Psychological Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Psychological Testing - Essay Example There is no physician or psychiatrist at the end of these assessments. Only a paragraph or two stating that because of the answers of a specified number of questions, the person taking the quiz is or is not depressed, happy, etc. The concept of fun online surveys is great. Take a test to find a person's "RealAge" (Buchanan, 2002; Buchanan, 2003; Live Life to the Youngest with RealAge) or knowledge of books and movies, or even what job is the best, plus there are thousands more. The developers of these web sites that deal with medical issues create a very small medical disclaimer, usually at the bottom of the page, stating that the tests are for fun, and if a person has a true concern, medical attention is advised. This covers the developer, but allows for hundreds of thousands of people to take his/her word as the word of the doctor (Buchanan, 2002; Buchanan, 2003; Live Life to the Youngest with RealAge). Online surveys, if answered truthfully, could possibly lead to help people who think they may be depressed. For these people there is no differentiating a good and healthy test or quiz with an online game. These people could be misdiagnosed, or even worse, given a treatment that does not work and is potentially dangerous (Buchanan, 2002; Buchanan, 2003). This is the basis for which all new clinical studies should be considered. The majority of people in most western civilized countries will take these online tests and take the results as if from a real doctor. It is therefore important to analyze the differences between the games and the real questionnaires. The reliability, validity and statistically analyzed data need to be better understood by both the public and physicians to ensure the person/patient is not receiving incorrect information. Everyone must be diligent in this area and work harder to standardize the online and clinical questionnaires to build a broader base for data collection. Literature Review Even with the internet being fairly new in the last 20 years or so, there are more tests for personality and such on the internet than in most hospitals. Many of these are placed on websites that are not secure, are not authorized by any type of psychologist, psychiatrist or physician (Buchanan, 2002; Buchanan, 2003; Buchanan, Johnson, & Goldberg, 2005). But before the discussion turns to the website, the tests themselves need to be considered. When conducting any test, it is important to have the foundation of the population that will be tested as well as some basic norms to be used in the evaluation process. From these norms come labels or concepts that are often associated with web-surfers. In a comparative study on the preconceptions of internet based tests (Gosling, Vazire, Srivastrava, & John ,2004). The study listed six ideas, but for the purpose of this study, only a few will be considered. The first is the idea that the internet will not be as diverse as traditional methods of research. The group stereotyped internet users to be computer techs or loners (Gosling et al, 2004). These stereotypes did not necessarily coincide with previous research on the subject. In fact, the volunteers who take the online test are quite diverse and located around the

Critical thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical thinking Essay Utilitarianists are often persecuted for holding a morality in which the end always justifies the means, no matter how repulsive it may be to intuitional moral standards. Hare attempts to quiet controversy by combining act and rule utilitarianism in daily life in such a way that internal moral standards are satisfied and overall good is promoted. Kymlicka stays firm in his opposition to Hare’s theories and shuns the idea of consequentialism having intrinsic value greater than that of intuitive moral standards. Hare’s process of critical thinking combined with intuitionism leads to a flawless conclusion based on systematic procedure that will benefit the most people in the long term even against Kymlicka’s well thought out arguments. Kymlicka thinks that utilitarianism bypasses immediate obligations that should be fulfilled. He believes that utilitarianists’ foresight actually hinders their ability to do what is â€Å"right† or â€Å"just† in the present. He also believes that utilitarianism gives too much weight to illegitimate preferences, meaning that utilitarianists can often choose to do the worse option in consideration in order to satiate a desire for immoral happiness. In the specific case that he puts forward, Kymlicka uses the simple example of an everyday action in which a loan is given to him and he faces the moral dilemma of whether or not he should repay it. He believes that the utilitarianist might keep the money or give it away rather than repaying it if he thought that it would produce the most good in the end to himself or some other party. One may argue that by loaning out money it is consensual and therefore cannot be categorized as theft when the amount is not repaid. However, the loan was made with the qualification and equal understanding that the money would be repaid. Since Kymlicka uses the term â€Å"loan,† he is very much aware that he has the obligation to pay the money back. This may be called breaking a promise as well as theft, so it is doubly breaking a moral standard. Herein lays Kymlicka’s problem with utilitarianism and its criteria of morality. Phil 434 First Writing Assignment 1. Due Mon. Sep 13 Hare believes that there are two levels to moral thinking – critical and intuitive. Critical thinking is systematic and calculated while intuitive thinking is vaguer and based on feelings rather than a systematic procedure. It is said that each person starts at the