Sponsorship Will Continue. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from www.cbsnews.com

Freud and Hedda Gabler: The Wolf Behind the Protagonist Essay -- Liter

From its very creation until now; civilization has been at odds with the fundamental human instinct. While civilization is just a mechanism used to control the human instinct and place an order so a broader society can function; the basic human is far from controlled. Sigmund Freud in ‘From Civilizations and Its discontents’ suggest that nothing can really control human instinct but rather deter it from its ‘homo homini lupus’(Freud, 1697) nature which translates into man is a wolf to man. This ‘homo homini lupus’ form of instinct suggest a more aggressive side of humans with the tendencies of not interacting with people but merely using people. Henrik Ibsen, through his use of the character Hedda Gabler, illustrates Sigmund Freud’s homo homini lupus form of instinct and uses that as a means of drawing out of the flaws of civilization at large. Henrik Ibsen always had the persistent theme of placing that one character within the setting that did not fit into the natural societal confines. This was done as a way of showing that what society or civilization was placing upon the people was unjust and unlike a natural human trait. Hedda Gabler, through her exhibition of homo homini lupus or what Sigmund Freud asserts as the natural human instinct, is the fulfillment of Ibsen’s one character theme. Her aggressiveness toward and utilization of others is a prime example of this societal exclusion and a primarily natural use according to Sigmund Freud. One such character that Hedda is constantly using is her newly-wed husband, George Tesman. Though Tesman loves her greatly and married her for the usual reasons (love, etc.) Hedda’s reasons are quite different. She marries Tesman for only selfish reasons; an example of this would be wh... ...her instinct. Hedda was able to break away from the one thing civilization was trying to control. Freud suggests that â€Å"the time comes when each one of us must give up as illusions the expectations†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Freud, 1697). This implying that at the end of every illusion comes the realization that the expectation is meaningless when conforming to the civilization is just as pointless in achieving. Hedda had the expectation of financial riches but due to the ennui of the civilization at hand Hedda was inclined to escape in beauty or in Ibsen’s theme through the defiance of conformity. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. Hedda Gabler. 1890. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. Lawall. [8th edition, vol.2, 1984]:1411-1466. Freud, Sigmund. From Civilization and Its Discontents. 1929. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. Lawall. [8th edition, vol.2,1984]:1696-1699.

Urban Legend of Woodburn Governors Mansion of Dover, Delaware :: Urban Legends Ghost Story

Woodburn Governor's Mansion of Dover, Delaware The story of Woodburn Mansion has been told to residents of Dover, Delaware for many years. A 19-year-old Caucasian male student at the University of Maryland told this particular version of the ghosts of Woodburn Mansion. Now a sophomore architecture major, he grew up in a small town just outside of Dover, where the story of Woodburn is known all too well. The story was first told to him as a young teenager while actually visiting the mansion with his parents. The telling of a ghost story entails more than the text itself. Lighting, environment, tone of voice, and many other factors affect how well a ghost story is told. As one can see by reading the following story, simply reading a ghost story on paper does not have the same effect as hearing it performed by the teller in a fitting atmosphere. The following story was told one night in a dark, shadowy room filled with five or six college guys. The teller used long pauses, emphasis on certain words, and body gestures to make the story all the more believable and chilling. There’s a haunted house in Dover, Delaware called the Governor’s Mansion, where all of the Governors of Delaware have lived. If you go to the house yourself, you might see or experience a couple different ghosts. One evening, a guest to the house passed an old man dressed in old-fashioned clothes while going down the stairs for dinner. Once at the table the guest asked the owners who the person was. The curious owners asked for a description of the man. The description that the visitor sent chills down the spines of the owners, as it was an exact description of the owner’s father who had been dead for many years, and nobody else was in the house. The father had also been known for getting drunk a lot, so to this day he can still be seen drinking any liquor left out in the open. The mansion is also known for being a part of the Underground Railroad, so lots of slaves were always coming and going through the house at night. One night the house got busted an d one of the runaway slaves ran and hid in a big tree in the yard. The slave was up there for a while and was already tired from his journey to the house.

