The Importance Of Performance And Compensation Plans

Mrs. Miller is a dedicated teacher who has been teaching inclusion classes for 25 years and teaches to truly make a difference in the lives of her students. She works with special education students hands on and is not only looked at as an educator but a role model to these students that she has formed such close relationships with. The state of Maryland has decided to adopt a merit pay system in which teachers are paid depending on how well their students perform. A technology system will be used to determine the amount of salary increase and decrease. This system uses four steps to establish the pay. These steps include: establishing performance and compensation plans, manage performance, evaluate performance, and link performance to†¦show more content†¦Merit pay could be a detrimental cut to her pay if she continues to teach solely the special education students. The ethical dilemma is that Mrs. Miller could teach the advanced class and earn more money because those stud ents will perform better, or Mrs. Miller can stay with the inclusion class and continue to change the lives of students like she originally intended to when becoming a teacher. Regardless of the decision that Mrs. Miller makes, someone ends up at some sort of a disadvantage, whether it be her students, herself, or her family. There are many other people to consider when making this decision. The decision she makes will reflect her morals. This ethical dilemma deals with professionalism and code of conduct. The stakeholders would include Mrs. Miller, Ms. Smith, Special Education students, Mrs. Miller’s children, and the school community. In the case of an ethical dilemma, the best solution is not always clear. There are many different individuals and circumstances to consider when finding a solution. The following solutions address the dilemma Mrs. Miller faces. These include, Mrs. Miller teaches the advanced class, Mrs. Miller teachers the special education class, Mrs. Miller teaches both classes along with Ms. Smith, or that Mrs. Miller starts a petition against the merit pay system. Carol Gilligan’s Ethics of Care Framework is an appropriate ethical framework to use when assessing this dilemma.

The Intelligence Balance For Healthy Lifestyle - 772 Words

Reflective Journey This essay helps to draw a map of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence can be defined as the ability to monitor own and others peer’s emotions and helps to guide thinking and behaviour. It’s like an assessment tool. While doing this emotional intelligence assessment, I realised it can be vary after certain period of time as situation changes with a respect of time. But I believe it great experience to check own emotional test to know the intelligence balance for healthy lifestyle. As I start researching on this topic in depth, I released for any individual or organisational success, own self-evaluation is must. As it shows our negative and positive phases of personality and rethink to overcome or improve your skills. While doing this subject â€Å"Managing people in Organisation† and working on this assignment, I feel that I am evaluating my past, present and future to groom myself internally.(Jain and Sinha 2005) Definition â€Å"Emotional Intelligence† as an individual’s capacity to â€Å"perceive, understand, integrate and manage one s own and other people s feelings and emotions, and to act upon them in a reflective and rational manner†(Susan Chin Tee, Anantharaman et al. 2015). Personal/ work pressure and Satisfactions General Health In this exposition I need to consider on general wellbeing, for my case it s preventative. As EQ guide changes after certain duration of time. As I directed this test this month, so I can see the distinction. As myShow MoreRelatedBSHS465LeahPerryWk1AnalysisVidPaper1177 Words   |  5 Pageswith balance and care. Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and author, believes the four domains of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and the combination of the above. When these four domains work congruently it stabilizes an individual in both work and home relationship (Goleman, 2013). A human service worker offers an effective service to the client when socially balanced and focused on developing healthy levels of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is demonstratedRead MoreSuccess And Academic Success840 Words   |  4 Pagesstrive for a solidity as opportunities open for them. Everyone has their own perspective of what to prioritize to achieve personal growth such as a student. A successful student maintains a balance of thriving in their academics as well as living a healthy lifestyle physically, socially and mentally. A balance of these two concepts can help lead students into becoming a well-rounded individual as they continue their studies. Many believe that a student is successful when they have outstanding academicRead MoreThe Skills And Knowledge I Learned Through The Course1510 Words   |  7 Pagessuch as management vs leadership, emotional intelligence, team stages of development, situational leadership, servant leadership, and Myers-Brigs Personality assessment tool. Also, while taking this course, I also identified my dependable strengths as well as my areas of weakness. At the beginning, I will talk about my personal definition of leadership. Then, I will summarize my self-evaluation/self-assessment by using MBTI, Big 5, and Emotional Intelligence. I will also talk about one of my area ofRead MoreAyurveda1337 Words   |  6 Pageslong, healthy, and well-balanced lives. The term Ayurveda is taken from the Sanskrit words ayus, meaning life or lifespan, and veda, meaning knowledge. It has been practiced in India for at least 5,000 years and has only recently became popular in Western cultures. The contemporary form of Ayurvedic medicine is mostly derived from several sacred Indian texts which were written in Sanskrit between 1500 BC and 400 AD. The basic principle of Ayurveda is to prevent illness by maintaining balance in theRead MoreExperience the Body-Mind Connection for Functional Wellness!! Therapist Dr. Rama Reddy Jaggavarapu,1100 Words   |  5 Pagesgroups on mind-body-spirit amalgamation skills. Dr. Rama Reddy takes us on a grand tour through his book with creating awareness about some of the wrong beliefs that has troubled a healthy life. He even explains a fresh way to believe about consciousness and applies to present fresh insight into artificial intelligence, alien consciousness and mental illness. His programs are designed to accelerate deep understanding of human science and keen eye for mind improvement for future developments. HeRead MoreErik Erikson s Social Stages Of Development1080 Words   |  5 Pagesguilt a child could feel develops from their parents or authority figure making them â€Å"feel like nuisances† with their behavior and questioning. Guilt is actually a healthy feeling at this age when not in extremity because it is one way a child learns self-control with their newfound sense of leadership among others. There must be a balance between the guilt a child feels and how often they assume leadership roles and initiative behaviors. The fourth stage, Competency vs. Inferiority lasts from ageRead MoreThe Chemical Building Blocks And Nutrition1274 Words   |  6 Pagesone of the most important elements for being healthy and increase human’s life expectancy and energy. While maintaining proper nutrition we are able to provide our bodies with all necessary foods that contain necessary vitamins and minerals, and that way we can continue to do well in our daily life processes. Additionally, nutrition is usually applied in human’s daily life and it means that the person takes in what he or she needs to maintain the healthy state of their mind and body. Nutrition hasRead MoreThe Influence Of Heredity And Environment On Development1647 Words   |  7 Pagesincludes a page number when referencing the textbook. Answer 1. The nature side of the debate states that genetics or other natural causes are generally if not all, accountable for the characteristics concern to the personality, behavior and intelligence of an individual. The nurture side of the debate argues that the main contribution to how a person develops is made by the influence of the people and events that interact with that person throughout their life. The topic that was choosing is stressRead MoreTechnology Has Exceeded Our Humanity1511 Words   |  7 Pagesstruggle to divulge into the real essence of humanity; education, the arts and culture, and living a healthier lifestyle. They fall prey to obesity, lack of interest in arts like theater, distraction from work, loss of religion, etc. Without technology in this world, I can broaden my spectrum of knowledge, dive into the culture and arts the world can offer, and lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. In the technological world of today, people begin to drift away from learning in school due to technologyRead MoreThe Success Of Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur1362 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"They say most Entrepreneurs born with these management skill come from a rare breed of people with intelligence, great heart, and creative skills. They are visionary and self confident, good communicators with unlimited energy, and have a string passion for what they do† It is usually things outside of our control that causes a venture not to succeed. Simple fact, everyone is not cut out to be an entrepreneur, but to last and be great takes a lot. Anyone can be an entrepreneur, but to last and

Canadian Journal Nursing Research Archive -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Canadian Journal Nursing Research Archive? Answer: Introduction After my colleague revealed the situation, the first concern that I had was the health of the patient at that moment. accounting, my colleague stated that the low dose of medication did not affect him, I was concerned whether he would develop any health issues later. This is because many medications do not pose immediate side effects but may affect the patient later. The ethical dilemma was that the patients health was at risk due to wrong medication of the drug by the colleague who had thereby conducted an unsafe practicing. This had exposed the patients life to risks. Therefore, this needs to be reported as a nursing professional should report any unethical and unsafe practice (Kangasniemi, Pakkanen Korhonen, 2015). On the other hand, the colleague had trusted him and had told him about the mistake he had conducted. He had requested not to open it up to anyone. Therefore, he should also keep the faith of the colleague by not disclosing it. This was the ethical dilemma as I could not understand which option I should go for. In the scenario, the clients cultural context is not known. However, cultural diversity can have implications in medication safety. In this scenario, the patient is taking medication as she has the high expectation that her health issues will be cured. However, due to nurses mistake, the effectiveness of medication might have been hampered which might change clients culturae values and beliefs towards medication safety. Therefore, nurse should have informed client regarding her mistake to maintain their expectation towards health care system. The patient should know what had happened with him, as he possesses the human rights to be informed about his health status or any factor that is a risk to their health (Hadjistavropoulos et al., 2016) My nursing philosophy holds patients rights, autonomy, dignity and satisfaction as the prior elements. Secondly, I believe in working collaboratively with the team members ensuring that I can support and help everyone to achieve their best practice. Both of my personal values were conflicting with each other in the present situation. Two nursing ethical values, which are in questions in this situation, is Commitment to client and commitment to nursing colleagues. My duty was to maintain safe practice to patient and disclose all information regarding his health and treatment. My duty was also to maintain cohesiveness in my relationship with my colleague and keep his trust for better relationship development and effective teamwork. However, as per the guidelines of College of Nursing Ontario, I should focus myself in maintaining my responsibility to client primarily and need to take action against him when he had put the patients life at risks (Cno.org, 2009). References: Cno.org. (2018).Ethics. [online] management at: https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41034_ethics.pdf [Accessed 31 Jan. 2018]. Hadjistavropoulos, T., Malloy, D. C., Douaud, P., Smythe, W. E. (2016). Ethical orientation, functional linguistics, and the codes of ethics of the Canadian Nurses Association and the Canadian Medical Association.Canadian Journal of Nursing Research Archive,34(2). Kangasniemi, M., Pakkanen, P., Korhonen, A. (2015). Professional ethics in nursing: an integrative review.Journal of advanced nursing,71(8), 1744-1757.

Synthesis of aspirin free essay sample

Chemical Principles Aspirin is most widely sold over-the-counter drug. It has the ability to reduce fever (an antipyretic), to reduce pain (an analgesic), and to reduce swelling, soreness, and redness (an anti-inflammatory agent). Much of this is believed to be due to decreased production of prostaglandins and thromboxanes. Aspirins ability to suppress the production of prostaglandins and thromboxanes is due to its irreversible inactivation of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme. Cyclooxygenase is required for prostaglandin and thromboxane synthesis. Aspirin acts as an acetylating agent where an acetyl group is covalently attached to a serine residue in the active site of the COX enzyme. The synthesis of aspirin is classified as an esterification reaction. Salicylic acid is treated with acetic anhydride, an acid derivative, causing a chemical reaction that turns salicylic acids hydroxyl group into an ester group (R-OH R-OCOCH3). This process yields aspirin and acetic acid, which is considered a byproduct of this reaction. We will write a custom essay sample on Synthesis of aspirin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Small amounts of sulfuric acid (and occasionally phosphoric acid) are almost always used as a catalyst. This method is commonly employed in undergraduate teaching labs. Formulations containing high concentrations of aspirin often smell like vinegar because aspirin can decompose through hydrolysis in moist conditions, yielding salicylic and acetic acids. The acid dissociation constant (pKa) for acetylsalicylic acid is 3. 5 at 25Â °. Chemical Reactions Discussion of Results 3 grams of Salicylic Acid is equal to 0. 0217 mol of the compound. The stoichiometric relationship between Salicylic Acid and Acetylsalicylic Acid is 1:1 therefore the moles of Acetylsalicylic Acid (Aspirin) is 0. 0217 mol. In the overall reaction, 3 grams of Salicylic Acid will theoretically yield 3. 909 grams of Aspirin. 3g S. A. x (1mol S. A. /138. 118g) x (1mol A. A. / 1mol S. A. ) x (180. 15g A. A / 1mol A. A. ) = 3. 909 g Aspirin The measured weight of Aspirin in the experiment is 3. 5267 grams. The percentage yield is 90. 48%. Large amount of Aspirin was yielded but it is only an impure Aspirin this will lessen when recrystallization takes place. (3. 5267 g / 3. 9092g) x 100% = 90. 48%