intuitive level and then progresses to the critical level with age and maturity in understanding. He uses the example of two beings from opposite ends of the spectrum to show what one must be to think purely critically or intuitively – an archangel and a prole. The archangel has no human flaws thus can think critically all the time, and a prole has human flaws to an extreme degree thus must rely on intuitive thinking all the time. Consequentialism is the major theme of critical thinking, which aims to promote the most good to the most people in the end. He postulates, however, that since the human condition is flawed and cannot predict with certainty and without bias what is best in the long run, intuition must be used. Where intuition comes from is a controversial subject – but most believe that upbringing and environment have a strong effect on it and therefore may be tampered with. Since both levels have the possibility to be flawed, they must be used in conjunction. Vacillating between the two is the only way to make good moral decisions throughout one’s entire life. It can be argued that the two levels agree many times in normal day-to-day cases since there is a commonality to moral thinking, such as the law of non-maleficence. Both place in high respect accomplishing what is â€Å"good,† but both have different criteria as to what qualifies – namely what promotes the most good versus what you intuitively know to be the right thing to do. According to the utilitarianist, in a perfect world, critical thinking would be used all the time. Since humans have limits, however, Hare allows and even encourages intuitionism to be used and used often even though he views critical thinking to be superior. One cannot expect to sever himself of all emotion and possess the capability to see the exact outcomes of all possible Phil 434 First Writing Assignment 2.

Functions and Importance of Communication

Functions and Importance of Communication Any attempt to emphasise the importance of communication in modern day existence, clichà ©d as it may sound, is bound to be superfluous. In all probability, human life would cease to exist in its present form if communication were to be taken out of the picture. Communication helps humans in a myriad ways, by defining their identities and in satisfying their needs for affection, inclusion, assertion, relaxation and control. It is necessary at all waking hours; during work and at play. It is essential for gaining knowledge and building relationships, for doing daily tasks, and for achieving progress in life. Over the years extensive research, by social scientists and human relations experts, has given rise to an extensive body of literature on the subject. It is the purpose of this essay to take up the issue of communication within organisations and groups; evaluate its functions, and analyse its importance. All organisations, large or small, business, governmental or not for profit, have agendas that could range from the very complex to the extremely simple. Communication is a demanding organisational issue and vitally important to organizational functioning for the execution of these agendas, regardless of size, nature or industry type. Professor Leif Aberg (1998) of the Department of Communication, University of Helsinki states that communication gives these organisations momentum by fulfilling four basic functions, namely (a) supporting core functions, (b) profiling, (c) informing and (d) socialising. While the relative importance and scope of these four functions depends, to a great extent upon the size and nature of individual organisations, all four functions, taken together, undoubtedly account for most of the formal communication that occurs within organisations. Core functions of different organisations could range from manufacturing products to providing services; or as is the case with many governmental bodies, executing administrative work. Core processes, irrespective of their nature, can occur only through effective communication between organisational members. Communication can be top down, bottom up, horizontal or diagonal. Again it can relate to any or more of the issues involved in the carrying out of core functions. Incidences of such communication can occur in multifarious ways and can vary from production instructions given to a machine attendant to the distribution of work schedules by a supervisor or the routing of a customer order to the kitchen of a restaurant. Ineffective communication results in the creation of intra-organisational barriers and stifles efficient operations. Effective communication between the management and the workforce has, as such, become an accepted imperative for organisational excellence, and breakdow ns in this area are inevitably regarded as issues of major concern Profiling comes into play when long term corporate, product, service, or manager profiles are created. These profiles basically relate to crucial strategic choices made by organisations concerning their long term goals and objectives. A long term product or service profile, for example, represents the business strategy of an organisation. It would thus necessarily need to be communicated to all members of the organisations to make them aware about key organisational decisions and road maps. The dissemination of information within an organisation is another key component of organisational communication structure. Very typically, significant amounts of information are regularly processed within an organisation. These can (a) relate to events as well as developments that are internal or external to the organisation, or (b) concern organisational decisions taken at senior levels. Such information may need to be conveyed to members of the establishment. Decisions to communicate this sort of