Project Management Wembley Essay

Project Description The aim of the Wembley Stadium project was to build a new 90,000 seat state of art stadium. The new stadium was going to be used for a variety of functions ranging from football and rugby matches to concerts and private events. The stadium was to have a 50-year design life, and be both functional and architecturally significant. In addition, it was essential that the stadium allowed as much daylight and ventilation to reach the pitch as possible. A main goal was to have the build achieve UEFA five-star stadium status. The project was to be funded by a combination of state (National Lottery Fund) and private investment. Multiplex Multiplex is a global contractor based in Australia with expertise across the entire property sector. John Roberts started the firm in 1962 and was President for the next 44 years. In 2002, Roberts passed control of the firm to his son, Andrew. However, one of the last deals that John brought to the table before his retirement was the Wembley Stadium project. Multiplex had completed a number of stadiums prior to the Wembley project, most notably Stadium Australia. Stadium Australia was used as the Olympic stadium for the 2000 summer Olympics. It was constructed at a cost of $690 million and was able to hold 110,000 spectators. Although the Stadium Australia project was a success, Multiplex began to realize that their was much more risk in stadium construction than large-scale landmark buildings. Multiplex won the Wembley stadium contract after selection through a competitive bidding process in 1999. The bidding process was first narrowed down to two bids, however, it was eventually reopened to include two additional contractors. After final review, Multiplex signed a contract to  complete Wembley stadium at a fixed-price cost of  £352m. Mott MacDonald Mott MacDonald was the lead designer of the new Wembley stadium. They are a UK based employee-owned multidisciplinary consulting serving the public and private sectors world-wide. Cleveland Bridge Cleveland Bridge was the initial steel contractor associated with the project. They are based in Darlington, England and have a renowned reputation for bridge building. The Old Wembley Stadium The Empire Stadium in Wembley, popularly known as Wembley Stadium, was the most famous football ground in the world. After it opened in 1923, it evolved into England’s national team stadium for football matches. The FA Cup Final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United on April 28, 1923 was the first event to take place at Wembley Stadium. The official attendance for the event was 126,047, which is still the largest for any football match in England. A year later, international football made its debut as England tied 1-1 with Scotland. Since then Wembley has hosted 78 FA Cup Finals, 258 England senior internationals, the 1966 World Cup, 40 League Cup Finals, 6 European Cup Finals, and Euro’96. However, it is not just football that has made Wembley stadium great through the years. In 1948, Great Britain won 23 medals at the Olympic games featured at the stadium. In addition, the stadium has hosted such events as boxing matches, rugby championships, greyhound racing, hockey, and even Evel Knivel. With some much history and importance, it was no surprise that a modern stadium was needed to continue the Wembley tradition into the next century. Project Goals The goal of the project was to create a new modern stadium that would continue in the tradition of Empire Stadium. As pointed out in the history section, the greatest tradition was football. In order to attract major football events (FA Cup, UEFA Finals, World Cup) the stadium must be built to five-star status. In order to adhere to this standards, the stadium must meet the minimum requirements in terms of the size of playing field, floodlighting, VIP parking, seat capacity, VIP seats, VIP seats for visiting team, VIP hospitality, media working area, space for camera’s, number of box seats, number of commentary positions, number of TV studios, outside van area, and press conference seats. B. Reasons for Project Failure The new Wembley stadium was completed in 2007—five years late,  £360m over budget, and surrounded by legal disputes. Before we perform our analysis, we would like to highlight some of the facts that lead to failure. Design Multiplex argued that Mott MacDonald’s design for the Wembley steel work was not fit for purpose and that the initial designs were not correct, constructible, coordinated and consistent. In other words, although the design looked good, it was very challenging and maybe impossible to replicate to scale. Scope Changes The initial scope was to include football, rugby, and athletics in the same stadium. This later became very controversial and resulted in the removal of athletics from the design in 1999, because of the technical and commercial challenges of accommodating three sports within the same stadium. In 2001, the scope was further changed with the removal of a hotel from the project, the expansion of hospitality suites, and considerably changes to the north side of the stadium. These changes took Mott MacDonald an additional 8 months to redesign. Contracting There was no formal bidding process. In addition, it appeared that not all bidders were treated equally. This can be seen when the bidding process was opened back up after the contractors were narrowed down to the final two. Anchoring to a Completion Date When it became a prime objective to finish the project in time for the 2006 FA Cup Final, efficiency and cost effectiveness became secondary issues. It appears many problems could have been avoided if Multiplex did not have to rush the job in order to meet unrealistic expectations. Multiplex claims that it has sustained significant losses as a result of a magnitude of contract breaches and acts of negligence by the client. Loss of Steel Contractor Cleveland Bridge terminated their contract in 2004 because they did not believe that they would be paid for materials and because they felt like the differences between them and Multiplex were too great. This was a major setback to the project. Multiplex now had to search and integrate a new steel contractor for the job. Communication Apart from the major changes in the scope, Multiplex was not given access to  vital design information. In turn, Multiplex underpriced the steelwork. Mott MacDonald had thought that Multiplex was aware of the state of design because they managed the design process and had intimately been involved in the design work.

