Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Philip IIs Contribution Alexander the Greats Achievements

Philip IIs Contribution Alexander the Greats Achievements What was Philip IIs contribution to the later achievements of Alexander the Great? The lives of Philip II and Alexander the Great were intertwined in numerous ways. Philip II centralised ancient Macedonia. Philip II also built an army of unprecedented ability and resilience, which conquered the Greek peninsula and prepared the conquest of the Persian Empire that amalgamated with a Greco-Macedonia army. Alexander in point of fact led the invading forces, when he conquered the great Persian Empire. Alexander then took his army to the borders of modern India. Which is where Alexander created a monarchy and empire that, despite its fragmentation, shaped the political cultural, and religious world of the Hellenistic period. Alexander drove the engine his father had built, if Alexander had not done so, Philips II achievements might have been short lived as plenty of previous Macedonian rulers. Although it might be true some scholars believed that Alexander played a role in his fathers murder, may be directly and indirectly, in Order to lead the voyage to Asia that Philip II had organised (Carney and Ogden, 2010). The aim of this essay is to examine Philips II contribution to the later achievements of Alexander the Great. The most crucial point is Philip had bequeathed to Alexander three significant things (Ashley, 2004, p: 7).The first part of the essay will examine, Alexander’s nature and education including Aristotle, the second part will examine the army that Philip created in which later Alexander inherited (Curtis Hansen, 2013, p: 156). The third part and final analysis consists of the established homeland (Ashley, 2004, p: 8). Alexander III of Macedon was better known as Alexander the Great, who was known to mankind for his famous persona and great accomplishments (Thomas, 2007, p: 1). Alexander was the son of Philip II and Olympia. Philip II was the king of Macedonia and Olympias was the princess of Epirus (Stewart, 1993, p18). Alexander achieved the impossible. It is worth noting that uniquely in 13 years Alexander managed to conquer the whole known world. Alexander moulded the greatest Greek empire in history. Despite all of Alexanders great accomplishments, Alexander still lived in his fathers shadow. Due to the vigilant preparation and courage actions of Philip II of Macedon, Alexander would have little or no place in history. The supremacy of Philip on Alexanders actions and life can be seen throughout every aspect of his behaviour. Alexander owes his fate and place in history to his fathers actions and brilliant forethought (Joyer, 2012). This is clear due to Philips II military reforms, for example the sarissa, including infantry tactics, and a formidable Macedonian army and not forgetting an excellent education and tutoring of his day. Alexander as he entered the greater wider world in his young adulthood commenced his education. Alexanders main tutor Aristotle educated Alexander in philosophy, government, politics, poetry, drama and the sciences (Gunther, 2007, p: 28). Aristotle was appointed by Philip, but was educated away from court at Mieza and influenced Alexanders religious education (Blackwell, 2009, p: 193). Aristotle in his Hymn to Excellence (arà ªte) 1 used Alexander ancestors, Heracles, Achilles, as heroic ethos as a way of reinforcing the influence of his other mentors (Gunther, 2007, p: 28). The focal point of Alexanders studies was the title Iliad as a handbook of martial valour. It is worth noting that Alexander is said to have learned it by heart (Worthington, 2012, p: 336) and the admiration of Achilles lasted during course of his life, because of these ancient influences and his individual character, Alexander became the most charismatic, successful, complicated, challenging and contentious con queror of an ancient champion in Macedonia even in the 4th century. Before turning to the question of the Macedonian army to which the foundations could only be constructed upon as a consequence of Philip, is the question of coinage, as this was an important contribution to later achievements of Alexander who was immensely effective tactician and propagandist. Coining was rapidly taken up in the thriving Greek city governments, just over the Aegean Sea, though it was mainly silver until Philip II of Macedon ( 359-336 BC) acquired the gold and silver mines in Thrace (New Bulgaria) (Whibley, 1916, p: 546). Philips son Alexander the Great (336-323 BC) conglomerated the Greek Empire with the defeat of the Persian empire, and acquiring its immerse gold treasure built up by the Persians from gold sources on the river Oxus. It is proclaimed that Alexander the Great took over 22 metric tonnes (7000,000 troy ounces) of gold coin in loot the Persians (Sutherland, 1959). For both Philip II and Alexander the Great, gold became essential way of paying their armies and meeting other military expenses (Blackwell, 2011, p:465). Under the Greek empire, the coins were stamped with the head of the king, instead of lions, bulls, rams, that had previously decorated gold coin elsewhere (Sutherland, 1959). In 357 Philip captured Amphipolis (Roisman, 2011, p: 38.3.B). This colony was Athens. Philips authority of the strategic control became the disputation between Athens and Macedonia. Philip conceivably asseverated to reconstruct Athens, which Philip never did. Athens in turn stated war, which was never pursued (Roisman, 2011, p: 38.3.B). In 356 Philip captured the city of Crenides in the Thrace and after adding to it territory and settlers, Philip rename it Philippi (Roisman, 2011, pg. 38.3.B). The proprietorship of Philippi and Amphipolis permitted Philip to mine silver and gold ore. This made Philip wealthy, in fact one of the wealthiest men in Greece. Philips silver and gold coins in time replaced Athenian coins. Another relevant point is that, Philip was a extravagant spender, when Philip was murdered Alexander found he inherited Philips debt. Philip learnt a lot from Epaminondas, by living in close approximately to a great man, by observing the consequence of his character. Philip learned a lesson in the power of individual will, of which his later life was a consistent exposition. Epaminondas was a brilliant and forceful political idealist than Pericles, Epaminondas far transcends the Athenian in the ruder filed of action. 