Step Families free essay sample

Goldenberg and Goldenberg (2008, p. 47) propose that â€Å"structurally, remarriage and subsequent stepfamily life is mind boggling, whereby an assortment of parental figures, kin and more distant family individuals from current and past relationships are typically involved†. Because of this unpredictable life, a vagueness of status develops. Agreeing Balswick and Balswick (2006, p. 317) this uncertainty of status is the impact of the absence of organized limits that existed in the past family. Presently, a considerable lot of he shared encounters, images and ceremonies that kept up the limits of the primary family are missing (Balswick 2006, p. 317). Goldenberg and Goldenberg (2008, p. 47) talk about how youngsters regularly need to live in two distinct homes for shifting timeframes during some random week, and, in these circumstances they need to manage various standards, for instance, (sleep time, social graces), vague limits and various jobs, for instance, (a lone kid in o ne home might be the oldest kin in another). We will compose a custom article test on Step Families or on the other hand any comparative point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page It is inescapable that connections, which originated before the new marriage, experience changes as the new framework prepares for new individuals and changing duties and commitments as examined by (Goldenberg 2008, p. 47). Balswick and Balswick (2006, p. 319) propose that past relationships can be a wellspring of budgetary issues for stepfamilies. Kid backing can be the fundamental issue here. Hatred can happen when guaranteed youngster support doesn't show up or a stepfather’s/mother’s hard earned cash goes to pay obligations from his/her stepchildren. As per Chedekel and O’Connell (2002, p. 8) kids can frequently become use to being the essential focal point of consideration when they are with one of their isolated guardians, so when their parent’s new accomplice goes into the family, kids can be absolutely uninterested in the new individual and can expect the new individual will just bring disturbance into their carries on with, in this way the new ind ividual is plainly the pariah. The untouchable parent turns into the perfect objective for the children’s adverse emotions and activities and the ideal individual to fault for their irritated encounters as talked about by (Chedekel O’Connell 2002, p. 8). As per Healy (2002, p. 24) another accomplice isn't promptly another mother or father and may never be if kids are more established. A ridiculous desire from the stepparents as per Balswick and Balswick (2006, p. 318) is that all individuals from the new family will adore one another and share their lives similarly. Be that as it may, this isn't the situation. Society conditions kids to confide in just their own folks and can regularly have sentiments of hatred, doubt and overcaution towards stepparents as talked about by (Balswick 2006, p. 318). Regardless of whether a youngster truly loves another stepparent, he/she may not turn out to be benevolent as a result of a dread of getting backstabbing to a characteristic parent (Healy 2002, p. 24). Rivalry between a stepparent and a characteristic parent may happen just as contentions and jealousies between stepchildren. In the light of these issues, expecting parental jobs turns out to be progressively troublesome, as indicated by Goldenberg and Goldenberg (2008, p. 48) in any case, connections inside stepfamilies that are permitted to bloom gradually, undergirded with adoration and tolerance, frequently lead to mindful and cherishing bonds that endure forever. Independent of arrangement, all families must work at advancing constructive connections among individuals, take care of individual needs and be set up to adapt to formative or maturational changes as examined by (Goldenberg 2008, p. 4). In any case, with stepfamilies, as per Balswick and Balswick (2006, p. 320) it requires a much progressively purposeful exertion to interface in recuperating ways. It is, consequently fundamental that data and training is accessible to stepfamilies, and as they are better educated and have all the more comprehension of the difficulties that lay before them, they are significantly more prepared to grapple with them. Keep in mind, every family is exceptional and what works for one stepfamily may not work for another. It is additionally imperative to think about mixing families with racial, social and strict contrasts just as gay, lesbian, appropriation and child care families. In spite of the considerable number of challenges, Goldenberg and Goldenberg (2008, p. 48) hypothesize that flexible, well working stepfamilies are more the standard than the exemption †so all stepfamilies cheer up! References Balswick, J Balswick, J 2006, The family a Christian viewpoint on the contemporary home, Baker Academic, Michigan. Chedekel, D O’Connell, K 2002, The mixed family sourcebook a manual for arranging change, Contemporary Books, Crawfordsville. Einstein, E Albert, L 1986, Strengthening your stepfamily, American Guidance Service, Inc, USA. Goldenberg, H Goldenberg, I 2008, Family treatment an outline, seventh edn, Thomas Brooks/Cole, USA. Healy, J 2002, Parenting, The Spinney Press, NSW. Newman, M 2004, Stepfamily life why it is unique and how to make it work, Finch Publishing, Sydney. Schnarch, D 1998, Passionate marriage, Owl Books, New York.

