Case Study - An Ethical Dilemma Essay Example for Free

Case Study An Ethical Dilemma Essay Jackie, a young star with a prominent voice who gets picked up by a professional recording label after performing at a national talent competition. Overwhelmed with excitement, thinks it is a dream come true to start a career with a lucrative contract. Meets and has an intimate encounter with her soon to be manager, Kevin. Months go by as their relationship begins to flourish but soon she starts to hear rumors that Kevin has helped a new girl in the legal department get her position threw their own personal relations. Jackie has suspicions that Kevin may be having other deeper interactions with this new girl. Jackie’s suspicions turn out to be true and she is devastated. She obviously breaks off the relationship with Kevin but cannot afford to lose him as her manager. Time goes by with awkward silence between the two but eventually Jackie decides to be professional with her career and continues to keep Kevin on as her manager. This lasts awhile until Kevin starts to make inappropriate sexual advances towards her. She tries to laugh it off but as he continues she threatens to make a formal complaint to legal. He does eventually stop but has stopped all efforts to promote her music thus making it very difficult for her to continue on with her success. She eventually does decide to make a complaint with legal, there is where she runs into Leslie, the girl that Kevin had got the position for in legal. She tells her, â€Å"even I believed you, you didn’t report this relationship which goes against our superior-employee ethics code†. So either she had the choice to let the matter go or to make a complaint which would in turn have her also reprimanded. She is forced with  an ultimate decision and eventually decides to do nothing. Summarized Ethical Issue at Heart The unethical issue at heart is the manager, Kevin, making inappropriate gestures towards Jackie after they had broken up. Doing so with Jackie’s vulnerable position of whether or not to report the issue which would do more harm than good. Or to leave the matter alone and just hope that Kevin would leave her alone. Neither option are better suited for Jackie who in this case is the victim, which leads to the question of appropriate ethical responsibility of the company. Details that are missing in the case A 3rd party perspective on the details of both parties. More detail as to what accusations were being made towards Kevin and Jackie. Whether Kevin had proper ethical training. List of all stakeholders who would be involved with this ethical dilemma. Employees Other artists Board of Trustees Investors Legal Department Customers Community Media Three stakeholders and the concerns they may have. Employees Don’t like how they are working for an unethically sound company. Thinking how it could happen to them if they were put in the same situation If the  problem was ever made public how would my job security look? Would this company’s name stain my resume? Investors How will my portfolio look if this artist is to become successful with another producer? Will this story become public? Will my shares plummet from this company’s bad publicity? What would happen to the company outlook if the entire company was to go thru proper corporate ethical training? Could it be a success? Board of Trustees This will look bad if the story was to made public How must will it cost to perform proper corporate training on proper ethical behavior? Do the managerial levels need to be reevaluated? Could the company be looking at a lawsuit? Five solutions. Perform corporate training at all levels reviewing proper ethical conduct Fire the manager Workout an undisclosed settlement See if another manager is available to take her on Leave and try to find successes elsewhere Top three solutions with possible consequences. 1. Perform corporate training at all levels, monitor it and have employees sign off on regulating polices that are being implemented regarding superior-employee relations as well as all other common ethical practices. Doesn’t really solve the problem at hand, may be good for the future but doesn’t help Jackie Company sets public perception that their ethical standards are in question Very timely and costly Risk of employees losing interest/possible turnover of employees 2. Fire and Replace the Manager May get sued by Kevin for wrongful termination Jackie’s verbal threats may continue Incident is likely to be made public Board of Trustees would have to look over all management positions Loss of all positive profits that Kevin may have acquired 3. Workout an undisclosed settlement Costly Sets a standard for future wrong doings May not stay quiet Fellow employees and/or artist may exercise more scrutiny as they mature on with their job Three Stakeholders and Top Three Solutions with two pros and two cons effects on the Stakeholder. Make company employees take corporate training on proper ethical behavior Will benefit the company’s overall performance Give the media something different to talk about with regards to the company Very costly Employees may decline to take it/possible employee turnover Fire and Replace the Manager Jackie would be satisfied The company would have a bad employee released Fellow artists may lose that label Manager could sue for wrongful termination Workout an undisclosed amount Jackie would be happy and the problem would be resolved Stays quiet Costly Solves no future problems Two ethical principles upheld or violated by the top three solutions. Make company employees take corporate training on proper ethical behavior Provides positive integrity to the company As long as the training provided was paid hours it shouldn’t be seen in any way of being unethical Trust and Communication Fire and Replace the Manager Fails to meet ethical standards simply because not enough information