D4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

D4 - Assignment Example They can also request the school to correct any documents that are misleading or inaccurate and also a right to receive formal hearing should appropriate action not be taken. Schools should be discreet with information and must obtain rights from either the student or the parent to release information from the records. However some parties such as school and audit official, parties aiding the student financially, accreditors, organizations conducting studies on behalf of the school have been exempted from this exception. As an early childhood educator, I should recognize this rule and ensure compliance to the latter. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides the legal provisions that govern services to children with disabilities (Staples 376). The lessons learnt from the video clip and the review of the Act relates to the following facts: The Act dictates how the state provides early intervention, special education to eligible infants and youths with disabilities. In part B, children and youth between 3-21 years receive services while the infants and toddlers receive services under the C part. As an early childhood educator, I am equipped with the knowledge that it is important to offer a child quality learning experience. It is equally important that the children with disabilities are well prepared before joining the kindergartens with a strong foundation for success in school. The Act provides me with an adequate base of learning on the need to care and help the state in acknowledging and helping transform the lives of the challenged. Child abuse is prevalent especially towards infants and minors. Child abuse and neglect exists in many ways and has various causes relating to the thought pattern, beliefs and behaviors of guardians. In many cases, parents use child rearing techniques that are abusive or inflict harm when frustrated. Various states and organizations have come up to fight against this vice and strict

Basic Electronics Essay Example for Free

Basic Electronics Essay The p-n junction is a homojunction between a p-type and an n-type semiconductor. It acts as a diode, which can serve in electronics as a rectifier, logic gate, voltage regulator (Zener diode), switching or tuner (varactor diode); and in optoelectronics as a light-emitting diode (LED), laser diode, photodetector, or solar cell. In a relatively simplified view of semiconductor materials, we can envision a semiconductor as having two types of charge carriers-holes and free electrons which travel in opposite directions when the semiconductor is subject to an external electric field, giving rise to a net flow of current in the direction of the electric field. Figure 1 illustrates the concept. A p-n junction consists of a p-type and n-type section of the same semiconductor materials in metallurgical contact. The p-type region has an abundance of holes (majority carriers) and a few mobile electrons (minority carriers); the n-type region has an abundance of mobile electrons and a few holes (Fig. 2). Both charge carriers are in continuous random thermal motion in all directions. Fig. 2. Energy levels and carrier concentrations for a p-type and n-type semiconductor before contact. 1 When a section of p-type material and a section of n-type material are brought in contact to form a pn junction, a number of interesting properties arise. The pn junction forms the basis of the semiconductor diode. Electrons and holes diffuse from areas of high concentration toward areas of low concentration. Thus, electrons diffuse from the n-region to the p-region. , leaving behind positively charged ionized donor atoms. In the p-region the electrons recombine with the abundant holes. Similarly, holes diffuse from the p-region into the n-region, leaving behind negatively charged ionized acceptor atoms. In the n-region the holes recombine with the abundant mobile electrons. This diffusion process does not continue indefinitely, however, because it causes a disruption of the charge balance in the two regions. As a result, a narrow region on both sides of the junction becomes nearly depleted of the mobile charge carriers. This region is called the depletion layer. It contains only the fixed charges (positive ions on the n-side and negative ions on the p-side). The thickness of the depletion layer in each region is inversely proportional to the concentration of dopants in the region. The net effect is that, the depletion region sees a separation of charge, giving rise to an electric field pointing from the n side to the p side. The fixed charges create an electric field in the depletion layer that points from the n-side towards the p-side of the junction. The charge separation therefore causes a contact potential (also known as built-in potential) to exist at the junction. This built-in field obstructs the diffusion of further mobile carriers through the junction region. An equilibrium condition is established that results in a net contact potential difference Vo between the two sides of the depletion layer, with the n-side exhibiting a higher potential than the p-side. This contact potential is typically on the order of a few tenths of a volt and depends on the material (about 0. 5 to 0. 7 V for silicon). The built-in potential provides a lower potential energy for an electron on the n-side relative to the p-side. As a result, the energy bands bend as shown in Fig. 3. In thermal equilibrium there is only a single Fermi function for the entire structure so that the Fermi levels in the p- and the n-regions must align. No net current flows across the junction. The currents associated with the diffusion and built-in field (drift current) cancel for both the electrons and holes. Fig. 3. A p-n junction in the Thermal equilibrium at T gt; 0? K. The depletion-layer, energy-band diagram, and concentrations (on a logarithmic scale) of the mobile electrons n(x) and holes p(x) are shown as a functions of the position x. The built-in potential difference V corresponds to the energy eV where e is the electron charge. 