Saturday, January 25, 2020

Collaborative Work in Social Care

Collaborative Work in Social Care Introduction The following essay proposes to consider the question of collaborative working in social care, looking in particular at the impact of collaborative working between agencies and professional disciplines within the context of children and families. This represents an especially complex problem to attempt to tackle with the issues of both collaborative working and working with children families subject to an almost constant process of reform and change in the contemporary era. When, for instance, we pause to consider the way in which collaborative work has become such a central feature of contemporary social policy in western liberal democracies with the promulgation of the partnership approach to government dictating the pattern of a variety of social, cultural, economic and political initiatives, we can see that any discussion relating to multi-agency work must reside in some part within the realms of a constantly changing political ideology that seeks in the first instance to instil new parameters for social work practice (Quinney, 2006:5-21). Likewise, when we consider the changing nature of working with children and families in the contemporary era, we can see that a decidedly pervasive legislative and policy framework increasingly that seeks to infringe upon the practice of social work on both an individual and a collaborative level cannot help but impact upon our understanding of the nature and role of the social worker within the context of children and families (OLoughlin and Bywater, 2008:14-27). Thus, we need to observe from the outset the way in which the following essay constitutes an inherently subjective discussion where any conclusions garnered should be understood as open to further change and reinterpretation. For the purpose of perspective, we intend to adopt a dualistic approach to the problem at hand, looking firstly at the political, ideological and legal context in which social work with children and families currently takes place. In this way, we will be better able to demonstrate an effective understanding of the field of child and family work, the social work role and the multidiscipline system in relation to children in need and children in need of protection. Secondly, we will look at the implications of our own evidence-based research yielded from group dynamics involving a specific case study of children and families. In this way, we will be better able to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of evidence-based practice. Moreover, in this way, we will be better able to consider both the strengths and the weaknesses of the collaborative approach to social service provision at the dawn of the twenty first century. Before we can begin, though, we need to briefly consider the historical context in order to establish a conceptual framework in which the remainder of the discussion can take place. The political, ideological and legal context of working with children and families To understand the significance of the multi-agency, collaborative approaches to child protection we need to first mention some of the most profound cases of child cruelty, which have acted as a launch pad for reforms of social services. When, for instance, we pause to consider the case of Dennis ONeil who was starved and subsequently beaten to death by his foster father in 1945, we can see that instances of extreme abuse of looked after children directly contributed to reform of the child social services system. Maria Colwell was similarly abused and killed at the hands of her stepfather in spite of over fifty official visits to the family by social services, health visitors, police officers and housing officers before her death in 1973. As a result of the ensuing enquiry into Maria Colwells death, looked after children were assigned a guardian by the state. (Cocker and Allain, 2008:24) Likewise, public outrage, internal inquiries and institutional reform accompanied the murders of J asmine Beckford in 1984 and the uncovering of widespread sexual abuse amongst looked after children in Cleveland in 1987. In addition, the wrongful fostering of children on the Orkney Islands in 1991 after social workers mistakenly assumed that parents were part of a satanic cult triggered a reconfiguration of child protection policy, acting as a timely reminder as to the fallibility of decision making at an individual as well as an organisational level. Yet while it is true that childrens services have been influenced by individual historical cases of neglect, abuse and murder, it is also true that social work and childrens services are inherently tied to the dominant political ideology of the day. As we have already asserted, social work practice in the contemporary era is an inherently political issue with a pervasive neoliberal political ideology dictating the pattern of social policy and welfare reform over the course of the past two decades. Nowhere is this modernising neoliberal impetus more prominent than in the field of social work with children and families (Johns, 2009:39-54). Beginning with the Childrens Act of 1989 and continuing with the amended Childrens Act of 2004, the state has increasingly sought to make provisions for disadvantaged children and failing families in order to reduce the debilitating ill effects of marginalisation and social exclusion. These two Acts, in conjunction with a variety of other related social policies and statutory framework such as the Every Child Matters programme, constitute an ideological watershed with regards to the way in which the state legislatively copes with the numerous issues arising from children and families. Most obviously, these pieces of legislation and the broader emphasis upon social inclusion that they entail telegraph a new way of responding to issues arising from children and families by looking to target the causes (rather than the consequences) of neglect, exclusion, abuse and the ubiquitous problem of failing families. As a result, it is important to observe the way in which the reforms initiated over the closing decades of the twentieth century and the opening decade of the twenty first century represent a move away from the permissive social policies of the post-war years so as to incorporate a discernibly more preventative agenda for working with children and families (Morri s, Barnes and Mason, 2009:43-67). It is within this climate of preventative action that we must consider the genesis and subsequent evolution of collaborative social work practice with multi-agency work being intrinsically tied to the broader imperative of safeguarding children. The statutory framework of the Every Child Matters initiative, underpinned by the Childrens Act (2004) is, for instance, inherently tied to the partnership, collaborative approach to social service provision involving the active participation of professionals across all spectrums who work with children and young adults (Brammer, 2009:166). Understood in this way, the role of the social worker represents one part of a broader network of rights and responsibilities incorporating General Practitioners, psychologists, educational practitioners, housing association officers, National Health Service professionals, law enforcement agencies, government officials, local councillors, parents, family members and any number of related workers and associa tes who are able to help formulate an effective social agenda which places the child at the epicentre of all key decision-making. In this way, the social worker is better able to communicate with children who have suffered or are suffering from cases of neglect and abuse (Davies and Duckett, 2008:164-166). As a consequence, it is clear that partnership and collaboration should be