Thursday, January 30, 2020

First flight The wright brothers Essay Example for Free

First flight The wright brothers Essay People had always dreamed of flying, but before man could possibly make the â€Å"great leap forward† on the moon, its predecessors must first attempt to make the â€Å"great leap forward† to conquer the skies. In the year of 1903, the United States Army was trying to develop an airplane but failed to make a lift off the ground. Even the New York Times wrote that it would take 1million to 10 million years before anyone might be able to make a machine that would fly. Only eight days later, on the cold and windy 17th day of December morning in 1903, a â€Å"flying machine† took off and remained airborne for about 12 seconds covering a distance of just 120 feet. The two young men who made this flight possible were the Wright brothers whose feat summoned a new age in technology and human achievement. They will forever be remembered in history as the men responsible for making the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard recognized by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI). Three years ago, December 2003 marked the 100th Anniversary of this groundbreaking achievement. Wilbur and Orville Wright were two small town businessmen who invented a technology that would define the 20th century. Theirs is a story that has inspired many generations of young and old alike, and much more on aspiring inventors. How the brothers succeeded, who had not even finished high school, is truly remarkable considering that there were so many who tried and failed, including many renowned scientists. However, despite their unique place and honor in our history today, their claim to this aviation â€Å"first† had been laden with controversy. There were various competing parties who had laid counter-claims. Do the Wright brothers have a secure right in their claim? Wilbur and Orville Wright were children born to Milton Wright and Susan Catherine Koerner. Wilbur was born on 1867 in Indiana while Orville was born on 1871 in Ohio. Both never married. Other Wright siblings were Reuchlin, Lorin, Katherine, and twins Otis and Ida who died in infancy. Their knack for fixing and building mechanical things were influenced by their mother and even in their early years, the boys earned money by making home-made mechanical toys. However, the brother’s interest in flying objects was first developed way back to the time in 1878 when their father, who was a minister in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, brought the boys a toy â€Å"helicopter†. It was made of paper, bamboo and cork with a rubber band to twist its rotor, making it their first ‘flying toy’, based on an invention by Alphonse Penaud. Apparently, the boys got extremely fascinated that they played with it until it broke but pursued to build their own. They would later account this early experience with a toy that sparked their interest in flying. Wilbur later wrote of the lasting impression that this incident had brought upon them: â€Å"instead of falling to the floor, as we expected, it flew across the room till it struck the ceiling, where it fluttered awhile, and finally sank to the floor†¦lasted only a short time†¦but its memory was abiding† (T. Crouch. â€Å"The Bishop Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright†). Orville’s childhood was given to mischief and was even expelled once. Wilbur on the other hand, was athletic but an injury, although not severe, caused him to become withdrawn. He later dedicated himself on caring for his mother who was terminally ill with tuberculosis and to extensive reading in his father’s library. Although he did not pursue his studies at Yale, he was a determined and methodical industrial engineer, even braving to tackle projects such as machinery research and even church building (P. Jakab. â€Å"Visions of a Flying Machine†). Both brothers finished high school education, but did not receive their diplomas. Wilbur did not receive his diploma despite completing his high school education because of the family’s decision to move from Indiana to Dayton. Orville on the other hand, dropped out after his junior year and started a printing business. Later on, Wilbur joined and served as editor while Orville was the publisher of the West Side News. In 1892, the two opened a bicycle repair and sales shop and even manufactured their own brand. This enterprise funded their renewed interest in flight.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Comparing Story of an hour vs The Yellow Wall Paper :: essays research papers

Comparing Short Stories   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Charlotte Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† are both centralized on the feministic views of women coming out to the world. Aside from the many differences within the two short stories, there is also similarities contained in Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† such as the same concept of the â€Å"rest treatment† was prescribed as medicine to help deal with their sickness, society’s views on the main character’s illness, and both stories parallel in the main character finding freedom in the locked rooms that they contain themselves in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Charlotte Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† display women discovering freedom from society’s standards during the setting’s time period. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† Louise locks herself in her room after discovering that her husband has died and at that point in the story she finds herself more confident in herself. She exclaims, â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† (Chopin 83). After she believed her husband died she finally had reason to take initiative in life and did not have to live a life were nothing was expected of her. She found freedom in locked quarters. Just as John’s wife did in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† As the wife’s sickness progressed, her anxiety over the yellow wallpaper increased. The patterns developed within the walls showed the image of a woman creeping along, and as the shadows of the bars from the window cast across the woman. Th is can symbolize how she is like the shadow, imprisoned in her room and mansion. As time moved forward, the wife fully identifies with the image in the wall, and by the end of the story she locks herself in her room and frees the woman behind the bars by pealing off most of the wallpaper.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Twelve

