Media studies key glossary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media studies key glossary - Assignment Example McLuhan elaborated that medium grows and being such, it is also an agent of change that includes everything we think of, create, think and conceive. There are several terms used which critically relates to the text which are senses, mind and change. Senses relate to the text as it is the agent that collects experience to be stored in the mind which in turn becomes the medium that will facilitate change. This is important in media studies because it clarifies the use of the term not as a vehicle but rather as the dynamics and the agent of change. Medium is the message (McLuhan) - McLuhan earlier defined medium as the extension of our minds and senses. Being an extension of our minds and senses, it could change anything we can think of, create or conceive. Message on the other hand is the pattern or scale of the change that an idea introduces in human affairs (McLuhan 1964, 8). The message is not the content but rather the dynamics that change brings with it. Thus, the â€Å"medium is the message† meant that we could know the dynamics of anything (medium) that we conceive due to the changes that they effect (message) and should not be confused with the content of the message ((McLuhan 1964, 9). These terms are important to the study of media because it again put the usage of the word â€Å"medium is the message† in proper perspective. Message does not necessarily mean the content but rather the extent of the change that the medium or the dynamics of change can facilitate. Print-capitalism (Anderson) – refers to the use of the printing press that facilitated discourse of which eventually emerges a common language that facilitated common understanding. Capitalists printed their works in the vernacular (Anderson 1991, 39) to have an optimum circulation that cause people to understand each other and brought common discourse. This common language wrought by the discourse of print capitalism brought about the idea and notion of

The elephant and the blind man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The elephant and the blind man - Essay Example one might reasonably expect them to approach the topic in much the same way; however, as was the case with the blind men and the elephant, this is not the case. Whereas policy makers approach the elephant (healthcare) within the perspective of attempting to create policy decisions which will provide a greater benefit to the highest number of shareholders, the economic costs of some of these policies are often not considered. In this way, the economic policy makers have a firm grasp and understanding concerning the elephant’s tail; however, they lack a complete grasp of the entire animal as a function of what parts they are not realizing exist. In this way, those that focus too intensively on a specific aspect of the issue will oftentimes miss the overall broader application. Similarly, those specialists that approach the elephant (healthcare) from the economic standpoint are trying to find the most viable ways to provide the level of care that is needed while still doing so under an economically viable and reasonably fiscal model. This is oftentimes an impossibly difficult process due to the fact that treatment options are almost never easily determined to be perfectly economic as well as exhibiting a high level of care for the patient in question. In this way, the health economic analyst will likely be examining the micro application of the policies put in place by the economic policy makers (macro approach). The problem lies in the fact that one particular approach is examining the â€Å"wall† of health care policy and trying to make sense out of it; whereas the other economic approach is dealing with explaining how the tail must function with relationship to the larger entity. In this way, understanding both approaches is necessary for creating a more efficient and better healthcare policy; however, appreciating the fact that both the â€Å"wall† and the â€Å"tail† have their own unique functions is vital towards gaining a more complete understanding of

Business analysis of British Airways

Business analysis of British Airways British Airways is the airline company of the United Kingdom. It has its headquarter in Waterside which is nearby its main hub at London Heathrow Airport and as set up it is the biggest airline of UK on the basis of number of international flights and international destinations it has. It has its second hub which is London Gatwick Airport. As per the research it was found that The British Airways Group was shaped on 1 September 1974. British Airways was formed by the fusion of two large London-based airlines, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways Corporation (BEA), and two smaller airlines, Cambrian Airways Cardiff and Northeast Airlines Newcastle upon Tyne. BA according to the study was found as the only two airlines to operate the supersonic Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde inaugurating the worlds first supersonic passenger service in January 1976. BA became the worlds most commercial airline following its strategies under the slogan The Worlds Favorite Airline. The main activities of British Airways Plc and its subsidiary undertakings are the method of international and domestic planned air services for the deportment of passengers, freight and mail and the facility of ancillary amenities. (uk.reuters.com 2011) Franchisees  · Comair: based in South Africa, franchisee since 1996.  · Sun Air: based in Denmark, franchisee since 1 August 1996. (uk.reuters.com 2011) Virgin Atlantic Airways- Competitor Company Profile Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline owned by Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Group (51%) and Singapore Airlines (49%). It is has its headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, England, near London Gatwick Airport. It runs between the United Kingdom and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia from main bases at Gatwick and London Heathrow Airport, using a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft (innovationaleaders, 2011). Lufthanza Germanys air ambassador, Deutsche Lufthansa competitors the worlds largest airline companies. It functions more than 530 aircraft from centres in Frankfurt, Zurich and Munich. It soars passengers to about 250 destinations global, not including those attended by code-sharing partner. Lufthansas partners comprise of associated followers of the Star Alliance, like United Continentals United Airlines and Mainland. The companys Lufthansa Cargo component is a main global airfreight transporter; Lufthansa also has benefits in aircraft preservation, cuisine, and information technology productions. ( Biz, 2011) Factors Affecting Airline Industry: Emerging concerns As the carriers have strained to keep up with fast growing  oil  prices .The airlines have also raised some of their fees, executed summer peak-time surcharges and added hefty fuel surcharges on international flights. While as a result of the improbability in the oil markets, airline stocks protracted their losses the increasing ticket prices have matched the steady increase in fuel costs in contemporary time period. The rise in the fuel price has affected the smooth functioning of British Airways and its major competitors like virgin airlines and Lufthansa in several ways. Impact of Rise in Fuel Prices and Strike From the research it was founded that British Airways has a loss before tax of  £410m for the year to 31 march, after finding out its results which were hit by higher fuel costs .In the previous year, British Airways has made a revised profit of  £922m.Due to the rise in prices of fuel British Airways offered its staff members with the option of taking unpaid leave or ask them to work with part time. Even the finance director of British Airways had also forgo his pay for a month. As the impact was very much on British Airways it had to cut more than 2500 jobs since last summer. British Airways has been trailing  £7 every second since last year, which is pretty unattractive and affecting the company a lot. The Shares in the airline were down from 4.5% to 155 pence. However, British Airways believed that it had seen a significantly better effective performance, and that it had recognised customer fulfilment ratings. The total number of passengers conceded demolish from 4.3% to 33.1m.( BA, 2011) The impact of recession has been drastic on British Airways, it got revenue decreased by 11.1% to  £7994 million. As reported there was a loss in operating, which was of 3231 million including  £ 85 million for the business reconstruction. There was a decline in the revenue of passengers by  £856 million, which means a decline of 10.9% as compared to last year. British Airways added that it had to take substantial pricing actions to encourage non-premium sales, which were mostly unchanged on the previous year. British Airways stated that the point of outlook for the airline business was hard-hitting and it would not be recompensing a dividend this year as there has been a lot loss has faced by the industry. So British Airways strategic to decrease the capacity by 4% around winter by not flying up to 16 aircraft. British Airways was not the only airline distress in the global recession, as greater fuel prices and a fall in request for air travel have posh the whole airline industry .BAs upsurge means that economy passengers on long-haul flights of less than nine hours will see their surcharge going up from  £75 to  £85.The surcharge on economy flights of more than nine hours will rise from  £88 to  £98. The number of passengers carried by British Airways in May were demolish by 14.2% from a year ago, as the impact of strike caused by the cabin crew members which effect the airline drastic way.