National Response Pl An Effective Emergency Plan - 1321 Words

National Response Plan Howard L. Hayes Saint Leo University Abstract Why is it necessary for our country to have an effective emergency plan in place? Why does it matter how the country responds to emergencies when every part of our country, including cities and states, face emergency situations on a daily basis all over? Some are bad to worse, and some horrific to deadly. Well, this paper explains the importance of the National Response Plan and why it is necessary for our country to have it in place. It explores several articles that have been published to show the results on the effectiveness and response of the National Response Plan. The National Response Framework, previously called The National†¦show more content†¦The federal government passed several relief acts since 1803, but none consisted of an emergency response until Jimmy Carter put one in place in April 1, 1979, which was called FEMA. FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency. Their mission is to support the citizens and first responders to promote that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. The federal government has provided ways to respond to emergencies to provide immediate safety, food and shelter, and ensure that the needs of the communities are met. Since established, FEMA has maintained their commitment to serving the country s people. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act were signed into law on November 3, 1988 and amended the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. The system formed creat ed ways to trigger financial assistance in case the president declared an emergency through FEMA. FEMA adopted many Acts to form under them, including Homeland Security Act, Sandy Recovery, and the Katrina Recovery Act. Because of the limited threats and disasters at the time, the plan was enough to cover all threats that the country faced. However, the plan was not enough to ensure safety and assistance of the two major circumstances after the devastating hit of the terrorists’ attacks on September 11, 2001 and

Essay Jay Gatsby The Tragic Hero in The Great Gatsby

According to Aristotle, a tragic hero character can be defined to be of noble status, but not necessarily virtuous. There is some aspect of his personality that he has in great abundance but it is this that becomes his tragic flaw and leads to his ultimate demise. However, his tragic ending should not simply sadden the reader, but teach him or her a life lesson. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is the tragic hero who portrays the corruption of the American dream through his tragic flaw. His devastating death at the end of the novel portrays the dangers of centering one’s life on money and other materialistic things and warns the reader not to follow his foolish steps. Jay Gatsby is the epitome of a tragic hero; his†¦show more content†¦She was a girl with wealth, connections and means—everything a seventeen-year-old boy could aspire to one day attain. It is this illusion that Gatsby falls in love with, not Daisy, and he dedicates his life to become a man that could parallel Daisy in both social status and wealth. â€Å"So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.† (98) Though Gatsby appears to be blinded by material possession and unethical in his means to acquire it, Fitzgerald sets him up to be the hero of the novel by contrasting his virtue to the sea of corruptness and material greed that made up the ambitions of most young folks in the 1920s. True, he made his money through illegal means, but his incredible sense of loyalty is striking against the dishonest, scheming American society. In the novel, it is clear that Gatsby is unfailingly loyal to everyone he loves, from his father to Dan Cody to Daisy, who he dedicated â€Å"five years of unwavering devotion† (109) to, even if they were not loyal to him in return. The American Dream has always been based on the idea that each person, no matter who he or she is, can become successful in life by his or her own hard work. The dream, to desolate immigrants escaping an oppressive Europe, also embodied the idea of a self-sufficient man, an entrepreneur garnering success through his own hard work and ambition, notShow MoreRelated Jay Gatsby as Tragic Hero of Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay974 Words   |  4 PagesJay Gatsby as Tragic Hero of Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby According to Aristotle, there are a number of characteristics that identify a tragic hero: he must cause his own downfall; his fate is not deserved, and his punishment exceeds the crime; he also must be of noble stature and have greatness. These are all characteristics of Jay Gatsby, the main character of Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby.   Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero according to Aristotles definition.  