Management of Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The board of Change - Essay Example Since 1937, the organization has developed fundamentally and acquired changes how food is bundled even before the shoppers at any point thought of those changes (Leonhardt, 2012). Be that as it may, with time, numerous things have imprinted the picture of the company and sabotaged the notoriety the proprietors have endeavored to manufacture. Zones of Change The organization needs change in three recognizable and key zones of its activities so as to rescue its notoriety and restore to a brand that is loved by numerous with regards to having a dinner. First is the zone of food handling. The organization needs to move more towards solid nourishments and desert its specialty of prevailing low quality nourishment. The organization has been related with food items that are â€Å"unhealthy† to the shopper at the time where medical problems, for example, corpulence and heart ailments are rising to be incredible difficulties to the total populace. The second territory that necessities change is the lead time of gracefully. There ought to be change in the method of sourcing for flexibly with the goal that the time taken to convey and, along these lines, make it promptly accessible is decreased. The third issue is that of the charging framework as far as its proficiency to kill protests on cheat in Visas and how they react to such concerns. These three issues are among different worries in the association that should be exposed to change with the goal that the association stays a mammoth in the business. Requirement for Change For each association, the requirement for change is a consistent necessity as opposed to an uncommon once in a year thing. An association in the exceptionally serious and delicate industry, for example, Mc Donald, along these lines, needs to grasp change through viable change the board structures. Organizations that draw in themselves in all endeavors of making change have profited a ton monetarily and as far as development. They are probably going to be increasingly serious and much progressively adjusted to outside changes in the corporate world (Beer and Nohria, 2000). This, fundamentally, guides the requirement for the association toward start change in the territories referenced previously. This can likewise be obviously represented through the different models of progress the executives. Models of Change Management The two models of progress prone to help in circumventing the change hindrance incorporate that of the change bend and Lewin's Change Management Model. The change bend clarifies the various stages that an association experiences before an affected change is completely acknowledged. It helps in rolling out the improvement execution to be sped up, consequently improving its probability of accomplishment. The change bend suggests that change is drawn closer through individuals since when they adjust to change quick, the association additionally changes quickly (Mind Tools, 2012). Lewin’s Change Mana gement Model proposes a three pronged procedure that includes unfreezing, changing and refreezing. The primary stage includes tying down change acknowledgment through making an empowering domain. The subsequent change in this manner includes presentation of the change lastly synchronizing the adjustments in the organization’s structures in the last stage (Mind Tools, 2012). These models show the straightforwardness at which different associations remembering the one for center can figure out how to coordinate change in its tasks in an increasingly compelling and convenient way. They are a decent token of the requirement for chan

Macroeconomic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macroeconomic - Essay Example The unpredictability in the uses made by the buyers can be clarified by the instability in the terms of exchange. The economy of Australia can be portrayed by less unpredictable terms of exchange after the time of 1980s. It very well may be decided that financial development imparts close relationship to terms of exchange. An economy moving along the development bend is relied upon to observe terms of exchange while the economy under the development bend will confront the declining terms of exchange line. Question a The worldwide costs of the fares just as the imports and the merchandise bushel offered to the shoppers are the two prime segments that make up the terms of exchange. Australia can be blessed to receive be the nation that can possibly influence the world costs of the products. The terms of exchange can likewise get impacted by the geographic limit of an economy. Coal is plenteous in the nation and in this manner Australia draws in itself in coal send out (Department of Fo reign Affairs and Trade, 2011). An ascent in the costs of coal moderately to the costs of the other ICT products will shed the impact in rising the terms of exchange. The conversion scale of the economy and the terms of exchange are firmly related. The ostensible swapping scale got diminished being the resultant of money related emergency of 1990s. The impacts with the topographical limits can have an impact in instability of import costs yet the costs of the fares are affected distinctly by changes in world costs of the products. In the brief timeframe period the fall of imports are more extreme than the cost of fares. The insecure development in