Bloodlines Chapter Nineteen

IF I'D HAD TROUBLE SLEEPING BEFORE, Adrian's dream only made things worse. Even though I was safely back in my own bed, I couldn't shake the feeling of violation. I imagined that my skin was crawling with the taint of magic. I'd been so anxious to get out of the dream that I'd only half-realized what I'd been agreeing to. I respected Adrian's desire to go to college but now wondered if I should really be helping with that after my father's chastisement about â€Å"getting friendly† with vampires. I wasn't in the greatest of moods when I finally got up a few hours later. The tension in our room was thick as Jill and I prepared for school. Jill's defiance from yesterday was gone, and she kept watching me nervously when she thought I didn't notice. At first, I figured my outburst from last night had made her uneasy. But as we walked out of the room for breakfast, I knew there was more to it. â€Å"What?† I asked bluntly, breaking the silence at last. â€Å"What do you want to ask me?† Jill gave me another wary glance as we joined the rush of other girls heading downstairs. â€Å"Um, something happened yesterday.† A lot of things happened yesterday, I thought. That was my overtired, bitter self talking, and I knew that wasn't what she was leading up to. â€Å"Such as?† I asked. â€Å"Well†¦ I was starting to tell you about how Lee took me to that store. That clothing boutique where he knew the owner? Her name's Lia DiStefano. We talked, and she, uh, offered me a job. Kind of.† â€Å"The modeling job?† We reached the cafeteria's food line, though I had little appetite. I selected a yogurt, which looked sad and lonely in the middle of my otherwise empty tray. â€Å"We talked about that. It's not safe.† Still, it was ironic that a random visit could land Jill a job when three formal interviews had failed for Adrian. â€Å"This isn't for posed pictures that would be in a magazine or anything, though. It's a runway show of local designers. We told her this story that we're part of a religion that has rules about photos and identity. Lia said she'd actually been thinking of having her models wear half masks. Like the kind you wear at a masquerade? Between that and the lighting and the movement†¦ well, it'd be hard to identify me if any candid shots got out. It's just a onetime event, but I'd have to see her beforehand for fittings†¦ and to practice. She'd pay me too, but I'd need rides to get there and parental permission.† We sat down, and I spent an unnecessary amount of time stirring my yogurt as I mulled over her words. I could feel her gaze on me as I thought. â€Å"It's kind of silly, I guess,† she continued when I didn't answer. â€Å"I mean, I don't have any experience. And I don't even know why she'd want me. Maybe it's some gimmick she's going for. Weird models or something.† I finally ate a bite of yogurt and then looked up at her. â€Å"You're not weird, Jill. You really do have the ideal body type for modeling. It's hard to find. For humans, at least.† Once again, I tried not to think about how hard it was for us humans to live up to Moroi perfection. I tried not to think about how, years ago, my dad had criticized my figure and said, â€Å"If those monsters can do it, why not you?† â€Å"But you still think it's a terrible idea,† she said. I didn't respond. I knew what Jill wanted, but she couldn't bring herself to directly ask me for it. And I couldn't easily give it to her yet. I was still too upset about yesterday and not feeling kindly toward any favors. On the other hand, I couldn't tell her no either. Not yet. Despite how irresponsibly she'd behaved, her words about how miserable her life was here had hit me hard. This was something positive and good that would fill her time. It was also a muchneeded ego boost. Laurel had thrived on using Jill's unusual features against her; it would do Jill good to see that others viewed them positively. She needed to realize she was special and wonderful. I didn't know whether to curse or thank Lee for this opportunity. â€Å"I don't think we can decide anything until we go talk to Mrs. Weathers,† I told her at last. I glanced at a nearby clock. â€Å"In fact, we need to meet with her now.† I took a few more bites of my yogurt before throwing it away. Jill took a donut to go. When we returned to our lobby, we found out a delivery had arrived for Jill: a bouquet of perfect red roses and an apologetic note from Lee. Jill melted, her face filling with adoration at the gesture. Even I admired the romance of it, though a snarky part of me said maybe Lee should've sent flowers to Eddie and me instead. We were the ones he needed to apologize to. Regardless, the flowers were quickly forgotten when we sat down in Mrs. Weathers's office and learned the verdict on Jill. â€Å"I spoke to the principal. You aren't being suspended,† she told Jill. â€Å"But for the next month, you are restricted to your dorm when not in class. You are to report to me immediately after classes end so that I know you're here. You may go to the cafeteria for meals – but only your dorm's. Not the one on West Campus. The only exceptions to this policy are if an assignment or teacher requires you to go elsewhere outside of school hours, like the library.† We both nodded, and for a moment, I was simply relieved that Jill hadn't been expelled or anything like that. Then the real problem hit me like a slap in the face. I'd told Jill this meeting would impact any modeling decisions, but there was something much worse on the line. â€Å"If she's grounded to the dorm, then she can't leave the school,† I said. Mrs. Weathers gave me a wry smile. â€Å"Yes, Miss Melrose. That is what ‘grounded' generally means.† â€Å"She has to, ma'am,† I argued. â€Å"We have family gatherings twice a week.† Ideally, we had them more than that, but I was hoping a lowball number might buy us freedom. It was absolutely essential Jill get blood, and two days a week was about the minimum a vampire could survive on. â€Å"I'm sorry. Rules are rules, and in breaking them, your sister has lost the privilege of functions like that.