is known Unethical towards the employees as some could suddenly be put into a disadvantage Work out an undisclosed amount Completely unethical from the rest of the company’s standpoint as this option would be odd and serve no purpose towards the rest of the company Financially unethical to use funds to serve as a settlement rather than other purposes of the company Performing corporate training at all levels, monitoring it and have employees sign off on regulating polices that are being implemented regarding superior-employee relations as well as all other common ethical practices will provide positive integrity to the company. If the training hours were paid and it didn’t have an effect on daily routine then it doesn’t seem to be unethical to request training hours. Firing the manager Kevin would solve Jackie’s problem but only hers alone. To be fair which is a principle of  ethics would be to implement a code that would benefit the company as a whole. Although what Kevin is accused of doing is warranted of being fired there just isn’t enough information for the company to let him go. Her words against his wouldn’t be enough to fire him. This is why a revamp of full corporate training probably stands to be the best possible solution for this situation. Decision and Implementation Identify the best solution. Implementing corporate training throughout the entire staff of the company maybe specializing in specific areas would be most likely to be the best possible solution. There are a lot more benefits to educating employees on proper ethics. A workplace in which an ethics code has been instilled is a naturally pleasant place. Employee morale rises in an atmosphere that promotes good behavior and honest interactions. Reasons why this is the best solution. It creates a better atmosphere in the workplace, teaches an office how to work as a team, promotes personal responsibility, and has always shown to boost staff morale. A work ethics training program promotes teamwork by instilling trust in co-workers. People are more likely to be amenable to working together when they appreciate and respect one another. Why the other solutions were rejected Firing the manager Kevin as well as making an undisclosed settlement were found to be unethical towards other members of the company. It would not be a good example to set if the company were to single out an incident and act in an irregular way towards that issue. There also wasn’t enough facts to the case to make the decision to fire the manager, Kevin. Especially doing so knowing full well it would affect other stakeholders. Possible objections to the solution The company may find that employee may complain that they do not need to take part in training. A mandatory requirement may need to be implemented for all employees. A turnover rate within the employees may be seen. Investors or Board of Trustees will look at all avenues of the cheapest method of implementing training. How would you overcome these objections? Make it a requirement to attain a certain number of ethics training hours. Find other avenues of funding that can contribute to the program to make sure that employees are receiving the best training. Self-inflicted training from the managerial level is a cheaper method to instruct employees. References Ethical Dilemma. (n.d.). Forbes. Retrieved , from http://www.forbes.com/2004/06/23/cx_da_0623topnews.html Advantages of Training Employees About Work Ethics. (n.d.). Small Business. Retrieved , from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-training-employees-work-ethics-44472.html Ethics Training in the Workplace. (n.d.). Ethics Training. Retrieved , from http://www.rctm.com/ethics.htm Institute For Ethical Awareness. (n.d.). Institute For Ethical Awareness. Retrieved , from http://www.instituteforethicalawareness.org The Online Business Ethics Training Program | Ethics Training Guide. (n.d.). Ethics Training Guide. Retrieved , from http://ethicstrainingguide.org/

Robert Reich’s “Supercapitalism” Chapter 2 Analysis

Robert Reich’s â€Å"Supercapitalism† Chapter 2 Analysis Richard (Ben) Dowden Analysis of a chapter from Robert Reich’s â€Å"Supercapitalism† Outline of Reich, chapter 2 Argument outline of Reich, chapter 2 Overall argument Since the 1970’s competition between corporations grew as technology developed, American companies began to pursue profit to remain competitive resulting in supercapitalism triumphing over democratic capitalism. Reasons Globalisation, new production processes and deregulation increased competition giving consumers and investors more choices. Increase in investor culture drove companies to compete for shareholders (i.e. highest possible profits) regardless of their social responsibility. The decline in union membership as a result of pursuits in profit has led to the decline of power workers have over their employers, the corporations. Evidence for reason 1 In Section 2 (pp. 56-60), Reich describes how technology developed for use in the Cold War had influence over American business. He asserts the technology had three indirect outgrowths: globalisation, new production processes and deregulation (p.60). He argues that each of these outgrowths increased business competition giving concrete evidence for each in the following sections. Section 3 (pp. 60-63) argues that globalisation has reduced the cost of overseas trade creating opportunities for global supply chains. Reich states that the Vietnam War resulted in the growth of commercial, global logistics. Reich gives concrete evidence of how seven new containership companies entered the market in the year following the war and how industry grew at a high rate thereafter (p.61). Moreover, Reich argues this created the concept of global supply chains. Reich notes the great increase in American imports from American owned overseas factories between 1969 and 1983 (p.62). He then gives