Tuesday, August 20, 2019

impact of Poverty on Health

impact of Poverty on Health 1 Health Access to Nursing Health Assignment 2 Kirsty Lincoln Tutor Lis Footsoy This should be in the report format! Please follow Assignment Brief instructions carefully! According to Ogden (1996), there are many factors that impact on the health of individuals within society, some are more common than others such as poverty, unemployment, lifestyle and residential areas. Alongside these are medical factors, religion and differing beliefs in medicine and health. According to Ogden (1996) although these are all different areas to take into consideration they are all interlinked to one another and it is often thought that if an individual has any one of the above chances are they will have some degree of each one impacting on their general health and wellbeing. [LF1]Naidoo and Wills (2000) claim that there are many determinants also known as health inequalities, which can all be broken down into categories such as social, environmental, lifestyle and physiological factors, it can be suggested that social factors have a major impact on health and the way individuals live generally associating health with social class, lower working classes are seen to lead unhealthier lifestyles due to poverty or lack of employment which in effect will lead to poor housing and living in higher crime rate areas and less access to health services and very little means of leisure activity which will then result in poor nutrition as not many individuals in the lower classes can afford healthy food and 10 fresh fruit and vegetables a day which is needed to maintain a good level of health, this could also include high consumptions of alcohol and cigarettes. Naidoo and wills (2000) explains how all this then leads to physiological factors that impact on health like stress and depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity which then ends up costing the National Health service thousands and thousands of pounds each year. It can be suggested that this is just a vicious cycle and until poverty and unemployment levels decrease, society as a whole will continue to consume money in the NHS. The graphs above shows the unemployment rates in the united kingdom compared to other countries, it is suggested that although it is not at the higher end of the scale there is still a high number of unemployment which has a major impact on the National Health service and the united kingdom’s economy which will in turn effect the overall health of the general public through poverty. It is clear to see from this brief overview how all the determinants are interlinked and how each one individually affects health and wellbeing. Ogden (1996) states that what is clear is that ill health does not happen by chance or through bad luck, in order to maintain health, society as a whole should promote it. The Lalorde report published in 1974 helped identify four fields of health that can be improved these are: Genetics and biological factors which determine an individual’s disposition to disease, lifestyles factors in which health behaviours contribute to illness, environmental factors like housing or pollution and the health services provided. If an area has a poor health service than it is more likely that death rates are higher through disease and health will be effected. These show that factors other than genetic and biological all affect an individual’s health but it is possible to change it. Naidoo and w[LF2]ills (2000) explains that unemployment and low income is a major determinant of living standards and when studying levels of income and material deprivation through unemployment it has been found that it can tie in with ill health and premature mortality. The graph above shows the different ages and class groups of the working environment it shows the level of deaths are a lot higher in those who work in manual hard labour which is very hands on and demanding in comparison to those of other intermediate and higher professional backgrounds paying in higher wages than other lower class jobs. According to the Rowntree report in 1990, 24% of the population had an income of below the national average after allowing for housing costs (Rowntree foundation 1995), people most likely to be in this category are the unemployed, pensioners, lone parents and the low paid. Blackburn suggests that there are three ways in which low income and unemployment can affect health, Physiologically inadequate housing, lack of warmth, lack of food, psychological – stress lack of support network and behavioural – health damaging behaviours like excessive smoking, drinking alcohol, sweets for children instead of healthy foods, living in poverty can affect anyone and without the means to provide a healthy lifestyle many are forced to live unhealthy lifestyles to make ends meet, it is not a choice. According to Ogden (1996) one of the main challenges the National Health Service (NHS) has to deal with is the constant usage of money, as healthcare costs thousands each year and regions with poor housing and less deprived areas spend more due to leading unhealthy lifestyles, an issue with this is that those people who are unemployed who live in these poorer communities pay nothing into the system yet can still access healthcare with the same rights as people employed who do pay into the system and pay taxes, so people who are unemployed can claim benefits, healthcare should be free and accessible to everyone although there will come a time when there is no financial funding left to pay for healthcare, there have been suggestions of placing a charge for every time the individual visits the doctor or attends Accident and Emergency on a Friday night when they have been found too