profitability in the divisions of tradable or non tradable merchandise had an influence in boosting the conversion standard. The stage after the 1980s prompted fast profitability development in the areas of money just as protection. The inflows of capital made ready for fortifying of the U.S. dollar and this can be accounted to be the subs equent factor. In the short run the swapping scale remained lower than the market rate. The monetary development stayed at pretty much at generally stable state as the instability as far as exchange assumed a significant job. The less instability in the terms of exchange additionally contributed in keeping the pace of swelling at a lower level. In the underlying periods of the new thousand years the terms of exchange started to rise. In the course of the most recent decade and a half Australia moved from sending out cost rash properties towards fares of merchandise whose cost can be envisioned. Australia presently connects with itself in sending out the provincial products. It offers a wide assortment of merchandise for fare and specialists are of the sentiment that the fare of the provincial merchandise is a powerful technique for the nation as fares of such merchandise can be expected to catch an extent of remote market (Australian Government Productivity Commission, 2012). In thi s manner remote capital will predicament in into the nation. The fares of the country merchandise have taken the lofty rising bend through the span of time and the fares of the products includes vegetables and dairy items. Question b The terms of exchange is impacted by the variables that are summed up beneath. The vacillation in the degrees of interest on the worldwide stage The stuns in the market of products Globalization stun The changes in the degrees of interest on the worldwide field and the stuns on the ware markets has their influence in raising the costs of the

Analysis and Critique of a Video Essay - 1100 Words

Analysis and Critique of a Video (Movie Review Sample) Content: Students NameProfessors NameCourseDateAnalysis and Critique of a VideoAn effective commercial persuades the audiences about the superiority of a product while at the same time dispelling dogmas associated with it. This is exactly what the Mustang video commercial achieves by using stylish cars and women in the same scene. The video begins with the scene of the Ford Mustang driving along one of the streets of New York City. Then, one can see a woman in black and red going along the sidewalk. Obviously, it is a stylish woman, who knows what she wants. Surprised by the beauty of the car, she walks slowly in order to see every detail of the car passing by. Then, one can see how the mustang changes from grey color to red and black colors. The presence of the woman helps the audience to identify with the fact that the car is for every gender. The change of color serves to depict the car as stylish and fashionable. In essence, the scene succeeds in appealing to our sense of style and dispelling the notion that certain cars are for a particular gender.The car moves further along the street. Now, we can see a chef who is standing outside some restaurant or cafà ©. He is dressed in a white chef coat and his arms are crossed. He has one more noticeable feature, which is a big tattoo on his right arm. The red mustang turns from red and black into white with black signs along its lower side. This suggests that the car can easily be suited to satisfy any one sense of style and taste of color. It is also affordable to all classes of people irrespective of economic and social status. By dressing in a white coat, the chef makes the video believable as that is the attire worn by people in that profession.The mustang keeps on driving father down the street. It seems like this car is always the first among other cars driving along the same street. These other cars are mostly yellow taxis. Then, one can see a young man in green t-shirt on a bicycle. The young man a lso looks at the car with amusement. Now the mustang changes its color to green with broad black line on it. The car keeps on moving. The change of color suggests that the car is easily modifiable to meet expectations of different people. Yellow taxis also make the video believable as well as allow the audience to judge the mustang cars against ordinary cars. Like any other person, Ford makes cars for people like him. Finally, the car is arriving to a street corner where there are many people. Most of these people are men in dark business suits. One of them keeps a hand of a little girl in pink dress. When the girl notices the car, it instantly changes to pink, and then immediately to black. The little girl sees her reflection in the shiny car. In her reflection she is not dressed in pink, but in black stylish dress with black feathers and a nice hair-do like a little angel. A mans voice on the background says, Everyone has an inner Mustang. After the car turns into the corner, the voice continues, Unleash yours. The mustang is racing father down the street. In the final shot, one can see a logo of Ford and inscription The 2013 Mustang. The businesspersons in black make the video authentic, as black suit and tie is the formal wear for business. It also reinforces the notion that the cars are for diverse socio-economic status. The little girl strengthens the idea that the cars are for different age groups. The fact that she sees her ref...