information are usually taken by members of senior management in consultation with communication managers. Recent developments in Internet Communication Technology, for example, could be of interest to all members of a communications company. In such a case, the communications manager might well decide to select and convey information that could be relevant to the employees or which pertains to developments that could well impact the company in the short or medium term. Information about internal decisions could cover a very broad ambit and possibly include details about organisational performance, targets, personnel policies, promotions, increments and the like. It is imperative to ensure that real time business information reaches all ranks and functions in the organization. Considering the bulk of such information, it is thus but appropriate that the majority of communication matters within organisations deal primarily with dissemination of routine information. The last regular function of communication concerns socialisation. Socialisation is primarily a process wherein members of an organisation or group learn to assimilate and internalise the behavioural norms, attitudes, thought processes and work ethics of the parent body. In most cases socialisation occurs when new entrants join organisations and take up their responsibilities. Its need could arise for existing organisational members too if they have to be transferred to different locations or departments. Socialisation is essentially a learning process and could be needed, both at the time of induction of employees into an organisation, or at the time of their induction to work. It is one of the primarily responsibilities of the Human Resources function and normally takes place through training and induction protocols. These protocols are obviously dependent on communication through written, audiovisual, personal interaction, mentoring, or classroom mediums for their actual operation . Apart from these four standard functions, informal communication takes place constantly within organisations and groups and serves to increase social interaction between colleagues and co-workers; thereby helping in building relationships, inculcating feelings of belonging and strengthening organisational loyalty and commitment. The British Army, for example, encourages officers to get together at regimental messes, after the days work, to bond and build relationships of trust, regimental pride, camaraderie, and loyalty towards the country and the Queen. Informal communication takes place, most commonly between people who share the same workplace, as well as within small groups who build relationships in canteens, office gyms and during informal group activity events. While this type of communication is generally outside the administrative control of organisation, most organisational leaders try to ensure that informal communication remains healthy, or rather, that it does not dispar age anybody. Most HR managers feel that informal communication should protect the interests of the organisation and remain free of gender or race abuse. Communication is not thought of any more as a routine and peripheral function. Its role as a driver of organisational success is well accepted and managements are increasingly trying to ensure its optimal use in the shaping and steering of organisations. Richard Luss and Steven Nice (2004) of Watson Wyatt state that communication serves organisations in two major ways. Firstly it drives superior performance by ensuring the following. Employees feel connected to the business and understand how their actions can support it. New employees exhibit solid connections to the company culture starting from their initial days on the job. Communication quickly connects employees to changing business challenges, facilitating faster adjustments to fluctuating market conditions. Management effectively connects with employees through strong leadership during times of organizational change Secondly, it helps in improving business performance by â€Å"(a) building a strong foundation of formal communication structure and processes, which rely on employee feedback and effectively use technology to connect with employees, dealing directly with the strategic issues of change, continuous improvement and business strategy integration and alignment, and (b) by changing employee behavior by inducing changes in managers’ and supervisors’ behavior and by creating a line of sight between employees and customers† (Luss and Nice, 2004) The challenges of modern business and the intense and ever-increasing competition that have become its distinguishing features demand sharp and cutting edge operational efficiencies. The use of excellent communication is proving to be one of the most effective tools in the hands of organisational leadership for routing their companies towards ambitious targets and greater successes. References Aberg, L, (1998), Organisational communication as a strategic resource, Retrieved January 10, 2007 from www.valt.helsinki.fi/staff/aberg/iabclast/ Harris, T. E. (2002). Applied Organizational Communication: Principles and Pragmatics for Future Practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Kramer, M. W. (2004). Managing Uncertainty in Organizational Communication. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Luss, R and Nyce, S, (2004), Connecting Organizational Communication to Financial Performance: The Methodology behind the 2003/2004 Communication ROI Study, Retrieved January 10, 2007 from www.ociabc.org/events/presentations/ROI_Study_Methodology.pdf Manning, P. K. (1992). Organizational Communication. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Tourish, D. Hargie, O. (Eds.). (2004). Key Issues in Organizational Communication. New York: Routledge.