Ã‚   Jay Gatsby is an enormouslyRead MoreEssay on Jay Gatsby: A Tragic Hero1084 Words   |  5 Pages (Aristotle) The â€Å"tragic hero† is an indefatigable staple in all mediums of literature. Although the term’s defining characteristics have morphed since its initial inception by Aristotle those many millennia ago, the main idea has endured. To be a tragic hero, several requirements must be met. The formula begins with a character that possesses noble and admirable qualities. Then come imperfections to make him appear human and believable, and finally the tragic hero is completed when he experiencesRead MoreTo What Extent Can Gatsby Be Considered a Tragic Hero?1014 Words   |  5 Pagescan Gatsby be considered a tragic hero? Before we can judge if Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero, we should look at the exact deï ¬ nition of a tragic hero. According to the classic deï ¬ nition, a tragic hero is a  «great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat »1, and Oedipus, from the Greek Legends, is deï ¬ ned as the classic tragic hero. So, is Gatsby then a classic tragic hero, by deï ¬ nition? ! Even if the book itself is called  «Great Gatsby », isRead MoreTo What Extent Can Gatsby Be Considered a Tragic Hero?1023 Words   |  5 Pagesextent can Gatsby be considered a tragic hero? Before we can judge if Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero, we should look at the exact deï ¬ nition of a tragic hero. According to the classic deï ¬ nition, a tragic hero is a  «great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat »1, and Oedipus, from the Greek Legends, is deï ¬ ned as the classic tragic hero. So, is Gatsby then a classic tragic hero, by deï ¬ nition? ! Even if the book itself is called  «Great Gatsby », is JayRead More Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and the Tragic Hero Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Gatsby and the Tragic Hero      Ã‚  Ã‚   Aristotle invented a list of criteria in an attempt to determine the exact definition of a tragic hero.   The list states the following - the tragic hero must cause his own down fall; the tragic heros fate is undeserved; the tragic heros punishment exceeds his crime; the tragic hero must be a great and noble person according to the standards of the current society.   In Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby can be defined as a tragic hero who possessesRead MoreThe Secret Life Of Jay Gatsby1632 Words   |  7 PagesThe Secret Life of Jay Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is meticulously written to portray characters as soul sucking, money thriving, moral lacking individuals who are thrashed by his language, and scrupulous descriptions. Gatsby is depicted as a suave, cordial, and prosperous gentleman who is trying to raise himself in the ranks of riches, and approval. At first glance, it is hard to tell if there is a clear hero, or someone with qualities thereof; at least in the traditional senseRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgeralds Personl Influences on The Great Gatsby1762 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.† (Fitzgerald, 1925). The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925, and takes place in 1922. The novel greatly exemplifies the time period that it takes place in, known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties† or â€Å"The Jazz Age†. One way of exemplification is prohibition and the Volstead Act. According to David J. Hanson from Potsdam.edu, the Volstead Act, which took place in 1919, establishedRead MoreThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Essay1065 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald The American Dream is the fantasy of complete independence and self-reliance mixed with the opportunity to attain wealth through ones labours. On the surface, this dream seems almost enchanted, offering people the unique prospect of achieving success regardless of ones race, religion or family history. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an immortal illustration of the American Dream. Fitzgerald analysesRead MoreEssay Outline Introduction: ANT A=Attention Getter: N=Necessary Information: In â€Å"The Great700 Words   |  3 PagesGetter: N=Necessary Information: In â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carroway, the narrator, has recently moved from the midwest to start his career in New York. He lives on the island of West Egg, next door to a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby. Nick becomes friends with him and learns that Gatsby is in love with his cousin Daisy. They never married because Gatsby had to go off into the military and he was not rich enough for her, so when Gatsby was shipped overseas, Daisy married anotherRead MoreEssay on Jay Gatsby’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby1253 Words   |  6 PagesJay’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America is a land of opportunity and hopes and dreams can become reality. The American Dream consists of the notion that the struggling poor can achieve financial success through hard work. F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby, puts this premise to the test while also warning against the dangers of believing too passionately in any dream. The central character, Jay Gatsby, proves a tragic hero who succeeds financially but fails

International Employment Relations Collective Bargaining

Question: Describe about the Report for International Employment Relations of Collective Bargaining. Answer: Introduction The current report focuses on international employment relations. It is evident that an employment relation is certain to be amended. The organizations and the countries form the employment relations based on certain policies. Thus, in order to understand the basic principles and purpose of employment relation, the context of China has been selected in the current report. The paper provides the evidences that indicate the transformation that Chinese employment relations are presently undergoing from individual to collectivized relationship. The report also highlights the necessity of changes in Chinas labour policy. It is been identified that improvement Chinas employment Contract law has achieved the legal framework for the settlement to individual employee relation as well as accelerated the evolution of collective employee relation. Nevertheless, it is observed that the developed framework of individual