Problem Solution Essay Topics For College Students

Problem Solution Essay Topics For College Students'Problem solution essay topics for college students' is an easy concept to grasp. Let's start by asking: what problem are college students facing in this day and age? I would venture to say it's very similar to what was faced in the early days of the United States.During the pre-civilization era, we were a small country. We didn't even have roads. Our water supply was extremely limited, we didn't have a central government, we had a system of kingdoms, chiefs, and religious leaders. You know the drill.We also had a group of native Americans that we called the Indians, which made up the largest segment of our population. We were kind of a mixed bag of tribes that made up the land mass that we are on today. When you combine all of those things together, the result is a great diversity and issue in our society.Now let's fast forward to today, when you're a high school student. We have roads, we have many universities, we have many stores and even have a central government that can help us out in times of need. The first thing we need to do is take control of our own lives. Without self-reliance, there isn't much left to us, really.Take control of your own life, and learn how to be independent. In today's society, the most successful people are the ones who earned their own income. I don't know about you, but I prefer that to someone else living off of me.Next, if you want to learn how to deal with your problems, you have to learn to solve them on your own. Rememberthose tribes that didn't know how to read and write? They needed someone to tell them what the story was. Let's call this someone, a writer.Now, if you're a creative writer, this doesn't mean you're going to pen a thesis for you class. However, if you need to present an issue, you can get up and express how you would like to solve it. Make sure you have other people around to make sure you do your job correctly.Now, if you're looking for essay topics for c ollege students, I suggest you look into problems such as the following: - How to deal with non-stability, uncertainty, failure, and failure? - Why are there more people in jail than there used to be?

10 Facts for a Group Project on Network Security

10 Facts for a Group Project on Network Security Welcome to our guide on writing a group project on network security. This is our first guide, and it will help you understand how group project tasks are distributed among members involved and exactly what should be done to get the desired results. This guide has three parts. Our first guide contains 10 facts for a group project on network security which will help you understand the concepts and knowledge behind network security. References are also mentioned at the bottom of this guide to help you verify these facts or collect more information if you want to. Our second guide, 20 network security project topics, help you select a relevant topic for your group project. All the topics mentioned in the guide are authentic and researchable for the students. We have also written a short sample essay for you. The presence of ready-made topics will give you a path to start. Our third and final guide, Writing a Group Project on Network Security, explains how a group project should be carried. Furthermore, it will tell you how to divide your work among members keeping individual strengths of every student in mind. This guide will give you a clear vision of planning and proceed with your group project. A group project is different from an individual project as there are several minds involved and creative conflict is a common problem. We have collected 10 solid facts which you can discuss with your group members and pick a fact you can design your project around. Let us begin with the facts on network security: Network security is a process that helps in securing the network  infrastructure of a computer. Certain security policies are applied to protect the assets and resources of an organization or a single user. Securing networks means protecting them against attackers or hackers, who can get access to secure information which is transmitted through a network. Data magnets are tools used to fetch personal data. Personal data refers to personal information such as a person’s name, email and financial information. All this information is available on the network when users provide it on websites for different purposes. Cryptography is a networking related field which deals with the study of Secret(Crypto) Writing(Graphy). It works on two terminologies namely, encryption and decryption which deals with hiding the content of the given data for privacy purpose (Encrypting) and reverting it back to usage (Decrypting). Many apps on networks use this technology for better protection. There is an FBI department looking for cyber criminals who have robbed millions of dollars from around the globe. The list on FBI’s site consists of 19 individuals, each having robbed between $350,000 to $100 million. One of the most wanted criminals is JABBER ZEUS. It is a group of criminals using viruses to hack computers and get access to files and data. HTTPS is more secure than HTTP. Every website on the web should follow HTTPS protocol because without HTTPS hackers can easily hack your website. HTTPS even provides you a bit of security from government surveillance applications and keeps all your online activities safe. Every time a person requests to access a web page, the user’s IP is saved by the server of that particular website. IPs are useful in tracking a user’s online activity and even track their location. Users use tools to go anonymous on the web to hide their activity and location by using proxy servers and similar apps. Trojans are a hacker’s favorite tool. They can be disguised as a useful application, making users install them without worries. Trojans are usually transferred via emails. They dont spread automatically or by their own will. However, trojans are easy to remove as compared to other malware. Cybercrime has been increasing day by day. Suspicious emails, trojans and several other types of network security attacks are committed every hour. To control these crimes, the cyber security market has also expanded regarding budget and resources. The cyber security market is expected to reach $120.1 billion by 2017. The United States alone loses $100 billion every year at the hands of cyber crime attacks. A minimum of 556 million cases is recorded in a single year. From strong individuals to giant business tycoons, cyber attacks are used against everyone. The U.S. Navy force has one of the strongest cyber security systems because it receives around 110,000 cyber attacks every hour. Network security experts are said to use complex passwords and changing those passwords at least every 3 months. Hackers get a tough time if a password is composed of 4-5 longer strings. This has been proved to be a good strategy to prevent cyber attacks. These were some of the facts related to network security. We hope they turn out to be useful for your group project and help you out in understanding what Network Security is. Our next two guides involve having 20 group project topics along with a sample essay and also tips on how to write a group project. But first, let’s have a look at the references below in case you want to gather more information from reliable sources. References: Abdelmounaam Rezgui, Virginia Tech (2003), Privacy on the Web: Facts, Challenges, and Solutions. William Stallings (2005), Cryptography and Network Security Principles and Practices, Fourth Edition. Rezgui, A. Bouguettaya, and Z. Malik, â€Å"A Reputation-Based Approach to Preserving Privacy in Web Services,† Proc. 4th VLDB Workshop on Technologies for E-Services (TES ‘03), Springer-Verlag, 2003 Axelsson, S. (2000) The Base-Rate Fallacy and the Difficulty of Intrusion Detection. ACM Transactions and Information and System Security. Bishop M. (2005), Introduction to Computer Security. Boston: Addison-Wesley. Xiang-Yang Li, Cryptography and Network Security

Heart Of Darkness 4 Essays - Congo Free State, Heart Of Darkness

Heart Of Darkness 4 Essays - Congo Free State, Heart Of Darkness Heart Of Darkness 4 In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Marlow chooses to go against his beliefs by lying to Kurtz's intended. Although Marlow feels that lies are detestable, he is justified in falsifying Kurtz's final words to the Intended. Marlow feels that there is a taint of death and a flavor of mortality in lies, comparing lying to biting into something rotten. However, much of the world is filled with deceitfulness and lying, as it is almost a custom in the man's world. Lying makes Marlow physically ill, therefore to lie would be to give up his convictions and submit to the reality that the world is characterized by lying. Outside of the men's world is the women's world, epitomized by the Ladies' Drawing Room. Here, men and women are on their best behavior and manners are crucial. Inside the Ladies' Drawing Room, there is no sense of reality, deceitfulness or selfishness, as seen in the man's world. Here, the women are ignorant to the issues in the real world. Men come to the Ladies' Drawing room to escape the harsh reality that awaits them outside. Society was dependent on the Ladies' Drawing Room as an escape from reality. Following Kurtz's death, Marlow goes to see the Intended, where she asks to hear Kurtz's final words, "The horror! The horror!" These words condemn mankind in the realization that all men have the capacity to do evil. Marlow lies to the Intended telling her that his final words were her name, which suits the ignorant, fairy tale-like world of the Ladies' Drawing Room. As Marlow referred to earlier, he hates the taint of death and the mortality of lies. Had Marlow told the Intended Kurtz's actual final words, the taint of death would have hung over the truth. Marlow escaped having to bear the weight of this truth by lying, the more moral option of the two.