David Copperfield :: essays research papers

David Copperfield The novel David Copperfield, written by Charles Dickens, deals with the life and times of David Copperfield. About a century ago in a small town in England, David was born on a Friday at the stroke of midnight, which is considered a sign of bad luck. David's father has already died and his aunt comes to stay with him and his mother as this novel gets off to a very slow start. Soon David becomes aware that his mother has relations with another man and asks one of his servants, "if you marry a person, and the person dies, why then you may marry another person, mayn't you?" David is immediately angered that his mother has betrayed his father and goes off to live with his aunt. A while later, David goes back home but quickly gets into trouble and is sent off to school. Dickens uses excellent description in his telling of this story and the reader can easily relate to the characters. The setting of a small town in England is standard in all of his novels, including Great Expectations. The reason for this Dickens' setting is because he was born in the town of Portsmouth, England in 1812. Although as a young child he moved to Chatham where he experienced a pleasant childhood in which many scenes from his childhood are intertwined throughout his novels. Dickens father was constantly in debt and was eventually sent to jail. This memory was agonizing for young Charles as years later he wrote: "No words can express the secret agony of my soul. I felt my early hopes of growing up to be a learned and distinguished man, crushed in my breast." This directly relates to Dickens discussion of David in a wine house later in the novel. A couple of years later, Dickens attends school at the Wellington House Academy where he fell in love with Maria Beadnell but her father opposed the marriage and nothing became of it. David Copperfield is more of a biography of Dickens life made into fiction than of just a regular story about a boy. Dickens writing skills are apparent as he ties chapters together in an easy to understand novel where the writing seems to move along swiftly. Dickens work is rich with metaphors and enjoyable to analyze as in statements such as, "he eats at one gulp exactly like an elephant." This book is a classic and may be considered his best work. There are times when the novel moves slowly, but the positives outweigh the negatives and David

Performance Enhancing Drugs Essay -- sports, athletes, drug addiction

Fourth quarter, three seconds left, tie game. Bodies exhausted and sweat all over. Ball in hand and the shot goes up. Swoosh, and the crowd goes wild! The intensity in the arena is insane and the fans all cheer out. This is what all athletes dream of. Playing the sport that they love and getting paid to do it, but how can a professional perform at the top of their game and have supporting fans if they waste everything away on drugs. They have people who look up to them as role models and they get paid to perform. The sport is their life and also supports others. Non-professional athletes are not held to this standard however and should be allowed to do as they please. Although some drugs can be seen as damaging to the health of individuals, especially athletes, some drugs can be used in other ways. However the main problem of drugs isn’t the use of the drug but the abuse. People become addicted to the substance and tend to rely on it rather than occasional use. Someone such as an athlete should not be addicted to something so life consuming as a drug. The lack of self-control with athletes towards the drugs has become a concerning social problem. Those who watch sports or look up to athletes have noticed the great disappointment when the drugs affect their body in many ways so professionals should be held to a higher standard than high school athletes. â€Å"High school athletes are not under contract, they do not get paid, and they don’t have social expectations. Professional athletes are expected to treat their bodies a certain way and drugs interfere with that. A high school player is without expectations and they should be able to decide for themselves what they do. Whether drugs cause enough harm to interfere with an athlete’s fu... ...Top List Of NBA's Most Valuable Teams." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. dollar-knicks-and-lakers-top-list-of-nbas-most-valuable-teams/>. "Drug Abuse & Addiction." Drug Abuse and Addiction: Signs, Symptoms, and Help for Drug Problems and Substance Abuse. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. nt.htm>. "Opinion L.A." Student Drug Testing Doesn't Work [Blowback]. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. . "Parents, Experts Divided on School Drug Testing." Msnbc.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. childrens_health/t/parents-experts-divided-school-drug-testing/>.

