The Problem Of Being Born Addicted - 937 Words

I am sure that nearly every couple, whether they be newlyweds or not, at some point discusses and dreams of having a little bundle of joy to bring into the world and expand their little family. They long for the gift of a baby and the responsibilities of parenthood that accompany it. Most couples or single parents will do anything and everything to protect their child/children and give them the world. However, not everyone does so. A growing problem, not only in my area, but across the United States is infants being born addicted to some type of drug whether it simple be cigarettes, or something harsher such as an addiction to prescription pills. Most expecting mothers are willing to give up foods and activities during the entirety of their pregnancy to help ensure that their baby will be born healthy without issues. Some, however, are not as willing to do so. Addictions are hard to break, and require an ample amount of time to treat so that you are no longer dependent on that substa nce. Some women do not realize that by not trying to treat their addiction and continuing to use that substance/those substances that they are not only continuing to harm themselves, but they are harming their unborn baby as well. If an expecting mother smokes a joint, so does the fetus. If they take a drink of an alcoholic beverage, so does the unborn baby. Whatever they put into their body, food or not, they put that into the body of the fetus. When a pregnant individual smokes marijuana, theShow MoreRelatedShould All Pregnant Women Be Drug Tested? Essay943 Words   |  4 Pagesdoing drugs without you even knowing. A more upsetting topic is babies being born addicted to drugs. A study has shown in 2004 seven babies in every 1000 were born addicted to drugs, by 2013 27 in every 1000 babies have been born addicted (Staufenberg, J. (2015, September 7). Huge increase in babies born addicted to drugs in US. Retrieved October 1, 2015.). I know it’s hard, thinking how such precio us little humans can be born suffering from withdrawal. Poor babies have to suffer due to their mother’sRead Moredrugs use among pregnant women1462 Words   |  6 Pagesusers, is on the rise in the word today. According to The Universities of Michigan and Pittsburg (April 30, 2012), a baby is born addicted to drugs every hour. These babies are at high risk of experiencing birth defects and possibly growing up to be addicted to drugs as well. Most are born at a very low birth weight, usually under four pounds; which is also an ongoing problem as they grow. Drugs and Long Term Effects The drugs that women are using are marijuana, prescription drugs, cocaineRead MoreThe Disastrous Effects Of Parental Drug Addiction On Children1478 Words   |  6 Pagesaddiction?†). Drug abuse affects not only the user, but those around the user as well. The actions of a drug user place a significant amount of worry on the people that are closest to them such as friends and family. Children with parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol can be severely affected by the actions of their parents which can cause them much harm in terms of biological and psychological issues. Children with addiction stricken parents are where society needs to place their worry becauseRead MoreCocaine Is A Powerful Stimulant Drug1574 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the 1800’s, cocaine was first created and recognized for its medicinal purposes. â€Å"Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug made from the leaves of the South American coca plant† (â€Å"Stimulants†). Cocain e was initially being used as a medicinal drug to reduce the pain of toothaches or as a local anesthesia used for certain surgeries. Shortly after, a new popular drink by the name of â€Å"Coca Cola† was created and contained a small amount of cocaine to provide the users with an increase of energy. DuringRead MoreYou Walk Into A Nicu1177 Words   |  5 Pagesbaby is inconsolable. The infant’s skin is mottled, its reflexes are hyperactive, and it is breathing rapidly. You are looking at a baby that was born addicted to heroin. I experienced this over the summer while I was doing my externship. Reading about this baby’s story broke my heart, but it also made me say: â€Å"what can we do to try to fix this problem.† I haven’t been sure when to start, so I was thrilled when I found out about this assignment. Even just to get my thoughts down on paper and maybeRead MoreAddiction: Is it a Disease or a Choice? Essay1000 Words   |  4 Pagescan c ause health problems, which also can result in pricey healthcare bills. Gambling isnt something one would want as an addiction. They may find themselves lying to get extra money to blow, and it can also be a reason that they may borrow and owe a lot of money to somebody. Sexual addiction is hard for one to overcome, it can consume their lives. Family households can be ruined by ones addiction. It doesnt usually ever end up with positivity. The thing that a person is addicted to is ingrainedRead MoreUses and abuse of drugs983 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Ã¢â‚¬Å"Last year alone, 37,000 people died from drug related overdoses.† Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. Substance abuse is a growing problem that not only affects the person who is abusing alcohol or drugs but also affects the lives of those who are close to the abuser. Substance abuse is the abuse of any substance. A drug is a substance that modifies one or more of the body’s functions when it is consumed. It is often mistakenly assumed that drug abusersRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse990 Words   |  4 PagesPrescription drug abuse is not a new problem within our society. Prescription drug abuse has in fact been an ongoing problem that i s currently spinning out of control. There are many people within our society that are currently dealing with prescription drug addiction. Prescription drug abuse is the intentional use of a medication without a prescription; in a way other than as prescribed; or for the experience or feeling it causes (The Science of Drug Abuse Addiction, 2014). Prescription drugsRead MoreTheu.s. Supreme Court Case1146 Words   |  5 PagesIn 2009, the Journal of American Medical Association wrote that at least 13,000 infants will be born dependent on some sort of substance, and DrugRehab.org says that eight million children have a parent that is addicted to substances as well. Now, most laws do protect the baby from a drug addicted mother, mainly in the event of a stillborn. While having a baby with brain damages and problems caused by the mother’s substance abuse, the mother will also suffer complications during childbirth (SarahRead MorePrenatal Development And Development Of A Fetus 1591 Words   |  7 Pagescan cause severe brain damage, that are usually revealed through behavioral problems, including hyperactivity and learning deficits. In severe cases, the child may be diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome which can cause deformities of the face, growth inadequacies both prenatally and postnatally, and impairment to the central nervous system. These children may have a lack of judgment and impulse control, higher risk of being diagnosed with ADHD, and have difficulty with learning, all of which carry

Zero Tolerance In Schools - 1295 Words

Many Americans do not realize what children in the middle and high school level go through on a daily basis while in school. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 2016 more than one out of every five students report being bullied at school. An intimidating physical threat at times involving aggression towards another, actions including hitting, pushing, punching, threatening, and teasing – bullying. One way to reduce bullying would be zero tolerance. This is a policy of not allowing any violations of a rule or law, which will lead to suspension or expulsion. For this reason, reports of bullying toward the 2 boys who caused the terrible school shooting at Columbine High School, in 1999. Many psychologists, school†¦show more content†¦The girls continued to torment her they would tease, give her dirty looks, snub her, shooing her away from their lunch table (Schmidt). The parents tried to speak to school administrators, teachers, counselors and even the 2 girl’s parents regarding the complaints of bullying. The day Mallory decided to take her own life her parents were at the school trying to file a Harassment Intimidation, and Bullying report but unfortunately it was too late. What is alarming is the numbers of students have felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row that they stop doing their normal activities. According to the CDC, 2014 29.9% of students nationwide felt sad or hopeless and 17% of students had seriously considered attempting suicide (Brewer 44). In another case the student by the name of Gabriel Taye he was only an 8 year old and committed suicide after being bullied at school. The parents are currently suing the school district, former superintendent, principal, and assistant principal for negligence regarding the bullying. The parents have 14 incidents they are aware of regarding bullying at the campus and the school district only has 4 incidents on record. The bullies were never suspended or punished for their behavior. Carson Elementary has 31 cameras installed throughout the school, and they only have one incident on camera, the parents are also stating the school has destroyed evidence. The video ind icates the victim being pulledShow MoreRelatedEssay on Zero Tolerance in Schools987 Words   |  4 PagesContemporary Issue Paper Zero tolerance has become the latest contemporary educational issue for the Christian school leader. Zero tolerance policies mandate predetermined consequences for specific offenses. According to a government study, more than three quarters of all U.S. schools reported having zero tolerance policies (Holloway, 2002). Systematic guidelines of enforcing zero tolerance require educational leaders to impose a predetermined punishment, regardless of individual culpability orRead MoreThe Zero Tolerance School Policies856 Words   |  4 Pagescontributed so much on the topic â€Å"zero tolerance school policies†. There are some important key concepts from the course that connect with my project that I will be discussing. I will also be talking about what it takes to be an ally and why we chose our ally. Considering a critical social theory lens is very important as well and I will be discussing this too. I learned so much from working on this project. To begin, I learned the history behind why zero tolerance school policies exist. These strictRead MoreZero Tolerance And Its Effects On School Safety Essay1846 Words   |  8 PagesZERO TOLERANCE There are hundreds if not thousands of students in any given school. The sheer size and magnitude of the student population encompassed in these schools leads to complications of school safety. Zero tolerance is a policy which was brought about enforcing school safety more firmly, and aimed to better protect students. However, the way in which these students are protected is highly debatable, making the zero tolerance ideology very controversial. Exactly which approach is most effectiveRead MoreZero Tolerance Policies And School Discipline10009 Words   |  41 Pagesthat funnels millions of students from school into the juvenile justice system (Robinson, 2013). This dilemma, known as the school-to-prison pipeline is garnering much attention in Virginia due to the states continued issues in overcoming the phenomenon. This study explores zero tolerance policies and school discipline to better understand its effect in to bring awareness to an issue that may help in dismantling this pipeline. Particularly looking at those school divisions within Virginia that haveRead MoreZero Tolerance And Its Contribution On The School And Prison Pipeline1446 Words   |  6 PagesZero Tolerance and its Contribution to the School-to-Prison