Commonly Confused Words Beside and Besides

Although theres some  overlap in meaning  between beside and besides, the two words arent usually interchangeable. Definitions Beside is a preposition meaning next to or in comparison with. As a preposition, besides  means except  or in addition to. As a conjunctive adverb, besides means also or moreover. Examples Rose was too angry to sit beside Sam.  Besides, she preferred to wait outside.Louisa Weed, a pretty girl of nine was looking out the western windows. Her younger brother Henry was standing beside her.(John Cheever, The Country Husband. The New Yorker, 1955)[The] forgotten little house on the  South Side had somehow never been sold or mortgaged. A day came when Albert, the last surviving son, found this piece of property the only thing he owned in the world besides his personal effects.(Willa Cather, Double Birthday. The Forum, 1929)The boy couldnt swim, and [the fisherman]  wasnt going to have him climbing in and out of the skiff anymore than necessary. Besides he was too big.(Lawrence Sargent Hall, The Ledge. The Hudson Review, 1960)The old home had been long and low, and  an enormous willow tree, which had miraculously escaped the fire and still grew, had shaded one corner of the roof.  The new home stood beside the macadamized new road and was high and boxlike, painted y ellow with a roof of glittering tin. Besides the willow tree, the principal barn at the old home had also escaped the fire and it was still used for storing hay and as a shed in which were kept most of the farm implements.(Elizabeth Bishop, The Farmers Children. Harpers Bazaar, 1949) Usage Notes While the two words were once used interchangeably, beside has been reserved as the preposition and besides as the adverb since the late 18th century. But they are still confounded.(Bryan A. Garner, Garners Modern American Usage. Oxford University  Press, 2009)The Potential for AmbiguitySome critics argue that beside and besides should be kept distinct when they are used as prepositions. According to that argument, beside is used only to mean at the side of, as in There was no one in the seat beside me. For the meanings in addition to and except for besides should be used: Besides replacing the back stairs, she fixed the broken banister. No one besides Smitty would say a thing like that. But this distinction is often ignored, even by widely respected writers. While it is true that besides can never mean at the side of, beside regularly appears in print in place of besides. Using beside in this way can be ambiguous, however; the sentence There was no one beside him at the table coul d mean that he had the table to himself or that the seats next to him were not occupied.(The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., 2000)The Use of Beside for BesidesAs a number of commentators remark and all conscientious dictionaries show, there is a certain amount of overlap between these two words. The OED shows that historically there was even more than there is now. . . .The only question arises when beside is used in the preposition sense of besides. Gould [in 1856] disliked this use, and most commentators since his time simply avoid it by not mentioning it at all. Although it is not nearly as frequent as besides, it is well attested. It has been in use since the 14th century and appears in the King James version of the Bible in several places. Our modern evidence for this sense is modestly literary. . . . While this use of beside is not wrong, nor rare, nor nonstandard, besides is the word most people use.(Merriam-Websters Dictionary of English Usage, 1994) Practice (a) Thoreau lived _____ a pond.  Few people _____ his aunt ever visited him.(b)  Mr. Moody took several dollar bills out of his pocket and placed the money _____  his plate.(c)  Nobody _____  me knows the password.(d)  I wasnt in the mood to play tennis, and  besides, I was already late for work. Answers to Practice Exercises:Beside and Besides (a) Thoreau lived  beside  a pond.  Few people  besides  his aunt ever visited him.(b)  Mr. Moody took several dollar bills out of his pocket and placed the money  beside  his plate.(c)  Nobody  besides  me knows the password.(d)  I wasnt in the mood to play tennis, and  besides, I was already late for work. Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words

Classification Theorem Classification Algorithm