How Technology Transforms the Private and Public Realms

Jenny Tae English 100 Professor Nicole Pekarske I’m Sorry, What? Robert Samuels, â€Å"Breaking Down Borders: How Technology Transforms the Private and Public Realms. † Reading Popular Culture pages 9-12 I completely agree with this article that technology makes people oblivious to everything around us and be consumed in our own technology. This article portrays exactly what is becoming of the society with the progressing technological advances. Samuels explains how technology can be a barrier to the outside world, our surroundings, and even our loved ones. He explains his observations in the Borders Cafe and how the people are so tuned into their technology and there is barely little to any actual social interaction. He continues to say how anyone can make any public setting their own personal space filled with their technology and their business. I was especially interested and could relate to how he couldn’t even go on to the second page of his book because of a woman talking on her cell phone along with her computer turned on and a magazine on her lap. She’s oblivious to her surroundings and has made that table space her own personal office. Everyone around her learns how she had to cancel her appointment on Friday because of her loud phone conversation. Probably not knowing there were people around her she continues to loudly announce her schedule on her device. Some people might say that technology is a definite positive development with only positive changes. However, although the technological advance have been and is extremely helpful to everyone around the world, people need to think about how people can be too consumed in the technology that they can isolate themselves from the outside world even. Having fun with technology is normal, but we must not forget how to really communicate without the use of texting or email. Communicating face-to-face should be a key skill humans should never lose. The saying, â€Å"having too much of a good thing, can be bad,† is what comes to my mind when I think of technology. The progressing advancements in technology can be hurtful and turn into losing loved ones, with only your technology to console you. Many people don’t realize that having all of this technology is a privilege and they abuse it. Something Samuel said in this article really caught my eye, â€Å" With wireless technology, laptops and cell phones not only help us cross back and forth between the public and private, but they also function to determine the distinction between work and play. † (11) This quote really makes me think and caught my attention because I could relate so much and I’m sure many other students, even adults can say that they have done this at least once. We know that we have work to finish or something we have to do and need technology to accomplish it, yet our hands and eyes wander to personal interests and make us less productive. Technology tempts us to slightly or extremely go off track even though we know we have work to do. The way Samuel presents this problem in the article really shows people to stop and take a look at their personal lives and how much technology we consume ourselves with without even knowing how much we depend on it. He tells the reader how technology growing so rapidly results to us becoming less aware of our surroundings and can hurt loved ones around us. Have you ever had the experience of going out with your family or friends and they are constantly on their devices? Then when they’re not listening while you tell them a story, they go â€Å"I’m sorry, what? † That just makes the outgoing very dull and can make the other person even very upset. Although he/she is out with someone else, they are texting someone else. How about going to a public setting and seeing very young kids on their technological devices talking about web camming with each other and facebooking together. I see that everywhere to kids even young as 10 talk about facebook and twitter and texting 24/7. When I see that I remember how it was when I was a kid and remembering going outside with my friends and talking about how boys were gross. Now as technology grows faster it seems that young children feel that they are more grown than what their actual age is. Remember newspapers, magazines, and book? Who needs them if we can buy anything online onto our kindle, iphone, or laptop? Want to pay your bills? There’s a site were you can dot that. Anything these days can be found online and can be purchased online so we don’t even have to go to the store. Technology has given us the opportunity to become lazier and more content with just pushing one button and not moving from our seats. Technology also can be contributed to people exercising less which can result into the growing obesity rate of America. Technology is rapidly growing to make life more convenient, but we need to make sure that it does not damage and disrupt our personal lives. Being aware of our surroundings and still interacting socially is key. We cannot abuse all of the technology around us that is ever so changing. There are positive aspects to technology and how it has helped the world, however, the negative aspects outweigh the good. The negative aspects can be detrimental to society if people do not realize the damage technology can have if we let technology consume our lives.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 3

