Wednesday, November 6, 2019

How to Compare High Schools Using SAT Scores

How to Compare High Schools Using SAT Scores SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re reading this article, I assume you’re in search of a good high school. When you compare high schools, average SAT score is a useful tool. What does an average SAT score represent? Why should you care about a school’s average SAT score? How do you even find a school’s average SAT score? I’ll answer that and more in this guide. What Does a High School’s Average SAT Score Represent? When considering what a high school’s average SAT score represents, you need to know what the SAT measures. While the College Board may argue that an SAT score simply measures a student’s academic ability, the SAT measures not only academic ability but also other things such as perseverance. What I mean by perseverance is a student’s determination to do well. While a genius might be able to get a 2400 on the SAT with no practice, a student with just slightly above-average intelligence can also get a 2400 with enough practice. For this reason, an SAT score reveals both a student’s academic ability and their willingness to work hard. A high school’s average SAT score represents these same qualities: academic ability and perseverance. However, in terms of an entire high school, its â€Å"academic ability† is dependent upon the quality of education it provides, and its â€Å"perseverance† is dependent upon the caliber of students. A high school's average SAT score helps answer questions such as: Do the students at that school care about their education? Do they study? Do they practice for the SAT? Do they care about pursuing a four-year degree? Why Should You Care About a High School’s Average SAT Score? You should care about a high school’s average SAT score because higher SAT scores can indicate a better quality of education and a better quality of student at that school. Since the SAT measures academic ability and your education is responsible for your knowledge, the better the quality of education you receive, the better you’ll perform on the SAT. Though, as I said before, your SAT score is also affected by how much you prepare for the test. If a high school’s average SAT score is high, the students at that high school are probably more invested in their high school education and more committed to getting into a 4-year college than students at other high schools. These students probably study more and spend more time preparing to take the SAT. You should want to send your child to a high school with a higher average SAT score, where they’ll likely be surrounded by like-minded, hard-working students and receive a higher quality of education. Devil’s Advocate: Why Shouldn’t You Rely Too Heavily On Average SAT Score? A school’s average SAT score can indicate the quality of education and students, but it may not give you the full picture. As an example, some public high schools have magnet (or gifted) programs that are separated from the â€Å"regular† track at that high school. These programs usually have a superior quality of students and teachers compared to the rest of the school. My public high school had an International Baccalaureate magnet program. The admissions requirements for this program were high, but there were no requirements for students on the â€Å"regular† high school track. This program had superior teachers who only taught IB classes. I’d bet the average SAT score for IB students was higher than the average SAT score for students on the â€Å"regular† track. However, the average SAT score for my high school does not separate IB and non-IB students. The number includes the scores of all students at the school. For this reason, you can’t distinguish what the caliber of education and student will be within a specific magnet program versus the â€Å"regular† track. As I said before, your SAT score is also affected by how much effort you put into studying for the test. If you attend a high school with a low average SAT score, that does not mean you’re going to have a low SAT score. If you attend a high school with a high average SAT score, that does not guarantee you'll get a high SAT score. No matter which high school you attend, you can still study, learn the test format and strategies, and achieve a high score on the SAT. However, you should try to attend the high school with the best quality of students and teachers so that you’ll receive the best education you can, be challenged in school, and be well prepared for the SAT. How to Find a School’s Average SAT Score There are four methods for tracking down a public school’s average SAT score: Through the Department of Education website (Note: This only works for PUBLIC high schools. Also, this is the ONLY way to find average SAT scores by school district.) Through the school’s website (however, not all schools publish this information on their websites) By emailing a school administrator Simply Google Searching â€Å"[High School Name] Average SAT Score† (though this can be unreliable) The best method to find average SAT score by high school is to use the Department of Education’s website for your state. NOTE: this will only work for some states. For a full explanation of how to find a district’s or specific public high school’s average SAT score using this method (and for a list of states that don't provide this data), read our article on SAT Scores by High School and District. This approach is the only way to guarantee you’re getting up-to-date, correct, unbiased information. For private high schools (or as another search option for public high schools), you could try the Google search method, looking on the