Elena revolved slowly before the full-length mirror in Aunt Judith's bedroom. Margaret sat at the foot of the big four-poster bed, her blue eyes large and solemn with admiration. â€Å"I wish I had a dress like that for trick-or-treat,† she said. â€Å"I like you best as a little white cat,† said Elena, dropping a kiss between the white velvet ears attached to Margaret's headband. Then she turned to her aunt, who stood by the door with needle and thread ready. â€Å"It's perfect,† she said warmly. â€Å"We don't have to change a thing.† The girl in the mirror could have stepped out of one of Elena's books on the Italian Renaissance. Her throat and shoulders were bare, and the tight bodice of the ice-blue dress showed off her tiny waist. The long, full sleeves were slashed so that the white silk of the chemise underneath showed through, and the wide, sweeping skirt just brushed the floor all around her. It was a beautiful dress, and the pale clear blue seemed to heighten the darker blue of Elena's eyes. As she turned away, Elena's gaze fell on the old-fashioned pendulum clock above the dresser. â€Å"Oh, no-it's almost seven. Stefan will be here any minute.† â€Å"That's his car now,† said Aunt Judith, glancing out the window. â€Å"I'll go down and let him in.† â€Å"That's all right,† said Elena briefly. â€Å"I'll meet him myself. Good-bye, have a good time trick-or-treating!† She hurried down the stairs. Here goes, she thought. As she reached for the doorknob, she was reminded of that day, nearly two months ago now, when she'd stepped directly into Stefan's path in European History class. She'd had this same feeling of anticipation, of excitement and tension. I just hope this turns out better than that plan did, she thought. For the last week and a half, she'd pinned her hopes to this moment, to this night. If she and Stefan didn't come together tonight, they never would. The door swung open, and she stepped back with her eyes down, feeling almost shy, afraid to see Stefan's face. But when she heard his sharp indrawn breath, she looked up quickly-and felt her heart go cold. He was staring at her in wonder, yes. But it was not the wondering joy she'd seen in his eyes that first night in his room. This was something closer to shock. â€Å"You don't like it,† she whispered, horrified at the stinging in her eyes. He recovered swiftly, as always, blinking and shaking his head. â€Å"No, no, it's beautiful. You're beautiful.† Then why are you standing there looking as if you'd seen a ghost? she thought. Why don't you hold me, kiss me-something! â€Å"You look wonderful,† she said quietly. And it was true; he was sleek and handsome in the tux and cape he'd donned for his part. She was surprised he'd agreed to it, but when she'd made the suggestion he'd seemed more amused than anything else. Just now, he looked elegant and comfortable, as if such clothes were as natural as his usual jeans. â€Å"We'd better go,† he said, equally quiet and serious. Elena nodded and went with him to the car, but her heart was no longer merely cold; it was ice. He was further away from her than ever, and she had no idea how to get him back. Thunder growled overhead as they drove to the high school, and Elena glanced out of the car window with dull dismay. The cloud cover was thick and dark, although it hadn't actually begun to rain yet. The air had a charged, electric feel, and the sullen purple thunderheads gave the sky a nightmarish look. It was a perfect atmosphere for Halloween, menacing and otherworldly, but it woke only dread in Elena. Since that night at Bonnie's, she'd lost her appreciation for the eerie and uncanny. Her diary had never turned up, although they'd searched Bonnie's house top to bottom. She still couldn't believe that it was really gone, and the idea of a stranger reading her most private thoughts made her feel wild inside. Because, of course, it had been stolen; what other explanation was there? More than one door had been open that night at the McCullough house; someone could have just walked in. She wanted tokill whoever had done it. A vision of dark eyes rose before her. That boy, the boy she'd almost given in to at Bonnie's house, the boy who'd made her forget Stefan. Was he the one? She roused herself as they pulled up to the school and forced herself to smile as they made their way through the halls. The gym was barely organized chaos. In the hour since Elena had left, everything had changed. Then, the place had been full of seniors: Student Council members, football players, the Key Club, all putting the finishing touches on props and scenery. Now it was full of strangers, most of them not even human. Several zombies turned as Elena came in, their grinning skulls visible through the rotting flesh of their faces. A grotesquely deformed hunchback limped toward her, along with a corpse with livid white skin and hollow eyes. From another direction came a werewolf, its snarling muzzle covered with blood, and a dark and dramatic witch. Elena realized, with a jolt, that she couldn't recognize half these people in their costumes. Then they were around her, admiring the ice-blue gown, announcing problems that had developed already. Elena waved them quiet and turned toward the witch, whose long dark hair flowed down the back of a tight-fitting black dress. â€Å"What is it, Meredith?† she said. â€Å"Coach Lyman's sick,† Meredith replied grimly, â€Å"so somebody got Tanner to substitute.† â€Å"Mr.Tanner ?† Elena was horrified. â€Å"Yes, and he's making trouble already. Poor Bonnie's just about had it. You'd better get over there.† Elena sighed and nodded, then made her way along the twisting route of the Haunted House tour. As she passed through the grisly Torture Chamber and the ghastly Mad Slasher Room, she thought they had almost builttoo well. This place was unnerving even in the light. The Druid Room was near the exit. There, a cardboard Stonehenge had been constructed. But the pretty little druid priestess who stood among the rather realistic-looking monoliths wearing white robes and an oak-leaf garland looked ready to burst into tears. â€Å"But you'vegot to wear the blood,† she was saying pleadingly. â€Å"It's part of the scene; you're a sacrifice.† â€Å"Wearing these ridiculous robes is bad enough,† replied Tanner shortly. â€Å"No one informed me I was going to have to smear syrup all over myself.† â€Å"It doesn't really get onyou ,† said Bonnie. â€Å"It's just on the robes and on the altar. You're a sacrifice,† she repeated, as if somehow this would convince him. â€Å"As for that,† said Mr. Tanner in disgust, â€Å"the accuracy of this whole setup is highly suspect. Contrary to popular belief, the druids didnot build Stonehenge; it was built by a Bronze Age culture that-† Elena stepped forward. â€Å"Mr. Tanner, that isn't really the point.† â€Å"No, it wouldn't be, to you,† he said. â€Å"Which is why you and your neurotic friend here are both failing history.† â€Å"That's uncalled for,† said a voice, and Elena looked quickly over her shoulder at Stefan. â€Å"Mister Salvatore,† said Tanner, pronouncing the words as if they meant Now my day is complete . â€Å"I suppose you have some new words of wisdom to offer. Or are you going to give me a black eye?