Pipeline A trend has developed in our society in recent decades. This concerning trend shows that African American youth are finding their way into the criminal justice system at a much higher rate than their peers. This trend starts in schools where students as young as fifth graders are being suspended from school for minor issues. Police officers are being used more and more to handle situations in the schools rather than teachers. DoesRead MoreZero Tolerance Policies in American Schools Essay874 Words   |  4 PagesIn all grades of education, from kindergarten to college, there is a form of discipline known as a zero tolerance policy. While the exact wording is different from school to school, basically a zero tolerance policy means that a student is immediately suspended, asked to attend an alternative school, or expelled if they are suspected or caught doing certain things. These policies are in place to hopefully deter students from doing drugs or being violent, but the ethics behind them are questionableRead MoreUse and Application of the Zero Tolerance Policy in American Schools1773 Words   |  8 Pages In an effort to maintain peace, safety and a disciplined environment conducive to effective teaching and learning, many schools have adopted the zero tolerance policy. This philosophy was originally created in the 1990’s as an approach towards drug enforcement to address the rampant use, possession and sales of drugs in schools (Jones, 2013). Today, this policy is used to mandate the application of pre-determined consequences of violation of stated rules. These rules may pertain to a number of issues;Read MoreSchools Should Eliminate the Use of Zero-Tolerance Policies Essay969 Words   |  4 Pages The public schools of the United States, despite their proud past, are currently experiencing many difficulties. They seem to be under constant scrutiny and pressure to produce higher academic achievement and at the same time are being criticized by large segments of society. It is no secret that the environment which students experience in the public schools has changed greatly over the past twenty to thirty years, but there are many possible reasons for this; most of these explanations do notRead MoreZero Tolerance Unfairly Targets Minority Middle School Students1243 Words   |  5 PagesProblem Statement The problem for which resolution would be sought is that zero tolerance unfairly targets minority middle school students. Because of this policy, minority students have shown the tendency to be academically unsuccessful and are more prone to engage in misbehaviors that could lead to suspension or expulsion from school. It is for the sake of all of the children in American school districts that administrators, educators, and parents work together in order to determine the exact causeRead MoreCriminalization at School: Zero-Tolerance Discipline Policies Might Be Damaging to Students1309 Words   |  6 Pagesindefinite suspension with a recommendation for expulsion because his school administrators believed he flashed a gang sign although he was simply putting up three fingers to represent his football jersey number. (NPR Isensee, 2014). This kind of criminalization of young people contributes to suspension, dropout, and incarceration, and too often pushes students into what is refer red to by many education scholars and activists as the â€Å"school-to-prison pipeline,† a term that refers to â€Å"the policies and practices

The Secret Circle The Power Chapter Fourteen Free Essays

â€Å"So you have to go now,† Cassie said, trying to get her breath, speaking not only to Sally but to everyone in the cafeteria. â€Å"Forget school, forget everything. Leave. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Fourteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now Get out if you can, and if you can’t – well, do whatever you can to protect yourselves.† She stopped. â€Å"Look, it’s true. Sally, tell them.† The rusty-haired girl had been staring at Cassie, eyes wary, poised on her chair as if to bolt from this social pariah. Now she stared at Cassie another moment, then nodded once, as if to herself. Taking a deep breath, she stood. â€Å"Okay, you heard it,† she said in clear, strident tones that carried through the room. â€Å"We’re going to have a hurricane. Everybody tell somebody, and tell them to tell somebody else. Come on, get moving.† A boy stood up. â€Å"I saw on TV last night that the storm isn’t coming anywhere near us. How does she know – â€Å" â€Å"She’s a witch, isn’t she?† Sally yelled back in her raucous voice. â€Å"You telling me witches don’t know these things? They know more about nature than you ever will! Now come on!† â€Å"Sally, have you lost your mind?† The thin angry voice came from the door of the back room, where Portia was standing in front of a group of students with badges, her face chalky with fury. â€Å"You’re a hall monitor – † â€Å"Not anymore! I said move, you guys!† â€Å"This is completely against regulations! I’m going to tell Mr. Brunswick – â€Å" â€Å"You do that, cupcake,† Sally shouted back. â€Å"I/ you can find him! Now for the last time, people, get moving! Who are you going to listen to, her or me?† The hall monitors behind Portia hesitated for an instant, then, as a group, they surged forward to obey Sally. Portia stumbled back as they pushed around her, leaving her the sole inhabitant of the room. Cassie’s last glimpse of her showed her standing there, rigid, furious, and utterly alone. Sally began to shout more instructions to the cafeteria workers, and Cassie turned to go. But as Cassie reached the door, each of the girls paused a moment, and looked back at the other across the room. â€Å"You going to be okay?† Sally said. Cassie knew the â€Å"you† didn’t just mean Cassie. It meant the whole Circle. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Okay. Good luck.† â€Å"You too. Good-bye, Sally.