0 0 2 The Biased p-n Junction An externally applied potential will alter the potential difference between the p- and n-regions. This in turn will modify the flow of majority carriers, so that the junction can be used as a â€Å"gate†. If the junction is forward biased by applying a positive voltage V to the p-region (Fig. 4), its potential is increased with respect to the n-region, so that an electric field is produced in a direction opposite to that of the built-in field. The presence of the external bias voltage causes a departure from equilibrium and a misalignment of the Fermi levels in the p- and n-regions, as well as in the depletion layer. The presence of the two Fermi levels in the depletion layer, Efc and Efv represents a state of quasi-equilibrium. Fig. 4. Energy band diagram and carrier concentrations for a forward-biased p-n junction. In effect, then, if one were to connect the two terminals of the p-n junction to form a closed circuit, two currents would be present. First, a small current, called reverse saturation current, is, exists because of the presence of the contact potential and the associated electric field. In addition, it also happens that holes and free electrons with sufficient thermal energy can cross the junction. This current across the junction flows opposite to the reverse saturation current and is called diffusion current. Of course, if a hole from the p side enters, it is quite likely that it will quickly recombine with one of the n-type carriers on the n side. (Fig. 4) The net effect of the forward bias is to reduce the height of the potential-energy hill by an amount eV. The majority carrier current turns out to increase by an exponential factor exp(eV/kT). So that the net current becomes i = isexp(eV/kT) – is, where is is nearly a constant. The excess majority carrier holes and electrons that enter the n and p regions, respectively, become minority carriers and recombine with the local majority carriers. To explain the mechanism of reverse conduction, one needs to visualize the phenomenon of avalanche breakdown. When a very large negative bias is applied to the p-n junction, sufficient energy is imparted to charge carriers that reverse current can flow, well beyond the normal reverse, saturation current. In addition, because of the large electric field, electrons are energized to such levels that if they collide with other charge carriers at a lower energy level, some of their energy is transferred to the carriers with low energy, 4 and these can now contribute to the reverse conduction process, as well. This process is called impact ionization. Now, these new carriers may also have enough energy to energize other lowenergy electrons by impact ionization, so that once a sufficiently high reverse bias is provided, this process of conduction takes place very much like an avalanche: a single electron can ionize several others. Fig. 6. The reverse breakdown region The phenomenon of Zener breakdown is related to avalanche breakdown. It is usually achieved by means of heavily doped regions in the neighbourhood of the metal-semiconductor junction (the ohmic contact) . The high density of charge carriers provides the means for a substantial reverse breakdown current to be sustained at a much lower specific voltage than normal diode, at a nearly constant reverse bias known as the Zener voltage, Vz. This phenomenon is very useful in applications where one would like to hold some load voltage constant for example, in voltage regulators. The response time of a p-n junction to a dynamic (ac) applied voltage is determined by solving the set of differential equations governing the processes of electrons and hole diffusion, drift (under the influence of the built-in and external electric fields), and recombination. These effects are important for determining the speed at which the diode can be operated. They may be conveniently modeled by two capacitances, a junction capacitance and diffusion capacitance, in parallel with an ideal diode. The junction capacitance for the time necessary to change the fixed positive and negative charges stored in the depletion layer when the applied voltage changes. The thickness l of the depletion layer turns out to be proportional to v(Vo-V); it therefore increases under the reverse-bias conditions (negative V) and decreases under the forward-bias conditions (positive V). The junction capacitance C=?A/l (where A is the area of the junction) is therefore inversely proportional to v(VoV). The junction capacitance of a reverse-biased diode is smaller (and the RC response time is therefore shorter) than that of a forward-biased diode. The dependence of C on V is used to make voltage-variable capacitors (varactors). 5 Experiment l(a) : i-v characteristics of a semiconductor diode Procedure Connect the diode according to the circuit diagram as shown in Fig. 8. Fig 8 Vary the voltage V on the power supply between 0-30V. Alternately, the second concept is that the blocking action of an inductor stops the a. c. portion while the d. c. portion passes without much attenuation. Note: For filtering, large capacitance (hundreds to tens of hundreds microfarad) is needed. These are generally electrolytic capacitors, which consist of a repeating sandwich of aluminum sheets and a conducting paste, rolled into a cylinder for miminmun size. The aluminum sheets are polarized to form thin layers of aluminum oxide, a dielectric insulating material. The thinner the the dielectric the higher the capacitance will be.

