The Best College Search Websites, Reviewed (Top 10)

The Best College Search Websites, Reviewed (Top 10) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Not sure where to begin your college research? There are tons of online resources to help students match up with the right schools. In this article, I'll outline ten of the best sites to conduct your college search and then explain how to get started researching collegesusing three of the best sites. Within each section, the sites are ordered from the absolute best to those that are still good but not #1. Starting Out: The Best Data-Driven Sites to Begin Your College Search If you've just begun researching colleges and need some help finding schools you might be interested in, check out these sites to help get you started. College Board’s Big Future This is a good place to find out about colleges if you’re just starting out in your search.It caters to students who might not know where to begin and guides you through the research process. There's a guide called"College Search Step-by-Step" for students who are unsure of how to go about the search process.It will ask specific questions about what you are looking for in a school and give you a "snapshot" of your preferences to help you decide where to apply. On the main college search page,you can find college matches based on different criteria that you’re interested in, or you can search for schools directly.You can also compare schools, but the amount of data is less staggering than some other sites, so it may be easier to digest. College InSight If you’re a more scientifically minded person, this site will probably appeal to you.You have the option to start your search witha specific college, a topic that interests you, or with building your own table of different variablesto compare schoolsacross any metric you choose. This site has a huge amount of data for each school that includes variables such as economic and racial diversity of the student body and extensive statistics on debt and financial aid.This is a helpful resource for comparing colleges side by side based on hard data.You can choose a â€Å"focus† school and a â€Å"comparison† school, and the site will list the data for each school in table format.It's a good way to get an objective viewpoint on what each school is like. If you’re not as interested in looking at a bunch of data you may find this site to be overwhelming, but if you’re trying to findan easy way to compare school stats without having to create a profilethis is the place to go. This is just a screenshot of the top of the comparison charts - there are many more statistics that show up below this. College Navigator This site (put out by the National Center for Educational Statistics) doesn’t have the prettiest interface, but it’s useful for finding reliable data about any college in the country.If you already know what school you want, you can search for it directly.You can also search by state or even area code.There are filters for degree level and type of college as well, so you can search for just public or private colleges or just 4-year colleges. Each college has a page that lists relevant data including information about cost and financial aid, admissions, programs offered, graduation rates, athletics, and other general statistics. The downside of this site is that the information can be overwhelming and difficult to digest because there is so much data.If you prefer something less dry and scientific you might want to look elsewhere, but if you’re just looking for the facts with no frills this is a good resource. The Inside Scoop: Sites With the Best Student Feedback and College Matchmaking This next section highlights sites that are best for when you already have an idea of which schools you're thinking about and are interested in comparing them and learning more about whether they're really a good fit. Cappex This is a great site for comparing schools, calculating admissions chances, calculating financial aid, and just figuring out if a school is a good match for you in general.You will be asked to create a profile, which then allows the site to figure out which schools might work best based on what matters most to you.There are also student reviews, so in addition to comparing hard data you will also be able to compare how people feel about the school.There’s even a feature that helps you plan campus visits! This site has one of the best balances between comprehensive data and a user-friendly experience that tells you what you really want to know about colleges. It will even take you as far as your application! Each school that you put on your list of favorites has a link that takes you directly to the school's website where you can begin the application process. Chegg On Chegg's college matchmaking site, you can create a profile and see which schools might be right for you.This site can be very helpful in your college search because it lets you keep a running list of schools that you’re interested in once you create a profile. Design-wise, it’s nice to look at, andthe statistics are presented in a very user-friendly, simple way that’s easy to understand.You’ll also find grades based on student reviews for everything from campus dining to academics to the party scene, so you can get an inside look at what people really think about the school. Based on these grades, the site has lists of schools that have the â€Å"best quality of life†, â€Å"best merit aid†, and many other categories that may help you narrow down your search.There’s also a tool on each college page for you to enter your GPA and SAT/ACT scores and see your chances of admission.Oneissue with student ratings is that they are very subjective and may not always reflect the truth about the school.Before you take these as fact, make sure you also check out the school’s main website and see what they have to say about themselves. This site contains less hard data, but is relatively easy to use and makes the college search a little more fun (they even give grades for the attractiveness of the student body...very important in choosing your dream school). Niche This site gives you access totons of statistics as well as student reviews and letter grades for different aspects of student life(this is actually where the college grades on Chegg, a site I recommend later, come from).You’ll also see lists of the best schools in different categories based on reviews. If you’re looking for a comprehensive overview of what’s offered by colleges, this is a great resource.There are a lot of statistics to wade through, but you can also create a free profile and get matched up with colleges.This site is nice becauseit can get really technical and specific,but it also gives you the tools to search for schools without feeling too overwhelmed.You can keep a running list of schools that you’re interested in, and the site will help you notify representatives for these schools of your interest if you think any of them are especially good matches. One aspect of Niche that I'm not so crazy about is the amount ofdistracting promotions and ads for other related sitesthat are involved. It makes things a bit more cluttered and confusing to navigate and kind of turned me off from using this site despite the fact that it presents a lot of great information. College Confidential You might be familiar with College Confidential for its (sometimes less than trustworthy) discussion forums, but it also has a great college search feature.You can fill out your preferences in over 20 different categories including location, majors, Greek life, party scene, and special services.Based on your answers and how important these factors are to you, you’ll get matched with schools that fit you best (out of a database of over 4,500 schools that includes schools outside of the US). You can also create a list of schools that you like by â€Å"pinning† your favorites.To narrow down your search even further, you can compare your top choices in different areas to see how they measure up against each other.You can save and share your lists if you want as well! I’d recommend this as a starting point if you're not sure which schools you’re interested in - it will help you figure out what’s most important to you and give you some initial ideas. It's super easy to pin and compare schools, although the information pages are a little confusing and not as nice to look at as the school matching interface. If you click on a school, you are linked out to another site called "College View" for the statistics, which makes things a bit harder to navigate compared to other sites where all information is internal. Unigo Get it? Go to Uni? It sounds like the Brits are responsible for this one, which made me suspicious, but this site is pretty cool.It has a modern design and includes tons of reviews in written and video format from students at the colleges.Based on student feedback, schools are rated on a scale of 1-10 for a bunch of different factors including campus safety, political activity, arts culture, Greek life, intellectual life, and more. Each college page has financial aid and admissions statistics, a built in map of the surrounding area, and statistics on student life such as the number of campus organizations and Greek houses.You can also make a list of schools and compare them across different metrics like tuition and selectivity. It does seem like they’re still working on adding more statistics about academics, so this site is a bit light on data in some areas.Still, it’s fun to use and will give you a different perspective than other sites with its multimedia format; there are lots of pictures of schools from students in addition to the video reviews. Taking Action: The Best Sites to Learn About Paying for and Applying to College Once you have a pretty solid list of which colleges you want to apply to, you can use these sites to help you navigate college applications and paying for school. Fastweb This site is oriented towards helping students search for scholarships, but it will also help you find colleges that may interest you. You can set up an account for free that will allow you to locate colleges and scholarships that fit your specific needs.There are helpful blog articles on the site as well that have advice on scholarships and colleges. You can also search for student loans on Fastweb - you just have to answer a few questions and you’ll get a list of all your loan choices.This site is a nice user-friendly means of finding scholarships and loans that will help you to avoid getting too overwhelmed with your options. It’s also a good site to keep in mind going forward, since it has resources for career planning and finding internship opportunities as well. If you're practically-minded and are serious about finding scholarships, you should definitely try this site out. You may want to use another platform for the college search process because Fastweb doesn't have as much information or tools for finding colleges as it does for finding scholarships and loans. Peterson’s This site is good for learning about application timelines and getting yourself organized for college as well as searching for schools that meet your criteria.There are articles with helpful tips about choosing colleges, applying to college, and getting financial aid and scholarships. You'll get fast stats about colleges and suggestions about other schools that you may like based on your searches. This isn’t my favorite site in terms of its presentation of college statistics. However, it does provide advice in other areas that is more specific than other sites and may help answer questions you have about the application process and how to actually follow through on your college decision. How to Start Your College Search Your mind is probably reeling from all of these options, so to make it easier, below is how we recommend you get started. The three sites described in this section are the best ones for beginning your college search, and I'll explain exactly how to use them. Step 1: Develop a Preliminarly List of Schools With Cappex As we mentioned above, Cappex is an excellent site for helping you figure out which types of schools you're interested in and which fit you well. Below are the steps to get the most out of Cappex. 