intoxicated to function. This in turn will promote a healthier living although it can be seen as discrimina tion as individuals in poverty or unemployment still will not have the means to pay for the healthcare visits resulting in poor health and diseases increasing, having a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing within society. The graph above shows how the National Health Service funding has increased over the last 7 years reaching a high of just over  £105,000 in the years 2012 to 2013. As Naidoo and wills (2000) explains there are some factors that impact health that we cannot change for example: ethnicity, different race and ethnic backgrounds can determine an individual’s health for example: individuals with darker skin have a higher protection from diseases of the skin, caused by sunlight such as skin cancer and individuals with lighter more pale skin can burn easily and be allergic to the sun, this can tie into the environmental factors that affect health. Although in order to fit in to society in modern day it can be seen that there is a lot more pressure placed on young girls and women who feel the need to be perfect due to the mass media resulting in a rise in the use of tanning beds in order to gain a tan and darkening of the skin, this heightens the chance of skin cancer and other skin diseases. The graph below shows that in 2010, among men, white men had the highest rate of getting melanoma of the skin, followed by American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and black men. Among women, white women had the highest rate of getting melanoma of the skin, followed by Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and black women. Melanoma of the Skin Incidence Rates* by Race/Ethnicity and Sex, U.S., 1999–2010 It can be suggested that along with this, studies have found to show that younger people particularly are at risk using a tanning bed as people who start using sunbeds before the age of 35 are 87% more likely to develop Melanoma compared to people with darker skin from different ethnic groups or those who never use sun beds. [LF3] It can also be said that on the other hand certain ethnic groups are more prone to specific diseases, darker skin is especially prone to sickle cell disease, and individuals who are prone to certain diseases can use the National Health Service at their discretion depending on their beliefs surrounding medicine. Although in some countries like America, certain ethnic groups do not believe in the health care system American Indians believe disease is an act of nature and should be allowed to follow its course. It can also be said that in third world countries medicine and healthcare is not easily accessible as there is little funding to provide the adequate care. It can also be suggested that some regions with less sunlight can also affect health due to causing psychological factors like stress and Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) which is a disorder affected by seasons which in turn causes higher suicide rates in winter colder months in comparison to summer months. It is possible that all things in society affect health and although looking at this from a Marxist point of view unemployment and poverty are a root cause to most health issues. Marxists believe that everyone should be equal and that poverty helps maintain the domination of the Bourgeoisie (upper class) it serves the interest of the wealthy, although other sociologists disagree and argue that individuals are to blame for their own poverty or as groups they develop a culture of poverty. Marxists believe poverty is rooted to the structure of society rather than a specific individual therefore if an individual lives in a deprived area they are more likely going to adapt to the ways of that community leading to ill health through poor lifestyles. [LF4] Along with Karl Marx another sociologist Charles Murray (1989) [LF5]stated that poverty is caused by the lower class in the sense that the lower class do not want to work or find employment, he blames illegitimacy for this state of poverty in 1979 Britain had an illegitimacy rate of 10.6% but by 1988 this had risen to 25.6% he claimed that illegitimate children are more likely to come from women of the lower class and that they run wild due to the lack of a father figure and in effect he held them responsible for rising crime, property crime and violent crime. This in turn damaging communities making the residential area deprived with little amenities and also made people withdraw into themselves causing all kinds of illnesses mainly psychological. A critic of this is that there is no evidence to prove his conclusions and there are no significant differences between the lower class and the employed in their attitudes towards work and it can be seen that mothers with husbands/fathers spend more time claiming benefits than single mothers. Naidoo and wills (2000) suggests that the Marxist approach to poverty and unemployment ties in with the social scientists perspective on medicine, as they argue that medicine is closely linked to power and is still a powerful means of social control, as without medicine health would deteriorate and society would lack structure. [LF6] There are many medical models that look at the determinants of health. The behaviour change model aims to encourage individuals to adapt healthy behaviours which are seen as the key to improve health and wellbeing. It can be argued as this model does not reflect the understanding of poverty the approach is popular as it views health as a property of individuals, making it possible to assume that people can change their behaviours to make improvements to their health. It also states that individuals who do not care for themselves