† It wasn’t much of a brilliant cultural exchange, Cassie thought, running toward the parking lot to meet Diana. But it was a truce, witch with outsider. More than a truce. And now, she thought, I’ve got to put them out of my mind – all the outsiders. Sally will take care of her people; we have to take care of ours. It was raining hard now, and it seemed to get worse as she and Diana drove toward Crow-haven Road. Gusts of wind swayed Diana’s car as they pulled into Adam’s driveway. Right behind them, Adam’s jeep was pulling in. â€Å"They’ve got Sean,† Cassie said, twisting to look. She and Diana hurried to help. Nick and Doug were holding the smaller boy in the backseat. They marched him to the door the way Portia’s brothers had marched Cassie. It seemed a little incongruous; Sean was so small – but then Cassie looked into those shiny, darting black eyes. â€Å"You’d better get the hematite off him quick,† she said. Nick pulled Sean’s sweater up – and there it was, the engraved belt Cassie had seen that first week of school. Adam unbuckled it and threw it on the floor, where it lay like a dead snake. â€Å"Where’s the other piece?† he asked Sean roughly. Sean just fought to get free, panting, his eyes wild. It took all three of the guys to hold him, and if Chris, Deborah, and Laurel hadn’t arrived at that moment, he might actually have gotten away. Working together, the boys and Deborah managed to strip off his sweater and shirt. Underneath, where the other members of the Circle had been wearing amethysts, Sean was wearing a small leather pouch. Adam shook it gingerly and Cassie’s piece of hematite fell out. â€Å"Thief!† Deborah said, shaking a fist in Sean’s face. Sean stared at her blankly, still panting, terrified. â€Å"He probably didn’t even know he had it,† Melanie intervened. â€Å"He’s been under Black John’s influence from the beginning. Somebody take that hematite out and bury it. Laurel, is the herbal bath ready?† â€Å"Ready!† came Laurel’s shout from the downstairs bathroom, over the sound of running water. â€Å"Get him in here.† The Circle had been planning this purification ritual ever since they’d found out about Sean, and everyone knew his or her part. The boys dragged Sean into the bathroom while Laurel stood just outside the door. â€Å"I don’t care if his clothes are off or on,† Cassie heard her calling. â€Å"Just get him in the tub.† Deborah scooped up the hematite in a dustpan and went to bury it, and Diana rapidly completed an herbal charm she took from her backpack. She charged the canvas pouch of herbs with Earth, Water, Air, and Fire by sprinkling salt on it, flicking water from a glass on it, breathing on it, and passing it over a lit candle which had been sitting ready on the coffee table. â€Å"Okay, it’s done,† she said. â€Å"Melanie, what about you?† Melanie looked up from laying a ring of white stones on the floor. â€Å"I’m done too. By the time we’re finished with Sean, he’ll be so pure we won’t know him anymore.† Cassie wanted to look something up in her Book of Shadows, but there was another priority first. â€Å"We have to warn the parents around here,† she said, â€Å"the ones who’re at home, who don’t . work. Is somebody doing that?† â€Å"I’ll go to my house,† Chris said. â€Å"Both of my parents are home.† â€Å"My mom works,† Deborah said. â€Å"That just leaves Faye’s mom,† said Diana. â€Å"I’ll go tell her,† Suzan offered, surprising Cassie. â€Å"She knows me, she might take it best from me.† â€Å"And the crones,† Cassie said. â€Å"I mean,† she amended quickly, â€Å"Adam’s grandmother and Granny Quincey and Aunt Constance.† â€Å"They’re at my house; they came over this morning,† Melanie said. â€Å"Something to do with your mom, I think, Cassie. But I can’t leave this circle.† â€Å"I’ll go,† Cassie said. Diana flashed a smile at her. â€Å"I think crones is a good name for them,† she said. â€Å"It’s what they are, and I think Granny Quincey, anyway, would be proud to be crone to our coven.† So would my grandma, I bet, Cassie thought, and she plunged outside again. There was a strange smell out here, a smell like low tide, like crawling and decaying things. Cassie ran to the edge of the cliff, taking the back route along the bluff to Melanie’s house, and she saw that the ocean was dark and wild. The water was neither blue nor green nor gray, but a sludgy, oily color that seemed to be a mixture of all three. Specks of foam were flying on the wind, and there was white froth everywhere. Above, the clouds took on fantastic shapes, boiling and changing as if molded by unseen hands. The rain drove into Cassie’s face. It was a savage and awe-inspiring scene. No one answered her knock at the door of Number Four. Cassie wasn’t sure anybody inside could hear it over the wind and rain. â€Å"Aunt Constance?† she shouted, opening the door and peering inside. â€Å"Hello?† She started toward the room that had been given to her mother, and then stopped, turned back guiltily, and wiped her sandy, muddy Reeboks on the mat. Even so, she dripped water on the spotless, mirror-polished hardwood floor as she hurried to the bedroom. The door was barely ajar, and a strange brightness flickered inside. â€Å"Hello? †¦ Oh, my God!† Cassie poked her head around the door and froze. The room was lit entirely by dozens of white candles. Around the bed were three figures, three women whose appearance was so strange and fantastic that for a moment Cassie didn’t recognize them. One was tall and thin, another was short and plump, and the third was tiny and doll-like. They all had long hair: the tall one’s was black and thick, longer than Diana’s, the plump one’s was silvery-gray and untidy, waving down past her shoulders, and the tiny one’s was gauzy and white like floating wisps of seafoam. And they were naked. Cassie’s eyes were popping. â€Å"Great-aunt Constance?† she gasped to the one with long black hair. â€Å"Who did you expect?† Melanie’s aunt said sharply, her meticulously tweezed eyebrows drawing together. â€Å"Lady Godiva? Now go away, child, we’re busy.