E- Aurelia gave me this one herself. She thought you might appreciate hearing her thought process. GG

February 4th, 99 ADD

Dearest shareholders,

I am pleased to inform you that after much deliberation, the final selections have been made. While our newest Volunteers do not yet know who they are, I have no doubt that these two candidates are the best of the best. With them, District One will no doubt make an impressive showing at this year's Hunger Games, improving our standing and reputation just before the Quell. Thank you all for your insights, especially at our most recent meeting- I have considered your words carefully. Unfortunately, only two Volunteers can be chosen.

The first tribute is Amar Firoza. Amar has trained here at the Academy for many years and is an extremely gifted martial fighter. I have not seen her lose a sparring match to another trainee in years, and she has recently been defeating trainers with extreme consistency. However, I also believe Amar is a fantastic choice mentally and socially. The Academy has become increasingly cutthroat in recent years, which, given the intensity of the Games, I have allowed. Amar has remained competitive- most notably with her younger sister, Carina Firoza- but with other trainees as well. However, very impressively, she has managed to stay out of trouble with ease. I have not seen another trainee openly challenge her in years, and she has not fallen victim to any attempts at sabotage, which we have seen several times with other trainees. To use a metaphor, she is the eye of the storm here at the Academy. She navigates the training atmosphere expertly. These social skills indicate a high likelihood for success, particularly in the Career alliance, which has been notoriously unstable for the last decade (and which I largely attribute to our difficulty in producing a Victor). Therefore, both physically and socially, Amar Firoza is a promising Volunteer with the best chance at Victory.

The second tribute is Katsuo Akiyama. Like Amar, Katsuo has trained at the Academy for many years. While his stature makes him easy to underestimate, he is just as physically dangerous as any other Career. In fact, he tends to use that underestimation to his advantage- I have seen him do so many times. He also has a unique background in ballet, which makes him one of the most agile, dexterous trainees the Academy has ever seen. He has also navigated the social aspects of the Academy extremely well, choosing the opposite approach from Amar. I have witnessed several attempts from other trainees to sabotage Katsuo. In a practice spar about six months ago, another trainee attempted to use a real weapon against Katsuo. As I'm sure many of you remember, Katsuo retaliated quickly and decisively, and that trainee no longer has a right hand. This is exactly the approach District One needs to the Games. I also understand that Katsuo is very aware of appearances. He knows how to show the audience and fellow tributes exactly what they need to see and no more. Should he win, he would absolutely improve our standing among the other districts, particularly Two and Four. Finally, I'll admit that I see a bit of myself in Katsuo Akiyama. My intuition firmly tells me that Katsuo is our best choice.

My decision is final. Thank you all for your contributions and insights, and I look forward to accompanying Amar and Katsuo to the Capitol alongside Augustus Braun this year. I will be meeting with both Amar and Katsuo in my office tomorrow to let them know the decision, and I am sure both will accept. Happy Hunger Games.

Best,

Aurelia Charm

Victor of the 82nd Hunger Games

Head of the District One Training Academy