2 Epaminondas won their obedience by sheer dominance of will and their awestruck respect by consistent subordination of self to their common good (Hogarth, 1897, pg. 39). Empinondas also stands alone in intellectual eminence. 3 Empinondas was an ardent pupil of philosophy, and a first class lecturer. Philip created a formidable army. Philip also introduced military service as a paid and permanent job. This way the soldiers where better trained as they were not disrupted by harvests and farming work this meant the army was able to trained constantly. The army was also kept in one place to be ready at al l times (Ashley, 2004, p: 14). A pure military army is what Philip created, esprit de corps. Philip registered his citizens according their local and tribal divisions, which in turn were allocated to standing territorial regiments. For the infantry, the facts can only be deduced, from, 3 where the recruits (foot) from Macedonia are distributed. It has been found that the names of certain squadrons of the Calvary are actually recorded, instance à ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ ¡ ΑÎ ½ÃŽ ¸ÃŽ µÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ¿ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã‚  and ΛÎ µÃŽ ½ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ±Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ °ÃŽ ±, and so are the homes of others, the horseman from upper Macedonia, or Bottiaea and Amphipolis. These standing regiments are known each by its colonels name, and quoted thus by Arrian, who reflects the military usage of his authorities. A Ï„ÃŽÂ ¬ÃŽ ¾ÃŽ ¹Ãâ€š of foot, whose colonel is absent, is still referred to as his, though lead by another even after death, for instance Cleitus cavalry command bears his name after his death, as stated in (Id. iii. 11; vi. 6). 5 Phil ip conceived different ranks on a scale of honour rising towards the person of the king. The heavy cavalry was ranked above the service in the foot, for the former were more especially the à ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃâ€žÃŽ ±Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ ¿-Ï ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹, or companions of the king; their generals have the most important commands in Alexanders army, and their troopers enjoy treble share of prize money as stated in (curt, vii. 5. 23). 6 Philip promoted whom pleased to this service. The à ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃâ€žÃŽ ±Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ ¿-Ï ÃŽ ¹ were Royals. The squadron of greatest honour Royals, or kings own, were called à ¡Ã‚ ¿Ã… ¸ÃŽâ€˜ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ·ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ± (Hogarth, 1897, p 55). The most honoured amount the foot corps of Guards (ÃŽ ½Ãâ‚¬ÃŽ ±ÃÆ'πΠ¹ÃÆ'Ï„Î ±Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ ±), specially attached to the person of the king. They became famous in Alexanders wars and later became known as the silver shields (ΑÏ ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ½Ã Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â€š ¬ÃÆ'πΠ¹ÃŽ ´ÃŽ µÃâ€š). Like the cavalry they were all Royals, but amo ng them a special corps d elite (Ï„Ã ¡Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¸ à ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ·ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ± Ï„Ã ¡Ã‚ ½Ã‚  ÃŽ ²ÃŽ ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃƒ ¡Ã‚ ½Ã¢â€š ¬ÃŽ ½) as stated in the journal of philology, xvii., No.33, p: 14. Army of Alexander. 7 Relying on its training and discipline, Philip could introduce his army to new fighting methods. Philip thought his army charge, not in a line but in a wedge shaped formations (Tact 16: cited by Lendon, 2006, p: 96-100). 8 A device destined to be resorted to by Alexander at Arbela. For the infantry, Philip perfected the famous phalanx, although in conception this phalanx was not different from the existing Greek fighting attire. Philip was regarded as its inventor, as Philip developed and regulated it. Philip had two main ideas, first to render bodies of pike man more mobile and pliable than the Theban or Spartan (Hogarth, 1897, pg. 60). Philips second idea was the sarissa or long pike, which would enable his phalanx to strike the first blow. For such a weapon as this, training and discipline were essential. The Macedonian armies of the third and second centuries plied a sarissa even twenty-four feet long. 9 No reference is made by any historian of Alexander to such a uncharacterist ic weapon as the sarissa. The secret to the success of Philips and Alexanders battles lies in their horsemanship, Macedonian and allied light guards and archers. The guards are often reckoned into the phalanx for example in (iii.11), 10 in Arrians catalogue of the array at Arbela, but they are also distinguished clearly from the heavy