Life at SIPA The Student View COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Life at SIPA The Student View COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog When I speak with alumni and ask them about their fondest memories of SIPA there is one unanimous first response fellow students.   Hands down the response is something like the following: My fellow students were the best part of my SIPA experience.   I met so many people from all over the world and was able to debate issues, socialize, and learn alongside an incredibly diverse group of people.   And now whenever I go somewhere in the world, I can count on a couch to crash on. This is not an exact quote, but basically summarizes most of the conversations I have had.   If you want to get a glimpse into life at SIPA there is no better way than to get an insider perspective.   Last year a group of students conducted a survey of student life at SIPA and posted an entry to the SIPA student blog, The Morningside Post.   Even though the article was written last year, I think it is great fodder for both incoming and prospective students.   Below is the intro to the blog entry written by Stig Pettersen, followed by the link to the full post. One year ago, my feelings about getting on the plane from Norway to New York were very different from today. While today, I am returning to a reasonably familiar life at SIPA, heading off to live in the Big Apple and attend an Ivy League graduate school for the first time in my life was a very different experience. To be quite honest, I had no idea what to expect when it came to what my life would look like for the next two years. How much of a workoholic would I need to be? Would I ever have time to socialize and explore the many bars and bustling nightlife of the metropolis? Would I manage to find scholarships to fund the sky high tuition fees, or would my graduation debt ricochet past any previously expected amount? Would I get the precious sleep needed to function normally? Would I make friends, or would I spend a lot of time alone? Would I find time to communicate with the loved ones I was about to part from? And what kind of people would I share my days at SIPA with? To continue, click here.

Hr Practitioner - 2049 Words

Within the field of HR, practitioners operate at several different levels, tasks and responsibilities varying according to their level and status. For example people in senior roles such as – HR managers will be involved in departmental management corporate strategy and HR policy formulation. Those in the middle ranks may specialise in a particular field and have sectional responsibility. The lower levels such as HR officers and administrators carry out operational level tasks such as administrative activities. To be an effective HR practitioner you need to posses particular skills have underpinning knowledge and posses certain behaviours. The activities within these roles are wide amp; varied. Producing and maintaining secure and†¦show more content†¦Employee engagement is a business management concept. An engaged employee is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about their work, and therefore will act in a way that furthers their organisations interests. Employee Engagement is a measurable degree of an employees positive or negative emotional attachment to their job, colleagues and organisation which profoundly influences their willingness to learn and perform at work. A well and engaged employee is efficient and effective and a valuable asset in the workplace. The behaviours are as follows; * Curious shows an active interest in the internal amp; external environment amp; in continuous development and improvement of self and others around them. Open minded attitude with a willingness to learn amp; enquire. * Decisive thinker needs the ability to analyse amp; understand data amp; information quickly. Is able to extract the information and use any judgement wisely to identify options amp; make robust amp; defendable decisions. * Skilled influencer shows the ability to influence across a complex environment to gain necessary commitment amp; support from a wide range of diverse stakeholders in pursuit of organisation benefit. * Driven to deliver the need to be able to take account for delivery of results both personally and/or with others. Also plans to prioritise amp; monitors performance, holding others accountable for delivery. * Collaborative worksShow MoreRelatedHow to Be an Effective Hr Practitioner Essay833 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduc tion The aim of this report is to demonstrate I can be an effective practitioner in Human Resources. Users of HR Services within an Organisation and Key Needs of each User After researching, I can determine three users of HR Services in the Organisation to be: †¢ Employees of the Organisation †¢ Management of the Organisation †¢ Third-parties i.e. Clients Two key needs of HR Services to the:- Employee 1. Offer support to employees regarding equal opportunities to ensure all staffRead MoreHr Practitioner Guide Essays17082 Words   |  69 Pages4. Pay for Performance 5. Performance Appraisal and Links to the Compensation System. The intent of this assignment is to develop a user-friendly tool that may be applied in the workplace to document Compensation processes and to guide a practitioner in completing the critical steps of each process. The purpose of this assignment is to assist in describing each component of a compensation management system, to develop a practitioners guide for several of the key compensation management tasksRead MoreDeveloping Yourself as an effective HR Practitioner2909 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction The intention of this report is to address the following learning outcomes:- †¢ to understand the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be an effective HR practitioner; †¢ know how to deliver timely and effective HR services to meet users needs and; †¢ be able to reflect on my own practice and development needs and maintain a plan for personal development. For the purpose of this report I will use research journals, books and internet searches, in particular, help andRead Moredeveloping yourself as an effective hr practitioner1589 Words   |  7 PagesEffective HR Practitioner Activity 1 I am doing this HR course to further my career at work. I am supervisor. I am involved in HR in my job, as we do not have an HR department. I work with my Manager at present to help conduct annual appraisals, disciplinary procedures and inductions. I have also been involved with redundancies. We are a medium sized company, which has expanded since I joined in 2000 but as we are growing we feel the need to have 1 person to take on the HR role soRead MoreDeveloping Yourself as an Effective Hr Practitioner1426 Words   |  6 PagesDeveloping Yourself as an Effective Human Resource Practitioner The CIPD Human Resources Profession Map The CIPD is the professional body for those working within a HR related role, to â€Å"manage the employer-employee relationship and align an organisation’s culture with its people† (CIPD). Researched through collaboration with business leaders the CIPD has developed a map of the activities, knowledge and behaviours required by the different HR roles to meet current business needs (diagram 1).Read MoreDeveloping Yourself as Effective Hr Practitioner1760 Words   |  8 Pagesresponsibilities of a H.R practioner and users of the service. It explains the different communication methods used whilst providing effective service delivery. Task 1.1 Explain the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be effective in an identified HR role. Refer to the HRPM, and include a summary of the HRPM (including the 2 core professional areas) and an explanation of the activities and knowledge, at either band 1 or 2, of any one of the professional areas. The H.R profession Map is used inRead MoreDeveloping Yourself as an Effective Hr Practitioner1723 Words   |  7 Pagesten professional areas. The architecture of the professional map is structured as follows: †¢ Professional areas - describes what needs to be done and what you need to know for each area of the HR profession at four bands of professional competence. †¢ Behaviours – Describes the behaviours and HR professional needs to carry out specific activities. Each behaviour is described across four bands of professional competence. †¢ Bands and Transitions – Describes the four bands of professionalRead MoreDeveloping Yourself as an Effective Hr Practitioner1517 Words   |  7 PagesAgreements and ensuring that these are communicated to the managers thus managing expectations. Where SLA’s are not being met within the team we look to alternative solutions such as temporary agency staff or re-distribution of workload amongst the HR team during busy periods of recruitment within larger regions. I also use KPIs to monitor the speed of applicant turnaround and this information is communicated to the senior management team who relay this to the wider organisation in the regionalRead MoreDeveloping Yourself as an Effective Hr Practitioner (4dep)1617 Words   |  7 PagesActivity 1 The Human Resources Profession Map: The CIPD HRPM is a developmental tool that sets out activities, behaviours and guidelines to become a successful HR Professional. Without a Human Resources team, many companies would fall apart. By HR professionals following the guidelines set by the profession map, this would assure that any organisation would be sustainable and successful. The Core Professional Areas: There are two 2 Core Professional Areas †¢ Insight, Strategies and SolutionsRead MoreEssay on Cipd Developing Yourself as an Effective Hr Practitioner612 Words   |  3 PagesUnderstanding customer needs As an HR practitioner it is important to indentify the needs of customers and prioritise the needs of each. Three examples of different customer and a need for each: 1. An employee enquiring about their holiday entitlement for the next holiday year 2. Payroll department require new employee details the day before the cut off period 3. Manager who requires the sickness absence report for an employee who has triggered a disciplinary hearing scheduled for

The College Curriculum †Becoming an Architect

Study architecture and a good college curriculum will prepare you for anything. Accredited programs of architecture will center around practicing design and building things. If it doesnt, youll be throwing away your money if you want to be a professional architect. As an architecture student, you will study a broad range of subjects, including writing, design, graphics, computer applications, art history, mathematics, physics, structural systems, and building and materials construction. The best schools are not necessarily the schools with the best equipment and facilities but they employ the best teachers. And the best teachers of architecture are not necessarily the most famous architects in the world. The best teachers will teach these subjects without you even knowing how much youre learning. Architecture is the application of many subjects. To get an idea of the specific classes you will take, spend some time browsing through the course listings, a sampling of which are usually listed online for many schools of architecture. Make sure that the courses of study have been accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Dr. Lee W. Waldrep reminds us, however, that there are many routes to take to become an accredited architect. Which degree program you choose will determine what