Psycotropic Drugs Used in Children

A report on the use of Psychotropic drugs used to control active children Lauren L. Dewar April 20, 2010 Introduction At eleven years of age, Thomas Edison was taken out of school because his teachers considered him difficult and he â€Å"could not be taught. † While in school Edison’s mind often wandered and his teacher was overheard calling him â€Å"addled. † Another labeled him as retarded. This ended his three months of official schooling. Because of this Thomas’s mother home schooled him and taught him math, reading, and writing. He then went on to become one of the greatest inventors of all times.In today’s â€Å"find a cure† society Thomas Edison would have most definitely been put on the now very popular medications Ritalin, Adderall, or Prozac. These are mind-altering psychotropic drugs used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Taking that into consideration, one might ask themselves that if Thomas had indeed been put on these medications, would he have ever been capable of experimenting and discovering his great inventions? After analyzing the data, this report will make it clear that children should not be prescribed such mind altering medications to control their activeness.It will be clear that these drugs have serious short and long-term side effects, sometimes even death. Through research it will also be clear that there is no diagnosis for ADHD and that the checklist doctors go by to diagnose ADHD is not enough proof of a disease that needs to be medicated. This report includes four sections: background information, my methodology, results of the study, and conclusion and recommendations. Background Information For starters, there is no scientific basis for diagnosing ADHD.Often times it is the school counselor or social workers who are simply not equipped to make mental health assessments making the ADHD diagnoses (Williams). Simply, if a child is observed to be acting bored, distracted a nd/or boisterous in the classroom , he or she is often believed to be suffering from ADHD, as opposed to suffering from, say, childhood (Williams). Recent reports suggest a trend of increasing prevalence of psychotropic drug prescriptions among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, reasons for increased use of medications is unclear (Guevara).Through my research I also found that children as young as the age of two are being placed on these medications. So now the â€Å"terrible two’s† is being replaced with â€Å"children with behavioral problems. † The rest of my report will focus on statistics, short and long-term effects, and alternatives. I will also go over the history of the use of drugs to control children’s behavior. A Brief History â€Å"Werry (1999) noted that the use of drugs to control children’s behavior is an old practice.From the use of brandy to soothe infants to other sedating drugs such as barbi turates and opiates, children have been administered psychotropic agents as long as such agents have existed; however, research on such practices dates only to the early 20th century† (Ingersoll). Methodology My methodology was mostly research though Academic Search Complete. I researched articles on statistics, procedures, diagnoses, and individual stories of real life people who have dealt with these drugs and ADHD. I also researched drug free alternatives to controlling ADHD or Hyperactivity in children. Results of Study 1.Studies show that it is estimated that between 6 million and 8 million children have been prescribed Ritalin to treat the still scientifically unproven â€Å"mental illness† called ADHD. â€Å"This widespread doping in turn has increased concern that that school age children are being drugged to control their behavior† (O'Meara, Hyper-Drugging of Active Kids). I also found in my research that in 1985, there was an astonishing 500,000 cases. Not even five years later that number jumped to 7,000,000. â€Å"According to The Times, in the year 2000 close to 20 million prescriptions were written for ADD medicines like Ritalin† (Null, 2001).Today, one in every thirty between the ages of 5 and 19 has a prescription of Ritalin. Believe it or not, the number of prescribed toddlers between ages 2 and 4 has doubled or even tripled since 1991. They have now replaced the â€Å"terrible two’s† with â€Å"children with behavioral problems. † It is between the ages of 2 through 4 that the human brain goes through major maturing and developing stages. To have these children this young on these psychotropic drugs should bother any rational thinking parents, teachers, and doctors. 2. Unfortunately, if you think the statistics are bad, the side effects are catastrophic.Through my studies I found that these side effects include decreased appetit, insomnia, anxiousness or fearfulness, irritability, decreased spon taneity, depression, headaches, stomach aches, tics (e. g. , twitches, jerks, blinks, and squints), skin rash, embarrassment, psychosis, and even fatal overdoses. They are also an early training into drug addiction. Looking then at the risk of abuse potential for stimulants later in life, Fone and Nutt state that â€Å"†¦the oral, rather than the intravenous, route of administration of methylphenidate limits abuse potential owing to lower bioavailability and increased (first-pass) metabolism† (Leonard).So the question posed is why parents would and schools want to take the risks of these medications with their children? 3. Studies show that there is no actual diagnosis for ADHD. Fred Baughman, a child neurologist, researcher and staunch critic of ADHD diagnoses, tells Insight, â€Å"It is my duty as a doctor to know whether patients have a disease and whether previously rendered diagnoses, such as ADHD, are proven diseases. I have been unable to validate or demonstrate a disease or objective physical abnormality in children said to have ADHD.Finding no objective physical abnormality, including a chemical one, means they have no disease; they are physically, medically and neurologically normal† (O'Meara, Hyper-Drugging of Active Kids) Fig 1: Percentage of children who did and did not have ADHD and received pharmacy fills for nonstimulant psychotropic medications. All categories of medications between children who did and did not have ADHD were statistically significant (P < . 001) by ? [sup2] test. The probability of nonstimulant use by category of neurobehavioral disorder was estimated (Table 3).Among children of the same category of age, gender, mental health service use, and non-ADHD disorder, children who were identified as having ADHD were more likely to receive TCAs (adjusted OR: 12. 4; 95% CI: 7. 6-20. 3), SSRIs (adjusted OR: 4. 3; 95% CI: 2. 7-6. 9), and [alpha] adrenergic agonists (adjusted OR: 32. 0; 95% CI: 17. 3-59. 4) than wer e children who did not have ADHD. Similarly, children who had internalizing disorders were more likely to receive TCAs (adjusted OR: 25. 3; 95% CI: 6. 1-104. ) and SSRIs (adjusted OR: 75. 2; 95% CI: 26. 7-211. 7) than were children who did not have internalizing disorders. Children who had tic disorders were more likely to receive [alpha] adrenergic agonists (adjusted OR: 215. 2; 95% CI: 21. 5-2157. 9) [ (Guevara) ]. Implications of Results After researching the use of the psychotropic drugs in children, it is clear that it is not safe. Parents, counselors, and social workers need to research and come together to find safe alternatives to dealing with their â€Å"active† children.The studies have proven the dangers of these medications and the guidelines for the ability to prescribe such medications. Conclusion & Recommendations * I would recommend that the Child Advocacy Center and social workers take more time figuring out the real psychological problems of these childr en and deal with them more through counseling and mentoring. A lot of these children’s problems or neediness comes from unstable homes and busy parents who don’t take the time to spend extra time with their children. These children are just simply reaching out for attention and love.They act out as a way to get attention not realizing that the attention they are receiving because of it is bad attention. This is not their fault; after all they are just children. It is us parents, teachers, counselors and social workers who must teach them the differences between good attention and bad attention. And them as children should not have to fight, beg, or act out for attention. I would also recommend that the parents get their children more involved in extra-curricular activities so that they can release some the energy naturally and gain confidence.A change in diet could also work, less sugar and more health foods. I also believe that the parents should spend more time with their children so that their children can gain the feeling of self worthiness and respect. One last recommendation I would like to point out is that the courts and higher authority get more involved in such cases and put a limitation to the prescribing of these harmful drugs and to the ages to which they are prescribed. * This study clearly shows how unhealthy it can be to put your child on these psychotropic drugs.With a little more effort as a society we can raise our children to be national leaders and teach them how to thrive for success. Sedating active children is absolutely not the answer. This study also clearly shows that there needs to be a more legit FDA approved way to diagnose ADHD and to prescribe medications is there is such a disease. With technology today it should be easy for scientists to come up with some sort of brain scan or blood check to determine such cases.We as adults must take into consideration that these children who are being highly medicated at such y oung ages, are going to be the children who take care of us as elders. What will the future be to us and to them once they become our doctors, nurses, bankers, etc? What will our future hold for us if we don’t fix the problems at hand now and stop drugging our children? We must let them be children and stop sedating them because we are too busy or too lazy to let them be children. Appendix:Works Cited Guevara, James. Psychotropic Medication Use in a Population of Children Who Have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. † (2002): 1. Leonard, Henrietta L. , M. D. â€Å"Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology UPDATE. † Stimulants, Development and Substance Abuse 7. 5 (2005): 3. Null, Gary. â€Å"The Drugging of Our Children. † (2001). O'Meara, Kelly Patricia. â€Å"Hyper-Drugging of Active Kids. † Insight on the News (2001): 1-3. Plasker, Eric H. â€Å"Today's Chiropractic. † (1997): 1-5. Williams, Armstrong. â€Å"The Drugging of America. † New York Amsterdam News (2004): 1-2.