The First Battle of Ypres During World War I

The First Battle of Ypres During World War I The First Battle of Ypres was fought October 19 to November 22, 1914, during ​World War I (1914-1918).  The Commanders on each side were as follows: Allies Field Marshal Sir John FrenchGeneral Joseph JoffreKing Albert I of Belgium Germany Chief of the General Staff Erich von FalkenhaynField Marshal Albrecht, Duke of Wà ¼rttembergGeneral Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria Battle Background After the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Germany implemented the Schlieffen Plan. Updated in 1906, this plan called for German troops to swing through Belgium with the goal of encircling French forces along the Franco-German border and winning a quick victory. With France defeated, troops could be moved east for a campaign against Russia. Put into operation, the early stages of the plan were largely successful during the Battle of the Frontiers and the German cause was further bolstered by a stunning victory over the Russians at Tannenberg in late-August. In Belgium, the Germans pushed back the small Belgian Army and defeated the French at the Battle of Charleroi as well as the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) at Mons. Retreating south, the BEF and French forces finally succeeded in checking the German advance at the First Battle of the Marne in early September. Halted in their advance, the Germans withdrew to a line behind the Aisne River. Counterattacking at the First Battle of the Aisne, the Allies had little success and took heavy losses. Stalemated on this front, both sides began the Race to the Sea as they attempted to outflank each other. Moving north and west, they extended the front to the English Channel. As both sides sought an advantage, they clashed in Picardy, Albert, and Artois. Ultimately reaching the coast, the Western Front became a continuous line stretching to the Swiss frontier. Setting the Stage Having moved north, the BEF, led by Field Marshal Sir John French, began arriving near the Belgian town of Ypres on October 14. A strategic location, Ypres was the last obstacle between the Germans and the key Channel ports of Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer. Conversely, an Allied breakthrough near the town would allow them to sweep across the relatively flat terrain of Flanders and threaten key German supply lines. Coordinating with General Ferdinand Foch, who was overseeing French forces on the BEFs flanks, French desired to go on the offensive and attack east toward Menin. Working with Foch, the two commanders hoped to isolate the German III Reserve Corps, which was advancing from Antwerp, before swinging southeast to a position along the Lys River from which they could strike the flank of the main German line. Unaware that large elements of Albrecht, Duke of Wà ¼rttembergs Fourth Army and Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavarias Sixth Army were approaching from the east, French ordered his command forward. Moving west, Fourth Army possessed several new large formations of reserve troops which included many recently enlisted students. Despite the relative inexperience of his men, Falkenhayn ordered Albrecht to isolate Dunkirk and Ostend regardless of the casualties sustained. Having achieved this, he was to turn south towards Saint-Omer. To the south, Sixth Army received a directive to prevent the Allies from shifting troops north while also preventing them from forming a solid front. On October 19, the Germans began attacking and pushed back the French. At this time, French was still bringing the BEF into position as its seven infantry and three cavalry divisions were responsible for thirty-five miles of front running from Langemarck south around Ypres to the La Bassee Canal. The Fighting Begins Under the direction of Chief of the General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn, German forces in Flanders began attacking from the coast to south of Ypres. In the north, the Belgians fought a desperate battle along the Yser which ultimately saw them hold the Germans after flooding the area around Nieuwpoort. Further south, Frenchs BEF came under heavy attack around and below Ypres. Striking the Lieutenant General Horace Smith-Dorriens II Corps on October 20, the Germans assaulted the area between Ypres and Langemarck. Though desperate, the British situation near the town improved with the arrival of General Douglas Haigs I Corps. On October 23, pressure on the British III Corps in the south increased and they were forced to fall back two miles. A similar movement was required of General Edmund Allenbys Cavalry Corps. Badly outnumbered and lacking sufficient artillery, the BEF survived due to its proficiency in rapid rifle fire. Aimed rifle fire from the veteran British soldiers was so fast that often the Germans believed they were encountering machine guns. Heavy German attacks continued until the end of October with the British inflicting heavy losses as brutal battles were fought over small patches of territory such as Polygon Woods east of Ypres. Though holding, Frenchs forces were badly stretched and were only reinforced by troops arriving from India. Bloody Flanders Renewing the offensive, General Gustav Hermann Karl Max von Fabeck attacked with an ad hoc force comprised of XV Corps, II Bavarian Corps, 26th Division, and the 6th Bavarian Reserve Division on October 29. Focused on a narrow front and supported by 250 heavy guns, the assault moved forward along the Menin Road towards Gheluvelt. Engaging the British, fierce fighting ensued over the next few days as the two sides struggled for Polygon, Shrewsbury, and Nuns Woods. Breaking through to Gheluvelt, the Germans were finally halted after the British plugged the breach with hastily-assembled forces from the rear. Frustrated by the failure at Gheluvelt, Fabeck shifted south to the base of the Ypres salient. Attacking between Wytschaete and Messines, the Germans succeeded in taking both towns and the nearby ridge after heavy back-and-forth fighting. The assault was finally halted on November 1 with French assistance after British troops rallied near Zandvoorde. After a pause, the Germans made a final push against Ypres on November 10. Again attacking along the Menin Road, the brunt of the assault fell on the battered British II Corps. Stretched to the limit, it was forced from their front lines but fell back on a series of strong points. Holding, British forces succeeded in sealing a breach in their lines at Noone Bosschen. The days effort saw the Germans gain a stretch of the British lines running from the Menin Road to Polygon Wood. After a heavy bombardment of the area between Polygon Wood and Messines on November 12, German troops again struck along the Menin Road. Though gaining some ground, their efforts went unsupported and the advance was contained by the next day. With their divisions badly mauled, many of Frenchs commanders believed the BEF to be in crisis should the Germans attack again in strength. Though German attacks did continue over the next few days, they were largely minor and were repulsed. With his army spent, Albrecht ordered his men to dig in on November 17. Fighting flickered for another five days before quieting for the winter. The Aftermath A critical victory for the Allies, the First Battle of Ypres saw the BEF sustain 7,960 killed, 29,562 wounded, and 17,873 missing, while the French incurred between 50,000 and 85,000 casualties of all types. To the north, the Belgians took 21,562 casualties during the campaign. German losses for their efforts in Flanders totaled 19,530 killed, 83,520 wounded, 31,265 missing. Many of the German losses were sustained by the reserve formations that had been comprised of students and other youths. As a result, their loss was dubbed the Massacre of the Innocents of Ypres. With winter approaching, both sides began digging in and constructing the elaborate trench systems that would characterize the front for the remainder of the war. The Allied defense at Ypres ensured that the war in the West would not be over quickly as the Germans desired. Fighting around the Ypres salient would resume in April 1915 with the Second Battle of Ypres. Sources First World War: First Battle of YpresHistory of War: First Battle of Ypres

Major General Charles Griffin in the Civil War

Major General Charles Griffin in the Civil War Charles Griffin - Early Life Career: Born December 18, 1825 at Granville, OH, Charles Griffin was the son of Apollos Griffin.   Receiving his early education locally, he later attended Kenyon College.   Desiring a career in the military, Griffin successfully sought an appointment to the US Military Academy in 1843.   Arriving at West Point, his classmates included A.P. Hill, Ambrose Burnside, John Gibbon, Romeyn Ayres, and Henry Heth.   An average student, Griffin graduated in 1847 ranked twenty-third in a class of thirty-eight.   Commissioned a brevet second lieutenant, he received orders to join the 2nd US Artillery which was engaged in the Mexican-American War.   Traveling south, Griffin took part in the final actions of the conflict.   Promoted to first lieutenant in 1849, he moved through various assignments on the frontier. Charles Griffin - The Civil War Nears: Seeing action against the Navajo and other Native American tribes in the Southwest, Griffin remained on the frontier until 1860.   Returning east with the rank of captain, he assumed a new post as an instructor of artillery at West Point.   In early 1861, with the secession crisis pulling the nation apart, Griffin organized an artillery battery comprised of enlisted men from the academy.   Ordered south following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April and the beginning of the Civil War,   Griffins West Point Battery (Battery D, 5th US Artillery) joined Brigadier General Irvin McDowells forces which were gathering at Washington, DC.   Marching out with the army that July, Griffins battery was heavily engaged during the Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run and sustained heavily casualties. Charles Griffin - To the Infantry: In the spring of 1862, Griffin moved south as part of Major General George B. McClellans Army of the Potomac for the Peninsula Campaign.   During the early part of the advance, he led the artillery attached to Brigadier General Fitz John Porters division of III Corps and saw action during the Siege of Yorktown.   On June 12, Griffin received a promotion to brigadier general and took command of an infantry brigade in Brigadier General George W. Morells division of Porters newly-formed V Corps.   With the beginning of the Seven Days Battles in late June, Griffin performed well in his new role during the engagements at Gaines Mill and Malvern Hill.   With the failure of the campaign, his brigade moved back to northern Virginia but was held in reserve during the Second Battle of Manassas in late August.   A month later, at Antietam, Griffins men were again part of the reserve and did not see meaningful action.       Charles Griffin - Divisional Command: That fall, Griffin replaced Morell as division commander.   Though possessing a difficult personality that often caused issues with his superiors, Griffin was soon beloved by his men.   Taking his new command into battle at Fredericksburg on December 13, the division was one of several tasked with assaulting Maryes Heights.   Bloodily repulsed, Griffins men were forced to fall back.   He retained command of the division the following year after Major General Joseph Hooker assumed leadership of the army.   In May 1863, Griffin took part in the opening fighting at the Battle of Chancellorsville.   In the weeks after the Union defeat, he fell ill and was forced to leave his division under the temporary command of Brigadier General James Barnes. During his absence, Barnes led the division at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2-3.   In the course of the fighting, Barnes performed poorly and Griffins arrival in camp during the final stages of the battle was cheered by his men.   That fall, he directed his division during the Bristoe and Mine Run Campaigns.   With the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac in the spring of 1864, Griffin retained command of his division as leadership of V Corps passed to Major General Gouverneur Warren.   As Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant commenced his Overland Campaign that May, Griffins men quickly saw action at the Battle of the Wilderness where they clashed with Lieutenant General Richard Ewells Confederates.   Later that month, Griffins division took part in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. As the army pushed south, Griffin played at key role at Jericho Mills on May 23 before being present for the Union defeat at Cold Harbor a week later.   Crossing the James River in June, V Corps took part in Grants assault against Petersburg on June 18.   With the failure of this attack, Griffins men settled into the siege lines around the city.   As the summer progressed into fall, his division participated in several operations designed to extend the Confederate lines and sever the railroads into Petersburg.   Engaged at the Battle of Peebles Farm in late September, he performed well and earned a brevet promotion to major general on December 12. Charles Griffin - Leading V Corps: In early February 1865, Griffin led his division at the Battle of Hatchers Run as Grant pressed towards the Weldon Railroad.   On April 1, V Corps was attached to a combined cavalry-infantry force tasked with capturing the critical crossroads of Five Forks and led by Major General Philip H. Sheridan.   In the resulting battle, Sheridan became infuriated with Warrens slow movements and relieved him in favor of Griffin.   The loss of Five Forks compromised General Robert E. Lees position in Petersburg and the next day Grant mounted a large scale assault on the Confederate lines forcing them to abandon the city.   Ably leading V Corps in the resulting Appomattox Campaign, Griffin aided in pursuing the enemy west and was present for Lees surrender on April 9.   With the conclusion of the war, he received a promotion major general on July 12.    Charles Griffin - Later Career:       Given leadership of the District of Maine in August, Griffins rank reverted to colonel in the peacetime army and he accepted command of the 35th US Infantry.   In December 1866, he was given oversight of Galveston and the Freedmens Bureau of Texas.   Serving under Sheridan, Griffin soon became entangled in Reconstruction politics as he worked to register white and African American voters and enforced the oath of allegiance as a requirement for jury selection.   Increasingly unhappy with Governor  James W. Throckmortons lenient attitude towards former Confederates, Griffin convinced Sheridan to have him replaced with staunch Unionist Elisha M. Pease.    In 1867, Griffin received orders to replaced Sheridan as commander of the Fifth Military District (Louisiana and Texas).   Before he could depart for his new headquarters in New Orleans, he fell ill during a yellow fever epidemic that swept through Galveston.   Unable to recover, Griffin died on September 15.   His remains were transported north and interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, DC.   Selected Sources TSHA: Major General Charles GriffinHistory Central: Charles GriffinFind a Grave: Charles Griffin

Subcontracting and Its Benefits Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Subcontracting and Its Benefits - Research Paper Example As the paper outlines, a work contract which seeks to outsource certain types of jobs is called subcontracting. This occurs when a contractor does not have the desired skills to fulfill certain tasks. Subcontracting is considered important for manufacturers as it allows a number of products to be made through complex components. The concept of subcontracting is prevalent in a number of industries, with special regards to the construction industry. Subcontracting can either be permanent, situation-based or simply on one time basis-this, in turn, depends on the company as well as the subcontractor. (Jones, 2005)  There are three-fold benefits of subcontracting. The first benefit is that it encourages quicker completion as numerous aspects of a single project can be fulfilled at the same time. The second advantage is the cost-effectiveness of a subcontracting procedure. As a subcontractor has the required expertise, he/she has the benefit of getting the job done through the means of a n expert institution. Lastly, a long term relationship is in the making as the manufacturer has the advantage of fulfilling his/her requirement through the means of a subcontractor. This way, the manufacturer not only saves money, he/she also has the benefit of executing his/her task to perfection at a lowered cost.   Listed below are reasons why manufacturers choose subcontractors on a regular basis.  It Is Mandatory By The Government. One of the main reasons why the subcontracting rates are on the rise is because of the mandate. Unless and until a prime contractor parts a share of his/her assignment to a subcontractor, he/she is not eligible for a contract through the government. An ideal subcontracting plan, as per the government rules, must include and involve small disadvantaged business, historically underutilized business zones, women run small businesses and a business which is owned and run by disabled veterans.  2) Sub Contractors Can Now Bid On Large Projects With A reas Outside Their Expertise.  Prime contractors are by and large massive organizations which fail to understand the concept of systematic work utilization. Regardless, they take on numerous assignments and in order to fulfill the additional areas of work, they involve subcontractors as well. 3) It Leads To Specialized Skill Sets.  If a manufacturer wishes to improve his/her design and manufacturing procedures, he/she needs to utilize the specialized knowledge of subcontractors. For example, Lockheed Martin, a leading jet engine manufacturer, regardless of possessing a suitable in-house designing staff, prefers to subcontract his work to various third parties in the hope of getting the best design.

Design For Disassembly And Transformation Research Paper

Design For Disassembly And Transformation - Research Paper Example The need for DfD, that stands for Design for Disassembly, has thoroughly been discussed in this research paper. Moving forward, it is being attempted that certain computer oriented systems would be made, that would do the DfD process on their own. The researcher states that this would take the processing off human beings’ minds and would eliminate the reluctance that any person may have at the design level phase. It is also suggested that the toy-design for disassembly and transformation of cars be implemented into real world. Recently, A groups of students from the Stanford and the Aalto University in Finland designed a prototype for a laptop that was designed so as to confirm to all the standards of design for disassembly. When disassembled, the electronic components of the laptop get carried into an envelop to an e-cycling destination. The laws made for the successful implementation of Dfd and sustainability should be implemented for sure and the services of companies such as HOBI International should be taken well into account. This company assists in the disposal of electronics. HOBI buys, cells and dis assembles electronics ranging from all sorts of computers to all sorts of communications equipments. In conclusion, the researcher states that the idea of the electrically operated building blocks is given so as to give an idea of the way electrically operable goods should be produced in the real life. This would enhance their usability and thus would serve the purpose of sustainability as well.