examples describing large companies’ global supply chains (p.62). Section 4 (pp.64-65) argues new production processes trumped the economies of scale used by the oligopolies resulting in a marketplace growing in complexity. Reich gives examples of how new production processes allows specialisation. He explains how standardised steel gave way to specialised galvanised steels designed for a niche market (p.64). Furthermore, a huge brand like Coca-Cola faced a variety of specialised drinks taking away Coca-Cola’s market share (p.65). In section 5 (pp.65-70) Reich argues that as businesses innovated, new profitable, yet restricted opportunities were discovered within regulated markets, companies lobbied for deregulation, driving competition. Reich states that in some cases, deregulation put companies out of business since they lost the cross-subsidies from other previously regulated, profitable companies. He gives evidence of the Bell System’s segmented telecommunication companies based in the country becoming unviable, opening business opportunities to smaller, extremely competitive companies (p. 68). Furthermore, trucking and airline deregulation led to added competition, particularly in freight (p.69). Evidence for reason 2 At the end of section 5 (pp.65-70) Reich quotes Edward E. Furash stating that due to the change in psyche in American’s management of wealth, the American financial system will shift towards competing for investors (p.70). Reich describes the financial deregulation of banking giving new opportunities to investors among others he gave evidence of stock broker, Merrill Lynch setting up mutual funds (p.67). Reich seems to contribute the increase in investment choice and effectiveness because of deregulation to savers becoming investors. Reich backs the claim with statistics at the start of section 6 (pp.70-75) citing the increase in percentage of households owning stock (pp.70-71). Reich goes on to say this also coincided with the bull market of 1980-2000 (p.71). His overall argument here is that companies had to compete for investors which meant maximising returns. Reich gives evidence of how profit margins rose from the beginning of the 1980 to 2000 at a high rate of change (pp.72-73). He also gives evidence of how the number of companies that ran at lower profit margins that were subjected to hostile takeovers increased by a factor of 11 from the 1970’s to the 80’s (pp.73-74). In Section 7 (pp.75-80), Reich begins by quoting the former CEO of Coca-Cola stating companies have the sole responsibility of generating returns for their investors (p.75). He continues to point out a CEO’s job security is increasingly attributed to the company’s stock price recommendation. 50% of CEOs’ company’s stock was downgraded in investment recommendation were fired in the following six months (p.76). Reich uses evidence of how 60% of senior executives in the Fortune 500 companies had been at their firm for fewer than six years (p.76). His argument is that CEO’s no longer have room to worry about the social consequences of their organisation. He uses the example of Malden Mills, a family-owned textiles company which ran at a loss manufacturing in New England. Their CEO did not want to close the factory since the local economy had high dependencies on it – he was eventually sacked by the company’s creditors (p.79). Evidence for reason 3 Section 8 (pp.80-86) focusses on the decline in union membership starting from the 1970’s. He cites evidence from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics of how union membership rapidly declined beginning in the 1970’s (p.80). He explains this is a consequence of employers contesting unions, giving concrete evidence of this through the decrease of uncontested union elections (p.80). Reich also gives evidence of how the rate of illegal dismissals of union members rose through the 1970’s and into the 90’s (p.81). Reich’s explanation for corporations’ behaviour was related to cutting the costs of the payroll to remain competitive as consumers and investors looked for the cheapest deal. Reich gives concrete evidence of how the nonunionised sector of the American economy grew at a greater rate than the unionised sector (pp.82-83). This increase in opposition arising from nonunionised companies forced unionised corporations fight the unions to remain competitive. Reich uses evidence from a range of industries to describe this citing: the air travel industry (p.83), the ‘Big Three’ American car manufacturers (pp.83-85) and the construction industry (p.85). Reich goes on to explain how the public services sector was never unionised, consequently suffering low wages. Reich uses the evidence of how members of the public services industry went on strike responding to their wages being cut as anti-union Wal-Mart entered their industry (p.86). Reflection: How the chapter intersects with my life The chapter reaffirmed my own opinion that wealth distribution in developed nations, particularly America’s, is unequal. It shows that while deregulation may improve its GDP per capita, it doesn’t guarantee a higher quality of life. In fact, in more regulated economies like in Scandinavia, quality of life indicators are higher since wealth distribution is far more equal (Wilkinson Pickett, 2009). The chapter is interesting, considering the debate surrounding the deregulation of tertiary education in Australia. It does give universities ability to form an identity, which is a way of saying it encourages elitism. After all, a university’s ‘prestige’ is generally attributed to how well-endowed it is. But is it just the first step to university privatisation? Will universities eventually just pursue profit like companies? List of references Reich, R., 2008. Supercapitalism. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Wilkinson, R. and Pickett, K., 2010. The spirit level. London: Penguin Books.

