America Has Been Named The Melting Pot Of The World. It Houses Many Di

America has been named the melting pot of the world. It houses many different cultures, nationalities, ideas and religions. There are Christians, Jews, Catholics, Buddhists, Mormons, Hindus, Spiritualists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islamics, plus many more. America is unique in that all these religions are represented in a nation that is only 200 years old. And America has upheld, throughout history, that the freedom and equality of religion is extremely important in order for this nation to function as a free nation. The foundations of America were set as a result of England's persecution; more specifically, England's religious persecution. The colonists wanted to create a nation that allowed people to be free. They desired to speak what they wanted to speak, do what they wanted to do, and practice what they wanted to practice... without the government watching their every move. Thus came religious freedom. The First Amendment to the Constitution states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, meaning that an American citizen would be able to practice his or her religion without any intervention or persecution from the government, be it Islam, Judism, Mormonism or Catholicism. Yet, with religious freedom, comes important questions concerning its existence. Is religious equality just as important as all the other freedoms... such as the freedom of speech, the freedom of press, the freedom to assemble, and others as well? The answer here is yes. If this nation truly stands for freedom, the American government cannot say that its citizens have the right to speak freely, write freely, or assemble freely, but then maintain an established national religion. That would be contradictory, and would not make America any better off than England, which it had separated from just years beforehand. Certainly, all the freedoms are equal. On the other hand, unlike the other freedoms mentioned, religious freedom addresses a different type of need. It addresses the concept of personal fulfillment, or perhaps, self-realization. Religion attempts to give answers to basic questions: From where did the world come? What is the meaning of human life? Why do people die and what happens afterward? Why is there evil? How should people behave? As a word religion is difficult to define, but as a human experience it seems to be universal. The 20th-century German-born American theologian, Paul Tillich, gave a simple and basic definition of the word: Religion is ultimate concern. This means that religion includes that to which people are most devoted or that from which they expect to get the most satisfaction in life. Consequently, religion provides adequate answers to the basic afore mentioned questions. Religion is, undoubtedly, a very important part of life. The second question regarding freedom of religion discusses which aspect of religion should be considered equal: the structure or substantive content of religion, or the individual conscience of that religion. Because of the diversity and impact that religion has in the lives of Americans, the individual conscience should be treated as equal, not the structure or substantive content of the various religions. No two religions are alike, just as no two people are alike. The government cannot make all religions equal in regards to their individual structure and/or practices because the individual practices are what make each religion unique; appealing to the individual conscience. If all religions had to be equal in practice, we would have Buddhists saying Hail Mary's, or Christians bowing to Allah. Perhaps Catholics would wear orange robes and have shaved heads, and Hare Krishna's could sing music out of the Protestant Psalter Hymnal. This would defeat the whole purpose of allowing fre edom of religion in the first place. Religion must be able to differ in structure and substantive content. People must be able to practice their own religion in the way they want to... and this cannot happen if all religions in America are made equal in structure and practice. The individual conscience in a certain religion, however, must be treated the same as any other religion. A Christian conscience must be treated the same as that of a Buddhist conscience. A Catholic conscience must be treated the same as that of a Mormon conscience, and so on. One cannot discriminate against a religion

Cancer Research Essays

Cancer Research Essays Cancer Research Essay Cancer Research Essay Both the Cancer Research advert and Children in need use a variety of characters from different backgrounds/ wealth. This is to show that the charity they are advertising for caters for everybody and not a particular class of wealth. In the Cancer Research advert there are two main backgrounds shown. The first is of a boy in a very bleak council type house surrounded by dull furniture and the second is of a mother in a very bright, bedroom decorated with plush fabric and furniture. However, one thing that stays the same in each situation is a wooden clean mirror. This mirror signifies the precious relationships between a mother and daughter. By keeping this the same it shows that this relationship can form in any house, place or part of the country. Music plays a vital