understood as the ideological bedrock of the contemporary legal and political framework for dealing with children, families and young adults, constituting the single most important guiding principle for social workers operating in the highly complex, risk-orientated contemporary social sphere. Fuelled in some part by the high profile cases of internal failings contributing to childrens neglect where, most notably, the untimely death of Victoria Climbie in 2000 highlighted gross failures of the system (Laming, 2003:11-13), collaborative working between agencies and professional disciplines is today understood as the most viable means of positively impacting upon the well being of both children and families (Brammer, 2009:182.) In response to the murder of Victoria Climbie and, more pertinently, as a result of the economic imperative to cut back on public sector spending, the New Labour government, followed by the present coalition government, has increasingly sought to further the multi-agency approach to social services. The Childrens Plan (2007), for example, constitutes an ideological extension of the collaborative methodology championed in the Every Child Matters campaign with the government, agencies and professionals all charged with improving childrens lives. (The Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010:29) Safeguarding the well being of children is therefore no longer considered to be the sole responsibility of the state; rather, it is clear that promoting the welfare of children and families is increasingly dependent upon adopting an integrated approach with a variety of agencies, organisations and individuals sharing the responsibility for welfare while at the same time ensuring that the child remains the focus of proactive, preventative action (The Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010:31-34). It is consequently important to underline the strengths of the multi-agency approach to social care provision, underscoring in particular the way in which focusing upon collaborative working with children and families offers a holistic approach to what is an essentially multi-faceted problem. However, while we are correct to acknowledge the modernising ideology that underpins modern social work practice, we also need to observe the way in which the day to day practice of social work with children and families has revealed a significant underlying chasm between, on the one hand, the preventative legal framework and, on the other hand, the deep-seated flaws in the multi-agency, inter-disciplinary approach to welfare provision in the modern day (Oko, 2008:16-39). In spite of the best efforts of policy makers and in spite of the preventative statutory framework enshrined in the Every Child Matters initiative, there remain deep-rooted structural and logistical problems pertaining to the multi-agency approach. For example, the horrific death of Baby P in 2007 which occurred after social services, National Health Service consultants, and police officers demonstrates that there remains a clear and identifiable problem with regards to communication between agencies, organisations and professions. Moreover, the harrowing case of Baby P serves to demonstrate that, even when extreme levels of abuse are being reported, there remains a problem regarding intervention. The multi-agency approach to social care provision in the contemporary should therefore be understood as being inherently flawed with the collaborative system beset by a variety of structural weaknesses and new ideological complexities (Milner and OByrne, 2009:19-23). Although we should not seek to overlook the strengths of multi-agency, collaborative working we must, as Eileen Munro attests, consider the way in which an exceedingly risk-orientated socio-political culture has created additional problems for social workers in the modern era with an increasingly bureaucratic, administrative understanding of social services hampering the attainment of a critical understanding of the underlying economic, cultural and political factors that create problems in the social sphere (Munro, 2008:58-76). An over-emphasis upon res earch and policy has not yet yielded a significant reduction in the chasm between theory and practice. Working in a Group: The Lessons for Working with Children and Families Hitherto, we have focused upon attempting to understand how the dominant political, ideological and legal framework looks to dictate the pattern of social services at the dawn of the twenty first century. We have also seen that while policies and frameworks seek to instil a fresh, collaborative approach to working with children and young families the practical reality of working in a multi-agency context still leads to significant problems pertaining to communication. This, in the final analysis, is an inevitable consequence of working with the dynamics of groups where there is little by way of direction and where, more importantly, different group members harbour different perspectives and different ambitions with regards to the nature, role and purpose of the project at hand. In the group that I worked in, there were six participants. Two were two white women one a young woman in her early twenties; the other a woman in her thirties who is the mother of two young children. There were also two black women in the group; both of these women were in their thirties and both had children. In addition, there were two black men present in the group. As soon as the group began to convene, it was immediately apparent that there was a significant problem with regards to when the group could meet. Family commitments, coupled with work placements, conspired to make agreeing on a time to meet extremely difficult. Furthermore, when work was assigned to particular individuals it was not completed on time. A lack of structure was therefore prevalent from the start. As time went by and the problems with communication within the group continued to grow, it became apparent that the two white women took it upon themselves to act as the leaders of the group, delegating work as if they had been assigned the role of the managers. The younger woman in her early twenties was observed to be especially aggressive and domineering. When confronted she failed to act in a professional manner, which placed further strain upon the dynamics of the group. Furthermore, as the two white women exerted increasing levels of managerial control, it became apparent that they were withholding important information from the rest of the group. This was either because they did not trust the other members of the group to work to their standards or because they wished to take sole responsibility for the project upon completion. Regardless of their true intentions, the lack of co-ordination and communication resulted in a disappointing final presentation that had been undermine d on account of a wholesale lack of rehearsal. The lack of cohesive, coordinated action within the group revealed a great deal about the inherent problems of inter-agency work with children and families. Most obviously, there was a clear and identifiable problem relating to a lack of leadership and direction in the group. Although there were only six members, every participant appeared to have their own specific agenda, which meant that the overall goal became lost in the resulting confusion of responsibilities. This, according to Michael Gasper, is a key problem in multi-agency working with children and young people where a convergence of interests creates fertile grounds for problems relating to management and leadership (Gasper, 2009:92-110). In such circumstances, it is often the agency or partner that adopts the most rigorously aggressive attitude which ends up assuming a leadership-type role largely against the best interests of the