labour relations is not effective and sufficient by itself to deal with the co nflict between employees as well as the capital. The current report focuses on the above-mentioned factors and includes an intensive analysis of the issues related to labour relations in China. As mentioned by Chang and Brown (2013), the transition towards a market economy as well as the integration of Chinas economy into the international market system leads to severe change in the employment relations environment in China. Conversely, it is also identified that the market-oriented reconstruction of the employment in the country takes place during a significant crucial period of transition from personal labour relation to collective labour relation. The report carries forward with focussing on these segments and providing a critical discussion. Issues related to the employment relations in China The changes in the economy play a crucial role in amending the labour relation in China. Changes in the economy in China are one of the major issues that have broad impact on the labour relations. As mentioned by Cooke (2016), the Chinas economy is transforming itself within the last thirty years in as growing speed; nevertheless, the social tissue as well as the employment relation is getting affected to a large extent. The scenario indicates that not only some 250 million of labour are affected, most other labour are also affected. Also, the rest part of the world is anxiously looking forward to China. However, on the contrary, Chang and Cooke (2015,) commented that China has been the winner of globalization for long time. In addition, in past few years, the country China economically was adopting itself with the growing economic power. The impact of this particular action leads to the development of global relations (Hui Chan, 2015). In this context, Friedman (2012) added that in 2009, China has the record of overtaking Germany as the country with third biggest GDP. It has now been the subject of time when China will leave behind Japan and United State. Furthermore, it is observed that employment as well as the industrial relations in China undergone radical transformation along with the journey towards a market economy. Within a limited time, the country has become the world of factory (Lee, Brown Wen 2016). However, some significant issues related to the labour relations have been found in the industrial operation and the global operation of the country. Although, China has previously been one of the largest equal societies but in the last twenty years, the country has become most unequal societies than any other Asian countries. According to the data provided by Asian Development Bank, the inequality has been increasing rapidly in China than any other developing countries. The inequality has severely growing among regions, industries and occupations. With larger disparity undermining sustainable economic development, China has experienced a massive growth in social conflicts and in labour disputes especially in last two decades (King-Chi Chan Sio-leng Hui, 2012). As put forward by Liu and Li (2014), the incidence of collective protest of different nature increased to 60,000 in 2003 from 10,000 in 1993. Hence, the major fact is that labour-related protests reached 46.9% of the collective protest in 2004. This scenario clearly indicates that labours issues in China has become one of the largest sources of social tension as well as the conflicts in China. Furthermore, it is also observed that incidents of labour disputes implied to local attribution councils throughout China have demonstrated a significant growth. As mentioned by Li and Freeman (2015), the increasing rate of labour disputes was seen between 20% and 50% each year in the last decade. However, no trusted source on strike found, but is generally believed that actions of strikes were also in the rise. Figure: Increase of labour dispute in China (Source: Lyddon, Cao, Meng Lu, 2015) Impact of regulations on employment relations in China It has been identified that Chinas resurgence as an international and political power is depended on its success in becoming the large sector global manufacturing. The country continues to record the negative attention for poor employment standard. As mentioned by McDermott, Jinyue Sun and Obar (2010), since the early 90s, trade unions as well as the consumer group in the Western region have significantly drawn on the corporate social responsibility context arguments to apply pressure on transitional corporation to develop the working conditions in China. As the increasing economic development as well as the urbanization transformed the Chinese labour landscape and ended long-term jobs in the corporate sector, thousands of workers, as the core of the political system were kept unprotected for long. It is observed that irregular payment of wages was spreading around, the workers without support and contracts lack lacked the confirmation of fundamental right in the workplace. Thus, to control and resolve the issues, the Chinese authorities made put a huge effort to protect the workers with the principles of regulation Labour Law of the peoples Republic of China, 1995. This has enforced a significant change in Chinese labour policy. According to the opinion provided by Anheier (2014), the last few decades of the last century experienced the most significant change in Chinas employment policy. This includes the replacement of permanent employment with the contract-based employment as well as the replacement of government posts allocations with the labour market. Such as changes in the policy indicate the pragmatics shifts in the labour policy. Another three regulations issued