phalangites. This accomplished military system was the work of many years. Largely mercenaries supplemented Philips national army. 11 This method of assistants was not abandoned entirely by his son Alexander his son. A most crucial point we know as fact is that Alexander inherited forty thousand seasoned men, and a well-established system. Ancient warfare played a major role in Philips eleven sieges. Many of Philips military reforms did not happen overnight, but continued throughout his reign and even after his death with Alexander. In 350 headed by Polyeidos (Polyidus) of Thessaly Philip II established an engineering corps to design and build new siege machinery including the Mechanical Bow and Torsion Catapult (figure 11, Worthington, 2014. P: 37). Philip used the first early prototypes of the torsion catapult was in 340 at the siege of Byzantium (Ashley, 2004, p: 74). Philips chief engineer went on to develop a prototype of a more powerful torsion catapult that could shoot larger stones and arrows over greater distances. It is worth noting that the surviving documents refer to this new type of catapult as katapellai makedonikoi (Macedonian catapults) (Gabriel, 2010, p: 92). Polyeidos trained two of his students Diades, and Charias to continue his work. In 334 BCE Diades succeeded Polyeidos as Alexanders chief engineer, together Diades and Charias complete the development of the torsion catapult, by producing a machine capable of throwing stone shot large enough destroy walls (Ashley, 2004, p: 74). Under Alexander the Great the development of artillery continued, in 330s B.C. The torsion catapult was further developed to throw one-talent (57 pound stones) (Ashley, 2004, p: 74). It was under Alexander the Great siege warfare reached its height. This would never have possible if hadnt of been Alexander inheriting the ability to subdue cites quickly b ecause of the work Polyeidos (Philips engineer) created, as Alexanders Persian campaign would not been possible (Gabriel, 2010, p: 92). This was a difficult essay to write, as sources dealing with Philip are limited (Ashley, 2004, p: 74). Depending on the way you approach as it’s easy to focus too narrowly on the achievements of Alexander, without having analysed the contribution of Philip. Briefly it can be said that in many of the books I have read about this topic, many of the chapters were occupied with details of opinions about Alexander the Great, and in that progress his father King Philip of Macedonia was forgot. What a shortcoming! Personally, I am inclined to believe that world had not known Alexander the Great as Alexander ranked his self above ordinary mortals (Rostovtzeff, 1926, p: 352) then Philip would not have been talked about. On the other hand if it had not been for Philip, who laid most of the ground work in which Alexander inherited, Alexander then he would not have become Alexander the Great. Alexander reaped the benefit of his fathers work not just military (the army he had been trained to use), but through shrewd economic and diplomatic policy. Macedonia was a poor territory. The people lived in constant war with everyone and each other. Philip took things into his own hands, as he had great political acuteness and subtlety. Philip did this by creating a professional army, consolidating boarders with armed cities. Philip achieved this by bribing with coinage and cunning his enemies. Philip turned silver and gold mining to a profitable business. Philip also built roads and canals. The merger of Macedonia was a very difficult and prolonged project. Which paid off very well in the end. To return to an earlier point it is worth noting that it was Philip who created the first land state in history (Gabriel, 2010, p: 2), Greece, by replacing the obsolete city state system. Philips most formidable achievement was the peace of Corinth where Philip finally united all his previous adversaries, not forgetting Athens into one entity. The contributions that lead to the later achievements of Alexander were the education of Aristotle, the army Philip created including coinage and an established homeland. Unfortunately for Alexander, he felt held back by his father and always seem to live in the shadow of his father which seem to haunted by this as his achievements insignificant to those of his father. Alexander and Philip competed with each in many ways emulation and resentment as stated in Fredricksmeyer 1990. Even though I do not agree with every argument in journal of Alexander and Philip by Fredricksmeyer 1990. Its a fascinating portrayal of their relationship and gives excellent sources of references and occurrences in their relationship. Alexander and Philip were both great in their own right. If Philip had not created the army he did, Alexander could not have achieved what he did, yet Philip on the other hand could not have achieved what Alexander did had he survived. Alexander was Philips true son and heir. It was Philips contributions that laid the foundations for Alexander to become the man he was, for ins tance, education, the army and siege warfare that Alexander inherited and an established homeland. Notes 1 Hymn to Arà ªte: Athen. 15.696 B-D. Study of lliad: Plut: Alex 8.2; 26.1-2; Plin. NH 7. 108; Strabo 13.1. 27. Memorising lliad: Dio Ghrysostom 4.39. 2. Nepos, Epam. 4. 3. Id., Epam. 3; Diod., l.c., and 88. 4 From Arr., iii. 16, where the recruits (foot) from Macedonia are distributed into, Ï„Ã ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â€š ¬ÃŽ ¾ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹Ãâ€š. Cf. Curt., v. 2. 6, where we are told that Alexanders main innovation at Susa were the abolition of all local and national divisions throughout the army. 6 Cf. Diod., xvii. 63, 74; Curt., vii. 5. 