Continuous Improvement as a Business Strategy

Continuous Improvement as a Business Strategy The case study focuses on Corus, Europes second largest steel manufacturing company and their efforts in following the path of Continuous Improvement to produce quality product in a timely manner by streamlining their processes and reducing the wastage of resources. Corus is a subsidiary of Tata Steel, one of worlds top ten steelmakers. In their own words, Corus aspires to be the worlds steel industry benchmark for value creation and corporate citizenship. Corus is a leading supplier to most of the demanding markets around the world including construction, automotives, packaging, mechanical and electrical engineering, metal goods, and oil gas. With innovation and continuous improvement at the heart of its business performance, Corus aims to create value by offering a differentiated product range supported by unrivalled customer service. 1 The challenge that Corus faces in differentiating its products from that of its rivals is that, steel is a relatively inexpensive product and in major building projects, the cost of steel can be as little as 5% of the overall cost of the project. It is also a challenging task to meet the rising demand for steel, at increasing levels of quality and to comply with challenging delivery requirements. While it would be an easy task to meet these challenges using brand-new facilities, an investment of more than 300 million Pounds to build a ‘Greenfield Site steel mill is an impediment. Therefore, Corus decided to focus on the path of Continuous Improvement, commonly known as CI, at its steel plate manufacturing mill in Scunthorpe, to achieve process efficiency, quality and delivery improvements with its existing manufacturing setup. What is Continuous Improvement? Continuous improvement, with respect to organizational quality and performance, focuses on improving customer satisfaction through continuous and incremental improvement processes, removing or minimizing unnecessary activities and delays in product delivery and also minimizing defects in the products being delivered. Several organizations have gained a competitive edge by implementing Kaizen, commonly known as continuous improvement (CI). The philosophy of Kaizen was spearheaded by Masaaki Imai, and is constituted of two words, kai which means ‘change and zen which means ‘good as well as ‘wisdom. Hence we can conclude that Kaizen implies ‘changes for the better and covers all processes in an organization like Engineering, Information Technology, Finance, Procurement and Supply, Customer Service and Manufacturing. CI can be initiated either at Top Management level or at Process level based on effective feedback system. The most important factor is that, all employees should be responsible to make improvements and must work together to identify the steps needed to improve the efficiency of the overall process, in an iterative manner. This requires thorough supervision, flexible work force and technology to improve business efficiency. When an established organization like Corus attempts to differentiate its products or services from its competitors in the industry, CI can be the â€Å"Differentiation† or â€Å"Focus† competitive strategies which can help the organization grow. Corus has implemented CI of ‘flow where the products are pulled through a carefully planned production process from the supply of raw steel to the finished steel plate. The process is paced and scheduled to control the amount of product in each stage of the process, to keep bottlenecks to a minimum and to maintain high quality. A part of the CI process involves the measurement of improvements to gauge, whether the improvements have resulted in benefits. These results can be reducing waste time, saving money and efforts, or better utilization of available resources. These are the tangible benefits of the implementation of a CI process. The intangible benefits will include greater staff motivation and increased job satisfaction3. In Corus, improvement is gauged with the help of a set of new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) focused on meeting customer deadlines, such as zero backlog of customer orders and meeting targets for rolling steel plate in its allotted week. Thus benchmark level can be set and attempts can be made to better that level in an iterative manner. When Why CI need to be implemented? It is human nature to feel secure in ones comfortable environment of a â€Å"CASH COW† organization and therefore people are hesitant towards big changes. Some of the most common excuses that people give to avoid changes at workplace are: 1) Its been done in this way for a long time2) We know theres a better way but theres not enough time to fix things3) I dont get paid extra to think4) Its not my problem but someone elses problem However, a key aspect of implementing CI is the fact that it does not deal with big changes, but with smaller ones that take less time to implement at minimal cost. Also, an interesting aspect would be that it gradually transforms and brings about what one can call a big change without people being hesitant and overcoming their apprehensions. The objective is to minimize cost by leveraging the existing knowledge pool and gradually implementing changes. The key of effectively implementing CI is that it has to become a part of the organizations culture and gain consensus from the work force and stake holders. Like in the Corus case, moving from Tonnage, the traditional key measure of productivity to the smooth paced process of CI involved a significant work culture change for the employees. Initiation and integration of CI 1. Collect feedback from the horses mouth It is imperative to understand the operations at the ground level from the people who perform the tasks on a regular basis. By asking for ideas and by listening to those that know how the job is currently performed you will achieve a much greater buy-in from your teams 2. Place checks and implement improvement process cycle Not jumping to conclusions is the key here. Put into practice the steps of Plan, Do, Check and Act known as PDCA Model PDCA a simple model for CI implementation Plan the plan phase constitutes of setting objectives and goals that would form the guiding path for the entire process of improvement.Do the Do phase requires the testing of possible alternatives and arriving at a solution that would comply with best practices and industry benchmarksCheck In this phase, the effectiveness of the action phase is evaluated to ascertain the success of the plans and also to see if any negative consequences have arisen.Act The act phase is to implement the tried and tested processes and form the new standards. If the processes are unsuccessful, then the cycle is repeated till the time desirable results are attained. Even after the process has been established, the implementation of CI is not over. The goal of CI is to set newer and more efficient benchmarks. This philosophy has to become a part of the organizations culture. For example, in the Scunthorpe plant of Corus, a CI manager co-ordinates the process and 40 CI coaches chosen from the workforce received training to facilitate improvements. A toolbox of techniques has been put together to help managers, employees and operators understand where and how they can improve their work and come up with new ideas to change processes for better. Scunthorpe plate mill has set out a 5-year vision improvement plan which will help in the process of developing a CI culture for the business and has held workshops for employees to understand the vision and change since it was recognized that people might be resistant and cling to old ways of working. The 5 year-plan, established a timeline for the thorough acceptance and implementation