high school’s website, or sending an email to an administrator at that high school. However, websites and Google search can often have outdated information (i.e. SAT score averages from three years ago). Outdated information is still somewhat useful as it can give you a sense of how the school is performing; however, there can be big score differences in just a few years if there are changes in the school administration and teaching staff. There's also the possibility that the school doesn't post this data on its website. If you email administrators, you may also be given outdated information (if they haven’t seen the most recent statistics). Also, it may take them a while to respond to your request with their busy schedule or if they’re on summer vacation. Be a curious cat! What Should You Look for in SAT Data? In the SAT data, you should be looking at the average composite SAT score. NOTE: Typically, states publish average SAT scores by section. You’ll need to add the average section scores together to approximate the average composite SAT score if they don't include composite score as a separate category. The average composite SAT score is the main number you should be concerned with. The higher the number, the better. Read more about that in our other guide: SAT Scores by High School and District. You can also look at the individual section scores. The Math section score may give you a sense of how strong or weak the Math program is. The closer to 800 (the highest possible section score), the better. A high score most likely means a higher quality math program. The Critical Reading and Writing sections (or Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section - for data from 2016 or later) will give you a sense of the quality of English education at that school. Again, same as Math, the closer to 800 (the highest possible section score), the better. A high score most likely means a higher quality of English classes. From the data, you can also find the fraction of students who took the SAT at a particular high school. NOTE: some states will only list the number of students who took the SAT and will not include overall school enrollment. You will not be able to figure out the fraction of students who took the SAT unless you have both pieces of data. However, if your state does provide you with the total enrollment number and the number of test-takers, such as California does, you can determine the fraction of students who took the SAT. As an example here is a screenshot of the SAT data from the California Department of Education’s website: To determine the fraction of students who took the SAT at a specific high school, take the number of test takers (listed under the NumTstTakr column) and divide it by the number of enrolled students (under Enroll912). If I were looking at Alameda Science and Technology Institute (the highlighted school), the fraction of students who took the SAT would be: 61 / 169 or about 36% Don't read too much into this number because it doesn't tell the whole story. The enrollment includes the TOTAL number of students, and you wouldn’t expect Freshmen or Sophomores to be taking the SAT. While 36% seems small, you need to take into account: The fact that Alameda Science and Technology Institute has about 50 students per grade level. Typically, only Juniors and Seniors will take the SAT in a given year, and there are about 100 Juniors and Seniors at Alameda. Some students may opt to take the ACT instead. When accounting for all of that, it seems that close to 100% of Alameda Science and Technology Institute students will end up taking the SAT or ACT before they graduate, which is impressive. While you can look at the fraction of students who took the SAT at a specific high school, the more important number is the average SAT score for that high school. Summary A high school's average SAT score can reveal the quality of education and quality of students at that school. However, when you compare high schools, their average SAT scores will not always tell you the whole story. For example, at schools with magnet programs, magnet students' SAT scores are mixed with the "regular" students' SAT scores to provide the school's average SAT score. Students in the magnet track may have a higher average SAT score (as they may be receiving a higher quality education and be harder working students), but you wouldn't be able to tell from the overall average SAT score of that school. There are several options for finding out a high school's average SAT score. Not all methods will work in all states or for all schools. Check out our other guide on SAT Scores by High School and District to find out the best method for you. When you find the average SAT score data, you should look for the composite SAT score. The higher this score is, the better. What’s Next? If you're taking the SAT, you should learn about the format of the new SAT, and also, check out some general tips on how to prepare for the SAT. Before you start studying for the SAT, figure out what’s a good score for your target college. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Monday, November 4, 2019