† â€Å"They're religious,† I said. I hated to play the religion card, but that was something the school would have a hard time countering. And hey, it had apparently worked on the fashion designer. â€Å"We go to church as a family on those days – us and our brothers.† Mrs. Weathers's face showed me I had indeed gained ground. â€Å"We'd need a signed letter from your parents,† she said finally. Great. That had worked so well in PE. â€Å"What about our brother? He's our legal guardian here.† Surely even Keith couldn't drag his feet on this, not with blood on the line. She considered this. â€Å"Yes. That might be acceptable.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I told Jill when we walked outside to catch the shuttle. â€Å"About the modeling. We're going to have a hard enough time getting you permission to leave for feedings.† Jill nodded, making no effort to hide her disappointment. â€Å"When's the show?† I asked, thinking maybe she could do it when her punishment was over. â€Å"In two weeks.† So much for that idea. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I repeated. To my surprise, Jill actually laughed. â€Å"You have no reason to be. Not after what I did. I'm the one who's sorry. And I'm sorry about Adrian too – about the interviews.† â€Å"That's something you have no reason to be sorry about.† It struck me again how easily everyone made excuses for him. She proved this with her next comment. â€Å"He can't help it. It's how he is.† He can help it, I thought. Instead, I said, â€Å"Just hang in there, okay? I'll get Keith to sign off on our religious experiences.† She smiled. â€Å"Thanks, Sydney.† We usually parted ways when the bus reached Central Campus, but she held back once we got off. I could see again that she wanted to tell me something but was having trouble getting the courage. â€Å"Yes?† I asked. â€Å"I†¦ just wanted to tell you I really am sorry for giving you so much grief. You do a lot for us. Really. And you being upset, it's because†¦ well, I know you care. Which is more than I can say for other people back at Court.† â€Å"That's not true,† I said. â€Å"They care. They went to a lot of trouble to get you here and keep you safe.† â€Å"I still feel like it was more for Lissa than for me,† she said sadly. â€Å"And my mom didn't put up much of a fight when they said they were going to send me away.† â€Å"They want you safe,† I told her. â€Å"That means making hard choices – hard for them too.† Jill nodded, but I don't know if she believed me. I gave Eddie the morning report when I reached history. His face displayed a range of emotions with each new development in the story. â€Å"You think Keith will write the note?† he asked in a low voice. â€Å"He has to. The whole point of us being here is to keep her alive. Starving her to death kind of defeats the purpose.† I didn't bother telling Eddie that I was in trouble with my father and the Alchemists and that in two weeks, there was a good chance I might not even be around. Eddie was clearly upset over Jill's situation already, and I didn't want him to have one more thing to worry about. When I met up with Ms. Terwilliger at the end of the day, I turned in the last of the notes I'd made for her on the old books. As I was settling myself at a desk, I noticed a folder of articles sitting on a table. Carlton College was printed on the folder in embossed gold letters. I remembered now why I'd thought the name was familiar when Adrian had mentioned it in the dream. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger†¦ didn't you say you knew people at Carlton College?† She glanced up from her computer. â€Å"Hmm? Oh yes. I should think so. I play poker with half of the history faculty. I even teach there in the summers. History, that is. Not poker.† â€Å"I don't suppose you know anybody in admissions, do you?† I asked. â€Å"Not so much. I suppose I know people who know people there.† She turned her attention back to the screen. I said nothing, and after several moments, she looked back at me. â€Å"Why do you ask?† â€Å"No reason.† â€Å"Of course there's a reason. Are you interested in attending? Goodness knows you'd probably get more out of there than here. My class being the exception, of course.† â€Å"No, ma'am,† I said. â€Å"But my brother wants to attend. He heard classes haven't started yet but isn't sure if he can get in on such short notice.† â€Å"It's very short notice,† agreed Ms. Terwilliger. She scrutinized me carefully. â€Å"Would you like me to make some inquiries?† â€Å"Oh. Oh no, ma'am. I was just hoping to get some names I could contact. I'd never ask you to do something like that.† Her eyebrows rose. â€Å"Why ever not?† I was at a loss. She was so difficult to understand sometimes. â€Å"Because†¦ you have no reason to.† â€Å"I'd do it as a favor to you.† I couldn't muster a response for that and simply stared. She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose. â€Å"That's impossible for you to believe, isn't it? That someone would do a favor for you.† â€Å"I†¦ well, that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, still unsure what to say. â€Å"You're my teacher. Your job is to, well, teach me. That's it.† â€Å"And your job,† she said, â€Å"is to report to this room during last period for whatever mundane tasks I have for you and then turn in a paper at the end of the semester. You are not in any way required to fetch me coffee, show up after hours, organize my life, or completely rearrange your own to meet my ridiculous requests.† â€Å"I†¦ I don't mind,† I said. â€Å"And it all needs doing.† She chuckled. â€Å"Yes. And you insist on going above and beyond in your tasks, don't you? No matter how inconvenient for you.† I shrugged. â€Å"I like to do a good job, ma'am.† â€Å"You do an excellent job. Far better than you need to. And you do it without complaint. Therefore, the least I can do is make a few phone calls on your behalf.† She laughed again. â€Å"That startles you most of all, doesn't it? Having someone praise you.† â€Å"Oh no,† I said lamely. â€Å"I mean, it happens.