† â€Å"Don’t be unkind to her,† said the plump woman, whom Cassie was now able to identify as Adam’s grandmother. She smiled at Cassie, entirely unself-conscious. â€Å"We’re trying something to help your mother, dear,† the tiny figure, Laurel’s Granny Quincey, added. â€Å"It’s a sky-clad ritual, you see; that’s why we’re naked. Constance had her doubts, but we convinced her.† â€Å"And we need to get on with it,† Great-aunt Constance said, gesturing with the wooden cup she was holding. Granny Quincey was holding a bunch of herbs, and Adam’s grandmother, a silver bell. Cassie looked at the bed, where her mother lay as motionless as ever. Something about the light in the room made that sleeping face look different, just as it made the three women look different. â€Å"But there’s a hurricane coming,† Cassie said. â€Å"That’s why I’m here; I came to warn you.† The women exchanged glances. â€Å"Well, if there is, there’s no help for it,† Adam’s grandmother sighed. â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"Your mother can’t be moved, dear,† Granny Quincey said firmly. â€Å"So you go along and do what you have to, and we’ll try to protect her here.† â€Å"We’re going to fight Black John,† Cassie said. The simple statement seemed to hang in the air after she’d said it, and the three old women looked at each other again. Great-aunt Constance opened her mouth, frowning, but Granny Quincey interrupted her. â€Å"There’s no one else to do it, Constance. They have to fight.† â€Å"Then be careful. You tell Melanie – and all of them – to be careful,† Aunt Constance said. â€Å"And you stick together. As long as you stick together you’ll have a chance,† said Adam’s grandmother. And that was that. The women turned back to the bed. Cassie stood for one more moment looking at the candles – so white, with their flames even whiter, a golden white like Diana’s hair – and at the myriad ghostly shadows on the ceiling and walls. Then she left. As she quietly shut the door, all the candle flames danced wildly, and she had a last glimpse of the three women in the room, arms raised, beginning a kind of dance too. The silver bell chimed softly. She hadn’t noticed the wind inside the room, but now she did. Everything outside that door seemed colder and noisier, and the dim light coming in through the windows looked gray and wintry. Cassie had an impulse to go back into the golden room and hide there, but she knew she couldn’t. She walked back to Adam’s house, Number Nine, with the wind pushing her all the way. She was the last one back. The Circle was in Adam’s living room, sitting around Sean, who was sitting within the circle of quartz crystals. Sean’s face was very pink and scrubbed-looking, his hair was wet and spiky, and he was wearing clothes too big for him. Adam’s, Cassie guessed. Around his neck was the canvas pouch full of herbs Diana had prepared. He looked dazed and terrified, but he didn’t seem to be trying to get away. â€Å"Were they there? Did you find them?† Diana asked Cassie. Cassie nodded. She didn’t quite want to tell Diana how she had found them. She didn’t know how Melanie and Adam and Laurel would feel about their elderly relatives dancing naked around a sickroom. They might think there was something wrong with it; they might not understand about the golden light. â€Å"They said they’d stay where they were,† she said. â€Å"Granny Quincey said my mom couldn’t be moved, and that they were trying to help her. They said we should be careful, and Adam’s grandmother told us to stick together.† â€Å"Good advice,† Adam said, looking at Sean. â€Å"And that’s just about the point we’ve gotten to, here. Are we going to stick together or not?† â€Å"We tried asking him about the murders,† Laurel informed Cassie in a low voice, â€Å"but he doesn’t remember anything – doesn’t know what we’re talking about. We had to convince him that it wasn’t a joke. He believes us now, but he’s scared to death.† â€Å"So here’s the choice, Sean,† Adam was saying. â€Å"You can stand with us, or you can spend the rest of the day locked in the cellar where you can’t make trouble.† â€Å"Or,† Diana said softly, â€Å"you can go to him, to Black John. It’s his right,† she added quickly, as some of the others began to protest. â€Å"He has to make the decision.† Sean’s frightened eyes roved all around the room. Cassie felt sorry for him, sitting surrounded, with everyone looking at him. When he spoke, his voice was squeaky but definitive. â€Å"I’ll stand with you guys.† â€Å"Good boy,† Laurel said approvingly, and Deborah thumped him on the back so hard he nearly fell over. The Hendersons said nothing, simply looked at him out of their strange blue-green eyes, and Cassie had the feeling they might never forgive him for what had happened to Kori, even if it hadn’t been his fault. But at least for now, the Circle stood together. Except†¦ Cassie looked at Adam, and they both looked at Diana. Diana nodded. â€Å"Now’s the time,† she said. â€Å"This is Faye’s last chance – let’s hope she takes it.† Cassie didn’t have much hope, but she picked up the cordless phone lying on a pile of unfolded laundry on the couch. â€Å"What’s her beeper number?† Diana unfolded a scrap of paper and read it off. â€Å"After it rings, press pound and then dial Adam’s number,† she instructed. Cassie did and turned off the phone. She waited. Nothing happened. â€Å"We should give her a while to get to a phone,† Diana said. They all waited. Rain beat at the windows, and the wind howled in the chimney. â€Å"Isn’t there anything we should do? Like – I don’t know, nail boards over the windows or something?† Cassie asked. â€Å"Normally, yeah. We’d put up storm shutters, lash everything down, all that stuff,† Adam said. â€Å"But if this one hits us, I think we’re history, so there’s not much point.† They waited. â€Å"Try her again,† Diana said, and Cassie did. â€Å"Her mom hadn’t seen her since this morning,† Suzan said. â€Å"I wonder where she and Black John are?† Cassie wondered too. Wherever they were, Faye wasn’t answering her beeper. â€Å"I think,† Cassie said at last, â€Å"that we’re out one coven leader. And – well, I wanted to look this up in my Book of Shadows first, but Melanie, doesn’t it say somewhere that in an emergency you can elect a new leader?