project in hand. This was certainly the case in the group we observed where the two white w omen assumed leadership roles although no such premise had been discussed and in spite of the fact that no such policy had been agreed. In this instance, of course, it is impossible to ignore the spectre of underlying race issues that may have consciously or subconsciously influenced the behaviour of the two white women within the group. Race issues are intrinsically tied to power issues; thus, the white women might have felt the need to assume control of a group dominated by black people. Again, the issue of power and the impact that this has upon inter-personal relationships within a multi-agency setting is an important factor for us to consider. As Damien Fitzgerald and Janet Kay underscore, power is an inexorably important factor that needs to be legislated for when teams come together in an interdisciplinary, multi-professional context. This is especially true during the early consultative stages of group work the storming stage where there may be fighting, power struggles, disputes and destructive criticism, which need to be managed effectively so as to minimise the impact upon the setting or the service. (Fi tzgerald and Kay, 2007:92) The relationships that emerge from the storming stage are subsequently normalised during the ensuing norming stage where the team starts to adopt its own identity. If, however, the relationships between the various agencies have not settled down into an egalitarian pattern by the norming stage of development, the power struggles and internal disputes will inevitably affect the performing stage of task management. Most notably, the creative process will be stifled and the focus that should be dedicated towards the completion of the task will be diverted towards the power struggles within the group (Cheminais, 2009:38-40). This was certainly the case in the group I worked in where problems in the storming stage were translated into more serious structural problems in the norming stage, both of which ultimately affected the final performing stage of the task. Thus, once more, we need to acknowledge the significant divide between theory and practice in collaborative working with children and families where, as Jayat suggests, policies can be well intentioned, yet are often poorly co-ordinated and, in practice, under-resourced. (Jayat, 2009:92) Furthermore, while acknowledging the problems that multi-agency, collaborative work entails, we also need to consider the way in which the infusion of children into the scenario creates further avenues for a lack of cohesive, co-ordinated action. If, as the evidence suggests, information sharing is negatively influenced by multi-agency, collaborative working with adults, then it stands to reason that there is bound to be much greater scope for withholding information when children and families are integrated into the procedure. If relationships at an agency level are strained then it stands to reason that, as Butler and Roberts attest, that social workers will find it even harder to maintain open and honest relationships with children and their parents in a social work context (Butler and Roberts, 2004:129-130). More importantly, it is clear that there is little time for power struggles and disputes when a childs welfare is at stake. In the final analysis, this kind of internal wrang ling runs contrary to the central tenet of the Every Child Matters and the Working to Safeguard Children campaigns, which look to make sure that the child remains the centre of task-centred, multi-agency focus (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010:32). We should, of course, be careful not to assume that all group dynamics follow the pattern of the group we observed. While evidence suggests that there remains a significant scope for problems of power, communication, authority and direction within multi-agency settings it is also true that, if handled in the appropriate manner, collaborative practice allows differences in values to surface and, if effectively minded, to be aired and resolved over time (Glenny and Roaf, 2008:111) In such circumstances, multi-agency work with children and families can serve to positively influence the health and well being of service users. As a consequence, it is important not to assume that the structural weaknesses of collaboration mean that there are no strengths to the multi-agency process. Conclusion Understanding the strengths and the weaknesses of collaborative working between agencies and professional disciplines is dependent upon first understanding the distance to be travelled between the theory of prevention and the practice of collaboration at a grass roots level. Looking to reduce the divide between theory and practice, between the political and ideological framework and the multi-agency, collaborative approach, consequently represents the most critical challenge facing social workers and social policy makers alike. This is especially true as far as childrens services are concerned. Ultimately, though, when looking to pass a judgement on the relative strengths and weakness of multi-agency working with children and families we need to recall that agencies involve individuals responding to crises in the social sphere. As Beckett attests, every individual participant in the child protection process, and every profession or agency, necessarily sees things from his, her or its own particular standpoint and has his, her or its own particular axes to grind. It is important to bear in mind that no one participant possesses the pure and unadulterated truth.' (Beckett, 2009:29) Social work is an inherently complex and subjective discipline where there is no right or wrong answer to the multitude of questions arising from the breakdown of interpersonal relationships. Collaborative work should consequently be understood as being inherently fallible. Only by concentrating upon improving the internal group dynamics of multi-agency functioning can the chasm between theory and practice begin to be reduced.

Friday, January 17, 2020

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 14. You Know Things Are Bad When …

14. You Know Things Are Bad When You Feel Guilty For Being Rude To Vampires VAMPIRES When I got back to the house, there was no one waiting outside for my report. Still on alert? Everything's cool,I thought tiredly. My eyes quickly caught a small change in the now-familiar scene. There was a stack of light-colored fabric on the bottom step of the porch. I loped over to investigate. Holding my breath, because the vampire smell stuck to the fabric like you wouldn't believe, I nudged the stack with my nose. Someone had laid out clothes. Huh. Edward must have caught my moment of irritation as I'd bolted out the door. Well. That was†¦ nice. And weird. I took the clothes gingerly between my teeth – ugh – and carried them back to the trees. Just in case this was some joke by the blond psychopath and I had a bunch of girls' stuff here. Bet she'd love to see the look on my human face as I stood there naked, holding a sundress. In the cover of the trees, I dropped the stinking pile and shifted back to human. I shook the clothes out, snapping them against a tree to beat some of the smell from them. They were definitely guy's clothes – tan pants and a white button-down shirt. Neither of them long enough, but they looked like they'd fit around me. Must be Emmett's. I rolled the cuffs up on the shirtsleeves, but there wasn't much I could do about the pants. Oh well. I had to admit, I felt better with some clothes to my name, even stinky ones that didn't quite fit. It was hard not being able to just jet back home and grab another pair of old sweatpants when I needed them. The homeless thing again – not having anyplace to go back to. No possessions, either, which wasn't bothering me too bad now, but would probably get annoying soon. Exhausted, I walked slowly up the Cullens' porch steps in my fancy new secondhand clothes but hesitated when I got to the door. Did I knock? Stupid, when they knew I was here. I wondered why no one acknowledged that – told me either to come in or get lost Whatever. I shrugged and let myself in. More changes. The room had shifted back to normal – almost – in the last twenty minutes. The big flat-screen was on, low volume, showing some chick flick that no one seemed to be watching. Carlisle and Esme stood by the back windows, which were open to the river again. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett were out of sight, but I heard them murmuring upstairs. Bella was on the couch like yesterday, with just one tube still hooked into her, and an IV hanging behind the back of the sofa. She was wrapped up like a burrito in a couple of thick quilts, so at least they'd listened to me before. Rosalie was cross-legged on the ground by her head. Edward sat at the other end of the couch with Bella's burrito'ed feet in his lap. He looked up when I came in and smiled at me – just a little twitch of his mouth – like something pleased him. Bella didn't hear me. She only glanced up when he did, and then she smiled, too. With real energy, her whole face lighting up. I couldn't remember the last time she'd looked so excited to see me. What was with her? For crying out loud, she was married] Happily married, too – there was no question that she was in love with her vampire past the boundaries of sanity. And hugely pregnant, to top it off. So why did she have to be so damn thrilled to see me? Like I'd made her whole freakin' day by walking through the door. If she would just not care†¦ Or more than that – really not want me around. It would be so much easier to stay away. Edward seemed to be in agreement with my thoughts – we were on the same wavelength so much lately it was crazy. He was frowning now, reading her face while she beamed at me. â€Å"They just wanted to talk,† I mumbled, my voice dragging with exhaustion. â€Å"No attack on the horizon.† â€Å"Yes,† Edward answered. â€Å"I heard most of it.† That woke me up a little. We'd been a good three miles out. â€Å"How?† Tm hearing you more clearly – it's a matter of familiarity and concentration. Also, your thoughts are slightly easier to pick up when you're in your human form. So I caught most of what passed out there.† â€Å"Oh.† It bugged me a little, but for no good reason, so I shrugged it off. â€Å"Good. I hate repeating myself.† â€Å"I'd tell you to go get some sleep,† Bella said, â€Å"but my guess is that you're going to pass out on the floor in about six seconds, so there's probably no point.† It was amazing how much better she sounded, how much stronger she looked. I smelled fresh blood and saw that the cup was in her hands again. How much blood would it take to keep her going? At some point, would they start trotting in the neighbors? I headed for the door, counting off the seconds for her as I walked. â€Å"One Mississippi†¦ two Mississippi†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Where's the flood, mutt?† Rosalie muttered. â€Å"You know how you drown a blonde, Rosalie?† I asked without stopping or turning to look at her. â€Å"Glue a mirror to the bottom of a pool.† I heard Edward chuckle as I pulled the door shut. His mood seemed to improve in exact correlation to Bella's health. â€Å"I've already heard that one,'7Rosalie called after me. I trudged down the steps, my only goal to drag myself far enough into the trees that the air would be pure again. I planned to ditch the clothes a convenient distance from the house for future use rather than tying them to my leg, so I wouldn't be smelling them, either. As I fumbled with the buttons on the new shirt, I thought randomly about how buttons would never be in style for werewolves. I heard the voices while I slogged across the lawn. â€Å"Where are you going?† Bella asked. â€Å"There was something I forgot to say to him.† â€Å"Let Jacob sleep – it can wait.† Yes, please, let Jacob sleep. â€Å"It will only take a moment.† I turned slowly. Edward was already out the door. He had an apology in his expression as he approached me. â€Å"Jeez, what now?† Tm sorry,† he said, and then he hesitated, like he didn't know how to phrase what he was thinking. What's on your mind, mind reader? â€Å"When you were speaking to Sam's delegates earlier,† he murmured, â€Å"I was giving a play-by-play for Carlisle and Esme and the rest. They were concerned – â€Å" â€Å"Look, we're not dropping our guard. You don't have to believe Sam like we do. We're keeping our eyes open regardless.† â€Å"No, no, Jacob. Not about that. We trust your judgment. Rather, Esme was troubled by the hardships this is putting your pack through. She asked me to speak to you privately about it.† That took me off guard. â€Å"Hardships?† â€Å"The homeless part, particularly. She's very upset that you are all so†¦ bereft.† I snorted. Vampire mother hen – bizarre. â€Å"We're tough. Tell her not to worry.† â€Å"She'd still like to do what she can. I got the impression that Leah prefers not to eat in her wolf form?† â€Å"And?† I demanded. â€Å"Well, we do have normal human food here, Jacob. Keeping up appearances, and, of course, for Bella. Leah is welcome to anything she'd like. All of you are.† â€Å"I'll pass that along.† â€Å"Leah hates us.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So try to pass it along in such a way as to make her consider it, if you don't mind.† â€Å"I'll do what I can.† â€Å"And then there's the matter of clothes.† I glanced down at the ones I was wearing. â€Å"Oh yeah. Thanks.† It probably wouldn't be good manners to mention how bad they reeked. He smiled, just a little. â€Å"Well, we're easily able to help out with any needs there. Alice rarely allows us to wear the same thing twice. We've got piles of brand-new clothes that are destined for Goodwill, and I'd imagine that Leah is fairly close to Esme's size___† â€Å"Not sure how she'll feel about bloodsucker castoffs. She's not as practical as I am.† â€Å"I trust that you can present the offer in the best possible light. As well as the offer for any other physical object you might need, or transportation, or anything else at all. And showers, too, since you prefer to sleep outdoors. Please†¦ don't consider yourselves without the benefits of a home.† He said the last line softly – not trying to keep quiet this time, but with some kind of real emotion. I stared at him for a second, blinking sleepily. â€Å"That's, er, nice of you. Tell Esme we appreciate the, uh, thought. But the perimeter cuts through the river in a few places, so we stay pretty clean, thanks.† â€Å"If you would pass the offer on, regardless.† â€Å"Sure, sure.† â€Å"Thank you.† I turned away from him, only to stop cold when I heard the low, pained cry from inside the house. By the time I looked back, he was already gone. What now? I followed after him, shuffling like a zombie. Using about the same number of brain cells, too. It didn't feel like I had a choice. Something was wrong. I would go see what it was. There would be nothing I could do. And I would feel worse. It seemed inevitable. I let myself in again. Bella was panting, curled over the bulge in the center of her body. Rosalie held her while Edward, Carlisle, and Esme all hovered. A flicker of motion caught my eye; Alice was at the top of the stairs, staring down into the room with her hands pressed to her temples. It was weird – like she was barred from entering somehow. â€Å"Give me a second, Carlisle,† Bella panted. â€Å"Bella,† the doctor said anxiously, â€Å"I heard something crack. I need to take a look.† â€Å"Pretty sure† – pant – â€Å"it was a rib. Ow. Yep. Right here.