23 7 Army of Alexander in journal. Of philology, xvii, No. 33, p: 14. 8 Tact.16 cited in Lendon 9 The coincidence of Polybius (xvii. 12) with Polyaenus (ii. 29. 2) and the second recension of the Tactica (15) puts this beyond doubt. Cf. also Livys remarks on its unwieldy length (xliv. 41). The first recension of the Tactica reads πà ¡Ã‚ ½Ã¢â€š ¬ÃŽ ´ÃŽ ±Ãâ€š for πà ¡Ã‚ ¼Ã‚  Ãâ€¡ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹Ãâ€š, reducing the length to fourteen or sixteen feet: but either this is a manuscript error or correction, or it is a reminiscence of the earlier sarissa. 10 ld. iii. 11; vi. 6. 11 Diod., xvi. 8. Bibliography Ashley. J. 2004, The Macedonia Empire: The Era of Warfare Under Philip II and Alexander Great, 359-323 B.C. Blackwell. W. 2009, ALEXANDER THE GREAT: A NEW HISTORY. Blackwell. W. 2011, The Companion to Ancient Macedonia: Edited by JOSEPH ROISMAN AND IAN WORTHINGTON. Carney. E and Ogden. D. 2010, Philip II and Alexander the Great: Father and Son, Lives and Afterlives (Oxford university press). Curtis. K. Hansen. V. 2013, Voyages in World History Curt. 4.6.29; 9.3.19; Arr.5.28.3;7.14.4; Plut. Alex. 15.8-9; 62.5; 72.3; Diod.17.97.3; Ael. VH 7.8 Ameling 1988. Edmunds 1971: 363-91; King 1987: 1-45; Fredricksmeyer 1990: 304-6; Ameling 1988: 658-60; Stewart 1993:81; Huttner 1997: passim. Fredricksmeyer, E. A. 1990. Alexander and Philip: Emulation and Resentment. CJ 85: 300-15. Gabriel. R. 2010, Philip II of Macedonia: Greater Than Alexander. Gunther. J. 2007, ALEXANDER THE GREAT. Joyer. B. 2012, Alexander: Living inside the shadow. Available at [emailprotected] posted in Bens Den (accessed March 2015). Lendon. J. E, 2006, Soldiers Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity. Rostovtzeff. M. 1926, A History of the Ancient world: The Orient and Greece. Roisman. J. 2011, Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander: The Evidence. Roisman. J. Worthington. I. 2011, A companion to Ancient Macedonia. Stewart. A. 1993, Faces of Power: Alexanders image and Hellenistic politics. Sutherland. C.H.V. 1959, Gold its Beauty and Power and Allure Board portrait of appeal of gold over last 5000 years, Thames and Hudson London. Available at: info.goldavenue.com Accessed March 2015. Thomas. G. 2007, Alexander The Great in His World. Whibley. L. 2016, A companion to Greek studies, Cambridge university press. Worthington. I. 2012, ALEXANDER THE GREAT ( A READER). Worthington. I. 2014, By The Spear: Alexander the Great, and the rise and fall of the Macedonian Empire.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Coral Divers Resort Case Study Essay -- A Case Analysis

Problem: Coral Divers Resort is a safe and knowledgeable scuba diving resort with a beach front location. Over the past three years revenues have declined and Greywell suffered a $5, 174 in losses in 1994. Coral Divers Resort needs to do something before business gets worse and Jonathan Greywell and his resort go out of business. The first option that Greywell has would be to move Coral Divers Resort to New Providence Island in the Bahamas. The island has a large population, and Nassau the capital has the most developed tourist attractions in the Bahamas. One of the strengths of moving to New Providence would be the large tourist population that gathers there. The island also offers underwater movie sets from popular Bond movies which remain popular dive attractions today. There are also natural underwater dive spots which are ideal for tourists looking for reef or drop off dives. The weaknesses of moving to New Providence Island would be the high costs of land and operations. Greywell might not be able to sell his resort for what it is worth, and the high property costs on Providence would be very high. Two thirds of the Bahamas population lives on this island which wouldn’t improve bookings. Moving to Providence Island would just move Coral Resorts and its problems to a new location. The second option for Greywell would be to incorporate more adventurous dives into his business. Shark, wreck, wall, and reef diving all offer more adventurous and exciting dives th... Coral Divers Resort Case Study Essay -- A Case Analysis Problem: Coral Divers Resort is a safe and knowledgeable scuba diving resort with a beach front location. Over the past three years revenues have declined and Greywell suffered a $5, 174 in losses in 1994. Coral Divers Resort needs to do something before business gets worse and Jonathan Greywell and his resort go out of business. The first option that Greywell has would be to move Coral Divers Resort to New Providence Island in the Bahamas. The island has a large population, and Nassau the capital has the most developed tourist attractions in the Bahamas. One of the strengths of moving to New Providence would be the large tourist population that gathers there. The island also offers underwater movie sets from popular Bond movies which remain popular dive attractions today. There are also natural underwater dive spots which are ideal for tourists looking for reef or drop off dives. The weaknesses of moving to New Providence Island would be the high costs of land and operations. Greywell might not be able to sell his resort for what it is worth, and the high property costs on Providence would be very high. Two thirds of the Bahamas population lives on this island which wouldn’t improve bookings. Moving to Providence Island would just move Coral Resorts and its problems to a new location. The second option for Greywell would be to incorporate more adventurous dives into his business. Shark, wreck, wall, and reef diving all offer more adventurous and exciting dives th...