Continental Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Continental Philosophy - Essay Example k are to explore some of the different conceptions of imagination that can be found in western philosophical thought and to introduce and elucidate some of the philosophical issues that arise concerning imagination and creativity. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, imagination is â€Å"the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.† Thus, it is traditionally believed that creativity is the manifestation of the imagination. From the way in which we use the term "imagination," it appears that it is thought that the two can be equated; that telling someone to "be more creative" is exactly the same as saying, "use the imagination." That the imagination can be associated to creativity is clearly indubitable, but it is the type of association that is questionable. Before the discussion link between creativity and the imagination, it must be stated first what constitutes creativity and secondly what we mean by the term "imagination." According to Gaut there are three conditions of creativity. First, creativity must be original. There would be no point in creating a sonnet in which one can compare his love to a summers day, as it would not be original. Even if one did, the sonnet would be of no value - the second condition of creativity. Kant has pointed out that even the most nonsensical work of art can be original, but it is not creative unless it is exemplary i.e. of value. The third condition of creativity is that it has to have flair; an artist must have the intention to create the work in that way. If one splatter link across a page, it may be original, but since the end product is arrived at inadvertently, one must have had no style or flair and thus it is not creative. Subsequently, in Gauts words, â€Å"Originality, value and flair ar e the vital ingredients in creative making.† There are a number of different uses of the term "imagination." First, "imagine" can mean, "falsely believe" such as in a situation whereby a person is told that he is

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Persuasive synthesis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Persuasive synthesis - Research Paper Example However, it is possible to treat and cure cancer when discovered during its early stages through chemotherapy. This scientific process uses radioactive rays to kill the cancerous tumors that form part of the cancer. There are several types of cancer; these include breast cancer, prostate cancer, and vaginal cancer. Nowadays cancer has become the most deadly disease in the world, attributed to causing deaths of several notable figures in the world, e.g. Steve Jobs, founder and CEO of Apple Company. The relatives of these people suffer from various challenges. This is because the thought of their suffering relative really paints a negative impact in their physical, emotional, and mental status, thereby causing them a lot of pain (Ronda, Talley, McCorkle and Baile). The patient requires total attention from their relatives. This is because the cancerous cells usually eat up his body and mind leaving him weak both physically and psychologically. Therefore, the relatives have to come around to fill this void by being there for their sick relative. They have to spend a lot of time attending to them. This means they must shelve all their other engagements in order to be with the patient at the hour of need. This is in itself suffering because it denies them an opportunity to pursue other matters. In addition to being there for the patients, the relatives may sometimes lack sleep because they have to stay awake to keep the Patient Company especially if they have no sleep due to extreme pain or extreme depression. (Ronda, Talley, McCorkle and Baile). Furthermore, since they cannot nurse their patient away from home, they have to complete all scheduled work outside their homes. This is to allow them ample time to attend to the patient when they get back home. The emotional pain they encounter comes from their desire to satisfy the patient, who in most cases has lost all the hope in life. They have to make him feel important and loved so that they can give

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Labor Migration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Labor Migration - Research Paper Example These are the countries that laborers have selected to work in. There are three different types of labor migration and are dependent on the motivation of immigrants. These are enforced migration, voluntary migration and distress migration. Enforced migration is the kind of migration that is decided and planned by some external powers. An example of enforced migration is a resettlement program that is imposed by a government. Voluntary labor migration is a result of the outcome of decisions made by migrating individuals. It can be migration for purposes of labor or due to marriage. Distress migration is the migration of multitude as a result of deprivation. In this case, a decision for one to migrate is reached as a way of escaping an environment that no longer promises signs of survival. From the above analysis, labor migration is not just an occurrence of the less developed states but is a global phenomenon. Apart from the above three factors of migration, laborers also migrate for other various factors. There are many pulls and push factors for migration. Such factors can be either economic or non-economic. Change of demography and labor market is examples of pull factors. This is usually experienced in most of the industrialized countries that require numerous workforces. The push factors include; unemployment in less developed states, availability of inter-county networks that are family based and the culture or history of a given society. People always migrate in search of better living standards (Lipton, 2010).). Labor migration has increased in the recent years since the migration procedure has been made easier unlike in the earlier days. The following are some of the main reasons that contribute to the migration of labors. Quench for better incomes; this is one of the main pull factors of labor migration. People tend to move from the sending country to the receiving country due to the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Patron Saint of Butterflies Essay Essay Example for Free