role in most adverts in todays world. If a well-known song from a popular artist is used in an advert then the amount of concentration from the audience is increased. A typical example of this is the company Levi. They, after 2 years of small sales, inherited this idea and used a song from the Beatles to accompany one of their adverts. This increased the attention from the audience and boosted sales. However music is also used to create an particular emotion like in both of the adverts I am comparing. The two charities I took adverts from both try and help to improve a persons life in both health and social needs. They deal with suffering and pain which a strong sad emotion. By using slow sorrowful songs to accompany these adverts it makes the audience feel the emotion of what people are going through. Charities use this in their advert as good tactic to increase their support from the general public and to increase donations as well feel sorry for these people. Similarly to the involvement of music, adverts often show scenes of high emotion or people with a particular problems. By involving this, it pulls on the heartstrings of the audience and encourages them donate of support that charity. This is shown in the Children in need. This advert is based on lots of children however in middle of this there is only specific child who portrays the emotion. This child is a little boy with speech problems and possibly a mental disorder. Although the boy says very little the effort he uses to say this is and his feeling of happiness when he has completed what he wants to say is shown. By using both the previous techniques of emotive music and action, it encourages the audience to make and impulse donation based on the scenes they have just experienced. At the end of both these adverts there is a number for people to ring in order to donate. This number is displayed on the screen for amount 5 seconds so that the audience can acknowledge this and remember it. Charities often chose easy numbers to remember to help the audience and encourage them to donate. In the Children in Need advert there is just a statement, picture and telephone number in the final picture frame. The telephone number is shown in bold types with the statement Raise a smile slightly smaller. By doing this is shows the simplicity of donating and most charities survive from impulse donations. The length of an advert often shows its success rate. Both adverts I am comparing have an average length of 30 seconds. In advertising time and space is at a premium and you dont waste time with too much text nor do you waste money with an advert that needs to be huge. Both the adverts I am comparing keep the audiences attention due to their suitable length and the technique of displaying a reactant for more than one sense at a time. The Cancer Research advert uses this by including a voice over whilst emotive pictures are being shown. Not only does this save time but it enhances the audiences emotion and encourages them to help. All adverts use persuasive devices and these often appear in the form of a guilt trip. Although it is very subtle in the Cancer Research advert this techniques is used. The last thing that the voice over says, in this advert is:  Please make a donation so that more people can stay together.  This statement plays on this guilt of the audience and makes them feel that if they dont donate to this charity, people will be losing there closest friends and family quicker than they would if you did donate. There is also an element of fear involved. It suggests that it could happen to anybody even the audience themselves. Both the Cancer Research and Children in Need adverts are designed to appeal to one type of person, like every other advert on television. In this case they appeal to mothers and children. The creators of these adverts use stereotypes to help the audiences relate with what is happening on screen. This is shown in the Cancer Research advert. Both a stereotypical mother and child are used. Many different adverts appeal to different people. For example this could be to Mainstreamers who seek security in being the same as other people or Aspirers who want status and buy hi-tech goods in order to improve their image. In this case both these adverts are aimed at Reformers who want to make the world a better place. In conclusion there are many ways adverts can portray a statement whether it be advertising a product or helping a charity. By choosing characters from a variety of backgrounds a producer can make the advert appeal to a variety of people. Use of emotive sound and imaging can enhance an audiences view of the product or statement and can lead to them either purchasing or donating towards this item. Adverts with a basic story, short length and clear information will often appeal to the audience and help them to keep their concentration. Both the Cancer Research and Children in need advert display these qualities. I found these adverts effective because they were able to portray the feelings and emotions of the people in need. This then encouraged me to do something about it. By showing me images of the people the money would help I felt that I should donate and help these people. I think both these adverts are extremely effective and portray the message of helping others well.