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Frostbite Chapter 1

One I DIDN'T THINK MY DAY could get any worse until my best friend told me she might be going crazy. Again. â€Å"I†¦ what did you say?† I stood in the lobby of her dorm, leaning over one of my boots and adjusting it. Jerking my head up, I peered at her through the tangle of dark hair covering half my face. I'd fallen asleep after school and had skipped using a hairbrush in order to make it out the door on time. Lissa's platinum blond hair was smooth and perfect, of course, hanging over her shoulders like a bridal veil as she watched me with amusement. â€Å"I said that I think my pills might not be working as well anymore.† I straightened up and shook the hair out of my face. â€Å"What does that mean?† I asked. Around us, Moroi hurried past, on their way to meet friends or go to dinner. â€Å"Have you started †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I lowered my voice. â€Å"Have you started getting your powers back?† She shook her head, and I saw a small flash of regret in her eyes. â€Å"No †¦ I feel closer to the magic, but I still can't use it. Mostly what I'm noticing lately is a little of the other stuff, you know†¦I'm getting more depressed now and then. Nothing even close to what it used to be,† she added hastily, seeing my face. Before she'd gone on her pills, Lissa's moods could get so low that she cut herself. â€Å"It's just there a little more than it was.† â€Å"What about the other things you used to get? Anxiety? Delusional thinking?† Lissa laughed, not taking any of this as seriously as I was. â€Å"You sound like you've been reading psychiatry textbooks.† I actually had been reading them. â€Å"I'm just worried about you. If you think the pills aren't working anymore, we need to tell someone.† â€Å"No, no,† she said hastily. â€Å"I'm fine, really. They're still working†¦just not quite as much. I don't think we should panic yet. Especially younot today, at least.† Her change in subject worked. I'd found out an hour ago that I would be taking my Qualifier today. It was an examor rather, an interviewall novice guardians were required to pass during junior year at St. Vladimir's Academy. Since I'd been off hiding Lissa last year, I'd missed mine. Today I was being taken to a guardian somewhere off-campus who would administer the test to me. Thanks for the notice, guys. â€Å"Don't worry about me,† Lissa repeated, smiling. â€Å"I'll let you know if it gets worse.† â€Å"Okay,† I said reluctantly. Just to be safe, though, I opened my senses and allowed myself to truly feel her through our psychic bond. She had been telling the truth. She was calm and happy this morning, nothing to worry about. But, far back in her mind, I sensed a knot of dark, uneasy feelings. It wasn't consuming her or anything, but it had the same feel as the bouts of depression and anger she used to get. It was only a trickle, but I didn't like it. I didn't want it there at all. I tried pushing farther inside her to get a better feel for the emotions and suddenly had the weird experience of touching. A sickening sort of feeling seized me, and I jerked out of her head. A small shudder ran through my body. â€Å"You okay?† Lissa asked, frowning. â€Å"You look nauseous all of a sudden.† â€Å"Just†¦nervous for the test,† I lied. Hesitantly, I reached out through the bond again. The darkness had completely disappeared. No trace. Maybe there was nothing wrong with her pills after all. â€Å"I'm fine.† She pointed at a clock. â€Å"You won't be if you don't get moving soon.† â€Å"Damn it,† I swore. She was right. I gave her a quick hug. â€Å"See you later!† â€Å"Good luck!† she called. I hurried off across campus and found my mentor, Dimitri Belikov, waiting beside a Honda Pilot. How boring. I supposed I couldn't have expected us to navigate Montana mountain roads in a Porsche, but it would have been nice to have something cooler. â€Å"I know, I know,† I said, seeing his face. â€Å"Sorry I'm late.† I remembered then that I had one of the most important tests of my life coming up, and suddenly, I forgot all about Lissa and her pills possibly not working. I wanted to protect her, but that wouldn't mean much if I couldn't pass high school and actually become her guardian. Dimitri stood there, looking as gorgeous as ever. The massive, brick building cast long shadows over us, looming like some great beast in the dusky predawn light. Around us, snow was just beginning to fall. I watched the light, crystalline flakes drift gently down. Several landed and promptly melted in his dark hair. â€Å"Who else is going?† I asked. He shrugged. â€Å"Just you and me.† My mood promptly shot up past â€Å"cheerful† and went straight to â€Å"ecstatic.† Me and Dimitri. Alone. In a car. This might very well be worth a surprise test. â€Å"How far away is it?† Silently, I begged for it to be a really long drive. Like, one that would take a week. And would involve us staying overnight in luxury hotels. Maybe we'd get stranded in a snowbank, and only body heat would keep us alive. â€Å"Five hours.† â€Å"Oh.