courses you take. At most schools, he says, enrolled students begin intensive architectural studies in the first semester and continue for the duration of the program. If you are highly confident in your choice of architecture as your academic major, pursuing a B.Arch. may be the ideal choice. If, however, you think you may not ultimately choose architecture, the five-year program is not forgiving, meaning that changing majors is difficult. Design Studio At the heart of every architecture course of study is the Design Studio. It is not unique to architecture, but it is an important workshop to understand the process of planning, designing, and building things. Industries such as automobile manufacturing may call this building approach Research and Development as teams work together to create a new product. In architecture, the free expression of ideas, both design and engineering, is what drives collaboration in this important and practical course. The Wright Studio at Oak Park. Santi Visalli/Getty Images (cropped) Even famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright have done professional architectural work from their design studios. Learning by doing in a studio workshop is a prime reason why online architecture courses are limited. Dr. Waldrep explains the importance of this coursework in an architecture curriculum: Once you are in the studio sequence of a degree program, you will be taking design studio each semester, usually four to six credits. Design studio may meet between eight and twelve hours contact hours with the designated faculty and countless hours outside of class. Projects may begin in the abstract and deal with basic skill development, but they quickly progress in scale and complexity. Faculty members provide the program or space requirements of a given building project. From there, students individually develop solutions to the problem and present the results to faculty and classmates....Just as important as the product is the process. You will learn not only from the studio faculty but also your fellow students. Waldreps book Becoming an Architect: A Guide to Careers in Design can mentor any aspiring architect through the complicated process of becoming an architect or even becoming a professional home designer. Studio Culture Some of the project assignments will be group projects and some will be individual projects. Some projects will be reviewed by professors and some by fellow students. The school should provide every student with a safe place to work on these projects. Every accredited school of architecture has a written Studio Culture Policy — a statement of what incoming students should expect and how their project work will be evaluated or juried. For example, the policy at Princeton University School of Architecture outlines that each student will be provided two 3’ x 6 work tables, two drafting lamps, one power strip, one task chair and one lockable steel cabinet; that students should manage their time and avoid all-nighters to finish projects; and that critiques should concentrate on clarity and consistency, as opposed to making judgments of value or quality. Criticism should be constructive and dialogue should be respectful. As long as a project has a clear idea or concept that can be defended, the student should be able to compete in the design studio atmosphere. The review process can be brutal, but follow the rules and the architecture student will be well-prepared when defending a design to a paying client in the real world. Critical thinking and problem solving are core strengths of the professional architect. The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) continues to advocate for the fair and humane treatment of the architecture student. The AIAS regularly examines and monitors the design teaching methods of architecture programs. The Redesign of Studio Culture, a 2002 report put out by the AIAS Studio Culture Task Force, changed the culture of the studio culture, so every student knows what to expect. When students are researching prospective architecture programs, check out their curricula, design studio offerings, and policies that inform how the architecture program is run. The design studio experience is what everyone remembers and where lasting friendships are established. You dont want to miss it. Source Waldrep, Lee W. Becoming an Architect. Wiley, 2006, pp. 94, 121

Censorship in Huck Finn Free Essays

Censorship and the Importance of Accurate Historical Sources Mark Twain’s classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been criticized since the day it was released. A library in Concord MA banned the book only a month after it was put into print and other libraries and schools have followed suit (Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not the only story to be widely banned, but it is one of the most controversial and well known. We will write a custom essay sample on Censorship in Huck Finn or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many people claim that the novel is racist due to the frequent use of racial slurs and the disrespect and mistreatment of the character Jim who is a runaway slave. Mark Twain’s famous novel is not a racist text because it is a historical account of the south during the 1840s, when racism was commonplace. The book’s purpose was to emphasize real life and mock the faults in human nature. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a young boy named Huckleberry Finn runs away from his life and travels down the Mississippi River with his friend Jim, a runaway slave. The story follows Huck’s moral growth and maturity throughout his many adventures and experiences. The major turning point of the book is when Huck realizes that Jim cares about him, and that he cares about Jim in return. As a child, Huck is taught that Jim isn’t a person because of his skin color and that he does not deserve respect, but Huck discovers that Jim is a person and deserves more respect than most people Huckleberry met on his journeys. He comes to this decision because Jim cares for him and treats Huck better than his own father. Huck says â€Å"All right, then, I’ll go to hell. when he decides to go against the racist teachings of his childhood and help Jim get his freedom (Twain 216-217). The book was written to show what life was like in the 1840s and successfully revealed the way people viewed each other and people of other races. In the beginning of the story, Huck treats Jim poorly because he is taught that Jim isn’t a real person and h e could get away with it. One of the many tricks Huckleberry plays on Jim was hiding a snake in the cave they were living in, but the snake bites Jim and Huck realizes how cruel his trick was and begins to feel sorry for how he treats Jim (Twain 55). Events like this are the reason people believe that Mark Twain’s book is racist, but without these examples the book’s purpose is muddled and the historical reliability is gone. The book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered a controversial text because it contains derogatory language and examples of disrespectful behavior towards people of color. Speech and actions like the ones in the book were common in the setting of the book (Knab 1). People want to ban or edit the original text of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, because of these elements, but they still allow these remarks in other literary works. Fredric Douglass used the same language in his narrative that was published in 1845, forty years before Twain published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but people don’t challenge his work because he was a slave and his story is a historical account of a slave’s life (Bowker). The two stories are based in the same time, are about the same topic, and both aim to be realistic portrayals of everyday life in the 1840s, yet one is constantly challenged while the other is allowed to be as it is. People today are concerned with being â€Å"politically correct† and â€Å"non-offensive†, but they have reached the point where they are willing to change history to protect the feelings of certain people (Kay). If these â€Å"racist† remarks and actions were removed from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the message of the book would not be evident, its historical accuracy destroyed, and the book would just be a meaningless children’s story. Censorship is useful to an extent, it allows people to keep mature information from children, but when it is used on history it takes away from the importance of knowing about and learning from the past. The reason racism is so important to avoid now is because of the negative effects it had in the past. If people don’t learn about these effects, then they can not understand the importance of equality now. When books are censored, their historical accuracy is lost and they are unable to educate people on the importance of the past to modern-day (Kay). Without learning about the good, bad, and ugly of the past, people wont be able to comprehend why the world is the way it is and how they can avoid the mistakes of the past. If the offensive content of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is removed, then people will not be able to see the severity of racism during the 1840s (Bosman). If the book is censored, then the point where Pap starts ranting about the â€Å"injustice† of a well educated black man being able to vote will not have the impact it should, representing the opinion of the average white male in the south (Twain 28). The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is seen as a masterpiece (Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) and a classic (Robert O’Meally) due to the original riting and arrangement. Without these elements, that people want to change, the book would not be as renowned or highly regarded. Although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn may have some content that offends some people and they believe that it would be better to remove the offensive content, it would take away from the plot and meaning of the story. If the novel really offends someone, then they do not have to read it again or even finish reading it, but they do not have the right to change the words of someone else to suit their own ideals. The words of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were all carefully picked by Mark Twain to carry the message of his story and editing them would be defacing his hard work. Twain often complained about his proofreaders and editors changing his work (Kurutz). The book was written by Mark Twain and if he saw the need to add these controversial elements, then we should not interfere with his decision or his historical accuracy (Kay). Then novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist text, nor is Mark Twain a racist himself. Mark Twain’s novel was written as a historical account of life in the 1840s and as a result, any content that could be considered offensive to some is all added to make the literary work more realistic and a more accurate portrayal of life in the setting. Without these elements, the story of Huckleberry’s moral growth would not be as developed and the message of the book will not be as prominent. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be censored because the way the book is written provides an accurate account of life in the 1840s and without the writing staying as it is, the whole integrity of the work will be diminished. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered a classic because of how it was written. Changing the text changes the whole book and since the book is so highly regarded as it is, it should remain the same. When people claim that a book is racist, they make this assumption based on the content of the book. What people need to note is when the book is set, its publication date, and the purpose of the offensive content. With The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the story takes place in the 1840s when racism was very common. It also was published in 1885 when people in the United States were struggling with racism after the Civil War. The offensive content of the book is used to portray what life was like in the 1840s and to mock the behavior of the people of that time. When the book was written, language like that used in the text was still common and not seen as offensive as it does now. Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not racist, it just contains racist content, and this content makes the story what it is and develops its meaning. To take away this major element of the literary work to protect the feelings of some individuals would ruin the story and would hurt more people than it would help. To censor The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would take away a valuable source of historical knowledge that allows us to see the importance of how our society has changed and developed. Without this knowledge, people will forget the importance of the progress humankind has made and will not be able to avoid the mistakes we have already made as a whole in the past. Because of these reasons, changing the great literary work of Mark Twain Is unnecessary because The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist text and exposure to the harsh realities in the story will help the people of today to truly understand our past as a whole and improve our future. Works Cited Page Bosman, Julie. â€Å"Publisher Tinkers with Twain. † National Post. 4 Jan 2011. Print. Bowker, Gene. â€Å"Mark Twain, racism and Huckleberry Finn. † Examiner. com. Web. 9 Feb 2013 ;http://www. examiner. om/article/mark-twain-racism-and-huckleberry-finn; Kay, Barbara. â€Å"We Shouldn’t Censor History. † National Post. 10 Jan 2011. Print. Knab, Jakob. Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 2011. Print. Kurutz,, Steven. â€Å"A Twain Scholar Reacts to the New, Censored Version ‘Huckleberry Finn’. † National Post. 9 Jan 2011. Print. PBS. â€Å"Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. † Web. 9 Feb 2013 ;http: //www. pbs. org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/literature/huck. html; Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003. Print. How to cite Censorship in Huck Finn, Essay examples

Story Of An Hour By Chopin Essays - The Story Of An Hour

Story Of An Hour By Chopin The Story of an Hour" Louise Mallard indulges in a liberating mental journey after receiving news of her husband's accidental death. Ultimately, her hour of unfettered exhilaration precipitates her own sudden death when her husband, Brently Mallard, returns home alive and well. Chopin intimately reveals Louise's internal emancipation, therefore illuminating the chasm between human perception and reality. Louise's joyful contemplation of personal freedom directly contradicts the feelings our culture would expect from a newly widowed woman, thus highlighting the irony of her doctors' assumption as well as the poignancy of her untimely death. Louise's doctors pronounced that she died of "heart disease-of joy that kills," a misperception that she was overjoyed at her husband's safe return (Chopin 440). While abrupt cessation of joy caused her death, not its return, there is insight to be ascertained from the doctors' pronouncement. If Louise had not entertained such liberal and self-centered thoughts during her hour of freedom, she would not have experienced lethal disappointment when her husband ultimately appeared. Indirectly, her joy did facilitate her death. Without an iota of concern for her husband's possible suffering prior to his death-or for his life lost-Louise focused solely on how his death would affect her. She did not think of the impending bereavement of his family and friends; compassion for others never entered her mind. Louise only pondered the depth of her own feelings toward her dead husband for a moment, concluding them to be of no import. Her internal query regarding whether or not it was a "monstrous joy" she was experiencing "was dismissed as trivial" (439). Her sybaritic selfishness could be considered a monstrosity. As defined by Webster's Dictionary, a monstrosity is "the state of being unnatural in form or character; out of the common course of nature; shocking; frightful; horrible" (Webster 620). Louise's train of thought might well be considered any of the above. On the other hand, her train of thought during that hour may have been the only instance that Louise indulged her feelings regarding her marriage and her indifference toward her spouse. Described as "young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength," Chopin's word choice alludes to Louise's self-suppression of her own awareness and the requisite strength needed to maintain the faade (Chopin 439). Considering the era of the story is late nineteenth-century America, it is likely that Louise believed there was no way out of her confining existence. Consequently, she would see no point in harboring elusive thoughts of freedom that would only serve to increase her unhappiness. Written in 1891, "The Story of an Hour" with Louise's unusual desire for individual freedom may well have been influenced by Chopin's own frustration with "social ostracism and negative criticism" (Encarta 99). Chopin was criticized roundly following the publication of her novel, The Awakening, for