† His gaze traveled over Stefan, who stood there, unconsciously elegant in his perfectly tailored tux, and Elena felt a sudden shock of insight. Tanner isn't really that much older than we are, she thought. He looks old because of that receding hairline, but I'll bet he's in his twenties. Then, for some reason, she remembered how Tanner had looked at Homecoming, in his cheap and shiny suit that didn't fit well. I'll bet he never even made it to his own homecoming, she thought. And, for the first time, she felt something like sympathy for him. Perhaps Stefan felt it, too, for although he stepped right up to the little man, standing face-to-face with him, his voice was quiet. â€Å"No, I'm not. I think this whole thing is getting blown out of proportion. Why don't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena couldn't hear the rest, but he was speaking in low, calming tones, and Mr. Tanner actually seemed to be listening. She glanced back at the crowd that had gathered behind her: four or five ghouls, the werewolf, a gorilla, and a hunchback. â€Å"All right, everything's under control,† she said, and they dispersed. Stefan was taking care of things, although she was not sure how, since she could see only the back of his head. The back of his head †¦ For an instant, an image flashed before her of the first day of school. Of how Stefan had stood in the office talking to Mrs. Clarke, the secretary, and of how oddly Mrs. Clarke had acted. Sure enough, when Elena looked at Mr. Tanner now, he wore the same slightly dazed expression. Elena felt a slow ripple of disquiet. â€Å"Come on,† she said to Bonnie. â€Å"Let's go up front.† They cut straight through the Alien Landing Room and the Living Dead Room, slipping between the partitions, coming out in the first room where visitors would enter and be greeted by a werewolf. The werewolf had taken his head off and was talking to a couple of mummies and an Egyptian princess. Elena had to admit that Caroline looked good as Cleopatra, the lines of that bronzed body frankly visible through the sheer linen sheath she wore. Matt, the werewolf, could hardly be blamed if his eyes kept straying downward from Caroline's face. â€Å"How's it going here?† said Elena with forced lightness. Matt started slightly, then turned toward her and Bonnie. Elena had scarcely seen him since the night of Homecoming, and she knew that he and Stefan had drawn apart, too. Because of her. And though Matt could hardly be blamed forthat , either, she could tell how much it hurt Stefan. â€Å"Everything's fine,† said Matt, looking uncomfortable. â€Å"When Stefan finishes with Tanner, I think I'll send him up here,† Elena said. â€Å"He can help bring people in.† Matt lifted one shoulder indifferently. Then he said, â€Å"Finishes what with Tanner?† Elena looked at him in surprise. She could have sworn he'd been in the Druid Room a minute ago to see it. She explained. Outside, thunder rumbled again, and through the open door Elena saw a flash light the night sky. There was another, louder clap of thunder a few seconds later. â€Å"I hope it doesn't rain,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Yes,† said Caroline, who had been standing silent while Elena spoke to Matt. â€Å"It would be such apity if nobody came.† Elena glanced at her sharply and saw open hatred in Caroline's narrow, catlike eyes. â€Å"Caroline,† she said impulsively, â€Å"look. Can't you and I call it quits? Can't we forget what's happened and start over?† Under the cobra on her forehead, Caroline's eyes widened and then slitted again. Her mouth twisted, and she stepped closer to Elena. â€Å"I willnever forget,† she said, and then she turned and left. There was a silence, Bonnie and Matt looking at the floor. Elena stepped over to the doorway to feel cool air on her cheeks. Outside she could see the field and the tossing branches of the oak trees beyond, and once again she was overcome with that strange feeling of foreboding. Tonight's the night, she thought wretchedly. Tonight's the night when it all happens. But what â€Å"it† was, she had no idea. A voice sounded through the transformed gym. â€Å"All right, they're about to let the line in from the parking lot. Cut the lights, Ed!† Suddenly, gloom descended and the air was filled with groans and maniacal laughter, like an orchestra tuning up. Elena sighed and turned. â€Å"Better get ready to start herding them through,† she told Bonnie quietly. Bonnie nodded and disappeared into the darkness. Matt had donned his werewolf head, and was turning on a tape deck that added eerie music to the cacophony. Stefan came around the corner, his hair and clothing melting into the darkness. Only his white shirtfront showed up clearly. â€Å"Everything worked out with Tanner,† he said. â€Å"Is there anything else I can do?† â€Å"Well, you could work here, with Matt, bringing people in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena's voice trailed off. Matt was bent over the tape deck, minutely adjusting the volume, not looking up. Elena looked at Stefan and saw his face was tight and blank. â€Å"Or you could go into the boys' locker room and be in charge of coffee and things for the workers,† she finished tiredly. â€Å"I'll go to the locker room,† he said. As he turned away, she noticed a slight faltering in his step. â€Å"Stefan? Are you all right?† â€Å"Fine,† he said, recovering his balance. â€Å"A little tired, that's all.† She watched him go, her chest feeling heavier every minute. She turned to Matt, meaning to say something to him, but at that moment the line of visitors reached the door. â€Å"Show's on,† he said, and crouched in the shadows. Elena moved from room to room, troubleshooting. In years before, she had enjoyed this part of the night the most, watching the gruesome scenes being acted out and the delicious terror of the visitors, but tonight there was a feeling of dread and tension underlying all her thoughts. Tonight's the night, she thought again, and the ice in her chest seemed to thicken. A Grim Reaper-or at least that was what she supposed the hooded figure in black robes was-passed by her, and she found herself absent-mindedly trying to remember if she had seen it at any of the Halloween parties. There was something familiar about the way the figure moved. Bonnie exchanged a harassed smile with the tall, slender witch who was directing traffic into the Spider Room. Several junior high boys were slapping at the dangling rubber spiders and shouting and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Bonnie hustled them on into the Druid Room. Here the strobe lights gave the scene a dreamlike quality. Bonnie felt a grim triumph to see Mr. Tanner stretched out on the stone altar, his white robes heavily stained with blood, his eyes glaring at the ceiling. â€Å"Cool!