Institute of Technology Essay Example for Free

Institute of Technology Essay A minor news item featured in MSNBC last month, from which the above excerpt is taken, talks about a 38-year-old aging nuclear power plant in the state of Vermont that is still efficient but appears to pose increasing threat to the environment. The local and state authorities want it to be decommissioned, but the owner of the plant, Entergy corp. , intends to run it for another 20 years. The plant meets one-third of the state’s electricity needs, and the people of Vermont are very much dependent on it for the electricity, of course. But at the same time they have grown distrustful of the quality of management at the plant and the plant’s viability. The future of this plant may not be a national or international concern, but it is a crucial issue for the local people. The fundamental dilemma of the situation here reflects, in microcosm, the vastly larger problem of the future of nuclear-generated electricity as such: should we enthusiastically embrace it or wisely abjure it? Many of the rapidly developing countries of the world, especially, tend to be upbeat about the potential of nuclear power, while in some of the developed countries where nuclear power has been put to use for generating electricity for several decades now there has been an increasing degree of opposition to the continued reliance on nuclear power, from the point of view of threats it poses to the environment. As in the case of Vermont Yankee power plant, the basic conflict in the nuclear power sector is between the potential and the potential risk. The Vermont facility has still the potential to supply a large fraction of the state’s electricity needs for a couple of decades more which is by no means a mean feat, but there are signs, such as the recent tritium leak detected at the plant, of the decreased reliability and robustness of the plant. The Vermont news story provokes the question: Can nuclear power plants be robust and reliable in general? The rewards they proffer may outweigh the risks they pose, but even so, do the rewards far outweigh the risks so that the risks – to the extent they are present – can be considered acceptable? A number of countries of the world have benefitted from nuclear power for several decades now with only one major disaster to speak of so far. But how many closely averted disasters such as the Three-Mile Island incident of 1979 there might have been — it is difficult to estimate. Because, as can be seen in the case of Vermont facility, there is apparently a widespread culture of â€Å"leaks and lies† in the nuclear power sector, which tends to neatly cover up inefficiencies, mismanagement, breaches, increased risks and so on. The world’s experience with nuclear-generated electricity so far could be seen as a trial or an experiment, based on which we are compelled to take decisions regarding the future of nuclear power. Should the world’s reliance on nuclear power be dramatically expanded, as advocated by many nuclear power enthusiasts and as was initially expected when nuclear power technologies were developing in the 1950’s? Or, should we gradually phase out our dependence on nuclear power and switch to much safer alternatives, or should a middle way be adopted? There are many well-informed people who would like to see all nuclear power plants shut down — how far are their fears valid? Literature Review: 1) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2003, 2009) The Future of Nuclear Power: An Interdisciplinary Study. Retrieved from http://web. mit. edu/nuclearpower/ The experts at MIT â€Å"believe† in nuclear power and prominently emphasize the chief advantage of absence of carbon emissions in its production. This study takes a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to assessing the feasibility of nuclear power. While the basic stance of MIT favors the increased use of nuclear power, the risks are not downplayed. The issues that the nuclear industry faces are tackled in a clear and detailed way. The study does succeed in inspiring confidence in the potential of nuclear power. Though the fears and concerns are not really eliminated, they are not simply vague forebodings of doom now but are based on actual facts and conditions. The challenges can be dealt with, in principle, with more commitment and initiative. 2) Biello D. (2009). The Future of Nuclear Power: An In-depth Report. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www. scientificamerican. com/report. cfm? id=nuclear-future This is a 4-part in-depth report featured in the Scientific American magazine in early 2009. The first report, â€Å"Find Fissile Fuel,† explores the issue of availability of uranium and other raw materials for nuclear power. The second report, â€Å"Reactivating Nuclear Reactors for the Fight against Climate Change,† examines the ongoing escalation in nuclear power production in the U. S. â€Å"Spent Nuclear Fuel,† the third part, deals with the major issue of nuclear waste management. The final report, â€Å"Atomic Weight: Balancing the Risks and Rewards of a Power Source,† asks the question: â€Å"Is it worth the minor chance of a major catastrophe? † 3) Department of Trade and Industry, U. K. (2007). The Future of Nuclear Power: The Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon UK Economy. Retrieved from www. berr. gov. uk/files/file39197. pdf This is a UK government white paper / consultation document on the relevance of nuclear power in addressing the issues related to global warming and climate change and ensuring continued energy supplies. Though it is a document of advice and information provided to the UK government to help it make decisions, a consideration of the particularities of the UK situation can be useful in more general contexts. In the UK, nuclear power is already making a significant contribution to the ‘electricity generating mix’ and this paper is inclined to the view that it could make an even more prominent contribution. 4) Mahaffey, J. (2009). Atomic Awakening: A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Power. New York : Pegasus Books Mahaffey, a senior research scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute, has written a book meant to interest laymen about nuclear power and its possibilities. He wants to show us that nuclear energy is not the monster it is portrayed to be; while the risks cannot be completely mitigated it can still be used in a very safe manner. One of the barriers to greater acceptance of nuclear power is the general unfamiliarity of the subject, the degree of alienation between the common man and the tall-standing nuclear reactors. The author seeks to bridge this gap by familiarizing his audience with the subject in an entertaining and engaging manner, largely in a historical perspective. 5) Smith, J Beresford, N. A. (2005). Chernobyl: catastrophe and consequences. New York : Springer The public perception of nuclear power has radically changed after the Chernobyl tragedy. Ever since, people living in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant are naturally beset with fears that their installation does not turn out to be another Chernobyl. And if a nuclear facility is actually having some known problems, as in the case of Vermont, these fears are vastly exacerbated. In this context it is very pertinent to understand what caused Chernobyl and assess how likely is it for a similar disaster to happen again, for broadly similar reasons. Smith and Beresford’s detailed yet uncomplicated account of the Chernobyl incident is useful for developing a mental picture of the events that led to the 1986 mishap, what really occurred and how it was handled. Methodology: This short paper is built around a minor incident at Vermont’s nuclear power plant and the public reaction to it — with the aim of examining the broader implications of nuclear power to the future of the world. We propose to survey the works cited in the literature review in order to glean the opinions and standpoint of their authors in regard to the risks and rewards presented by the use of nuclear power. A special focus is laid on the Chernobyl incident. Results: — The MIT study of 2003, later updated in 2009, is the one of the most authoritative studies in this field. It begins with what would appear like a sad note that despite the great promise nuclear power holds in regard to significantly restricting earth’s green house emissions, nuclear power is virtually facing stagnation. It recommends a tripling of world’s nuclear generating capacity of the world by 2050 in order to turn around the situation of decline. Doing so would help in cutting 25% of the increment in greenhouse gas emissions which would occur if such a resurgence of nuclear power did not take place. The safety of modern reactor designs is considerably superior to those of the earlier models, and there is very low risk of serious accidents. However, the very low risk associated with modern nuclear reactors holds true only when their operation implements â€Å"best practices. † Proliferation is another major concern in regard to nuclear power generation. With increased use of nuclear power, there is increasing likelihood of misuse of raw materials and technology for manufacturing nuclear weapons. The existing international safeguards regime is far from being adequate, according to the report, to meet the greater security challenges of a global growth in nuclear usage. Especially, the kind of reprocessing system that is used in a majority of nuclear power using countries, including European Union, Japan and Russia, poses unwarranted risks of proliferation. Waste management is yet another major area of concern. Closed fuel cycles involving reprocessing are generally considered to offer waste management benefits, but the study is not convinced of their benefits; improved open fuel cycles can offer just as many benefits and they present diminished security threats along with decreased costs. The study therefore recommends open, once-through fuel cycles for facing both security and waste management challenges in a better way. However, the international safeguards regime needs to be improved, and greater efforts have to be put in by the government and the private enterprise to develop better solutions for the waste disposal problem. Apart from the safety, proliferation, and waste management concerns, the fundamental issue in regard to nuclear power is the cost, which is not yet competitive with the other conventional modes of power generation. However, even this problem is not insurmountable, and various strategies are suggested to increase the economic feasibility of nuclear power. Finally, forebodings and misguided perceptions among the public present a great barrier for creating a movement to expand the world’s nuclear power capacity. This, the report suggests, can be dealt with by implementing an intensive program of public education. — The 4th part of Scientific American’s in-depth feature on the future of nuclear power covers many risky scenarios faced by the American nuclear power sector in the past few decades. The report leads us to conclude that the future of nuclear power in the US largely depends on the quality of management of the nuclear installations. So far the US has a rather impressive track record in running the nuclear facilities, and this consistency is likely to continue. — A chapter in the UK white paper on the future of nuclear power addresses the specific safety and security risks posed by nuclear installations. It stresses on the additional safety features added to the latest models of nuclear reactors: Designers of nuclear power stations have taken this earlier operational experience and learned lessons from previous nuclear events. They have added features to reduce the likelihood of plant failures and to limit the consequences when failures occur. (p. 105) From design to operations and maintenance, rigorous procedures can be developed, and in fact have been developed, which make nuclear energy one of the best options for meeting the electricity needs of UK and Europe. — Mahaffey, in his book ‘Atomic Awakening’ raises many interesting points. He observes, for example, that Chernobyl caused only 55 to 60 deaths (most of them being fire fighters exposed to lethal doses of radiation), whereas the Bhopal incident which took place in 1984 in India killed over 15,000 of the city’s inhabitants. Despite the overblown public fears, the safety record of the nuclear industry world wide is relatively very solid. There is no reason why people should fear nuclear power generation more than they fear many other processes to do with advanced technology. Seen from a safety perspective, nuclear power plants are like airlines: a single disaster can create great fear among the public for air travel, but when we look at the statistical record of safety of airlines and compare them with road transport, airplanes turn out to be vastly safer than cars. — In the early hours of April 26, 1986, a massive nuclear reactor accident took place at the Chernobyl Power Plant in Ukraine. A small test procedure that was being conducted went completely out of control, resulting in two non-nuclear explosions that demolished the heavy ceiling of the reactor and expelled the radioactive contents and waste products of the reactor’s core into the surroundings. Chernobyl is the worst nuclear disaster in the history. It has cast a heavy shadow on the entire nuclear industry which continues to darken the horizons. But we must note that the Chernobyl disaster is a result of bad design compounded by bad management practices and a work culture which flouted all safety considerations. One safety feature after another was deliberately suppressed in order to facilitate the test procedure; serious warnings were callously disregarded. The Chernobyl meltdown occurred as a result of operator incompetence on a huge scale, as was acknowledged by the Soviet official report of the disaster. A group of technicians are directly responsible for this disaster, and they committed six serious violations or errors besides many others. Many of the operators as well as managers in charge at Chernobyl actually knew very little about nuclear technology. Moreover, there were certain high-risk features associated with the RBMK design of the Chernobyl reactors. A Chernobyl can never happen in the Western world because the minimal industrial standards here are far superior to those that prevailed in the Soviet Union during the last years of its existence. Conclusion: Nuclear power plants have been safe and would continue to be safe — in the context of advanced nations. But the real problem comes when we consider nuclear energy in the setting of the developing nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America. All the studies we have dealt with so far focus on the U. S. , U. K. and the E. U. How would nuclear power fare in the volatile developing countries is in fact even difficult to outline even in broad terms. The major obstacle for the Third World Countries in embracing nuclear power is the cost. However, in a bid to develop environment-friendly energy sources, Western nations are engaged in bringing down the costs of production of nuclear power. If they succeed, nuclear power production can spread rapidly in the developing countries of the world, and this can have potentially highly adverse consequences. A Chernobyl can never happen in the U. S. or Europe, but it can very well happen in Angola or Pakistan or Columbia. References: Associated Press. Vermont Town Halls Want Nuclear Plant Shut. MSNBC. Retrieved from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/35687805 Biello D. (2009). The Future of Nuclear Power: An In-depth Report. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www. scientificamerican. com/report. cfm? id=nuclear-future Department of Trade and Industry, U. K. (2007). The Future of Nuclear Power: The Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon UK Economy. Retrieved from www. berr. gov. uk/files/file39197. pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2003, 2009) The Future of Nuclear Power: An Interdisciplinary Study. Retrieved from http://web. mit. edu/nuclearpower/ Mahaffey, J. (2009). Atomic Awakening: A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Power. New York : Pegasus Books Smith, J Beresford, N. A. (2005). Chernobyl: catastrophe and consequences. New York : Springer

Animal Experimentation is Necessary Essay -- Argumentative, Synthesis

     Ã‚   A contingent of those against the dog labs at the university protested last month, waving signs that read, "Kill? Heal? What's It Gonna Be?" and "The U Kills Dogs."   A fairly recent article in the Washington Post ("A Terminal Learning Environment"; Nov.   5, 2000) manages to move beyond the emotion and sloganeering used by these protesters to some of the real arguments of those in opposition; that the dog labs are "cruel, unnecessary and a waste of money" and that they "should be eliminated."1  Ã‚   However, the arguments used by the Washington Post (and ultimately, those in opposition) are insufficient to justify the termination of the dog labs at university.   The claim that the dog labs are cruel to the animals is unsubstantiated and inaccurate.   The claim that the labs are unnecessary is a falsity, as alternatives are not as beneficial as the vivisection labs.   Finally, the argument that the labs are a waste of money is an ill-researched, erroneous depicti on of the real circumstances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dog labs are held annually at the University, on five consecutive Fridays in the early spring.   In the lab, students insert catheters, draw blood, inject drugs, perform minor surgery and observe the cardiovascular systems of seventy-two deeply anesthetized dogs.   At the end of the lab, the dogs are euthanized.   The purposes of this lab are to help teach the basic concepts of physiology, give students the opportunity to observe the effects of some commonly used drugs, and to provide students with a "hands-on" experience working with live patients.   Students are given the option of not participating, but are still responsible for learning the material presented in the lab.   This year, thirty students (out of one hundred and thirty-t... ...as cost-efficient as the labs themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the present time, the arguments used by the Washington Post do not justify the termination of the vivisection labs at the University, as they can be refuted point by point.   If at some time in the future, an alternative method that serves the purpose of teaching human physiology while providing hands on experience for students becomes available, and proves to be better than the vivisection labs, then the issue should be reexamined.   Until then, the annual "dog labs" should continue to be a part of the curriculum at the university. Notes 1. "A Terminal Learning Environment."   Washington Post, 5 November 1999: 7. 2. "Terminal." 3. "Terminal." 4. Dave Curtin, "Protesters Greet Med Students: Annual CU Lab Uses Anesthetized Canines."   Denver Post, 11 March 2000: 1. 5. Curtin. 6. "Terminal."