emphasizing previously unmentionable and unrecognized female needs such as "independence and passion" (Encarta 99). She was known as a regionalist with a flair for "local color" and was involved in literary discussions and exchanges in St. Louis. She had returned with her six children to St. Louis after her own husband's illness and 1882 death of swamp fever in Louisiana (Drabble 194). It is likely she was aware of the suffragettes and their goals through news and discussion groups in St. Louis, another potential influence on Louise's character and on her novel attributes of finding freedom and deliverance in her husband's accidental death. That may have been Chopin's feeling regarding her own husband's death after which she may have felt a personal liberation and exuberant freedom while attaining independence and becoming a published author. Chopin's character, Louise, whose feelings would be extraordinary in our own society, was downright appalling in the 1890s. Many influences could have inspired Chopin's creation of Louise more than a century ago, but the heart condition of her character can be interpreted fairly clearly. The mentioning of Louise's heart condition in the first sentence clearly foreshadows her imminent and dramatic demise. Her weak heart may be interpreted literally as an actual medical condition, but it could also be an analogy for her weakness of character. If Louise had been strong of heart, she would have faced her miserable reality long ago and changed her own circumstances. Being "afflicted with a heart trouble" could be an implication that Louise lacks not only the fortitude necessary to try to change her life, but lacks even the honor to allow herself awareness of her own unhappiness with her life and marriage-until her last ephemeral hour of unbridled

Free Essays on The Truth About Abortion

The Truth about Abortion Abortion, the termination of a pregnancy, is a highly controversial issue in today’s society. The 1973 court case of Roe verses Wade ruled that women have the right to terminate a pregnancy by abortion within the first six months. What the Supreme Court considered in this case was the 14th amendment and a woman’s right to privacy. However, they did not consider the moral side of the issue or the damaging affects abortion has on a woman. Do women really need the freedom to kill a baby inside of them because of their own selfishness and do the risk factors out weigh the goal? Terminating a pregnancy is not only morally wrong; it causes physical and psychological problems for women as well. The fifth commandment that God has given us is â€Å"thou shall not kill.† There are women that will argue that life doesn’t begin until birth. Obviously these are the women that have never felt the joy of a baby kick inside them or the wonderful sound of the heartbeat of an unborn child. An embryo’s heart begins to beat at only 22 days past conception, before most women even know they are expecting (Willke, 1998). The fact that life begins at the moment of conception is not an opinion; it’s the truth. For this reason, unborn children, like all citizens of the United States, should be protected by the â€Å"Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness† amendment in our constitution. Pope John Paul II once stated "To destroy these innocent unborn children is an unspeakable crime. Their right to life must be recognized and fully protected by law." Unborn babies have just as much potential as anyone walking the earth. To deprive them of that chance by murdering them is not only a crime against them, but against our entire world. To kill someone who could have been as great of a leader as Pope John Paul II or Martin Luther King, Jr. is an outrageous act that must be stopped. The second reason abortion... Free Essays on The Truth About Abortion Free Essays on The Truth About Abortion The Truth about Abortion Abortion, the termination of a pregnancy, is a highly controversial issue in today’s society. The 1973 court case of Roe verses Wade ruled that women have the right to terminate a pregnancy by abortion within the first six months. What the Supreme Court considered in this case was the 14th amendment and a woman’s right to privacy. However, they did not consider the moral side of the issue or the damaging affects abortion has on a woman. Do women really need the freedom to kill a baby inside of them because of their own selfishness and do the risk factors out weigh the goal? Terminating a pregnancy is not only morally wrong; it causes physical and psychological problems for women as well. The fifth commandment that God has given us is â€Å"thou shall not kill.† There are women that will argue that life doesn’t begin until birth. Obviously these are the women that have never felt the joy of a baby kick inside them or the wonderful sound of the heartbeat of an unborn child. An embryo’s heart begins to beat at only 22 days past conception, before most women even know they are expecting (Willke, 1998). The fact that life begins at the moment of conception is not an opinion; it’s the truth. For this reason, unborn children, like all citizens of the United States, should be protected by the â€Å"Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness† amendment in our constitution. Pope John Paul II once stated "To destroy these innocent unborn children is an unspeakable crime. Their right to life must be recognized and fully protected by law." Unborn babies have just as much potential as anyone walking the earth. To deprive them of that chance by murdering them is not only a crime against them, but against our entire world. To kill someone who could have been as great of a leader as Pope John Paul II or Martin Luther King, Jr. is an outrageous act that must be stopped. The second reason abortion...