of the CI culture among employees so that by the end of the 5-year period, the team and individuals are empowered to take responsibility and make decisions for themselves. Tradeoffs in implementing Continuous Improvement: Although several companies have benefitted from implementing CI, its quite interesting to see that something this innovative and cost effective could also derail the organization from its path to success or even create a new bottleneck in the entire process. At times CI may lead to a trade-off between self-management and discipline 5. Over engagement and a lack of prioritization in implementing new wave CI manufacturing strategies by front line managers and operations staff has actually led to a tradeoff between their core operations related work and CI related activities. Often, CI strategies led by an over-enthusiastic HR has caused them to over strategize which is a new bottle neck in itself and often goes unnoticed. Thus it is quite important to make sure that less than 7% of the total work time may be spent by such key operational personnel on CI oriented strategy development so that their core operational responsibilities may not be diluted beyond an acceptable limit. Another very interesting drawback that has been noticed is the invert effect of over emphasis on the implementation of CI Practices on the price v/s quality competitive strategy model 6. In her study, Barbara Flynn has very effectively shown that an uninterrupted iteration of CI programs for the reduction of cost price would ultimately result in increasing price since perfection always comes at a premium. Secondly it was also observed that in the quest to achieve the goal of CI within its designated time period, the complex untested assumptions about the relation between process and outcome are often deliberately not studied in depth. Managers prematurely conclude that any detrimental effects of implementing the new plan would be taken care of in subsequent CI programs 7. Thus such complacency could result in mission failure at the nth hour. But still, careful and well planned implementation of CI strategy is effective because it keeps production processes under control, rapidly trains production personnel to effectively manage production and possesses the flexibility to slot improvements into production schedules with minimum disruptions and at least effective cost. 8 Continuous Improvement in action at FORD India (A firsthand account) 9: Cost Reduction activity has become one of the major activities in any industry especially in Automobile field with ever increasing competition. The following is a firsthand account of Continuous Improvement initiate undertaken at Ford India for Cost Reduction. The Front End Module of the car is a plastic molded steel reinforced part, supplied to Ford by a Vendor X. The Input weight of the steel portion in that is 4.0 Kg and its output weight is 1.0 Kg. With 25% yield, Ford saw the scope for cost reduction in the above module. Normally for any steel part, yield of at least 40 to 50% is expected. Hence, the only way to reduce the cost would by reducing the input weight. After several discussions with technical department, Ford decided to optimize the design to reduce the input weight and proposed the modified design to the vendor. Various trials were conducted and accordingly the design was altered without compromising on the quality of the final part. After several iterations, the new design was approved by the quality team. Minor modifications were made to existing tools in order to work with new design. This Continuous Improvement initiative not only reduced cost but also reduced the scrap content and process time. Suggestions for Corus Corus has implemented lean manufacturing method of CI, which has really improved its deliveries and quality but only in an internal manner. Yet another dimension which can be facilitated through external feedback is available in the form of â€Å"WOWing the customer†. What we feel is that, Corus should start to simultaneously work upon gaining better customer feedback to facilitate continued product design improvement. This combined effort will enable them to suggest improvements in the product demanded by the customers which may exceed the customers expectation and will make them feel that they are getting a value for money preposition. Thus this would add to their customer satisfaction, retention and self sustainable associations which would be mutually beneficial. References and Bibliography http://www.corusgroup.com/en/company/about_corus/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen http://www.helium.com/items/558484-what-is-a-continuous-improvement-plan?page=3 http://www.helium.com/items/558484-what-is-a-continuous-improvement-plan?page=2 Continuous improvement: the trade-off between self-management and discipline Author(s):Alan Harrison Journal:Integrated Manufacturing Systems 6, 7, 8- Achieving simultaneous cost and differentiation competitive advantages through continuous Publication: Journal of Managerial Issues by Flynn, Barbara B. 9. From actual work experience of Santhosh Srinivasan

Preschool Education in The United States Essay example -- Education

Preschool programs began in the United States during the first quarter of the twentieth century. In 1925, the first public preschool began in Chicago at Franklin School. After the 1970’s the popularity of preschool increased since women were entering the workforce and people believed that children needed early preparation before they attended elementary school. Barbara Wiler, Ph.D., deputy executive director of the NAEYC says, â€Å"Good Preschools provide children with rich experiences that give them skills, information, and attitudes that prepare them for the primary grades and for life. † (WKRLIP, P1) Preschool isn’t like kindergarten. It’s a stepping-stone that will prepare young students for the years of schooling they will have later in life. The NAEYC Accreditation was made to help families find the best care for their children. It provides the early childhood education field with a convincing outcome and ensures the quality in children’s daily experiences. Early Childhood Education plays a key role in academic development in children because they learn soft skills, job skills, and are personality fixed by age 4. Soft skills include paying attention, focusing, being curious, open to new experiences and controlling your temper. These skills are important in getting a job. It can help children become more self motivated and open minded. As they grow older it will benefit them because they will be willing to take risks, be able to retain information that they learned and have the urge to experience new things. When they can’t do something right, they will ask and try to fix any imperfections that they once had. These skills are not taught in other areas of schooling. Preschool is the most important grade that p... ...2/139583385/preschool-the-best-job-training-program. Barnett, W. Steven., and Hustedt, Jason T. Preschool: The Most Important Grade. Educational Leadership Apr2003, Vol.60 Issue 7, p54, 4p, 1 Color Photograph. October 31, 2011. http://web.ebscohost.com. Ames, Gillespie., and Haines, Jacqueline., The Gesell Institute’s Child from One to Six: Evaluating the Behavior of the Preschool Child, October 20, 2011. P30,40-41 NAEYC. August 17, 2011. NAEYC Early Childhood Education Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria. P5, 7-8. Personality Development: Age 2-6. September 1, 2011. P1-2. http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Personality-Development-Age-26.topicArticleId-26831,articleId-26775.html. What Kids Really Learn in Preschool. Parenting; Fall99 Special issue, Vol. 13 Issue 7, p74, 4p, 3 Color Photographs. October 31, 2011. http://web.ebscohost.com.