† shouted one of the boys, racing up to the altar. Bonnie stood back and grinned, waiting for the bloody sacrifice to rear up and scare the wits out of the kid. But Mr. Tanner didn't move, even when the boy plunged a hand into the pool of blood by the sacrifice's head. That's strange, Bonnie thought, hurrying up to prevent the kid from grabbing the sacrificial knife. â€Å"Don't do that,† she snapped, so he held up his gory hand instead, and it showed red in every sharp flash of the strobe. Bonnie felt a sudden irrational fear that Mr. Tanner was going to wait until she bent over him and then makeher jump. But he just kept staring at the ceiling. â€Å"Mr. Tanner, are you okay? Mr. Tanner? Mr. Tanner!† Not a movement, not a sound. Not a flicker of those wide white eyes. Don't touch him, something in Bonnie's mind told her suddenly and urgently. Don't touch him don't touch him don't touch†¦ Under the strobe lights she saw her own hand move forward, saw it grasp Mr. Tanner's shoulder and shake it, saw his head flop bonelessly toward her. Then she saw his throat. Then she began to scream. Elena heard the screams. They were shrill and sustained and unlike any other sounds in the Haunted House, and she knew at once that they were no joke. Everything after that was a nightmare. Reaching the Druid Room at a run, she saw a tableau, but not the one prepared for visitors. Bonnie was screaming, Meredith holding her shoulders. Three young boys were trying to get out of the curtained exit, and two bouncers were looking in, blocking their way. Mr. Tanner was lying on the stone altar, sprawled out, and his face†¦ â€Å"He's dead,† Bonnie was sobbing, the screams turning into words. â€Å"Oh, God, the blood's real, and he's dead. Itouched him, Elena, and he's dead, he's really dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  People were coining into the room. Someone else began screaming and it spread, and then everyone was trying to get out, pushing each other in panic, knocking into the partitions. â€Å"Get the lights on!† Elena shouted, and heard the shout taken up by others. â€Å"Meredith, quick, get to a phone in the gym and call an ambulance, call the police†¦ Get those lightson !† When the lights snapped on, Elena looked around, but she could see no adults, no one entitled to take charge of the situation. Part of her was ice-cold, her mind racing as it tried to think what to do next. Part of her was simply numb with horror. Mr. Tanner†¦ She had never liked him, but somehow that only made it worse. â€Å"Get all the kids out of here. Everybody but staff out,† she said. â€Å"No! Shut the doors! Don't let anybody out until the police get here,† shouted a werewolf beside her, taking off his mask. Elena turned in astonishment at the voice and saw that it was not Matt, it was Tyler Smallwood. He'd been allowed back in school only this week, and his face was still discolored from the beating he had taken at Stefan's hands. But his voice had the ring of authority, and Elena saw the bouncers close the exit door. She heard another door close across the gym. Of the dozen or so people crowded into the Stonehenge area, Elena recognized only one as a worker. The rest were people she knew from school, but none she knew well. One of them, a boy dressed as a pirate, spoke to Tyler. â€Å"You mean†¦ you think somebody in here did it?† â€Å"Somebody in here did it, all right,† said Tyler. There was a queer, excited sound to his voice, as if he were almost enjoying this. He gestured to the pool of blood on the rock. â€Å"That's still liquid; it can't have happened too long ago. And look at the way his throat's cut. The killer must have done it withthat .† He pointed to the sacrificial knife. â€Å"Then the killer might be here right now,† whispered a girl in a kimono. â€Å"And it's not hard to guess who it is,† said Tyler. â€Å"Somebody who hated Tanner, who was always getting in arguments with him. Somebody who was arguing with him earlier tonight. I saw it.† Soyou were the werewolf in this room, thought Elena dazedly. But what were you doing here in the first place? You're not on staff. â€Å"Somebody who has a history of violence,† Tyler was continuing, his lips drawing back from his teeth. â€Å"Somebody who, for all we know, is a psychopath who came to Fell's Church just to kill.† â€Å"Tyler, what are you talking about?† Elena's dazed feeling had burst like a bubble. Furious, she stepped toward the tall, husky boy. â€Å"You're crazy!† He gestured at her without looking at her. â€Å"So says his girlfriend-but maybe she's a little prejudiced.† â€Å"And maybeyou're a little prejudiced, Tyler,† said a voice from behind the crowd, and Elena saw a second werewolf pushing his way into the room. Matt. â€Å"Oh, yeah? Well, why don't you tell us what you know about Salvatore? Where does he come from? Where's his family? Where did he get all that money?† Tyler turned to address the rest of the crowd. â€Å"Who knowsanything about him?† People were shaking their heads. Elena could see, in face after face, distrust blossoming. The distrust of anything unknown, anything different. And Stefan was different. He was the stranger in their midst, and just now they needed a scapegoat. The girl in the kimono began, â€Å"I heard a rumor-† â€Å"That's all anybody's heard, rumors!† Tyler said. â€Å"No one really knows a thing about him. But there's one thing Ido know. The attacks in Fell's Church started the first week of school-which was the week Stefan Salvatore came.† There was a swelling murmur at this, and Elena herself felt a shock of realization. Of course, it was all ridiculous, it was just a coincidence. But what Tyler was saying was true. The attacks had started when Stefan arrived. â€Å"I'll tell you something else,† shouted Tyler, gesturing at them to be quiet. â€Å"Listen to me! I'll tell you something else!† He waited until everyone was looking at him and then said slowly, impressively, â€Å"He was in the cemetery the night Vickie Bennett was attacked.† â€Å"Sure he was in the cemetery-rearranging your face,† said Matt, but his voice lacked its usual strength. Tyler grabbed the comment and ran with it. â€Å"Yes, and he almost killed me. And tonight somebodydid kill Tanner. I don't know whatyou think, but I think he did it. I think he's the one!† â€Å"But where is he?† shouted someone from the crowd. Tyler looked around. â€Å"If he did it, he must still be here,† he shouted. â€Å"Let's find him.† â€Å"Stefan hasn't done anything! Tyler-† cried Elena, but the noise from the crowd overrode her. Tyler's words were being taken up and repeated.Find him†¦ find him . . .find him . Elena heard it pass from person to person. And the faces in the Stonehenge Room were filled with more than distrust now; Elena could see anger and a thirst for vengeance in them, too. The crowd had turned into something ugly, something beyond controlling. â€Å"Where is he, Elena?† said Tyler, and she saw the blazing triumph in his eyes. Hewas enjoying this. â€Å"I don't know,† she said fiercely, wanting to hit him. â€Å"He must still be here! Find him!