1. Create a profile - you'll answer a lot of questions about your college preferences including location, size, selectivity, and religious affiliation as well as questions about your GPA and scores. This gives the site an idea of what colleges may fit with your needs. You also have the opportunity to enter in schools that interest you if you already have options in mind. 2. Play around with your Dashboard: this is where you'll see all the colleges that might fit your preferences. You'll be asked to select a region and a major so that the results are more tailored to you (don't worry - you can choose undecided if you aren't sure what you want to major in yet). You'll see a slider of different schools that looks like this: If you hover over any of the schools, you'll get an at-a-glance stats panel that shows you whether the school is public or private, its tuition rates, and the number of students. The first row of schools is for colleges that you may be interested in, and the second row is for colleges that are interested in you based on your level of high school achievement. 3. Click on the link inside the stats panel for any school that catches your interest. Once you get to the next page, you'll have a ton of information at your fingertips. One helpful feature that you probably want to check first is "Your Fit", which is the fourth button down on the left side panel. This gives you an easy way to tell if the college matches up well with the preferences you indicated in your profile. 4. Explore the college a little more. Think about other things that are important to you and whether they fit well with what the college offers. You'll notice that in each college profile you can comb through a huge database of information by clicking on the options on the left. Categories include everything from campus life to student reviews to application deadlines. Before you get too confused from all the information, try making a list of what you think will make you happy at college and target your browsing to the areas that matter most to you. 5. If you're feeling really good about a school, you can add it to the running list of colleges that is a part of your Cappex profile. Just click the "yes" button at the top of the screen where it asks if you're interested in the school. This will also notify the school that you are interested. If you fill out your profile completely, Cappex will also give you your chances of admission to a college if you click on "yes calculate my chances". Here's what your college list will look like: Notice that you can rank colleges by how much you like them, and if you update your profile you'll see your chances of admission as well. The list also makes it easy to compare colleges. If you click on the "compare" tab you can compare colleges side by side in admissions, tuition, diversity, and campus life (this could be a good way to give your parents the hard facts about why you prefer one school over another that they think is better). 6. After you're satisfied with your list, you can apply to schools by clicking on the "apply to college" link beneath every list entry. This will send you directly to the admissions site for the school and make it easy for you to get your application started. Step 2: Refine Your College List Using Chegg Once you've made a preliminary list of colleges with Cappex, we recommend next using Chegg to refine your list and see if there are any schools you missed. Below are the steps for getting the most out of Chegg. 1. Login through Facebook or sign up manually for a profile. Make sure you fill out as much information as you can in your profile so that your college matches will be as accurate as possible. 2. Click on the "Colleges" tab at the top of the screen, and you'll get to a page where you can search for schools by name or sort schools by your preferences. You can also look at lists of schools that are provided for you on the site based on student ratings for different things like "best food" or "most beautiful campus". You should also look at your "Matches", which are colleges selected for you based on the preferences you indicated in your profile. Just switch to the matches tab by clicking on it at the top of the screen: 3. Once you see a college that looks promising, go to the page for the school and start exploring the statistics and ratings. You can even look at your chances of admission based on your GPA and scores. Again, I would recommend writing down some factors that are important to you for a college before you dive into the stats so that you have a more focused approach. I think a good thing about this site is that it doesn't go too heavy on the nitty gritty statistics. It boils it down to the basic things you probably want to know and also gives you perspective from real students. 4. Add any college you think sounds good to your list of schools. Once you add a college to your list, you will have the option to fill out information that will allow colleges you are interested in to contact you. You can then compare up to five schools side by side based on scores, admission requirements, tuition, and other basic facts. This should help you narrow your search down significantly. 5. Take a look at other features of the site - you can also use Chegg to find scholarships and internships! Step 3: Search for Scholarships Using Fastweb Fastweb isthe best way to find scholarships, which is a super important part of the college application process. You can also find colleges on Fastweb, but it's not as streamlined as the other options. We recommend using Fastweb after you've used Cappex and Chegg to get a list of colleges you're interested in applying to. 1. Fill out a free profile, providing as many details as possible about your interests and strengths as possible. This will help you get matched to scholarships that are appropriate for your specific talents. 2. Click on "see my matches" in your profile to take a look at all the scholarships that are available to you: You can sort scholarships by deadline, amount, and provider. This is an awesome resource - instead of traversing the internet, you can see all of your potential scholarships right here. 3. If you click on the link for a scholarship and think you're interested, you can use the dropdown menu on the right to mark it as one that you "might apply" or "will apply" to;this will add it to your list under one of those tabs. This will make it easy for you to keep track of which scholarships interest you and which ones you promised yourself you would apply for (because we all know how easy it is to say you're going to apply and how hard it is to actually follow through). 4. You can also use this site to search for colleges (switch to the "colleges" tab at the top of the screen) and create a list of schools you're interested in. The list will look similar to the scholarship matches page: As I mentioned, the college search features on this site aren't quite as comprehensive as the others because there's no way to compare schools and there aren't as many student reviews or user-friendly statistics. You CAN use it to make a list, but I'd say Fastweb is mostly for scholarships. 5. If you want, start looking into your student loan options! This is a really daunting process that is made easier by the Student Lending Center feature under the Student Loans section of Fastweb. You can also get help with navigating the financial aid process under the Financial Aid tab and finding internships under the Career Planning tab. Basically, for anything involving the practical concerns associated with college, Fastweb is the best place to go. Conclusion The college search is a challenging, sometimes confusing process, especially when you're not sure where to start. I've given you the top ten sites I would recommend for finding colleges that fit your needs and a more detailed guide to the three sites that I think will be the most useful. Here are my overall rankings for the best sites to use in your college search: 1. Cappex2. Chegg3. Fastweb4. Niche5. College Confidential6. Peterson's7. College Board's Big Future8. College InSight9. Unigo10. College Navigator All of these sites will help you out in one way or another to narrow down your search, but I believe the top three have the best combination of user friendly format, solid information, and fun interactive features that are also very helpful to students. Remember to focus solely on what is most important to you in your search. You may have never heard of a school, but that doesn't mean it won't be a perfect fit. Be honest with yourself and you'll end up making a great choice! What's Next? Aiming high in your college search? Read this article on how to get into the top schools in the nation. If you're worried about your chances of getting into college period, check out this list of the easiest schools to get into. Building a killer college application is hard work. Find out the how to create a versatile application and what not to do in your college essay. The Common Application makes it easy to apply to a bunch of different schools but only fill out one application! Find out which schools accept the Common App. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Describe the empirical and rationalistic arguments for the existence Essay

Describe the empirical and rationalistic arguments for the existence of God - Essay Example Using this framework, rationalists argue that although no one can claims to have ‘seen’ God, there is enough circumstantial evidence to prove his/her existence. For example, the beauty and splendor of the natural world with its own myriad of complexity and design suggests the existence of a benevolent creator. This is the argument some creationists employ to counter evolutionary biologists’ theories of random genetic mutations. The regularity of natural phenomena such as the rising of the Sun, the waxing and waning of the moon, the presence of other life-forms on earth, are all examples of the work of the omnipresent (yet unobservable) creator or God. Rationalists further argue that the tendency for higher animals to exhibit altruistic behaviour and unconditional love can be taken as more proof. At a broader level, the evil forces in the world need a countervailing positive force in the form of God. Empiricists, on the other hand, present complementary lines of th ought. According to Empiricists, some of the transcendental experiences that occur to humans, whereby the realm of consciousness if elevated to another higher level is proof enough of God’s existence. Indeed, most such transcendental experiences coincide with a religious event such as prayer or divine music, making the associations between the two quite strong. These divine experiences of God’s presence are not usually grasped through sense organs in the course of daily life, but require special dedication to the faith and divinity for the revelation to occur.