Margin Call Directed by J.C. Chandor Essays -- film analysis

Margin Call (2011) Margin Call is a 2011 film that seeks to give viewers a deeper perspective of the financial crisis that hit the United States in 2008. The film was written and directed by J.C. Chandor. It s depiction of the happenings on Wall Street has been described as the closest to the actual happenings during the financial crisis. In this film, the main characters are faced with a moral challenge and they act according to their personal world views. Personal financial needs are put before the clients needs. The questionable manner in which the characters act put the employees on Wall Street on a cross road. It is a difficult balancing act between protecting oneself and protecting others. The decisions made by characters in this film create an opportunity for people to discuss the balancing act between self preservation and killing the dreams of the masses. From the beginning, the film is filled with controversial decisions. First, the firm that is depicted in this film decides to lay off most of the employees in the firm leaving only 20% of the workers. However, the firm’s managers do not lay off the workers personally but hire another firm to do this. Without prior warning, the mass layoff takes place in a rather insensitive manner with employees expected to leave immediately. First, the decision by the company to lay off the people without warning is a questionable decision. Though they are offered a severance package, the employees are traumatized by the lay off. Having reported to work just like a normal day, none of the employees expect that they are going to lose their jobs on this particular day. Therefore, it is a surprise when the hired human resource team comes in and explains to the employees that they no long... ...ce of money at whatever costs. At the end of the day, the managers watch as more people are laid off as the crisis continues. In conclusion, I disagree with the decisions made by the main characters in this film. Their predicament is tough to say the least, but it does not warrant the decisions they make. They choose to follow a route with the full knowledge of the problems it will cause to other people. The decisions made are motivated purely by money and the need to self preserve and protect. The drive behind the sale of worthless assets is for the company to remain afloat even when clients suffer losses. It is dangerous to make decisions driven by money and selfishness. It leads to guilt as it causes endless pain to other people. Therefore, these characters could have chosen the alternative option of protecting their clients as opposed to protecting themselves.

Antigone †Strong and Powerful or Spoiled and Stubborn? Essay -- Antig

Antigone – Strong and Powerful or Spoiled and Stubborn? Of the tragic figures in Antigone, Creon is the most obviously evil because his motives are self-serving and his fate the worst. As the play begins, we learn that Antigone has defied Creon's royal decree by performing sacred burial rites for her exiled brother, Polyneices. Polyneices has been declared an enemy of the state by Creon. The sentence for anyone attempting to bury him is death by stoning. Creon has become King of Thebes by default, as a result of Oedipus' fate as previously predicted by the Oracle at Delphi: Oedipus murders his father and unknowingly marries his mother. Jocaste, his mother and wife and Creon's sister, commits suicide upon learning the truth. Between Oedipus' two sons, Creon sides with Etocles in his claim for Oedipus' throne and exiles Polyneices. Polyneices, in exile, raises an army against Thebes, attempting to seize the throne for himself. The two brothers fight and slay one another. Etocles is awarded an honorable burial by Creon for bravely defending the city, but Polyneices is denied any burial because of his act of treason. Denial of a ritual burial was damming and nearly sacrilegious to the ancient Greeks. Creon is enraged to discover his decree has been disobeyed. When he learns it is Antigone, his niece, he asks her if she has heard the decree. She says yes, that the decree was declared publicly and openly -- she answers that she understands the consequences. Creon further asks Antigone if she is blatantly defying him. She replies that she is answering and obeying a higher law. Creon condemns her, and in doing so violates the unspoken law of loyalty to the family. Creon's will be done! Creon: Do you want me to show m... ...th her death. Chorus: You has passed beyond human daring and come at last Into a place of stone where justice sits. I cannot tell What shape your father's guilt appears in this. Antigone: You have touched it at last: the bridal bed Unspeakable, horror of son and mother mingling: Their crime, infection of all our family! Your marriage strikes from the grace to murder mine. I have been a stranger here in my own land: All my life The blasphemy of my birth has followed me. (Sophocles 4,33-44). Perhaps this self-sentencing is her noble moral cause, or the very extreme of evil indulgence in self-pity and stupidity; self absorption at the eminent loss of human life, including her own. Maybe she's just spoiled and stubborn. Works Cited Sophocles. Antigone Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Classics, 1984.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Eight