Examine the Rivarly among existing competitors and the threat of Essay

Examine the Rivarly among existing competitors and the threat of substitute product in low cost airline industry in Europe - Essay Example Therefore, there should be checks and balances put in place to control the competitiveness among industries of low cost airline in Europe (Airlines Industry Profile: Europe, 2014, p. 4). This paper examines the rivalry among the competitors and the effect this has on the profit potential. Moreover, it also unravels the threats of substitute of a product in low cost airline industry in Europe. As asserted by Cameron and Quinn (2011, p. 2), airline industry has changed largely due to deregulation act of airline that occurred in America. These effects of deregulation act that occurred in America extended to the entire world. The results of liberalization of airline industry resulted in the emergence of low cost airline. The act helped in abandoning the status quo of restrictive pricing model that inhibited the growth of airline industry. Deregulation act helped in removing the state control over airline routes and it promoted the entrance of other airlines into the market (Airlines Industry Profile: Europe, 2014, p. 9). Therefore, the act exposed the airline industry to competitive market forces that have resulted to rivalry among different firms. Nonetheless, the passenger’s fares decreased in a number of market because of the growth of competition in the industry. The competition came because of new entrance of airline of low cost into the market (Airlines Industry Profile: United Kingdom 2014, p.8). The strategy of low cost airline have been so appealing especially to traditional airlines and this led to Southwest airline being the pioneer to introduce low fares airline for short routes. In Europe, deregulation act helped in emergence of the first European low cost airline after which, rivalry competition have dominated the market due to high number of low cost airlines. Low cost airlines have lower cost compared to the cost of their competitors. The

International trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International trade - Essay Example It will then look and how tariffs, quotas and subsidies affect real income in small countries. Lastly, it will look at arguments against free trade and their validity from a national perspective. The Ricardian Model of International Trade The Ricardian model of international trade is one of the earliest models of international trade. This model of trade emphasizes comparative advantage that comes about due to technological differences which act as a critical factor behind trading activities. Unlike the other theories of international trade that argue that trade only benefits certain countries and is unfavorable to others, this model contradicts this notion arguing that trade is beneficial for all countries that take part in the international trade (Feenstra, 2003). Its built on six basic assumptions: (1) Two countries are involved in the trade; (2) there are only two goods produced; (3) labor is the sole factor of production (Goodwin, Nelson, Harris, Roach, & Devine, 2009); (4) there is perfect competition across all markets such that goods are priced at cost in the nations producing them; (5) an assumption that labor is homogeneous within domestic boundaries, however, its productivity is different across the nations; and (6) the goods produced are viewed as homogeneous across the countries (Stern, 2011). According to this model of trade, gains from the trade become possible because of the comparative advantage. The basic idea is that if a country has to benefit from the trade, it is the country’s opportunity cost that matters and not its actual costs. The opportunity cost of a given product (a) is how much of some other product, (b); one country has to give up in order to produce one unit of the other product (a) (Carbaugh, 2010). Based on this explanation therefore, each country will stand to benefit only if it produces a particular good for which it has the lowest opportunity cost. A country’s opportunity cost is what will create gain in the fr ee trade. The gains from the trade are made possible due to comparative advantage that one country has over the other. Comparative advantage comes in if the opportunity cost of producing that good in terms of others goods is less compared to the other country. Thus if the opportunity cost of country A is lower than the opportunity cost of country B, then country A has a comparative advantage over country B. Therefore both countries benefit from the free trade if each country exports the goods with which it has a comparative advantage over the other. The Heckscher-Ohlin (H-O) Model of Trade Heckscher and Ohlin in there theory explain that the basis for international trade is due to factor endowments. This theory is an advancement of the Ricardian model of international trade that advocated for the comparative advantage as the basis for international trade. The Ricardian model failed to explain how the comparative cost advantage exists (Goodwin, Nelson, Harris, Roach, & Devine, 2009). This theory on the other hand proposes that this difference in comparative costs is due to: (1) differences in endowment of the factors of production; (2) the fact that production is dependent on the factors of production which are used with different degrees of intensity in the two countries. Therefore, this theory advances that the differences in factor intensities in the production functions of goods and the actual differences in relative factor endowments of the countries which explain international differences in the

Mission statement organizations vision translated into written form

Mission statement organizations vision translated into written form Mission  Statement A mission statement is an organizations vision translated into written form. It makes concrete the leaders view of the direction and purpose of the organization. For many corporate leaders it is a vital element in any attempt to motivate employees and to give them a sense of priorities. (1) A mission statement should be a short and concise statement of goals and priorities. In turn, goals are specific objectives that relate to specific time periods and are stated in terms of facts. The primary goal of any business is to increase stakeholder value. The most important stakeholders are shareholders who own the business, employees who work for the business, and clients or customers who purchase products and/or services from the business. A mission statement  is a brief description of a companys fundamental purpose. A mission statement answers the question, Why do we exist? (1) The mission statement articulates the companys purpose both for those in the organization and for the public. For instance, the mission statement of Canadian Tire reads (in part): Canadian Tire is a growing network of interrelated businesses Canadian Tire continuously strives to meet the needs of its customers for total value by offering a unique package of location, price, service and assortment. The mission statement of Rivercorp, business development consultants in Campbell River, B.C., is: To provide one stop progressive economic development services through partnerships on behalf of shareholders and the community. As you see from these two mission statement samples, mission statements are as varied as the companies they describe. However, all mission statements will broadly describe an organizations present capabilities, customer focus, activities, and business makeup (5). The difference between a mission statement and a  Strategic Intent  is that a mission statement focuses on a companys present state while a Strategic Intent focuses on a companys future. Every business should have a mission statement, both as a way of ensuring that everyone in the organization is on the same page and to serve as a baseline for effective business planning Mission statements often contain the following Purpose and aim of the organization The organizations primary stakeholders: clients, stockholders, congregation, etc. Responsibilities of the organization toward these stakeholders Products and services offered So, when you are preparing your Mission Statement remember to make it clear and succinct, incorporating socially meaningful and measurable criteria and consider