Asian Management for Toyota Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Asian Management for Toyota - Case Study Example The automation (ji-do-ka) consisted of equipping machines with an automatic system to stop them in case of problems. Automation applied to operators who stopped their production line if they ran into problems, so that product quality could be guaranteed and the problem solved on the spot the number of workers per line was diminished through the kaizen (continuous improvement) of production processes. The Asian values of lifetime employment, seniority-based wages, and the company union form the triptych of Japanese-style industrial relations. The relationship between the union and management hinges on reciprocal trust as provided by the 1962 Management-Union joint declaration. The union had no more strikes after 1954. Collective bargaining was replaced by a summit conference organized by company administrators and union executives. Worker bonuses were paid twice yearly, and a retirement bonus was provided. Toyota's weaknesses are its aging workforce, the exit of the Japanese salary man and the end of the era of lifetime employment. ... This case relates closely to the general theories and practices in Asian Management Systems. First, Toyota's Human Resources Division prides itself in treating its workers and suppliers as part of a big family. This close relationship based on trust is seen in the entire production system. First, the company encouraged the workers to propose solutions to production problems. The increased profitability is shared by huge bonuses given to the workers at the end of the year. Second, the company gave them a sense of ownership over their workplace through participation in its improvement. Thirdl, they reinforced bonds among workers by encouraging them to discuss and reflect upon their work. Finally, they promoted leaders from the rank and file and helped them develop their communication skills. Human relations activities were aimed at promoting the manager's personal touch and it has a mentoring system within the company. Toyota helps its suppliers in their production processes, work orga nization, production costs, and product quality. Toyota chose suppliers for each new model. Toyota informed its suppliers of its quarterly production plan so that they could prepare themselves. By creating competent suppliers, Toyota is able to increase its price and quality competitiveness. Customer satisfaction and dealer satisfaction is important. Dealer contracts prohibited them from selling other brands. Toyota provides financial support on condition that they remained loyal. Each dealer signed an annual contract indicating sales per model. The role of the dealers consisted of getting the complaints, requirements, and desires of current and future customers, so that these factors could be taken into account in the design of new

Week three Assignment 1 MH Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week three 1 MH - Assignment Example Krupp’s efforts through the 1990 Clean Air Act constituting acid rain reduction plan for the marketplace led to public recognition as best green achievement of the 1990s. His efforts are eminent to date at a time when world nations are working towards carbon footprint reduction. Krupp also engaged large American corporations, like McDonald and FedEx, to reduce their ecological impacts through waste eradication Jigar Shah, CEO Carbon War Room. Jigar Shah is both an inspirational and recognized leader universally (Corporate Responsibility Magazine n.p). Shah transformed his university business plan idea of 1999 into a company, SunEdison, in 2003. Through simplified solar as a service, Shah transformed organizations’ attitude towards solar energy by allowing them to purchase them at long-term naturally priced contracts. Today, Shah influences and contributes towards sustainability, global warming, and renewable energy policy

Gendered Societal Expectations of Appearance and Their Effects Upon the Individual Essay Example for Free

Gendered Societal Expectations of Appearance and Their Effects Upon the Individual Essay It has long been generally accepted that we as humans are influenced greatly by the things that surround our everyday lives. These things can include friends, family, co-workers, the media and even society as a whole. The society in which people live can play a huge role in how they view themselves and how they view others. Over the years researchers have come up with many theories as to how and why society has such a large influence on people. Now-a-days there are appearance prescriptions for everything in our society. It is not good to be too fat, but it is not good to be too skinny either. The way a person looks, dresses and acts is a large factor in how other people will think about, talk about and respond to them. These societal prescriptions also differentiate between other factors such as gender, race, level of education and more. Interestingly most of these prescriptions for appearance in society today are relatively unspoken until someone violates them. This paper will attempt to shed some light on the complex societal prescriptions regarding personal appearance and body imaging; more specifically it will delve into how those prescriptions are gendered within society and how people respond both positively and negatively to those prescriptions. As previously stated appearance prescriptions are very strong in our society especially when it comes to societal expectations regarding gender. These gendered expectations cause people to do all types of things for the sole purpose of fitting in to societal norms. Some women exercise religiously to maintain a good looking body, other women go tanning regularly because they think it is embarrassing, or even unacceptable, to be pale; there are also many men who do the same things for the same reasons. While looking good is not a bad thing sometimes these societal prescriptions, or expectations, can cause people to go too far. When people are not satisfied with themselves and their appearance they can become desperate and have feelings of inadequacy about their physical appearance. These feelings of inadequacy can lead to depression or making destructive decisions which can include but are not limited to over-eating or even eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. There have been numerous studies done on the relationships between societal pressures to be thin and body dissatisfaction among both men and women. One such study, from the University of Texas at Austin that studied the effects of social pressure to be thin on women said that â€Å"These same pernicious messages (that one is not thin enough) are thought to foster negative affect, because appearance is a central evaluative dimension for women in Western culture† (Stice, 2003). This study tested