I THINK ADRIAN WOULD'VE gone hunting Ms. Terwilliger's sister with me then and there. Amberwood's curfew wouldn't allow it, and besides, it was something I wanted to do in daylight. To his credit, he did heal Marcus without them getting into a fistfight, so that was progress. Marcus lost a little of his animosity and tried to engage Adrian in conversation about what spirit could do. Adrian gave wary responses and looked relieved when Sabrina showed up to take Marcus away. He gave me a mysterious farewell, simply saying he'd text me soon about the â€Å"next stage.† I was too tired to ask for more details and headed back to my dorm to sleep off what had been a pretty crazy day. I was awakened at the crack of dawn by heavy pounding at my door. I squinted at the clock, grimacing when I saw that it was an hour earlier than I usually got up. I stayed in bed, hoping whoever it was would go away. If there was something really urgent happening, someone would've called me on my cell phone. The display showed no missed calls, however. Unfortunately, the knocking didn't stop. With a feeling of dread, I finally dragged myself up, half-afraid of what I'd find outside my door. It was Angeline. â€Å"Finally,† she said, inviting herself into my room. â€Å"I thought you'd never answer.† â€Å"Sorry,† I said, shutting the door behind her. â€Å"I was busy sleeping.† She walked right up to my bed and sat down like she owned it. I really didn't know her schedule, but she always struck me as a late riser. Apparently not today. She was dressed in a school uniform, with her brilliant red hair pulled back in what was, for her, a rather tidy ponytail. â€Å"I have a problem,† she said. My feeling of dread grew. I turned on my coffeemaker, which I always had ready with fresh grounds and water. Something told me I was going to need a cup to get through this. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked, settling into my desk chair. I made no attempt at even guessing. When it came to Angeline, her problems could range from throwing a desk in rage or accidentally spilling hydrochloric acid on another student. Both had happened recently. â€Å"I'm failing math,† she said. This was unwelcome but not unexpected news. Angeline's mountain community, while still educating its children, didn't quite match the standards of Amberwood's elite curriculum. She struggled in a number of her classes but had managed to scrape by so far. â€Å"I'm already in trouble in my Spanish class,† she added. â€Å"But that pinata I made got me some extra credit, so I'm hanging in there okay for now.† I'd heard about the pinata. It had been for her class's cultural day, and she'd been so thorough with her papier-mache that none of her classmates had been able to open it through normal means. Angeline had ended up beating it against a wall and had to be stopped by her teacher when she'd produced a lighter. â€Å"But if I slip there and in math, I could get expelled.† That dragged me away from the flammable pinata and back to the present. â€Å"Ugh,† I said, having no better way to articulate my thoughts. The problem with a school that had high standards was . . . well, it had high standards. Trouble in one class might be tolerated, but not two. And if Angeline got kicked out, we'd be down one level of security for Jill – not to mention the fact that I'd probably get blamed for it all. â€Å"Ms. Hayward told me I need to get a tutor. She says I either need to get better or at least show I'm trying.† That was promising, I supposed. Even if a tutor couldn't help, hopefully the school would be lenient with her good faith effort. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"We'll get you a tutor.† She frowned. â€Å"Why can't you do it? You're smart. You're good at math.† Why couldn't I? Well, first I had to stop an evil sorceress from sucking the youth and power from innocent girls. Then I had to crack the secrets and lies that the organization I'd been born into was telling me. Instead I said, â€Å"I'm busy.† â€Å"You have to do it. It'd be easy for you,† she protested. â€Å"Really busy,† I said. â€Å"I'm surprised Eddie can't do it.† His name brought a smile to her face. â€Å"He offered, but his grades are just average. I need someone really good.† â€Å"Then I'll get you someone really good. I just can't do it myself right now.† Angeline didn't like that answer, but at least she didn't flip over my desk. â€Å"Okay. Fine. Just hurry up.† â€Å"Yes, your majesty,† I muttered, watching her strut out of my room in a huff. At least Angeline's academic problems were something a little easier to deal with than the other supernatural intrigues occupying my time. Since I was already awake and had coffee, I decided there was no point in going back to sleep. I showered and dressed, then caught up on some extra homework while I waited for breakfast. When the serving time started in our cafeteria, I headed downstairs and lingered near the entrance. It only took about five minutes before my friend Kristin Sawyer came by. She always went running before class started and was usually one of the first in line for breakfast afterward. She was also in AP calculus with me. â€Å"Hey,† I said, falling in step with her. â€Å"Good run?† â€Å"Great run,† she said. There was still a little sweat on her dark skin. â€Å"A lot nicer now that the weather's cooler.† She eyed me curiously. â€Å"I don't usually see you here this early. I don't usually see you eat breakfast.† â€Å"It's the most important meal of the day, right?† I selected oatmeal and an apple. â€Å"Besides, I have a favor to ask you.† Kristin nearly dropped the plate of scrambled eggs one of the servers handed to her. Her brown eyes widened. â€Å"You have a favor to ask me?† While I wasn't responsible for my human friends in the same way I was the Moroi and dhampirs, I still had a tendency to look after them. I'd helped Kristin a number of times. â€Å"Yeah . . . my cousin Angeline needs a math tutor.† There was an expectant look on Kristin's face, like she was waiting for me to finish my story. Then understanding hit. â€Å"Who, me? No. No way.† â€Å"Oh, come on. It'd be easy.† I followed her to a table, having to hurry to catch up. I think she thought that if she walked quickly enough, she might be able to escape my request. â€Å"She's in remedial math. You could tutor her in your sleep.† Kristin sat down and gave me a long, level look. â€Å"Sydney, I saw your cousin punch a grown man and throw a speaker at someone. Do you really think I'm going to sign on for a job that makes her do work she doesn't want to do? What if she gets frustrated at what I'm telling her? How do I know she won't stab me with a compass?