† A bit less than I'd hoped for. Still, five hours was better than nothing. It didn't rule out the snowbank possibility, either. The dim, snowy roads would have been difficult for humans to navigate, but they proved no problem for our dhampir eyes. I stared ahead, trying not to think about how Dimitri's aftershave filled the car with a clean, sharp scent that made me want to melt. Instead, I tried to focus on the Qualifier again. It wasn't the kind of thing you could study for. You either passed it or you didn't. High-up guardians visited novices during their junior year and met individually to discuss students' commitment to being guardians. I didn't know exactly what was asked, but rumors had trickled down over the years. The older guardians assessed character and dedication, and some novices had been deemed unfit to continue down the guardian path. â€Å"Don't they usually come to the Academy?† I asked Dimitri. â€Å"I mean, I'm all for the field trip, but why are we going to them?† â€Å"Actually, you're just going to a him, not a them.† A light Russian accent laced Dimitri's words, the only indication of where he'd grown up. Otherwise, I was pretty sure he spoke English better than I did. â€Å"Since this is a special case and he's doing us the favor, we're the ones making the trip.† â€Å"Who is he?† â€Å"Arthur Schoenberg.† I jerked my gaze from the road to Dimitri. â€Å"What?† I squeaked. Arthur Schoenberg was a legend. He was one of the greatest Strigoi slayers in living guardian history and used to be the head of the Guardians Councilthe group of people who assigned guardians to Moroi and made decisions for all of us. He'd eventually retired and gone back to protecting one of the royal families, the Badicas. Even retired, I knew he was still lethal. His exploits were part of my curriculum. â€Å"Wasn't†¦ wasn't there anyone else available?† I asked in a small voice. I could see Dimitri hiding a smile. â€Å"You'll be fine. Besides, if Art approves of you, that's a great recommendation to have on your record.† Art. Dimitri was on a first-name basis with one of the most badass guardians around. Of course, Dimitri was pretty badass himself, so I shouldn't have been surprised. Silence fell in the car. I bit my lip, suddenly wondering if I'd be able to meet Arthur Schoenberg's standards. My grades were good, but things like running away and getting into fights at school might cast a shadow on how serious I was about my future career. â€Å"You'll be fine,† Dimitri repeated. â€Å"The good in your record outweighs the bad.† It was like he could read my mind sometimes. I smiled a little and dared to peek at him. It was a mistake. A long, lean body, obvious even while sitting. Bottomless dark eyes. Shoulder-length brown hair tied back at his neck. That hair felt like silk. I knew because I'd run my fingers through it when Victor Dashkov had ensnared us with the lust charm. With great restraint, I forced myself to start breathing again and look away. â€Å"Thanks, Coach,† I teased, snuggling back into the seat. â€Å"I'm here to help,† he replied. His voice was light and relaxedrare for him. He was usually wound up tightly, ready for any attack. Probably he figured he was safe inside a Hondaor at least as safe as he could be around me. I wasn't the only one who had trouble ignoring the romantic tension between us. â€Å"You know what would really help?† I asked, not meeting his eyes. â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"If you turned off this crap music and put on something that came out after the Berlin Wall went down.† Dimitri laughed. â€Å"Your worst class is history, yet somehow, you know everything about Eastern Europe.† â€Å"Hey, gotta have material for my jokes, Comrade.† Still smiling, he turned the radio dial. To a country station. â€Å"Hey! This isn't what I had in mind,† I exclaimed. I could tell he was on the verge of laughing again. â€Å"Pick. It's one or the other.† I sighed. â€Å"Go back to the 1980s stuff.† He flipped the dial, and I crossed my arms over my chest as some vaguely European-sounding band sang about how video had killed the radio star. I wished someone would kill this radio. Suddenly, five hours didn't seem as short as I'd thought. Arthur and the family he protected lived in a small town along I-90, not far from Billings. The general Moroi opinion was split on places to live. Some argued that big cities were the best since they allowed vampires to be lost in the crowds; nocturnal activities didn't raise so much attention. Other Moroi, like this family, apparently, opted for less populated towns, believing that if there were fewer people to notice you, then you were less likely to be noticed. I'd convinced Dimitri to stop for food at a twenty-four-hour diner along the way, and between that and stopping to buy gas, it was around noon when we arrived. The house was built in a rambler style, all one level with gray-stained wood siding and big bay windowstinted to block sunlight, of course. It looked new and expensive, and even out in the middle of nowhere, it was about what I'd expected for members of a royal family. I jumped down from the Pilot, my boots sinking through an inch of smooth snow and crunching on the gravel of the driveway. The day was still and silent, save for the occasional breath of wind. Dimitri and I walked up to the house, following a river rock sidewalk that cut through the front yard. I could see him sliding into his business mode, but his overall attitude was as cheery as mine. We'd both taken a kind of guilty satisfaction in the pleasant car ride. My foot slipped on the ice-covered sidewalk, and Dimitri instantly reached out to steady me. I had a weird moment of d? ¦j? ¤ vu, flashing back to the first night we'd met, back when he'd also saved me from a similar fall. Freezing temperatures or not, his hand felt warm on my arm, even through the layers of down in my parka coat. â€Å"You okay?