Latitudinal Gradient of Species Diversity Essay -- Geography Geology N

Latitudinal Gradient of Species Diversity The latitudinal gradient in species diversity is one of the most striking patterns in the distribution of organisms on the planet. Simply put, the average number of species per unit area increases dramatically the closer the area is to the equator, almost entirely regardless of the type of organism being considered (Pianka, 1994). Researchers investigating the gradient have formulated a wide variety of hypothesis explaining the higher level of species diversity in the tropics. These include but are not limited to: a greater degree of evolution and radiation in tropical species due to the long and relatively stable geological history of the area, seasonal climatic stability and/or predictability, a higher level of productivity, an increased rate of competition and a higher predation intensity (Pianka, 1994). Another theory is that tropical soils somehow influence species diversity and thus cause the latitudinal gradient. This paper will further investigate this final theory by outlini ng the basic characteristics of tropical soils, summarizing the mechanisms invoked to explain species diversity with these soil characteristics, and evaluating how well this research agrees with what is known about tropical soils. For the sake of narrowing the topic somewhat, attention is limited to the soils of and research occurring in Latin America. Tropical Soils In the past, tropical soils have been over-simplified and misunderstood (Sanchez, 1976), and this situation plagued soil science at least until the late seventies (Van Wambeke and Dudal, 1978). Sanchez (1976) attributes this misunderstanding of tropical soils to the fact that when temperate region-trained soil scientists first went to the... ...s richness in Costa Rican forests: Journal of Biogeography, 7, 147-157. Jordan, C.F. and Herrera, R., 1981, Tropical rain forests: are nutrients really critical?: American Naturalist, 117, 167-180. Paoletti, M.G., Taylor, R.A.J., Stinner, B.R., Stinner, D.H., and Benzing, D.H., Diversity of soil fauna in the canopy and forest floor of a Venequelan cloud forest: Journal of Tropical Ecology, 7, 373-383. Pianka, E.R., 1994. Evolutionary Ecology, Fifth Edition: New York, Harper Collins College Publishers, p. 390-396. Sanchez, P., 1976, Properties and Management of Soils in the Tropics: New York, John Wiley and Sons, Chapters 2,3,4, and 5. Van Wambeke, A., and Dudal, R., 1978, Macrovariability of soils of the tropics, p. 13-28 in Stelly, M. (editor-in-chief), Diversity of Soils in the Tropics: Ithaca, Department of Agronomy, Cornell University Press.

Assessment Procedures for Professional Hires Essay -- Assessment Proce

Traditionally when a job is advertised the specification has been formulated in line with one of two main concepts, person specification, stating the desired personal characteristics for the role or job description, which details the specifics of the role itself (Casio & Aguinis 2011) but it has been argued that with the rise of psychometric testing and an increasing focus on personality and behaviours, job advertisements need to evolve and incorporate the two (Cook and Cripps 2005). This is done through the process of job analysis. It is crucial to always assess the validity and reliability of job specification information (Harvey, 1991) and hard to downplay its importance as the first point of contact with candidates (Sanchez & Levine 2001). Inaccurate job specifications can be detrimental to organizational effectiveness. Imprecise job information can result in ineffective recruiting and selection practices, increased levels of turnover, low job satisfaction and decreased morale (Morgeson & Campion, 1997). Job analysis can help solidify an organisations structure by clarifying roles and expected behaviours (Casio & Aguinis 2011) and should express the organisations values and behaviours. Successful job analysis is done when it is carried out in unison between a member of the team close to the specific role in question and normally a HR professional (Cook and Cripps 2005). IBM focuses on the competency element of a job specification and thus manages to combine the two approaches. By working in conjunction with the Line Manager who is close to the job role, the HR team member or Recruiter is able to combine in the specification the required practicalities and technical ability as well as the desired personality characteristi... ... Chapman, D. S. and P. Rowe. 2002. â€Å"The Influence of Videoconference Technology and Interview Structure on the Recruiting Function of the Employment Interview: A Field Experiment.† International Journal of Selection and Assessment 10: 185-197. Huffcutt, A. I. and D. J. Woehr. 1999. â€Å"Further Analysis of Employment Interview Validity: A Quantitative Evaluation of Interviewer-Related Structuring Methods.† Journal of Organizational Behavior 20: 549-560. Lievens, F. and A. DePaepe. 2004. â€Å"An Empirical Investigation of Interviewer-Related Factors that Discourage the Use of High Structure in Interviews.† Journal of Organizational Behavior 25: 29-46. Harris, M. M. and R. W. Eder. 1999. â€Å"The State of Employment Interview Practice: Commentary and Extension.† In R. W. Eder and M. M. Harris (Eds.) The Employment Interview Handbook 369-398. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Macbeth Essay -- essays research papers

Compare and Contrast: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Ambition, the world’s driving force to achieve their goals. Ambition is a characteristic of human nature, which, if expressed in an evil manner, can turn the entire person evil. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are great examples of these types of people. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, they are torn apart due to their excessive hunger for power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a driving ambition that turns each of them into a spiral of guilt and evil. They are both very stubborn and set in their ways this is proven when Macbeth does not want to change his mind about killing Duncan. Their thriving ruthlessness combined is almost unstoppable, and it is their fuel to commit the terrible deeds that they do. Though they are similar in many ways, they also have many differences, which include the changing of power throughout the play. The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is a very close but a rather strange one. There are a lot of things that Macbeth does not understand about Lady Macbeth, that she knows about him, for example, she knows his weakness of character and his strengths. At the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth is the stronger of the two. Although it was the witches who told Macbeth he will be king, it was Lady Macbeth who uses her art of persuasion, and knowledge of Macbeths weaknesses, to make him kill the king. Lady Macbeth uses persuasion, another factor that helps her over p...