( BBC, 2011) External Analysis of British Airways Political and Legal Factors Air Passenger Tax Recent rise in air passenger tax by the government in November 2010 has led to hike in prices of air travel. This substantial rise in prices may discourage passengers opting for air travel, directly affecting the airline industry. ( Fulton.J, 2010) Fuel Policies As the sole most important cost, policies affecting both fuel supply and price greatly affect airline sustainability. These include supply decisions by oil suppliers, refinery expansion by oil companies and government, which leads in rise of fuel prices affecting the airline sector. .( Fulton.J, 2010) Global Aspects Some governments provide subsidies that provide an unfair advantage and prices lower than market conditions which affects the functioning of airline industries directly and Global  environmental  policies regarding emissions and international route deregulation may affect airline operations in present as well as in future.( Fulton.J, 2010) Economical Factors Airline Revenue Sources Airlines  make  money  by transporting people and goods from one place to another. All of the revenue generated by airlines is caused for transportation purposes. Airlines sell their services rather than a physical product.( Davis.J, 2011) Airline Expenses All airlines have expenditures that are associated with the industry. Expenses include the cost of airplanes and related equipment, member of staff salaries, hiring of business locations inside airports and insurance for both the passengers and goods that are conveyed. ( Davis.J, 2011) Internal Economic Factors Economic factors that affect airline profits comprises of internal features such as whether or not each flight is filled to size, how much passengers pay for their tickets and what services they are demanding such as complimentary food and  drinks, are provided.( Davis.J, 2011) External Economic Factors Economic events that occur outside the airline industry can affect airline profits. Rising fuel costs due to political or economic events reduce airline profit. Weather conditions, such as snowstorms, can negatively affect air  travel. Events such as airplane crashes can affect peoples willingness to travel by air. All these may cause a temporary loss of profits. ( Davis.J, 2011) Forecasting Airlines have to be able to accurately predict travel demand several years into the future in order to be able to provide enough routes and airplanes to handle the needs of passengers. The economic success of an airline will in part depend on its ability to accurately make such predictions and plan accordingly.( Davis.J, 2011) Social factors Obesity One controversy ambiances the issue of airline companies shrinking their seat restrictions for passengers who are overweight . Some firms have gone far-off to charge a passenger with overweight will cost of two seats because of their mass. This has formed a disturbance, as it raises the question of discernment .The airline businesses face that it basically costs more to fly those more overweight passengers.( Reilly.N.J, 2010) Security Airline industries have suffered an intense shift in the security measures. The increase in safety may, on some level, comfort the mind of the pilots, travellers and their families. As of the few successful obstacles in security that have happened over the past decade,  airlines  will certainly not have the frill of being so sloppy in terms of their security.( Reilly.N.J, 2010) Ethnicity Perception is a foremost factor in how we outlook the domain. It is also one of the eldest studies in psychology. How we observe society, as it transmits to  air  travel, has abundant to do with September 11, 2001. Subsequently then the judgments of the world have full-grown increasingly profound to the background of passengers traveling on planes. It has shaped something of a undesirable perception for particular competitions and beliefs which discourages people to travel with other passengers or airline which directly affects the airline industry.( Reilly.N.J, 2010) Technological factors A recent survey exposed that 34% of online customers plan to use price-comparison sites more in 2009 (NMA, 2009). Online booking services and check-in is becoming increasingly used by the airline industry. Technology is vital for modest advantage and is a main driver of globalisation. A key issue will be technological advancements which can offset upward stresses on prices and costs. Online sales are highly important to BA and they are placing substantial trust in its website occurrence to boost online-sales which will decrease customer traffic through BAs call centres but as there is rise in the fuel price now the Ba has increased the prices of online sales too. E-Tickets are now the standard ticket layout used by BA, building flight ticketing more, elastic and up-front. BA emphasis on refining its customer service online with new technology and has released its major drive-through which deals in Wireless LAN systems and communicate over modern SMS messaging. A considerable long-term risk is the outcome of video-conferencing on the demand for air transport.(OUP, 2007) Environmental Factors Sir Rod Eddington , previous Chief Executive of BA specified The whole aviation manufacturing must admit global warming as a truth, and electrify its efforts to maximum cohort of greenhouse gases. Global Warming also interrupts the request for airline tourism as stove UK summers may attract individuals spending their breaks in the UK. There is also a risk of a contamination tax being forced on airlines from the administration. This environment disturbs the organization directly. It includes of suppliers that deal straight or incidentally, clients and businesses and other native investors. (OUP, 2007)   Industry Analysis Michael Porters (1998) five forces analysis will permit an examination of the amount of power BA has in its immediate environment. Competitive Rivalry This not only discusses the degree of competition, but also the kind of competition occurring. BA runs in two diverse markets which are long-haul and short-haul flights and thus experiences in both oppositions. The race in long-haul marketplace comes from other huge airlines such as Lufthansa, who endeavour on routes, facility, comfort and overall quality that are required. In short-haul, competition is determined by low-prices from airlines comprising Virgin. An growing number of tour operatives (like Thomas Cook and TUI) are also now advertising air only used seats to compact prices.(Mindtools, 2011) Bargaining Power of Suppliers This states the degree to which firms who supply a trade can command prices, agreement terms or transfer times. For BA this condition can be difficult. As acknowledged from the macro study BAs prices depend on variations in oil prices that cannot governor. Deprived of flight fuel, planes do not soar and BA will not be able to make a profit. Although one may claim that BA has a high-quality as to which fuel dealer it uses, the petrol market is similar in terms of prices. In context of suppliers of the actual planes, the condition is different again. Airlines such as Airbus and Boeing with its Dream liner, are worried to safe long-term orders to improve expansion costs. (Mindtools, 2011) Bargaining Power of Customers As there is high grade of buyer control for BA. Consumers having capability to vote with their bases if they are not pleased with the product. Measures such as the check-in and luggage managers strike at Heathrow seriously affected BAs revenue as consumers had to find substitute airlines to use. Buyer power plays crucial role particularly in the low-cost segment, as there has been little diversity between market offers and hence consumers look about for the cheapest price, reinforced by the accessibility of online-sales. These low switching costs reflects that customer loyalty is crucial. Customers are also been provided with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on their side.(Mindtools, 2011) Threat of new entrants As British Airways being on prevailing place means that it would be hard for a firm to contest with the company on a comprehensive level. Nevertheless as obstacles of entry are flattering non-existent and new entrants are entering in the short-haul commerce and these low-cost operatives, such as virgin having steadily cut away at BA European supremacy. However, due to non-availability of tracks for take-off and landing makes it difficult for new airline to find suitable airports. Many investors have recommended that it is only a problem of time till a low-cost operator efforts a more severe move into long-haul market. Lufthansa has responded early to this conjecture by offering a high-cost high-quality service, comprising private limousine transfers to and from the airport, massages and champagne.(Mindtools, 2011) Threat of substitutes The threat of substitutes states the ability of buyers to switch to a substitute product, hence alternatives to air travel. However it is fair to recommend that there is no actual alternative to long haul air travel in terms of time and cost, but there is alternatives for short-haul destinations vary from coach to car to rail. The real threat of such substitutes mainly depends upon factors such as the efficiency and the price of the rail or coach service.(Mindtools, 2011) Benchmarking Virgin and British Airways British Airways carries a strong brand name and image. It is the biggest airline and flag carrier of the United Kingdom and for sure the extent and scale of British Airways sets it in a competitive gain over its competitors such as Virgin Atlantic Airlines which is the second leading long haul airline in the United Kingdom. Virgin Atlantic is a successful challenger and it also holds a well-known and highly-recognisable brand image and brand reputation. Still, BA is an older and a superior organisation than Virgin Atlantic and it is still leading ahead of Virgin Atlantic in the airline industry. The strong key messages which British Airways delivers are steadiness, quality and reliability. British Airways enjoys a good reputation and is prominent for the very high standards of customer facility and effectiveness.  