approaching it from a grand scale. As you create your Mission Statement consider including some or all of the following concepts. The moral/ethical position of the enterprise The desired public image The key strategic influence for the business A description of the target market A description of the products/services The geographic domain Expectations of growth and profitability Strategic Intent A Strategic Intent  is sometimes called a picture of your company in the future but its so much more than that. Your Strategic Intent is your inspiration, the framework for all your strategic planning. A Strategic Intent may apply to an entire company or to a single division of that company. Whether for all or part of an organization, the Strategic Intent answers the question, Where do we want to go? What you are doing when creating a Strategic Intent is articulating your dreams and hopes for your business. It reminds you of what you are trying to build. While a Strategic Intent doesnt tell you how youre going to get there, it does set the direction for your business planning. (For more on the role of your Strategic Intent in business planning, Thats why its important when crafting a Strategic Intent to let your imagination go and dare to dream and why its important that a Strategic Intent captures your passion. Unlike the mission statement, a Strategic Intent is for you and the other members of your company, not for your customers or clients. Corporate vision is a short, succinct, and  inspiring  statement of what the organization intends to become and to achieve at some point in the future, often stated in competitive terms. Vision refers to the category of intentions that are broad, all-inclusive and forward-thinking.   It is the image that a business must have of its goals before it sets out to reach them.  It describes aspirations for the future, without specifying the means that will be used to achieve those desired ends. Warren Bennis, a noted writer on  leadership, says: To choose a direction, an executive must have developed a mental image of the possible and desirable future state of the organization. This image, which we call a  vision, may be as vague as a dream or as precise as a goal or a mission statement. A  strategic intent  is a companys vision of what it wants to achieve in the long term. It must convey a significant stretch for your company, a sense of direction, discovery, and opportunity that can communicated as worthwhile to all employees. It should not focus so much on todays problems, which are normally dealt with by company visions and missions, but rather on tomorrows opportunities. To achieve great things, you need ambitious visions. And it does not matter that vision cannot be laid out in details. It is the direction that counts. Mission Vision Goals Figure 1.0 Its significance on the Organization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visions incorporate goals for the future: but whose goals? Make sure the goals set out by your organization are shared by the community you serve. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visions are often value-laden statements. Values should be broad and inclusive to incorporate as many people and perspectives as possible. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visions should be optimistic and inspiring: to you, organization staff, and the community you serve. We believe in the equality of all people, regardless of race, class, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation. (2) In short, the mission guides the organization in its daily work, and the vision inspires the organization and the community to never give up on its future goals. Vision Mission Values Strategic Goals Tactics Figure 2.0 (5) Strategic Business Management and Planning The Strategic Position Strategy in Action Strategic Choices Capability Environment Culture Purpose Corporate Level Business Level Innovation Evaluation International Processes Organising Resourcing Changing Practice Figure 3.0 The Exploring Corporate Strategy model (4) Strategic Position: Understanding the strategic position is concerned with identifying the impact on strategy of the external environment, an organizations strategic capability and the expectations and influence of stakeholders. The sort of questions this raises are central to future strategies. The Environment Environment plays an important role in building up the strategies and how it affects the organisation strategies and goals looking out for the opportunities and threats from the outer world. Therefore it is very important to evaluate the environmental impacts on the organization. The capabilities Capabilities depends upon the resources and competences within the organization. One way of thinking about the strategic capability of an organization is to consider its strengths and weaknesses. Look for the core competences and USPs which the competitors will find difficult to imitate. Purpose The major influences of stakeholder expectations is organizations purposes. Purpose is summarized in an organisations vision, mission and values. This is important since it clarifies who should the organization serve and how should it work. this reflects the corporate social responsibilities and ethics. Culture These influences directly either on organizational, sectoral or national. Corporate Governance Corporate Governance is concerned with the structures and systems of control by which managers are held accountable to those who have legitimate stake in an organization. (4) There are many other reason which has made its presence an important issue for the organization. Out of which the three main reasons are as follows; The separation of ownership and management control which means that the organization works with hierarchy or within the chain of governance. This chain basically represents those groups that influence an organization through their involvement in either ownership or management of an organization. Scandals by the corporate have increased a lot of public debate about different parties in the governance chain should interact and influence each other. Most notable here is the relationship between shareholders and the boards of businesses as well as relationship between government or public funding bodies and public sector organizations. Increased accountability to wider Stakeholder interests has also come to be increasingly advocated; in particular the argument that corporations need to be more visibly accountable and responsive , not only to owners and managers in the governance chain but to wider social interest. Governance Structure Strategic Purpose Social responsibility and ethics Stakeholder expectations Figure 4.0 Influences on strategic purpose (4) The governance chain explains completely the roles and relationships of different groups which are present in the governance of an organization. The chain is very simple to understand it is similar like a family tree. It has shareholders, family members, managers and a board. It is a large and publicly quoted organization with more investors layers as well. Hence good corporate governance can be achieved only if it is an embedded part of corporate life: part of the DNA of the organisation, its internal processes and the way it makes information available externally. In many countries most companies are run mostly for the benefit of the shareholders, the rightful owners.  But there is another model, where companies are run for the benefit of other significant groupings as well such as customers, the general public or employees. This is the stakeholder model. Choosing a board for each of these models or something in between requires people with different backgrounds and outlooks. The following table  compares the shareholder and stakeholder models: Shareholders Stakeholders Maximize shareholder value and look after shareholder interests Look after all stakeholder interests, especially public Seek profitability and efficiency Look for survival, long term growth, and stability Hard-nosed and commercial Less concerned with profit than value for money A Stakeholders mapping can be used appropriately to understand the stakeholders influence. Stakeholder mapping can define his expectations and power and helps in understanding political priorities. It emphasizes the importance of two issues: Interest of the stakeholder group on organizations purposes and choice of strategies Power of stakeholders to actually do it They are described in a quadrant of four different types based on level of interest and their power, as follows Figure 5.0 Stakeholder Mapping Low High High A Minimal Effort C Keep satisfied B Keep Informed D Key Players Level of Interest Power (7) Non Profit Organizations A  non-profit organization  is an  organization  which does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals.  