† Melanie smiled faintly, then nodded, as if she knew what Cassie had in mind. â€Å"In a crisis,† she said. â€Å"If the remaining coven all agrees, a new leader can be elected.† There was a shifting around the Circle, people straightening up and looking interested. â€Å"Oh,† said Laurel, â€Å"that’s a good idea.† â€Å"Especially since we’ve got the Master Tools,† Adam said. â€Å"Let’s do it,† said Deborah. Cassie was excited. She’d taken an oath while watching Faye draw that circle at the crossroads, and now she was going to see her oath fulfilled. She’d promised that Faye wouldn’t be leader forever, and in a few minutes Faye wouldn’t be. She opened her mouth joyfully to say, â€Å"I nominate Diana,† but before she could speak she heard Diana’s voice. â€Å"I nominate Cassie,† Diana said clearly. Cassie simply stared at her, amazed. When she got her breath back she said, â€Å"You’re joking.† â€Å"No,† Diana said. Then she turned, speaking to the rest of the Circle, speaking formally. â€Å"Cassie,† she said, â€Å"has shown the most power of any of us, including Faye. She can call on the elements – we’ve seen her call on Fire. She can communicate over long distances. She’s had true dreams, and she was the one who led us to the Master Tools. Her grandmother told her that her family has always had the clearest sight and the most power. And she’s strong, stronger than I am for this kind of fight. I nominate Cassie.† Cassie was stunned, but the others were nodding. â€Å"She’s pretty tough,† Deborah said, â€Å"even if she doesn’t look like it.† â€Å"She got that dog off me,† said Chris, sticking out his foot and examining it. â€Å"She’s smart, too,† said Laurel proudly. Aside from Diana, Laurel had been Cassie’s first friend in the Circle. â€Å"She thinks of things most people wouldn’t think of.† â€Å"She has ideas,† Suzan agreed, nodding her strawberry-blond head sagely. â€Å"I like her,† Sean ventured hesitantly, from his place in the ring of white stones. â€Å"She’s nice to me.† â€Å"She’s a natural,† Doug said, grinning his wild grin. Nick just said, â€Å"Yes.† Cassie realized they were serious. â€Å"I’m also Black John’s †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped and tried again. â€Å"The fact that Black John is my †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She still couldn’t say the word. â€Å"I think that may actually work for us,† Melanie said, looking at Cassie with thoughtful gray eyes. â€Å"If he doesn’t really want to hurt you it might handicap him – a little.† Everyone was still nodding. Cassie swallowed and gazed around the Circle. It didn’t seem to have occurred to anyone that she might just be too scared to do it, to lead the fight against Black John. In her own heart, she knew she didn’t want to face him again – that she wasn’t ready. She didn’t know if she’d ever be ready. But they were all looking at her: Diana with earnest faith; Deborah and the Hendersons with innocent confidence. Even Nick and Melanie were nodding, urging her. Cassie looked at Adam. His blue-gray eyes were something like the ocean outside – murky and full of turmoil. â€Å"You can do it,† he said tersely, answering her unspoken question. â€Å"And I think it’s best for the coven. I don’t know if it’s best for you.† Cassie let out her breath. They believed in her. She couldn’t let them down. â€Å"If everybody agrees,† she said, scarcely knowing her own voice. â€Å"We’ll do it the easy way,† Melanie said. â€Å"All in favor of Cassie as leader, raise your hand.† Every hand was raised. Diana jumped up. â€Å"I’ll get the things,† she said. She and Adam headed for the cellar and returned a few minutes later with the brass and leather document box. Everyone leaned forward to look as she opened it, and there was a soft hiss of amazement around the Circle. â€Å"They’re beautiful,† Suzan said, touching the silver diadem with one perfectly manicured nail. â€Å"Yes,† said Diana, unzipping her backpack. â€Å"Here, Cassie, put this on.† It was the white shift Diana wore at meetings. Cassie felt heat stealing into her face. She couldn’t wear that. She would look . . . â€Å"Don’t worry, you won’t be cold,† Diana said, and smiled. â€Å"But – you’re taller than me. It’ll be too long-â€Å" â€Å"I hemmed it,† Diana said. And then, in the silence that followed, she said gently, â€Å"Take it, Cassie.† Slowly, Cassie took it. She went into the bathroom, still slightly steamy now, where the boys had washed Sean, and she put on the raw-silk shift. It fit perfectly. Diana had this planned, she realized. She was embarrassed to walk back out, but she told herself this was no time to be worried about how much skin she was showing. Chris and Doug whistled as she rejoined the group. â€Å"Shut up, this is serious,† Laurel said. â€Å"She might as well stand here, in the circle of white stones,† Melanie said. â€Å"Get out, Sean.† Sean, looking relieved, stepped out. Cassie stepped in. Silence fell. â€Å"I adjure thee to work for the good of the Circle, to harm none, to be faithful to all. By Water, by Fire, by Earth, and by Air, lead us peacefully and with good will,† Diana said. Cassie realized she was getting the part of the ceremony that Faye had missed when Faye had become leader. â€Å"Look – this is only temporary, isn’t it – ?