are to blame for the consequences of ill health. When looking at poverty and unemployment and this approach it is impossible to change behaviours and lifestyles for improved health when they are outside the individuals control, there has to be some amount of flexibility to be able to make changes, individuals living in poverty and who are unemployed know that changing bad lifestyles is not always as easy as it may seem. The above shows how the Behaviour change model works. On the other hand a health model that can be tied in with poverty is the Social change model the main aim of this approach is to enable people to gain control of their lives, it enables people to gain skills and confidence, and empowerment is also used as a way to describe a way of working which increases peoples power to change their social reality, an example of this in communities there are self-help groups and community based development like setting goals and community based development such as meeting in order to meet specific needs like clean-up programmes and such, this would help individuals in poverty and unemployment gain confidence to learn new skills in order to find a job which in turn would improve their health or even help individuals with depression or stress by meeting new people going through the same thing. [LF7] The picture above shows the different stages of the social change model. This approach also attempts to bring changes in the physical, social and economic environment this includes things like bans in public places for example smoking, which in turn will decrease or attempt to decrease smoking levels in more deprived areas which could result in saving money and starting the long road out of poverty. It can also be suggested that it could reduce air pollution as if the area of residence has high air pollution then this carries a more detrimental issue on health in regards to individuals who are medically unwell or have illnesses such as asthma or emphysema. Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. The lower the levels of air pollution, the better the cardiovascular and respiratory health of the population will be, both long- and short-term. The WHO Air quality guidelines provide an assessment of health effects of air pollution and thresholds for health-harmful pollution levels. Ambient (outdoor air pollution) in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012. [LF8] Some 88% of those premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, and the greatest number in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions. Policies and investments supporting cleaner transport, energy-efficient housing, power generation, industry and better municipal waste management would reduce key sources of urban outdoor air pollution. Reducing outdoor emissions from household coal and biomass energy systems, agricultural waste incineration, forest fires and certain agro-forestry activities (e.g. charcoal production) would reduce key rural and peri-urban air pollution sources in developing regions. Reducing outdoor air pollution also reduces emissions of CO2 and short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon particles and methane, thus contributing to the near- and long-term mitigation of climate change. In addition to outdoor air pollution, indoor smoke is a serious health risk for some 3 billion people who cook and heat their homes with biomass fuels and coal (WHO, 2014) Very good discussion with clear evaluation of theories and models. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be seen that poverty is the main cause to ill health within society, regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, social class. It all comes down to poverty, as without the means to live a healthy lifestyle, individuals cannot change behaviours and attitudes towards healthier living. Poverty can cause disease and illness and affect general health through stress. Psychologically becoming depressed over money worries, poor living conditions and lack of nutrition or too much junk food and alcohol can cause obesity, diabetes and liver damage. If the area is industrial or run down an individual has more change[LF9] of developing lung disease and breathing difficulties. Poverty is a term which is defined as very wide spread and there are millions of implications to health and what living in poverty can cause. A very good report which discusses models, theories, concepts and issues well. To further improve: Make sure you ‘un-pick’ a concept thoroughly in order to give a greater level of evaluation. Take care with referencing – you need to review this practise (study skills handout and/or Cite Them Right) Make sure the sections of your report are clearly defined by way of section headings. Table of References Butterfield, W.J.H. (1968) ‘priorities in medicine’. London: Nuffield Naidoo, J. Wills, J. (2000) ‘Health promotion’ (2nd edition) London: Bailliere Tindal Ogden, J. (1996) ‘Health psychology’ Buckingham: University press Katz, J., Peberdy, A. (1997) ‘Promoting health, knowledge and practise’ Basingstoke: Open University press. World Health Organisation. (2014) ‘Ambient air quality and health’ [online] Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/> [Accessed 5th May 2014] Very good sources. Kirsty Lincoln [LF1]If this were an essay this would be allowed therefore this should have been a Report! Also I can’t identify where your Introduction ends and Discussion of Findings starts etc. [LF2]Capital Letter [LF3]It is important here to point out that you are basing this upon US statistics. [LF4]Source? [LF5]Source? [LF6]Good points made and evaluated here. [LF7]Very good discussion of models however where are you getting your information from [LF8]Sources [LF9]‘chance’