† She pointed to her left side, careful not to touch. It was breaking her bones now. â€Å"I need to take an X-ray. There might be splinters. We don't want it to puncture anything.† Bella took a deep breath. â€Å"Okay.† Rosalie lifted Bella carefully. Edward seemed like he was going to argue, but Rosalie bared her teeth at him and growled, â€Å"I've already got her.† So Bella was stronger now, but the thing was, too. You couldn't starve one without starving the other, and healing worked just the same. No way to win. Blondie carried Bella swiftly up the big staircase with Carlisle and Edward right on her heels, none of them taking any notice of me standing dumbstruck in the doorway. So they had a blood bank and an X-ray machine? Guess the doc brought his work home with him. I was too tired to follow them, too tired to move. I leaned back against the wall and then slid to the ground. The door was still open, and I pointed my nose toward it, grateful for the clean breeze blowing in. I leaned my head against the jamb and listened. I could hear the sound of the X-ray machinery upstairs. Or maybe I just assumed that's what it was. And then the lightest of footsteps coming down the stairs. I didn't look to see which vampire it was. â€Å"Do you want a pillow?† Alice asked me. â€Å"No,† I mumbled. What was with the pushy hospitality? It was creeping me out. â€Å"That doesn't look comfortable,† she observed. â€Å"S'not.† â€Å"Why don't you move, then?† â€Å"Tired. Why aren't you upstairs with the rest of them?† I shot back. â€Å"Headache,† she answered. I rolled my head around to look at her. Alice was a tiny little thing. ‘Bout the size of one of my arms. She looked even smaller now, sort of hunched in on herself. Her small face was pinched. â€Å"Vampires get headaches?† â€Å"Not the normal ones.† I snorted. Normal vampires. â€Å"So how come you're never with Bella anymore?† I asked, making the question an accusation. It hadn't occurred to me before, because my head had been full of other crap, but it was weird that Alice was never around Bella, not since I'd been here. Maybe if Alice were by her side, Rosalie wouldn't be. â€Å"Thought you two were like this.† I twisted two of my fingers together. â€Å"Like I said† – she curled up on the tile a few feet from me, wrapping her skinny arms around her skinny knees – â€Å"headache.† â€Å"Bella's giving you a headache?† â€Å"Yes.† I frowned. Pretty sure I was too tired for riddles. I let my head roll back around toward the fresh air and closed my eyes. â€Å"Not Bella, really,† she amended. â€Å"The†¦ fetus.† Ah, someone else who felt like I did. It was pretty easy to recognize. She said the word grudgingly, the way Edward did. â€Å"I can't see it,† she told me, though she might have been talking to herself. For all she knew, I was already gone. â€Å"I can't see anything about it. Just like you.† I flinched, and then my teeth ground together. I didn't like being compared to the creature. â€Å"Bella gets in the way. She's all wrapped around it, so she's†¦ blurry. Like bad reception on a TV – like trying to focus your eyes on those fuzzy people jerking around on the screen. It's killing my head to watch her. And I can't see more than a few minutes ahead, anyway. The†¦ fetus is too much a part of her future. When she first decided†¦ when she knew she wanted it, she blurred right out of my sight. Scared me to death.† She was quiet for a second, and then she added, â€Å"I have to admit, it's a relief having you close by – in spite of the wet-dog smell. Everything goes away. Like having my eyes closed. It numbs the headache.† â€Å"Happy to be of service, ma'am,† I mumbled. â€Å"I wonder what it has in common with you†¦ why you're the same that way.† Sudden heat flashed in the center of my bones. I clenched my fists to hold off the tremors. â€Å"I have nothing in common with that life-sucker,† I said through my teeth. â€Å"Well, there's something there.† I didn't answer. The heat was already burning away. I was too dead tired to stay furious. â€Å"You don't mind if I sit here by you, do you?† she asked. â€Å"Guess not. Stinks anyway.† â€Å"Thanks,† she said. â€Å"This is the best thing for it, I guess, since I can't take aspirin.† â€Å"Could you keep it down? Sleeping, here.† She didn't respond, immediately lapsing into silence. I was out in seconds. I was dreaming that I was really thirsty. And there was a big glass of water in front of me – all cold, you could see the condensation running down the sides. I grabbed the cup and took a huge gulp, only to find out pretty quick that it wasn't water – it was straight bleach. I choked it back out, spewing it everywhere, and a bunch of it blew out of my nose. It burned. My nose was on fire†¦. The pain in my nose woke me up enough to remember where I'd fallen asleep. The smell was pretty fierce, considering that my nose wasn't actually inside the house. Ugh. And it was noisy. Someone was laughing too loud. A familiar laugh, but one that didn't go with the smell. Didn't belong. I groaned and opened my eyes. The skies were dull gray – it was daytime, but no clue as to when. Maybe close to sunset – it was pretty dark. â€Å"About time,† Blondie mumbled from not too far away. â€Å"The chainsaw impersonation was getting a little tired.† I rolled over and wrenched myself into a sitting position. In the process, I figured out where the smell was coming from. Someone had stuffed a wide feather pillow under my face. Probably trying to be nice, I'd guess. Unless it'd been Rosalie. Once my face was out of the stinking feathers, I caught other scents. Like bacon and cinnamon, all mixed up with the vampire smell. I blinked, taking in the room. Things hadn't changed too much, except that now Bella was sitting up in the middle of the sofa, and the IV was gone. Blondie sat at her feet, her head resting against Bella's knees. Still gave me chills to see how casually they touched her, though I guess that was pretty brain-dead, all things considered. Edward was on one side of her, holding her hand. Alice was on the floor, too, like Rosalie. Her face wasn't pinched up now. And it was easy to see why – she'd found another painkiller. â€Å"Hey, Jake's coming around!† Seth crowed. He was sitting on Bella's other side, his arm slung carelessly over her shoulders, an overflowing plate of food on his lap. What the hell? â€Å"He came to find you,† Edward said while I got to my feet. â€Å"And Esme convinced him to stay for breakfast.† Seth took in my expression, and he hurried to explain. â€Å"Yeah, Jake – I was just checking to see if you were okay 'cause you didn't ever phase back. Leah got worried. I told her you probably just crashed human, but you know how she is. Anyway, they had all this food and, dang,† – he turned to Edward – â€Å"man, you can cook† â€Å"Thank you,† Edward murmured. I inhaled slowly, trying to unclench my teeth. I couldn't take my eyes off Seth's arm. â€Å"Bella got cold,† Edward said quietly. Right. None of my business, anyway. She didn't belong to me. Seth heard Edward's comment, looked at my face, and suddenly he needed both hands to eat with. He took his arm off Bella and dug in. i walked over to stand a few feet from the couch, still trying to get my bearings. â€Å"Leah running patrol?† I asked Seth. My voice was still thick with sleep. â€Å"Yeah,† he said as he chewed. Seth had new clothes on, too. They fit him better than mine fit me. â€Å"She's on it. No worries. She'll howl if there's anything. We traded off around midnight. I ran twelve hours.† He was proud of that, and it showed in his tone. â€Å"Midnight? Wait a minute – what time is it now?† â€Å"‘Bout dawn.† He glanced toward the window, checking. Well, damn. I'd slept through the rest of the day and the whole night – dropped the ball. â€Å"Crap. Sorry about that, Seth. Really. You shoulda kicked me awake.