† she began. â€Å"Sh,† said Laurel, kneeling. Cassie felt something soft being fastened just above her right knee. She looked down to see Laurel buckling the green leather garter. Coolness encircled Cassie’s upper arm, and she turned to see Melanie clasping the silver bracelet there. It was surprisingly heavy; Cassie knew she’d feel the weight whenever she moved that arm. â€Å"Look at me,† Diana said. Cassie did. Between her two hands Diana was holding the diadem of delicate twisted silver, with the crescent moon on top. Cassie felt it settle into her hair, lightly but firmly. And then, all over her body, from the silver of the garter buckles, to the silver of the bracelet, to the circlet touching her forehead, Cassie felt a rush of tingling warmth. An – aliveness. These are the real tools; not just symbols, she thought. They have power of their own. In that moment, she knew she could direct their power. It was part of her, suffusing her with strength. She was a witch, from a line of powerful witches, and she was leader of this Circle. â€Å"All right,† she said, stepping out of the ring of stones and going over to take her Book of Shadows from her backpack. She was no longer worried about how she looked; she knew she looked good. That didn’t matter. They had a little time ahead of them, and she wanted to use it to their advantage. â€Å"All right, look; while we’re waiting I think we should go through our Books of Shadows – my grandmother told me to study mine, and it’s better than doing nothing,† she said. â€Å"We can take turns reading out loud until it gets dark – he won’t move until then.† â€Å"Are you sure?† Melanie said. â€Å"Yes.† Cassie didn’t know how she knew, but she knew. Her grandmother had called it the Sight, but to Cassie it was more like a voice – an inner voice, a voice at her core. By now, she knew enough to listen to it. Nobody argued. Those who had them reached for Books of Shadows. Outside, the wind wailed dismally. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Fourteen, Essay examples

Study Explains Mixed Fortunes At Dominos †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Case Study Mixed Fortunes At Dominos? Answer: Introduction This study introduces management case study that explains mixed fortunes at Dominos. In this particular assignment, emphasis has been given on understanding background of Dominos Pizza (Sheth and Sisodia 2015). The case study on Dominos Pizza was presented in a way where several issues are identified that reveals that workers are not paid for overtime and there is exploitation of human resources. The current segment identifies issues that are faced by Dominos in its operations. Dominos is one of the Australian pizza chains with a network of franchises and over 600 retail stores globally. In addition, the shares of Dominos have surged and best performers and making a lot of people wealthy. In the year 2016, Dominos generated total revenue of $939,976,000. The reality of life inside the Dominos Pizza chain is not what is portrayed to the general public. Most The present study explains probable solution where Dominos can mitigate the issues as identified in the case study (Armstrong et al. 2014). Background Dominos has the biggest pizza menu in and across the world with more than 2,00,000 options that help in boosting the sales of Dominos that is more than 90 million pizzas on annual basis with a guarantee to deliver pizza within 15 to 20 minutes for an extra cost (He, Zha and Li 2013). The business model of Dominos is based on franchisees growing sales with head office taking a royalty from every sale where Australians chomp through 1 million of pizzas every week. In addition, stores are bought and sold on a multiple of these sales and not on profits. It is understood that more stores will help in generating more sales and that lead to gain profits for head office (Sheth and Sisodia 2015). Issue identification Poor Management Leadership- From the case study of Dominos, several issues was related that was hampering the reputation of the overall brand. To this, poor management leadership is one of the issues that were clearly identified from the case study. The business of Dominos relies mainly on franchisees where they take up stores and increase the sale of the brand. But, this was not the case with the one of the powerful franchises and member of Franchisee Advisory Committee named as Del Santo. The leadership style that was adopted by him was wrong and lead to harassing workers who are working for their stores. On the other hand, Managing Director (Meij) of Dominos follows leadership style where he actually thinks behalf of people where more concentration is given on training its workers so that they know how to work and learn each day. On the contrary, being a store franchisee, Del Santo asks his store manager to reduce labor costs by any means possible. The main issue was exploitation of human resources at Dominos Pizza where staff members are not paid for their work and force them to work more without pay. Other problem that was found at the time of audit of Dominos is the stores of the company give rise to wage fraud. Franchisees mostly blame the head of office system if anything went wrong and that lead to poor quality of food and delivery Possible solution Employee dissatisfaction- One of the possible solution that can be adopted by Dominos is to check over the facts whether employees are happy working for their stores. Human resource is one of the assets to the company that should be properly managed and efforts should be made to listen to their needs and expectations rather than only thinking of sales and profits. At Dominos, employees are highly dissatisfied with their pay scale where they are working for longer hours but not getting paid for extra hours even. Figure: Response to employee dissatisfaction (Source: Baker, M.J., 2014) Voice- The employee feels dissatisfied if they cannot voice or speak up their own opinion at workplace. Same is the case of Dominos where employees cannot have their own say or opinion regarding any of the company operations. Loyalty- It is condition where employees wait for better condition or improvements by trusting the organization and management to perform the right thing. Neglect- It is condition where employee feel worsen that include lateness,, reduced effort as well as increased error rate. Exit- It is the condition where dissatisfaction is expressed through behavior that is directed to leave any organization. Organization value or culture- The organization work culture if equally important for any employees who are working for Dominos. The managing director of Dominos believes in changing the business model frequently so that they are ahead of competition in the market. Organization value or culture is really important