in 2007 and made that affective in 2008; the regulation focuses on addressing the shortcomings and drawbacks of the previous laws of labour relation. The Labour Contract Law, 2007 promoted the governments vision of Social Harmony and defended the core rights of workers. Furthermore, it has also been identified that instead of replacing the earlier regulations, the Labour Contract Law tries to fulfil the present gap. The law indicates that any labour relation needs to have a written contract. Government enforcing these laws In addition to all these, it has been identified that recent financial changes and the crisis in the economy has increased the pressure on Chinese government to protect as well as maintain the employment. Thousands of Chinese workers have lost their jobs. Thus, the government of China have responded to this situation with the technique of maintaining a low labour cost and stimulating local demand as well as the production. However, it has also been observed that these strategies have not always been consistent with the WTO obligations of China. The government of China claims that the laws are helping and supporting the labours in improving the work conditions and environment. According to the report, many large organizations have signed the long-term contract with the labours. According to the report published in Wall street Journal, the new law leads to some 70,000 labour arbitrations in 2009 (Chan Hui 2014). These particular arbitrations in 2009 focus on the contract violationsas well as the lost wages, Nevertheless, it is observed that no reliable data with statistics have been found on the enforcement of the lawsthus, it is necessary to rely on the NGO and government impression. In this context, Tomba (2014) mentioned that new laws have changed the scenario of China by making it easier for the labours to litigate in their interest as well as putting the obligations to the organizations to pay full attention to the worker demands. Nevertheless, Gallagher, Gile, Park and Wang (2014) argued that the law is incapable to alter the behaviour of the organizations since it is not enforced and the official union is not seen to be protesting the interest of the labours. In addition, Chan and Hui (2014) have mentioned that legal framework is mainly undermined by a profusion of imprecise and contradictory legal regulations. In this context, Anheier (2014) added that culture of non-compliance impeded effective compliance with the regulations. Furthermore, with the enhancement of laws, the government has mandated a 40 hours standard workweek. However, Chan and Hui, (2014) argued that standards were violated on a regular basis. Inappropriate and poorly enforced health and safety standards have put the workers wellbeing and life at risk. The government of China has till now done little to declare governmental as well as managerial obligations to make people aware of their rights. For instance, once it is observed that Europe an Business in China, a business enterprise, the industrial authorities and courts across the country enforced the law differently. However, in the evaluation of Chinas labour policy, it is identified that the legislation broadened up the gap between the regulations and the reality. Government policy with respect to the employment laws in China It has been observed that provincial governments of China have barely been rigorous in the implementation of labour regulations, especially when it is in conflict with the domestic economic interests. It is further identified that amended laws have done little to form the culture of compliance among the organizations in China. Conversely, the scenario of economic crisis stands as the barriers in the enforcement of the amended laws. In order to resolve the issues, the government of the country has done some amendments in the policy on employment laws. As mentioned by Hui and Chan (2015), China is considered as the most popular country with the record of boasting tremendous workforce in the world.The government of China focuses on the great importance of employment and considers employment as the first priority and top approach providing the stability of the community. The government of China proceeding with national condition has implemented the global experiences in its practices and developed the legal framework. In addition, with the help of new policies, the government has formed and applied a set of pro-active employment policies. Furthermore, the government of China is determined to promote the employment system with the help of national economy, aligning with the industrial framework, prolonging with the reform in countrys legal and political system. The government has also applied the technique of harmonizing the economic development between the rural and urban areas and enhancing the social security system. The Chinese government has applied multiple policies to develop employment opportunities and increased the range of employment. Lastly, through effective employment policies, the country has maintained the rate of unemployment under a socially tolerable range. As per the statistic of National Bureau, in 2005 the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in China met 18.2321 trillion with the increase of 9.3 in 2010 (King-Chi Chan Sio-leng Hui, 2012). In this context, Lee, Brown and Wen (2016,) added that in the previous decade, the rate of increase of GDP in China has been 8.6% in a stable manner. Moreover, the dat a reveals that total urban employed population reach 750 million. Proactive employment policy- The government of China has promoted Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China and Labour Law of the Peoples Republic of China