† He released his hold, to my dismay. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, casting accusing eyes at the icy sidewalk. â€Å"Haven't these people ever heard of salt?† I meant it jokingly, but Dimitri suddenly stopped walking. I instantly came to a halt too. His expression became tense and alert. He turned his head, eyes searching the broad, white plains surrounding us before settling back on the house. I wanted to ask questions, but something in his posture told me to stay silent. He studied the building for almost a full minute, looked down at the icy sidewalk, then glanced back at the driveway, covered in a sheet of snow broken only by our footprints. Cautiously, he approached the front door, and I followed. He stopped again, this time to study the door. It wasn't open, but it wasn't entirely shut either. It looked like it had been closed in haste, not sealing. Further examination showed scuffs along the door's edge, as though it had been forced at some point. The slightest nudge would open it. Dimitri lightly ran his fingers along where the door met its frame, his breath making small clouds in the air. When he touched the door's handle it jiggled a little, like it had been broken. Finally, he said quietly, â€Å"Rose, go wait in the car.† â€Å"But wh† â€Å"Go.† One wordbut one filled with power. In that single syllable I was reminded of the man I'd seen throw people around and stake a Strigoi. I backed up, walking on the snow-covered lawn rather than risk the sidewalk. Dimitri stood where he was, not moving until I'd slipped back into the car, closing the door as softly as possible. Then, with the gentlest of movements, he pushed on the barely held door and disappeared inside. Burning with curiosity, I counted to ten and then climbed out of the car. I knew better than to go in after him, but I had to know what was going on with this house. The neglected sidewalk and driveway indicated that no one had been home for a couple days, although it could also mean the Badicas simply never left the house. It was possible, I supposed, that they'd been the victims of an ordinary break-in by humans. It was also possible that something had scared them offsay, like Strigoi. I knew that possibility was what had made Dimitri's face turn so grim, but it seemed an unlikely scenario with Arthur Schoenberg on duty. Standing on the driveway, I glanced up at the sky. The light was bleak and watery, but it was there. Noon. The sun's highest point today. Strigoi couldn't be out in sunlight. I didn't need to fear them, only Dimitri's anger. I circled around the right side of the house, walking in much deeper snowalmost a foot of it. Nothing else weird about the house struck me. Icicles hung from the eaves, and the tinted windows revealed no secrets. My foot suddenly hit something, and I looked down. There, half-buried in the snow, was a silver stake. It had been driven into the ground. I picked it up and brushed off the snow, frowning. What was a stake doing out here? Silver stakes were valuable. They were a guardian's most deadly weapon, capable of killing a Strigoi with a single strike through the heart. When they were forged, four Moroi charmed them with magic from each of the four elements. I hadn't learned to use one yet, but gripping it in my hand, I suddenly felt safer as I continued my survey. A large patio door led from the back of the house to a wooden deck that probably would have been a lot of fun to hang out on in the summer. But the patio's glass had been broken, so much so that a person could easily get through the jagged hole. I crept up the deck steps, careful of the ice, knowing I was going to get in major trouble when Dimitri found out what I was doing. In spite of the cold, sweat poured down my neck. Daylight, daylight, I reminded myself. Nothing to worry about. I reached the patio and studied the dark glass. I couldn't tell what had broken it. Just inside, snow had blown in and made a small drift on pale blue carpet. I tugged on the door's handle, but it was locked. Not that that mattered with a hole that big. Careful of the sharp edges, I reached through the opening and unlocked the handle's latch from the inside. I removed my hand just as carefully and pulled open the sliding door. It hissed slightly along its tracks, a quiet sound that nonetheless seemed too loud in the eerie silence. I stepped through the doorway, standing in the patch of sunlight that had been cast inside by opening the door. My eyes adjusted from the sun to the dimness within. Wind swirled through the open patio, dancing with the curtains around me. I was in a living room. It had all the ordinary items one might expect. Couches. TV. A rocking chair. And a body. It was a woman. She lay on her back in front of the TV, her dark hair spilling on the floor around her. Her wide eyes