Research, Writing & Civil Litigation Assignment 1 Essay

For the first assignment, try these short questions involving legal research: 1. Please enter the correct citation for the Supreme Court case of Lamb against California, which was decided on January 7, 1963 and is recorded on page 234 of volume 371 in the United States Reporter. Lamb V. California, 371 U. S. 234 (1963). 2. Please list all of the courts whose decisions are binding upon the federal district court for the District of Massachusetts. Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the U.S. Supreme. 3. From the following sources of law within our legal system, list them in the order of most binding to least binding (assume all involved laws are valid) and explain why that order exists. a. state constitution; b. federal constitution; c. state legislation; d. federal legislation; Constitution The ultimate document that gives governments their authority; also serves to limit governmental authority, to protect civil rights, etc. Other laws, judicial decisions and executive actions must be consistent with the applicable constitution or it falls to the courts to strike down (law, decision or action). Statutes Law written by federal and state legislatures. They become effective upon signature of the president (federal) or governor (state). Statues of limitations Federal and state laws prescribing the maximum period of time during which various types of civil actions nd criminal prosecutions can be brought after the occurrence of the injury or offense. Supremacy Clause A clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution that declares federal laws to have jurisdictional authority over state laws in the event there is conflict between laws established by two governing bodies. 4. In what types of cases and/or memos would you be most likely to cite case  law that is not mandatory authority? Determining when a court’s decision is mandatory or persuasive can be tricky, given the multiple jurisdictions throughout the country and the layers of courts within each jurisdiction. Our court systems are founded on the belief that there should be fairness, consistency, and predictability in judicial decision making. The doctrine that expresses this concept is labeled stare decisis. In essence, stare decisis considers mandatory, or binding, an existing decision from any court that exercises appellate jurisdiction over another court, unless the lower court can show that the decision is clearly wrong or is distinguishable from the case at hand. Courts frequently consider the larger context when choosing among persuasive decisions. A typical situation in which decisions from one state may be highly persuasive on another is where both states share a specific doctrine. For example, Texas courts may find decisions of Wisconsin courts in marital property cases quite persuasive because both states adhere to community property law. Rarely would either state consult its neighboring states on marital property law; both have neighbors that are common-law marital property states. In most other situations, however, Texas courts might find Oklahoma or Arkansas decisions more persuasive than those of Minnesota or Illinois (Wisconsin’s neighbors), because demographic, geographic, or historic similarities may have led to the development of similar legal doctrines among neighboring states. Similarly, whether a state has adopted a particular uniform law can affect the persuasiveness of its decisions. Federal courts, too, look at the larger context when choosing among the range of persuasive decisions to consult. And†¦ For good measure, to save the hardest for last: 5. Give an example of a case where the U.S. Supreme Court would be deciding an issue of STATE law. The Justices must exercise considerable discretion in deciding which cases to hear, since more than 10,000 civil and criminal cases are filed in the  Supreme Court each year from the various state and federal courts. The Supreme Court also has â€Å"original jurisdiction† in a very small number of cases arising out of disputes between States or between a State and the Federal Government. Bintliff, B. â€Å"MANDATORY V. PERSUASIVE CASES.† West Group; Retrieved 2001 from http://faculty.law.lsu.edu/toddbruno/mandatory_v__persuasive.htm McWay, D. (2008).†Workings of the American Legal System.† Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information Management (third edition). 2008 Delmar Cengage learning.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Three

The first light of dawn was streaking the night sky with pink and palest green. Stefan watched it from the window of his room in the boarding house. He had rented this room specifically because of the trapdoor in the ceiling, a trapdoor that opened onto the widow's walk on the roof above. Just now that door was open, and a cool damp wind blew down the ladder below it. Stefan was fully dressed, but not because he was up early. He had never been to sleep. He'd just returned from the woods, and a few scraps of wet leaf clung to the side of his boot. He brushed them off fastidiously. The comments of the students yesterday had not escaped him, and he knew they had been staring at his clothes. He had always dressed in the best, not merely out of vanity, but because it was the right thing to do. His tutor had often said it: Anaristocrat should dress as befits his position. If he does not, he is showing contempt for others . Everyone had a place in the world, and his place had once been among the nobility. Once. Why was he dwelling on these things? Of course, he should have realized that playing the role of a student was likely to bring his own student days back. Now the memories came thick and fast, as if he were skimming through the pages of a journal, his eyes catching an entry here and there. One flashed before him vividly now: his father's face when Damon had announced he was quitting the University. He would never forget that. He had never seen his father so angry†¦ â€Å"What do you mean, you are not going back?