With rreference to recent case law discuss the impact of the human Essay

With rreference to recent case law discuss the impact of the human rights act 1998 on the doctrine of parliamentary supremacy - Essay Example The UK Constitution is rightly deemed an unconventional, uncodified constitution that is a pragmatic product of experience and experiment. Central to the UK Constitution is the doctrine of parliamentary supremacy which endows the UK Parliament an overweening supremacy above all other governmental institutions including the executive and the judiciary. As defined by Albert Dicey, it is a doctrine wherein the Parliament has â€Å"the right to make or unmake any law whatever and further, that no person or body is recognised by the law of England as having a right to override or set aside the legislation of Parliament.†3 Parliament is not bound by its predecessor. In other words, it confers upon the Parliament the title â€Å"Supreme Lawmaker† by which the notion of judicial review does not apply. Thus, no court is allowed to question the validity of an Act of Parliament. Moreover, the Parliament’s legislative competence is rendered unlimited and by ordinary Act of Parliament it is empowered to alter any aspect of the existing Constitution. This doctrine had been questioned but was upheld in the Madzimbamuto case with finality, holding that if Parliament chose to enact a law that is improper or immoral, â€Å"the court will not hold the Act of Parliament invalid†.4 This doctrine had also been lambasted by such judges as Lord Chief Justice Woolf on the ground that it causes the British courts to become a weakened judiciary, stripped of the power of judicial review and the power to interpret civil rights implications while the Parliament is free to enact any legislation that it desires.5 It is a reality though, that the doctrine of parliamentary supremacy was threatened and suffered an erosion when UK decided to become a member of the European Union in 1972 and had to accede to European laws and the principle of the supremacy of European union law. The case Costa v ENEL

Health Promotion Proposal Reducing Obesity Health And Social Care Essay

Health Promotion Proposal Reducing Obesity Health And Social Care Essay The increase in obesity has been identified as a major public health threat. It has been predicated by the Government Office for Science Foresight that without taking action nearly 60% of the UK population will be obese by 2050, which would have serious financial consequences for the NHS and the economy.1 The causes are complex and related to behavioural, social and environmental factors therefore to tackle obesity a range of agencies and communities need to work together to: Change the obesogenic nature of the local environment. Develop opportunities to make healthy choices easier. Help those already obese or at high risk of becoming obese. This strategy provides a framework for local action and seeks to: Provide an understanding of the extent of the problem in the local population and sets goals. Provide leadership by bringing together a multi agency group. Choose interventions that evidence has shown to be effective. Enable monitoring and evaluation. Build up local capacity via training. There is a focus on childhood overweight and obesity in line with government recommendations. This two year evidence based strategy will require funding, the costs and resources required are provided in the action plan. 2.0 The organisation 2.1 The geographical area and population To make up the target population for this strategy, 90% of Prestons population and 15% of South Ribble were chosen, this is a population of approximately 150,000. Prestons health profile3 shows there are inequalities with nearly 40% of the residents living in the most deprived quintile. The percentage of children classified as obese is similar to the England average. South Ribbles health profile4 shows less than 5% of residents living in the most deprived quintile, child poverty and deprivation rates are low, the percentage of children classified as obese is better than the England average. Preston has a Black Minority Ethnic (BME) population of 15.5% which is greater than the England average, the largest majority being Asian (Indian the majority) or Asian British.3 South Ribble has a BME population of less than 5%.4 To ensure the population had a range of social classes, age groups and ethnic groups, two of the most deprived wards of Preston (Ribbleton [GL] and Fishwick [GB]) total population 12,720 were replaced with 3 less deprived wards of South Ribble (Broad Oak [GC], Kingsfold [GL] and Middleforth [GU]) total population 12,430, see Figure 1. This ensured the target population for the purpose of this strategy was approx 150000 with mixed class, age and ethnicity. The geographical area for the purposes of this strategy is called Preston Ribble Council. Figure 1: Wards of Preston (A) and South Ribble (B) 5 (A) (B) KEY: Source: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk 2.2 Health Improvement As part of Preston Ribble Council, the Health Improvement Team delivers a range of services and health campaigns designed to improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Preston Ribble. The health improvement team includes public health consultants and practitioners who work with the NHS, other organisations, the voluntary sector and local business to provide education and training services to empower residents of Preston Ribble to make healthy lifestyle choices. Health improvement and tackling inequalities is an integral part of Preston Ribble Councils Culture. All policies that support health improvement are evidence based. Partnership working is a necessity to deliver the health improvement agenda. 3.0 Obesity strategy development Obesity is a multi-faceted problem and therefore requires a multi-agency solution. A multi-agency Obesity Strategy Group was set up with key partners from the Local Authority, NHS and the voluntary sector to develop this strategy. The group was lead by the Health Improvement teams consultant in public health. It sets out how partners and communities will work together to reduce obesity by taking into account the specific needs of the local population. This strategy will link in with other strategic plans to ensure tackling obesity is high on the political agenda of Preston Ribble Council. 4.0 Background 4.1 Defining overweight and obesity Overweight and obesity are terms used to describe excess body fatness which can lead to adverse effects on health and wellbeing.2 Overweight and obesity occurs when energy intake from food and drink is greater than energy expenditure i.e. what is used by the body. The causes however are more complex and related to behavioural, social and environmental factors.2 The calculation of BMI body mass index (BMI=weight/(height)2) > 30 kg/m2.is a widely accepted definition obesity. The World Health Organisation produced a classification of overweight adults based on BMI, see Table 1. Table 1 Classification of overweight adults.6 Classification BMI (Kg/m2) Risk of co-morbidities Underweight Clinical problems increased) Normal weight 18.5 24.9 Average Overweight > 25 Pre-obese 25 29.9 Increased Obese class I 30.0 34.9 Moderate Obese class II 35.0 39.9 Severe Obese class II > 40.0 Very severe Source: Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO Consultation. Geneva. World Health Organisation, 2000 (WHO Technical Report Series, No 894) Guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence now recommends the use of waist circumference in conjunction with BMI as the method of measuring overweight and obesity and determining health risks.7 Because a childs BMI varies with age and sex, the BMI score for children is related to the UK 1990 BMI growth reference charts.8 4.2 Obesity and Health Life expectancy is reduced in obesity cases by an average of three years, and in severe obesity cases (BMI >40) life expectancy is reduced by eight to ten years.9 It has been estimated that the cost to the UK economy from overweight and obesity was  £15.8 billion per year in 2007,  £4.2 billion of which were costs to the NHS.9 Childhood obesity Short term risks mostly include emotional and psychological affects associated with being overweight through being teased by peers, resulting in low self esteem and depression. There are longer term consequences as obese children are more likely to become obese adults, there are however some obesity related conditions such as type 2 diabetes which have increased in overweight children.9 Adult obesity Evidence has shown that adult obesity is associated with a range of health problems including those related to; the musculoskeletal system because of the extra strain on joints; circulatory system e.g. coronary heart disease and stroke; metabolic and endocrine system e.g. type 2 diabetes; cancers such as breast and colon; reproductive problems; gastrointestinal and liver disease and psychological and social problems.9 5.0 The scale of the problem in the UK Within the last 25 years, the prevalence of obesity in the UK has more than doubled.1 The latest Health Survey for England (HSE) in 2009 showed that the proportion of obese men increased from 13% in 1993 to 22% in 2009 and from 16% of women in 1993 to 24% in 2009 i.e. more women are obese than men, there were however more overweight men (44%) than women (33%).10 The 2007 Foresight Report predicted that if no action were taken, by 2025 47% of men and 36% of women will be obese and Britain could be a mainly obese society by 2050, adding  £5.5 billion annual cost to the NHS.1 The rise in obesity among 2-10 year olds from 1 in 10 in 1995 to 1 in 7 in 2008 appears to be flattening out.10 There are however, still 1 in 5 children that are overweight or obese by the age of 3 years.11 Rates of obesity are higher among some Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and also in lower socioeconomic groups.12 The latest Health Survey for England in 2009 also showed the link between obesity and deprivation, women in the lower income quintiles had a higher BMI and greater prevalence of obesity than those women in higher income quintiles, there was no apparent pattern in men,10 see Figure 2. Figure 2 Age-standardised prevalence of overweight and obesity by equivalised household income and sex.10 6.0 The scale of the problem in Preston Ribble Council. Using the NICE costing tool13 the selected population obesity and overweight prevalence and numbers were calculated, see Appendix 1. The extent of the problem is summarised in Figure 3. There are an estimated 4511 children and young people who are classified as obese (BMI over 30), and a further 4580 who are classified as overweight (BMI between 25 and 30). There are an estimated 31993 adults who are classified as obese and a further 51821 who are classified as overweight. 