what sources most influence societal expectations of appearance and the different ways those expectations can negatively affect women (Stice, 2003). It concluded that some of the biggest social pressures to be thin come from the mass media, family members and peers (Stice, 2003). It also concluded that the negative effects of these social pressures can go in two different directions, this is not to say that women negatively affected cannot fall victim to both types of effects (Stice, 2003). A synopsis of this study could say that societal expectations to be thin often create body dissatisfaction within women (Stice, 2003). This body dissatisfaction, which can often lead to depression, frequently leads to either restrictive dieting or binge eating. Restrictive dieting, while not bad in itself, can lead to unhealthy eating habits such as eating disorders, laxative abuse or other methods of losing weight that can be extremely harmful to the person practicing them, and binge eating â€Å"because it is commonly believed that eating provides comfort and distraction from negative emotions† (Stice, 2003). A similar experiment, coming from the University of Toronto, studied the relationship between body image and depression among adolescents regarding adiposity (Chaiton, 2009). This study suggests â€Å"that body dissatisfaction may mediate the relationship between overweight and depression† (Chaiton, 2009). It goes on to suggest that the relationship found between obesity and depression is differentiated by gender because of the difference in societal expectations placed on women and men (Chaiton, 2009). The study concluded that females experience body dissatisfaction almost solely when they believe they are overweight, whereas both males who believe that they are under or overweight experience body dissatisfaction which can in all cases lead to some level of depression (Chaiton, 2009). As the aforementioned study showed societal expectations concerning appearance can, and often do, affect men just as much as they do women (Chaiton, 2009). Our society pushes men to be big, muscular and manly. To certain degree the more muscular a man is the more attractive he generally is within society. A study from an international journal regarding social behavior and personality concluded that the attractiveness of a man is more important in determining social desirability than the age of the man in question (Perlini, 2001). Comparatively the results of these two studies add up to say that the attractiveness of a man is one of the main factors in determining societal desirability and one of the biggest factors in being attractive is being muscular or strong. This puts a lot of pressure on males to be concerned with how they look in comparison to society’s expectations of how they should look. There are numerous different theories as to why societal expectations differ between genders, but none that can definitively explain why prescriptions concerning appearance are the way they are (i. e. women should be skinny and men should be muscular). Some theorists take a biological approach saying that something within the genetic makeup of human beings causes men to be larger and more muscular and likewise causes women to be smaller and skinnier; therefore it is innate within human beings to prefer women to be skinnier and men to be more muscular. Other theories use a combination of nature, a biological approach, and nurture, an approach that says how and where people are raised effects how they view the world, to explain why there is such a gendered difference in societal expectations. While still others use strictly nurture based theories to explain these differences. An experiment from Colby College testing the awareness of preschoolers to societal expectations of gender showed that by the age of five or six humans can easily differentiate between what society expects differently of men than of women (Raag, 1998). Granted this study tested the societal expectations of gender based on toys (tools and dishes) and how the children themselves reacted to the toys as well as how the children thought others (parents, babysitters, friends, etc. ) would react to them playing with the aforementioned toys (Raag, 1998). On the whole the children were able to identify that the tools were for boys to play with and the dishes were for girls; the children also, with no hesitation, said that boys playing with dishes or girls playing with tools would often be responded to negatively by parents or babysitters or the like. That means that while this study cannot shed light on the societal expectations of strength versus thinness it does give some credence to the nurture side of the theories mentioned earlier (Raag, 1998). In summation the societal expectations of appearance can have both positive and negative effects upon people. Society pushes for women to be thin, but not too thin and for men to be muscular, but not too muscular. Society pushing people to be in shape is not a bad thing; studies have shown that being physically fit is not only good for people physically, but also mentally. When people feel attractive it boosts their confidence and self-esteem which has been proven to increase mental health. It just happens to be that some of the anxiety or stress put upon people to look good to others can cause them to do harmful things to themselves and others. For instance constant pressure from the media and other outside influences to be skinny and tan has led countless females to have eating disorders and go artificial tanning all the time, neither of which are conducive to being physically healthy. Those same influences have led to countless males developing eating disorders as well to lose weight or even start using all types of drugs, that harm themselves and can harm, or cause them to harm, others, such as anabolic steroids or pro-hormonal supplements simply to gain muscle mass at unnatural and unhealthy rates. The best thing anyone can do to help society as a whole to resist unhealthy expectations regarding appearance is to spread awareness. It may sounds overplayed but awareness about a problem and the education necessary to fix or even just alleviate that problem is always to first step to solving that problem. At the end of every abovementioned study the researchers conducting the study talked about the significance, or importance of that study, and every single researcher included somewhere in that section that raising awareness about the issue at hand was one of the most significant aspects to their respective studies. This is because being aware and educated about a problem is one of the most important and fundamental ways to confront a problem; especially one of this magnitude. This problem will never be solved if society as a whole does not become aware of, and change, how it effects people’s everyday lives regarding physical appearance.