Virgin Atlantic distinction is based on three strong features: service, value and price, and recently Virgin Atlantics was voted No 1 for having the best online reputation (Creative Match, Undated).  Even it was also nominated as the most child-friendly airline, where,as BA ranking in the 2nd place . British Airways  hosted its first fuel  price  in  May 2004 by adding £2.50  to the value of long haul and short haul fares. The charge sustained to rise as BA and other airlines battled to protect profit margins. BA raised its surcharges  twice in 2004,  three times in 2005  and  once last year for long haul. Airlines such as BA and  Virgin Atlantic  have disputed over the surcharges issue which show the passengers that how much  fuel  affects an airlines costs as well as the industry.  Low-cost airlines  reject to impose surcharges.( Milmo,D, 2007) With the new tiered scheme for calculating charges that imposed on those travelling in the carriers First Class, World Traveller Plus and Club World will be compensating up to  £24 more than people travelling in economy class. This is not an astonishing move as almost all the airlines of the world are growing fuel surcharge due to increased costs of fuel and it is also anticipated that further increase is also possible due to the fact that oil prices are projected to grow further in future.( ebookers, 2011) Financial Indicators Comparing British Airways with virgin, BA has faced a dark phase of recession for a long time which was followed by the rising fuel prices, which led BA to face a loss per share of 38.5 pence, whereas it was 32.6 pence per share in 2009. However, the pre-tax profit of virgin, which was  £68.4 million in last 12months and the revenues grew by 8.4 % to 2.5 billion and profit of 10% shared among 8500 company staff. The Total Capital Expenditure of BA was  £567m, which declined to  £145m in comparison of previous year. Followed over a total of 5.7 m passengers flew with virgin last year. This shows the development in the business of Virgin. There was a loss in operating of BA which was  £231 m whereas, Virgin operating profit fell from  £44.4 m to 25.9 m. This shows that Virgin holds a strong position in the market as compared to BA.( sundaytimes , 2009) Lufthansa and British airways Worldwide events such as the Gulf war, recession now followed by the rise in the fuel prices has put a burden on the airline industry such as British Airways and Lufthansa as a company. These type of events has caused major loss to British Airways as well as Lufthansa and lead a decrease in the amount of seats to be filled in the airline industry. As due to the fact of rise in oil prices, people start avoiding travelling in such situation, as of the fear of rise in prices of travelling fares too .British Airways had an decrease of passengers number by 11% where, as Lufthansa did not have suffered that much like BA , it had a decrease of only 5.4% .( Centreforaviation , 2011). Lufthansa also reported an increase in traffic in 2010 focused around key growth markets with growth of 17.9% year on year to 91.2 m passengers. The carrier added that it shows that Lufthansa holds strong position on long haul routes pay off in 2010 due to the increase in demand and yields for first and business class fares where, as British Airways was still in the dark phase of fare prices. BA was still facing the losses as it holds the strongest position on long haul routes but due the rise in the prices of fuel it has to increase its fares more as compared to Lufthansa , which affected BA directly and encourage passengers to travel through other airlines other than British Airways .( Centreforaviation , 2011). Financial indicators Both British Airways and Lufthansa faced lots of loss due the recession. The total revenue of BA was reduced by 11.1% to  £7994 million whereas, compared to Lufthansa group generated total revenue of 27.3 billion euros with an increase of 22.6%. This shows that British Airways is lacking behind Lufthansa in terms of revenue. BA should try to focus on its fare prices and more and more services should be provided to the passengers in order to remain in the competition.(Cision , 2011) The Total Capital Expenditure of BA was  £567m, which was declined to  £145m whereas, in case of Lufthansa its Total Capital Expenditure for the year was 2.3 billion euros. This reflects that the utilisation of capital in BA is more than its production. BA should use estimated capital in working in order for better production and gaining profits.(Cision , 2011) There is loss in BA operating income of  £231 million whereas, compared with Lufthansa its operating increased by 20.4% to 30.1% billion euros. This shows that there is positive development in the business of Lufthansa as compared to BA. British Airways should adopt such policies which are helpful in developing of its business.(Cision , 2011) Strategies Adopted British Airways raise its fuel price on long haul flights as the high price of oil crushes European consumers stressed with growing rise and wage restrictions .This brought financial development to British airways whereas compared to Virgin Atlantic was competent to reduce the effects of the continuous rising oil prices because of the hedging strategy which it adopted, which means buying the oil when it is cheap. Whereas, Lufthansa adopted the strategy of low cost all costs of flights and services are very carefully observed and condensed to its minimum value, this include such as single fleet type, better-quality flight crew productivity, basic network aiding secondary cities, and the outsourcing of others activities such as maintenance, catering, etc.(BBC , 2011). BA formed its new International Airlines Group (IAG) and it merged with Spains Iberia last year, which would add 10 pounds ($16.12) to the cost of an economy flight and 20 pounds to a first-class ticket. Whereas, To overcome the crunch Virgin Atlantic began with Group sales, which comprise of sales from tour worker Virgin Holidays, which was enlarged by 8.4% to  £2.579bn from  £2.38bn . Whereas, Lufthansa adopted policy of No Frills focused on the inflight service which is virtually non-existent, therefore, the number of flight entourages on board agrees to the minimum regulatory obligation.(BBC , 2011). British Airways executive had a personal talk with its cabin crew members and try to rebuild their trust and made them work together and avoid the strikes as soon as possible. British Airways solved this issue within the time period of a week. Whereas, to avoid the strike Virgin Atlantic agreed to the demands of the pilots and fulfilled them. In case of Lufthansa adopted this policy of low costs which enable the carrier to compromise with very low fares with a very simplified pricing arrangement.( reuters , 2011). British airways, IAG have enlarged the number of seats presented to passengers by 2.7% , which added lot of profit to accounts of British Airways. Revenues rose to 13.4% to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3.8bn. Within the period of that fares appear to have risen intensely, with profits from sales of ticket which is increased by more than 15%. (guardian, 2011). British Airways to overcome the losses due the rise in fuel prices, launched its Open skies subsidiary flying direct from Paris to New York ,anticipated that it will cut capacity of the passengers, taking the opportunity to ground some of its old aeroplane which are least fuel efficient. First-class traffic is where BA makes most of its profits. In the phase of oil prices many specialists have said that the record profits of  £883 million in 2007-08 could be wiped out but after launching this subsidiary there is improvement in the economy of British airways.( Jamseon,A, 2008). Recommendations It is essential for British Airways to have a good employee relations as to avoid industrial disputes and interrupted actions. BA need to develop upon its interaction with its passengers across all classes in order to perform better than its competitors. BA should have lower cost competition. BA as an employer should increase its barging power. There should be an opportunity for BA and its competitors to transport aircraft freely between the EU and USA. BA needs to improve its online services by providing extra services. BA should emphasis on the quality of its customer service delivery at all stages, which it has lacked in the past. Conclusion Airline industry in U.K is overwhelmed with several problems. This includes recession, high rise in fuel prices, rising labour cost, disputes between the employees of the industry. British Airways remains cautiously confident about its future visions. However, it is convinced that considerably more work lies ahead if British airways has to succeed. However, there were three most important external factor that has effected BA a lot that are recession, rise in price of fuel and disputes within the industry causing strike . Fuel prices are enduring to grow and this is likely to reduce profits and raise prices for BA. Rising prices and disputes within BA placed it in a disadvantageous position. To overcome these situations BA has adopted several strategies. Such as opening new subsidiaries to gain new position in market. BA also concentrate on business class passenger, offering them the best customer package and maintain good customer relations leading them to gain huge profit in return. BA always watch out for ways to minimize their expenditures and get a value for their money and stockholder money. This leads BA to cost savings, and in conclusion making them to stay on top in an increasingly competitive airline environment.