J48 Classification Algorithm The J48 classification algorithm considers all the possible tests that can split the data set and selects a test that gives the best information gain. So, whenever it encounters a training set it identifies the attribute that discriminates the various instances in a most clear way. From the possible values, if there is an attribute with unique value and if it has the same value as that of target value then the branch is ended For the other cases, other attribute with the highest gain is considered. This process is continued till we obtain a combination of attributes with the highest information gain or till we do not have any more attributes to test. The scenario in which we do not have any more attributes, the branch is assigned an average value or the value majorly possessed by the items. One Rule Classification Algorithm OneR also known as One Rule is a classification algorithm that generates one rule for each predictor in the data set. The attributes used for classification are known as predictors and the attribute classified is known as the target. After the generation of rule, the rule with the smallest error is considered as the â€Å"one rule.† A frequency table is generated for the creation of rule for a predictor. The results generated with the help of oneR algorithm are easy to interpret and are in easy readable format. Algorithm: For each predictor, For each value of that predictor, evaluate rule by following these steps;Show MoreRelatedClassification Of Data Mining Techniques1512 Words   |  7 Pagestechniques makes easier to predict hidden patterns from the data. The most popular data mining techniques are classification, clustering, regression, association rules, time series analysis and summarization. Classification is a data mining task, examines the features of a newly presented object and assigning it to one of a predefined set of classes. In this research work data mining classification techniques are applied to disaster data set which helps to categorize the disaster data based on the typeRead MoreTypes Of Speech Databases1068 Words   |  5 Pagesdisgust, fear, joy, sadness and surprise. V. Speech Emotion Detection Algorithms The main function of the emotion detection system is to use all the collected data and its features to identify the emotion expressed in it. To perform this a classifier algorithm can be used to create a classification model. There are several options of classification algorithms that can be used for this purpose. Some of the top choices of algorithm based on research and existing systems include Bayes classifier, SupportRead MoreMethodology And Procedures Used In The Lp754 Words   |  4 Pagesmethodology and procedures employed in the LULC study included reviewing previous studies specific to the study area, interpretation and analysis of recent and middle-aged satellite images, NDVI and DNDVI analysis, preliminary land use and land cover classification and mapping, field and signature data collection and verification, and post land cover mapping (methodology Fig.2). During pre-fieldwork, the images were rectified and enhanced to create a more realistic representation of the scene and land coverRead MoreClassification Between The Objects Is Easy Task For Humans1101 Words   |  5 PagesClassification between the objects is easy task for humans but it has proved to be a complex problem for machines. The raise of high-capacity computers, the availability of high quality and low-priced video cameras, and the increasing need for automatic video analysis has generated an interest in object classification algorithms. A simple classification system consists of a camera fixed high above the interested zone, where images are captured and consequently processed. Classification includes imageRead MoreConcrete Gravity Dams1188 Words   |  5 Pages Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 1. Introduction 2 2. Literature Review 2 3. Classification Techniques in Machine Learning 3 3.1 K-nearest Neighbor 3 3.2 Support Vector Machine 4 3.3 Naà ¯ve Bayes Classifier 5 References 8 Introduction Dams are important structures to supply water for irrigation or drinking, to control flood, and to generate electricity. The safety analysis of concrete gravity dams in seismic regions is significant due to the high potential of life and economic lossesRead MoreText Analytics And Natural Language Processing1099 Words   |  5 Pagesgraphically displayed constructing a sentiment time line with the chosen value (frequency, percentages, and averages) over time.B. Classifier Sentiment classification techniques are divided into three approaches: 1. Machine learning , 2. Lexicon based , 3. Hybrid . 