and other significant regulations to protect the right of the labour to employment. With the help of above-mentioned framework, the government of China has formed the employment principles of labours finding their jobs, employment through market regulation as well as the employment facilitated by the government. The government of China has also developed and implemented some proactive employment policies such as micro-economic policies, fiscal, tax and financial policies. Micro-economic policy- The government bodies in China has always considered promoting employment as the strategic activity for socio-economic development. With the help of micro-economic policies, the country could take the control over the unemployment rate and increase job opportunities. The fundamental of the policy is to develop the principles of expanding domestic demand and implementing a stable fiscal as well as monetary policy. Changes in the policy From the year 2008, the labour policies as well as the legislation have let people know a new chapter of their history. The country has developed a series of new labour policies as well as the legislation. This includes the Labour Contact law, the Employment Promotion Lawand the Law on Mediation and Arbitration of Labour Dispute.These laws effectively influence the development of Chinese labour relations. For example, in 2007, Chinese arbitration institutions at each level dealt with 50,000 labour dispute cases. Nevertheless, in 2008 the scenario has been changed; in 2008 when the labour contact law was made affective almost 964,000 labour dispute cases were effective dealt with (Cooke, 2016). Thus, it can be added that new labour law is relevant and useful to increase and support the right of the workers. Why has it changed? There have been issues that put the labour market in a catastrophic situation. In the 1987, the Provisional regulation on Labour dispute in states enterprise were seen as the major issues as because of this labour dispute arbitration resumed. Likewise, there are many significant issues were found in the last decade such as unhealthy work condition, high unemployment rate, poor wages, irregular payment, collective labour protests and others. Due to the increasing number of issues, the government of the country has brought changes in the policy. Agreeing or disagreeing with Governments employment relations policy Changes in the employment policy made by Chinese government have been effective to deal with the increasing issues related to employment. As the economy of China transformed within last thirty years; thereby, due to the uncertainty in the economy labour relation suffered a lot. At the time of implementing the initiative creating Special Economic Zone 30 years back, the existing regional disparities increased. This initiative led to more catastrophic situation. For example, the quality of life went down and the situation of migrated workers became more problematic in the entire process of modernization as well as industrialization. In addition, the despite the legal initiatives, the legal framework of China especially for industrial relations remains as problematic since it does not identify the right to strike and need of association. Moreover, the lack of support or the absence of government bodies on labours right to put strike on social inequality made the situation worsen (Friedman, 2012). Therefore, it was necessary for the government of China to respond to such situation. The government of China was lagging behind other developing countries to build up a public statistical system to demonstrate the causes as well as the consequences of labours collective incidents. Also, the labour issues such as delaying wage payment or getting the lower than the standard wages, employment in private and foreign occupied delayed the pay check. Thus, it was necessary for the country to amend the employment policy to promote the right of labours. Strength and weakness of this policy As discussed above, the government policy on labour relations have been effective to resolve the issues caused by several factors such as economic crisis. The labours in China were affected and the rate of unemployment was increasingly rapidly based on the growing population. Strength of the policy The policy strengthens workers right and removes barriers of employment It decrease the rate of labour disputes across China The labours get the economic compensations when they are fired and this change in the policy helps to resolve labour disputes Enhancing competitive ability of the big organization Weakness of the weakness The standards of some articles is too high to relate with the reality The major intension of these articles of the laws to avoid the illegal employment practices in some enterprise to resolve the conflict between labours and organizations. This indicates that Chinas present industrial status depends low labour cost can be enhanced. However, industrial structure judgement is a long-term process; there are many labour-intensive organizations in China such as food and beverage industry, constructions and other industries of which developments depends on demographic dividend formed by employment costs as well as flexible working hours. Conclusion On the completion of the report, it can be mentioned that the amendments in the employment policy done Chinese government have been effective for millions of workers. Thus, recommendation to strengthen the role of labour union is establishing the harmonious labour relationship will be effective, if they are implemented appropriately. By following and maintaining the principles of Labour Contract Law, Labour Law, the labour need to perform their duties and responsibilities positively to help and support the labours. Through the new legal system, the labour unions could obligate the employers to make fair as well as legal labour contract under the special conditions that all labours are clear of their legal rights. References Anheier, H. K. (2014).Nonprofit organizations: Theory, management, policy. Routledge. Chan, C. K. C., Hui, E. S. I. (2014). The development of collective bargaining in China: from collective bargaining by riot to party state-led wage bargaining.The China Quarterly,217, 221-242. Chan, C. K. C., Hui, E. S. I. (2014). The dynamics and dilemma of workplace trade union reform in China: the case of Honda workers strike. InStrategies of Multinational Corporations and Social Regulations(pp. 203-217). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Chang, K Brown, W 2013, The transition from individual to collective labour relations in China, Industrial Relations Journal, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 102-121. Chang, K Cooke, FL (2015), Legislating the right to strike in China: Historical development and prospects, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 440-455. Cooke, FL (2016), Employment relations in China, in GJ Bamber, RD Lansbury, N Wailes CF Wright (eds), International and comparative employment relations: National regulation, global changes, 6th edn, Allen Unwin, Crows Nest. Friedman, E (2012), Getting through the hard times together? Chinese workers and unions respond to the economic crisis, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 54, no. 4, pp. 459-475. Hui, S-IE, Chan, K-CC (2015), Beyond the union-centred approach: a critical evaluation of recent trade union elections in China, British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 601-627. King-Chi Chan, C Sio-leng Hui, E (2012), The dynamics and dilemma of workplace trade union reform in China: The case of the Honda workers strike, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 54, no. 5, pp. 653-668. Lee, C-H, Brown, W Wen, X (2016), What sort of collective bargaining is emerging in China?, British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 214236. Li, X Freeman, RB 2015, How does Chinas new labour contract law affect floating workers?, British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 711735. Liu, M Li, C (2014), Environmental pressures, managerial industrial relations ideologies and unionization in Chinese enterprises, British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 82111. Lyddon, D, Cao, X, Meng, Q Lu, J (2015), A strike of unorganised workers in a Chinese car factory: the Nanhai Honda events of 2010, Industrial Relations Journal, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 134152. McDermott, EP, Jinyue Sun Obar, R (2010), Chinese labour contract arbitration: No union, no problem, Labour and Industry, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 410-437. Gallagher, M., Giles, J., Park, A., Wang, M. (2014). Chinas 2008 Labor Contract Law: Implementation and implications for Chinas workers.Human Relations, 0018726713509418. Tomba, L. (2014).Paradoxes of labour reform: Chinese labour theory and practice from socialism to market. Routledge.

My Own Religion free essay sample

As I sat in the crowded gym that Tuesday night, listening to the chorus sing Alleluia without me for the first time in seven years, I suddenly realized why I had been suffering such a horrible senior year. Chorus was the spiritual aspect of my life, and this aspect had been neglected. Student government, drama, cheering these were things I did, but chorus was much more. In Emily Dickinsons Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church, she says that some people practice their religion in a church with other people, but she prefers to worship alone in her orchard. Like Emily, I prefer to practice a religion somewhere other than a church. It is my own religion. I joined the chorus in sixth grade, and it made a lasting impact. I soon found that chorus, not church, filled my spiritual needs. Standing with thirty to forty other kids around a piano, letting the music fill my soul and pouring it out in a voice that could give people shivers was my way of worship. We will write a custom essay sample on My Own Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was in chorus that I found solace on bad days and ecstatic thrill on good ones. No-thing could replace the feeling, or if it could, I hadnt found it yet. Listening to the beginning strains of Silent Night, I suddenly understood so many things. I understood why I never seemed to have enough time even though I spent my lunch hours wandering, looking for something I should be doing. I understood why math seemed impossible to grasp even though it had been one of my better subjects in past years. And I understood that the void that had been left in my life was not just from an ended relationship. By leaving chorus, I had forsaken the spiritual aspect of my life; without it, I was miserable. As I sat on the wooden bleachers that night, my turtleneck and long-sleeved shirt could not protect me from the cold chill that made my body shake in an involuntary shudder. The music forcibly entered my soul, fighting through layers of trivial things I had covered its space with. This was the reason I found listening so painful. The music, the spiritual part of me, should not have been so easily pushed out of my life and covered with things to fill in the gap. The chorus neared the end my favorite song, Oh, Holy Night and I allowed the tears to course freely down my cheeks. I wiped them away as the room echoed with applause. Thank you, I silently told the performers. Thank you for giving me hope.