† â€Å"You don't,† I admitted. â€Å"But I think it's unlikely. Probably. She really wants to improve her grade. Otherwise, she could get kicked out.† â€Å"Sorry.† Kristin actually did look legitimately apologetic. â€Å"You know I'd do almost anything for you – but not this. You're going to have to find someone who's not afraid of her.† I thought about her words over and over as I headed off to history class. She was right. But the only people completely at ease around her were Eddie and Jill, and they were off the list as tutors. I wondered if maybe I should offer up money to someone when I went to calculus later. â€Å"Miss Melbourne.† Ms. Terwilliger was back in her classroom, no doubt to the relief of yesterday's sub. She waved me up to her messy desk and handed me a single sheet of paper. â€Å"Here's the list we discussed.† I scanned it. It contained the names of six girls as well as their addresses. These must be the ones she'd mentioned, girls with known magical aptitude but no coven or teacher to look out for them. All the addresses were in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. â€Å"I trust Mrs. Santos got you the other information you needed for your project?† â€Å"Yes.† Mrs. Santos had emailed me the historical neighborhoods she knew about, and I'd narrowed them down to a couple likely candidates. â€Å"I'll start working on the, uh, project this weekend.† Ms. Terwilliger arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Why are you putting it off? I've never known you to procrastinate on an assignment.† I was a little startled. â€Å"Well . . . normally I don't, ma'am. But this is going to take some extra time – travel time – and I don't have enough of it on school days.† â€Å"Ah,† she said, realization hitting her. â€Å"Well, then, you may use your independent study for it. That'll give you extra time. And I'll tell Mrs. Weathers you may be coming in after curfew. I'll make sure that she's accommodating. This project is of the utmost importance.† There was no protest I could make. â€Å"I'll start today, then.† As I was walking back to my desk, a voice said, â€Å"Jeez, Melbourne. Just when I thought that independent study you had with her couldn't get any easier . . . now you don't even have to show up for class?† I paused to give Trey a smile. He was Ms. Terwilliger's assistant during this class period, meaning he did a lot of filing and photocopying. â€Å"It's a very important assignment,† I said. â€Å"I guess. What is it?† â€Å"It'd bore you.† I did a double take as I looked him over. I didn't even have to grope for a change in conversation. â€Å"What happened to you?† His eyes were bloodshot, and the unkempt state of his black hair suggested he hadn't had a shower this morning. There was a sallow, almost sickly hue to his normally tan skin. He gave me a weak smile and lowered his voice. â€Å"Craig Lo's brother scored us some beer last night. It was from some microbrewery I guess that's good.† I groaned. â€Å"Trey, I thought you were better than that.† Trey managed as much of an indignant look as he could in his hungover state. â€Å"Hey, some of us like to have a little fun now and then. You should give it a shot sometime. I already tried to help you with Brayden, but you messed that up.† â€Å"I didn't mess anything up!† Brayden was a barista who worked with Trey, one who rivaled me when it came to a love of academia and random knowledge. Our brief relationship had been full of facts and low on passion. â€Å"He broke up with me.† â€Å"You wouldn't guess it. Did you know he writes all this lovesick poetry about you on his breaks?† I was taken aback. â€Å"He . . . he does?† The reason Brayden had broken up with me was because my various duties to my vampire family had constantly interfered with the two of us, forcing me to neglect him and cancel a lot. â€Å"I feel kind of bad he took it that hard. I'm surprised he'd have such a, I don't know, outburst of passion.† Trey snorted. â€Å"I don't know that it's that passionate. He's more concerned about form and sits around with books detailing iambic pentameter and sonnet analysis.† â€Å"Okay, that sounds more like him.† The bell was about to ring, so I had started to return to my seat when I noticed something on Trey's desk. â€Å"You're not done with that?† It was a big homework assignment we had for our chemistry class, involving a number of complicated acid and base problems. It was due in our next period, and it seemed unlikely Trey would finish in time since all he had on the paper so far was his name. â€Å"Yeah . . . I was going to finish it last night, but . . .† â€Å"Right. The beer. Having fun.† I didn't even bother to hide my disapproval. â€Å"That's a huge part of our grade.† â€Å"I know, I know.† He looked down at the papers with a sigh. â€Å"I'll finish as much as I can before then. Partial credit's better than no credit.† I studied him for a moment and then made a decision that went against many of my basic principles. I reached into my messenger bag and handed him my completed homework. â€Å"Here,† I said. He took the pages with a frown. â€Å"Here what?† â€Å"It's the assignment. Use my answers.† â€Å"I. . . .† His jaw dropped. â€Å"Do you know what you're doing?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I don't think you do. You're giving me your homework.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And telling me to pass it off as my homework.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But I didn't actually do the work.† â€Å"Do you want them or not?† I asked in frustration. I started to take the papers back, but he pulled them close. â€Å"Oh, I want them,† he said. â€Å"I just want to know what you want in return. Because this doesn't really make up for getting me ostracized from my family and friends.