1. Machine Learning Machine learning approach depends on the Machine Learning algorithms for the solutions of the sentiment analysis. The machine learning approach is used for predicting the polarity of sentiments based on trained as wellRead MorePredictive Analytics And The Health Care Industry1002 Words   |  5 PagesBefore proceeding to review a range of predictive analytic algorithms, it is important to know how critical predictive analytics is to the health care industry. The growth rate of US healthcare expenditures, increasing annually by nearly 5% in real terms over the last decade and a major contributor to the high national debt levels projected over the next two decades. McKinsey estimates that Big Data can enable more than $300 billion savings per year in US healthcare, with two-thirds of that throughRead MoreMeasuring A Computational Prediction Method For Fast And Determining The Protein Structural Class1279 Words   |  6 Pagesclasses are predicted. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm with the existing algorithms, four datasets, namely 25PDB, 1189, D640 and FC699 are used. In thi s work, an Improved Support Vector Machine (ISVM) is proposed to predict the protein structural classes. The comparison of results indicates that Improved Support Vector Machine (ISVM) predicts more accurate protein structural class than the existing algorithms. Keywords—Protein structural class, Support Vector Machine (SVM),Read MoreThe Generation Strategy And The Definitions Of Strategies1064 Words   |  5 PagesThe intricacy of the information gain for a corpus containing n records and d words is O(n†¢d†¢ k) 1.4 Classification Automatic Text classification has dependably been a vital application and research point since the beginning of advanced reports. Today, Text classification is a need because of the huge measure of content archives that we need to manage day by day. Areas in which Text classification is regularly utilized are: †¢ News filtering and Organization: News administrations deliver huge measureRead MoreNotes On Machine Learning And The Development Of Computer Programs1342 Words   |  6 Pagesstudies techniques allowing a robot to acquire unique skills or adapt to its environment through learning algorithms. Robot learning can be closely related to adaptive control, reinforcement learning as well as developmental robotics which considers the problem of autonomous lifelong acquisition of repertoires of skills. While machine learning is frequently used by computer vision algorithms employed in the context of robotics, these applications are usually not referred to as robot learning. [7]

Moondance free essay sample

The date of my great epiphany eludes me, but even now, six months later, the fateful quote still resounds perfectly in my ears: â€Å"Hey Helen, Rachel’s gonna stretch ‘em today, okay?† This sentence, however insignificant it seemed, struck me in the core of my being and brought tears of shock to my eyes. I glanced at Jessica with sudden loathing, stepped off the podium and trudged to the back of the room in humiliation. If I continued to be robbed of opportunities to prove my competence as a potential color guard captain, how would Ms. Dede ever see how fervently I desired the position? She had informed us that she would be filling three leadership posts: flag captain, rifle captain, or the coveted overall captain. There were five of us trying out for these; I could only hope for the part of flag captain—overall guard captain was extremely difficult to obtain. Guard had been the pinnacle of my existence for the past two years. The program was an essential, irreplaceable part of me; color guard was my â€Å"escape† from all the trivial problems of conventional life. Even during the off season, I practiced rifle, hoping to get ahead before tryouts resumed in March. I loved guard more than anything in the world. Somewhere in the catacombs of my soul, I knew that I could better the guard’s reputation with phenomenal leadership. As I watched Rachel go through the routine stretches, I felt a steel wire of determination begin to form in these catacombs. This feeling blazed through my veins like a violent fever, and the tears resurfaced, threatening to fall. I looked around at the new aspiring guard girls. I could easily empathize with those who appeared nervous; I had been very intimidated at my first audition practice as a newcomer. I felt positive that I knew what these girls were experiencing, and I wished that I had the authori ty to comfort them, to help them realize that the terrifically high standards of Ms. Dede were not impossible to achieve, even to transcend, with extraordinary devotion and hard work. A guard member who had begun with very little raw talent but instead possessed exceptional determination, I was proof that even the most awkward, clumsy girl could create the exquisite beauty of color guard if she was willing to practice. Of course, I could always pass on this knowledge and earn respect as a senior member, but I believed that the girls would truly appreciate my advice if it came from one of their leaders. That evening, with the wire of determination still pulsating through my veins, I