Monday, August 19, 2019

How To Have a Successful Career in Physical Therapy Essay -- Physical

In the PTT program there are many certain ways to be successful and how to do it, so here's some ways to help you get the career of your dreams. The two main points to help are How to become a successful Physical Therapy Technician and What kind of PTT that you want to strive to become and Path to achieve that goal. The importance of the guidelines of the College Student Handbook are three valuable rules to help us better our success in the PTT program and or field. The three main precautions are Covering tattoos, Uniforms, and Professional Behavior. The first is covering tattoos, tattoos are an importance in the medical field to keep them covered because we don't want the clients thinking we are juvenile when we are not. The second is Uniforms. The uniforms we are provided with are scrubs, the scrubs need to be wore throughout our educated year with tattoos covered if students have them. The third is professional behavior. Professional behavior is a must in a field dealing with patients one-on-one, if you go to work each day with a bad attitude then you won't receive many patients. The handbook says, â€Å"1. Use professional and courteous language. Profanity is not acceptable. Slang is not deemed professional in the health care workplace. 2. Outbursts of anger, confrontations, arguments, and fighting are not acceptable.† How I became interested in Physical Therapy was from getting injured playing sports, coaching a youth city league, and to finding a professional job. One thing that got me interested was from me getting injured a lot. I injured my left ankle so many times and having to go to a doctor to get it checked every time was a hassle because it was like they told me the same stuff to keep it from getting wo... ...successful Physical Therapy Technician and What kind of PTT that you want to strive to become and Path to achieve that goal. Works Cited Carrington college student handbook. (2013-14). Retrieved from http://students.carrington.edu/student-handbook/ Become a member. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.aapmr.org/about/join/Pages/default.aspx Butler, D. (2012). noigroup. Retrieved from http://www.noigroup.com/en/About About the national rehabilitation association . (2009). Retrieved from http://www.nationalrehab.org/cwt/external/wcpages/About/Our_Mission.aspx Insurance benefit programs for apta members. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.apta.org/Benefits/Insurance/ Gerber, H. (2010, August 16). Looking at physical therapy work environments. Retrieved from http://blog.sunbeltstaffing.com/therapy/looking-at-physical-therapy-work-environments/

Leonhard Euler Essay -- essays research papers

Leonhard Euler Euler made large bounds in modern analytic geometry and trigonometry. He made decisive and formative contributions to geometry, calculus and number theory. Born: 15 April 1707 in Basel, Switzerland Died: 18 Sept 1783 in St Petersburg, Russia Introduction Euler's father wanted his son to follow him into the church and sent him to the University of Basel to prepare for the ministry. However geometry soon became his favourite subject. Euler obtained his father's consent to change to mathematics after Johann Bernoulli had used his persuasion. Johann Bernoulli became his teacher. He joined the St. Petersburg Academy of Science in 1727, two years after it was founded by Catherine I the wife of Peter the Great. Euler served as a medical lieutenant in the Russian navy from 1727 to 1730. In St Petersburg he lived with Daniel Bernoulli. He became professor of physics at the academy in 1730 and professor of mathematics in 1733. He married and left Johann Bernoulli's house in 1733. He had 13 children altogether of which 5 survived their infancy. He claimed that he made some of his greatest discoveries while holding a baby on his arm with other children playing round his feet. The publication of many articles and his book Mechanica (1736-37), which extensively presented Newtonian dynamics in the form of mathematical analysis for the first time, started Euler on the way to major mathematical work. In 1741, at the invitat...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