† Giuseppe was usually a fair man, but he had a temper, and his elder son brought out the violence in him. Just now that son was dabbing at his lips with a saffron-colored silk handkerchief. â€Å"I would have thought even you could understand such a simple sentence, father. Shall I repeat it in Latin for you?† â€Å"Damon-† Stefan began tightly, appalled at this disrespect. But his father interrupted. â€Å"You are telling me that I, Giuseppe, Conte di Salvatore, will have to face my friends knowing that my son is ascioparto ? A ne'er-do-well? An idler who makes no useful contribution to Florence?† Servants were edging away as Giuseppe worked himself into a rage. Damon did not even blink. â€Å"Apparently. If you can call those who fawn on you in the hopes that you will lend them money your friends.† † Sporco parassito!† cried Giuseppe, rising from his chair. â€Å"Is it not bad enough that when youare at school you waste your time and my money? Oh, yes, I know all about the gambling, the jousting, the women. And I know that if it were not for your secretary and your tutors you would be failing every course. But now you mean to disgrace me utterly. And why? Why?† His large hand whipped up to grasp Damon's chin. â€Å"So that you may return to your hunting and hawking?† Stefan had to give his brother credit; Damon did not wince. He stood, almost lounging in his father's grip, every inch the aristocrat, from the elegantly plain cap on his dark head to his ermine-trimmed cloak to his soft leather shoes. His upper lip was curved in a line of pure arrogance. You've gone too far this time, thought Stefan, watching the two men whose eyes were locked together. Even you won't be able to charm your way out this time. But just then there was a light step in the study doorway. Turning, Stefan had been dazzled by eyes the color of lapis lazuli, framed with long golden lashes. It was Katherine. Her father, Baron von Swartzschild, had brought her from the cold lands of the German princes to the Italian countryside, hoping it would help her recover from a prolonged illness. And since the day she had arrived, everything had changed for Stefan. â€Å"I beg your pardon. I did not mean to intrude.† Her voice was soft and clear. She made a slight motion as if to leave. â€Å"No, don't go. Stay,† Stefan said quickly. He wanted to say more, to catch her hand-but he didn't dare. Not with his father here. All he could do was gaze into those jewellike blue eyes that were raised to his. â€Å"Yes, stay,† Giuseppe said, and Stefan saw that his father's thunderous expression had lightened and that he had released Damon. He stepped forward, straightening the heavy folds of his long fur-trimmed gown. â€Å"Your father should be returning from his business in the city today, and he will be delighted to see you. But your cheeks are pale, little Katherine. You are not ill again, I hope?† â€Å"You know I am always pale, sir. I do not use rouge like your bold Italian girls.† â€Å"You don't need it,† said Stefan before he could stop himself, and Katherine smiled at him. She was so beautiful. An ache began in his chest. His father continued, â€Å"And I see all too little of you during the day. You seldom give us the pleasure of your company until twilight.† â€Å"I have my studies and devotions in my own rooms, sir,† said Katherine quietly, her lashes dropping. Stefan knew this was not true, but he said nothing; he would never betray Katherine's secret. She looked up at his father again. â€Å"But I am here now, sir.† â€Å"Yes, yes, that is true. And I must see that tonight we have a very special meal for your father's return. Damon†¦ we will speak later.† As Giuseppe motioned to a servant and strode out, Stefan turned to Katherine in delight. It was seldom they could speak to each other without the presence of his father or of Gudren, her stolid German maid. But what Stefan saw then was like a blow to his stomach. Katherine was smiling-the little secret smile that she had often shared with him. But she was not looking at him. She was looking at Damon. Stefan hated his brother at that moment, hated Damon's dark beauty and grace and the sensuality that drew women to him like moths to a flame. He wanted, in that instant, to strike Damon, to smash that beauty to pieces. Instead he had to stand and watch as Katherine moved slowly toward his brother, step by step, her golden brocade gown whispering on the tiled floor. And even as he watched, Damon held out a hand to Katherine, and smiled the cruel smile of triumph†¦ Stefan turned away from the window sharply. Why was he reopening old wounds? But, even as he thought it, he drew out the slender gold chain he wore under his shirt. His thumb and forefinger caressed the ring that hung from it, then he held it up to the light. The little circlet was exquisitely worked in gold, and five centuries had not dimmed its luster. It was set with one stone, a lapis the size of his little fingernail. Stefan looked at it, then at the heavy silver ring, also set with lapis, on his own hand. In his chest was a familiar tightness. He could not forget the past, and he didn't really wish to. Despite everything that had happened, he cherished Katherine's memory. But there was one memory he must truly not disturb, one page of the journal he must not turn. If he had to relive that