Three â€Å"WHY SO GLUM, LITTLE DHAMPIR?† I was heading across the quad, toward the commons, when I detected the scent of clove cigarettes. I sighed. â€Å"Adrian, you are the last person I want to see right now.† Adrian Ivashkov hurried up beside me, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air that of course drifted right toward me. I waved it off and made a great show of exaggerated coughing. Adrian was a royal Moroi we'd â€Å"acquired† on our recent ski trip. He was a few years older than me and had come back to St. Vladimir's to work on learning spirit with Lissa. So far, he was the only other spirit user we knew of. He was arrogant and spoiled and spent a lot of his time indulging in cigarettes, alcohol, and women. He also had a crush on me – or at least wanted to get me into bed. â€Å"Apparently,† he said. â€Å"I've hardly seen you at all since we got back. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were avoiding me.† â€Å"I am avoiding you.† He exhaled loudly and raked a hand through the sable brown hair he always kept stylishly messy. â€Å"Look, Rose. You don't have to keep up with the hard-to-get thing. You've already got me.† Adrian knew perfectly well I wasn't playing hard-to-get, but he always took a particular delight in teasing me. â€Å"I'm really not in the mood for your so-called charm today.† â€Å"What happened, then? You're stomping through every puddle you can find and look like you're going to punch the first person you see.† â€Å"Why are you hanging around, then? Aren't you worried about getting hit?† â€Å"Aw, you'd never hurt me. My face is too pretty.† â€Å"Not pretty enough to make up for the gross, carcinogenic smoke blowing in my face. How can you do that? Smoking's not allowed on campus. Abby Badica got two weeks' detention when she got caught.† â€Å"I'm above the rules, Rose. I'm neither student nor staff, merely a free spirit wandering your fair school as I will.† â€Å"Maybe you should go do some wandering now.† â€Å"You want to get rid of me, you tell me what's going on.† There was no avoiding it. Besides, he'd know soon enough. Everyone would know. â€Å"I got assigned to Christian for my field experience.† There was a pause, and then Adrian burst out laughing. â€Å"Wow. Now I understand. In light of that, you actually seem remarkably calm.† â€Å"I was supposed to have Lissa,† I growled. â€Å"I can't believe they did this to me.† â€Å"Why did they do it? Is there some chance you might not be with her when you graduate?† â€Å"No. They just all seem to think this is going to help me train better now. Dimitri and I will still be her real guardians later.† Adrian gave me a sidelong glance. â€Å"Oh, I'm sure that'll be quite the hardship for you.† It had to be one of the weirdest things in the universe that Lissa had never come close to suspecting my feelings for Dimitri but that Adrian had figured it out. â€Å"Like I said, your commentary isn't appreciated today.† He apparently didn't agree. I had a suspicious feeling he'd been drinking already, and it was barely even lunchtime. â€Å"What's the problem? Christian'll be with Lissa all the time anyway.† Adrian had a point. Not that I'd have admitted it. Then, in that short-attention-span way of his, he switched subjects just as we neared the building. â€Å"Have I mentioned your aura to you?† he asked suddenly. There was a strange note to his voice. Hesitant. Curious. It was very uncharacteristic. Everything he usually said was mocking. â€Å"I don't know. Yeah, once. You said it was dark or something. Why?† Auras were fields of light that surrounded every person. Their colors and brightness were allegedly linked to a person's personality and energy. Only spirit users could see them. Adrian had been doing it for as long as he could remember, but Lissa was still learning. â€Å"Hard to explain. Maybe it's nothing.† He came to a stop near the door and inhaled deeply on his cigarette. He went out of his way to blow a cloud of smoke away from me, but the wind carried it back. â€Å"Auras are strange. They ebb and flow and change colors and brightness. Some are vivid, some are pale. Every once in a while, someone's will settle and burn with such a pure color that you can†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He tipped his head back, staring into the sky. I recognized the signs of that weird â€Å"unhinged† state he sometimes fell into. â€Å"You can instantly grasp what it means. It's like seeing into their soul.† I smiled. â€Å"But you haven't figured mine out, huh? Or what any of these colors mean?† He shrugged. â€Å"I'm figuring it out. You talk to enough people, get a feel for what they're like and then start to see the same kinds of people with the same kinds of colors†¦. After a while, the colors start to mean something.† â€Å"What's mine look like right now?† He glanced over at me. â€Å"Eh, I can't quite get a fix on it today.† â€Å"I knew it. You've been drinking.