stared upward blankly, her face paletoo pale even for a Moroi. For a moment I thought her long hair was covering her neck, too, until I realized that the darkness across her skin was blooddried blood. Her throat had been ripped out. The horrible scene was so surreal that I didn't even realize what I was seeing at first. With her posture, the woman might very well have been sleeping. Then I took in the other body: a man on his side only a couple feet away, dark blood staining the carpet around him. Another body was slumped beside the couch: small, child-size. Across the room was another. And another. There were bodies everywhere, bodies and blood. The scale of the death around me suddenly registered, and my heart began pounding. No, no. It wasn't possible. It was day. Bad things couldn't happen in daylight. A scream started to rise in my throat, suddenly halted when a gloved hand came from behind me and closed over my mouth. I started to struggle; then I smelled Dimitri's aftershave. â€Å"Why,† he asked, â€Å"don't you ever listen? You'd be dead if they were still here.† I couldn't answer, both because of the hand and my own shock. I'd seen someone die once, but I'd never seen death of this magnitude. After almost a minute, Dimitri finally removed his hand, but he stayed close behind me. I didn't want to look anymore, but I seemed unable to drag my eyes away from the scene before me. Bodies everywhere. Bodies and blood. Finally, I turned toward him. â€Å"It's daytime,† I whispered. â€Å"Bad things don't happen in the day.† I heard the desperation in my voice, a little girl's plea that someone would say this was all a bad dream. â€Å"Bad things can happen anytime,† he told me. â€Å"And this didn't happen during the day. This probably happened a couple of nights ago.† I dared a peek back at the bodies and felt my stomach twist. Two days. Two days to be dead, to have your existence snuffed outwithout anyone in the world even knowing you were gone. My eyes fell on a man's body near the room's entrance to a hallway. He was tall, too well-built to be a Moroi. Dimitri must have noticed where I looked. â€Å"Arthur Schoenberg,† he said. I stared at Arthur's bloody throat. â€Å"He's dead,† I said, as though it wasn't perfectly obvious. â€Å"How can he be dead? How could a Strigoi kill Arthur Schoenberg?† It didn't seem possible. You couldn't kill a legend. Dimitri didn't answer. Instead his hand moved down and closed around where my own hand held the stake. I flinched. â€Å"Where did you get this?† he asked. I loosened my grip and let him take the stake. â€Å"Outside. In the ground.† He held up the stake, studying its surface as it shone in the sunlight. â€Å"It broke the ward.† My mind, still stunned, took a moment to process what he'd said. Then I got it. Wards were magic rings cast by Moroi. Like the stakes, they were made using magic from all four of the elements. They required strong Moroi magic-users, often a couple for each element. The wards could block Strigoi because magic was charged with life, and the Strigoi had none. But wards faded quickly and took a lot of maintenance. Most Moroi didn't use them, but certain places kept them up. St. Vladimir's Academy was ringed with several. There had been a ward here, but it had been shattered when someone drove the stake through it. Their magic conflicted with each other; the stake had won. â€Å"Strigoi can't touch stakes,† I told him. I realized I was using a lot of can't and don't statements. It wasn't easy having your core beliefs challenged. â€Å"And no Moroi or dhampir would do it.† â€Å"A human might.† I met his eyes. â€Å"Humans don't help Strigoi† I stopped. There it was again. Don't. But I couldn't help it. The one thing we could count on in the fight against Strigoi was their limitationssunlight, ward, stake magic, etc. We used their weaknesses against them. If they had othershumanswho would help them and weren't affected by those limitations †¦ Dimitri's face was stern, still ready for anything, but the tiniest spark of sympathy flashed in his dark eyes as he watched me wage my mental battle. â€Å"This changes everything, doesn't it?† I asked. â€Å"Yeah,† he said. â€Å"It does.†

Friday, January 3, 2020

I Am A High School Media Specialist - 962 Words

Component One~ PGE 1 Leadership The context for this PGE covers my development in the area over the past 10 years, beginning in 2007 when I first became a high school media specialist. In the beginning, as I was learning, I was given few leadership roles. The first two years were spent shadowing and learning from my co-media specialist, who had twenty-five years of experience. When media needed representation, she filled the leadership role. She did give me the opportunity to accompany her to meetings at the school and county level. This turned out to be very helpful, as 2008 brought about a new opportunity for me to plan and open a brand new media center at a new high school. As this school would employ only one media specialist, I had autonomy over collection development and technology planning. I developed my leadership skills throughout the 2008-2009 school year. I worked alongside the principal, lead teacher, system superintendent and other stakeholders. 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