Mother of Invention

It has been said throughout time that, necessity is the mother of invention, but what facilitates necessity in today’s modern society has become a vast gray area. As a society, we are use to, and so dependent on, such modern conveniences, as high-speed internet, cell phones, laptops, tablets, search engines, and GPS, so much so that we would not know how to function without them. The dependence on modern technology is making way for a whole generation that is incapable of doing anything manually and potentially affecting their social skills, as well as making their brains lazy.Background of the Current Issue/Problem Mary Scorpati, a high school teacher at Kearney High School, states that students in her class are quite computer proficient, but are severely lacking in writing and spelling skills(Schevitz,2012). â€Å"The spelling and writing skills of many of my students are extremely below grade level. Some have rarely used a dictionary and don't know what guide words are. Th ey have so much knowledge about the computer, and use spell check to correct mistakes. Hand them a cell phone, and they can text message all day long.Give them a calculator and they can figure out any problem, but hand them a pencil and paper and they go blank† (Schevitz, 2012). Benefits of Proposal Students can use search engines, such as Google, to find the right answers to their homework, they can even solve math problems online for free without any effort or thought process. This however is not without consequence. Having the â€Å"instant gratification† effect makes it less likely that a student is going to retain the information, let alone comprehend the importance of the information they were just handed(Schevitz,2012).Solving math problems on line does not teach a student the importance of identifying formulas and order of operations, as well as how to implement them. A study conducted by child development experts at Harvard University, revealed a startling low amount of children that were actually able to perform math functions with paper and pencil. Those numbers compared to those that had full use of the internet varied drastically (Parker-Pope, 2010). The study showed that student’s math scores fell short when they had to apply math skills manually and were not able to search the internet for the answers (Parker-Pope, 2010).Twenty years ago, when there was a research project assigned, students would go to the library where encyclopedias, dictionaries, and books were utilized to complete the project. This process would take hours, and though it may have seemed tedious compared to today where students have all the information at their fingertips, students were more likely to remember and learn from this form of research. Kristen Combus, a child psychologist at Duke University, stated, â€Å"Our society is changing very fast, however education isn't changing enough to keep up† She recalled an argument she had with a student about cursive handwriting.â€Å"His handwriting was a mess and I asked him to redo his paragraph. He then responded with â€Å"I have to turn it in typed. Why would I write it neatly in cursive? † (Edutopia, 2008). A survey by the National School Boards Association indicates a very large number of students spending around nine hours a week doing computerized social networking and another 10 hours watching television. Other surveys show a majority of high school students doing an hour or less of written homework a day. ( Oliverira,2012). Implementation of ProposalBy implementing some basic practices, and subtle changes to educational standards, we can prove to children that technology is beneficial, but being self-sufficient far outweighs the advantages. Schools can make writing mandatory until sophomore year, implementing typing as a secondary source. Spell check functions should be disabled until the final draft process of research and term papers. The basics need to be tau ght first before students can learn to appreciate the conveniences of modern technology (Parker-Pope, 2010). Counter Arguments Technology assists our children in obtaining all of these skills.More so today than ever before in history, students have the ability to research any topic. They are not bound by classroom or library walls. Technology has opened doors to a seemingly infinite well of information, which is not always accurate. Therefore, they need to learn how to sift through it all and get the â€Å"good stuff. † This seemingly infinite well of information and current bank of technology has also allowed students to truly invest themselves in their education by developing personal educational plans or studying fields of particular interest to them (Parker-Pope, 2010).When students are actively engaged in their own learning to reach his or her own ultimate potential, everybody wins. As the world continues to embrace and evolve the Internet, businesses and organizations a re increasingly looking to tap into this resource. It is in the best interest of educators, and professionals in general, to be aware of what the Internet has to offer. We can choose to sit back and wish it would all just go away because it’s too hard to find the time for it, or we can choose to embrace it, and look for simple ways to learn more about it.Another unavoidable fact is the growing desire for experience and familiarity with the Internet and other computer technologies as a hiring requirement in the educational field. There are undeniable benefits that come with technology, but there are far more disadvantages if a student is unable to realize them (Schevitz, 2012). Conclusion Today, every human activity is dependent upon various tools, machines, and systems, from growing food to providing shelter to communication, healthcare, and entertainment.High-speed internet, cell phones, laptops, tablets, search engines, and GPS make possible things that humans have never be en able to do before. This collection of devices, capabilities, and the knowledge that accompanies them is called technology. We can say that â€Å"Living without technology is like living without air† in this technical world of today. Broadly speaking, technology is how people modify the world to suit their own purposes. If students do not comprehend the importance of the basics, then they will never learn to appreciate the importance of technology(Schevitz,2012). Mother of Invention IntroductionIt has been said throughout time that, necessity is the mother of invention, but what facilitates necessity in today’s modern society has become a vast gray area. As a society, we are use to, and so dependent on, such modern conveniences, as high-speed internet, cell phones, laptops, tablets, search engines, and GPS, so much so that we would not know how to function without them. The dependence on modern technology is making way for a whole generation that is incapable of doing anything manually and potentially affecting their social skills, as well as making their brains lazy.Background of the Current Issue/ProblemMary Scorpati, a high school teacher at Kearney High School, states that students in her class are quite computer proficient, but are severely lacking in writing and spelling skills(Schevitz,2012).â€Å"The spelling and writing skills of many of my students are extremely below grade level. Some have rarely used a dictionary and don't know what guide wor ds are. They have so much knowledge about the computer, and use spell check to correct mistakes. Hand them a cell phone, and they can text message all day long. Give them a calculator and they can figure out any problem, but hand them a pencil and paper and they go blank† (Schevitz, 2012).Benefits of ProposalStudents can use search engines, such as Google, to find the right answers to their homework, they can even solve math problems online for free without any effort or thought process. This however is not without consequence. Having the â€Å"instant gratification† effect makes it less likely that a student is going to retain the information, let alone comprehend the importance of the information they were just handed(Schevitz,2012). Solving math problems on line does not teach a student the importance of identifying formulas and order of operations, as well as how to implement them. A study conducted by child development experts at Harvard University, revealed a star tling low amount of children that were actually able to perform math functions with paper and pencil. Those numbers compared to those that had full use of the internet varied drastically (Parker-Pope, 2010).The study  showed that student’s math scores fell short when they had to apply math skills manually and were not able to search the internet for the answers (Parker-Pope, 2010). Twenty years ago, when there was a research project assigned, students would go to the library where encyclopedias, dictionaries, and books were utilized to complete the project. This process would take hours, and though it may have seemed tedious compared to today where students have all the information at their fingertips, students were more likely to remember and learn from this form of research. Kristen Combus, a child psychologist at Duke University, stated, â€Å"Our society is changing very fast, however education isn't changing enough to keep up† She recalled an argument she had wi th a student about cursive handwriting. â€Å"His handwriting was a mess and I asked him to redo his paragraph.He then responded with â€Å"I have to turn it in typed. Why would I write it neatly in cursive?† (Edutopia, 2008). A survey by the National School Boards Association indicates a very large number of students spending around nine hours a week doing computerized social networking and another 10 hours watching television. Other surveys show a majority of high school students doing an hour or less of written homework a day. ( Oliverira,2012).Implementation of ProposalBy implementing some basic practices, and subtle changes to educational standards, we can prove to children that technology is beneficial, but being self-sufficient far outweighs the advantages. Schools can make writing mandatory until sophomore year, implementing typing as a secondary source. Spell check functions should be disabled until the final draft process of research and term papers. The basics nee d to be taught first before students can learn to appreciate the conveniences of modern technology (Parker-Pope, 2010).Counter ArgumentsTechnology assists our children in obtaining all of these skills. More so today than ever before in history, students have the ability to research any topic. They are not bound by classroom or library walls. Technology has opened doors to a seemingly infinite well of information, which is not always accurate. Therefore, they need to learn how to sift through it all and get the â€Å"good stuff.† This seemingly infinite well of information and current bank of technology has also allowed students to truly invest themselves in their education by developing personal educational plans or studying fields of particular interest to them (Parker-Pope, 2010).When students are actively engaged in their own learning to reach his or her own ultimate potential, everybody wins. As the world continues to embrace and evolve the Internet, businesses and organi zations are increasingly looking to tap into this resource. It is in the best interest of educators, and professionals in general, to be aware of what the Internet has to offer. We can choose to sit back and wish it would all just go away because it’s too hard to find the time for it, or we can choose to embrace it, and look for simple ways to learn more about it.Another unavoidable fact is the growing desire for experience and familiarity with the Internet and other computer technologies as a hiring requirement in the educational field. There are undeniable benefits that come with technology, but there are far more disadvantages if a student is unable to realize them (Schevitz, 2012).ConclusionToday, every human activity is dependent upon various tools, machines, and systems, from growing food to providing shelter to communication, healthcare, and entertainment. High-speed internet, cell phones, laptops, tablets, search engines, and GPS make possible things that humans have never been able to do before. This collection of devices, capabilities, and the knowledge that accompanies them is called technology. We can say that â€Å"Living without technology is like living without air† in this technical world of today. Broadly speaking, technology is how people modify the world to suit their own purposes. If students do not comprehend the importance of the basics, then they will never learn to appreciate the importance of technology(Schevitz,2012).

Employee Safety, Health and Welfare Essay

The Company has policies and programs to address our employees’ broad range of concerns which includes working conditions, skills training, career opportunities, health and safety, and work-life balance. We have training and development programs suited to our employees’ needs. We also organize programs that support the well-being of employees, allow them to participate in PLDT’s CSR activities and obtain their feedback on company concerns. In accordance with the PLDT Personnel Manual, the Company provides medical benefits for our employees, which extends to their qualified dependents, subject to certain terms and conditions, , as well as adequate insurance coverage. The Company has also issued a Manual of Safety Practices to fulfill its commitment of providing and maintaining a safe and healthful work environment that is in accordance with industrial standards and which complies with legislative requirements. Relevant data on Safety The Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) programs being implemented by the Company resulted to an accumulation of more than 14,400,000 safe man-hours in 2013 without lost time accidents. Relevant data on health and welfare The Company’s medical benefits include the full or partial cost of doctor consultation medical tests, medicine, hospital confinements and post-operative rehabilitation. Part of our preventive medical approach is to subject employees to Annual Physical and Dental Examination (88% compliance rate in 2013). Continuous medical education fora are being conducted monthly to address common health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardio-pulmonary disease (82 conducted in 2013). The Company ensures that work-life balance is achieved by promoting sports and recreation programs with 30 various events (basketball, bowling, family fun day, volleyball, etc.) that covered and engaged 80% of employees in 2013. Likewise, the Company aims to empower its employees by providing them livelihood workshops and seminars (candle making, food processing, etc.) to engage them in productive activities that are potential for family income augmentation.

Immigrant Chronicle Essay Example

Immigrant Chronicle Essay Example Immigrant Chronicle Essay Immigrant Chronicle Essay Write a paragraph about ‘St Patrick’s College’ and belonging say what it says about belonging and the language feature used The poem ‘St Patrick’s College’ by Peter Skrzynecki describes his school years at the Catholic college in Edgar Street Strathfield. This is an important part of Peter Skrzynecki’s life, a time when he was trying to fit in, to assimilate, to belong. Double use of the possessive in the first line ‘impressed by the uniforms of her employer’s sons mother enrolled me at St Pat’s’ indicates his mother’s hopes and ambitions. As an immigrant mother she is trying to ensure her only child’s future inclusion in social hierarchy of their new country. However, this sentence also suggests that these are perhaps not the best ways of deciding on a school which would be suitable for Peter trying to fit in. Then in the lines ‘our lady watched/with outstretched arms/her face overshadowed by clouds’, the poet conveys that he didn’t feel included. Our lady’ represents the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, and symbolizes the warmth and protection offered by all mothers as they embrace their children, However here, the negative connotation of ‘overshadowed by clouds’ reinforces his feelings of not really belonging at this religious institution. This metaphor is reinforced in the last stanza where the lady still watches over him ‘unchanged by eight years of weather’. Even after 8 years of attendance, the poet still does not really belong. Then the use of colloquial language and connotation of shared friendship ‘played chasings up and down the station’s ten ramps’ shows Peter’s young and that he is fitting into some extent but he is still unsure about where he belongs. He doesn’t feel he is part of the school. Repetition of eight years, metaphor and emotive language ‘for eight years I carried the blue, black and gold/I’d been privileged to wear’ are used in the forth stanza to emphasizes the length of time he spent at the school and the benefits he gained there. Even though he did the same things as any student does at school and did fit into St Patrick’s in some ways, he is still unsure about where he belongs. In the last stanza, negative words and tone of uncertainty are used to show Peter Skrzynecki’s time at St Patrick’s is at an end and there are some things he still can’t do, but he will never have chance to finish those things just like he will never completely belong.