22.9% of adult females and 26.8% adult males are obese. Figure 3 the extent of the problem in Preston Ribble Obese Overweight Normal weight Adults BMI > 40 n=2105* BMI 30-39 n=29888* BMI 25-30 n=51821* Children Young people BMI >40 n=69* BMI 30-39 n=4442* BMI 25-30 n=4580* *NICE costing tool The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) introduced in 2005 aims to monitor the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children in Reception Year and Year 6. The table below presents the results for the local authorities of Preston and South Ribble compared to the North West and national averages. Table 2 Local prevalence of overweight and obesity among children for the Local Authorities of Preston and S.Ribble and for England 2009/10 and 2008/09 14 Reception Year 6 Overweight Obese Overweight Obese 2008/09 Preston 10.9 8.5 13.1 17.3 S.Ribble 11.5 6.8 15.6 16.3 NW 13.5 9.6 14.1 18.9 England 13.2 9.6 14.3 18.3 2009/10 Preston 12.5 9.1 12.9 17.0 S.Ribble 15.3 8.5 14.0 18.0 NW 13.7 9.9 14.8 19.3 England 13.3 9.8 14.6 18.7 Source: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/obesity The table above shows an increase from 2008/09 to 2009/10 in Reception Year in the numbers of overweight and obese children in both Preston and S.Ribble. In Year 6 there was just an increase in obese children in S.Ribble. The targeted population for this strategy is Preston Ribble, as the population is 90% Preston and 15% South Ribble these increases are clearly a concern. A report by Intelligence for Healthy Lancashire (Joint Strategic Needs Assessment) on childhood obesity in Lancashire showed that measurements of year 6 pupils from the 08/09 NCMP dataset highlighted that across Lancashire there could be found extremes of weight (underweight and obese) in the most deprived areas and there was a link between higher levels of overweight and lower levels of deprivation.15 6.1 The local cost of obesity Using the NICE costing tool for the target population of Preston Ribble, the estimated savings from implementing NICE guidance is approximately  £43,000 savings on prescriptions and  £127,000 in GP contacts, see appendix 1. That is the current local cost to the NHS of not implementing NICE guidance for tackling obesity is approximately  £170,000. There would be however additional costs with disease associated with overweight and obesity plus costs on the economy from days off work due to obesity and associated diseases and conditions. 7.0 National Drivers and Guidance Reducing obesity is a national priority for government as highlighted in the recently published white paper Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for public health in England.16 In January 2008, the government published the national obesity strategy Healthy Weight Healthy Lives.17 It highlighted the need for a long term approach and set out a new Public Service Agreement target for England: Our ambition is to be the first major nation to reverse the rising tide of obesity and overweight in the population by ensuring that everyone is able to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Our initial focus will be on children: by 2020, we aim to reduce the proportion of overweight and obese children to 2000 levels.17 In 2006 Nice Guidance on Obesity was issued, this set out guidance on prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children in England and Wales.7 In addition to the NHS the guidance was also aimed at non-NHS settings for example, local authorities, schools early years and workplaces and sets out recommendations aimed at these various settings. It was also highlighted that obesity cannot simply be addressed through behavioural change at individual level; population based interventions are needed to change the obesogenic environment of modern industrialised nations.7 The Foresight Report, Tackling Obesity: Future Choices (2007) highlighted that obesity is determined by a complex multifaceted system of determinants and that in the 20th century the pace if technological revolution outstrips human evolution which has left an obesogenic environment.1 To tackle the complexities of obesity the report advocated using a multi agency or whole system approach. The report concluded that Preventing obesity requires changes in the environment and organisational behaviour, as well as changes in group, family and individual behaviour.1 8.0 Effective interventions Research highlighted in the Foresight report1 found that the top five policy responses which they assessed as having the greatest average impact on obesity levels were: â‚ ¬Ã‚  increasing walkability/cyclability of the built environment targeting health interventions for those at increased risk controlling the availability of/exposure to obesogenic foods and drinks increasing the responsibility of organisations for the health of their employees â‚ ¬Ã‚  early life interventions at birth or in infancy. 1 9.0 The Local Approach Healthy weight, healthy lives: a cross government strategy for England17 and the accompanying Healthy weight, healthy lives: a toolkit for developing local strategies2 have been utilized to develop this strategy for Preston Ribble. It supports the governments recommended approach of focusing on five key themes: Children: Healthy growth and healthy weight. The stages of pre-conception, breast feeding, infant nutrition through to early years can shape outcomes and choices made in adulthood.18 Promoting healthier food choices. Supporting the governments recommendation for promotion of a healthy, balanced diet. Building physical activity into our lives. Supporting the governments recommendation of promoting active living throughout the life course. Creating incentives for better health. Promoting action for maintaining a healthy weight in the workplace through promotion of healthy eating choices and more opportunities for physical activity within the workplace. Personalised support for overweight and obese individuals. Providing clinical care pathways to assess and manage overweight and obesity through effective weight management services. A life course approach has been used to assess the various stages of peoples lives where evidence has shown targeting interventions can be successful in preventing or treating overweight and obesity. This strategy uses universal population preventative approaches in addition to targeted interventions for those already obese or at high risk of developing. As evidence suggests peoples lives are shaped from very early years11,18 this strategy focuses on childrens health. To help people overcome barriers to maintaining a healthier lifestyle and changing their behaviour, this strategy takes a combined approach as recommended in the Foresight Report1 that is using types of interventions that focus on the determinants of behaviour such as the environment and education, the second type of intervention focuses on the behaviour itself in those at risk.1 The strategy uses all 5 different approaches to health promotion, i.e. medical, behaviour change, education, empowerment and social change to tackle both the determinants and the behaviour itself. 10.0 The Obesity Strategy Aim and Objectives The overall aim of the strategy is to reduce obesity levels in the local population of Preston Ribble. The strategy has three strategic themes with objectives: Change the obesogenic nature of the local environment. Develop opportunities to make healthy choices easier. Help those already obese or at high risk of becoming obese. 10.1 Change the obesogenic nature of the local environment Objectives: Influence public policy Influence businesses to become healthy workplaces Work with communities to make active lifestyles easier As planning and transportation policy development can have huge effects on opportunities for activity within the local built environment, it is important that health issues such as obesity are considered in policy decisions, Health Impact Assessment (HIA) should form part of policy development. As part of this strategys action plan HIA training will be rolled out to planning and transportation teams within the council. . Foresight report1 found that one of the five policy responses which they assessed as having the greatest average impact on obesity was increasing the walkability/cyclability of the built environment. The report highlighted that residents of highly walkable neighbourhoods are more active and have slightly lower body weights than their counterparts in less walkable neighbourhoods, it was also highlighted how perceptions of social nuisances may increase the risks of obesity.1 Therefore key actions of this plan include interaction between Environmental Health, Housing, Police and communities to tackle social nuisances, set up community action teams and working with communities to empower and reassure residents. Community food growing initiatives have been recognised as providing benefits to help tackle obesity, they can offer physical activity, increase food knowledge and give a better appreciation of food that helps them make healthier food choices, in addition they help create cohesive communities and social inclusion thereby reducing health inequality.19 Because of the potential health gain this strategy aims to set up several community horticultural projects targeting the most deprived areas likely to have high risk individuals. The influence of the workplace on health of employees is well recognised and the Foresight report1 found increasing the responsibility of organisations for the health of their employees was one of the five policy responses which had the greatest impact on obesity. As part of this strategy the importance of this has been recognised and therefore a newly created health wellbeing workplace officer will be recruited to promote and facilitate the development of healthy active workplaces promoting the national Workwell campaign20 a health and wellbeing workplace award scheme will be launched. 10.2 Develop opportunities to make healthy choices easier. Objectives: Enable young children to eat a healthy diet Enable adults and families to eat a healthy varied diet The stages of pre-conception, breast feeding, infant nutrition through to early years can shape outcomes and choices made in adulthood.18 In Tackling obesity through the healthy child programme, a framework for action evidence is presented which strengthens the argument for focusing interventions in the very early years, it is highlighted that epidemiological studies have shown once obesity is established in a child it can continue into adulthood.11 The Foresight report1 found that one of the five policy responses which they assessed as having the greatest average impact on obesity was early life interventions at birth or in infancy. Therefore this strategy focuses on early years as they have been identified as critical opportunities for interventions in the life course, see figure 4. Figure 4 Critical opportunities for intervention in the life course of an individual 1 Source: Government Office for Science (2007) Tackling Obesity: Future Choices, Foresight Report. http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/bispartners/foresight/docs/obesity/17.pdf Breastfeeding can provide protection against obesity and related health problems in later life22 and that by breastfeeding mothers are more likely to return to their pre-pregnancy weight.23 It has been recommended by the WHO and the Department of Health that breastfeeding should be encouraged for the first 6 months of life.24 This strategy includes actions to increase uptake of breastfeeding. Both parents and childcare providers have a role in ensuring children have healthy