The Criminalization of Knowingly Transmitting AIDS :: Health Medicine

Table of Contents Brief history of AIDS and the criminalization of knowingly transmitting it.......................................3 Interviews concerning the issue............................4 Reasons for the criminalization of knowingly transmitting AIDS..................................................5 Reasons against the criminalization of knowingly transmitting AIDS.....................................7 My position and conclusion.................................8 Brief History of AIDS and the Criminalization of Knowingly Transmitting It Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The virus was discoverd independently in France in 1983 and in the United States in 1984. In the United States, it was initially identified in 1981. In 1986, a second virus, now called HIV- 2, was also discovered in Africa. HIV-2 also causes AIDS. AIDS is transmitted in three ways: From sexual contact without protection, from the mixing of ones blood with infected blood, and from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection can occur from blood transfusions of infected blood, or sharing 'dirty' needles. (Needles already used, in this case, by a HIV positive person.) The criminalization of intentionally spreading AIDS has been a big issue recently, and still remains so. As of September, 1991, legislation criminalizing AIDS transmission has been passed in 24 states. Among these states are California, Idaho, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, and South Carolina. Under these current laws, it is a crime to knowingly transmit the virus through sex, sharing needles, donating infected blood, organs, or skin tissue. The first person to go to court under these laws in Michigan was Jeffrey Hanlon. Hanlon was a gay man who infected another man from Michigan while he was in New York. The American Civil Liberties Union, who agreed to take the case, agrued that the AIDS disclosure law is unconstitutional. Privacy of those with AIDS is what they were worried about. Opponents argued that "they're [those with AIDS] killing people. It's like rape." The maximum sentence Hanlon could have recieved was four years in prison and a $2000 fine. In addition, under the current New York State law, which dates back well before June, 1987, the knowing transmission of a venerial disease is a felony. However, at that time, and currently, AIDS was not classified as a venerial disease. Interviews Concerning the Issue Most people believe that the willful transmission of AIDS to others it virtually murder. I have interviewed **name** and **name**. Both of them feel that intentionally passing AIDS on to another person is murder.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 22

The week of the Founders Ball came with a cold spell that settled into Mystic Falls and refused to leave. Ladies walked around town in midafternoon in wool coats and shawls, and the evenings were cloudy and starless. Out in the field, workers fretted about an early frost. Still, that didn't stop people from as far away as Atlanta coming into town for the ball. The boarding-house was full, and the entire town had a carnival-like air in the days leading up to the event. Damon was back at Veritas, his mysterious tenure with the brigade over. I hadn't told him that Katherine and I were attending the Founders Ball, and he hadn't asked. Instead, I'd busied myself with work, feeling renewed vigor about taking over Veritas. I wanted to prove to Father that I was serious about the estate and about growing up and assuming my place in the world. He'd been giving me more responsibility, allowing me to look over the ledgers and even encouraging me to go to Richmond with Robert to attend a livestock auction. I could see my life, ten years from now. I'd run Veritas, and Katherine would run the inside of the home, hosting parties and playing the occasional card game at night with Father. The night of the ball, Alfred knocked on my door. â€Å"Sir? Do you require any assistance?† he asked as I swung the door open. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. I was dressed in a black long-tailed coat and tie, with my hair slicked back. I looked older, more confident. Alfred followed my gaze. â€Å"Looking smart, sir,† he allowed. â€Å"Thank you. I'm ready,† I said, my heart fluttering in excitement. Last night, Katherine had teased me mercilessly, not giving me any clues as to what she was going to wear. I couldn't wait to see her. I knew she'd be the most beautiful girl at the ball. More important, she was mine. I headed down the stairs, relieved that Damon was nowhere to be found. I wondered whether he was attending the Founders Ball with some of his army friends or perhaps one of the town's girls. He'd been distant lately, impossible to find in the morning and at the tavern at night. Outside, the horses were pawing at the drive. I entered the waiting coach, which clip-clopped its way to the carriage house. I glanced out the window, and noticed Katherine and Emily standing at the front door. Emily wore a simple black silk dress, but Katherine †¦ I had to press my back into the carriage seat to keep from jumping out of the moving coach. Her dress was emerald green, nipping in at the waist dress was emerald green, nipping in at the waist before flowing over her hips. The bodice was low and tight and showed off her creamy white skin, and her hair was pulled back on the top of her head, exposing her graceful, swan-like neck. The second Alfred pulled back on the horses' reins, I opened the door of the coach and hopped out, smiling broadly as Katherine's eyes caught mine. â€Å"Stefan!