† She took off her glasses to look at me more intently. The laughter was gone. â€Å"No, I'm thinking it doesn't. I don't know your particular situation, but I have known a lot of students like you – ones whose parents ship them off like this. While I appreciate the concern for higher education, I find that more often than not, a bigger piece of students coming here is that their parents simply don't have the time or inclination to be involved with – or even pay attention to – their children's lives.† We were dealing with one of those interpersonal areas that made me uncomfortable, particularly because there was an unexpected element of truth in them. â€Å"It's more complicated than that, ma'am.† â€Å"I'm sure it is,† she replied. Her expression turned fierce, making her look far different from the scattered teacher I knew. â€Å"But listen to me when I say this. You are an exceptional, talented, and brilliant young woman. Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you're less. Do not ever let anyone make you feel invisible. Do not let anyone – not even a teacher who constantly sends you for coffee – push you around.† She put her glasses back on and began randomly lifting up pieces of papers. At last, she found a pen and grinned triumphantly. â€Å"Now, then. What is your brother's name?† â€Å"Adrian, ma'am.† â€Å"Right, then.† She took out a piece of paper and carefully wrote down the name. â€Å"Adrian Melbourne.† â€Å"Melrose, ma'am.† â€Å"Right. Of course.† She scribbled out her mistake and muttered to herself, â€Å"I'm just glad his first name's not Hobart.† When she was finished, she leaned back casually in her chair. â€Å"Now that you mention it, there is one thing I'd like you to do.† â€Å"Name it,† I said. â€Å"I want you to make one of the spells from that first book.† â€Å"I'm sorry. Did you say, make a spell?† Ms. Terwilliger waved a hand. â€Å"Oh, don't worry. I'm not asking you to wave a wand or do an animal sacrifice. But I'm terribly intrigued by how complex some of the formulas and steps of the spells were. I have to wonder, did people actually follow them in such painstaking detail? Some of these are quite complicated.† â€Å"I know,† I said dryly. â€Å"I typed them all out.† â€Å"Exactly. So, I want you to make one. Follow the steps. See how long it takes. See if half the measurements they ask for are even possible. Then write up the data in a report. That part, I know you excel at.† I didn't know what to say. Ms. Terwilliger wasn't actually asking me to use magic, certainly not in the same way vampires did. Such a thing wasn't even possible. Magic was not the province of humans. It was unnatural and went against the ways of the universe. What the Alchemists did was based on science and chemistry. The tattoos had magic, but it was us bending vampire magic to our wills – not using it ourselves. The closest we came to anything supernatural was the blessings we called down on our potions. She was only asking me to reenact a spell. It wasn't real. There was no harm. And yet†¦ why did I feel so uneasy? I felt like I was being asked to lie or steal. â€Å"What's the matter?† she asked. For a moment, I considered using religion again but then dismissed it. That excuse had come up too often today, though this time, it was actually semilegitimate. â€Å"Nothing, ma'am. It just seems weird.† She picked up the first leather book and flipped to the middle. â€Å"Here. Do this one – an incineration amulet. It's complicated, but at least you'll have an arts and crafts project when you're done. Most of these ingredients should be easy to come by, too.† I took the book from her and scanned it. â€Å"Where am I going to get nettle?† â€Å"Ask Mr. Carnes. He has a garden outside his classroom. I'm sure you can buy the rest. And you know, you can give me receipts. I'll pay you back whenever I send you out to get something. You must've spent a fortune on coffee.† I felt a little better when I saw how random the ingredients were. Nettle. Agate. A piece of silk. There wasn't really even anything flammable. This was nonsense. With a nod, I told her I'd start soon. In the meantime, I typed up an official letter to Amberwood on Keith's behalf. It explained that our religious beliefs required family church attendance twice a week and that Jill needed to be excused from her punishment during those times. It also promised that Jill would check in with Mrs. Weathers both before and after the family trips. When I finished, I was rather pleased with my work and felt that I'd made Keith sound far more eloquent than he deserved. I called him up when school ended and gave a brief rundown on what had happened with Jill. Naturally, I got the blame. â€Å"You're supposed to keep an eye on her, Sydney!† Keith exclaimed. â€Å"I'm also supposed to be undercover as a student here, and I can't be with her every second of the day.† It wasn't worth mentioning that I'd actually been out with Adrian when Jill had run away – not that Keith could do any more to me. He'd already done his damage. â€Å"And so I have to suffer the consequences,† he said in a world-weary voice. â€Å"I'm the one who gets put out for your incompetence.† â€Å"Put out? You don't have to do anything except sign the letter I wrote for you. Are you home right now? Or will you be? I'll drive it over to you.† I figured he'd jump all over the offer, seeing how annoyed he seemed to be by the matter. So, it was a surprise when he said, â€Å"No, you don't have to do that. I'll come to you.† â€Å"It's not a problem. I can be at your place in less than ten minutes.† I didn't want him to have any more reason than necessary to go on and on about how I was inconveniencing him – or complain to the Alchemists. â€Å"No,† said Keith, with surprising intensity. â€Å"I'll come to you. I'm leaving right now. Meet you at the main office?† â€Å"Okay,† I said, totally puzzled at this change of heart. Did he want to check up on me or something? Demand an inspection? â€Å"See you soon.† I was already on Central Campus, so it took no time at all to reach the main office. I sat outside on an ornate stone bench with a good view of the visitors parking lot and waited. It was hot out, as usual, but being in the shade actually made it pretty pleasant. The bench was situated in a little clearing filled with flowering plants and a sign that read The Kelly Hayes Memorial Garden. It looked new. â€Å"Hey, Sydney!