Its Acceptable to Use (Some) Contractions

Its Acceptable to Use (Some) Contractions It’s Acceptable to Use (Some) Contractions It’s Acceptable to Use (Some) Contractions By Mark Nichol Do you believe it’s acceptable to use contractions in formal writing, or is the elision of certain letters and their replacement by apostrophes something that shouldn’t appear in a respectable publication? What’re your thoughts? Some contractions are considered more acceptable than others. The first two I included in the previous paragraph, and others, are often found in all but the most buttoned-up composition, but although ’re is sometimes appropriate, what’re is of dubious respectability. Some contractions are ubiquitous and usually acceptable, while others, for often obscure and arbitrary reasons, are considered substandard usage. Here’s a guide to the relative respectability of various contractions: ’d: a contraction of did, had, and would, considered mildly informal. ’em: a highly informal contraction of them (â€Å"You really showed ’em†). ’er: a highly informal contraction of her, though often in reference to an inanimate object rather than a female (â€Å"Git ’er done†). ’im: a highly informal contraction of him (â€Å"I saw ’im standing there just a minute ago†). ’ll: frequently used in place of will (â€Å"I’ll concede that much†). n’t: widely employed to replace not, as in couldn’t, don’t, isn’t, shouldn’t, and won’t, though ain’t is considered acceptable only in colloquial or jocular usage, and shan’t is considered stilted. ’m: appears only in a contraction of â€Å"I am.† ’re: readily takes the place of are in â€Å"they are,† â€Å"we are,† and â€Å"you are† (and, less often, and less acceptably, â€Å"there are† or â€Å"what are†). ’s: used in contractions of phrases that include has and is, but use with does (â€Å"What’s he say about that?†) is considered highly informal; also is a contraction of us solely in the case of let’s. ’ve: acceptable for contraction of have, but double contractions such as I’d’ve (for â€Å"I would have†) are too informal for most contexts. y’all: a dialect contraction of â€Å"you all,† widespread in the southern United States, to refer to one or more people, but too informal for most written content. Any of these forms is appropriate for representing dialect, though in nonfiction it is usually interpreted as a demeaning caricature, and even in fiction it can become tiresome. The illogic of inconsistent degrees of acceptability for contractions is demonstrated by the case of ain’t, which started out as a spelling variation, based on changing pronunciation, of an’t, itself an easier-to-pronounce form of amn’t (â€Å"am I not†). All three forms were long acceptable an’t also stood in for â€Å"are not† and is the ancestor of aren’t but while aren’t acquired respectability, and amn’t and an’t faded, the older ain’t was attacked as a vulgarity. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a US Business LetterConfusing "Passed" with "Past"7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

Government Regulations towards Small & Medium Enterprises Essay

Government Regulations towards Small & Medium Enterprises - Essay Example The hypotheses are then tested against the observed characteristics of entrepreneurs and small business owners in the real world. However, there are a number of problems with this approach that have been discussed as follows:- 1. Some regions are more favored than others at establishing successful small businesses and entrepreneurs and hence their economic development is more successful. The question of whether this is due to characteristics in the population or due to certain aspects of the environment and infrastructure which enable potential entrepreneurs to exploit their skills and opportunities more easily, remains, at this stage, an open one. For example, research undertaken for Scottish Enterprise (2), after concern with low participation rates in entrepreneurship, showed that a complex series of factors contributed to low participation rates in Scotland. For example, the historical dependence of the population on a limited number of large employers coupled with inward investment (North Sea oil) had produced a 'dependency culture', that is, that people were used to depending on large employers for employment. Thus, the thought of going into business on their own account did not come easily to them. Yet other factors were important as well such as lack of finance. This example shows why participation rates might be different in particular regions for varying complex reasons. 2. Concern has been expressed at the existence of latent entrepreneurial talent. For example, why are there so few successful female entrepreneurs Again this remains open question which appears to have no simple solution but rather is caused by a complex combination of social and economic reasons. Little research has been conducted specifically on these groups in the UK, although a study carried out by the David Deakins and Ram (3) with African - Caribbean entrepreneurs suggests that motivations among this minority group in the UK consists of a combination of positive (pull) and negative (push) factors. Positive factors are associated with the attractions of entrepreneurship and negative factors are associated with limited opportunities in the inner-city and deprived urban environments. 3. Attention has focused on the role of networks in successful entrepreneurial development. For example, some research suggests that inter-firm networks contribute to successful entrepreneurship as discussed below. Start-ups (4): We know that a high proportion of new firms fail within three years of start - up. For example, in the UK, 30 percent of new firms cease trading by the third year and 50 percent by the fifth year. In addition, there is only a small proportion that grow to employ 50 workers. One of the factors is the potential loss of control faced by the entrepreneur as the firm grows. New small firms and entrepreneurs that are successful are predominantly located in the South - East in the UK. This suggests that the environment and infrastructure is at least as important as the characteristics of the entrepreneur. It is also likely that the development of inter-firm networks is more advanced in the South - East than in other regions of the UK. Inter -Organizational Networks (5): The inter-organizational

Societal response Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Societal response - Term Paper Example The disintegration of the European feudal society perception on the underclass through the Black plague exemplifies a form of societal collapse. The outcome shows different reactions, on the European side it was a failure while for the underclass it was a break through to exercise their rights because they escaped the burden of the exploitative elites and the onerous taxes. Therefore, though there exists different form societal failure, the outcome presents both beneficial and detrimental effects on both the forces in question (Diamond 5). Societal collapse has been used to express the desertion of human cultures. Nevertheless, a clear explanation as to why such extinctions occur has been escalated by abrupt societal demise such as the Mayan civilization. Similarly, a prolonged decline of a society contributes towards failure to derive a distinct explanation for the society’s failure. A notable example is the observed gradual fall of superpowers such as the East Asia’s Han dynasty and Roman Empire in the Western Europe. These examples show examples of cultures that have failed in regards to self destructing consequences of civilization unlike the preconceived advantages of civilization to other states. Continuously, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors have been notable as key to collapse of most societies. Just like an out of balance entire system, these factors manifest themselves in a combined form. Diamond presents his perception on the causes of success and failures in a society through several examples. In regards to the examples of two farms, different societies dominate their areas of jurisdiction due to their own strength. Diamond uses two farms Harns and Bans that were similar in sizes (Diamond 21). However, despite their prosperous nature, they are vulnerable because they are located in economically marginal districts. This is based on the short summer growing season that is suitable for pasture production. As a result both farms are vulnerable to becoming extinct due to climatic conditions. Geographical location of the farms limits their access to markets. Both farms are hostages of forces beyond their control such as change of tastes and affluence of the neighbors and customers. However, evaluation of these farms at the moment of prosperity does not guarantee an individual to experet a decline. Similarly societies emerge, dominate their regions but due to factors beyond its control leads to their extinction as noted in Diamond example where Gardar farms has declined while Huls farm has continued to advance. Huls sustenance is attributed to adoption of new cultures such as the advanced technologies. It is inherent that technologically advanced and richest societies suffer economic and environmental problems that need to be taken into account in order to avoid failure of the societies. According to Diamond, appreciation of the past societal transformation provides the current societies with an opp ortunity to avoid failures but rather embrace changes that leads to success. In regards to collapse of Norse Greenland, a past society, Diamond perceives collapse as a drastic decline in political, economic, social complexity and human population. Before a society is termed a collapsed society, arbitrarily is not conceivable on how the society can be defined in order to be classified

Criticize the attached research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effect of Supervisors Beliefs on the Supervision System in Turkish Primary Schools - Essay Example If the research reveals something more than what the previous researchers have revealed, then the research can be called as successful. Otherwise, it remains just an experiment with no new insights on the topic. Similarly, the research on the ‘beliefs of supervisors in primary schools of Turkey’ revealed nothing new about the research topic. After reading the article, the reader feels that the researchers should have widened the scope of the participants and the subject matter if they were to learn something more than what is already available in the existing literature on the topic. It feels as if something was missing in the research and makes the reader feel that the study was incomplete. The Positive Aspects Of The Research The authors have done an excellent job in giving the background of the research. The authors have beautifully explained why the research is being conducted and how the beliefs of the supervisors play an important role in the performance and develo pment of the educational organizations in Turkey. According to the research by Sullivan and Glanz (2005), the supervision beliefs of supervisors influence not only their behavior and approach towards work but also their language and communication pattern. Hence, understanding their beliefs about supervision becomes an important thing. According to the authors, the main aim of the research is to know the core of the supervision. As beliefs of human being determine the â€Å"views and perceptions† of the job they are doing, it is important to know what work method they believe in so as to understand their drive and motivation behind their performance at work. The authors have very successfully explained the reason behind undertaking the research and how the research results are going to impact the overall function of supervision in the primary schools of Turkey. Moreover, the sample strength of the research of 300 primary school supervisors was also a positive point of the rese arch. Also, the research was based on the classification of beliefs of supervision by Sullivan and Glanz (2005). They have classified beliefs of supervision in two categories, i.e. ‘bureaucratic supervisory beliefs’ and ‘democratic supervisory beliefs’. The authors have explained how these beliefs affect the communication between supervisors and teachers, and the job satisfaction of the teachers.  