† Katherine breathed, lifting her skirts slightly as she glided down the stairs. â€Å"Katherine.† I gently kissed her cheek before I offered my arm to her. Together, we turned and walked toward the carriage, where Alfred stood with the door open. The road to Mystic Falls was filled with unfamiliar coaches of all shapes and sizes, leading to the Lockwood mansion on the far end of town. I felt a thrill of anticipation. This was the first time I'd ever escorted a girl to the Founders Ball. In all previous years, I'd spent most of the evenings playing poker with my friends. Invariably some sort of disaster happened. Last year, Matthew Hartnett had gotten drunk on whiskey and had accidentally unhitched the horses from his parents' coach, and two years ago, Nathan Layman had gotten into a fistfight with Grant Vanderbilt, and both ended up with broken noses. We slowly made our way up to the mansion, finally reaching the front walk. Alfred stopped the horses and let us out. I laced my fingers with Katherine's, and together we walked through the open doors of the mansion and headed toward the dining room. The high-ceilinged room had been cleared of all furniture, and the candlelight lent a warm, mysterious glow to the walls. A band in the corner played Irish reels, and couples were already beginning to dance, even though the night was young. I squeezed Katherine's hand, and she smiled up at me. â€Å"Stefan!† I whirled around and saw Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright. I dropped Katherine's hand immediately. Mrs. Cartwright's eyes were red, and she was positively gaunt compared to the last time I saw her. Meanwhile, Mr. Cartwright seemed to have aged ten years. His hair was snow-white, and he was walking with the aid of a cane. Both wore purple sprigs of vervain–a tuft stuck out of Mr. Cartwright's breast pocket, and the flowers were woven into Mrs. Cartwright's hat–but other than that, they were clad entirely in black, for mourning. â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright,† I said, my stomach clenching with guilt. In truth, I'd nearly forgotten that Rosalyn and I had been engaged. â€Å"It's good to see you.† â€Å"Y could have seen us sooner if you'd come ou to call on us,† Mr. Cartwright said. He could barely hide the contempt in his voice when his gaze landed on Katherine. â€Å"But I understand you must have been in deep †¦ grief as well.† â€Å"I will come now that I know you're taking visitors,† I said lamely, tugging at my collar, which suddenly felt quite tight around my neck. â€Å"No need,† Mrs. Cartwright said icily as she reached into her sleeve to pull out a handkerchief. Katherine clasped Mrs. Cartwright's hand. Mrs. Cartwright looked down, an expression of shock on her face. A wave of apprehension ran through me, and I fought the urge to step between them and shield Katherine from their anger. But then Katherine smiled, and amazingly, both Cartwrights smiled back. â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright, I am so sorry for your loss,† she said warmly, holding their gazes. â€Å"I lost my parents during the Atlanta siege, and I know how hard it is. I didn't know Rosalyn well, but I do know she will never be forgotten.† Mrs. Cartwright blew her nose noisily, her eyes watering. â€Å"Thank you, dear,† she said reverentially. Mr. Cartwright patted his wife on the back. â€Å"Y thank you.† He turned to me, compassion es, replacing the scorn that had occupied his eyes just moments earlier. â€Å"And please take care of Stefan. I know he's suffering.† Katherine smiled as the couple rejoined the crowd. I gaped in amazement. â€Å"Did you compel them? † I asked, the word tasting bitter in my mouth. â€Å"No!† Katherine placed her hand over her heart. â€Å"That was good, old-fashioned kindness. Now, let's dance,† she said, tugging me toward the large ballroom. Luckily, the dance floor was a crush of bodies and the lighting was low, so it was almost impossible to make out specific people. Flower garlands hung from the ceiling, and the marble floor was waxed to a sheen. The air was hot and cloying, with the scent of hundreds of competing perfumes. I put my hand on Katherine's shoulders and tried to relax into the waltz. But I still felt jumpy. The conversation with the Cartwrights had stirred my conscience, making me feel vaguely disloyal to Rosalyn's memory, and to Damon. Had I betrayed him somehow by not telling him that Katherine and I were at the ball together? Was it wrong that I'd been grateful for his prolonged absences? The band stopped, and as women adjusted their dresses and grasped their partners' hands again, I headed toward the refreshment table in the corner. â€Å"Are you all right, Stefan?