horror, that†¦ abomination, he would go mad. As he had been mad that day, that final day, when he had looked upon his own damnation†¦ Stefan leaned against the window, his forehead pressed to its coolness. His tutor had had another saying: Evil will never find peace. It may triumph, but it will never find peace . Why had he even come to Fell's Church? He had hoped to find peace here, but that was impossible. He would never be accepted, he would never rest. Because he was evil. He could not change what he was. Elena was up even earlier than usual that morning. She could hear Aunt Judith pottering about in her room, getting ready for her shower. Margaret was still fast asleep, curled up like a little mouse in her bed. Elena passed her younger sister's half-open door noiselessly and continued down the hallway to let herself out of the house. The air was fresh and clear this morning; the quince tree was inhabited only by the usual jays and sparrows. Elena, who had gone to bed with a throbbing headache, lifted her face to the clean blue sky and breathed deeply. She felt much better than she had yesterday. She'd promised to meet Matt before school, and though she wasn't looking forward to it she was sure it was going to be all right. Matt lived only two streets away from the high school. It was a simple frame house, like all the others on that street, except that maybe the swing on the porch was a little shabbier, the paint a little more peeled. Matt was already standing outside, and for a moment her heart picked up at the sight of him as it used to. He was good-looking. There was no doubt about that. Not in the stunning, almost disturbing way that-that some people were, but in a healthy American way. Matt Honeycutt was all-American. His blond hair was cropped short for the football season, and his skin was sunburnt from working outdoors on his grandparents' farm. His blue eyes were honest and straightforward. And just today, as he held out his arms to hug her gently, they were a little sad. â€Å"You want to come inside?† â€Å"No. Let's just walk,† Elena said. They went side by side without touching. Maples and black walnut trees lined this street, and the air still had a morning hush. Elena watched her feet on the wet sidewalk, feeling suddenly uncertain. She didn't know how to start after all. â€Å"So you still haven't told me about France,† he said. â€Å"Oh, it was great,† said Elena. She glanced sideways at him. He was looking at the sidewalk, too. â€Å"Everything about it was great,† she continued, trying to put some enthusiasm in her voice. â€Å"The people, the food, everything. It was really†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off, and she laughed nervously. â€Å"Yeah, I know. Great,† he finished for her. He stopped and stood looking down at his scuffed tennis shoes. Elena recognized them from last year. Matt's family barely got by; maybe he hadn't been able to afford new shoes. She looked up to find those steady blue eyes on her face. â€Å"You know,you look pretty great right now,† he said. Elena opened her mouth in dismay, but he was speaking again. â€Å"And I guess you have something to tell me.† She stared at him, and he smiled, a crooked, rueful smile. Then he held out his arms again. â€Å"Oh,Matt ,† she said, hugging him hard. She stepped back to look into his face. â€Å"Matt, you are the nicest guy I've ever met. I don't deserve you.† â€Å"Oh, so that's why you're dumping me,† said Matt as they started walking again. â€Å"Because I'm too good for you. I should have realized that before.† She punched him in the arm. â€Å"No, that isn't why, and I am not dumping you. We're going to be friends, right?† â€Å"Oh, sure. Oh, absolutely.† â€Å"Because that's what I've realized we are.† She stopped, looking up at him again. â€Å"Good friends. Be honest, now, Matt, isn't that how you really feel about me?† He looked at her, then rolled his eyes heavenward. â€Å"Can I take the Fifth on that?† he said. As Elena's face fell, he added, â€Å"It doesn't have anything to do with that new guy, does it?† â€Å"No,† Elena said after a hesitation, and then added quickly, â€Å"I haven't even met him yet. I don't know him.† â€Å"But you want to. No, don't say it.† He put an arm around her and gently turned her. â€Å"Come on, let's head toward school. If we have time, I'll even buy you a doughnut.† As they walked, something thrashed in the walnut tree above them. Matt whistled and pointed. â€Å"Look at that! Biggest crow I've ever seen.† Elena looked, but it was already gone. School that day was merely a convenient place for Elena to review her plan. She had woken up this morning knowing what to do. And today she gathered as much information as she could on the subject of Stefan Salvatore. Which wasn't hard, because everyone at Robert E. Lee was talking about him. It was common knowledge that he'd had some sort of run-in with the admissions secretary yesterday. And today he'd been called to the principal's office. Something about his papers. But the principal had sent him back to class (after, it was rumored, a long-distance call to Rome-or was it Washington?), and everything seemed to be settled now. Officially, at least. When Elena arrived for Euro History class that afternoon, she was greeted by a low whistle in the hall. Dick Carter and Tyler Smallwood were loitering there. A couple of prize jerks, she thought, ignoring the whistle and their staring. They thought being tackle and safety on the varsity football team made them hot stuff. She kept an eye on them as she loitered in the corridor herself, refreshing her lipstick and fiddling with her compact. She'd given Bonnie her special instructions, and the plan was ready to be put into effect as soon as Stefan showed up. The compact mirror gave her a wonderful view of the hall behind her. Still, she missed him coming somehow. He was beside her suddenly, and she snapped the compact shut as he passed. She meant to stop him, but something happened before she could. Stefan tensed-or, at least, there was something about him that seemed wary all at once. Just then Dick and Tyler stepped in front of the door to the history classroom. Blocking the way. World-class jerks, thought Elena. Fuming, she glared at them over Stefan's shoulder. They were enjoying the game, slouching in the doorway, pretending they were completely blind to Stefan standing there. â€Å"Excuse me.