Most Influential Theologians

Most Influential Theologians St. Thomas Aquinas St. Thomas was born toward the end of 1226 and was born in Italy. St. Thomas was an Italian scholar and the most influential theologian in the Catholic Church. In 1243 he joined the Dominican order which was not like by his parents and they put him in jail for two years. St. Thomas wrote many works philosophy and theology but his most famous is Summa Theological. In it he gives proof of God and his existence. In another section he talks about ethics and how it roots in Aristole. In a chain of acts of will man strives for the highest end. The third part is about Christ. Thomas teaches that Christ is to be regarded as redeemer after his human nature. Thomas was sent to Paris to study under Albert the Great. He served with Albert as his teaching assistant. In 1252 he began to become a master of theology. Thomas was regonized as an excellent theology. He was very holy and would celebrate mass and then have lunch with the friars. Then in the evening he would pray and read. When he became a Dominican he parents really wanted him to become a monk. He was 19 when this happened. He was in Rome but removed and sent to Paris by his parents. His family became desperate to have him not join but he remained determined. At last the he was sent to Rome to meet the master general of the Dominicans. In 1274 St. Thomas died and never got to finish Summa Theologica. He is known as the model for people studying priesthood. In 1333 he was canonized and was declared one of the doctors of the church by Pope Pius V. Kateri Tekakwitha Young Kateri Tekakwitha, born in 1656 near a town called Auriesville in New York, was the daughter of the Mohawk Chief and a Catholic Algonquin. In 1660, at the age of four, her parents and baby brother were killed by a disease that attacked the village, leaving her an orphan. Tekakwitha survived. Although, she was partially blind. She would feel around to find her way. Seeing this, the others called her a name that by which means The One Who Walks Groping for Her Way. Later on, her uncle and two aunts adopted her. They went back to the village where the disease killed her family and rebuilt a village known as Caughnawaga. Over time, she grew into a sweet, shy young woman. She would spend time with her aunts working in the fields. She would often go to the neighboring forest and gather firewood water from the stream and certain roots to make medicine and die. Despite her poor sight, she was very skilled at beadwork. Also, at the woods she would go alone to pray to god and listen to his and her own voice. At the age of 18, is when her holy and religious life truly began. A priest came to their village and established a chapel. Kateri wanted to learn more about Jesus so she decided to be baptized. At the Age of twenty, she was baptized on Easter. Although, her family did not accept her choice to embace Christ so she became a village outcast. Tekakwitha was treated very badly by others in her settlement. In 1677, she left her village and fled to the Catholic Mission of St. Francis Xavier at Sault Saint Louis, near Montreal. Her journey to get to the mission took over two months but because of her determination, she was allowed to receive her First Holy Communion on Christmas day of that same year. She helped the young and came to the assistance of those who were sick. Her favorite devotion was to fashion crosses out of sticks and place them throughout the woods. this would be the sign that whenever she saw one, she would take a moment to pray. One thing that she loved was the rosary, which she wore around her neck every day. People always asked her to tell them a story. they would listen for a long time because when they were with her they felt the presence of God. One day, a priest came to the people and asked why they always circle around Kateri. Their answer would be, We feel closer to God when she is around and her face glows and looks different when she prays.so beautiful as if she were looking at Gods face . On March 25, 1617 she made a vow of perpetual virginity. She wanted to start a convent of Native American sisters but she was discouraged. Due to bad health, Kateri Tekakwitha died in 1680 at the age of twenty-four. her last words were Jesus, I love you. Like the flower she was named for, the lily, her life was short and beautiful. Moments after her death the scarred face of Kateri Tekakwitha was transformed into a beautiful, flawless face. This was witnessed by many people. She was known as Lily of the Mohawks. In 1943, the Catholic church declared her venerable and beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980. Her feast day id celebrated on July 14 and she is the patroness of World Youth Day 2002. Although not a saint yet, she is the first native American to be declared Blessed. St. Jerome St. Jerome was born at Stridon, a small town in the Roman province of Dalmatia, around 347. In Latin, he was known as Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus. St. Jerome was not baptized until about 360 or 366 when he went to Rome with his friend Bonosus to pursue their studies. As a student in Rome, he learned how to speak both Greek and Latin but he also engaged in bad activities and needed to repent. To make himself feel better, St. Jerome would visit the remains and items left by the martyrs and the apostles at their catacombs. This experience would remind him of the terrors of hell. To describe Christian concepts, Jerome initially used classical authors but later on converted to Christianity himself. After several years in Rome, he travelled with Bonosus to Gaul and settled in Trier where he began to take up his theological studies as well as meeting many Christian friends. Some of his friends accompanied him when he set out on a journey through Thrace and the Asia Minor. On this journey, two of his friends died and Jerome was seriously ill. During his illness, he had visions that led him to put aside secular studies and devote himself to God. St. Jerome wanted to live a new life of penance so he went for a time to the desert of Chalcis. There he studied, wrote, and attempted to learn the Hebrew language with the guidance of a converted Jew. Returning to Antioch, he was ordained by Bishop Paulinus and continued to study and write. At this time, St. Jerome was a main teacher of the church and was attached to Pope Damascus I and the leading Roman Christians. One of his most famous accomplishments was translating the Bible from Hebrew to Latin so that everyone could understand Gods teachings. Jerome continued to do many important things with the church later on in his life. St. Jerome died near Bethlehem on September 30, 420. His remains were buried in Bethlehem but were later transferred to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. St. Jerome became the patron saint of librarians and is recognized as the Doctor of the Church. His feast day is on September 30. St. Matthew The writer of the first Gospel and one of the twelve Apostles was not only a strong believer in God but a sinning tax collector as well. St. Matthew was born in the first century Judea as the son of a tax collector named Alpheus. The young Matthew grew up like any boy would have if he lived in that time; learning how to complete his fathers job. His father was a tax collector and taught him how to be a good tax collector like Joseph taught Jesus to be a carpenter. From a sinner, to an Apostle, to a writer of the Gospel, Matthew lived a life a lot like Jesus. He was soon hired by Herod Antipas to collect taxes like his father had. As a tax collector he was given an office located in Capernaum. He soon became despised and thought of as an outcast like all tax collectors. While in a large tax collector meeting in his office, Matthew was called by Jesus to live a life devoted to God like the other eleven Apostles. Although many people were skeptical when Jesus asked a sinning tax collector to follow him, Matthew rose up right then and there, converted and started to follow Jesus. As one of the early Apostles, Matthew was often known as Levi. He is often paired with St. Thomas in the Bible and is thought to be involved with a group of early Christians called the Nazarenes. With this group, Matthew and the Apostles proclaimed that Jesus was the son of God and the everlasting Messiah. Matthew was sent to Palestine alone by Jesus to continue preaching the word of God. He isnt mentioned in the Gospel any more other than in the names of the Apostles. Some historical facts place him in Gentile places preaching to those who lived there. Matthew was present with Mary during Jesus Resurrection and Ascension. Matthew was most likely very literate which was an uncommon trait for people in that time. It is unknown where he began writing the first Gospel also known as the Gospel of the Hebrews. It is called this because he began writing it in Hebrew for the early Hebrew Christians. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel the Gospel of Mark somewhere between AD 50 to AD 55. Matthews Gospel reproduces about 90% of Marks. His Gospel was later translated into Greek so more people could read it but the Greek copy was soon lost. The Hebrew copy was placed in the Library of Caesarea where it was kept for many centuries. St. Matthew turned his life around with the help of a fellow Jew. He became an Apostle, and then wrote the first of the four Gospels. Matthew wrote It is unsure whether he died of natural cause or if he was a martyr. We celebrate his feast day on September 21st. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. St. Matthew grew up a sinning tax collector, was called by Jesus, lived the rest of his life devoted to God, and died with the satisfaction of keeping the oldest and greatest memories alive. St. Jude Personal Life St. Jude was born in the first century AD in the area of Galilee, Palestine. He is also known as St. Jude Thaddeus, Thaddeus being his last name which means the brave one while Jude means giver of joy. It is stated in Matthew 13:55 that St. Jude was a brethren of Jesus, brethren being a Hebrew word indicating a blood relationship. It is also reported that his father, Cleophas was a brother of St. Joseph and was later persecuted for his faith, and his mother, Mary was a cousin of the Blessed Virgin and was said to have stood by the Immaculate Conceptions side while Jesus was crucified. St. Jude also had many brothers, two of which was St. James the Less, and St. Simeon the Zealot. Missionary Work St. Jude was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus along with his brothers James and Simeon, and is remembered for asking Christ at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole world after His resurrection. His name is not to be confused with Judas of Iscariot, another one of the twelve apostles since both their names are a Greek Variant of the word Judah. After the Pentecost (in which he was present) St. Jude continued to preach the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Libya, and Mesopotamia, where he became a leader of the Church of The East that St. Thomas established there around 37 AD. Although little is known about St. Jude, one of his acknowledged works is the conversion of King Abgar. This idea comes from a Biblical story in which King Abgar of Edessa (a city located in what is now southeast Turkey) asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy and sent an artist to bring him a drawing of Jesus. Impressed with Abgars great faith, Jesus pressed his face into a cloth and gave it to St. Jude to take to Abgar. Once the King saw Jesus image he was cured and he converted to Christianity along with most of the people under his rule. This cloth is believed to be the famous Shroud of Jesus which is currently on display in Turin, Italy. St. Jude is also credited for helping start the Armenian Church, and is believed to be the human author of the Epistle of St. Jude, which is the shortest book in the New Testament. One of his last works before his death was his aid in the election of the bishop of Jerusalem in 62 AD, the bishop that was chosen turned out to be his brother Simeon the Zealot Death Little is known about St. Jude, since he was confused with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, and his veneration was avoided, thus resulting in being known as the Forgotten Saint. Also, there is little information written about him in the Bible since he was known to travel around the world to preach the Gospel. One of the countries that St. Jude traveled to was Armenia, and it was there where he was reportedly murdered for his faith around the year 65 AD, although there are some instances that claim that St. Jude suffered of martyrdom alongside St. Simon in Persia. Armenia was a country that did not completely convert to Christianity until the 3rd century, about 250 years after St. Judes death. We do not know the specifics of St. Judes death, but he is often depicted carrying an axe or a club, suggesting the way in which he was murdered. After his death, his body was brought back to Rome and was placed in a crypt beneath St. Peters Basilica, which people continue to visit to this day. Sainthood St. Jude was canonized pre-congregation, meaning that he was recognized as a saint before the Catholic Church had a formal process of canonization. His feast day for Western Christianity is on October 28, and his feast day for Eastern Christianity it is celebrated on June 19. St. Jude is often associated with St. Simeon the Zealot, whom he shares his feast day with. He is renowned for being the patron saint of Armenia, lost causes, desperate situations, ibises, hospitals, St. Petersburg, Florida, Cotta Lucena City Quezon, the Chicago Police Department, Club de Regattas do Flamengo (soccer team) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Remembrance Today Even though St. Jude isnt as well known as some of the other saints, he is still as important and is venerated in many religions including the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Eastern Catholic Churches, the Church of the East, the Coptic Church, and the Anglican Communion. Nowadays, St. Jude is probably best known for being the namesake of many hospitals specializing in treating people, and specifically children in terminal illnesses since he is the patron saint of desperate causes. We pray to him now in time of desperate need for the reason that he provided a lot of inspirational support to a group of Christians who were being persecuted in Eastern churches and he exhorted them to keep their faith and to stay in the love of God as they had been taught. We usually see St. Jude depicted carrying the image of Jesus (taken from the story of King Agbar), carrying an Axe, club, boat, oar, and/or a medallion. The following is a common prayer dedicated to St. Jude: Most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever. I promise, O blessed Saint Jude, to be mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen. Saint John the Apostle Saints to me are always people we can look up to and know that they were true followers of Jesus. Saints are a great guide on how to act and be when we grow up or even as teenagers. When we are in doubt we sometimes ask our selves what would Jesus do but we can also ask are selves what would the saints do and know that we would get the right answer. St. John the apostle was the son of Zebedee and was called to be on of the 12 apostles of Jesus along with his brother James. They also were with Jesus on his ministries. John appears on the list of the apostles in Acts and in the synoptic gospels. James and John were also believed to be given the nick name Boanerges which means sons of thunder due to their tempers. In the Bible there are no details about how old john might have been when he became one of Jesus disciples but the Christians say that he lived to at least 100 CE which would have been pretty old. There is also nothing in the Bible telling about how long his activity in Judea lasted. Christian traditions also say that John had a important position in the Apostolic body. John was also present at the transfiguration of Jesus. This is some of the things we have gotten from the Bible. John, according to the Bible, was said to be more important than all the other apostles. The reason why was because he was present at many important time such as the transfiguration, and at the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus was arrested. Paul later in the Bible also calls John the pillar of the Jerusalem church. John was also important because he has been believed to be the author of the fourth gospel, three canonical letters, and the book of revelation. There are so many thing we can learn from saints and these are the most important things that I took from Saint John the Apostle. Again next time you need help deciding what to do just ask yourself what would Jesus do OR what would the saints do. St. Nicholas Having a wonderful family will get you many places, just like were it got Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas came from a wealth family who loved him very much. Sadly, Nicholas parents died while he was still young. Nick was a devoted catholic and when he received his fortune from his parents death, he decided to use it to help the poor and needy. Instead of using the money for himself, he used it for others, which was a start of his generosity. As a young man, Nicholas was known for his kindness. He devoted his life to serving God and became Bishop of Myra while still a young man. He took control of this job to show how responsible he was. This position was very good for Nick and I think it taught him many important things in life. Many people in the land knew that this man was a generous, kindhearted, children loving man who had concerns for other people just like sailors and ships sailings on the oceans. For loving and doing all these things, Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned for believing in god, just like Jesus. This conflict made many people angry and trying to rebel. At this time, there were so many priest, deacons, and other religious believers imprisoned that there was no room for murders, thieves and robbers. After he was released, Nicholas joined the council of Nicaea. After leaving the council, St. Nicholas died on December 6, which is his feast day. On this day, it is a time to reflect on how St. Nicholas was kind to everyone, just like we should be to. Creating this great example for us shows that we need to follow his good ways. Remembering this day will make us realize that we should all commit good deeds no matter what day it is. St. Nicholas was the Patron Saint of Russia. He has many churches named after is glorious name. As a young boy, St. Nick proved to not only himself, but also others that he was a responsible adult. Many people believe you become responsible when youre older, but Saint Nick proved them wrong. He left behind a great example and reputation that will live on forever. St. Augustine of Hippo St. Augustine of Hippo, also known as Aurelius Augustinus, was born into a middle class family on November 13, 354 in Tagaste, modern day Algeria. He was the son of St. Monica and of Patricius. As a young boy, Augustine received a catholic education. His father had believed that he was successful that he had sent him to Cathage, to prepare for his forensic career. St. Augustine was a man of belief, strength, and success. For this he had succeeded in life. Augustine came into the church for having such a strong belief. The reason why he became such a strong believer, was when he had become very ill and could not receive baptism, but he pursued that dream of his. He had joined the men of prayer group and he had three ideas stuck deep in his heart. The first idea was a divine providence or the virtue of prudence. The second one was the future with terrible sanctions or going to hell. The last idea that was in his heart was Christ is above all and the Savior. He also became close with the church when he had given up on Divine Truth and had prayed to the Blessed Mother. The prayers to the blessed mother brought him back to his faith and decided that Christianity was the religion for him. At the start of his religious life he became a priest. The only thing he had kept when he became a priest was his familys house which became a monastic house. Then later on in his life he became a bishop. As he came back to his Christian faith, he wrote about his experiences in books called, Retractions. As he lived his life of prayer, he became closer to God. He also learned how to live a life of peace. As his life drew near so did his life of becoming a