† Katherine asked, gliding up beside me, worry lines creasing her lovely forehead. I nodded, but I didn't break my stride. â€Å"Just thirsty,† I lied. â€Å"Me too.† Katherine stood expectantly as I ladled the dark-red punch into a crystal tumbler. I passed the glass to her and watched as she drank deeply, wondering if that was what she looked like when she drank blood. When she placed the glass on the table, she had the slightest trace of red liquid around her mouth. I couldn't help it. With my index finger I wiped the drop off the side of her bow-shaped mouth. Then I put my finger in my own mouth. It tasted sweet and tangy. â€Å"Are you sure you're all right?† Katherine asked. â€Å"I'm worried about Damon,† I confessed as I poured myself a glass of punch. â€Å"But why?† Katherine asked, genuine confusion registering on her face. â€Å"Because of you,† I said simply. Katherine took the tumbler from me and led me away from the refreshment table. â€Å"He's like a brother to me,† she said, touching my brow with her icy fingers. â€Å"I'm like his little sister. Y know ou this.† â€Å"But all those times when I was sick? When you and he were together? It seemed like †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It seemed like I needed a friend,† Katherine said firmly. â€Å"Damon's a flirt. He doesn't want to be tied down, nor would I want to be tied to him. Y ou are my love, and Damon is my brother.† All around us, couples swirled in the semi- darkness, dipping in time to the music and laughing gaily at private jokes, seemingly without a care in the world. They, too, had to worry about attacks and the war and heartbreak, but they still laughed and danced. Why couldn't I as well? Why did I always have to doubt myself? I glanced at Katherine. A dark curl had come loose from her updo. I tucked it behind her ear, relishing the silky feel of the strands between my fingers. Longing coursed through me, and as I stared into her deep brown eyes, all feelings of guilt and unease vanished. â€Å"Shall we dance?† asked Katherine, taking my hand and pressing it to her cheek. Through the crowded dance floor, I spotted Father, Mr. Cartwright, and the rest of the Founders whispering furiously in a far corner. â€Å"No,† I whispered huskily. â€Å"Let's go home.† I grabbed Katherine's shoulder, and we whirled around the dance floor until we reached the kitchen, where servants were busily preparing refreshments. Hand in hand, we tore through the kitchen–much to the confusion of the servants –and exited at the back of the house. We sprinted into the night, oblivious to the cold air, the shrieks of laughter from the mansion, and the fact that we'd just run out on the social event of the season. The coach was tied near the Lockwoods' stable. Alfred was no doubt playing craps with the other servants. â€Å"After you, my lady,† I said, lifting Katherine by the waist and placing her in the passenger seat. I hoisted myself up to the driver's seat and cracked the whip, which immediately caused the horses to start clip-clopping in the direction of home. I grinned at Katherine. We had an entire evening of freedom in front of us, and it was intoxicating. No having to sneak into the carriage house. No skirting the servants. Just hours of uninterrupted bliss. â€Å"I love you!† I yelled, but the wind stole the words as soon as they left my mouth. I imagined them traveling with the breeze, floating through the entire world until every person in every town knew of my love. Katherine stood up in the coach, her curls whipping wildly around her face. â€Å"I love you, too!† she shouted, and then collapsed into giggles on the seat. By the time we got back to the carriage house, we were both sweaty and red-cheeked. The second we reached Katherine's chambers, I pulled the dress off her slim frame and, seized by my passion, gently ran my teeth against her neck. â€Å"What are you doing?† She stepped back and stared at me sharply. â€Å"I'm just †¦Ã¢â‚¬  What was I doing? Playacting? Trying to seem as if Katherine and I were the same? â€Å"I guess I wanted to know how you feel when you †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Katherine bit her lip. â€Å"Maybe someday you'll find out, my innocent, sweet Stefan.† She lay back on the bed, arranging her hair on the snow-white goose-down pillow. â€Å"But right now, all I want is you. â€Å" I lay down next to her, tracing the curve of her chin with my index finger as I put my lips to hers. The kiss was so soft and tender that I felt her essence and mine combine, creating a force that was larger than ourselves. We explored each other's bodies as if for the first time. In the dim light of her chambers, I was never sure where reality ended and my dreams began. There was no shame, no expectation, just passion and desire, and a sense of danger that was mysterious and beautiful and consuming. That night, I would have allowed Katherine to consume me entirely and claim me for her own. I would have gladly offered up my neck if it meant that we could have stayed locked in that embrace for all of eternity.