Examples of NPOs include charities (i.e.  charitable organizations),  trade unions, and public  arts  organizations. Most governments and government agencies meet this definition, but in most countries they are considered a separate type of organization and not counted as NPOs. They are in most countries exempt from  income  and  property taxation. Profit Organizations An  organization  is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals, controls its own performance, and has a boundary separating it from its environment. It is a business which has a primary goal of making profit and a proposed goal such as helping the environment. Differences between Profit and Non-profit Organization Ownership is the quantitative difference between for- and not-for-profit organizations. For-profit organizations can be privately owned and may re-distribute taxable wealth to  employees  and  shareholders. By contrast, not-for-profit organizations do not have owners. They have controlling members or boards, but these people cannot sell their shares to others or personally benefit in any taxable way. While they are able to earn a profit, more accurately called a surplus, such earnings must be retained by the organization for its self-preservation, expansion and future plans. Earnings may not benefit individuals or stake-holders. While some non-profit organizations put substantial funds into hiring and rewarding their internal corporate leadership, middle-management personnel and workers, others employ unpaid volunteers and even executives may work for no compensation. However, since the late 1980s there has been a growing consensus that nonprofits can achieve their corporate targets more effectively by using some of the same methods developed in for-profit enterprises. These include effective internal management, ensuring accountability for results, and monitoring the performance of different divisions or projects in order to better benefit from their capital and workers. Those require satisfied management and that, in turn, begins with the organizations mission There are a variety of perspectives, models and approaches used in strategic planning. The way that a strategic plan is developed depends on the nature of the organizations leadership, culture of the organization, complexity of the organizations environment, size of the organization, expertise of planners, etc. For example, there are a variety of strategic planning models, including goals-based, issues-based, organic, scenario (some would assert that scenario planning is more of a technique than model), etc. Goals-based planning is probably the most common and starts with focus on the organizations mission (and vision and/or values), goals to work toward the mission, strategies to achieve the goals, and action planning (who will do what and by when). Issues-based strategic planning often starts by examining issues facing the organization, strategies to address those issues and action plans. Organic strategic planning might start by articulating the organizations vision and values, an d then action plans to achieve the vision while adhering to those values. Some planners prefer a particular approach to planning, eg, appreciative inquiry. Some plans are scoped to one year, many to three years, and some to five to ten years into the future. Some plans include only top-level information and no action plans. Some plans are five to eight pages long, while others can be considerably longer. For-profit and nonprofit business plans have many similarities. For that reason, nonprofit personnel would benefit from reading the links in the section above, For-Profit Business Planning. Some of the terms are different, but in most cases they can readily be translated into words more commonly used in the nonprofit sector. For example, balance sheet is what nonprofit call a statement of financial position, profit and loss statement (or income statement) is essentially the same as a statement of financial activities, and so on. One of the key difference between a for profit and a non profit plan is the marketing section. In a for profit business, the served customers are generally those who provide the revenues needed to cover expenses and continue operations. For a non profit, often the served constituents do not provide this sustaining funding, and it must be sought from a third party donors. This means the marketing plan must describe both how the organization will communicate its services to its service target market and how it will communicate its need for funding to its funding target market. This means detailing these two separate marketing messages and two strategies for marketing.   Another key difference is the non profit part of the business plan. Financial plans for a non profit do not have to show net profit, and, if they do, there must be some explanation of what those retained earnings will be used for. They cannot be distributed as dividends, as the organization is technically owned by the public and not by the directors or board. However, profits can be accumulated for the purposes of creating an endowment or capital fund for future expenditures. An accountant should be consulted for any decisions of this nature.   International dimensions of strategic business management and planning Going global is one of the key visions of most of the organizations. Choosing globalization increases the option for the organizations range of products or services and how to manage across the borders. Through international strategy framework it becomes achievable in a better way. International strategy as the core theme, depends upon two things, the external environment and organizational capabilities. If you see the figure 6.0 it focuses more on internationalisation drivers and on the capabilities side it emphasises on international and national sources of advantage. Figure 6.0 International strategy framework Internationalisation drivers Market selection Sources of competitive advantage Mode of entry International Strategy (4) Market Drivers Similar customer needs Global customers Transferable marketingInternationalisation Drivers Figure 7.0 Internalisation Drivers International Strategies Cost Drivers Scale economic Country-specific differences Favorable logistics Government Drivers Trade Policies Technical Standards Host Government Policies Competitive Drivers Interdependence between countries Competitors global strategies (4) Market globalization drivers There is a general belief that several markets are converging around the world. There are several reasons for this. First, the convergence of Gross National Product (GNP) per capita in the developed world is leading to a convergence in markets sensitive to wealth and level of income such as passenger cars, television sets, and computers. Second, there is evidence to suggest that in some industries, customers tastes, perceptions, and buying behaviours are converging, and that the world is moving towards a single global market that is basically Western and, more specifically, North American. In a landmark article titled The globalization of markets Levitt (1983) predicted that globalization drivers such as new technology would lead to homogenization of consumer desires and needs across the world. He argued that this would happen because generally consumers would prefer standard products of high quality and low price to more customized but higher-priced products. Third, in the quest to build a global brand and company image, multinational firms are increasingly favouring a global standardization of marketing and advertising efforts. This does not mean identical marketing and advertising campaigns, but the use of similar themes that send the same message across the world. Recent developments in broadcast media, particularly direct-broadcast satellite and international media, are making this more possible. CNN, for