† â€Å"Naw, man, you needed some serious sleep. You haven't taken a break since when? Night before your last patrol for Sam? Like forty hours? Fifty? You're not a machine, Jake. ‘Sides, you didn't miss anything at all.† Nothing at all? I glanced quickly at Bella. Her color was back to the way I remembered it. Pale, but with the rose undertone. Her lips were pink again. Even her hair looked better – shinier. She saw me appraising and gave me a qrin. â€Å"How's the rib?† I asked. â€Å"Taped up nice and tight, i don't even feel it.'7 I rolled my eyes. I heard Edward grind his teeth together, and I figured her blow-it-off attitude bugged him as much at it bugged me. â€Å"What's for breakfast?† I asked, a little sarcastic. â€Å"O negative or AB positive?† She stuck her tongue out at me. Totally herself again. â€Å"Omelets,† she said, but her eyes darted down, and I saw that her cup of blood was wedged between her leg and Edward's. â€Å"Go get some breakfast, Jake,† Seth said. â€Å"There's a bunch in the kitchen. You've got to be empty.† I examined the food in his lap. Looked like half a cheese omelet and the last fourth of a Frisbee-sized cinnamon roll. My stomach growled, but I ignored it. â€Å"What's Leah having for breakfast?† I asked Seth critically. â€Å"Hey, I took food to her before I ate anything† he defended himself. â€Å"She said she'd rather eat roadkill, but I bet she caves. These cinnamon rolls†¦ † He seemed at a loss for words. ‘Til go hunt with her, then.† Seth sighed as I turned to leave. â€Å"A moment, Jacob?† It was Carlisle asking, so when I turned around again, my face was probably less disrespectful than it would have been if anyone else had stopped me. â€Å"Yeah?† Carlisle approached me while Esme drifted off toward the other room. He stopped a few feet away, just a little bit farther away than the normal space between two humans having a conversation. I appreciated him giving me my space. â€Å"Speaking of hunting,† he began in a somber tone. â€Å"That's going to be an issue for my family. I understand that our previous truce is inoperative at the moment, so I wanted your advice. Will Sam be hunting for us outside of the perimeter you've created? We don't want to take a chance with hurting any of your family – or losing any of ours. If you were in our shoes, how would you proceed?† I leaned away, a little surprised, when he threw it back at me like that. What would I know about being in a bloodsucker's expensive shoes? But, then again, I did know Sam. â€Å"It's a risk,† I said, trying to ignore the other eyes I felt on me and to talk only to him. â€Å"Sam's calmed down some, but I'm pretty sure that in his head, the treaty is void. As long as he thinks the tribe, or any other human, is in real danger, he's not going to ask questions first, if you know what I mean. But, with all that, his priority is going to be La Push. There really aren't enough of them to keep a decent watch on the people while putting out hunting parties big enough to do much damage. I'd bet he's keeping it close to home.† Carlisle nodded thoughtfully. â€Å"So I guess I'd say, go out together, just in case. And probably you should go in the day, 'cause we'd be expecting night. Traditional vampire stuff. You're fast – go over the mountains and hunt far enough away that there's no chance he'd send anyone that far from home.† â€Å"And leave Bella behind, unprotected?† I snorted. â€Å"What are we, chopped liver?† Carlisle laughed, and then his face was serious again. â€Å"Jacob, you can't fight against your brothers.† My eyes tightened. â€Å"I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard, but if they were really coming to kill her – I would be able to stop them.† Carlisle shook his head, anxious. â€Å"No, I didn't mean that you would be†¦ incapable. But that it would be very wrong. I can't have that on my conscience.† â€Å"It wouldn't be on yours, Doc. It would be on mine. And I can take it.† â€Å"No, Jacob. We will make sure that our actions don't make that a necessity.† He frowned thoughtfully â€Å"We'll go three at a time,† he decided after a second. â€Å"That's probably the best we can do.† â€Å"I don't know, Doc. Dividing down the middle isn't the best strategy.† â€Å"We've got some extra abilities that will even it up. If Edward is one of the three, he'll be able to give us a few miles' radius of safety.† We both glanced at Edward. His expression had Carlisle backtracking quickly. â€Å"I'm sure there are other ways, too,† Carlisle said. Clearly, there was no physical need strong enough to get Edward away from Bella now. â€Å"Alice, I would imagine you could see which routes would be a mistake?† â€Å"The ones that disappear,† Alice said, nodding. â€Å"Easy.† Edward, who had gone all tense with Carlisle's first plan, loosened up. Bella was staring unhappily at Alice, that little crease between her eyes that she got when she was stressed out. â€Å"Okay, then,† I said. â€Å"That's settled. I'll just be on my way. Seth, I'll expect you back on at dusk, so get a nap in there somewhere, all right?† â€Å"Sure, Jake. I'll phase back soon as I'm done. Unless †¦Ã¢â‚¬  he hesitated, looking at Bella. â€Å"Do you need me?† â€Å"She's got blankets,† I snapped at him. â€Å"I'm fine, Seth, thanks,† Bella said quickly. And then Esme flitted back in the room, a big covered dish in her hands. She stopped hesitantly just behind Carlisle's elbow, her wide, dark gold eyes on my face. She held the dish out and took a shy step closer. â€Å"Jacob,† she said quietly. Her voice wasn't quite so piercing as the others'. â€Å"I know it's†¦ unappetizing to you, the idea of eating here, where it smells so unpleasant. But I would feel much better if you would take some food with you when you go. I know you can't go home, and that's because of us. Please – ease some of my remorse. Take something to eat.† She held the food out to me, her face all soft and pleading. I don't know how she did it, because she didn't look older than her mid-twenties, and she was bone pale, too, but something about her expression suddenly reminded me of my mom. Jeez. â€Å"Uh, sure, sure,† I mumbled. â€Å"I guess. Maybe Leah's still hungry or something.† I reached out and took the food with one hand, holding it away, at arm's length. I'd go dump it under a tree or something. I didn't want her to feel bad. Then I remembered Edward. Don't you say anything to her! Let her think I ate it. I didn't look at him to see if he was in agreement. He'd better be in agreement. Bloodsucker owed me. â€Å"Thank you, Jacob,† Esme said, smiling at me. How did a stone face have dimples, for crying out loud? â€Å"Urn, thank you,† I said. My face felt hot – hotter than usual. This was the problem with hanging out with vampires – you got used to them. They started messing up the way you saw the world. They started feeling like friends. â€Å"Will you come back later, Jake?† Bella asked as I tried to make a run for it. â€Å"Uh, I don't know.† She pressed her lips together, like she was trying not to smile. â€Å"Please? I might get cold.† I inhaled deeply through my nose, and then realized, too late, that that was not a good idea. I winced. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"Jacob?† Esme asked. I backed toward the door as she continued; she took a few steps after me. â€Å"I left a basket of clothes on the porch. They're for Leah. They're freshly washed – I tried to touch them as little as possible.† She frowned. â€Å"Do you mind taking them to her?† â€Å"On it,† I muttered, and then I ducked out the door before anyone could guilt me into anything else.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

The Great Gatsby American Dream Analysis - 761 Words