saint. On August 28, 430, at the age of seventy-five, Augustines life had come to an end. Augustine was a patron of brewers. As his life came close to its end, he spent almost every moment praying to God. Augustine has become one of my favorite saints as I have learned more about him. His life was powerful and interesting to me. I will try to live my life as an image of him and live out my faith, become closer to the church and God. St. Leo the Great Saint Leo the great was and Italian aristocrat and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to be called The Great. He is best known for meeting Attila the Hun in 452 AD and persuading him to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. He is also known for being called the Doctor of the Church. St. Leos date of birth is still unknown to this day, but he was born in Tuscany, in Northern France, but refers to Rome and his home town. But it is said that his family moved to Rome when he was very young. The earliest information about Saint Leo being part of the churchs clergy when he was a deacon under Pope Celestine I. While Leo was away on a civil mission to bring peace to France, Pope Sixtus III on August 19, 440. As the people of Rome knew of Leos care and love for the individual souls, Leo was voted by the people to be their bishop. But when the people asked Leo to come back to Rome the Holy Spirit was working through all the faithful, so when Leo came back he was anointed Pope of Rome. He was elected on September 9, 440 AD and would reign as pope for the next 21 years. As pope of the Rome Leo labored constantly to protect the integrity of Faith by waging wars, taking strenuous actions against regions, and ordered to correct the errors of countries in Spain. He did all of this because he cared about the people and the faithful. He wanted them to have the most loving gift of all and that was the teachings of Christ that was handed down by the apostles. He continued to do this by defending the unity of the Catholic Church and with constancy strove to teach all men who were doctrines to lead their souls to the greatest fulfillment of salvation. Pope Leo the Greats pontificate was a continuous period of tireless effort directed at upholding the unity of the Church as the people thought. But after this he did much more. He cared about the Church so much that he tried his hardest to stop invasions in order to save more lives. Such as when he went to Atilla the Hun in 452 and persuading him with all his power to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. Legend has it that Attila, on looking above St. Leo, saw in a vision that Saints Peter and Paul would support the Popes wishes, which struck him with fear. One of his most important persuasions was with Genseric the Vandal, who had captured the city of Rome. But thanks to Pope Leos intervention the Vandals didnt even touch Rome by not hurting or killing anyone or even taking down the Churches. Pope Saint Leo the Great certainly possessed true care and love for the Church. He submitted his whole heart to Christ, labored to lead others into committing themselves into the See of Peter, and used all his influence to maintain the unity of the Church. If you ask me I would say Saint Leo the Great modeled his life after the sixth Beatitude, which proclaims, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. He has a connection between purity of heart and of faith. He exemplifies love of truth and orthodoxy of faith. In 1754 Benedict XIV exalted St. Leo to the dignity of Doctor of the Church. Not quite two centuries later, Pope Pius XII, in a sermon given on October 12, 1952, noted that Pope Saint Leo is the greatest among the great. Saint Martin of Tours Saint Martin of Tours was born around the time 317 A.D in modern-day Hungary. Martins father was a senior officer in the Roman Army; he was stationed in Ticinum, Cisalpine Gaul (now Pavia, Italy) where Martin grew up. Later, in Martins pre-teen years, he found God and took charge of his religious life. Martin learned many things about God and started on his way to becoming a saint. When Martin was ten years old he went to the church against his parents and became a candidate for baptism. His parents were very upset with him because he went against their wishes. When Martin was fifteen years old, because his father was a retired officer, Martin was required to join the army. While Martin was stationed in Amiens, he experienced the vision that is most remembered today. He was at the gates of the city of Amiens with his soldiers when he met a scarcely dressed beggar. He automatically cut his own military cloak in half and shared it with the beggar. That night he dreamed of Jesus wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. He heard Jesus say to the angels: Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized; he has clad me. (Sulpicius, ch 2). This dream confirmed Martins fidelity. He was then baptized at the age of eighteen. Later Martin thought his faith prohibited him from fighting and shouted I am a soldier of Christ. I cannot fight. He was charged of cowardice and put in jail. Martin followed the way of the Lord and always served others. Some of the things he was known for were that he was against poverty and did everything he could to help the less fortunate. Some emblems that remind us of him are trees, beggars, soldiers and cloaks. He was known for many great deeds and acts of charity and kindness. Martin died on November 8, 397, in Candes, Gaul (modern-day France). Martin of Tours was just over eighty when he died. He is the patron Saint of beggars and soldiers. We celebrate his feast day on November 11th. Prayer: God, Your Bishop Saint Martin glorified You by both his life and death. Renew in us Your grace, so that neither death nor life can separate us from Your love. Amen Saint John the Baptist But He who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God. (Luke 3:21) Saint John was the cousin of Jesus. He was a baptizer. He was born to the people named Elizabeth and Zachariah. He had many duties such as; being the first baptizer, writing a gospel ect He told the people to repent and that the Lord is upon them. But his cry was not answered by many passing people. John was often mistaken for the Messiah. He was very holy, and spread Gods word so well that he was called The Anointed One. You yourselves are witnesses to the fact that I said: I am not the Messiah; I am sent before Him.'(Luke 3:28) To be a saint you have to have humility, you have to be willing to die for your faith. You have to be open to the fact that you have to make sacrifices to be a soldier of Christ. He took His chance and became that soldier and was the first priest, and was the first leader to baptize someone. He had a lot of weight on his shoulders that day. The cousin of the Lord being asked to baptize someone when you have no idea what to do. He had to be brave to be that kind of person. In current life today we should be Johns. We should be able to die for our faith and give it all up for the Lord. We were all sent by God to do his will and to be the messengers for his faith. We are to live by example and be the little Johns of the world. If we love and care for Jesus and God then we should be able to understand how we are part of the great plan of salvation. From John, we can learn that we just cant sit here and wait for miracles to happen, we need to write of the Lords love, sing of the Lords love, be the Lords love. Saint Anthony the Abbot Saint Anthony the Abbot was born in 251 at Heracleus, Egypt. He is also known by many names such as Abba Antonius, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, and Anthony the Anchorite. Anthony grew up in a wealthy family. He lived a good childhood and a healthy life. But unexpectedly everything changed. When he was about 20 years old his parents unexpectedly died. He ensured that his sister got a good education and that was about all he could do. But then the lord spoke to him and said If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell, what thou hast, and give to the poor. After Anthony heard this he gave away all of his possessions and started his holy life in the desert. He lived as a hermit in an old abandoned fort for more than 20 years praying in solitude. But the devil tried to tempt him many times and he never gave in to its temptations. But he wasnt always alone. Many followers and admirers came into his fort. He healed many of the sick who came and was also a spiritual counselor for others. He had so many disciples following him that he had to build two monasteries! A lot of people helped him by weaving baskets and making brushes for him which made him the patron of those 2 trades. Saint Anthony was also the patron saint of grave diggers and people who work with pigs. He was patron of gravediggers because he buried an Anchorite which was someone who walled themselves up to be alone in prayer. He was patron of pigs because he used pork to reduce inflammation and itching. An artist drew a picture of him with a pig and someone took it as Anthony being the patron saint of pigs. In 311 Anthony shortly left his fort to go fight Arianism in Alexandria. He also left to comfort the victims of the persecutions at Maximinus. While he was out of his fort he met his sister. It turns out she had also become a holy person and chosen to become a nun. Anthony did return to the desert but he did not return to his fort. He retired in a cave in Mount Colzim. Saint Anthony also knew some other saints. During the later part of his life he became good friends with Saint Paul the Hermit. And his biography was written by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. He also founded a religious order of hermits. Saint Anthony died at Mount Colzim in 356 due to natural causes. Many people still follow his influences to this day. His order of hermits is still around. People give away possessions to help others. He was canonized by the Pre-Congregation which is where saints are canonized by local church officials so no one knows the exact canonization date. Saint Dominic Saint Dominic is the founder of the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominican Order. He is also the patron saint of astronomers and the Dominican Republic. Close friends with our patron, Saint Francis of Assisi, he was born into a very re Most Influential Theologians Most Influential Theologians St. Thomas Aquinas St. Thomas was born toward the end of 1226 and was born in Italy. St. Thomas was an Italian scholar and the most influential theologian in the Catholic Church. In 1243 he joined the Dominican order which was not like by his parents and they put him in jail for two years. St. Thomas wrote many works philosophy and theology but his most famous is Summa Theological. In it he gives proof of God and his existence. In another section he talks about ethics and how it roots in Aristole. In a chain of acts of will man strives for the highest end. The third part is about Christ. Thomas teaches that Christ is to be regarded as redeemer after his human nature. Thomas was sent to Paris to study under Albert the Great. He served with Albert as his teaching assistant. In 1252 he began to become a master of theology. Thomas was regonized as an excellent theology. He was very holy and would celebrate mass and then have lunch with the friars. Then in the evening he would pray and read. When he became a Dominican he parents really wanted him to become a monk. He was 19 when this happened. He was in Rome but removed and sent to Paris by his parents. His family became desperate to have him not join but he remained determined. At last the he was sent to Rome to meet the master general of the Dominicans. In 1274 St. Thomas died and never got to finish Summa Theologica. He is known as the model for people studying priesthood. In 1333 he was canonized and was declared one of the doctors of the church by Pope Pius V. Kateri Tekakwitha Young Kateri Tekakwitha, born in 1656 near a town called Auriesville in New York, was the daughter of the Mohawk Chief and a Catholic Algonquin. In 1660, at the age of four, her parents and baby brother were killed by a disease that attacked the village, leaving her an orphan. Tekakwitha survived. Although, she was partially blind. She would feel around to find her way. Seeing this, the others called her a name that by which means The One Who Walks Groping for Her Way. Later on, her uncle and two aunts adopted her. They went back to the village where the disease killed her family and rebuilt a village known as Caughnawaga. Over time, she grew into a sweet, shy young woman. She would spend time with her aunts working in the fields. She would often go to the neighboring forest and gather firewood water from the stream and certain roots to make medicine and die. Despite her poor sight, she was very skilled at beadwork. Also, at the woods she would go alone to pray to god and listen to his and her own voice. At the age of 18, is when her holy and religious life truly began. A priest came to their village and established a chapel. Kateri wanted to learn more about Jesus so she decided to be baptized. At the Age of twenty, she was baptized on Easter. Although, her family did not accept her choice to embace Christ so she became a village outcast. Tekakwitha was treated very badly by others in her settlement. In 1677, she left her village and fled to the Catholic Mission of St. Francis Xavier at Sault Saint Louis, near Montreal. Her journey to get to the mission took over two months but because of her determination, she was allowed to receive her First Holy Communion on Christmas day of that same year. She helped the young and came to the assistance of those who were sick. Her favorite devotion was to fashion crosses out of sticks and place them throughout the woods. this would be the sign that whenever she saw one, she would take a moment to pray. One thing that she loved was the rosary, which she wore around her neck every day. People always asked her to tell them a story. they would listen for a long time because when they were with her they felt the presence of God. One day, a priest came to the people and asked why they always circle around Kateri. Their answer would be, We feel closer to God when she is around and her face glows and looks different when she prays.so beautiful as if she were looking at Gods face . On March 25, 1617 she made a vow of perpetual virginity. She wanted to start a convent of Native American sisters but she was discouraged. Due to bad health, Kateri Tekakwitha died in 1680 at the age of twenty-four. her last words were Jesus, I love you. Like the flower she was named for, the lily, her life was short and beautiful. Moments after her death the scarred face of Kateri Tekakwitha was transformed into a beautiful, flawless face. This was witnessed by many people. She was known as Lily of the Mohawks. In 1943, the Catholic church declared her venerable and beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980. Her feast day id celebrated on July 14 and she is the patroness of World Youth Day 2002. Although not a saint yet, she is the first native American to be declared Blessed. St. Jerome St. Jerome was born at Stridon, a small town in the Roman province of Dalmatia, around 347. In Latin, he was known as Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus. St. Jerome was not baptized until about 360 or 366 when he went to Rome with his friend Bonosus to pursue their studies. As a student in Rome, he learned how to speak both Greek and Latin but he also engaged in bad activities and needed to repent. To make himself feel better, St. Jerome would visit the remains and items left by the martyrs and the apostles at their catacombs. This experience would remind him of the terrors of hell. To describe Christian concepts, Jerome initially used classical authors but later on converted to Christianity himself. After several years in Rome, he travelled with Bonosus to Gaul and settled in Trier where he began to take up his theological studies as well as meeting many Christian friends. Some of his friends accompanied him when he set out on a journey through Thrace and the Asia Minor. On this journey, two of his friends died and Jerome was seriously ill. During his illness, he had visions that led him to put aside secular studies and devote himself to God. St. Jerome wanted to live a new life of penance so he went for a time to the desert of Chalcis. There he studied, wrote, and attempted to learn the Hebrew language with the guidance of a converted Jew. Returning to Antioch, he was ordained by Bishop Paulinus and continued to study and write. At this time, St. Jerome was a main teacher of the church and was attached to Pope Damascus I and the leading Roman Christians. One of his most famous accomplishments was translating the Bible from Hebrew to Latin so that everyone could understand Gods teachings. Jerome continued to do many important things with the church later on in his life. St. Jerome died near Bethlehem on September 30, 420. His remains were buried in Bethlehem but were later transferred to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. St. Jerome became the patron saint of librarians and is recognized as the Doctor of the Church. His feast day is on September 30. St. Matthew The writer of the first Gospel and one of the twelve Apostles was not only a strong believer in God but a sinning tax collector as well. St. Matthew was born in the first century Judea as the son of a tax collector named Alpheus. The young Matthew grew up like any boy would have if he lived in that time; learning how to complete his fathers job. His father was a tax collector and taught him how to be a good tax collector like Joseph taught Jesus to be a carpenter. From a sinner, to an Apostle, to a writer of the Gospel, Matthew lived a life a lot like Jesus. He was soon hired by Herod Antipas to collect taxes like his father had. As a tax collector he was given an office located in Capernaum. He soon became despised and thought of as an outcast like all tax collectors. While in a large tax collector meeting in his office, Matthew was called by Jesus to live a life devoted to God like the other eleven Apostles. Although many people were skeptical when Jesus asked a sinning tax collector to follow him, Matthew rose up right then and there, converted and started to follow Jesus. As one of the early Apostles, Matthew was often known as Levi. He is often paired with St. Thomas in the Bible and is thought to be involved with a group of early Christians called the Nazarenes. With this group, Matthew and the Apostles proclaimed that Jesus was the son of God and the everlasting Messiah. Matthew was sent to Palestine alone by Jesus to continue preaching the word of God. He isnt mentioned in the Gospel any more other than in the names of the Apostles. Some historical facts place him in Gentile places preaching to those who lived there. Matthew was present with Mary during Jesus Resurrection and Ascension. Matthew was most likely very literate which was an uncommon trait for people in that time. It is unknown where he began writing the first Gospel also known as the Gospel of the Hebrews. It is called this because he began writing it in Hebrew for the early Hebrew Christians. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel the Gospel of Mark somewhere between AD 50 to AD 55. Matthews Gospel reproduces about 90% of Marks. His Gospel was later translated into Greek so more people could read it but the Greek copy was soon lost. The Hebrew copy was placed in the Library of Caesarea where it was kept for many centuries. St. Matthew turned his life around with the help of a fellow Jew. He became an Apostle, and then wrote the first of the four Gospels. Matthew wrote It is unsure whether he died of natural cause or if he was a martyr. We celebrate his feast day on September 21st. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. St. Matthew grew up a sinning tax collector, was called by Jesus, lived the rest of his life devoted to God, and died with the satisfaction of keeping the oldest and greatest memories alive. St. Jude Personal Life St. Jude was born in the first century AD in the area of Galilee, Palestine. He is also known as St. Jude Thaddeus, Thaddeus being his last name which means the brave one while Jude means giver of joy. It is stated in Matthew 13:55 that St. Jude was a brethren of Jesus, brethren being a Hebrew word indicating a blood relationship. It is also reported that his father, Cleophas was a brother of St. Joseph and was later persecuted for his faith, and his mother, Mary was a cousin of the Blessed Virgin and was said to have stood by the Immaculate Conceptions side while Jesus was crucified. St. Jude also had many brothers, two of which was St. James the Less, and St. Simeon the Zealot. Missionary Work St. Jude was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus along with his brothers James and Simeon, and is remembered for asking Christ at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole world after His resurrection. His name is not to be confused with Judas of Iscariot, another one of the twelve apostles since both their names are a Greek Variant of the word Judah. After the Pentecost (in which he was present) St. Jude continued to preach the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Libya, and Mesopotamia, where he became a leader of the Church of The East that St. Thomas established there around 37 AD. Although little is known about St. Jude, one of his acknowledged works is the conversion of King Abgar. This idea comes from a Biblical story in which King Abgar of Edessa (a city located in what is now southeast Turkey) asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy and sent an artist to bring him a drawing of Jesus. Impressed with Abgars great faith, Jesus pressed his face into a cloth and gave it to St. Jude to take to Abgar. Once the King saw Jesus image he was cured and he converted to Christianity along with most of the people under his rule. This cloth is believed to be the famous Shroud of Jesus which is currently on display in Turin, Italy. St. Jude is also credited for helping start the Armenian Church, and is believed to be the human author of the Epistle of St. Jude, which is the shortest book in the New Testament. One of his last works before his death was his aid in the election of the bishop of Jerusalem in 62 AD, the bishop that was chosen turned out to be his brother Simeon the Zealot Death Little is known about St. Jude, since he was confused with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, and his veneration was avoided, thus resulting in being known as the Forgotten Saint. Also, there is little information written about him in the Bible since he was known to travel around the world to preach the Gospel. One of the countries that St. Jude traveled to was Armenia, and it was there where he was reportedly murdered for his faith around the year 65 AD, although there are some instances that claim that St. Jude suffered of martyrdom alongside St. Simon in Persia. Armenia was a country that did not completely convert to Christianity until the 3rd century, about 250 years after St. Judes death. We do not know the specifics of St. Judes death, but he is often depicted carrying an axe or a club, suggesting the way in which he was murdered. After his death, his body was brought back to Rome and was placed in a crypt beneath St. Peters Basilica, which people continue to visit to this day. Sainthood St. Jude was canonized pre-congregation, meaning that he was recognized as a saint before the Catholic Church had a formal process of canonization. His feast day for Western Christianity is on October 28, and his feast day for Eastern Christianity it is celebrated on June 19. St. Jude is often associated with St. Simeon the Zealot, whom he shares his feast day with. He is renowned for being the patron saint of Armenia, lost causes, desperate situations, ibises, hospitals, St. Petersburg, Florida, Cotta Lucena City Quezon, the Chicago Police Department, Club de Regattas do Flamengo (soccer team) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Remembrance Today Even though St. Jude isnt as well known as some of the other saints, he is still as important and is venerated in many religions including the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Eastern Catholic Churches, the Church of the East, the Coptic Church, and the Anglican Communion. Nowadays, St. Jude is probably best known for being the namesake of many hospitals specializing in treating people, and specifically children in terminal illnesses since he is the patron saint of desperate causes. We pray to him now in time of desperate need for the reason that he provided a lot of inspirational support to a group of Christians who were being persecuted in Eastern churches and he exhorted them to keep their faith and to stay in the love of God as they had been taught. We usually see St. Jude depicted carrying the image of Jesus (taken from the story of King Agbar), carrying an Axe, club, boat, oar, and/or a medallion. The following is a common prayer dedicated to St. Jude: Most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever. I promise, O blessed Saint Jude, to be mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen. Saint John the Apostle Saints to me are always people we can look up to and know that they were true followers of Jesus. Saints are a great guide on how to act and be when we grow up or even as teenagers. When we are in doubt we sometimes ask our selves what would Jesus do but we can also ask are selves what would the saints do and know that we would get the right answer. St. John the apostle was the son of Zebedee and was called to be on of the 12 apostles of Jesus along with his brother James. They also were with Jesus on his ministries. John appears on the list of the apostles in Acts and in the synoptic gospels. James and John were also believed to be given the nick name Boanerges which means sons of thunder due to their tempers. In the Bible there are no details about how old john might have been when he became one of Jesus disciples but the Christians say that he lived to at least 100 CE which would have been pretty old. There is also nothing in the Bible telling about how long his activity in Judea lasted. Christian traditions also say that John had a important position in the Apostolic body. John was also present at the transfiguration of Jesus. This is some of the things we have gotten from the Bible. John, according to the Bible, was said to be more important than all the other apostles. The reason why was because he was present at many important time such as the transfiguration, and at the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus was arrested. Paul later in the Bible also calls John the pillar of the Jerusalem church. John was also important because he has been believed to be the author of the fourth gospel, three canonical letters, and the book of revelation. There are so many thing we can learn from saints and these are the most important things that I took from Saint John the Apostle. Again next time you need help deciding what to do just ask yourself what would Jesus do OR what would the saints do. St. Nicholas Having a wonderful family will get you many places, just like were it got Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas came from a wealth family who loved him very much. Sadly, Nicholas parents died while he was still young. Nick was a devoted catholic and when he received his fortune from his parents death, he decided to use it to help the poor and needy. Instead of using the money for himself, he used it for others, which was a start of his generosity. As a young man, Nicholas was known for his kindness. He devoted his life to serving God and became Bishop of Myra while still a young man. He took control of this job to show how responsible he was. This position was very good for Nick and I think it taught him many important things in life. Many people in the land knew that this man was a generous, kindhearted, children loving man who had concerns for other people just like sailors and ships sailings on the oceans. For loving and doing all these things, Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned for believing in god, just like Jesus. This conflict made many people angry and trying to rebel. At this time, there were so many priest, deacons, and other religious believers imprisoned that there was no room for murders, thieves and robbers. After he was released, Nicholas joined the council of Nicaea. After leaving the council, St. Nicholas died on December 6, which is his feast day. On this day, it is a time to reflect on how St. Nicholas was kind to everyone, just like we should be to. Creating this great example for us shows that we need to follow his good ways. Remembering this day will make us realize that we should all commit good deeds no matter what day it is. St. Nicholas was the Patron Saint of Russia. He has many churches named after is glorious name. As a young boy, St. Nick proved to not only himself, but also others that he was a responsible adult. Many people believe you become responsible when youre older, but Saint Nick proved them wrong. He left behind a great example and reputation that will live on forever. St. Augustine of Hippo St. Augustine of Hippo, also known as Aurelius Augustinus, was born into a middle class family on November 13, 354 in Tagaste, modern day Algeria. He was the son of St. Monica and of Patricius. As a young boy, Augustine received a catholic education. His father had believed that he was successful that he had sent him to Cathage, to prepare for his forensic career. St. Augustine was a man of belief, strength, and success. For this he had succeeded in life. Augustine came into the church for having such a strong belief. The reason why he became such a strong believer, was when he had become very ill and could not receive baptism, but he pursued that dream of his. He had joined the men of prayer group and he had three ideas stuck deep in his heart. The first idea was a divine providence or the virtue of prudence. The second one was the future with terrible sanctions or going to hell. The last idea that was in his heart was Christ is above all and the Savior. He also became close with the church when he had given up on Divine Truth and had prayed to the Blessed Mother. The prayers to the blessed mother brought him back to his faith and decided that Christianity was the religion for him. At the start of his religious life he became a priest. The only thing he had kept when he became a priest was his familys house which became a monastic house. Then later on in his life he became a bishop. As he came back to his Christian faith, he wrote about his experiences in books called, Retractions. As he lived his life of prayer, he became closer to God. He also learned how to live a life of peace. As his life drew near so did his life of becoming a saint. On August 28, 430, at the age of seventy-five, Augustines life had come to an end. Augustine was a patron of brewers. As his life came close to its end, he spent almost every moment praying to God. Augustine has become one of my favorite saints as I have learned more about him. His life was powerful and interesting to me. I will try to live my life as an image of him and live out my faith, become closer to the church and God. St. Leo the Great Saint Leo the great was and Italian aristocrat and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to be called The Great. He is best known for meeting Attila the Hun in 452 AD and persuading him to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. He is also known for being called the Doctor of the Church. St. Leos date of birth is still unknown to this day, but he was born in Tuscany, in Northern France, but refers to Rome and his home town. But it is said that his family moved to Rome when he was very young. The earliest information about Saint Leo being part of the churchs clergy when he was a deacon under Pope Celestine I. While Leo was away on a civil mission to bring peace to France, Pope Sixtus III on August 19, 440. As the people of Rome knew of Leos care and love for the individual souls, Leo was voted by the people to be their bishop. But when the people asked Leo to come back to Rome the Holy Spirit was working through all the faithful, so when Leo came back he was anointed Pope of Rome. He was elected on September 9, 440 AD and would reign as pope for the next 21 years. As pope of the Rome Leo labored constantly to protect the integrity of Faith by waging wars, taking strenuous actions against regions, and ordered to correct the errors of countries in Spain. He did all of this because he cared about the people and the faithful. He wanted them to have the most loving gift of all and that was the teachings of Christ that was handed down by the apostles. He continued to do this by defending the unity of the Catholic Church and with constancy strove to teach all men who were doctrines to lead their souls to the greatest fulfillment of salvation. Pope Leo the Greats pontificate was a continuous period of tireless effort directed at upholding the unity of the Church as the people thought. But after this he did much more. He cared about the Church so much that he tried his hardest to stop invasions in order to save more lives. Such as when he went to Atilla the Hun in 452 and persuading him with all his power to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. Legend has it that Attila, on looking above St. Leo, saw in a vision that Saints Peter and Paul would support the Popes wishes, which struck him with fear. One of his most important persuasions was with Genseric the Vandal, who had captured the city of Rome. But thanks to Pope Leos intervention the Vandals didnt even touch Rome by not hurting or killing anyone or even taking down the Churches. Pope Saint Leo the Great certainly possessed true care and love for the Church. He submitted his whole heart to Christ, labored to lead others into committing themselves into the See of Peter, and used all his influence to maintain the unity of the Church. If you ask me I would say Saint Leo the Great modeled his life after the sixth Beatitude, which proclaims, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. He has a connection between purity of heart and of faith. He exemplifies love of truth and orthodoxy of faith. In 1754 Benedict XIV exalted St. Leo to the dignity of Doctor of the Church. Not quite two centuries later, Pope Pius XII, in a sermon given on October 12, 1952, noted that Pope Saint Leo is the greatest among the great. Saint Martin of Tours Saint Martin of Tours was born around the time 317 A.D in modern-day Hungary. Martins father was a senior officer in the Roman Army; he was stationed in Ticinum, Cisalpine Gaul (now Pavia, Italy) where Martin grew up. Later, in Martins pre-teen years, he found God and took charge of his religious life. Martin learned many things about God and started on his way to becoming a saint. When Martin was ten years old he went to the church against his parents and became a candidate for baptism. His parents were very upset with him because he went against their wishes. When Martin was fifteen years old, because his father was a retired officer, Martin was required to join the army. While Martin was stationed in Amiens, he experienced the vision that is most remembered today. He was at the gates of the city of Amiens with his soldiers when he met a scarcely dressed beggar. He automatically cut his own military cloak in half and shared it with the beggar. That night he dreamed of Jesus wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. He heard Jesus say to the angels: Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized; he has clad me. (Sulpicius, ch 2). This dream confirmed Martins fidelity. He was then baptized at the age of eighteen. Later Martin thought his faith prohibited him from fighting and shouted I am a soldier of Christ. I cannot fight. He was charged of cowardice and put in jail. Martin followed the way of the Lord and always served others. Some of the things he was known for were that he was against poverty and did everything he could to help the less fortunate. Some emblems that remind us of him are trees, beggars, soldiers and cloaks. He was known for many great deeds and acts of charity and kindness. Martin died on November 8, 397, in Candes, Gaul (modern-day France). Martin of Tours was just over eighty when he died. He is the patron Saint of beggars and soldiers. We celebrate his feast day on November 11th. Prayer: God, Your Bishop Saint Martin glorified You by both his life and death. Renew in us Your grace, so that neither death nor life can separate us from Your love. Amen Saint John the Baptist But He who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God. (Luke 3:21) Saint John was the cousin of Jesus. He was a baptizer. He was born to the people named Elizabeth and Zachariah. He had many duties such as; being the first baptizer, writing a gospel ect He told the people to repent and that the Lord is upon them. But his cry was not answered by many passing people. John was often mistaken for the Messiah. He was very holy, and spread Gods word so well that he was called The Anointed One. You yourselves are witnesses to the fact that I said: I am not the Messiah; I am sent before Him.'(Luke 3:28) To be a saint you have to have humility, you have to be willing to die for your faith. You have to be open to the fact that you have to make sacrifices to be a soldier of Christ. He took His chance and became that soldier and was the first priest, and was the first leader to baptize someone. He had a lot of weight on his shoulders that day. The cousin of the Lord being asked to baptize someone when you have no idea what to do. He had to be brave to be that kind of person. In current life today we should be Johns. We should be able to die for our faith and give it all up for the Lord. We were all sent by God to do his will and to be the messengers for his faith. We are to live by example and be the little Johns of the world. If we love and care for Jesus and God then we should be able to understand how we are part of the great plan of salvation. From John, we can learn that we just cant sit here and wait for miracles to happen, we need to write of the Lords love, sing of the Lords love, be the Lords love. Saint Anthony the Abbot Saint Anthony the Abbot was born in 251 at Heracleus, Egypt. He is also known by many names such as Abba Antonius, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, and Anthony the Anchorite. Anthony grew up in a wealthy family. He lived a good childhood and a healthy life. But unexpectedly everything changed. When he was about 20 years old his parents unexpectedly died. He ensured that his sister got a good education and that was about all he could do. But then the lord spoke to him and said If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell, what thou hast, and give to the poor. After Anthony heard this he gave away all of his possessions and started his holy life in the desert. He lived as a hermit in an old abandoned fort for more than 20 years praying in solitude. But the devil tried to tempt him many times and he never gave in to its temptations. But he wasnt always alone. Many followers and admirers came into his fort. He healed many of the sick who came and was also a spiritual counselor for others. He had so many disciples following him that he had to build two monasteries! A lot of people helped him by weaving baskets and making brushes for him which made him the patron of those 2 trades. Saint Anthony was also the patron saint of grave diggers and people who work with pigs. He was patron of gravediggers because he buried an Anchorite which was someone who walled themselves up to be alone in prayer. He was patron of pigs because he used pork to reduce inflammation and itching. An artist drew a picture of him with a pig and someone took it as Anthony being the patron saint of pigs. In 311 Anthony shortly left his fort to go fight Arianism in Alexandria. He also left to comfort the victims of the persecutions at Maximinus. While he was out of his fort he met his sister. It turns out she had also become a holy person and chosen to become a nun. Anthony did return to the desert but he did not return to his fort. He retired in a cave in Mount Colzim. Saint Anthony also knew some other saints. During the later part of his life he became good friends with Saint Paul the Hermit. And his biography was written by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. He also founded a religious order of hermits. Saint Anthony died at Mount Colzim in 356 due to natural causes. Many people still follow his influences to this day. His order of hermits is still around. People give away possessions to help others. He was canonized by the Pre-Congregation which is where saints are canonized by local church officials so no one knows the exact canonization date. Saint Dominic Saint Dominic is the founder of the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominican Order. He is also the patron saint of astronomers and the Dominican Republic. Close friends with our patron, Saint Francis of Assisi, he was born into a very re