balanced diets. This strategy includes actions to help ensure healthy eating at childcare premises. A healthy eating award scheme for childcare will be launched to encourage and provide recognition to childcare providers. NICE guidance recommends a whole school approach to tackling overweight and obesity.7 Healthy weight healthy lives highlights the importance of schools in ensuring opportunities are provided for children to develop healthy eating habits. This strategy therefore supports Healthy Schools25 and also increasing the take-up of school meals. National qualitative research commissioned by the Department of Health for the change 4 life campaign included segmentation of the population into 6 clusters, it was identified that 3 cluster types that were more at risk of obesity, Clusters 1 and 2 also had low income, these clusters each require specific key messages.26 See Figure 5. People on low incomes (Cluster 1 and 2 ) will be targeted as the Food Standards Agency low income and diet survey highlighted they had poorer diets due to several factors including a lack of cooking skills and knowledge.27 Figure 5 Department of Health Segmentation analysis 26 Taking an educational approach to promote healthy food choices in the home this strategy will implement a package of workshops designed for these high risk clusters to provide knowledge, practical skills and confidence to prepare healthy affordable food. As BME communities have also been identified as high risk of obesity, they will also be targeted for healthy eating workshops. As suggested in Healthy Weight Healthy Lives a toolkit for developing local strategies 2 to effectively engage BME communities, interventions will be culturally appropriate and group workshops will include sharing ideas how to make traditional meals healthy. The availability of affordable fresh food in deprived areas will also be address by this strategy, by introducing initiatives such as fruit and vegetable box schemes and food co-operatives which will promote local sustainable suppliers. 10.3 Help those already obese or at high risk of becoming obese Objectives: Identify early those at high risk of overweight or obesity and direct towards appropriate intervention Ensure provision of and equal access to weight management services for those who want to loose weight. As the numbers of obese individuals is forecast to rise1 it is paramount that services are in place to meet their needs and help individuals reduce and maintain a healthy weight. For those individuals already burdened with obesity or are at high risk of becoming, comprehensive care pathways for both adults and children will be developed using NICE guidance7,28 to ensure they are evidenced based. It was recommended in Healthy Weight Healthy Lives a toolkit for developing local strategies that more weight management services should be commissioned.2 Counterweight is an evidence based weight management programme that has been shown to be highly cost effective.29 This strategy will therefore utilize this cost effective service to ensure weight management services are available for those who want to loose weight. Weight management schemes designed specifically for children will also be assed and introduced on securing funding e.g. MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it).30 The full Obesity Strategy Action Plan is shown in Table 4. 11.0 Monitoring and evaluation The implementation and monitoring of this strategy will be overseen by the Obesity Strategy Group for Preston Ribble. To measure success of the overall aim of reducing obesity levels in the population, overarching strategy indicators are shown in Table 3. Table 3 Overarching strategy indicators. Indicator Source Timing 1 % children in Reception who are obese NCMP Annually Feb 2 % children in Reception who are overweight or obese NCMP Annually Feb 3 % children in Yr 6 who are obese NCMP Annually Feb 4 % children in Yr 6 who are overweight or obese NCMP Annually Feb 5 Prevalence of BMI > or equal to 30 in adults over age of 16 in previous 15 months in GP registers QoF Annually The Obesity Strategy Action Plan shown in Table 4 includes an evaluation framework. For each action, the outcome and performance measure is indicated. The highlighted lead will be responsible for ensuring the specified outcomes and performance indicators are measured and reported back to the Strategic Obesity Group at the specified time. Table 4 Obesity Strategy Action Plan Strategic Theme 1: Change the obesogenic nature of the local environment Objectives and key actions Approach to health promotion indicated: (medical / behaviour change / educational / empowerment / social change) Timescale Resources Lead responsibility and partners Performance Measure / Outcome (Social Change) Objective: Influence public policy Ensure HIA part of policy development Roll out HIA training to planning and transportation teams within the council. Within 6 months IMPACT 5 day HIA training course for team leaders ( £700 pp) In house HIA awareness 1 day course delivered by trained HIA champions. Council Training providers All team leaders completed 5 day HIA course 1 day in house HIA awareness training attended by 90% of officers Increase availability of active transport Planning and transportation to map existing cycling and walking routes around the district and undertake a gap analysis of opportunities for more routes. Within 6 months Planning Officer time Planning Parks and Leisure Transport Existing cycling walking routes mapped. Results of gap analysis reported. Restrict access to unhealthy food. Work with planning to restrict permission of fast food outlets within 500 metres of schools Ongoing Planning Officer time Planning PCT Health Promotion No applications granted after 1 year. Improve walkability of neighbourhoods. Improve timely interaction between Environmental Health, Housing, Police to tackle social nuisances. Monitor community satisfaction via questionnaires / community meetings every year. Ongoing Procedural development time by all partners. Environmental Health Housing Department Housing Associations Police Community Groups Community group and resident feedback of significant improvement. Establish new food growing sites to improve the health and well being of residents. Identify land available for food growing projects. Within 6 months Planning Officer time Planning Sustain Land Owners 4 new growing sites to be established. Objective: Influence businesses to become healthy workplaces Organise an area forum and develop website for representatives of local businesses to raise awareness in employers of production benefits in promoting healthy lifestyles. Promote business in the community workwell campaign, case studies of good practice. Within 6 months Health and wellbeing workplace officer (in Environmental Health)  £30K Environmental Health, PCT Health Promotion, Occupational Health, IT Existing Area Business and Commerce Forums Forum website developed. Influence roll-out of workplace policies to tackle obesity via newly appointed health and wellbeing workplace officer employed to promote and facilitate the development of healthy active workplaces. 1 2 years Health and wellbeing workplace officer Environmental Health, PCT Health Promotion, Occupational Health, Existing Area Business and Commerce Forums Feedback from forum of increase in healthy policies. (website survey monkey at 1 and 2 years) Critically assess workplace practices in NHS and the Local Authority and introduce policies that encourage physical activity and healthy eating. Promote implementation of NICE Guidance 43. 1 2 years Health and wellbeing workplace officer Environmental Health PCT Health Promotion, Human Resources teams, Occupational Health, Catering services All NHS and LA workplaces assessed after 2 years. Launch a workplace health and wellbeing award scheme to encourage employers to recognise the influence that they can have on their employees health. 6 12 months Health and wellbeing workplace officer time, LA communications team Environmental Health, Council Comms, PCT Health Promotion, Occupational Health, Existing Area Business and Commerce Forums Award scheme launched after 12 months. (Empowerment) Objective: Work with communities to make active lifestyles easier Work with communities to identify perceived needs for cycling and walking routes. 6 12 months Planning Officer time Planning Parks Leisure Community Groups Health walk Leaders

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Six

â€Å"She's already made her choice. You saw it yourself when you ‘interrupted' us. You've already chosen, haven't you, Elena?† Stefan said it not smugly, or as a demand, but with a kind of desperate bravado. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena looked up. â€Å"Stefan, I love you. But don't you understand, if I have a choice right now I have to choose for all of us to stay together. Just for now. Do you understand?† Seeing only stoniness in Stefan's face, she turned to Damon. â€Å"Do you?† â€Å"I think so.† He gave her a secret, possessive smile. â€Å"I told Stefan from the beginning that he was selfish not to share you. Brothers should share things, you know.† â€Å"That's not what I meant.† â€Å"Isn't it?† Damon smiled again. â€Å"No,† Stefan said. â€Å"I don't understand, and I don't see how you can ask me to work with him. He's evil, Elena. He kills for pleasure; he has no conscience at all. He doesn't care about Fell's Church; he said that himself. He's a monster-â€Å" â€Å"Right now he's being more cooperative than you are,† Elena said. She reached for Stefan's hand, searching for some way to get through to him. â€Å"Stefan, I need you. And we both need him. Can't you try to accept that?† When he didn't answer she added, â€Å"Stefan, do you really want to be mortal enemies with your brother forever?† â€Å"Do you really think he wants anything else?† Elena stared down at their joined hands, looking at the planes and curves and shadows. She didn't answer for a minute, and when she did it was very quietly. â€Å"He stopped me from killing you,† she said. She felt the flare of Stefan's defensive anger, then felt it slowly fade. Something like defeat crept through him, and he bowed his head. â€Å"That's true,† he said. â€Å"And, anyway, who am I to call him evil? What's he done that I haven't done myself?† We need to talk, Elena thought, hating this self-hatred of his. But this wasn't the time or place. â€Å"Then you do agree?† she said hesitantly. â€Å"Stefan, tell me what you're thinking.† â€Å"Right now I'm thinking that you always get your way. Because you always do, don't you, Elena?† Elena looked into his eyes, noticing how the pupils were dilated, so that only a ring of green iris showed around the edge. There was no longer anger there, but the tiredness and the bitterness remained. But I'm not just doing it for myself, she thought, thrusting out of her mind the sudden surge of self-doubt. I'll prove that to you, Stefan; you'll see. For once I'm not doing something for my own convenience. But I'm not just doing it for myself, she thought, thrusting out of her mind the sudden surge of self-doubt. I'll prove that to you, Stefan; you'll see. For once I'm not doing something for my own convenience. â€Å"Yes. I†¦ agree.