Dr. Francis Townsend, Old Age Public Pension Organizer

Dr. Francis Townsend, Old Age Public Pension Organizer Dr. Francis Everitt Townsend, born into a poor farm family, worked as a physician and health provider. During the  Great Depression, when Townsend himself was in retirement age, he became interested in how the federal government could provide old age pensions. His project inspired the 1935 Social Security Act, which he found inadequate. Life and Profession Francis Townsend was born on January 13, 1867, on a farm in Illinois. When he was an adolescent his family moved to Nebraska, where he was educated through two years of high school. In 1887, he left school and moved to California with his brother, hoping to strike it rich in the Los Angeles land boom. Instead, he lost almost everything. Dejected, he returned  to Nebraska and finished high school, then began to farm in Kansas. Later, he started medical school in Omaha, funding his education while working as a salesman. After he graduated, Townsend went to work in South Dakota in the Black Hills region, then part of the frontier. He married a widow, Minnie Brogue, who worked as  a nurse. They had three children and adopted a daughter. In 1917, when World War I began, Townsend enlisted as a medical officer in the army.  He returned to South Dakota after the war, but ill health aggravated by the harsh winter led him to move to southern California. He found himself, in his medical practice, competing with older established physicians and younger modern physicians, and he did not do well financially. The arrival of the Great Depression wiped out his remaining savings. He was able to obtain an appointment as a health officer in Long Beach, where he observed the effects of the Depression, especially on older Americans. When a change in local politics led to the loss of his job, he found himself broke once again. Townsend’s Old Age Revolving Pension Plan The Progressive Era had seen several moves to establish old-age pensions and national health insurance, but with the Depression, many reformers focused on unemployment insurance. In his late 60s, Townsend decided to do something about the financial devastation of the elderly poor. He envisioned a program where the federal government would provide a $200 per month pension to every American over the age of 60, and saw this financed through a 2% tax on all business transactions. The total cost would be greater than $20 billion a year, but he saw the pensions as a solution to the Depression. If the recipients were required to spend their $200 within thirty days, he reasoned, this would significantly stimulate the economy, and create a â€Å"velocity effect,† ending the Depression. The plan was criticized by many economists. Essentially, half the national income would be directed to the eight percent of the population over the age of 60. But it was still a very attractive plan, especially to the older people who would benefit. Townsend began to organize around his Old Age Revolving Pension Plan (Townsend Plan) in September 1933 and had created a movement within months. Local groups organized Townsend Clubs to support the idea, and by January 1934, Townsend said 3,000 groups had begun. He sold pamphlets, badges, and other items, and financed a national weekly mailing. In mid-1935, Townsend said that there were 7,000 clubs with 2.25 million members, most of them older people. A petition drive brought 20 million signatures to Congress. Buoyed by the immense support, Townsend spoke to cheering crowds as he traveled, including to two national conventions organized around the Townsend Plan. In 1935, encouraged by the massive support for the Townsend idea, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal  passed the Social Security Act.  Many in Congress, pressured to support the Townsend Plan, preferred being able to support the Social Security Act, which for the first time provided a safety net for Americans too old to work. Townsend considered this an inadequate substitute and began angrily attacking the Roosevelt administration.  He joined with such populists as the Rev. Gerald L. K. Smith and Huey Long’s Share Our Wealth Society, and with the Rev. Charles Coughlin’s National Union for Social Justice and Union Party. Townsend invested much energy in the Union Party and organizing voters to vote for candidates who supported the Townsend Plan. He estimated that the Union Party would get 9 million votes in 1936, and when the actual votes were less than a million, and Roosevelt was reelected in a landslide, Townsend abandoned party politics. His political activity led to conflict within the ranks of his supporters, including the filing of some lawsuits. In 1937, Townsend was asked to testify before the Senate on allegations of corruption in the Townsend Plan movement. When he refused to answer questions, he was convicted of contempt of Congress.  Roosevelt, despite Townsend’s opposition to the New Deal and Roosevelt, commuted Townsend’s 30-day sentence. Townsend continued to work for his plan, making changes to try to make it less simplistic and more acceptable to economic analysts. His newspaper and national headquarters continued. He met with presidents Truman and Eisenhower. He was still making speeches supporting reform of old age security programs, with audiences mostly of the elderly, shortly before he died on September 1, 1960, in Los Angeles. In later years, during a time of  relative prosperity, the expansion of federal, state, and private pensions took much of the energy out of his movement. Sources Richard L. Neuberger and Kelley Loe, An Army of the Aged. 1936.David H. Bennett. Demagogues in the Depression: American Radicals and the Union Party, 1932-1936. 1969.Abraham Holtzman. The Townsend Movement: A Political Study. 1963.