Patron Saint of Butterflies Essay Essay The main characters of the story are Honey, and Agnes. The whole book was written in a switch off format which is when Honey and Agnes each write a chapter on what happened in there own thoughts. The story shows a relationship between two girls that slowly grow apart holding tight onto what they have left in their friendship. The characters are Honey, her dad which is Mr. Little, Mrs. Little, Nana Pete, Lillian, Benny, and the owners of Mount Blessing, Mother Veronica and Father Emmanuel. In this story, the characters are in a conflict; Mother Veronica and Father Emmanuel were the ones that were against Lillian, Nana Pete, Honey, and Agnes. There were against each other because Father Emmanuel was punishing the people that lived on Mount Blessing. The story started like this, Agnes was looking for Honey she got into trouble. Honey was punished by Emmanuel because she kissed a boy, on her back; Veronica had carved the word â€Å"harlot†. Soon, Nana Pete (Agnes and Benny’s grandmother) found out about the regulation room where people were being punished at. Nana Pete decides to leave after she found out, when Benny had his finger slammed in the door. Someone had called the police, but because Emmanuel knew he was going to get into trouble if the police come, so he decides to it on himself clumsily. Nana Pete takes him to the hospital where they had to undo everything that Emmanuel had done. Right after Benny had woken up, they escape from Mount blessing where Agnes really doesn’t want to because she wants to become a saint, but Honey dreads to escape that place from the day her was born. Honey had to say goodbye to Winky, the person that Honey owns a utterfly garden with. Honey also left a note about if Agnes ever goes back, Honey made Winky call the cops. They travel across from Connecticut all the way to Texas. On the way, Agnes faced a lot of things that were considered a sin, like eating stuff that are red, watching T. V. and listening to the radio which was all considered sins but Honey did all of them even when she knew it was against the rules on Mount Blessing. Agnes struggles to be with Honey because of their differences, especially when they arrive to the destination and meet a girl amed Lillian. Actually, Lillian is Honey’s mother that had left her when she was only a baby, the story of her mother was complicated. She was wonderful at the violin when she had went to Mount Blessing, so she instantly was accepted into Emmanuel’s inner group which usually take years to do. But at that time she was already pregnant but the people in the inner circle knew nothing about it, when they did, Honey was already born into this world, so they made Lillian go away and let Honey stay with Lillian’s brother, Joseph (Mr.Little). Things turn out pretty well until Nana Pete had died from a heart attacked. Honey and Agnes had a major fight after Agnes was praying for Nana Pete to come back alive, Honey said that it was impossible and had some argument that had caused Honey to hit Agnes. Rushing out the door, Honey hopped into the truck and then drove to the shop Lillian owned. She rushed in causing everyone to suddenly look at her, and then she dragged Lillian back, at that same time Agnes had called her parents to fly here and go pick up Agnes. After her parents arrive, Mr. Little called Lillian the name she was given at Mount Blessing. After Agnes left, that was when Honey found out Lillian was her mother, also she finally knew the reason why Nana Pete treated her like her own grandchild. When Agnes arrived at Mount Blessing, she saw there were rows of police cars parked in front of the regulation room, the cops wanted to see all of the children, alone, that is when Emmanuel said â€Å"remember, we are believers† meaning for them to not tell anything about the room. Because the children were so scared they all didn’t respond to the negative things that were mentioned about Mount Blessing. But then, Agnes thought about what was right and what she should do, slowly with trembling legs, she stood up. At the same time, Honey and Lillian was driving to Mount Blessing, when they arrive, the cops arrived because of the fact that Winky had called the police. A few weeks later, all of the parents were to be kept in order to be questioned, that is when Honey and Agnes stand on the same line, and race each other to the finish line. They raced each other at the end because Agnes wanted to be a saint, and she thought racing was a sin, but she finally loosened up from what Honey had helped her with. I thought this book was the adventurous kind in the beginning, but then did I find out it was about friendship and love. This book was very touching from what Honey had described in one of the chapters about how Agnes had changed from the friend that she use to know to what she is now, a saint to be. I thought that it was outrageous when I read to the part about that they were hit by Emmanuel. To what I think, people should not be punished by what they have done just according to the rules that some guy had made, and I thought that if the kids don’t want to live there, why do their parents make them? In a lot of the chapters, it showed that Agnes had a string that was tied around the waist, and every time she had committed a sin, she would tighten the string, just imagining it I would think would be hard enough for me, but to do it, it takes guts. This booked talked a lot about friendship and trust, and I also