† Kristin and Julia were walking out of the building and waved at me. They came and sat down beside me to ask what I was doing. â€Å"I'm waiting for my brother.† â€Å"Is he cute?† asked Kristin hopefully. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"Yes, he is,† countered Julia. â€Å"I saw him in your dorm last weekend. When you all went out for lunch.† It took me a second to realize she meant Adrian. â€Å"Oh. Different brother. They don't have a lot in common.† â€Å"Is it true your sister's in big trouble?† asked Julia. I shrugged. â€Å"Only a little trouble. She can't leave campus, except for family stuff. It could be worse. Although†¦ it did cost her a modeling job, so she's sad about that.† â€Å"Modeling for who?† asked Kristin. I racked my brain. â€Å"Lia DiStefano. There's some show in two weeks, and she wanted Jill to walk in it. But Jill can't practice because she has to stay here.† Their eyes went wide. â€Å"Lia's clothes are amazing!† said Julia. â€Å"Jill has to do it. She might get free stuff.† â€Å"I told you. She can't.† Kristin tilted her head thoughtfully. â€Å"But what if it was for school? Like some kind of career or vocational thing?† She turned to Julia. â€Å"Is there still a sewing club?† â€Å"I think so,† said Julia, nodding eagerly. â€Å"That's a good idea. Does Jill have an activity?† Along with a sport, Amberwood also required its well-rounded students to participate in hobbies and activities outside of class. â€Å"There's a sewing club she could join†¦ and I bet she could get working with Lia counted as some kind of special research.† In attempting to fix a loose thread on her cardigan the other day, Jill had nearly unraveled the entire sweater. â€Å"I don't think that's really Jill's thing.† â€Å"Doesn't matter,† said Kristin. â€Å"Most of the people in it can't sew anyway. But every year, the club volunteers with local designers. Miss Yamani would totally let walking in the show count as volunteering. She loves Lia DiStefano.† â€Å"And they'd have to let her go,† said Julia, face full of triumph. â€Å"Because it'd be for school.† â€Å"Interesting,† I said, wondering if there was any chance of it working. â€Å"I'll tell Jill.† A familiar blue car pulled into the driveway, and I stood up. â€Å"There he is.† Keith parked and got out, scanning around for me. Kristin gave a small sound of approval. â€Å"He's not bad.† â€Å"Believe me,† I said, walking forward. â€Å"You want nothing to do with him.† Keith gave the girls what was probably supposed to be a charming smile and even winked at them. The instant they were gone, his smile dropped. Impatience radiated off of him, and it was a wonder he didn't tap his foot. â€Å"Let's make this fast,† he said. â€Å"If you're in such a rush, you should have just let me come by when you had more time.† I took out a binder containing the letter and handed it over with a pen. Keith signed without even looking at it and handed it back. â€Å"Need anything else?† he asked. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Don't mess up again,† he said, opening the car door. â€Å"I don't have time to keep covering for you.† â€Å"Does it matter?† I challenged him. â€Å"You've already done your best to get rid of me.† He gave me a cold smile. â€Å"You shouldn't have crossed me. Not now, not back then.† With a wink, he turned around and began to leave. I stared, unable to believe the audacity. It was the first time he'd directly referenced what went down years ago. â€Å"Well, that's the thing,† I shouted at his retreating figure. â€Å"I didn't cross you back then. You got off easy. It's not going to happen again. You think I'm worried about you? I'm the one you need to be scared of.† Keith came to a halt and then slowly turned around, his face awash with disbelief. I didn't blame him. I was kind of surprised myself. I couldn't ever remember a time I'd so openly countered someone in a higher position of authority, certainly not someone who had so much power to affect my situation. â€Å"Watch it,† he said at last. â€Å"I can make your life miserable.† I gave him an icy smile. â€Å"You already have, and that's why I've got the advantage. You've done your worst – but you haven't seen what I can do yet.† It was a big bluff on my part, especially since I was pretty sure he could still do worse. For all I knew, he could get Zoe out here tomorrow. He could get me sent to a re-education center in a heartbeat. But if I went down? So would he. He stared at me for a few moments, at a loss. I don't know if I actually scared him or if he decided not to dignify me with an answer, but he finally turned and left for good. Furious, I went inside to deliver the letter to the office. The front desk secretary, Mrs. Dawson, stamped it and then made a copy for me to give to Mrs. Weathers. As she handed it to me, I asked, â€Å"Who's Kelly Hayes?† Mrs. Dawson's usually dimpled face grew sad. â€Å"That poor girl. She was a student here a few years ago.† My memory clicked. â€Å"Is she the one Mrs. Weathers mentioned? Who went missing?† Mrs. Dawson nodded. â€Å"It was terrible. She was such a sweet girl too. So young. She didn't deserve to die like that. She didn't deserve to die at all.† I hated to ask but had to. â€Å"How did she die? I mean, I know she was murdered, but I never heard any details.† â€Å"Probably just as well. It's pretty gruesome.† Mrs. Dawson peered around, as though afraid she'd get in trouble for gossiping with a student. She leaned over the counter toward me, face grave. â€Å"The poor thing bled to death. She had her throat cut.†

Life of Usain Bolt Essay