† someone shouted, and then it seemed everyone was moving, pointing, pushing, at once. Partitions were being knocked down and shoved aside. Elena's heart was pounding. This was no longer a crowd; it was a mob. She was terrified of what they would do to Stefan if they did find him. But if she tried to go warn him, she would lead Tyler right to him. She looked around desperately. Bonnie was still staring into Mr. Tanner's dead face. No help there. She turned to scan the crowd again, and her eyes met Matt's. He was looking confused and angry, his blond hair ruffled up, cheeks flushed and sweaty. Elena put all her strength of will into a look of pleading. Please, Matt, she thought. You can't believe all this. You know it isn't true. But his eyes showed that hedidn't know. There was a tumult of bewilderment and agitation in them. Please, thought Elena, gazing into those blue eyes, willing him to understand. Oh, please, Matt, only you can save him. Even if you don't believe, please try to trust†¦ please†¦ She saw the change come over his face, the confusion lifting as grim determination appeared. He stared at her another moment, eyes boring into hers, and nodded once. Then he turned and slipped into the milling, hunting crowd. Matt knifed through the crowd cleanly until he got to the other side of the gym. There were some freshmen standing near the door to the boys' locker room; he brusquely ordered them to start moving fallen partitions, and when their attention was distracted he jerked the door open and ducked inside. He looked around quickly, unwilling to shout. For that matter, he thought, Stefan must have heard all the racket going on in the gym. He'd probably already cut out. But then Matt saw the black-clad figure on the white tile floor. â€Å"Stefan! What happened?† For a terrible instant, Matt thought he was looking down on a second dead body. But as he knelt by Stefan's side, he saw movement. â€Å"Hey, you're okay, just sit up slowly†¦ easy. Are you all right, Stefan?† â€Å"Yes,† said Stefan. He didn't look okay, Matt thought. His face was dead white and his pupils were dilated hugely. He looked disoriented and sick. â€Å"Thank you,† he said. â€Å"You may not thank me in a minute. Stefan, you've got to get out of here. Can't you hear them? They're after you.† Stefan turned toward the gym, as if listening. But there was no comprehension on his face. â€Å"Who's after me? Why?† â€Å"Everybody. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you've got to get out before they come in here.† As Stefan continued simply to stare blankly, he added, â€Å"There's been another attack, this time on Tanner, Mr. Tanner. He's dead, Stefan, and they think you didit .† Now, at last, he saw understanding come to Stefan's eyes. Understanding and horror and a kind of resigned defeat that was more frightening than anything Matt had seen tonight. He gripped Stefan's shoulder hard. â€Å"Iknow you didn't,† he said, and at that moment it was true. â€Å"They'll realize that, too, when they can think again. But meanwhile, you'd better get out.† â€Å"Get out†¦ yes,† said Stefan. The look of disorientation was gone, and there was a searing bitterness in the way he pronounced the words. â€Å"I will†¦ get out.† â€Å"Stefan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Matt.† The green eyes were dark and burning, and Matt found he could not look away from them. â€Å"Is Elena safe? Good. Then, take care of her. Please.† â€Å"Stefan, what are you talking about? You're innocent; this will all blow over†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Just take care of her, Matt.† Matt stepped back, still looking into those compelling green eyes. Then, slowly, he nodded. â€Å"I will,† he said quietly. And watched Stefan go.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

The EU Enlargement Process Analysis - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3394 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? The aim of the group is to gain a first class mark. We want this report to represent our ability to work efficiently together in a group. We endeavoured to produce an end product, which is concise and thorough, highlighting the enlargement aspects of the EU. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The EU Enlargement Process Analysis" essay for you Create order Our objective is therefore to fully research all areas of the EU enlargement, as our question is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Enlargement rationale; How much bigger should the EU expand and why?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Upon completion of this report the goal is to have gained a broader knowledge on the European Union (EU) as a whole and have a good understanding of current major issues. Methodology The EU enlargement process is very rigorous. In the past the European Union has undergone many rounds of enlargement (see fig 1). But to what conditions and guidelines must candidate nations comply by? The main guideline is the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Copenhagen Criteriaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ which was signed on 21st/22nd June, 1993. This states that by the time candidates join, they must according to the Folketing EU Information centre: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“[Have] achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the unionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Folketing, conclusions of the presidency). These criterion were laid down by the heads of state and government of the member states at the European council meeting in Copenhagen in 1993 (ibid). In outline the Copenhagen Criteria can be divided into three conditions, which form the minimum entry requirements, before a country is considered for EU membership. These are: The political criterion i.e. democracy, rule of law, human rights and respect and protection for minorities. The economic criterion i.e. a functioning market economy and must be capable of withstanding the pressure of competition and market forces in the European Union. The criterion presupposing the ability to incorporate one entire body of laws and regulations of the EU à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"aquis communautairÃÆ' ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (Source à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Folketing EU Information centre) The country must be able to assume all the obligations flowing from membership, including the aim of political, economic and monetary union (ibid). After all of these requirements, the country is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"screenedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and if approved, the Council of the European Union and its country draft a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Treaty of Accessionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. This then goes to the European Commission and European Parliament ratifications and approval. If successful after this process, the nation is able to become a member of the EU (About.com). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Screeningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is the first step in the negotiations stage, when considering a country for membership (EU Commission). Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s an in depth analysis of the EU laws with which the candidate country must abide by (known as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"aquisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢). A screening report is then drawn up for each country (ibid). Negotiations take place at ministerial level between permanent representatives for EU countries, and ambassadors or chief negotiators for candidate countries. But why do countries want to join the EU in the first place? This question is asked by Clive Lindley of the Central Europe express (Charles Jenkins, 2000). This author quotes an American journalist as writing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“What does Europe want to be when it grows up?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Julie Smith, Head of the European programme at the Royal institute for international affairs, also begins to explore the boundaries at which the expansion of the will be no longer feasible. She states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“How [will] the EU be able to function with thirty or more member statesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Charles Jenkins, 2000). According to her, it is a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“problem that clearly exercised many of Europeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s leading politicians in 2000. 3.0 When the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"European Coal and Steel Communityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ was created in 1957 it was with an aspiration to form a trading block of peace and economic prosperity. For more than half a century, the current European Union has exerted its soft power, attracting almost every country in Europe and completed six successful enlargement rounds (fig 1). (fig 1 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" source:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Central Eastern European Countries (CEECà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s) started to show interest in applying for EU membership (EU27 on enlargement). As a result of this, the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Copenhagen Criteriaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ was set out in December 1993 declaring the requirements that any potential country wishing to join the EU, would need to meet. This was the first time the EU had made a clear commitment to enlargement, and provided Europe with evidence of their engagement in becoming a bigger and more influential trading block (Lippert et all 2001). Since then, as shown in the timeline, the EU has expanded substantially, and includes today a total of 27 member states. This leaves only 14 European countries (excluding Russia) as non members, four of which are candidate countries, five potential candidates, two who have been declined membership, two with an ENP Action Plan and one with not many EU relations. The size of any further EU enlargement is therefore confined by the borders of Europe and the enlargement rationale, is determined by the economic opportunities and the promotion of security in these 12 remaining countries (Nugent 2004). 4.0 In this part of the report we are going to discuss the economic side of the EU enlargement. Firstly we will be taking a more statistical approach in evaluating the economy. We will then take some candidate countries, and discuss what will happen if they join the EU. Since 1994, when the 10+2 candidate countries was selected they have had significant progress in their economy, they have gained an average growth of 1.3/2.1% GDP per year in between 1994-2004 (European Commission, 2001) but more importantly their GDP would have reduce by 0.1% if they was not chosen as candidate countries( Maliszewska 2003). This showed that the economy was developing quickly, many factors contributed to this including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), imports and exports. Intra trading plays an important part in EU enlargement allowing companies to take advantage of comparative advantages in new Member States and candidate countries. Intra trading has increase from only accounting for a third of EUà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s trading in 1960, EU-6, to over 70% of EUà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s trade in 2007, EU-25. Intra trading encourages competition, and enhances productivity and efficiency within the EU. With additional new Member States the EU is now the largest trading bloc importing and exporting 16.7% and 18.8% respectively, where as the US is only exporting 11.1% and importing 17.4% (IMF, EUROSTAT 2009). This gives the EU more power when discussing trade policies at the WTO and more influence on the global economy. FDI plays an important part of EU enlargement and the new Member States GDP growth because an increase of FDI would increase the level of investment, employment and productivity. Breuss (2009) estimated that FDI inflows gave the new States and Member extra growth of 1.75 % GDP on average from period 2000-2008, moreover Bulgaria and Romania could gain an additional 0.5% GDP up to 2020. But other research has shown even though the candidate countries can attract high level of FDI they might not necessarily be able to maintain it, for example in years 2001 and 2002 Cyprusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s FDI inflow rate actually fell by over half and in Malta FDI was actually reversed. Using Bosnia and Herzegovina as an example if they were to become a member of the EU, the old Member States might have more confident to invest in them, thus rising their FDI rate and unemployment rate, which are the two main underlying issues relating to the economy factors although some issues has to be resolved first like distorted wages setting and low labour mobility which are both halting job creations and the labour market. Also in Albania unemployment rate is high due to the lack of health and safety regulations which could drive foreign investors away, even though they have currently approved for a strategy for health and safety it will be awhile before it will fully take effect. From these 2 examples it shows that even though candidate countries have the economy benefits of an EU member such as free trade, but with different underlying issues in each country preventing them from further economic growth it will be a long time before any candidate countries are near the level of expansion. Therefore in conclusion from the economic overview and evidence I think that it is too early for talks about enlarging the EU further and with the 2008 global recession still in effect I think that even if the EU was to expand it would not be in short future and they will have to be extremely careful with the next enlargement. 