thought it was so touching when it told the ending about how they raced each other. It would be hard for me to ever still hold on to the friendship that Agnes and Honey had held on to, I would just have stopped being friends with Agnes instead of trying to convince her back to being normal. I really loved this book because it connected with the experiences that I had, my friend, well more like best friend had started to ‘fit in’ with the crowd, and soon, she pretended that she didn’t ever know me. But before I came to America, I had to say goodbye to her, and she said that the only reason she left me was because I started making new friends and didn’t even talk to her. The misunderstanding was all over, but the things that had already happened could not be solved, so I felt that I was in the same relationship with my best friend just like how Agnes and Honey was. This story could be told to all ages and not to a limited age, it talks about friendship, trust, and most important, holding onto your friend.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effects of Alzheimers On Response Times

Effects of Alzheimers On Response Times John C. Hemby Physiological Psychology Dr. Colleen Miron There are many advances in science that has allowed us to understand, cope and in some cases treat certain diseases of the brain. However, there is much we still do not know about many of them. Alzheimer’s would be one of these disorders. The text states that Alzheimer’s is defined as a persistent, degenerating disorder that inhibits the brain’s cells or neurons and thus resulting in memory loss, language skills and rapid changes in behavior (Kalat, 2012). This usually occurs in the older aged population, around the age of sixty-five and isn’t considered to be a normal part of the aging process. According to an Alzheimer’s organization website, a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every sixty-seven seconds and that there are currently more than 5 million Americans that have this disease (Help End Alzheimer’s, n.d.). One of the issues of having this disease deals with enumeration or recollection of numbers by counting. The text states that individuals with Alzheimer’s cannot recall learning certain skills i.e. golfing and are often surprised when they do well (Kalat, 2012). This research in this article is important because it shows how well a person with Alzheimer’s can quickly recall how many numbers are in a certain area just by looking at it. This is a simple experiment in that it will be easy to measure the reaction times and the task of counting isn’t that complex in comparison to golfing. According to the article, individuals that have Alzheimer’s sometimes have difficulty with visual enumeration. This means that a person with Alzheimer’s has difficulty counting visual numbers or tracking down a number in a specific area, i.e. looking for number 42 in a numerical list of 1-100. This study is unique in that finding the reaction time difference between olde r adults that have Alzheimer’s and those that don’t would be a quantifiable aspect and gives more proof to the damage that the brain receives from this disease. The researchers in this article are doctors Maylor, Watson and Muller and they studied the subject of visual enumeration in patients with Alzheimer’s in the year 2005. The hypothesis of the study was that the participants’ with Alzheimer’s would have a significant increase in response time in counting numbers, subitizing numbers(readily knowing a number just by looking at the amount of figures in a picture) and finding numbers in comparison to older adults that did not have Alzheimer’s (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). The study was conducted using participants from a resident home that specialized in the care of people with dementia. These participants were already diagnosed with dementia by professional health providers (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). There were a total of 12 participants whom had Alzheimer’s and their average age was 81 years old with 4 men and 8 women in the study. The other participants had an average age of 79 and only 8 participants; with only 3 being men and 5 were women. The researchers also gave the participants a Mini-Mental State Examination or MMSE, and the control group scored higher than the Alzheimer’s participants; 17.3 was the average for the Alzheimer’s participants and 29.4 was the average for the control group (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). Last, all of the participants were voluntary and did not receive any payments for their participation. The researchers used a laptop to be used as a visual for the participants. The laptop also measured response times (RT) and synched the displays. The participants utilized the spacebar key on the laptop as the response button. They put the screen at eye level with a distance of 60 cm. Then a researcher put in the responses with their own keypad. The stimuli on the screen were red circles displayed on a black background. They randomly generated the stimuli in order to avoid any counting ahead (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). The experimenter conducted the tests individually in a room that was either at the resident facility or at the home of the control group participant and the room had nothing but the laptop and the two people conducting the experiment. The initial test was the MMSE and then an enumeration task, a block of demonstration on the task, 3 turns of practice trials and last, there were 3 turns of experimental trials (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). The participants were required to press the