† Substances, like alcohol or certain medications, numbed spirit's effects. â€Å"Just enough to chase the chill away. I can guess what your aura's like, though. It's usually like the others, sort of those swirling colors – it's just kind of edged in darkness. Like you've always got a shadow following you.† Something in his voice made me shiver. Although I'd heard him and Lissa talk about auras a lot, I'd never really thought of them as anything I needed to worry about. They were more like some kind of stage trick – a cool thing with little substance. â€Å"That's so cheerful,† I said. â€Å"You ever think about motivational speaking?† His scattered look faded, and his normal mirth returned. â€Å"Don't worry, little dhampir. You might be surrounded by clouds, but you'll always be like sunshine to me.† I rolled my eyes. He dropped his cigarette onto the sidewalk and put it out with his foot. â€Å"Gotta go. See you later.† He swept me a gallant bow and started walking away toward guest housing. â€Å"You just littered!† I yelled. â€Å"Above the rules, Rose,† he called back. â€Å"Above the rules.† Shaking my head, I picked up the now-cold cigarette butt and took it to a garbage can that was outside the building. When I entered, the warmth inside was a welcome change as I shook off the slush on my boots. Down in the cafeteria, I found lunch wrapping up for the afternoon. Here, dhampirs sat side by side with Moroi, providing a study in contrasts. Dhampirs, with our half-human blood, were bigger – though not taller – and more solidly built. The girl novices were curvier than the ultra-slim Moroi girls, the boy novices far more muscular than their vampire counterparts. The Moroi complexions were pale and delicate, like porcelain, while ours were tanned from being outside in the sun so much. Lissa sat at a table by herself, looking serene and angelic in a white sweater. Her pale blond hair cascaded over her shoulders. She glanced up at my approach, and welcoming feelings flowed to me through our bond. She grinned. â€Å"Oh, look at your face. It's true, isn't it? You really are assigned to Christian.† I glared. â€Å"Would it kill you to be a little less miserable?† She gave me a censuring yet amused look as she licked the last of her strawberry yogurt off her spoon. â€Å"I mean, he's my boyfriend, after all. I hang out with him all the time. It's not that bad.† â€Å"You have the patience of a saint,† I grumbled, slouching into a chair. â€Å"And besides, you don't hang out with him 24/7.† â€Å"Neither will you. It's only 24/6.† â€Å"Same difference. It might as well be 24/10.† She frowned. â€Å"That doesn't make any sense.† I waved off my idiotic remark and stared blankly around the lunchroom. The room was buzzing with news of the impending field exercise, which would kick off as soon as lunch ended. Camille's best friend had gotten assigned to Ryan's best friend, and the four of them huddled gleefully together, looking as though they were about to embark on a six-week double date. At least someone would enjoy all this. I sighed. Christian, my soon-to-be charge, was off with the feeders – humans who willingly donated blood to Moroi. Through our bond, I sensed Lissa wanting to tell me something. She was holding off because she was worried about my bad mood and wanted to make sure I got enough support. I smiled. â€Å"Stop worrying about me. What's up?† She smiled back, her pink-glossed lips hiding her fangs. â€Å"I got permission.† â€Å"Permission for – ?† The answer flitted from her mind faster than she could have voiced it. â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. â€Å"You're going to stop your meds?† Spirit was an amazing power, one whose cool abilities we were just starting to figure out. It had a very nasty side effect, however: It could lead to depression and insanity. Part of the reason Adrian indulged in drinking so much (aside from his party nature) was to numb himself against these side effects. Lissa had a much healthier way of doing it. She took antidepressants, which completely cut her off from the magic altogether. She hated not being able to work with spirit anymore, but that was an acceptable trade-off for not going crazy. Well, I thought it was. She apparently disagreed if she was considering this insane experiment. I knew she'd been wanting to try the magic again, but I hadn't really thought she'd go through with it – or that anyone would let her. â€Å"I have to check in with Ms. Carmack every day and regularly talk to a counselor.† Lissa made a face at this last part, but her overall feelings were still quite upbeat. â€Å"I can't wait to see what I can do with Adrian.† â€Å"Adrian's a bad influence.† â€Å"He didn't make me do this, Rose. I chose it.† When I didn't answer, she lightly touched my arm. â€Å"Hey, listen. Don't worry. I've been so much better, and lots of people are going to have my back.† â€Å"Everyone except me,† I told her wistfully. Across the room, Christian entered through a set of double doors and approached us. The clock read five minutes until the end of lunch. â€Å"Oh man. The zero hour is almost here.