C-span, The Cable Tv Channel :: essays research papers

C-SPAN, the Cable TV channel C-SPAN, the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network is a medium that truly brings the government to the people. By presenting live and uncut footage of our government in action, the citizens of the United States can get a bit closer to what the founding fathers had in mind when they created our government. C-SPAN is truly a unique channel amongst the mass of today's viewing options. C-SPAN was launched March 19, 1979, "to provide live, gavel to gavel coverage of the United States House of Representatives."1, but the enterprise has been expanded beyond the original one channel and now utilizes several mediums to reach its goal. The originator of this idea of bringing government into peoples' homes was Brian Lamb, who in addition to being the chairman and CEO of C-SPAN, is also a host on many of C-SPAN's programs. Brian's primary belief is that people should be able to see government in action without soundbites, computer maps, models, images, music, and news anchor commentary. Brian feels that if people can see government in action without the normal clutter, then they can more easily make decisions for themselves about politics and the workings of their government. In addition to C-SPAN, a second channel, C-SPAN2 has also been created. C-SPAN2 is committed to providing live and uncut coverage of the U.S. Senate when it is in session. C-SPAN2 continues the tradition of the original channel by giving an even wider unfiltered and unplugged view of our government in action. In addition to video, C-SPAN also has 2 different audio networks that broadcast international and American political content, unfiltered and uncut. Also, C-SPAN has moved into the computer world and has established a homepage to provide information to people about its services, as well as receive feedback from viewers via email. One of the most unique aspects of C-SPAN is that all of its services are offered totally commercial free. C-SPAN is paid for by cable and satellite operators who each pay a per-subscriber fee to C-SPAN when the channels are carried on their cable systems. C-SPAN does sell merchandise bearing its logo, such as coffee mugs, T-shirts, and hats, however these are certainly intended as advertising for the network itself rather than a direct source of income. As of July 1995, C-SPAN is received by over 64.3 million or 71 percent of U.S. households, and C-SPAN2 is received by over 41.1 million or 46 percent of U.S. households. C-SPAN is distributed primarily through cable TV systems, however it can also received by both analog and digital satellite receivers.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Cph Herbal Medicines

10 Herbal Medicine RA NO. 8423- Phil Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) Mnemonic is BUBLY/SANTA B-AWANG (Hypertesion,Lowers Cholesterol, Toothache) U-LISIMANG BATO (PANCIT-PANCITAN) (Lowers uric acid, Rheumatism) B-AYABAS (Diarrhea, Wounds, Toothache) L-AGUNDI (Cough, Asthma, Fever) Y-ERBA BUENA (Muscle Pain, Athritis, Rheumatism, Cough, Headache) S- AMBONG (anti-Edema, Diuretic, Anti-Urolithiasis) A-MPLAYA (Diabetes, Mellitus) N-NIOG-NIOGAN (Paratism, Arcariasis, Anti-Helmintic) T-SANG GUBAT (Stomachache, Diarrhea) A-KAPULKO (Scabies, Anti-Fungal & Athletes Foot) Aromatic Medicinal PlantsContains volatile oil for treatment of fever, cough, colds, itchiness and gaspain. 1. Petals- (sampaguita, Rosal, jasmine) * Sore eyes, conjunctivitis, eye wash. 2. Leaves- (ex. Suha, Calamansi, Mangga) * Fever 3. Plant: a. Tanglad/Sale- Fever (whole plants) b. Damong Maria- Cough/Colds/Dysminorrhea (whole plant) c. Leaves of Mansanilya- Gaspain d. Camias- Fever e. Sibuyas - Ferver Astringent and bitter tasting Medicinal Plants * Tannin and pectin (decrease peristalsis) A-VOCADO LEAVES B-AYABAS LEAVES K-AIMITO LEAVES D-UHAT LEAVES S-AGING LEAVES S-ANTOL LEAVES M- ANGOSTEEN FRUIT K- ASUY (NUTS/LEAVES) T-SAANG GUBAT (MOUTH WASH)EFFECT: ANESTHETIC AND DEPRESSANT EFFECT TREATMENT/DS: SKIN Problems 1. Akapulko Leaves 2. Kalachuchi 3. Malungay 4. Kakawati 5. Makabuhay DEPRESANTS 1. Dapdap Leaves 2. Dita 3. Makahiya ACHES/PAINS 1. Damong Marya 2. Sambong ASCABIES/ANTI-CANCER DRUG/ DEPRESSANTS 1. Chichirica 2. Mabuhay IMPOTENCE/ERECTILE DISFUNCTION/DEPRESSANT/SLEEPING 1. MAKAHIYA BRONCHODILATOR 1. TALAMTUNAY PIGSA 1. MAYANA PLANT SEEDS- most of the time, anti-helmentic 1. Patola Seeds- ABORTION/ANTI HELMENTIC 2. IPIL-IPIL 3. BETEL NUT 4. SQUASH SEED 5. LANSONES- insect-repelant GRASS FAMILY- diuretic (edema,urinary problem,ihi-ihi) . Tubo 2. Tanglad 3. Pandan Lalaki FOR ASTHMAS 1. KAGON 2. PUGO-PUGO 3. BUTO-BUTONES 4. GATAS-GATAS RENAL STONE- bato sa bato 1. CORN HAIR (BUHOK NG MAIS) Natural Family Planning (kulang yung family planning ko, please hanap nalang po kayo sa iba ng additional. Thanks) Girls 1. Spacing # of Prenancy & Ideal Timing a. Barriers b. Hormones- IUD, Condoms (male/female) cervical cup, vanginal sponge, spermicites 2. Scientific Family Planning a. Natural Method A. 1 Cervical Mucus Method A. 2 Basal Body Temperature A. 3 Lactating Amenorrhea b. Standard Days Method 3. Tubal Ligation