spacebar for how many circles they saw. The results of the study indicated that the Alzheimer’s participants were slower than the control group, 1.4 seconds to be exact. The data was analyzed by using ANOVA’s to demonstrate the difference in response time and the accuracy of the numbers between the two groups. However, they had the same accuracy in seeing how many items were currently present on the monitor (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). There were some differences in the results with the numbering portion of the experiment. The participants with Alzheimer’s had a significant reduction in response time in comparison to the control group in the subitization part. The second part, counting, the Alzheimer’s participants were significantly slower than their counterparts as well. The hypothesis was supported by the results of the experiment (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). The conclusion of this study shows a definitive, qualitative answer between Alzheimer’s and normal older adults’ response time. This in turn shows where to start on how to improve those with Alzheimer’s response time especially since there isn’t any issue with their accuracy (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). There were several issues with this study. First, instead of using a cross sectional study, the researchers should have utilized a longitudinal study; that way they could see how slower the participants got overtime as their Alzheimer’s progressed. The second issue is that they should have acquired individuals that had just become diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer’s; in the study they give no indication on what stage these participants were at. Last, there was an issue with the amount of participants in the study. The average was too generalized and needed a larger group to narrow down the averages (mean) in order to acquire a hi gher quality of data. There are some different avenues of approach for future studies on this particular subject. The first approach could be that men and women may suffer from Alzheimer’s differently, therefore in the future the men and women should be separated into different groups. This would show if there were any differences between the sexes. The next idea is that according to the text, those that drink coffee are less likely to have Alzheimer’s (Kalat, 2012). So for a future research idea, one should have the participants drink coffee for a while before starting the experiment. This could show if the effects of Alzheimer’s are mitigated when given a stimulant, i.e. caffeine. The last idea would have to be instead of utilizing numbers, use matching words. For example, gauge a participant’s reaction time by having a word on the screen and then the participant has to choose a synonym for that word i.e. happy equals jovial. This would show if a participant with Alzheimerâ⠂¬â„¢s can recall a larger vocabulary and in a timely manner. References Help End Alzheimers. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2014, from http://www.alz.org/ Kalat, James W. Biological Psychology, 11th Edition. Cengage Learning, 01/2012. VitalBook file. Maylor, E. A., Watson, D. G., Muller, Z. (2005). Effects of Alzheimers disease on visual enumeration. The Journals Of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences And Social Sciences, 60(3), P129- P135.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Personal Narrative - Slumber Party :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative -Slumber Party Thump-thump, breathe thump-thump, breath. My heart beat as if it was pounding out through my brain; I tried to catch my breath. I heard footsteps coming up behind me like an elephant chasing at my heels. A scream pierced my ears and echoed many times in my mind. My thoughts raced from one thing to another. After locking the door, the four of us clinched in a corner for nearly an hour. My day had begun normal. I remember I woke up, went to school and found myself with my friends that afternoon. My company was five of my closest pals; Becky, Alex, Meredith, Lee, and my boyfriend Cody. We all had hung out many times before and knew each other well. For most of the evening, we sat around telling horror stories and gossiping about classmates. Time passed quickly and soon, it was time to head home. The girls were all planning a slumber party at Becky's. Her parents had gone out of town for the weekend, and she was not willing to stay alone. We began our evening of leisure by getting into our P.J s, and returning to our scary stories. Before realizing it, another hour had passed. All the stories must have gotten to us because before we went upstairs we made sure every light was on in the house. The hair on the back of my neck began to rise as we listened to the cold aching silence. In the distance we listened to three loud car horns and a door slam. We, then, jumped away from the window and started down the stairs. Half way down the stairs, we stopped dead in our tracks. The roof began to rattle as if someone was climbing across it. Our pulses raced as we flew down the remainder of the stairs. Thump-thump, breath. We huddled together in the kitchen. For our safety, we gathered a sharp knife and a phone. We came up with explanations to relieve our minds deciding that the horn was a neighbor and the thump on the roof was the cat. Calming our thoughts down, we relaxed into a group, sitting on the counter. We laughed at the fools we had been, and grew quiet as we heard several car doors slamming, again. Silently staring at one another our eyes grew wide as we hesitated to jump. Alex tried to explain "It's just the neighbors.