so that employee feel relaxed, composed and content while working at Dominos. Communication- Communicating the right information to the right employees is the best solution that needs to be adopted in the stores of Dominos. The management of these stores is only thinking how to increase profits by any means possible. The possible solutions are customer communication as well as job redesign. It is important to undergo the immediate issuing of press release for discussing the mishappenings, conducting aggressive advertising as well as communication and employee training. The Company should conduct interview via television as well as radio stations for discussing the events and reassuring the public what situation need to be handled. Promotion is one of the possible solutions that Dominos should adopt in their business operations. Embarking on vigorous promotions as well as giveaways for regaining rapport from the customers. Dominos has always been a company who based its offerings on convenience (Sheth and Sisodia 2015). The company is trying to gain competitive advantage over other companies by having both convenience as well as flavor lovers on their side. It will be difficult task to keep up both convenience and new recipe as it will be highly costly affair. The old famous deal of 30 minutes or free had been their trademark for several years. With the new developments of a recipe, it is noted that Dominos is swaying away from convenience as well as moving towards flavor (Brown and Churchill 2014). Proposed solution From the above listed possible solution, communication can be selected as the best proposed solution that can solve any major issue that prevails at Dominos. The proposed solution that should be adopted by Dominos is Job Redesign and this can be illustrated by use of Herzberg Two factor theory. Figure: Job Redesigning at Dominos Pizza (Source: Baker, M.J., 2014) Person marketing include activities that need to be undertaken for creating, maintaining or changing attitudes and behavior for targeting consumers towards specific people (Armstrong et al. 2015). Dominos Pizza does not pay much attention to the staff members and found to be not abiding by the policies and procedures. Most of the workers are underpaid and they are not even paid for extra hours worked by the employees. Employees work for longer hours for the company but they are not gets paid for that time or hours (Czinkota and Ronkainen 2013). This action gives rise to dissatisfaction in the minds of employees. Dominos Pizza faced problem in their operational activities such as loss of customers as well as profits. There are alternative solutions mentioned in the above question that is generated to solve problem of Dominos. Possible solution to the above problem is job redesigning of activities (He, Zha and Li 2013). A proper plan was formulated for implementation of probable solution. Therefore, contingency plan was put in place for any types of precautionary measures. Recommendations The first strategy that should be used by Dominos is treating each employee equally and paying for what they work. At stores, the employees who want to work for longer hours should be paid that lead to employee satisfaction. It is recommended to Dominos that Senior Leaders should meet every month for discussing the commodity market outlook as well as how to manage purchase and supplier relationships in an effective way. It is suggested that Dominos pizza should extend the menu as well as try to increase the taste as well. Dominos pizza should launch many national advertisements that highlight how they reinvented their entire business model. Dominos pizza should make use of technology like Online Pizza tracker as well as iPhone application and online ordering. It is suggested to Dominos for implementing the new flavor as well as also keeps the 30 minutes or less bargain guarantee. Both convenience and flavor is costly affair where the amount of large profit in sale at the beginning of the process. Both the convenience as well as new pizza together would make for a great solution. In addition, the break-even that could be obtained with this that would succeed over the previous pizza recipe. Transparent communication The next strategy that should be adopted by Dominos is enhancing transparent communication where each employee can speak up their thoughts, opinions and grievances to the upper level management or any level of management they desire to. Employee grievances should be addressed by the management so that they feel their importance in the company and that will make them work more for the organization and become a true asset to the company. Addressing employees grievances and complaints can solve a lot of major problem in the stores. References Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S. and Kotler, P., 2014.Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia. Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M. and Brennan, R., 2015.Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education. Babin, B.J. and Zikmund, W.G., 2015.Exploring marketing research. Cengage Learning. Baker, M.J., 2014.Marketing strategy and management. Palgrave Macmillan. Brown, T.J. and Churchill, G.A., 2014.Basic marketing research: Customer insights and managerial action. Cengage learning. Christopher, M., 2016.Logistics supply chain management. Pearson UK. Czinkota, M.R. and Ronkainen, I.A., 2013.International marketing. Cengage Learning. De Mooij, M., 2013.Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. Sage Publications. Hair Jr, J.F. and Lukas, B., 2014.Marketing research(Vol. 2). McGraw-Hill Education Australia. Hartley, S., 2015. Domino's dominate with digital design.Busidate,23(3), p.2. He, W., Zha, S. and Li, L., 2013. Social media competitive analysis and text mining: A case study in the pizza industry.International Journal of Information Management,33(3), pp.464-472. Sheth, J.N. and Sisodia, R.S., 2015.Does marketing need reform?: Fresh perspectives on the future. Routledge.