5.0 This part of the report is going to be discussing the possible benefits, conflicts and problems that enlargement may cause to the citizens of the EU, the existing member states of the EU and the EU at a global level. In the past, the citizens of the EU didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have as much freedom or possibilities to travel freely as they do now. But since the events of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the fall of the iron curtainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? or in any of the EU enlargement rounds, more citizens have agreed that the living standards in the Central and Eastern Europe has improved and that the changes from these events have brought more freedom to everybody within Europe (View on European Enlargement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Analytical Report). However some citizens have voted that they feel more insecure after enlargement and believes that it has contributed to redundancies and job loss in their country (View on European Enlargement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Analytical Report). For instance, in Britain, over the past 2 years 139, 000 immigrants have found jobs where as the number of British workers have dropped by 654, 000 (The Daily Mail) also critics say that the pressure from high levels of immigration on housing, public tra nsport, water and energy is highly damaging (The Daily Mail). So it seems that enlarging would mainly benefit the citizens of the CEECà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more than the original EU15à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s citizens as they are able to freely move within the EU and are able to find work elsewhere. Enlarging the EU may abolish arguments and disputes between conflicting countries, and could mean that they will have stronger relationships in the future i.e. Charles de Gaulle, who was French President at the time opposed the UKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s application in both 1961 and 1967 because he believed that the UK was going to attempt to thwart his desire to place France at the centre of the European stage (European Union Enlargement). When France changed their President in 1969 to Georges Pompidou, the UK was finally accepted into the EU for full membership (BOOK). Now in 2010 with France electing a new President, he and the Prime Minister of the UK have joined forces and have both signed a Defence Co-Operation Treaty (MoD), this shows positive progress of enlargement and that it could build a stronger EU. At the core of the EU is the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“single marketà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, the aim of it is to allow all member states to be able to trade fairly and communicate with each other with ease (Business Link), and if trades are successful it will build trust and reliability between countries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" which would build stronger relationships within the EU. Enlarging would mean more members to trade with, more communication across the globe and in past events and has effectively shown an increase in the EUà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s weight in world politics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" also making it a stronger world power (PDF). Sometimes in the EU, there will be problems that canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be resolved, this may make some members want to leave the EU and propose a referendum. For example, each member state is allocated a certain number of seats within the European Parliament (EP), which effectively means how much influence they have within the EU. In 2004 Denmark had 16 seats before the EU became the EU25, after they enlarged Denmarkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s seat allocation had decreased to only 14 (book), enlarging again could mean that they would lose even more seats in the EP and more influence within the EU altogether, they may not be very happy about this and could propose a referendum as they may feel that they are being treated unfairly. In conclusion, even if one country decides to leave due to enlargement, the EU wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t suffer that much as they would have new members coming in and would still have the other existing member states to run the EU. So this report supports the act of enlargement as it will give the EU citizens more freedom and possibilities to travel, may produce stronger relationships between countries and would make the EU a stronger world power. 6.0 This section looks at the security of the EU by analysing the major security threat to the EU today, terrorism. It aggregates the findings of past reports to make sure the safety of the EU citizens is not over looked when deciding whether the EU should expand. It will look at the following in this order- European defence and security policy (EDSP),-Organised crime (OC) and its links to terrorism,-Candidate countries progress. Due to the nature of the topics the information used is mostly of official report base as independent reports have lacked technology and resources to reference and back up their findings especially within the rarely traceable OC and terrorism domains. European defence and security policy pushes for increases in EU military cooperation and joint missions. There have been joint missions to Afghanistan to the terrorism war zones and 3200 EU personnel are currently deployed on joint missions (C.Ashton EDA bulliten 2009). Increasing cooperation at external borders are also main policies, whilst increasing links with EU police forces is also part of policies to help combat terrorism. (EU presidency report 2009) (EDA head report to council 2010) OC and links to terrorism is a major issue. Organised crime is large inside the EU and also externally, trying to enter the EU. Drug trafficking, the exploitation of human beings and illegal migration, fraud, Euro counterfeiting, commodity counterfeiting and money laundering, are all the major OC areas. (Europol OCTA report 2009). A country which the EU allows in must be able to tackle these problems because undoubtedly the Schengen Area, the abolition of the filter border control to the movement of goods, services, capital and people, facilitates criminals, because once in the territory of one member state, they can move freely to the destination of the criminal markets. (A.SACCONE 2006). (Europol OCTA2009) points out the links between OC and Terrorism. It explains that terrorism uses it for funding. A recent (SkyNews) documentary shows Middle Eastern terrorist explaining that they create funds through OC. Any expansion of the EU to a country which canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t