decided to take action. I drove the vehicles out of the garage, swept the floor, and closed myself in with only my rifle, flag, and a portable stereo. I had been preparing a potential routine in secret for several months, although I did not have any real intention of trying out for captain. As a junior, I had only been a member of the line for two years; Mom had prohibited me from trying out as an eighth grader, instead insisting that I march with my saxophone through my first year. The other prospective captains had been color guard members every year of high school. This gave them a competitive vantage, but I no longer cared. I wanted the position so intensely, with every fiber of my being. My shortcomings in experience only prompted me to practice in every spare second of time, regardless of fatigue and in lieu of social pastimes. I wasted no time warming up or stretching; instead, I immediately dove into redesigning my routine. I kept some of the work, but I quickly realized that my original plan was far too easy. I wanted to come up with something grand, something spectacular. Simply standing in one place and doing drop spins on rifle was not enough. Ms. Dede would appreciate intricate work; my performance must be one that showcased not only my skill in handling equipment, but also my ability to turn those skills into a living work of art. I switched out various moves for hours, writing down each new set of counts as I added them in. Finally, I ascertained that I had enough material to at least cover a good introduction, so I plugged in the stereo to see how my progress fit with Van Morrison’s â€Å"Moondance,† my designated song. The first part of the routine fit with the music perfectly, to my astonishment. I had to fix a few kinks in timing, as well as add a few high tosses, but I could tell that the overall effect would be quite remarkable when performed well. The work complimented swells and dips in the tune so closely that it seemed formulated singularly for â€Å"Moondance.† I had invented rifle moves that were especially challenging; intense practice would be essential to ensure consistent perfection. I was more than willing to practice intensely. I carved out specific time in my schedule to polish the routine; on days that m y last block class did not meet, I went home to practice until I had to leave to pick up my sister from school. When I came back, I finished any homework, and then went to work until nine or ten. As soon as I arrived home again, into the garage I went, picking up my rifle and gloves along the way. Often, I would rehearse until very late in the night, and then a little bit in the morning before school. Although I knew the other girls trying out for captain were receiving help from older members, I refused to let anyone besides my family observe my progression. This was not out of spite; rather, I felt that even if I did not make captain, I would be proud to say that I had toiled through the routine’s creation on my own. Months and weeks flew by, as they tend to do; on the eve of auditions, I practiced only until dark, and then went inside to get some sleep. Altogether, I thought the routine looked good, but I had been forced to make some adjustments within the past two weeks that had still thrown me off occasionally during practice. I went through the entire song only once before school the next morning. My hands were already so clammy that I was worried I might drop and break my rifle before I had the chance to audition. Classes had never seemed so slow, or so mundane. I felt feverish throughout the day, and my head ached from worry. Would Ms. Dede finally see how badly I wanted this? Had I practiced enough? I walked to the band room mechanically upon hearing the three o’ clock bell, yet I had the strangest sensation that I was floating instead. I was knocked out of my trance immediately upon entering the band room. Chaos had ensued among the auditioning girls—red lipsticks and hair ribbons flew around in the blitz. Mr. Tate, the head band director, looked disgruntled; he sent us all outside after we had changed into our khaki shorts and white shirts, and told us not to return until Ms. Dede had arrived. I situated myself in a corner to work on my rifle tosses and review the main tryout routine. I was oblivious to my surroundings until I heard a voice behind me. â€Å"Hey, uh, can we ask you something?† I turned around. Two â€Å"new† girls stood behind me, flags in hand . They both looked frightened. â€Å"Can you watch this and tell us what we’re doing wrong?† I put down my rifle, surprised that they had come to me for assistance. â€Å"Yeah, absolutely,† I said, feeling a smile cross my face. â€Å"Where do we need to start?