example, broadcasts standard adverts around the world. Cost globalization drivers Several key cost drivers may come into play in determining an industry globalization level. One key factor is global scale economies. That is, the costs of producing a particular product or service are often subject to economies or dis-economies of scale. Generally, economies of scale arise when a product or a process can be performed more cheaply at greater volume than at lesser volume. This is often the case when the product or service is standardized; hence it becomes hard for multinational firms to differentiate themselves, and cost becomes key in achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage. Producing different products for different countries leads to higher cost per unit. This is because multinational firms serving countries with separate products may not be able to reach the most economic scale of production for each countrys unique product. Multinational firms could reduce the cost by using common parts and components produced in different countries. Another factor is sourcing efficiencies. Global sourcing efficiencies may push multinational firms towards a global strategy. The prices of key resources used in the production process have a strong impact on the cost of the product or service, the cost of inputs depends on the bargaining power of the firm with their suppliers. For example, large firms purchasing large volumes have more clout with their suppliers than their small rivals. Hewlett-Packard (HP) is a good example. In the past, country-level subsidiaries used to solicit bids for insurance coverage independently. Each subsidiary chose the local provider who bid less than the competition. However, HP now belongs to a global insurer-insured pool which provides rebates based on business volume. In addition, as noted earlier, some countries provide a cost advantage because of low cost of raw material, low cost of labour, or low cost of transport because of location. Thus multinational firms locate their activities in different countries to benefit from these advantages. Further, in sectors where transportation cost is low, closeness to customers is not important, and urgency to distribute the product is low, multinational firms tend to concentrate their production in large plants producing large-scale products. Finally, high cost of product development drives multinational firms to focus on core products that have universal appeal to control cost. Government globalization drivers Governments have different policies for different industries. While (as discussed above) the general trend is lower trade barriers and less regulation, for a few sectors trade barriers are prohibitive and highly regulated by governments. In addition to trade barriers and regulations, technical standards are becoming similar around the world. For example, several countries have accepted new international accounting norms and standards. In Europe, the International Accounting Standards (IAS) are quickly becoming the norm. This will allow direct cross-border comparison of financial statements, and facilitate communication between subsidiaries and the centre. Companies like Nokia, the Allianz group, and Novartis are working to bring about a convergence of US accounting standards with IAS. Competitive drivers Because of tight interlinks between key world markets, intense competition across countries, and the continuous increase in the number of global competitors, multinational firms are adopting a globally centred rather than nationally centred strategy. According to George Yip, the increase in interactions between competitors from different countries requires a globally integrated strategy to monitor moves by competitors in different countries. He notes that by pursuing a global strategy, competitors create competitive interdependence among countries. This interdependence forces multinational firms to engage in competitive battles and to subsidize attacks in different countries. Cross-subsidization is only possible if the multinational firm has a global strategy that monitors competitors centrally rather than on a country-by-country basis. Globalized competitors drive industries to adopt a global strategy. Yip noted that when major competitors, especially first movers, use a global strategy to introduce customers to global products, late movers adopt the same strategy so as to achieve economies of scale or scope and other benefits associated with adopting a global strategy. Last, the ability to transfer competitive advantage globally drives multinationals to adopt a global strategy. For example, IKEA succeeded in transferring its locally developed advantage to a global market. Conversely, sectors where the competitive advantage is locally rooted and hard to transfer across countries, multinationals tend to adopt an international strategy rather than a global one. (8) Strategic Management Strategic Management is a term which underlines the importance of managers with regards to the company strategy. Strategy needs to be defined by the people especially the managers who also implement them. Strategic Management involves a greater scope than that of any one area of operational management. It is characterised in way it makes easy for the managers to make decision and judgement based on the conceptualisation of difficult issues. Corporate strategy is defined as the identification of the purpose of the organization and the plans and actions to achieve that purpose. Corporate strategy consist of two main elements: corporate level strategy and business level strategy .See figure 7.0 At Corporate Level: All the decisions need to be taken over what business the company is in or should be in. The culture and leadership of the organization are also important at this broad general level. Corporate strategy is the pattern of major objectives, purpose or goals and essential policies or plans for achieving those goals, stated in such a way as to define what business the company is in or be in and the kind of company it is or be. (9) At Business Level: corporate strategy is more alarmed with the competing for customers, generating value from the resources and the underlying principle of the sustainable competitive advantages of those resources over rival companies. Figure 8.0 The essence of corporate strategy At the individual business level: How do we complete successfully? What is our sustainable competitive advantage? How can we innovate? Who are our customers? What value do we add? At the general corporate level: What business are we in? What business we should be in? What business our basic directions for the future? What is our culture and leadership style? What is our attitude to strategic change? What should it be? What is the purpose of the organization? And what are our strategies to achieve this? (10) The three main areas of strategy At both the levels of corporate strategy every organization has to manage its strategies in three main areas: Organizations internal resources; External environment within the area of organization operates; Organizations ability to add value to its organizations process. Resources Strategy Resources of any organization includes human resource skills, investors and the capital. Organizations need to build a good strategies to optimise the use of the resources. In particular, it is essential to investigate the sustainable competitive advantage that will allow the organization to survive and prosper against competition. Environmental strategy Environment encompasses all the aspect external to the organization itself: not only the economic and political circumstances, which depends place to place but competitors, customers and suppliers, who may vary widely around the world, but also competitors, customers are particularly important here. Hence organizations therefore needs to develop corporate strategies that are best suited to their strengths and weakness in relation to the environment in which they operate. Adding Value Apart from environment and resources organizations still need to add value to the supplies brought into the organization. For long term survival, an organization take their supplies seriously and then deliver its output to its customers. The main purpose of corporate strategy is to make the organization create and add vital values to make sure the organization