† Christian pulled up a chair at our table and flipped it backwards, letting his chin rest on its slatted back. He brushed his black hair away from his blue eyes and gave us a smug smile. I felt Lissa's heart lighten at his presence. â€Å"I can't wait until this show gets on the road,† he said. â€Å"You and me are going to have so much fun, Rose. Picking out curtains, doing each other's hair, telling ghost stories â€Å" The reference to â€Å"ghost stories† hit a little closer to home than I was comfortable with. Not that choosing curtains or brushing Christian's hair was much more appealing. I shook my head in exasperation and stood up. â€Å"I'll leave you two alone for your last few private moments.† They laughed. I walked over to the lunch line, hoping to find some leftover doughnuts from breakfast. So far, I could see croissants, quiche, and poached pears. It must have been highbrow day at the cafeteria. Was deep-fried dough really too much to ask for? Eddie stood in front of me. His face turned apologetic as soon as he saw me. â€Å"Rose, I'm really sorry – â€Å" I put up a hand to stop him. â€Å"Don't worry. It's not your fault. Just promise me you'll do a good job protecting her.† It was a silly sentiment since she was in no real danger, but I could never really stop worrying about her – particularly in light of this new development with her medication. Eddie stayed serious, apparently not thinking my request was silly at all. He was one of the few who knew about Lissa's abilities – and their downsides, which was probably why he'd been selected to guard her. â€Å"I won't let anything happen to her. I mean it.† I couldn't help a smile, in spite of my glum mood. His experiences with the Strigoi made him take all of this more seriously than almost any other novice. Aside from me, he was probably the best choice to guard her. â€Å"Rose, is it true you punched Guardian Petrov?† I turned and looked into the faces of two Moroi, Jesse Zeklos and Ralf Sarcozy. They'd just stepped in line behind Eddie and me and looked more self-satisfied and annoying than usual. Jesse was all bronzed good looks and quick thinking. Ralf was his slightly less attractive and slightly less intelligent sidekick. They were quite possibly the two people I hated most at this school, mainly due to some nasty rumors they'd spread about me doing some very explicit things with them. It was Mason's strong-arming that had forced them to tell the truth to the school, and I don't think they'd ever forgiven me for that. â€Å"Punch Alberta? Hardly.† I started to turn around, but Ralf kept talking. â€Å"We heard you threw a big hissy fit in the gym when you found out who you were with.† â€Å"‘Hissy fit'? What are you, sixty? All I did was – † I paused and carefully chose my words. † – register my opinion.† â€Å"Well,† said Jesse. â€Å"I suppose if anyone's going to keep an eye on that Strigoi wannabe, it might as well be you. You're the biggest badass around here.† The grudging tone in his voice made it sound like he was complimenting me. I didn't see it that way at all. Before he could utter another word, I was standing right in front of him, with barely any space between us. In what I considered a true sign of discipline, I didn't put my hand around his throat. His eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"Christian has nothing to do with any Strigoi,† I said in a low voice. â€Å"His parents – â€Å" â€Å"Are his parents. And he's Christian. Don't confuse them.† Jesse had been on the wrong side of my anger before. He was clearly remembering that, and his fear warred with his desire to trash-talk Christian in front of me. Surprisingly, the latter won out. â€Å"Earlier you acted like being with him was the end of the world, and now you're defending him? You know how he is – he breaks rules all the time. Are you saying you seriously don't believe there's any chance at all he might turn Strigoi like his parents?† â€Å"None,† I said. â€Å"Absolutely none. Christian's more willing to take a stand against Strigoi than probably any other Moroi here.† Jesse's eyes flicked curiously toward Ralf before returning to me. â€Å"He even helped me fight against those ones in Spokane. There is no chance of him ever, ever turning Strigoi.† I racked my brain, trying to recall who had been assigned to Jesse for the field experience. â€Å"And if I hear you spreading that crap around, Dean isn't going to be able to save you from me.† â€Å"Or me,† added Eddie, who had come to stand right beside me. Jesse swallowed and took a step back. â€Å"You're such a liar. You can't lay a hand on me. If you get suspended now, you'll never graduate.† He was right, of course, but I smiled anyway. â€Å"Might be worth it. We'll have to see, huh?† It was at that point that Jesse and Ralf decided they didn't want anything from the lunch line after all. They stalked off, and I heard something that sounded suspiciously like â€Å"crazy bitch.† â€Å"Jerks,† I muttered. Then I brightened. â€Å"Oh, hey. Doughnuts.† I got a chocolate-glazed, and then Eddie and I hurried off to find our Moroi and get to class. He grinned at me. â€Å"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you just defended Christian's honor. Isn't he a pain in the ass?† â€Å"Yes,† I said, licking icing off my fingers. â€Å"He is. But for the next six weeks, he's my pain in the ass.†