Friday, August 16, 2019

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Sixteen

Elena hurried toward Robert E. Lee, feeling as if she'd been away from it for years. Last night seemed like something from her distant childhood, barely remembered. But she knew that today there would be its consequences to face. Last night she'd had to face Aunt Judith. Her aunt had been terribly upset when neighbors had told her about the murder, and even more upset that no one seemed to know where Elena was. By the time Elena had arrived home at nearly two in the morning, she had been frantic with worry. Elena hadn't been able to explain. She could only say that she'd been with Stefan, and that she knew he had been accused, and that she knew was innocent. All the rest, everything else that had happened, she had had to keep to herself. Even if Aunt Judith had believed it, she would never have understood. And this morning Elena had slept in, and now she was late. The streets were deserted except for her, as she hurried on toward the school. Overhead,, the sky was gray and a wind was rising. She desperately wanted to see Stefan. All night, while she'd been sleeping so heavily, she'd had nightmares about him. One dream had been especially real. In it she saw Stefan's pale face and his angry, accusing eyes. He held up a book to her and said, â€Å"How could you, Elena? How could you?† Then he dropped the book at her feet and walked away. She called after him, pleading, but he went on walking until he disappeared in darkness. When she looked down at the book, she saw it was bound in dark blue velvet. Her diary. A quiver of anger went through her as she thought again of how her diary had been stolen. But what did the dream mean? What was in her diary to make Stefan look like that? She didn't know. All she knew was that she needed to see him, to hear his voice, to feel his arms around her. Being away from him was like being separated from her own flesh. She ran up the steps of the high school into the nearly empty corridors. She headed toward the foreign-language wing, because she knew that Stefan's first class was Latin. If she could just see him for a moment, she would be all right. But he wasn't in class. Through the little window in the door, she saw his empty seat. Matt was there, and the expression on his face made her feel more frightened than ever. He kept glancing at Stefan's desk with a look of sick apprehension. Elena turned away from the door mechanically. Like an automaton, she climbed the stairs and walked to her trigonometry classroom. As she opened the door, she saw every face turn toward her, and she slipped hastily into the empty desk beside Meredith. Ms. Halpern stopped the lesson for a moment and looked at her, then continued. When the teacher had turned back to the blackboard, Elena looked at Meredith. Meredith reached over to take her hand. â€Å"Are you all right?† she whispered. â€Å"I don't know,† said Elena stupidly. She felt as if the very air around her was smothering her, as if there were a crushing weight all around her. Meredith's fingers felt dry and hot. â€Å"Meredith, do you know what's happened to Stefan?† â€Å"You meanyou don't know?† Meredith's dark eyes widened, and Elena felt the weight grow even more crushing. It was like being deep, deep under water without a pressure suit. â€Å"They haven't†¦ arrested him, have they?† she said, forcing the words out. â€Å"Elena, it's worse than that. He's disappeared. The police went to the boarding house early this morning and he wasn't there. They came to school, too, but he never showed up today. They said they'd found his car abandoned out by Old Creek Road. Elena, they think he's left, skipped town, because he's guilty.† â€Å"That's not true,† said Elena through her teeth. She saw people turn around and look at her, but she was beyond caring. â€Å"He's innocent!† â€Å"I know you think so, Elena, but why else would he leave?† â€Å"He wouldn't. He didn't.† Something was burning inside Elena, a fire of anger that pushed back at the crushing fear. She was breathing raggedly. â€Å"He would never have left of his own free will.† â€Å"You mean someone forced him? But who? Tyler wouldn't dare-† â€Å"Forced him, or worse,† Elena interrupted. The entire class was staring at them now, and Ms. Halpern was opening her mouth. Elena stood up suddenly, looking at them without seeing. â€Å"God help him if he's hurt Stefan,† she said. â€Å"Godhelp him.† Then she whirled and made for the door. â€Å"Elena, come back! Elena!† She could hear shouts behind her, Meredith's and Ms. Halpern's. She walked on, faster and faster, seeing only what was straight ahead of her, her mind fixed on one thing. They thought she was going after Tyler Smallwood. Good. They could waste their time running in the wrong direction. She knew what she had to do. She left the school, plunging into the cold autumn air. She moved quickly, legs eating up the distance between the school and the Old Creek Road. From there she turned toward Wickery Bridge and the graveyard. An icy wind whipped her hair back and stung her face. Oak leaves were flying around her, swirling in the air. But the conflagration in her heart was searing hot and burned away the cold. She knew now what a towering rage meant. She strode past the purple beeches and the weeping willows into the center of the old graveyard and looked around her with feverish eyes. Above, the clouds were flowing along like a lead-gray river. The limbs of the oaks and beeches lashed together wildly. A gust threw handfuls of leaves into her face. It was as if the graveyard were trying to drive her out, as if it were showing her its power, gathering itself to do something awful to her. Elena ignored all of it. She spun around, her burning gaze searching between the headstones. Then she turned and shouted directly into the fury of the wind. Just one word, but the one she knew would bring him. â€Å"Damon!† [The End]