adapts the changes and continue to add value in future. Core areas of Corporate Strategy There are three core areas of corporate strategy are strategic analysis, strategy development and strategy implementation. Strategic analysis: The organization, its mission and objectives have to be examined and analysed. Corporate strategy provides value for the people involved in the organization, its stakeholders but its the managers who decide the objectives of the organization. They also analyse the resources and examine the objectives as well as the relationship with the environment. Strategy development: A strategy options has to be developed and then the right has to be selected. To be successful, the strategy is build upon a particular skills of the organization and the special relationship that it has or can develop with the other outside suppliers, customers, distributors and government. Strategy implementation: The selected options now has to be implemented and the organization will find many other difficulties in terms of motivation, power relationships, government negotiations, company acquisitions and many other matters. Hierarchical Characteristics of Strategy Strategy can be formulated on three different levels: Corporate level Business unit level Functional or Operational level, While strategy may be about competing and surviving as a rum, one can argue that products, not corporations compete, and products are developed by business units. The role or the corporation then is to manage its business units and products so that each is competitive and so that each continues to corporate purposes. While the corporation must manage its portfolio of businesses to grow and survive, the success of a diversified firm depends upon its ability to manage each of its product lines, While there is no single competition to Textron, we can talk about the competitors and strategy of each of its business units. In the finance business segment, for example, the chief rivals ate major banks providing commercial financing. Many matagers consider the business level to be the proper focus for strategic planning. Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy fundamentally is concerned with the selection of businesses in which the company should compete and with the development and coordination of that portfolio of

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Six

September 26 Dear Diary, I'm sorry it's been so long, and I can't really explain why I haven't written-except that there are so many things I feel frightened to talk about, even to you. First, the most terrible thing happened. The day that Bonnie and Meredith and I were at the cemetery, an old man was attacked there, and almost killed. The police still haven't found the person who did it. People think the old man was crazy, because when he woke up he started raving about â€Å"eyes in the dark† and oak trees and things. But I remember what happened t us that night, and I wonder. It scares me. Everyone was scared for a while, and all the kids had to stay inside after dark or go out in groups. But it's been about three weeks now, and no more attacks, so the excitement is dying down. Aunt Judith says it must have been another vagrant that did it. Tyler Smallwood's father even suggested that the old man might have done it to himself-though I would like to see somebody bite himself in the throat. But mostly what I've been busy with is Plan B. As far as it goes, it's been going well. I've gotten severalletters and a bouquet of red roses from â€Å"Jean-Claude† (Meredith's uncle is a florist), and everybody seems to have forgotten that I was ever interested in Stefan. So my social position's secure. Even Caroline hasn't been making any trouble. In fact, I don't know what Caroline is doing these days, and I don't care. I never see her at lunch or after school anymore; she seems to have drawn away from her old crowd completely. There's only one thing I docare about right now. Stefan. Even Bonnie and Meredith don't realize how important he is to me. I'm afraid to tell them; I'm afraid they'll think I'm crazy. At school I wear a mask of calm and control, but on the inside- well, every day it just gets worse. Aunt Judith has started to worry about me. She says I don't eat enough these days, and she's right. I can't seem to concentrate on my classes, or even on anything fun like the Haunted House fund-raiser. I can't concentrate on anything but him. And I don't even understand why. He hasn't spoken to me since that horrible afternoon. But I'll tell you something strange. Last week in history class, I glanced up and caught him looking at me. We were sitting a few seats apart, and he was turned completely sideways in his desk, just looking.For a moment I felt almost frightened, and my heart started pounding, and we just stared at each other -and then he looked away. But since then it's happened twice more, and each time I felt his eyes on me before I saw them. This is the literal truth. I know it's not my imagination. He isn't like any boy I've ever known. He seems so isolated, so lonely. Even though it's his own choice. He's made quite a hit on the football team, but he doesn't hang around with any of the guys, except maybe Matt. Matt's the only one he talks to. He doesn't hang around with any girls, either, thatIcan see, so maybe the narc rumor is doing some good. But it's more like he's avoiding other people than they're avoiding him. He disappears in between classes and after football practice, and I've never once seen him in the cafeteria. He's never invited anybody to his room at the boarding house. He never visits the coffee shop after school . So how can I ever get him someplace where he can't run from me? This is the real problem with Plan B. Bonnie says, â€Å"Why not get stuck in a thunderstorm with him, so you have to huddle together to conserve body warmth?† And Meredith suggested that my car could break down in front of the boarding house. But neither of those ideas is practical,and I'm going insane trying to come up with something better . Every day it's getting worse for me. I feel as if I were a clock or something, winding up tighter and tighter. If I don't find something to do soon, I'll- I was going to say â€Å"die.† The solution came to her quite suddenly and simply. She felt sorry about Matt; she knew he'd been hurt by the Jean-Claude rumor. He'd hardly spoken to her since the story had broken, usually passing her with a quick nod. And when she ran into him one day in an empty hall outside of Creative Writing, he wouldn't meet her eyes. â€Å"Matt-† she began. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't true, that she would never have started seeing another boy without telling him first. She wanted to tell him that she'd never meant to hurt him, and that she felt terrible now. But she didn't know how to begin. Finally, she just blurted out, â€Å"I'm sorry!† and turned to go in to class. â€Å"Elena,† he said, and she turned back. He was looking at her now, at least, his eyes lingering on her lips, her hair. Then he shook his head as if to say the joke was on him. â€Å"Is this French guy for real?† he finally demanded. â€Å"No,† said Elena immediately and without hesitation. â€Å"I made him up,† she added simply, â€Å"to show everybody I wasn't upset about-† She broke off. â€Å"About Stefan. I get it.† Matt nodded, looking both grimmer and somewhat more understanding. â€Å"Look, Elena, thatwas pretty lousy of him. But I don't think he meant it personally. He's that way with everybody-† â€Å"Except you.† â€Å"No. He talks to me, sometimes, but not about anything personal. He never says anything about his family or what he does outside of school. It's like-like there's a wall around him that I can't get through. I don't think he'll ever let anybody get through that wall. Which is a damn shame, because I think that behind it he's miserable.† Elena pondered this, fascinated by a view of Stefan she'd never considered before. He always seemed so controlled, so calm and undisturbed. But then, she knew she seemed that way herself to other people. Was it possible that underneath he was as confused and unhappy as she was? It was then that the idea came, and it was ridiculously simple. No complicated schemes, no thunderstorms or cars breaking down. â€Å"Matt,† she said, slowly, â€Å"don't you think it would be a good thing if somebody did get behind that wall? A good thing for Stefan, I mean? Don't you think that would be the best thing that could happen to him?