handle a po ssible increase in organised crime could increase funding of terrorism, which at the moment the EU is part of fighting a war against. There needs to be emphasis on improving links between military and police forces to tackle this problem. (A.SACCONE 2006) (Europol OCTA2009) Candidate Countries progress reports analyse their current situation. In the following reports it is chapter 24 of the EU rationale which analyses Security. Croatia has set up very good training and systems to regulate borders and has started cooperating with Bosnia and Herzegovina. But Croatia lacks officer numbers to tackle OC. (Croatia progress report 2009-10). (The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedoniaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s progress report 2009-10) finds that, police and military officerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s skill and ability levels are high and they are capable to tackle organised crime and terrorism. They can also handle borders very well, although bad internal cooperation between institutions, decreases success dramatically. In Turkey there havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t been improvements in border control, tackling organised crime or investigating and tackling terrorism. There are no steps expected in the future to change this at the moment. (Turkey progress report 2009-10) Croatia and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, have good links with Europol and EU militaries whilst Turkey has failed to do this because of its lack of data protection laws. (Candidate progress reports 2009-10) In Conclusion of this section EDSP aims to increase EU military cooperation, and links between military and police. EDSP is trying to create a more secured coordinated EU and it is presenting very possible positive steps. With increased joint military missions there may be potential increases in terrorist threats to EU members and also future EU members. OC needs to be a number one target so we can fight terror at its root. Current candidates to join the EU must be prepared to tackle OC and an increase in OC before we accept them. An increase in depth to chapter 24 before we allow them to join is needed. Turkey poses major risk without data protection laws because of the demand on links between police and military. External borders need to be regulated more to stop threats getting i whilst internal borders need better regulation to stop facilitation of OC which links to terrorism. This highlights a need for a review of the Schengen area. From a security analyses I would not expand th e EU, because the major threats have new dimensions and candidates to join are not prepared for them. 7.0 Since the negations for Turkeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s accession into the EU began in 2005, rather than seeing a speeding up of the process there has been a slowing down. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“To date only 13 of 33 chapters of negotiations for Turkeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s accession have been opened, and only one, on science and research, completed. Nineteen have been frozen, over the issue of Cyprus, or due to other objections by EU members.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Head, 2010) Since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected in 2003, he identified Turkeys EU entry as a top priority, pledging reforms to make Turkey more democratic and pluralist and bring it in line with the Unions membership criteria (www.setimes.com) However, the biggest challenge now; from those working on Turkeys EU bid is having no certainty of membership in the end. This has all but killed public enthusiasm for Turkey to join the EU. (Euro-Dialogue, 2009.) Figure . Turkish Prime minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan Further supporting this statement was the response of Hulya Kars Lamb a 2nd year Criminology and Forensic Science student at Manchester Metropolitan University and native Turk. When asked how she felt about Turkey joining the EU, she commented; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The public who are already poor will become poorer and the rich become richer. The public does not want to join the EU because everything will become more expensive, foreign people will come to Turkey, buy properties easily and this will increase house prices and lead to even more homeless people. Turkish people will move to different countries as they may feel, they will have a better life and security for themselves; this would be considered by poor and rich. Are EU members ready to open their doors for Turkish immigrants?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? So we can then ask will Turkey ever join the EU? 7.1 Turkey has many obstacles that they need to overcome before they can gain accession to the EU. The 2010/11 European Commission (EC) strategy report examines Turkeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s application amongst other potential and candidate countries. Two of the main stumbling blocks it identifies are the unresolved issues between Turkey and Cyprus (Ugar, 1995) and secondly, the view of Member countries such as France and Germany towards Turkey joining the EU. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Turkey still has not complied with its obligations as outlined in the declaration of the European Community and its member states of 21 states of 21 September 2005 and the December 2009 conclusions it does not meet the obligation of full non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement and has not removed all obstacles to the free movement of goods, including restrictions on direct transport links with Cyprusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (EC, 2010) France and Germany are somewhat opposed to Turkeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s application. With Turkey being a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“secular Islamic stateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Arikan, 2006) it raises concerns for two of the major powers in the EU. Turkey would become the first Muslim country in the EU and in their minds conflicts with the rationale highlighted in Section 3.0 in that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t promote security within the EU. (Nugent, 2004). In conclusion, Turkey has a long way to go before they are accepted into the EU. They need to make drastic changes in areas such as Human Rights for example. Even if they do make the major changes and meet the criteria to join the EU. Opposition may still come from the current member states and prevent them gaining full membership to the Union. We can probably conclude that Turkeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s application will not be concluded in the near future. So who will be the one to bend first, Turkey or the EU? Appendices