Jamaican sprinter Usain St.Leo Bolt was born in Trelawny, Jamaica on August 21, 1986; to Jennifer and Wellesley Bolt. His siblings are a sister named Sherine and a brother named Sadeeki. Since a young age, Bolt was fascinated with sports such as cricket and football or soccer. He attended Waldensia Primary School and William Knibb High School. While at Waldensia School, Bolt was honored as the fastest runner over 100 m. When he entered William Knibb High School, his cricket coach, impressed by his height and speed, insisted that he should try track and field events. Dwayne Barrett and Pablo McNeil, a former 100 m Olympic athlete, guided him about improving his athletic abilities. In 2001, Bolt won his first silver medal in the 200 meters with a time of 22.04 seconds at the annual high school championships. Bolt displayed his personal best of 48.28 seconds in the 400 meters and won a silver medal at the 2001 CARIFTA Games, a Caribbean regional event. He also finished the 200 meters in 21.81 seconds and achieved a silver medal. Bolt’s debut in a world level competition was at the 2001 IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. He did not qualify for the finals of the 200m event, but he set his personal best of 21.73 seconds. He set the record of 20.61 seconds and 47.12 seconds finishes at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships. Bolt moved to Kingston with the support of P.J. Patterson, the Prime Minister of Jamaica then, who saw the potential that Bolt possessed as an athlete. At the age of 15, Bolt won one gold and two silver medals at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston. He was a subject of attraction due to his exceptional height of 6’5†³ and his extraordinary performance. He set his new personal best of 20.16 seconds in the 200 m. Bolt also displayed an amazing performance in the Jamaican sprint relay team, achieving two silver medals. He set national junior records in the 4Ãâ€"400 m and 4Ãâ€"100 m relays by finishing in 3:04.06 minutes and 39.15 seconds, respectively. He won a gold medal at the 2003 World Youth Championships and set a new record of 20.40 seconds in the 200 m. In his final Jamaican High School Championships in 2003, he broke the records in both the 400 and 200 meters, with 45.30 seconds and 20.25 seconds. Usain Bolt became a professional athlete in 2004 under the guidance of his  new coach Fitz Coleman. He started with the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda, where he was the first junior sprinter to run the 200 m in less than 20 seconds and broke the world junior record, previously held by Roy Martin. Bolt lost the opportunity to compete in the 2004 World Junior Championships due to a hamstring injury. However, he was selected for the Jamaican Olympic Squad, but was eliminated in the first round of the 200 meters due to a leg injury. However, in 2005, Bolt got a fresh start under the guidance of his new coach Glen Mills. He scored the season’s best finish of 19.99 seconds for the 200 meters at the London’s Crystal Palace in July, of the same year. Bolt reached the top five on the world rankings in 2005 and 2006. He set his new personal best at the 2006 Grand Prix in Lausanne, Switzerland, setting the record time of 19.88 seconds. Bolt got his first major world medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany. He won a bronze medal by finishing in a time of 20.10 seconds. He achieved his first senior international silver medal in the IAAF World Cup in Athens, Greece. In 2007, he finished the 200 m in 19.75 seconds at the Jamaican Championships and broke the record of Don Quarrie by 0.11 seconds. He won silver medals in the 200 m and 4Ãâ€"100 m relay at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan. On May 31, 2008, Bolt established a new world record at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York. He r an the 100 m event in 9.72 seconds and broke an earlier record of 9.74 seconds set by Powell. After winning the 100 m, the 200 m and, along with his Jamaica teammates, the 4Ãâ€"100 m relay, all in world-record times, Usain Bolt scaled unpredicted heights in the 2009 Berlin World Championships, making a new 100 m world record of 9.58 seconds. He also broke his own 200 m record made in 2008 by 0.11 seconds, this time bringing it down to 19.19 seconds. Due to his remarkable performance; he was also honored as the IAAF World Athlete of the Year in 2008 and 2009. Although he could not make any new world records in 2010, Bolt comfortably won the 2010 IAAF Diamond League. Bolt wanted to break the 300 m record set by Michael Johnson in the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, but he could not do so due to an injury in his Achilles tendon. After the recovery from the injury, which took a month, he came back to track and field and comfortably won the 100 m at the Athletissima meeting in  Lausanne. He also defeated Asafa Powell in Paris at the Meeting Areva. However, he lost the race to Tyson Gay at the 100 m finals at the DN Galan. In the 2011 Daegu World Championships, Bolt was disqualified in the 100 meters finals because of a false start. He won the 200 meters in 19.40 s. He also won a gold medal in the 4Ãâ€"100 meters relay, setting the world record of 37.04 s, along with teammates Yohan Blake, Michael Frater, and Nesta Carter. In the months leading up to the 2012 London Olympics, Bolt was widely criticized for supposedly not taking the competition seriously. After being beat the top spot at the Jamaican trials by Yohan Blake, there was widespread doubt over Bolt’s ability to defend his 2008 titles. Bolt later said that losing to Blake was a wake-up call just before the Olympics and it helped him â€Å"get his head in the game†. At the London Olympics, Bolt made history by becoming the first athlete to defend both the 100 m and 200 m Olympic titles, in addition to the 4Ãâ€"100 m relay, as part of the Jamaican team. The closest anyone had ever come to that achievement was Carl Lewis, who won the 100 m and the 200 m in the 1984 Olympics, and the 100 m in 1988. Bolt is well known for his completely honest interviews as well as his speed records. After winning the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics 100 m, among widespread doubts about his fitness and attitude, he said to his critics, â€Å"All they can do is talk. I said it on the track†. In the same Olympics, he won the 200 m gold and then declared that he â€Å"is now a legend†, a claim refutable by few.