† She looked up at him intensely, willing him to understand. He stared at her a moment, then shut his eyes briefly and shook his head in disbelief. â€Å"Elena,† he said, â€Å"you are incredible. You twist people around your little finger, and I don't think you even know you're doing it. And now you're going to ask me to do something to help you ambush Stefan, and I'm such a dumb sucker I might even agree to do it.† â€Å"You're not dumb, you're a gentleman. And Ido want to ask you a favor, .but only if you think it's right. I don't want to hurt Stefan, and I don't want to hurt you.† â€Å"Don't you?† â€Å"No. I know how that must sound, but it's true. I only want-† She broke off again. How could she explain what she wanted when she didn't even understand it herself? â€Å"You only want everybody and everything revolving around Elena Gilbert,† he said bitterly. â€Å"You only want everything you don't have.† Shocked, she stepped back and looked at him. Her throat swelled, and warmth gathered in her eyes. â€Å"Don't,† he said. â€Å"Elena, don't look like that. I'm sorry.† He sighed. â€Å"All right, what is it I'm supposed to do? Hog-tie him and dump him on your doorstep?† â€Å"No,† said Elena, still trying to make the tears go back where they belonged. â€Å"I only wanted you to get him to come to the Homecoming Dance next week.† Mart's expression was odd. â€Å"You just want him to be at the dance.† Elena nodded. â€Å"All right. I'm pretty sure he'll be there. And, Elena†¦ there really isn't anybody but you I want to take.† â€Å"All right,† said Elena after a moment. â€Å"And, well, thank you.† Matt's expression was still peculiar. â€Å"Don't thank me, Elena. It's nothing†¦ really.† She was puzzling over that when he turned away and walked down the hall. â€Å"Hold still,† said Meredith, giving Elena's hair a reproving twitch. â€Å"I still think,† said Bonnie from the window seat, â€Å"that they were both wonderful.† â€Å"Who?† Elena murmured absently. â€Å"As if you didn't know,† said Bonnie. â€Å"Those two guys of yours who pulled off the last-minute miracle at the game yesterday. When Stefan caught that last pass, I thought I was going to faint. Or throw up.† â€Å"Oh,please ,† said Meredith. â€Å"And Matt-that boy is simply poetry in motion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And neither of them is mine,† Elena said flatly. Under Meredith's expert fingers, her hair was becoming a work of art, a soft mass of twisted gold. And the dress was all right; the iced-violet color brought out the violet in her eyes. But even to herself she looked pale and steely, not softly flushed with excitement but white and determined, like a very young soldier being sent to the front lines. Standing on the football field yesterday when her name was announced as Homecoming Queen, there had been only one thought in her mind. Hecouldn't refuse to dance with her. If he came to the dance at all, he couldn't refuse the Homecoming Queen. And standing in front of the mirror now, she said it to herself again. â€Å"Tonight anyone you want will be yours,† Bonnie was saying soothingly. â€Å"And, listen, when you get rid of Matt, can I take him off and comfort him?† Meredith snorted. â€Å"What's Raymond going to think?† â€Å"Oh,you can comforthim . But, really, Elena, I like Matt. And once you home in on Stefan, your threesome is going to get a little crowded. So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh, do whatever you want. Matt deserves some consideration.† He's certainly not getting it from me, Elena thought. She still couldn't exactly believe what she was doing to him. But just now she couldn't afford to second-guess herself; she needed all her strength and concentration. â€Å"There.† Meredith put the last pin in Elena's hair. â€Å"Now look at us, the Homecoming Queen and her court-or part of it, anyway. We're beautiful.† â€Å"Is that the royal ‘we'?† Elena said mockingly, but it was true. They were beautiful. Meredith's dress was a pure sweep of burgundy satin, gathered tight at the waist and pouring into folds from the hips. Her dark hair hung loose down her back. And Bonnie, as she stood up and joined the others in front of the mirror, was like a shimmering party favor in pink taffeta and black sequins. As for herself†¦ Elena scanned her image with an experienced eye and thought again, The dress is all right. The only other phrase that came to mind wascrystallized violets . Her grandmother had kept a little jar of them, real flowers dipped in crystallized sugar and frozen. They went downstairs together, as they had for every dance since the seventh grade-except that before, Caroline had always been with them. Elena realized with faint surprise that she didn't even know who Caroline was going with tonight. Aunt Judith and Robert-soon to be Uncle Robert-were in the living room, along with Margaret in her pajamas. â€Å"Oh, you girls all look lovely,† said Aunt Judith, as fluttery and excited as if she were going to the dance herself. She kissed Elena, and Margaret held up her arms for a hug. â€Å"You're pretty,† she said with four-year-old simplicity. Robert was looking at Elena, too. He blinked, opened his mouth, and closed it again. â€Å"What's the matter, Bob?† â€Å"On.† He looked at Aunt Judith, seeming embarrassed. â€Å"Well, actually, it just occurred to me that Elena is a form of the name Helen. And for some reason I was thinking of Helen of Troy.† â€Å"Beautiful and doomed,† said Bonnie happily. â€Å"Well, yes,† said Robert, not looking happy at all. Elena said nothing. The doorbell rang. Matt was on the step, in his familiar blue sports coat. With him were Ed Goff, Meredith's date, and Raymond Hernandez, Bonnie's. Elena looked for Stefan. â€Å"He's probably already there,† said Matt, interpreting her glance. â€Å"Listen, Elena-† But whatever he had been about to say was cut off in the chatter from the other couples. Bonnie and Raymond went with them in Matt's car, and kept up a constant stream of witticisms all the way to the school. Music drifted out the open doors of the auditorium. As Elena stepped out of the car, a curious certainty rushed over her. Something was going to happen, she realized, looking at the square bulk of the school building. The peaceful low gear of the last few weeks was about to slip into high. I'm ready, she thought. And hoped it was true. Inside, it was a kaleidoscope of color and activity. She and Matt were mobbed the instant they came in, and compliments rained down on both of them. Elena's dress†¦ her hair†¦ her flowers. Matt was a legend in the making: another Joe Montana, a sure bet for an athletic scholarship. In the dizzying whirl that should have been life and breath to her, Elena kept searching for one dark head. Tyler Smallwood was breathing heavily on her, smelling of punch and Brut and Doublemint gum. His date was looking murderous. Elena ignored him in the hopes that he would go away. Mr. Tanner passed by with a soggy paper cup, looking as if his collar was strangling him. Sue Carson, the other senior homecoming princess, breezed up and cooed over the violet dress. Bonnie was already out on the dance floor, shimmering under the lights. But nowhere did Elena see Stefan. One more whiff of Doublemint and she was going to be sick. She nudged Matt and they escaped to the refreshment table, where Coach Lyman launched into a critique of the game. Couples and groups came up to them, spending a few minutes and then retreating to make room for the next in line. Just as if we reallywere royalty, thought Elena wildly. She glanced sideways to see if Matt shared her amusement, but he was looking fixedly off to his left. She followed his gaze. And there, half concealed behind a cluster of football players, was the dark head she'd been looking for. Unmistakable, even in this dim light. A thrill went through her, more of pain than anything else. â€Å"Now what?† said Matt, his jaw set. â€Å"The hog-tying?† â€Å"No. I'm going to ask him to dance, that's all. I'll wait until we've danced first, if you want.