† He kept his tone light, but I heard the edge of bitterness. There it was. No matter how friendly he and I were, our respective allegiances to the Warriors and the Alchemists would always be between us. Maybe it was a joke now . . . but someday it wouldn't be. â€Å"I need a favor,† I explained. â€Å"A small one, really. Has nothing to do with any of that . . . stuff.† Trey looked understandably wary. â€Å"Which is?† The bell rang, so I spoke quickly. â€Å"Angeline needs a math tutor or else she'll fail. And if she fails, she'll get kicked out of school. It wouldn't be hard for you at all. And it'd look good on your college applications.† â€Å"Your cousin's a little unstable,† he said. But he didn't say no, so I thought that was a good sign. â€Å"You used to think she was hot,† I reminded him. â€Å"Yeah, that was before. . . .† He didn't finish, but I knew. Before he found out she was a dhampir. The Warriors had the same taboos the Alchemists did about relationships between the races. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I understand. I'll just take my homework and go.† I held out my hand, but he didn't give the papers back. â€Å"Wait, I'll do it. But if she injures me, I hope you'll feel really bad. Basketball season just started, and the team will fall apart if I'm sidelined because of her.† I grinned. â€Å"I'll be devastated.† Angeline was not so thrilled when I told her at lunch. She flushed with rage and looked like she was about ready to throw her tray across the cafeteria. â€Å"You expect me to work with that . . . that . . . vampire hunter?† she demanded. I wondered if she'd had another name in mind but had held back in some remarkable show of restraint. â€Å"Especially after what they tried to do to Sonya?† â€Å"Trey's not like the rest of them,† I said defensively. â€Å"He refused to kill her and even went through the trouble of getting me in to help her – which ended up severely messing up his life, I might add.† Eddie looked amused, despite the grim subject. â€Å"You should also add that he wants very, very badly to get back to that old life.† I pointed at Eddie with my fork. â€Å"Don't tell me you think Trey's a bad choice too.† â€Å"For tutoring?† He shook his head. â€Å"Nah, he's fine. I'm just saying you shouldn't be so quick to assume everything's happy and bright with him. It seems pretty likely his group's working against us.† â€Å"He's my friend,† I said, hoping my firm tone would put an end to the discussion. After a few more assurances, Eddie convinced Angeline to work with Trey, reminding her she needed to keep her grades up. Still, Eddie's words haunted me. I believed absolutely that Trey was my friend but again wondered when that rift between us would rear its ugly head. When Eddie and Angeline left to go to their afternoon classes, I asked Jill to hang back at the table for a minute. â€Å"What's Adrian doing right now?† â€Å"He's in his painting class,† she said promptly. â€Å"The bond must be running strong today, huh?† I asked. Sometimes her view of his mind and experiences was clearer than others. She shrugged. â€Å"No, but it's eleven on Tuesday.† â€Å"Right,† I said, feeling foolish. I knew everyone's schedules; it was necessary for my job. â€Å"I should've realized that. Do you think he'd be able to meet up with me after school?† â€Å"To go on that witch hunt? Yeah, he'd probably leave right now.† Jill knew what Adrian knew, so she'd also been briefed about my search for Veronica. While I'd learned to accept Jill's knowledge as part of confiding in Adrian, it was still a little shocking for me to hear these forbidden topics discussed openly. Seeing my stunned reaction, Jill smiled a little. â€Å"Don't worry,† she said. â€Å"I keep Adrian's secrets. And yours.† The bitterness in her voice also caught me off guard. â€Å"Are you mad at me?† I asked, puzzled. â€Å"You're not . . . you're not still upset about what happened between Adrian and me, are you? I thought you'd eased up on that.† Although Adrian's proclamation of loving me against the odds had been unsettling, his more relaxed attitude had come through in her until now. â€Å"Adrian has,† she said. â€Å"He doesn't see the danger of you running around with another guy.† I was lost. â€Å"Another guy? You don't mean . . . Marcus? That's crazy.† â€Å"Is it?† asked Jill. The bond was so strange at times. Jill was jealous on Adrian's behalf. â€Å"He's human, you're human. You've both got this rebel Alchemist thing going on. And I saw him. He's pretty cute. There's no telling what could happen.† â€Å"Well, I know what could happen: nothing,† I said. Even through a psychic bond, Marcus could win over girls. â€Å"I just met him. I don't even know if I can entirely trust him, and I certainly don't have any feelings for him. Look, I get that you want to help Adrian, but you can't be mad at me about what happened. You know why I turned him down – especially after Micah.† Micah was Eddie's human roommate, and even though she knew human-vampire relationships couldn't get serious, she'd still been surprised at just how complex and difficult the situation had been. â€Å"Yeah. . . .† She frowned, no doubt conflicted over Adrian's feelings and what she knew was true. â€Å"But maybe with Adrian, I don't know. Maybe things could be different. Or maybe there's at least a way to make them less painful for him.† I looked away, unable to meet her eyes. I didn't like to think of Adrian in pain, but what else could I do? What did either of them expect me to do? We all knew the rules. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said, picking up my tray and standing. â€Å"I never asked for any of this. Adrian will get over me.† â€Å"Do you really want him to get over you?† she asked. â€Å"What? Why would you even ask something like that?† She didn't answer and instead made a great show of stirring around her mashed potatoes. When I realized she wasn't going to elaborate, I shook my head and walked off toward the exit. All the while, I could feel her watching me as that question echoed in my mind: Do you really want him to get over you?