† It was the same tone he'd used with the history teacher. Quiet, detached. Dick and Tyler looked at each other, then all around, as if hearing spirit voices. â€Å"Scoozi?† Tyler said in a falsetto. â€Å"Scoozi me? Me scoozi? Jacuzzi?† They both laughed. Elena watched muscles tighten under the T-shirt in front of her. This was completely unfair; they were both taller than Stefan, and Tyler was about twice as broad. â€Å"Is there a problem here?† Elena was as startled as the boys were at the new voice behind her. She turned to see Matt. His blue eyes were hard. Elena bit her lips on a smile as Tyler and Dick moved slowly, resentfully out of the way. Good old Matt, she thought. But now good old Matt was walking into class beside Stefan, and she was left following them, staring at the backs oftwo T-shirts. When they sat down, she slid into the desk behind Stefan, where she could watch him without being watched herself. Her plan would have to wait until after class. Matt was rattling change in his pocket, which meant he wanted to say something. â€Å"Uh, hey,† he began at last, uncomfortably. â€Å"Those guys, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stefan laughed. It was a bitter sound. â€Å"Who am I to judge?† There was more emotion in his voice than Elena had heard before, even when he had spoken to Mr. Tanner. And that emotion was raw unhappiness. â€Å"Anyway, why should I be welcome here?† he finished, almost to himself. â€Å"Why shouldn't you be?† Matt had been staring at Stefan; now his jaw squared with decision. â€Å"Listen,† he said. â€Å"You were talking about football yesterday. Well, our star wide receiver tore a ligament yesterday afternoon, and we need a replacement. Tryouts are this afternoon. What do you think?† â€Å"Me?† Stefan sounded caught off guard. â€Å"Ah†¦ I don't know if I could.† â€Å"Can you run?† â€Å"Can-?† Stefan half turned toward Matt, and Elena could see a faint hint of a smile curve his lips. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Can you catch?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"That's all a wide receiver has to do. I'm the quarterback. If you can catch what I throw and run with it, you can play.† â€Å"I see.† Stefan was actually almost smiling, and though Matt's mouth was serious his blue eyes were dancing. Astonished at herself, Elena realized she was jealous. There was a warmth between the two boys that shut her out completely. But the next instant Stefan's smile disappeared. He said distantly, â€Å"Thank you†¦ but no. I have other commitments.† At that moment, Bonnie and Caroline arrived and class started. Throughout Tanner's lecture on Europe, Elena repeated to herself, â€Å"Hello. I'm Elena Gilbert. I'm on the Senior Welcoming Committee, and I've been assigned to show you around the school. Now, you wouldn't want to get me in trouble, would you, by not letting me do my job?† That last with wide, wistful eyes-but only if he looked like he might try to get out of it. It was virtually foolproof. He was a sucker for maidens who needed to be rescued. Halfway through class, the girl sitting to her right passed her a note. Elena opened it and recognized Bonnie's round, childish handwriting. It read: â€Å"I kept C. away for as long as I could. What happened? Did it work† Elena looked up to see Bonnie twisted around in her front-row seat. Elena pointed to the note and shook her head, mouthing, â€Å"After class.† It seemed a century until Tanner gave some last-minute instructions about oral reports and dismissed them. Then everybody sprang up at once. Here goes, thought Elena, and, with her heart pounding, she stepped squarely into Stefan's path, blocking the aisle so that he couldn't get around her. Just like Dick and Tyler, she thought, feeling a hysterical urge to giggle. She looked up and found her eyes exactly on a level with his mouth. Her mind went blank. What was it she was supposed to say? She opened her mouth, and somehow the words she'd been practicing came tumbling out. â€Å"Hi, I'm Elena Gilbert, and I'm on the Senior Welcoming Committee and I've been assigned-† â€Å"I'm sorry; I don't have time.† For a minute, she couldn't believe he was speaking, that he wasn't even going to give her a chance to finish. Her mouth went right on with the speech. â€Å"-to show you around the school-† â€Å"I'm sorry; I can't. I have to-to get to football tryouts.† Stefan turned to Matt, who was standing by looking amazed. â€Å"You said they were right after school, didn't you?† â€Å"Yes,† Matt said slowly. â€Å"But-† â€Å"Then I'd better get moving. Maybe you could show me the way.† Matt looked helplessly at Elena, then shrugged. â€Å"Well†¦ sure. Come on.† He glanced back once as they left. Stefan didn't. Elena found herself looking around at a circle of interested observers, including Caroline, who was openly smirking. Elena felt a numbness in her body and a fullness in her throat. She couldn't stand to be here for one more second. She turned and walked as quickly as she could from the room.