† He shook his head, and she set out toward Stefan through the crowd. Piece by piece, Elena registered information about him as she approached. His black blazer was of a subtly different cut than the other boys', more elegant, and he wore a white cashmere sweater under it. He stood quite still, not fidgeting, a little apart from the groups around him. And, although she could see him only in profile, she could see he wasn't wearing his glasses. He took them off for football, of course, but she'd never seen him close up without them. It made her feel giddy and excited, as if this were a masquerade and the unmasking time had come. She focused on his shoulder, the line of his jaw, and then he was turning toward her. In that instant, Elena was aware that she was beautiful. It wasn't just the dress, or the way her hair was done. She was beautiful in herself: slender, imperial, a thing made of silk and inner fire. She saw his lips part slightly, reflexively, and then she looked up into his eyes. â€Å"Hello.† Was that her own voice, so quiet and self-assured? His eyes were green. Green as oak leaves in summer. â€Å"Are you having a good time?† she said. I am now . He didn't say it, but she knew it was what he was thinking; she could see it in the way he stared at her. She had never been so sure of her power. Except that actually he didn't look as if he were having a good time; he looked stricken, in pain, as if he couldn't take one more minute of this. The band was starting up, a slow dance. He was still staring at her, drinking her in. Those green eyes darkening, going black with desire. She had the sudden feeling that he might jerk her to him and kiss her hard, without ever saying a word. â€Å"Would you like to dance?† she said softly. I'm playing with fire, with something I don't understand, she thought suddenly. And in that instant she realized that she was frightened. Her heart began to pound violently. It was as if those green eyes spoke to some part of her that was buried deep beneath the surface-and that part was screaming â€Å"danger† at her. Some instinct older than civilization was telling her to run, to flee. She never moved. The same force that was terrifying her was holding her there. This is out of control, she thought suddenly. Whatever was happening here was beyond her understanding, was nothing normal or sane. But there was no stopping it now, and even while frightened she was reveling in it. It was the most intense moment she'd ever experienced with a boy, but nothing at all was happening. He was just gazing at her, as if hypnotized, and she was gazing back, while the energy shimmered between them like heat lightning. She saw his eyes go darker, defeated, and felt the wild leap of her own heart as he slowly stretched out one hand. And then it all shattered. â€Å"Why, Elena, how sweet you look,† said a voice, and Elena's vision was dazzled with gold. It was Caroline, her auburn hair rich and glossy, her skin tanned to a perfect bronze. She was wearing a dress of pure gold lame that showed an incredibly daring amount of that perfect skin. She slipped one bare arm through Stefan's and smiled lazily up at him. They were stunning together, like a couple of international models slumming at a high school dance, far more glamorous and sophisticated than anyone else in the room. â€Å"And that little dress is so pretty ,† continued Caroline, while Elena's mind kept on running on automatic. That casually possessive arm linked with Stefan's told her everything: where Caroline had been at lunch these past weeks, what she had been up to all this time. â€Å"I told Stefan we simply had to stop by for a moment, but we're not going to stay long. So you don't mind if I keep him to myself for the dances, do you?† Elena was strangely calm now, her mind a humming blank. She said no, of course she didn't mind, and watched Caroline move away, a symphony in auburn and gold. Stefan went with her. There was a circle of faces around Elena; she turned from them and came up against Matt. â€Å"You knew he was coming with her.† â€Å"I knew she wanted him to. She's been following him around at lunchtime and after school, and kind of forcing herself on him. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I see.† Still held in that queer, artificial calm, she scanned the crowd and saw Bonnie coming toward her, and Meredith leaving her table. They'd seen, then. Probably everyone had. Without a word to Matt, she moved toward them, heading instinctively for the girls' rest room. It was packed with bodies, and Meredith and Bonnie kept their remarks bright and casual while looking at her with concern. â€Å"Did you see that dress?† said Bonnie, squeezing Elena's fingers secretly. â€Å"The front must be held on with superglue. And what's she going to wear to the next dance? Cellophane?† â€Å"Handiwrap,† said Meredith. She added in a low voice, â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Yes.† Elena could see in the mirror that her eyes were too bright and that there was one spot of color burning on each cheek. She smoothed her hair and turned away. The room emptied, leaving them in privacy. Bonnie was fiddling nervously with the sequined bow at her waist now. â€Å"Maybe it isn't such a bad thing after all,† she said quietly. â€Å"I mean, you haven't thought about anything else but him in weeks. Nearly a month. And so maybe it's just for the best, and you can move on to other things now, instead of†¦ well, chasing him.† Et tu, Brute? thought Elena. â€Å"Thank you so much for your support,† she said aloud. â€Å"Now, Elena, don't be like that,† Meredith put in. â€Å"She isn't trying to hurt you, she just thinks-† â€Å"And I suppose you think so, too? Well, that's fine. I'll just go out and find myself some other things to move on to. Like some other best friends.† She left them both staring after her. Outside, she threw herself into the whirl of color and music. She was brighter than she had ever been at any dance before. She danced with everyone, laughing too loudly, flirting with every boy in her path. They were calling her to come up and be crowned. She stood on the stage, looking down on the butterfly-bright figures below. Someone gave her flowers; someone put a rhinestone tiara on her head. There was clapping. It all passed as if in a dream. She flirted with Tyler because he was closest when she came off the stage. Then she remembered what he and Dick had done to Stefan, and she broke off one of the roses from her bouquet and gave it to him. Matt was looking on from the sidelines, his mouth tight. Tyler's forgotten date was almost in tears. She could smell alcohol along with the mint on Tyler's breath now, and his face was red. His friends were around her, a shouting, laughing crowd, and she saw Dick pour something from a brown paper bag into his glass of punch. She'd never been with this group before. They welcomed her, admiring her, the boys vying for her attention. Jokes flew back and forth, and Elena laughed even when they didn't make sense. Tyler's arm circled her waist, and she just laughed harder. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Matt shake his head and walk away. The girls were getting shrill, the boys rowdy. Tyler was nuzzling moistly at her neck. â€Å"I've got an idea,† he announced to the group, hugging Elena more tightly to him. â€Å"Let's go someplace more fun.† Somebody shouted, â€Å"Like where, Tyler? Your dad's house?† Tyler was grinning, a big, boozy, reckless grin. â€Å"No, I mean someplace where we can leave our mark. Like the cemetery.† The girls squealed. The boys elbowed each other and faked punches. Tyler's date was still standing outside the circle. â€Å"Tyler, that's crazy,† she said, her voice high and thin. â€Å"You know what happened to that old man. I won't go there.† â€Å"Great, then, you stay here.† Tyler fished keys out of his pocket and waved them at the rest of the crowd. â€Å"Whoisn't afraid?† he said. â€Å"Hey, I'm up for it,† said Dick, and there was a chorus of approval. â€Å"Me, too,† said Elena, clear and defiant. She smiled up at Tyler, and he practically swung her off her feet. And then she and Tyler were leading a noisy, roughhousing group out into the parking lot, where they were all piling into cars. And then Tyler was putting the top of his convertible down and she was climbing in, with Dick and a girl named Vickie Bennett squashing into the back seat. â€Å"Elena!† somebody shouted, far away, from the lighted doorway at the school. â€Å"Drive,† she said to Tyler, taking off her tiara, and the engine growled to life. They burned rubber out of the parking lot, and the cool night wind blew into Elena's face.