New England Vs Chesapeake :: essays papers

New England Vs Chesapeake Early English colonies in America hardly resembled the union of men and women that would later fight against England and build a new country. In fact, until the mid-eighteenth century, most English colonists had very little, if anything to do with the settlers in neighboring colonies. They heard news of Indian wars and other noteworthy events, not from the colony itself, but from England. The colonies in the New World appeared completely different and the prospect of any unity between them seemed impossible. The colonies in New England and the Chesapeake exemplify the many differences in the culture and lifestyles of the settlers, created mainly because of the fact that their founding fathers had held separate intentions when they came to the New World. The New England and Chesapeake colonies were both settled by immigrants from England, the New England colonies being founded by the English from East Anglia, an area in eastern England. Though this was an area thriving with small towns that they had generally liked, they decided to flee England due to religious persecution. Hundreds of families, men, women and their children, came in search of a New World where they could practice their beliefs freely. They founded colonies such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island as model Christian societies. Their cities upon the hills were guides, the lanterns, for those lost in the darkness of humanity, as John Winthrop meant by his famous statement. They formed a society of strict religious participation, actually very much resembling their homeland. In the beginning, many called themselves Puritans, and kept things very simple and plain, concentrating on what was important to them. They used the community to achieve t heir goals, building new towns and enjoying the social aspect of their religion. At the same time, they were committed to remain working hard to keep their community productive. They believed the â€Å"idle hands† were the devil’s workshops. An issue that really defined a split between the societies was the slavery conflict. The northerners in New England held true to their belief that every man shall be equal and no one should be enslaved, while the southerners in the Chesapeake area strongly believed in the use of slavery. At the same time the New Englanders worked to help end slavery by preaching to others about the injustices, they worked diligently to make education in their society strong.

More Government Assistance for College

The importance of college education is undeniably evident in today’s economy and society.   What makes college education a very important factor is because it provides greater opportunity, to an individual, especially when it comes to making career and financial-related decisions. As opposed to generations of the past, high school graduates today are unable to obtain the number of high-paying jobs that were once available. The world is continuously being been transformed from a manufacturing-based economy to an economy based on knowledge. In fact, experts predict that in the near future, around 90 percent of the fastest-growing jobs and careers would require college education. Moreover, it is also evident that in the present society, the major benefit of having college education is that college graduates receive salaries that are twice as much as those of undergraduates, aside from this, college graduates are also twice as much likely to be accepted in a job application, as compared to an undergraduate. With the continuously increasing importance of a post secondary education, the cost of it also continuously escalates. At present, the cost of college, in most countries, has been so expensive, that many would wonder whether, the high cost of tuition fees and school fees, the years to be spent in college instead of choosing to be in full-time employment, and the anxieties of keeping up with college life and financial constraints for a couple of years, in the long run, would still be worth the investment. The risk is especially large for those that belong to low-income families that already have difficulties in making ends meet, as tuition fees would definitely be an additional financial burden. Due to these constraints and various others, countries from all over the world are in grave danger of facing a societal phenomenon known as brain drain. Brain drain will arise when majority of the citizens of the society will lack education. This will happen then people, would focus on only obtaining secondary education and basic skills. The best form of remedy for this type of situation is for the government to provide greater support for College education especially in financial terms. The aim of this project is to be able to request the government to provide more assistance for college education. If the government makes a financial investment in College education, for sure that in the long run, the country’s citizens will feel be the ones to feel the benefit that will impact in the near future. Good education is beneficial in many view points. Increased government support in college education will result to a country with a higher number of educated and globally competitive professionals. This would automatically correspond to an increase in the economic status of the country. Also, it can be expected that the overall crime rate, in the country would decrease correspondingly. Background Information According to a recent study made in the U.S., about 76 percent of students that finish education would pursue a college degree, of the remaining 24 percent, 75 percent would not pursue college due to financial constraints. The goal should not be to determine whether college education is worth the investment or not, for there should be no question to this, college education is definitely of great value. The goal should be to answer on how to make college education more affordable. Post secondary education will provide students and individuals with the great opportunity to read books and listen to the lectures of top experts in their field of study, and from this they can pick-up vital ideas in choosing their careers. This form of stimulation would encourage students to think, ask questions, try out and explore new ideas, which consequently provides additional growth and development in their well-being as a person, and provides the college graduates with an edge in the job market over those who were not fortunate enough to have experienced a college education. The importance of a college education is also emphasized because of the opportunity to gain valuable resources during your tenure. During college life, students will be able to make relevant connections and affiliations with people and organizations that will later help them in the career which they would pursue. The more connections which are collected during your college years, the more options you will have when you begin your job search. Once the job search has ended, and a good and steady career has been obtained, however, the importance and benefits of a college education has not yet been exhausted. Having a college degree often provides for greater and faster opportunity for promotions. A good education is beneficial from many different viewpoints, and while the importance of a college education is quite evident for many high school students, what is often not as clear is how they will pay for that education. Although most of the colleges and universities at present would carry a very heavy price tag, it is of great importance not to let that discourage prospective college students from obtaining a college education. While the cost of tuition continues to rise, so should government support and financial aid continue to rise along with it. From local and federal options, to categorical and corporate options, college-bound students have variety opportunities worth exploring when attempting to obtain financial aid. A common misrepresentation of financial aid packages (e.g. scholarships, grants, loans, work study programs) is that they would be sufficient enough to provide funding for an entire college education. The reality is that most of these packages are smaller and it may take several of them to add up. If you are still asking yourself why you should go to college, it is important to remember the significant amount of opportunity available for college graduates compared to the minimal opportunity available for college undergraduates. The global economy is becoming increasingly more competitive, and in order to give yourself the best chance for a well-paying job, you must first understand the importance of college education. Attending college provides students with the knowledge and experience they are unable to receive from a secondary education, and finding a way to fund a higher education now can pay off in a huge way in the years to come. During their high school career, students may begin to question the importance of a college education. They might find themselves asking, â€Å"Why is it important to go to college?