† â€Å"And I agree,† said Damon, extending his own hand with exaggerated courtesy. He captured Elena's before she could say anything. â€Å"In fact, we all seem to be in a frenzy of pure agreement.† Don't, Elena thought, but at that moment, standing in the cool twilight of the choir loft, she felt that it was true, that they were all three connected, and in accord, and strong. Then Stefan pulled his hand away. In the silence that followed, Elena could hear the sounds outside and in the church below. There was still crying and the occasional shout, but the overall urgency was gone. Looking out the window, she saw people picking their way across the wet parking lot between the little groups that huddled over wounded victims. Dr. Feinberg was moving from island to island, apparently dispensing medical advice. The victims looked like survivors of a hurricane or earthquake. â€Å"No one is what they seem,† Elena said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"That's what Bonnie said during the memorial service. She had another one of her fits. I think it might be important.† She tried to put her thoughts in order. â€Å"I think there are people in town that we ought to look out for. Like Alaric Saltzman.† She told them, briefly, what she had overheard earlier that day in Alaric's house. â€Å"He's not what he seems, but I don't know exactly what he is. I think we should watch him. And since I obviously can't appear in public, you two are going to have to do it. But you can't let him suspect you know-† Elena broke off as Damon held up a hand swiftly. Down at the base of the stairs, a voice was calling. â€Å"Stefan? Are you up there?† And then, to someone else, â€Å"I thought I saw him go up here.† It sounded like Mr. Carson. â€Å"Go,† Elena hissed almost inaudibly to Stefan, â€Å"You have to be as normal as possible so you can stay here in Fell's Church. I'll be all right.† â€Å"But where will you go?† â€Å"To Meredith's. I'll explain later. Go on.† Stefan hesitated, and then started down the stairs, calling, â€Å"I'm coming.† Then he pulled back. â€Å"I'm not leaving you with him,† he said flatly. Elena threw her hands up in exasperation. â€Å"Then both of you go. You just agreed to work together; are you going to go back on your word now?† she added to Damon, who was looking unyielding himself. He gave another of his little shrugs. â€Å"All right. Just one thing-are you hungry?† â€Å"That's good. But later on, you will be. Remember that.† He crowded Stefan down the stairs, earning himself a searing look. But Elena heard Stefan's voice in her mind as they both disappeared. I'll come for you later. Wait for me. She wished she could answer with her own thoughts. She also noticed something. Stefan's mental voice was much weaker than it had been four days ago when he had been fighting his brother. Come to think of it, he hadn't been able to speak with his mind at all before the Founders' Day celebration. She'd been so confused when she woke up by the river that it hadn't occurred to her, but now she wondered. What had happened to make him so strong? And why was his strength fading now? Elena had time to think about it as she sat there in the deserted choir loft, while below the people left the church and outside the overcast skies slowly grew darker. She thought about Stefan, and about Damon, and she wondered if she had made the right choice. She'd vowed never to let them fight over her, but that vow was broken already. Was she crazy to try and make them live under a truce, even a temporary one? When the sky outside was uniformly black, she ventured down the stairs. The church was empty and echoing. She hadn't thought about how she would get out, but fortunately the side door was bolted only from the inside. She slipped out into the night gratefully. She hadn't realized how good it was to be outside and in the dark. Being inside buildings made her feel trapped, and daylight hurt her eyes. This was best, free and unfettered-and unseen. Her own senses rejoiced at the lush world around her. With the air so still, scents hung in the air for a long time, and she could smell a whole plethora of nocturnal creatures. A fox was scavenging in somebody's trash. Brown rats were chewing something in the bushes. Night moths were calling to one another with scent. She found it wasn't hard to get to Meredith's house undetected; people seemed to be staying inside. But once she got there, she stood looking up at the graceful farmhouse with the screened porch in dismay. She couldn't just walk up to the front door and knock. Was Meredith really expecting her? Wouldn't she be waiting outside if she were? Meredith was about to get a terrible shock if she weren't, Elena reflected, eyeing the distance to the roof of the porch. Meredith's bedroom window was above it and just around the corner. It would be a bit of a reach, but Elena thought she could make it. Getting onto the roof was easy; her fingers and bare toes found holds between the bricks and sent her sailing up. But leaning around the corner to look into Meredith's window was a strain. She blinked against the light that flooded out. Meredith was sitting on the edge of her bed, elbows on knees, staring at nothing. Every so often she ran a hand through her dark hair. A clock on the nightstand said Meredith was sitting on the edge of her bed, elbows on knees, staring at nothing. Every so often she ran a hand through her dark hair. A clock on the nightstand said Elena tapped on the window glass with her fingernails. Meredith jumped and looked the wrong way, toward the door. She stood up in a defensive crouch, clutching a throw pillow in one hand. When the door didn't open, she sidled a pace or two toward it, still in a defensive posture. â€Å"Who is it?† she said. Elena tapped on the glass again. Meredith spun to face the window, her breath coming fast. â€Å"Let me in,† said Elena. She didn't know if Meredith could hear her, so she mouthed it clearly. â€Å"Open the window.† Meredith, panting, looked around the room as if she expected someone to appear and help her. When no one did, she approached the window as if it were a dangerous animal. But she didn't open it. â€Å"Let me in,† Elena said again. Then she added impatiently, â€Å"If you didn't want me to come, why did you make an appointment with me?† She saw the change as Meredith's shoulders relaxed slightly. Slowly, with fingers that were unusually clumsy, Meredith opened the window and stood back. â€Å"Now ask me to come inside. Otherwise I can't. â€Å"Come†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith's voice failed and she had to try again. â€Å"Come in,† she said. When Elena, wincing, had boosted herself over the sill and was flexing her cramped fingers, Meredith added almost dazedly, â€Å"It's got to be you. Nobody else gives orders like that.† â€Å"It's me,† Elena said. She stopped wringing out the cramps and looked into the eyes of her friend. â€Å"It really is me, Meredith,† she said. Meredith nodded and swallowed visibly. Right then what Elena would have liked most in the world would have been for the other girl to give her a hug. But Meredith wasn't much of the hugging type, and right now she was backing slowly away to sit on the bed again. â€Å"Sit down,† she said in an artificially calm voice. Elena pulled out the desk chair and unthinkingly took up the same position Meredith had been in before, elbows on knees, head down. Then she looked up. â€Å"How did you know?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith just stared at her for a moment, then shook herself. â€Å"Well. You- your body was never found, of course. That was strange. And then those attacks on the old man and Vickie and Tanner-and Stefan and little things I'd put together about him-but I didn't know. Not for sure. Not until now.† She ended almost in a whisper. â€Å"Well, it was a good guess,† Elena said. She was trying to behave normally, but what was normal in this situation? Meredith was acting as if she could scarcely bear to look at her. It made Elena feel more lonely, more alone, than she could ever remember being in her life. â€Å"I asked Bonnie to come over at seven o'clock, if her mother would let her. It's probably her. I'll go see.† Meredith seemed almost indecently eager to get away. â€Å"Wait. Does she know?† â€Å"No†¦ Oh, you mean I should break it to her gently.† Meredith looked around the room again uncertainly, and Elena snapped on the little reading light by the bed. â€Å"Turn the room light off. It hurts my eyes anyway,† she said quietly. When Meredith did, the bedroom was dim enough that she could conceal herself in the shadows. Waiting for Meredith to return with Bonnie, she stood in a corner, hugging her elbows with her hands. Maybe it was a bad idea trying to get Meredith and Bonnie involved. If imperturbable Meredith couldn't handle the situation, what would Bonnie do? Meredith heralded their arrival by muttering over and over, â€Å"Don't scream now; don't scream,† as she bundled Bonnie across the threshold. â€Å"What's wrong with you? What are you doing?† Bonnie was gasping in return. â€Å"Let go of me. Do you know what I had to do to get my mother to let me out of the house tonight? She wants to take me to the hospital at Roanoke.† Meredith kicked the door shut. â€Å"Okay,† she said to Bonnie. â€Å"Now, you're going to see something that will†¦ well, it's going to be a shock. But you can't scream, do you understand me? I'll let go of you if you promise.† â€Å"It's too dark to see anything, and you're scaring me. What's wrong with you, Meredith? Oh, all right, I promise, but what are you talking-â€Å" â€Å"Elena,† said Meredith. Elena took it as an invitation and stepped forward. Bonnie's reaction wasn't what she expected. She frowned and leaned forward, peering in the dim light. When she saw Elena's form, she gasped. But then, as she stared at Elena's face, she clapped her hands together with a shriek of joy. â€Å"I knew it! I knew they were wrong! So there, Meredith-and you and Stefan thought you knew so much about drowning and all that. But I knew you were wrong! Oh, Elena, I missed you! Everyone's going to be so-â€Å" â€Å"Be quiet, Bonnie! Be quiet!† Meredith said urgently. â€Å"I told you not to scream. Listen, you idiot, do you think if Elena were really all right she'd be here in the middle of the night without anybody knowing about it?† â€Å"But she is all right; look at her. She's standing there. It is you, isn't it, Elena?† Bonnie started toward her, but Meredith grabbed her again. â€Å"Yes, it's me.† Elena had the strange feeling she'd wandered into a surreal comedy, maybe one written by Kafka, only she didn't know her lines. She didn't know what to say to Bonnie, who was looking rapturous. â€Å"What are you two being so mysterious for? She's here, but she's not all right. What's that supposed to mean?† Elena didn't know whether to laugh or cry. â€Å"Look, Bonnie†¦ oh, I don't know how to say this. Bonnie, did your psychic grandmother ever talk to you about vampires?