What is more important, wealth or the pursuit of happiness? Because they both cannot be obtained. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald suggest that the American Dream is an illusory, the people who pursue it are Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Myrtle, and this pursuit is ultimately unattainable. In the roaring twenties known as the Jazz Age, many people wanted to become rich, most people were bootleggers and Wall Street stock brokers. Alcohol was illegal and the Wall Street stocks were higher than ever before. The Great Gatsby is an extended critique of the American Dream. And this critique is made all the more effective for being personified by the people who pursue that dream. For a dream is precisely all that it is. No one truly achieves†¦show more content†¦Myrtle Wilson is using her affair with Tom Buchanan as an entrà ©e to a better life. She’s tired of being married to someone she regards as a loser. She wants to have fancy clothes and attend high-class parties. B ut she too is corrupted. Gatsby’s hopes and dreams represent the green light that he reaches out in chapter one. Gatsby believes that he can relive the past. Gatsby and Daisy are two different people portrayed in The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is dedicated to his hopes and dreams to win back Daisy, but Daisy is a fool. A fool is someone of whom no one expects anything, someone who is free to act irresponsibly and who can expects someone else to handle the fallout from his or hers mistakes. This is the type of person Daisy is, and Nick recognizes this flaw in her. Daisy met Gatsby five years ago before they reunite once more in Nicks’ house for tea. But before all that Daisy didn’t know Gatsby that well let alone that he was dirt poor. She made a mistake in marrying Tom for his wealth, she made an example of taking the easy way out, choosing wealth in Tom over the unknown in Gatsby. Daisy’s life as a debutante is filled with superficiality and empty materialism. Her married life is no different. She crumbles easily when faced with challenging or unpleasant situations. Daisy feels that staying with Tom is simple and she doesn’t have to go through the stress of leaving him but she isn’t happy. The Valley of the Ashes is another symbol whichShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis1497 Words   |  6 PagesFitzgerald’s novel, the Great Gatsby is one of the most meticulously written story of all time. This book incorporates different themes, yet the shadiness of the American Dream is the most significant one. The American Dream designates that one starting very low on their economic or social status and getting success and wealth trough their arduous work. Having a big house, a nice car and a happy family show the success of the American Dream. This dream is also shown by the concept of a self-madeRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis749 Words   |  3 PagesThe Great Fantasy Idealism is the paramount theme in â€Å"The Great Gatsby.† Each of the characters have a craving for self-definition and a high position in society. The story is shaped by the ideals each of these characters hold. These ideals allude to the American Dream, along with the superficiality and corruption associated with it. Fitzgerald uses Jay Gatsby as a medium to portray hopeless romanticism, fantasy fueled ambition, and failure to achieve self-contentment. Gatsby is characterizedRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis1744 Words   |  7 Pagesthe American Dream From a distance, the American dream is a hopeful one- that anyone, regardless of race, class, or gender, can become successful and wealthy if they possess ambition and the ability to work hard. However, when scrutinized, this rosy view clearly shows ignorance towards societal issues such as misogyny, racism, and income inequality and instead focuses on the notion of having an extravagant home, fancy cars, and a happy family- all of which symbolize the great American dream. FitzgeraldRead MoreAnalysis Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1142 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream is one of the most prevalent themes in The Great Gatsby. It is essentially the belief that, regardless of social class, anyone can become wealthy and famous. In the novel, Jay Gatsby attempts to reunify with Daisy Buchanan by achieving great wealth, but he fails and dies having been unsuccessful in his mission. Though it may appear to some that Gatsby, the main character of the novel, has achieved the American Dream, it turns out to be a massive illusion. When, following Gatsby’sRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis906 Words   |  4 PagesTorres Mrs. Heffelman English 11 September 26, 2017 The American Dream can mean a lot of different things depending on who is asked. Some will answer that it is the freedom of religion or the ability to move between class. Others define it as the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. For Jay Gatsby and many others, the American Dream is about gaining wealth and material possessions in the attemptRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis1367 Words   |  6 Pagesidea of the American Dream, where qualities of hard work and ambition are shown. The novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald embodies many themes; however the most significant one relates to the corruption of the American dream. The American Dream is defined as someone starting low on the economic or social level, and working hard towards prosperity and or wealth and fame. By having money, a car, a big house, nice clothes and a happy family symbolize s the American dream. This dream also representsRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis1428 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald contains many themes; however, the most noteworthy one identifies the American dream. This Dream likewise speaks to that people, regardless of who he or she is, can emerge to rich in life through their own works. The dream is spoken to with the aid of the mind of an unbiased man or woman, who strives to perform an objective to become tremendously effective. The Great Gatsby is a novel that indicates what happened to the American Dream in the 1920s, which wasRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis903 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Dream: A Fruitless Endeavour The 1920’s, famously known as the Jazz Age, was a major turning point in America’s soaring economy. However, as a result, amassing wealth in exorbitant amounts and throwing extravagant parties became socially acceptable and the conservatism and the old-fashioned values of the 19th century were left behind. The roaring twenties also coincided with the prohibition period which saw bootleggers make millions off the sale of contraband and brought life to undergroundRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis758 Words   |  4 PagesThe American dream is a idea that anyone can reach prosperity and success by determination and hard work. Everyone has equal opportunity to achieve this dream. This may not be the case in this tragic love story, The novel The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald. By corruption, unfaithfulness, and entitlement we see a different view of the American Dream. Through the characters and plot in the novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald suggests the pessimistic view that the American Dream of social mobility is aRead MoreThe Great Gatsby And The American Dream Analysis1086 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.† This quote by James Adams shows the concepts of a dream that is linked to hard work and opportunity. In Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Ridley Scott’s American Gangster, Gatsby and Frank portrays the theme of the destructive nature of dreams. The Great Gatsby follows the story of a charming yet mysterious man named Gatsby

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Tuition Increases at University of Pennsylvania - 962 Words