† I helped the two with their routine until their audition numbers were called. They thanked me, beaming, and ran off to the gym. I resumed my rifle practice, feeling much less apprehensive than before. After the main auditions were complete, captain tryouts were held. Some of the stress from earlier in the day began to resurface. Moments now passed as quickly as bullets; terror began to rise in my chest. The anxiety between the potential captains was tangible, almost suffocating. I escaped into the guard room until my name was called. I handed my music to Ms. Dede. â€Å"First song on the disc, and I’m trying out for flag captain,† I murmured breathlessly. I sauntered down the steps to the gym floor, hearing nothing but my own muffled heartbeat, as if my ears had been plugged with cotton balls. I put down my flag and stood with my rifle, waiting. I was now overly aware of everything around me; my senses had become poignant, so that the air itself felt somehow alive. â€Å"Ready?† asked Ms. Dede A thousand thoughts raced through my head in a single instant, but for the second time that day, an unconscious smile made its way over my lips. â€Å"Ready,† I replied with sudden confidence. As â€Å"Moondance† began to play, everything else disappeared. Before, I had thought that such moments, the ones where the rest of the world seems to slide away, existed only in movies and cliche romance novels. But there on that gym floor, for less than two minutes, I truly felt as though I were the only being in existence. I forgot about Ms. Dede, about the other girls watching, about the possibility that I had worked for months to gain nothing, if being r ejected for captain was considered â€Å"nothing.† All that mattered was creating the beauty of color guard that makes it an art all its own. I hit my final pose, and the world melted back into view. Relief poured over me in torrents. No more late night practices, at least not for a while. No more stressful rifle tosses or complicated count structures. I was finally done. The leadership positions for the next season would not be announced until the band banquet, a week after auditions were held. For a few days, I was comforted by the notion that I had done everything possible to prove my merit, but soon I dreaded the coming announcement. I often caught myself writing YOU DID NOT GET CAPTAIN along the edge of my chemistry notes, determined to prepare for disappointment. To actually achieve the position seemed unfathomable. Friday night, the night of the banquet, came rather quickly. Throughout the dinner, I could barely speak from trembling. I picked absently at my food, too s olicitous to eat. I was certain that if I ate at all I would throw up. Finally, Mr. Tate stepped up to the podium. â€Å"Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the 2007-2008 Gibson County High School Band Banquet. I hope you all have enjoyed the meal so far†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I put my head down on the table. The boundless formalities only made me more nauseous. I was about to run to the bathroom when Mr. Tate reached the crux of his speech: â€Å"We will now reveal next year’s band leaders. As I call your name, please step up to the front of the stage.† My heart fluttered behind my ribcage. He unfolded a sheet of paper and began to read from a list of names and titles. I crossed my fingers on both hands, not daring to breathe. â€Å"Percussion captains, Liz S and Darren W. This year, for our color guard, we will have three captain positions to accommodate the growing number of color guard members—overall captain, flag captain, and rifle captain,† announced Mr. Tate. â€Å"Overall captain†¦Helen F,† he read monotonously. For an instant, I thought I had finally worried myself into insanity. I simply sat at the table, gaping stupidly at Mr. Tate. A few seconds passed, and I stood slowly, mouth still hanging open, and practically bounded to the front of the room to join the other new leaders. After feeling so much emotion for the past few months, I could feel nothing at all. The numbness was quite welcome. After a meeting with Mr. Tate about next year’s leadership, we were dismissed. The chilly May air swirled around me as I walked out to the car, still stupefied. I thought briefly about what I would bring my—my!—guard girls as a welcome gift at Freshman Orientation. Brownies, perhaps? Cupcakes? I turned on the car, ready for some heat. As I drove out of the parking lot, I turned up the volume on the CD player. I had forgotten that I had left â€Å"Moondance† on repeat as I was coming to the banque t. Van Morrison’s timeless voice brought an eruption of joyous tears to my eyes and unencumbered exultation to my soul. â€Å"It’s a marvelous night for a Moondance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 