† Silence fell, heavy as an ax. The minutes ticked by. Impossibly, Bonnie's eyes widened still further; then, they slid toward Meredith. There were several more minutes of silence, and then Bonnie shifted her weight toward the door. â€Å"Uh, look, you guys,† she said softly, â€Å"this is getting really weird. I mean, really, really, really†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena cast about in her mind. â€Å"You can look at my teeth,† she said. She pulled her upper lip back, poking at a canine with her finger. She felt the reflexive lengthening and sharpening, like a cat's claw lazily extending. Meredith came forward and looked and then looked away quickly. â€Å"I get the point,† she said, but in her voice there was none of the old wry pleasure in her own wit. â€Å"Bonnie, look,† she said. All the elation, all the excitement had drained out of Bonnie. She looked as if she were going to be sick. â€Å"No. I don't want to.† â€Å"You have to. You have to believe it, or we'll never get anywhere.† Meredith grappled a stiff and resisting Bonnie forward. â€Å"Open your eyes, you little twit. You're the one who loves all this supernatural stuff.† â€Å"I've changed my mind,† Bonnie said, almost sobbing. There was genuine hysteria in her tone. â€Å"Leave me alone, Meredith; I don't want to look.† She wrenched herself away. â€Å"You don't have to,† Elena whispered, stunned. Dismay pooled inside her, and tears flooded her eyes. â€Å"This was a bad idea, Meredith. I'll go away.† â€Å"No. Oh, don't.† Bonnie turned back as quickly as she'd whirled away and precipitated herself into Elena's arms. â€Å"I'm sorry, Elena; I'm sorry. I don't care what you are; I'm just glad you're back. It's been terrible without you.† She was sobbing now in earnest. The tears that wouldn't come when Elena had been with Stefan came now. She cried, holding on to Bonnie, feeling Meredith's arms go around both of them. They were all crying-Meredith silently, Bonnie noisily, and Elena herself with passionate intensity. She felt as if she were crying for everything that had happened to her, for everything she had lost, for all the loneliness and the fear and the pain. Eventually, they all ended up sitting on the floor, knee to knee, the way they had when they were kids at a sleepover making secret plans. â€Å"You're so brave,† Bonnie said to Elena, sniffling. â€Å"I don't see how you can be so brave about it.† â€Å"Your hands aren't cold.† Meredith squeezed Elena's fingers. â€Å"Just sort of cool. I thought they'd be colder.† â€Å"Stefan's hands aren't cold either,† Elena said, and she was about to go on, but Bonnie squeaked: â€Å"Stefan?† Meredith and Elena looked at her. â€Å"Be sensible, Bonnie. You don't get to be a vampire by yourself. Somebody has to make you one.† â€Å"But you mean Stefan . . . ? You mean he's a†¦ ?† Bonnie's voice choked off. â€Å"I think,† said Meredith, â€Å"that maybe this is the time to tell us the whole story, Elena. Like all those minor details you left out the last time we asked you for the whole story.† Elena nodded. â€Å"You're right. It's hard to explain, but I'll try.† She took a deep breath. â€Å"Bonnie, do you remember the first day of school? It was the first time I ever heard you make a prophecy. You looked into my palm and said I'd meet a boy, a dark boy, a stranger. And that he wasn't tall but that he had been once. Well†-she looked at Bonnie and then at Meredith-â€Å"Stefan's not really tall now. But he was once†¦ compared to other people in the fifteenth century.† Meredith nodded, but Bonnie made a faint sound and swayed backward, looking shell-shocked. â€Å"You mean-â€Å" â€Å"I mean he lived in Renaissance Italy, and the average person was shorter then. So Stefan looked taller by comparison. And, wait, before you pass out, here's something else you should know. Damon's his brother.† Meredith nodded again. â€Å"I figured something like that. But then why has Damon been saying he's a college student?† â€Å"They don't get along very well. For a long time, Stefan didn't even know Damon was in Fell's Church.† Elena faltered. She was verging on Stefan's private history, which she'd always felt was his secret to tell. But Meredith had been right; it was time to come out with the whole story. â€Å"Listen, it was like this,† she said. â€Å"Stefan and Damon were both in love with the same girl back in Renaissance Italy. She was from Germany, and her name was Katherine. The reason Stefan was avoiding me at the beginning of school was that I reminded him of her; she had blond hair and blue eyes, too. Oh, and this was her ring.† Elena let go of Meredith's hand and showed them the intricately carved golden circlet set with a single stone of lapis lazuli. â€Å"And the thing was that Katherine was a vampire. A guy named Klaus had made her one back in her village in Germany to save her from dying of her last illness. Stefan and Damon both knew this, but they didn't care. They asked her to choose between them the one she wanted to marry.† Elena stopped and gave a lopsided smile, thinking that Mr. Tanner had been right; history did repeat itself. She only hoped her story didn't end like Katherine's. â€Å"But she chose both of them. She exchanged blood with both of them, and she said they could all three be companions through eternity.† between them the one she wanted to marry.† Elena stopped and gave a lopsided smile, thinking that Mr. Tanner had been right; history did repeat itself. She only hoped her story didn't end like Katherine's. â€Å"But she chose both of them. She exchanged blood with both of them, and she said they could all three be companions through eternity.† â€Å"Sounds dumb,† said Meredith. â€Å"You got it,† Elena told her. â€Å"Katherine was sweet but not very bright. Stefan and Damon already didn't like each other. They told her she had to choose, that they wouldn't even think of sharing her. And she ran off crying. The next day-well, they found her body, or what was left of it. See, a vampire needs a talisman like this ring to go out in the sun without being killed. And Katherine went out in the sun and took hers off. She thought if she were out of the way, Damon and Stefan would be reconciled.† â€Å"Oh, my God, how ro-â€Å" â€Å"No, it isn't,† Elena cut Bonnie off savagely. â€Å"It's not romantic at all. Stefan's been living with the guilt ever since, and I think Damon has, too, although you'd never get him to admit it. And the immediate result was that they got a couple of swords and killed each other. Yes, killed. That's why they're vampires now, and that's why they hate each other so much. And that's why I'm probably crazy trying to get them to cooperate now.†

Essay on The Eyes of the Dragon - 1023 Words

â€Å"A kingdom is in turmoil as the old King Roland dies and its worthy successor, Prince Peter, must do battle to claim what is rightly his. Plotting against him is the evil Flagg and his pawn, young Prince Thomas. Yet with every plan there are holes – like Thomas’s terrible secret. And the determined Prince Peter, who is planning a daring escape from his imprisonment†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (very first page) nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The sequence of events that occur in the plot go like this: Two sons are born from Queen Sasha and King Roland, Prince Peter then Prince Thomas. Fearing that the Queen Sasha would ruin his plans, Flagg, the several hundred years old magician and royal advisor succeeded in deposing of her when Peter is only five. Eleven years†¦show more content†¦He was also a pawn in Flagg’s plan to destroy the kingdom of Delain. Secondly, Thomas had a terrible secret that would ultimately be a part of the downfall of Flagg. On the evening Flagg offered the poisoned glass of wine to Roland, Thomas was there to witness the murder of his father. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;There are many themes in the story of The Eyes of the Dragon. One of them is courage; another is love for one’s family. But the one that struck me as the most fascinating and also the most reoccurring is the theme â€Å"Good always triumphs over Evil† or â€Å"Good vs. Evil.† The devious and evil Flagg was a baneful monster who had the downfall and corruption of the kingdom of Delain since the day of Allen II, one of the very early rulers of Delain. He would serve as the ruler’s advisor. The birth of Peter marked the end of his reign. As fate would have it, a small miscalculation in Flagg’s careful planning would be his undoing. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The story is named The Eyes of the Dragon because Thomas’s secret. Flagg once showed the young prince a secret corridor. At the end of this passage was a wall with two small transparent slits. The slits were the eyes of the dragon, Niner, which was displayed as a prized trophy head in one of the king’s many rooms. It was in this room that young Thomas witnessed the murder of his father the King. Also, in king Roland’sShow MoreRelatedEYES OF THE DRAGON STUDY NOTES1929 Words   |  8 PagesEyes of the Dragon Notes TECHNIQUES -Kings handling of point of view is distinctive in this novel. The story is told by a colloquial, first person narrator who tells the story from a thirdperson, omniscient perspective: that of the storyteller. -This storyteller takes pains to distinguish his role from that of the historian; he gives personal asides, alludes to certain familiar events in the future, and encourages the reader to notice Flaggs evil, Thomas deception and ultimate courageRead MoreThe Dominant Race: A Sci-Fi Short Story1347 Words   |  5 Pagesplaying with miniature dragons surrounded by old brick buildings decorated with red lanterns and firecrackers. Red paper, ash, burnt-out firecrackers, and bits of lettuce covered the smoky streets. Adults conversed and smoked, while they watched the children dance in a line to an inaudible beat. Restaurants were packed with people purchasing arrays of meats, snacks, and delectable cakes to eat and share with friends and family. It was the first day of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese Lunar CalendarRead MoreThe Creatures Of The Mountains Of Ankar1220 Words   |  5 Pagesmountains of Ankar, resided an ancient breed of dragon. They were fire dragons, and were used to the frosty, high peaks they inhabited. Living for thousands upon thousands of years, these creatures ruled atop their mountain. Ruling as they please, and doing as they liked to the beings below them. They soared high in the sky without a fear in the world. For a long while, however, a dragon egg has not appeared. Until one day, as if a gift from heaven, a dragon egg appeared at the foot of the mountain. TheRead MoreThe Night - Original Writing1118 Words   |  5 Pages In the early morning in the magical forest, we lived in a cabin. The sun gleaming through the leafs on the trees, the water glowing blue as it flows down from the melting snow as it falls into the lake. I wake to the piercing sound of a dragon roar. I run down the wooden stairs creaking beneath my feet, and smashing open the door. But realizing there is nothing there. The only thing there is Piper, who is barking to her heart s content. I was probably just imagining things I said to myselfRead MoreVisit from a Ghost1407 Words   |  6 Pagesright. Let me show you, a laugh._ I only remember Armor staring at me with wide eyes as I went down. *Armors POV* Hero?! I fell to my knees in order to catch her in time before her head hit the ground. Hero?! I shouted as I put my hand underneath her chin, tilting her head so I could see it from many angles. Her eyes were shut and her breath was still. Hero? I mumbled as I stared at her with wide eyes. Had Hero just died? I couldnt think, much less talk. I shook her. Hero! WakeRead MoreSummary : The Slayer 1178 Words   |  5 PagesLaura Neff Mrs. Marshall Honors English 11 2 September 2014 Skjorvar the Slayer Many ages ago Dragons once ruled our world, Arkniel, but since the day the people fought back those horrid flame-lizards have been mere memories turned legends. However, in the era of ash, they have returned, with their leader the World-Eater, and are here to take back power. The only hope of the people is the Empress’s son, Skjorvar. He was born of the Empress and her heart-warmer, his blood is blessed by the gods andRead MoreThe Legend Of The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald908 Words   |  4 Pages There once was a dragon named Tony, his pals called him little T. This was a joke though, because little T was the roundest dragon around. There was barely anything little about him. He had little stumpy legs and a tiny tail. His eyes shone fireball red and his scales were a glistening pink. According to all known laws of aviation in his land, there was no way a dragon this fat should be able to fly. Despite this, little T was on an adventure. His adventure had led him around the continent, toRead MoreAnalysis Of Grendel s The Of The World s Weird Wall 1673 Words   |  7 Pagesthe use of symbolism, philosophy and biblical allusions. SYMBOLISM Firstly I will talk about the symbolism of the text. Gardner illustrates the symbolism of eyes and caves to suggest Grendel’s isolation and indifference to his surroundings.   