† The answer is that, more than ever, attending college provides opportunities for graduates which are not as widespread to those who have not received a higher education. For many students that attended high school, being able to immediately generate an income after graduation is an appealing thought, that most often, the importance of obtaining a college degree may be disregarded. Most often, they may also be repelled by the rising cost of tuition fees. This is exactly what the country should try to avoid. While it is true that a higher education may be one of the largest expenses, the importance of a college education has become quite evident in terms of earning potential and financial independence, within today's economy. Research and Methods As a starting point, it will be relevant to review the statistics of the trend in the number of college enrollees at about ten years ago and up to the present. This will provide relevant data on whether college enrollment has increase or decrease within the past decade. Taking into consideration the obtained information, solutions would be drawn on as to how to increase or further increase college enrollments. Interviews on college students should also be conducted, from this, data as to what constraints are being most common to college students can be achieved. From this gathered data, solutions on how to minimize the constraints being faced by college students should be drawn. Questionnaires should also be prepared and distributed to Colleges and Universities; this will serve as a wide-scale data gathering procedure. Data should also be gathered from secondary students. Likewise, questionnaires should also be distributed and interviews should also be conducted. The goal would be to gather data and draw a conclusion as to determine the major factor on why most secondary school students would choose to immediately enter corporate life or employment, rather than pursue a college degree. In gathering data it is important to handle, personal information from responders especially from interviews, with at most care and confidentiality. Based on the data and information which will be gathered, solutions should be formulated. Formulated solutions should be formally presented to the government. Data and results should have high credibility and integrity for it will the major basis for the support, projects, and resolutions, which will be provided by the government. A formal proposal would be presented to the government, indicating the nature and relevance of the project, the present problem, a detailed and well-presented data analysis and results, Cited possible solutions and a feasibility study on how likely the proposed solutions to the problem would be effective. For this study, a budget of about $250.00 would be sufficient enough as for the data gathering materials, travel expenses, research expenses, printing, and other miscellaneous expenses. It is expected that the success of this study would lead to a significantly higher number of people that would be taking college education; and likewise there would be an increase in the number of college students that would finish their college degree. In the long run, it is expected that these results would correspond to an increase in the economical, social, ethical, moral, and cultural growth of the country, and its citizens as a whole. References Boesel, D., ; Fredland, E. (1999). College for all? Is there too much emphasis on getting a 4-year college degree? Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Library of Education. Cohn, E., ; Geske, T.G. (1992). Private Nonmonetary Returns to Investment in Higher Education. In Becker, W. ; Lewis, D. The Economics of American Higher Education. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Day, J.C., ; Newburger, E.C. (2002). The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings. (Current Population Reports, Special Studies, P23-210). Washington, DC: Commerce Dept., Economics and Statistics Administration, Census Bureau. [On-Line]. Available: http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-210.pdf Institute for Higher Education Policy (1998). Reaping the Benefits: Defining the Public and Private Value of Going to College. The New Millennium Project on Higher Education Costs, Pricing, and Productivity. Washington, DC: Author. U.S. Department of Education (2001). Digest of Education Statistics 2001. [On-Line]. U.S. Department of Education (2000). Think College Early: Average College Costs.

Homeworks and Study Guides in English Essay

I rolled myself, patting and searching for the alarm clock with my eyes closed. When I reached it, I turned it off and got myself up to get ready for school. I barged in the bathroom with my still sleepy eyes, washing my face as I put some toothpaste in my toothbrush. Brushing my teeth, I walked in my closet to choose some outfit. After five minutes of choosing, I throw the clothes at the bed then turned to take a bath. I relax myself as I feel the tingling sensation of hot water seducing my whole body. After fifteen minutes of showering, I finally rinsed and walked out of the shower room. Opening the drawer, I got my hair dryer and make-up. I blow my hair for ten minutes then I dressed-up. Glancing at the clock and seeing that I still have time, I decided to put some light make up. After finishing my mascara, I took a step back, glancing at the mirror to take a full look at my outfit before going downstairs. Today was the first day of my senior year at Jacksonville Highschool. I was wearing a white tank top that showed my flat tummy and my piercing, a pink hollister shorts that showed my long tanned legs, and a high cut converse to finish the look. Fully contented with the outfit, I sighed, running my hands through my blonde hair as I walked out of the bathroom. I took my bag which was hanging at the side of my bed and stormed downstairs. When I finally get down, I went straight to the kitchen to grab my breakfast, which is apple and milk. Yay, the perks of being a vegetarian. I found my dad sitting peacefully with a newspaper in his hands, his eyebrows are scrunching. â€Å"Good morning dad† I greeted him, munching my apple. Silence. He didn’t greet me back because he was too preoccupied with the article he’s reading. I frowned and stop to look at the front page, which read â€Å"Boston Bombing†. Oh yeah, the latest news. I rolled my eyes, gulping my fresh milk. After I finished my breakfast, I got up, walking outside to find my mom in the garden watering her so-called â€Å"little daughters†. â€Å"Hey mom† â€Å"Good morning, honey. Have you eaten your breakfast?† â€Å"Yup, I’m finished. So where’s Anna?† I asked, looking around. Annabelle Jacobs is my best friend. She always picks me up in the morning so that we could go to school together. â€Å"Oh, she texted me this morning, she says she’ll be 5 minutes late† I rolled my eyes. I know exactly why she’s late. She always have those lame excuses telling me that her toothbrush got lost, she run out of panties, the flush won’t work, the rats ate her clothes etc. I shook my head at the sudden thought. â€Å"Okay mom.† I kissed her in the cheek. â€Å"I’ll just check on Simon first† Simon is the love of my life. He’s a puppy actually, but whatever. I run at the back, finding my shih tzu stiffing some flowers. â€Å"Heeeeeeeey Simooooon† I cooed in a sweet, girly girl voice while picking him up. I spin him around giggling while his licking my face. Gross I know. After a minute of playing around, I heard Anna’s car pulled up so I put him down and kissed him goodbye. I ran back inside to say one last goodbye to my parents then i ran towards the car as fast as I can. â€Å"Samantha!!!† Anna shouted when I got inside. I smiled at her. â€Å"Hey there! What’s up?†   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do I look like I’ve lose some weight?† She immediately respond. I burst out laughing then I looked at her figure up and down. Annabelle, well Anna, look a lot like me. We have the same weight and height. We’re also popular in a way, but we didn’t like being the center of attention so we stay low. The only difference we have is our hair. She has brown hair while me, well I’m blonde. â€Å"Ugh, you have a perfect figure. Why do you have to work your butt out? And yes, you’ve lost some fats† â€Å"Really? Yay!† She screeched. â€Å"You see, I need to work out because I’m planning to eat a whole box of pizza later† She added. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Yeah, right. So, what’s the plan?† â€Å"Well, I was thinking that maybe we should go shopping after school. You’ve got your credit card in you, right? She asked. â€Å"Uh yeah, sure. Meet me at my locker around four† I said, finishing the conversation. She parked the car then we walked together inside the school grounds. We made our way to our lockers since our lockers are right next to each other. I opened mine to get my history textbook, -since it’s my first class- switching it with my english. Closing my locker, I said goodbye to Anna, telling her to see me at lunch because we don’t have the same schedule for the first four classes. We waved goodbye to each other and started walking the opposite way. After a minute of walking and goofing around, I’m finally face to face with the door that leads to my first class. I took a deep breath before opening it. Just as I was turning the door knob, a boy passed quickly to get inside first, causing me to fall backwards with the rest of my stuff. â€Å"What the hell† I said in a low voice. I heard him groan in an annoyed voice, then he started walking back towards me, closing the door in the process. â€Å"Hey, no need to swear neighbor† Then it hit me. I looked up, wide eyes to see my oh-so-handsome neighbor aka the most popular boy in school, Spencer Young. You see, I’ve known him since we were young. Our mothers, both Filipina, were married to some Canadian which means we’re half filipino, half american. I also know a lot about him since our bedroom are next- well, let’s just say parallel to each other. I know that he loves switchfoot, the script and matchbox twenty because his room are full of their posters. I also know his favorite book, food and stuffs. And also when I was 14, in my sophomore year, I used to have a little crush on him ever since the first time I saw him half naked walking around his room. But that was freaking before. I got myself up, thinking of shouting at him for his rude manners. But before I do that, he spoke first. â€Å"Sorry about that† He said, pinching both of my cheeks. I was thinking of pushing him back. But I sighed, realizing that we’re already late in class. Instead, I rolled my eyes, ignoring him as I made my way inside the classroom. When we walked inside, the class went full silent at first. Then, they started whispering to each other, probably wondering why their â€Å"Queen Bee† and â€Å"Mr. Popular† are together. Yay, perks of being a popular student. â€Å"Mind explaining to me why you’re both 5 minutes late, Ms. Reynolds and Mr. Young?† Our professor, Mr. Lantican asked. Wow. I didn’t realize it took that long outside. Spencer speaks first. â€Å"Well sir, w-we bumped into each other a-at the hallway† He stuttered. â€Å"And it took 5 minutes? Well done, kids. And good job at lying. Now, as your punishment, I want you both to stay here after class and go straight to the detention room to-† â€Å"WHAT?!† I shouted, startling the whole class. I can’t believe it. I really can’t believe it. This is my first time to get a detention and I know for a fact that I didn’t deserve it. â€Å"No offense sir, but I’m a straight A student and this will greatly affect my grades.† I stopped, catching my breath. â€Å"And just so you know, I have a scheduled meeting with-† I stopped, realizing that i’m pushing the limits. â€Å"Never mind† I gave up, finding the way to my seat. Yeah, detention at the very first day of my senior high. Great right? – Spencer’s POV I stare at her from a good distance. She sits at the front row with some geeky nerds while me, well, I’m at the far left side of the back with Blake Morgan and Nathan Brooks, my bestfriends. I felt really bad that I bumped her earlier. The detention will surely drive her crazy, and it was all because of me. She always makes sure to get perfect A’s, which I couldn’t understand. It’s like she’s going to die if she gets B or lower. I look up at her again memorizing her perfect back features, hoping that I wouldn’t get caught, but i was wrong. â€Å"HOLYSHITBALLS† Blake and Nathan both hissed. â€Å"WHAT?† I said, wincing and rubbing my ears. â€Å"We can tell it dude† This time, it’s just Blake who spoke. â€Å"Ugh. What is it, again?† â€Å"You like her right? I mean, Samantha Reynolds† Nathan spat. â€Å"WHAT?! Oh no, you’re seeing it wrong man.† I spat back. â€Å"Okaaaaaaaaaay, whatever you saaaaay maaaaan† They both sang in a girly voice. I rolled my eyes. It was a misunderstanding. I, Spencer Young, will never stoop that low. Sure, she’s rich, sexy, gorgeous or to make it short, she’s miss perfect. But she’s not really my type. I don’t know though, because in some way, I find her actions weird and cute. My room is facing hers and I can see all of her actions or whatever. Her room is very neat and she always make sure that all her things are in place. She also has a very strict schedule of sleeping, waking up, exercising and eating. Not that I’m stalking her, of course. Anyway, I really don’t understand her. I feel like she’s hiding something even from her next-miss perfect bestfriend, Annabelle Jacobs. And that’s what I’m going to find out. Finally, the bell rang signaling us to our next class. I stand up, eagerly wanting to get the hell out of here before our beloved old teacher call up to me. But then again, I was wrong. â€Å"Mr. Young and Ms. Reynolds can I have a word with you two?† Mr. Lantican asked. I groaned mentally, turning back to face his old crooked face. I saw Samantha glaring at me. Man, was she sexy. I shot her an apologetic look before walking towards Mr. Lantican. â€Å"Yes, Mr. Lantican?† I asked, raising an eyebrow. He took a deep breath before answering â€Å"I want the two of you to be at the detention room at exactly four. Have I made myself clear?† â€Å"Yes sir† We both said. â€Å"Okay, the two of you may go now† He finally dismissed us. â€Å"Thank you, sir.† I said lastly to him then I got out of the classroom. Just as I started to make my way upstairs to my next class, I saw Sam alone leaning at one of the bars, smiling at me. Confused, I made my way to her. â€Å"What’s with the smiling, Sammy?† I asked. â€Å"Thank you, Spence† She suddenly said. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. What was that? A while ago, she was throwing fires at me by the way she glares. And now? Man, was she bipolar? â€Å"Fo-for what?† I manage to say. â€Å"I’ve said enough, Spence. I just want you to know that I’m very happy that you save me† She look at me gratefully then suddenly, she kissed my cheek, then left. I was pretty sure that my jaw hit the ground. Samantha’s POV In chemistry, which is my third class, I loiter towards the back of the room, waiting for everybody to file in their seats. Mr. Maruso has this rule that whoever you choose to sit with on the first day of class, becomes your lab partner for the entire year. Needless to say, seat selection is definitely critical. Since the sciences aren’t really my thing, I search around for someone who I think might do well with the laboratory stuffs. I must’ve been busy daydreaming; thinking about what happened earlier because when i look up, they are all paired up. Which leaves me standing awkwardly at the back with my books. Embarrassed, I scan the room until I spotted two empty chairs in front. I made my way there and I can see that my â€Å"suppose-to-be-partner† isn’t there. I wonder if he or she is just late or absent. I sighed heavily, praying in every god that he or she better have some brains or else I’ll be doomed. Five minutes later, Mr. Maruso’s disscussion of ‘safety precautions’ and ‘proper handling of equipments’ was interrupted by a student who just barged in through the room. I turn around to look at my â€Å"partner† which is†¦.. OH BLOODYHELL is that Spencer? Oh great. I forgot that we also have the same class. But really, this can’t be happening. It will be too friggin’ awkward to have him as my partner. Not to mention, FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. You see, the moment I kissed him earlier, I immediately regret it. I was also shocked. I didn’t know what comes through my mind or what made me do that I REALLY DON’T KNOW. I guess I was just so grateful from the fact that he saved me from the ‘shopping plan’ Annabelle and I were going to have. Shoping isn’t really my thing. Especially with Annabelle. I brought all my clothes, shoes and bags online. And Anna, being Anna, you won’t like it. She was sooo shopaholic. She buys all the possible clothes and shoes she can get. One time, she runs out of money and i’m forced to let her use my credit card. Not that I’m selfish, of course. It’s just that I’m saving some of my money for my own car. Nobody knows about that except Simon. Shaking my thoughts, I look at Spencer again only to find him talking to Mr. Maruso. He was probably saying some crappy excuses or whatsoever. I saw them nodded in agreement then Spencer turned around to look for some seat. Our eyes met as he spotted the empty seat beside me. Oh bloody great. He raised his eyebrows at me, doing his famous smirk that showed his dimples. How cute. He made his way to his chair. â€Å"Hey partner, Sammy† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Don’t call me that. It sounds gayish† He laughs in a carefree way â€Å"So does Spence† I tried to hide my smile but I couldn’t. Minutes passed and we stopped talking to scribble some notes that our professor told us to copy. As I was writing, I notice him looking down at me whilst playing with my hair. How romantic. I stopped writing. â€Å"What?!