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Butterflies in Catawaba

Summer Reading: Things Fall Apart by China Achebe Seniors: Your summer reading assignment is China Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Get a copy as soon as you can from the School Store at Lamar High School for $9. 00. Also, if you qualify for free/reduced lunch, then you can get a voucher for the novel from the Business Office. As you read your book, please annotate. Annotate meaner to use a pen or pencil to take notes directly in the book as you are reading. (You might want to use a slighter, too, at times. You should have notes about characters, plot, literary elements, vocabulary, and the like. You may make your notations in the margins of your paperback or underline or circle details of importance. You might even want to use â€Å"sticky notes† for various pages which contain pertinent information. As well, for English AAA, you will have the following assignment to turn in to Mrs.. Hammond or Mrs.. Similar (Recommended B senior English teachers) the first day of school—Au gust 26, 2013.Assignment: Read each question carefully and respond on notebook paper to each one. Use the Modern Language Association (MEAL) heading for your paper. An example of the MEAL heading is included at the end of this page. 1. Flashback is a plot device in which an author pauses to present a scene that occurred earlier in the story or before the story began. It is often used to give a new insight into a character or explain an element in the plot. How does China Achebe use flashbacks to reveal different aspects of Ginkgo's life? . Foreshadowing is a hint or clue an author gives about something that may happen later in a story. How does the author foreshadow what is going to happen to Snakeskin? 3. China Achebe uses proverbs to help tell his story in Things Fall Apart. Select one (1) proverb from the novel that you particularly like and explain its meaning. Please make note of the chapter number and the page the proverb appears in the classic. Butterflies in Catawba By denyi ng