â€Å"Of all the creatures I knew, in those days, only my mother really looked at me. When her strange eyes burned into me, it did not seem quite sure.† (17) Grendel’s mother is the only creature that actually cares for Grendel, although she is unable to express itRead MoreAsian American Mythology : The Dragon Dance And The Lion Dance1528 Words   |  7 Pagestell in the form of dance, two of which are the Dragon Dance and the Lion Dance. The Dragon Dance is a Chinese American folk dance that is widely performed during Chinese New Year festivals. This dance requires many dancers who hold on to bamboo sticks that connect to the body of a dragon above their heads. The length of the dragon’s body can vary and its head can sometimes come with built in special features that allow it to puff out smoke. The dragon is typically made of a fiery red fabric with goldRead MoreThe Heart Of The Dust - Original Writing Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pagespassed through the beam unscathed. As she cut off the beam, the form of a small dragon became visible at the heart of the vortex, corruption flowing into its form, forming its bone, flesh, and scales. When the last of the corruption reached it, the fledgling dragon opened its eyes and let out a shuddering breath. Immune realized Menzil with horror. But to her surprise, the corrupted dragon simply stood there, quivering, eyes to the ground with its tail low. â€Å"That s odd.† commented Vorà ©l â€Å"The others

Themes Of Shakespeare s Othello - 2113 Words

Centre Square Assignment 1. Themes in Othello Love - Othello says, â€Å"For know Iago, // But that I love the gentle Desdemona, // I would not my unhoused free condition // Put into circumscription and confine // For the sea’s worth.†(Shakespeare, I.ii.24-27) This quote supports the theme of love found in the play Othello by William Shakespeare. This can be seen in how invested Othello seems to be emotionally when speaking about Desdemona. An aspect of love is already present in the fact that he and Desdemona are set to be wed, but this quote further shows that Othello is not going blindly into the marriage. He has fully developed and strong feelings for Desdemona and is not afraid of expressing them to the world. He even goes on to†¦show more content†¦2. Quotes surrounding characters in Othello Cassio - Cassio says, â€Å"Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my // reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what // remains is be stial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation!†(Shakespeare, II.iii.241-243) Iago says, â€Å"Reputation is an idle and most false imposition: oft got // without merit, and lost without deserving. You have lost no // reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. // What, man! there are ways to recover the general again.†(Shakespeare, II.iii.246-249) These quotes show just how reputation driven the character of Cassio is in the play. Cassio acts completely and utterly destroyed after learning that he has lost his position as Othello’s lieutenant and with it his honour and reputation. He goes as far as crying out, proclaiming that he has just lost an essential part of his being, and even going as far as pleading out his feelings to Iago. At this point in the play, we know that Iago still has use of Cassio for his ‘masterful plan’, so he is trying to do whatever it takes to keep Cassio on a tight leash. The second quote goes on to show Iago consoling Cassio in sort of a mocking manner by ridiculing him, but then explaining to him that his reputation can be earned once again in due time and that he truly has not ‘lost’ his reputationShow MoreRelatedThemes Of William Shakespeare s Othello956 Words   |  4 Pageshis/her work in order to distinguish the work’s theme over all of the other events and symbols appearing within the piece. Examples of motifs include jealousy, love, disloyalty, and hate. By including such motifs within a writing piece, these topics will become more prominent over others in the story and will act to greatly affect the plot and highlight a possible theme. William Shakespeare uses motifs in order to receive this outcome in his drama Othello. In Shakespeare’s drama, motifs such as jealousyRead MoreShakespeare s Othello - The Detrimental Theme Of Jealousy1756 Words   |  8 PagesDetrimental Theme of Jealousy ​Othello is a classic Shakespearean tragedy that consists of many underlying themes depicted in the story. One of the most significant themes portrayed in this play revolve around the aspect of jealousy. Jealousy is a strong feeling of resentment that can overpower a person’s good will and compel them to take involuntary action against one. During the course of this play, we see three main characters that possess this idea of a jealous nature. The theme of jealousy isRead MoreAnalysis of The Theme of Language in William Shakespeare ´s Othello802 Words   |  3 PagesIn Othello, one of the most interesting enigmas is the relationship between the spoken language and knowledge (or lack their of) which eventually leads to the downfall of Othello. One might contend that Othello’s lack of understanding throughout the play derives itself from the powerful, toxic language of Iago, which poisons the otherwise sound, knowledgeable mind of Othello. One might be comfortab le with the idea that language has such a powerful, direct effect on human beings and can be used toRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Othello By William Shakespeare757 Words   |  4 Pages The Tragedy of Othello by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare uses many literary devices to enhance and provide greater complexity in his works. More specifically, the theme, symbolism, and dramatic irony are used to enrich Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello. The plot is definitely engaging but the theme allows for an universal human correspondence, furthering the depth of the author’s message. The element of symbolism contributes to the theme of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Symbolism expressesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s All The World s A Stage 1540 Words   |  7 PagesMegan Mackey Professor Raja Atallah English 1102 17 April 2017 Research Paper William Shakespeare once said, All the World’s a Stage —and now his quote can be applied to his literature within his tragedies (William Shakespeare 1). The generation of people today have a much different definition of tragedies than people did during the Shakespearean times. Shakespeare’s tragedies involve a protagonist whose character is developed so that it is clear that he is a heroic figure in the setting of theRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1599 Words   |  7 Pages William Shakespeare’s 16th century play Othello is a duplicitous and fraudulent tale set alternatingly between Venice in act 1, and the island of Cyprus thereafter. The play follows the scandalous marriage between protagonist Othello, a Christian moore and the general of the army of Venice, and Desdemona, a respected and intelligent woman who also happens to be the daughter of the Venetian Senator Brabantio. Shakespeare undoubtedly positions the marriage to be viewed as heroic and noble, despiteRead MoreOthello, The Moor Of Venice, Is One Of The Principal Tragedies1180 Words   |  5 PagesOthello, the Moor of Venice, is one of the principal tragedies by Shakespeare. This tragedy contains many themes which are important in society today. Many aspects of people s lives have changed, but the way people think is still the same . Shakespeare s Othello wants to underline the psychological and social impact of racism; and the power of manipulation as well as jealousy. These are th e most important themes throughout this drama. Othello takes place in Venice, Italy. He was a black generalRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello - Light And Darkness1040 Words   |  5 Pagesdarkness have both been constant re-appearing themes within stories since the early stages of history. In the story of Othello, Shakespeare consistently uses these themes in order to help portray his characters. Particularly, using them to highlight race issues during the 1600s, as well acknowledging the racial association with good and bad. He uses these aspects of light and dark carefully to symbolize transitions of characters an their actions. Shakespeare also uses light and dark to interconnect withRead MoreOf Mice And Men And Othello Analysis1530 Words   |  7 PagesImpossibility of Ideals in Othello and Of Mice and Men It is a celebrated part of human nature to dream big. All too often, these idealistic dreams become too big, and as demonstrated in Othello by William Shakespeare and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the harsh reality will always catch up. Othello is the story of a successful venetian general who, despite being a moor, marries Desdemona, a beautiful woman whom he loves with all his heart. Through a jealous ploy by Iago, Othello begins to doubt theRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare Essay1203 Words   |  5 PagesDramatic play entitled Othello is an unusual story full of jealousy, dark misunderstandings, lies, and regrets. Following Aristotle s definition of a true tragedy, where does the tale of Othello fall? Is Othello too dramatic too be considered a tragedy or does it barely fall along the lines of tragic? Shakespeare s innovation with poetry and dramatic plays have been recognized by critics and playgoers throughout the centuries (Lee,1899). The Bard s play entitled Othello, is among some of the most