† I asked. A little annoyed. â€Å"Nothing. I was just wondering why little miss perfect is bipolar† He said coolly. I gritted my teeth. â€Å"First, I’m not little. We have exactly the same height. And second, I’m not bipolar† He raised an eyebrow â€Å"Oh really? I thought-â€Å" â€Å"Ahem† He was interrupted by a girl. We both turned our heads to see who may that be. Unsurprisingly, it’s Lilly Thompson, one of the oh-so-popular girls. â€Å"What do you want, Lilly?† I asked. This time I was really annoyed. How dare she interrupt us? â€Å"You’re flirting with my boyfriend† She hissed, faking smile. My eyes went wide and I look at Spencer. He too, has the same expression as me. Will someone please tell me what the heck is happening? â€Å"Pardon me? I don’t even know you† Spencer spat. I turned to look at Lilly, who was faking hurt. â€Å"What do you mean? We chatted on facebook last week and you ask me to be your girlfriend. Don’t you remember?† She asked in a flirtatious way. Someone give me a bucket Spencer raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Well, that isn’t me. Nathan and Blake knows my password. They’re the ones who probably ask you out. Besides, I haven’t open my account for ages. You should go and ask them.† He sighed. Lilly was close to tears. â€Å"So you mean, I don’t stand a chance to be with you?† She said in a weak voice. This time I interrupted. â€Å"You slut, will you please cut the act? Just look at him. This-† I gestured at spencer’s body. â€Å"-is the definition of perfect. And you? You’re just a whore who has nothing to do but to seek attention.† I finished. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Spencer smiling at me. I ignore him as I gave Lilly the death glare. But this time, she looked angry as hulk â€Å"You bitch!† She shouted, causing some students to look at the three of us. â€Å"Is there a problem?† Mr. Maruso asked. I turned to answer him â€Å"Oh yeah, there’s a snake wandering around here. Poor snake, SHE probably doesn’t know where she belongs.† I fake crying, causing the whole class to errupt in laughter. I smiled proudly to myself. Good job, Samantha! At that moment, the bell finally rang. Talk about being saved by the bell. I quickly grab my things, said a quick goodbye to Spencer, then I hurried to the door to meet Annabelle at the cafeteria. When I got there, everyone at the school had already heard about the confrontation. Yeah, news travels fast in Jacksonville Highschool. I saw Anna already buying her lunch so I catch up next to her in line. â€Å"Yo anna† I said while putting a carbonara, salad and a boxed milk at my tray. â€Å"Hey there, Sam. Soooo, fighting with Lilly huh?† She asked, waggling her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"She made me do it† I said, finishing the conversation. After paying the bill, we made our way to our table which is located at the far side of the cafeteria. Our table is the circle one with the four silver chairs. Actually, it’s just the three of us who sits there. Me, Annabelle and our boy-bestfriend, Max Carter. We found him already sitted, stuffing sandwich in his mouth. When he notice us, he greeted us with a smile. â€Å"Yo girls! So how’s the two queen coping up?† He asked. Anna raised her eyebrows † Coping up? Haha, we’re fine.† â€Å"As always† I added, winking at him. Time passed and we’re already finished with our lunch. Max started telling us some jokes which cause Anna and I to laugh hysterically. That is until Spencer Young decided to come at our table to remind me of the detention. â€Å"I know† I said, giving him the death glare and signaling for him to leave before I pull out both of his mighty eyeballs. Thankfully, he obeyed and left. Slowly and carefully, I turn to face the now angry Anna who was looking at me with an intense glare. â€Å"I-i’m sorry, anna† I stuttered. I was looking at the floor, twiddling my fingers. I was waiting for her to shout at me but instead, she put an arm around my shoulder, looking worried. â€Å"What happened?† She asked. â€Å"You know that this is your first time getting a detention right?† I nodded. â€Å"Well, Spencer and I were late and Mr. Lantican got mad† I explained. â€Å"This is unfair† She said. â€Å"What about our shopping?†She raised an eyebrow. Great. I really expected that. I was thinking of shouting at her, telling her that she has so many freaking goddamn clothes. But instead, i come up with an idea. â€Å"Well, Max will be honored to accompany you† I said, smirking at Max. Max widened his eyes in horror. â€Å"I AM NOT GOING NEAR THE VICTORIA’S SECRET!† He shouted dramatically causing all of us to laugh again. â€Å"I guess we’ll just go shopping on friday night then† Anna said. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Yeah, sure.† NOTE: On friday, make sure to forget my credit card at home. Spencer’s POV After lunch, i made my way to the locker room to change for the basketball practice. I flicked the combination to my locker and opened it. Just as I was grabbing my clothes, Blake came up behind me. â€Å"Spencer! You ready?† He asked. â€Å"Yeah, give me a second to change† I said, going inside the comfort room. Seconds later, I got out of the comfort room, completely dressed. I grab a bottle of cold water and started gulping. I need to stay hydrated. â€Å"So, do you like her too?† Blake suddenly asked. I scrunched my eyebrow in confusion. â€Å"What are you talking about, man? â€Å"Are the two of you going out now? He asked again, ignoring my question. I glared at him. â€Å"Who exactly are we talking about, blake?† I spat. â€Å"Uh, Lilly Thompson.† He said nervously. Huh? Who is Lilly and why are we talking about her? I don’t care about her, duh. Then it hit me. â€Å"YOU!† I shouted. â€Å"It was you who chatted her!† He rubbed the back of his neck. â€Å"Sorry, man. It’s just that-† â€Å"Let me guess† I interrupt him. â€Å"You like her. Am I right?† He nodded. â€Å"Yeah. I really liked her since we were sophomore. I know a lot about her and i know that she likes you so much. That’s the reason i used your account without permission. To be able to talk and ask her out† He finished. I sighed. â€Å"I forgive you, man. But i won’t trust you anymore. I’m going to change my password the moment i got home.† I joked, then i continue. â€Å"You shouldn’t be ashamed to ask her out, Blake. I’m sure she’ll like you† I said, finishing the conversation. â€Å"Thanks, man† He said, punching my arm lightly. We made our way to the court where Nathan was. We saw him sitting and waiting impatiently, spinning a ball in his thumb. When he saw us, he shouted. â€Å"You two! What took you so long?† He asked in an annoyed voice. I faked sigh. â€Å"Sorry, nate. We can’t take it anymore.† I replied, smiling flirtatiously to Blake. Blake just laughed while Nathan, realizing what i’m talking about, gave us a dirty look. â€Å"You’re both disgusting† He said. â€Å"But you love us† I cooed, patting his shoulders. â€Å"Come on, let’s play† Somehow, we managed to play smoothly for one and a half hour. When were finished, the three of us jogged our way back to the shower room, dying for a cold shower. When we’re finished with our cold showers, we separate ways to go to our last class. I check my schedule to find out what class am i having. French. Oh oui, mon sujet favori! Just as i was making my way, i remember something. Something that i’ve been dreading to know. I turn around, running downstairs to catch up with Blake. I saw him making his way to the registrar’s office. â€Å"Blake!† I shouted. He turned around. â€Å"Huh?† He asked, confused. I ran towards him. â€Å"I have a question† I said, panting. He laughed. â€Å"Is it that important that you have to-† â€Å"Why Lilly?† I interrupted. He looked at me, startled. â€Å"What do you mean, man?† He asked, raising an eyebrow. I sighed. â€Å"What made you like her?† I asked again. He just look at me blankly for a couple of seconds. Finally, after realizing what i meant, he let a huge sigh of relief. â€Å"Okay, fine. You see spencer, you wouldn’t just want to know the outside, aren’t you?