In 1914, the tuition cost to go to the University of Pennsylvania at the Wharton School estimated at about $150 with a general fee of $10. This does not include other expenses such as room and board- which estimated to $180 and textbooks- estimated to $10. It is now 2014, one century later, and the tuition cost to go the exact university and school is $40,594, general fee of $3,772, technology fee of $716, and a recreation fee of $324. Once more, this does not include the expenses of residence halls ($8,330) and the average meal plan ($4,592). It is incredulous how, not only did the tuition increase tremendously, but now there are additional costs that had once not existed (UNIVERSITY HISTORY). In total, the sum of all expenses in 1914†¦show more content†¦Also, going to college or to a university increases the likelihood of receiving a well paying job, which is why most students attend college in the first place (Learn Liberty). Students have obviously realized the increasing tuition and have taken action on how to prevent their wallets being emptied. Although some young people want to attend a traditional 4 year university and have the full â€Å"college experience,† some students have the option of attending a community college which substantially has a much lower tuition price than universities. If a student plans ahead their junior or senior year, they are able to take certain college level course classes which can actually reduce their college years to three, saving them about 25% in direct costs (Full Report). Along with this, universities also have taken the action to help students not go into debt after college. Universities have the option of reducing administrative staff. One of the drawbacks of reducing the amount of staff is that there are now more students to teacher ratio meaning larger classes due to a minimum amount of professors or perhaps more working hours for professors. Also, it isn’t just professors but librarians, janitors, and other staff members. Universities also have the option of cuttingShow MoreRelatedMy Entire Life Education Was Emphasized Greatly, Whether1634 Words   |  7 Pagesstreet terminal. Eventually my father began an apprenticeship doing mechanical work on cars and my mother got a job as a maid for Lowe’s hotels. We moved frequently in my childhood and eventually we settled in a quaint house in suburban Broomall, Pennsylvania. As previously stated education played a large role in my life. As a child, my interpretation of school did not deviate much from the typical grade schooler’s. I thought of it as a place you went to mingle with other children my age, and I hatedRead MoreThe State System Of Higher Education1644 Words   |  7 PagesThe Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) has, for decades, provided an opportunity for students of all backgrounds to pursue higher education. PASSHE has been an institution that allows students to gain knowledge, experience and skills that can be applied to not only variables within their major concentration but also within their everyday life. The state system has, for generations, developed the traditional and nontraditional student’s critical thinking and awareness that allowsRead MoreEducation Is Not For Our Future And Better Prepare Us For The Real World1582 Words   |  7 Pagesfree market economy. Each college can pick their tuition price and money they receive from each student without any cap from the government. This free market has allowed tuition in colleges increase from a mere few hundred dollars to thousands and thousands of dollars. A personal example would be my aunt who went to West Virginia University about twenty years ago. At the time she spent a total of eight hundred dollars a year on her yearly tuition. Many years later her daughter, applied and now goesRead MoreThe Price Of A College Education3529 Words   |  15 Pages The Price of a College Education: Tuition Discounting in Higher Education David Bryant Baruch College – The City University of New York â€Æ' The Price of a College Education: Tuition Discounting in Higher Education Offering a discount in college tuition has become a standard practice amongst private colleges and universities across the United States as a way of offsetting its published price of tuition—the sticker price—and aid from institutional grants and endowments for enrolling studentsRead MoreEssay On Rising Tuition Prices1241 Words   |  5 PagesGraduates: Sky High Tuition Prices College is a huge part of growing up. Teenagers are finally â€Å"adults;† they eventually move away from home and have their own undertakings. It is a great achievement to have received a diploma. However, this is being hindered by rising tuition prices. Unfortunately, this is the case for thousands of teens across the United States. Students are constantly trying to overcome the inflated tuition prices, but it is simply not working. The inflated cost of tuition is leaving studentsRead MoreThe Rise Of College Tuition2217 Words   |  9 Pages Proposed topic: The Rise of College Tuition, Our Freedom of Choice and Fairness. Introduction: College rising tuition is currently the hottest topics debated by political and social interest’s groups who pretty much understand that if this is not fixed soon, it will have long damaging effects on our convalescent economy. It is important to be reminded that college education play a tremendous multiplier role in our economy that holds more the 50% of college graduates. (College Has Been OversoldRead MoreCollege Debt Is Increasing Number Of Students1390 Words   |  6 PagesOver the last several decades, rising tuition rates and changes in federal and state policies, an increasing number of students are turning to college student loans. As a result of these changes in prices and policies, the percentage of undergraduates borrowing has increased from 37.8% to 46.2% for public 4-year institutions and from 48.5% to 58.9% for private institutions. According to one estimate, student loan debt has reached $1 trillion dollars, surpassing credit card debt (Reynolds and Brandon)Re ad MoreEducational Budget Cuts: Denying Students the Opportunity for Potential1599 Words   |  7 Pagesbest education possible just to balance the budget? The forthcoming of Pennsylvania relies on the education of the younger generations. Only time can tell whether adolescents, currently being educated, can maintain the high level of learning with the barriers they are going to encounter with the proposed budget. For a positive future in Pennsylvania, the youth must be educated intelligently and properly. Proposed Pennsylvania state educational budget cuts will deny students the opportunity to developRead MoreThe College Degree: Just Another Pyramid Scheme Essay1640 Words   |  7 Pageseconomic accomplishments, and lacking a college degree decreases employment, self-pride, and success. However, nothing in America’s history has risen and continues to rise as the cost of college tuition, which is now up more than five hundred (500) percent since 1985 (Rampell). Research s hows the rising cost of tuition creates more debt for students, a college degree does not guarantee social or economic success, and causes additional stress, which can lead to suicide. In addition, research also proves vocationalRead MoreChemical Engineering : A Chemical Engineer916 Words   |  4 Pagesthat offer it. Some schools that offer Chemical Engineering are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Notre Dame, Vanderbilt University, University of South Alabama, University of Florida and Cornell University. Schooling becomes costly when you have to move out of state just to acquire education in a certain field. More than likely the classes you have to take during the engineering program will increase as you move forward in your years in college. Also the cost of schooling