La Dentelliere Essay

La Donatello ©re Examine the role of the uneducated woman in society as portrayed by Pascal Lain © in his novel â€Å"La Donatello ©re†. â€Å"La Donatello ©re† by Pascal Lain ©, notably a sociologist and not an author, follows the life of a young girl, Pomme, as she matures Into adulthood. A main theme examined by Lain © throughout the novel is the role of the uneducated woman and the social boundaries a lack of education may pose for them. Primarily he shows this through the vague characterization of Pomme, her mother and her friend Maryl ©ne as well as through her relationship with a man, Almery. To begin, we first see Lain © portray the uneducated woman through Pomme’s mother. As with Pomme, we never learn the mother’s real name, rendering her also insignificant. In the beginning of the novel Pomme’s mother works as a prostitute in a bar In order to provide for her child after her husband walked out on her, always repeating the phrase â€Å"A vote service†. Her submissive and subservient attitude demonstrates her lack of education and hence her lower social status than the clients. Furthermore. he accepts her situation In life without asking questions or raying to change it, a trait which she passed on to her daughter: â€Å"Ellis acceptant tout implement lies joins et lies d ©bores quo lie sort leur distribuait sans profusion† Being uneducated has led mother to believe there Is nothing more for her in life than the card fate has dealt them. predominantly,  © uses pommel’s bland, transparent and impressionable personality to de monstrate her lack of education. As mentioned, Pomme takes after her mother in accepting everything that comes her way. She is entirely without ambition or aspirations for her life and is quite content with her Job at a hairdressing anon doing only the menial tasks for untrained interns: â€Å"Pomme ne savait ni friser, ni couper, ni telndre. On surety  ¤ ramasser les serviettes. † Lain © demonstrates that Isn’t capable of having a Job with certain responsibility, but also that she neither cares to find one. Pomme is the inspiration for Lain ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s title â€Å"La Donatello ©re† – The Lace maker, a famous picture by Jan vermin. She is both the lace and the lace maker. On one hand she Is fragile, delicate and Intricately woven In her simplicity, but then at the same time is simply transparent, basic Pomme. Lain © uses this Imagery to show that Pomme’s lack of substance is derived from her uneducated background and she will never be capable of achieving much, yet performs every menial task using all her effort and concentration. t ¤, n’importe locale, deviant i mm ©diatement cet accord, better unite†. Furthermore, the social boundaries a lack of education may carry for woman are highlighted through the character of Maryl ©ne, Pomme’s friend and hairdressing She longs to be of a higher social class but for her it is impossible to change class use to her uneducated background: â€Å"Maryl ©ne se rendait bien compte qu’il y ava it tout  ¤ c ¶t © d’elle, des autres gens et du tapage, une humanit © sup ©rieure†¦ In fact, social class and education go hand in hand – Maryl ©ne was born into a lower social class and hence never received an education – meaning that social mobility is unattainable. Lain © here uses Maryl ©ne to highlight the relation between social class and a lack of education. Lain © also achieves this through the failure of Pomme’s relationship with Almery de B ©lign ©, a man of a much higher social status than her. From the offset of their relationship Almery tries to change Pomme. Despite being deeply attracted to her simplicity, he tries to educate and culture her, playing her Malher’s symphony. While Almery is nearly moved to tears listening to the work, Pomme seems entirely unaffected: â€Å"Pomme s’ ©tait doucement levee, apr ©s la derni ©re note de la symphonie; elle avait d ©tach © ses mains du poste de radio Puis elle  ©tait all ©e faire la vaisselle qui restait de d ©Jeuner. † At this Almery is astounded and somewhat disgusted, showing that he will never accept her for her lack of education and so the elationship between the classes will never be possible. Lain © also demonstrates a distinct difference between the classes by showing Aimerys extreme ambition compared with Pomme’s lack of drive to achieve anything. On one hand, Almery â€Å"serait-il un Jour conservateur en chef d’un grande muse © national† whilst Pomme is content with her basic, mundane life at present, another aspect Almery cannot accept about Pomme. Hence through the failure of their relationship Lain © demonstrates the social confinements for uneducated, lower class women. In summary, Pascal Lain ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s â€Å"La Dentelli ©re† effectively portrays the role that uneducated women play in society and in turn societys social standings. Lain © managed to successfully exhibit, through the use of Pomme, her mother, Maryl ©ne and Pomme’s relationship with Almery, that the uneducated women of society tend to be of a lower social status and highlights the vicious circle that keeps these women from climbing the social ladder due to their sufficient lack of education – oppressing them, keeping them at societys base level. 728 words