† He asked and I nodded. Then he continue. â€Å"Think about it. For you to know the person completely, you have to also see the inner beauty. For every person in this world, there’s a reason why they’re like that. There’s a reason behind why their attitudes and personalities are like that. That’s why we should not judge first.† He said, looking at me sadly. â€Å"You know, I always thought that Lilly will be always like that. People keep saying that she’s a bitch, a slut, a whore, an attention seeker but you know what, spencer? In my eyes, i see her differently. The minute i saw her at the orphanage playing with the little kids, man, i was lovestruck. I didn’t expect that, especially from a Lilly Thompson. She’s a type of girl who would change her attitude so that people will not recognize her nor to be able to see through her. That’s what made me like her, spencer.† He finished, smiling mostly to himself. I was pretty sure that there were tears forming in my eyes. Gayish i know. â€Å"I, uh- thanks a lot, blake. And, good luck.† I stuttered, patting his back. â€Å"No worries† He shrugged. I checked my watch. Three minutes till the last bell. â€Å"Uh, spencer?† Blake called. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Always remember, don’t judge the book by it’s cover. And, if you like someone, learn to love her flaws first.† He finished, then he left. Samantha’s POV I stared at the clock, counting the time in my head. â€Å"56†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"57†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"58†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"59†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"RIIIIINNNGGGG!† Shoot. I got up as fast as I could then hurried my way towards the door then down the stairs. Great, I thought to myself. It’s just a detention, Sam. Calm down. It’s just a detention†¦. just a detention†¦ Just a fuc- â€Å"SAM!† Someone shouted, taking me into realization. I stopped in my tracks to find whoever who was calling me. I saw Spencer waving at me frantically, gesturing the way to the detention room. Right. What the hell am I thinking and why am I walking the other way?! I shrieked, thinking to myself. I made my way to Spencer who was now laughing like there’s no tomorrow. Embarrassed, I tried to cover up. â€Å"Why are you laughing?† I asked, faking innocence. He stifled some laugh. â€Å"You looked a little.. lost. Do you really study here? Why are you walking the other way? You do know that the detention room is here, right? He asked, pointing to the room. â€Å"Who said that I was going there first?† I asked, keeping my face blank. â€Å"Where were you going, then?† He asked, challenging me. â€Å"To the ladies room† I said confidently, hoping he’d buy it this time. He just stared at my blankly. Then he started laughing. Harder and louder this time. â€Å"Samantha! HAHAHAHAHA! You’re f-fucking hi-hilarious! The la-dies room i-is upsta-irs!† He manage to say between laughs. My mouth formed a small ‘o’ as I realize that he was right. I was left utterly speechless and really embarrassed. I can feel my cheeks turning bright red. I look up at him and he’s still laughing. This time, with no noise coming out. â€Å"Are you done making fun of me?† I asked, raising my eyebrow. He finally stopped laughing, clutching his hard-abs stomach as he spoke. â€Å"Yeah. You didn’t tell me you’re a good comedian, Sam.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"I know right? It’s one of my hidden talents.† â€Å"Absolutely right. By giving me a good laugh everyday, I won’t have to work out anymore.† He waggled his eyebrows at me. I smiled. This man surely made my day. Who would have thought that Mr. Spencer Young is like that? Maybe, if we hang out a long time ago, we would be bestfriends by now. And did I mention that he looked hot in his outfit? From v-neck to skinny jeans, perfect. â€Å"Are you done checking me out?† He asked, gesturing to his body. I rolled my eyes and started walking towards the detention room, worry and nervous free. As we walked inside, we realized that we’re not the only ones who got detention. We saw a girl and a boy -probably freshman- lurking around the room waiting for Mr. Lantican. At last, he came inside, holding a cup of coffee and a large notebook in his hands. We all stand up to greet him. â€Å"Good afternoon, sir.† â€Å"Good afternoon, kids.† He replied. â€Å"Now, I will group and assign you all to your works† He said, looking and flipping through the notebook. â€Å"Let’s see†¦ Luke and Miley†¦ both of you will be at the movie room to fix all the cd’s and equipments† He finally said. The two student nodded, then left. â€Å"As for you two†¦-† He said, looking at us intensely. â€Å"-I’ll be assigning you to the library to fix and rearrange some books. You may now proceed† He finished, then left. I made my way to the library with Spencer, eager to finish the task. We stormed downstairs, taking a left to the library. When I opened the door, we were surprised on how messy it was. You’ve got to be kidding me. We can’t finish this in one hour â€Å"What happened here?† Spencer asked. â€Å"I don’t know† I said, stretching. â€Å"Let’s get working.† *After one hour* â€Å"Woooooh!† I shouted, wiping my head with the back of my hand. We’ve been cleaning for an hour, throwing and stacking some books here and there. Spencer isn’t much of a help though. While I was working my butt out, rearranging some books, he thought it would be fun to just sit there and draw some silly faces on the book covers. But somehow, thankfully, we’ve managed to clean the library. When we’re contented with our work, we turned the lights off then we headed out of the school. â€Å"Uh, Spencer? I asked, realizing something. â€Å"Yeah?† He replied whilst looking at his watch. â€Å"I-uh, would you give me a lift? I mean, Anna is usually the-† â€Å"No problem, milady† He interrupted. I smiled at him. â€Å"Thanks.† As I got up to his car -which is a grey Porsche carrera gt- I pulled out my phone and saw that I have two messages coming from Anna and mom. I opened mom’s first: ‘Honey, where are you? You didn’t tell me you’re going to be late’ I immediately hit the reply button: ‘Sorry, mom. Just got detention. I’ll explain it to you later, love you.’ After sending, I read Anna’s message: ‘How’s detention with Mr. Young? ;)’ I smiled, typing: ‘We’ve been asked to clean the library. I hate to admit it, but it’s fun. Never thought Mr. Young has a great sense of humor ;)’ I hit the send button then I put my phone back in my pocket. Minutes passed and I started to feel some ‘awkwardness’ so I decided to play some music. I reached for the Switchfoot album, then pushed the CD inside. I stared at the window just as while â€Å"You† was playing. Great. I look like an emo There’s always something in the way†¦ There’s always something getting through†¦ But it’s not me, it’s you†¦ At exactly 6:00 pm, Spencer pulled up in front of my house. I thanked him and waved goodbye, then he left. I sighed heavily, thinking of the very tiring day. I pushed myself to the door and I walked inside. â€Å"Moooom?† I shouted, looking for her. â€Å"At the kitchen!† She shouted back. I made my way to the kitchen, dropping my bag at the bottom of the stairs as I walked by. â€Å"MOM!-† I immediately talk. â€Å"-I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be late in class, I swear it won’t happen again and I just want you to know that I’ll still be getting straight A’s and also-† â€Å"Samantha! Calm down! We’re not mad, okay?† She interrupted. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. â€Å"Huh? Why are you not mad? You’re supposed to be shouting at me for letting you down.† I said in a weak voice, tears starting to fall. â€Å"Shhh, Samantha. Don’t ever think about that. Actually, your dad and I were happy that it happened. You’re experiencing the things you’ve never experience before. We’re so proud of you, honey.† I stopped crying then I studied her face. Was she serious? Things that I’ve never done before? That would be parties, drinking alcohol, taking drugs and†¦ sex. I stared at her in horror. â€Å"Sam, are you okay?† Mom asked, waving a hand to my face. She must have noticed that i’m not breathing. I came back into realization. â€Å"Uh yeah, mom. I’m just.. tired. I should go up and change now† I said, kissing her cheeks. I walked pass the dining room, grabbing a banana to calm myself down. I picked up my bag and jogged my way upstairs. Just as I was about to walk inside my room, my father appeared in the hallway â€Å"Your mom’s right, Sam. You should live your life the way you wanted.† He said, holding back tears. I just nodded then I locked myself inside the room.