Course Project Decision Management 530 Essay

Executive Summary The course project provide me an opportunity to define a decision problem that focus on how to better position and market a new develop hotel product offerings into a matured competitive market. The problem emanates from the action of the stakeholders that revokes a signed contract with Royale Regale Properties a consulting group supposed to manage the hotel for ten years and decide moving into franchise with Marriot Hotels. The revocation came  amidst the consulting group preparation to host the city festival in launching the hotel products into the competitive market. To justify stakeholder’s decision, the senior management applies a systematic decision making process of properly defining the problem, clarify objectives, identify alternatives, understanding consequences and constraints. In evaluating the alternatives with concern on costs as cause of revocation, develop three objectives to select the best solution. The objectives focus on operating costs, advertising costs, contract fees and marketing strength becoming twice as important as other objectives. The options focus on management capabilities thus decide on management by contract, moving into franchise, going into partnership with a chain operator or independently manage the hotel by its owners. The management selects the best option, management by contract, considers consequences dealing with uncertainties, applies the company risk attitude, implements the solution, monitors and plan ahead of decisions linked over time. The senior management decides consulting group hosting the city festival will be a better way to position and market the hotel product offerings, seeks to meet the stakeholders for approval to proceed with proper implementation to assess the effectiveness of the decision. Introduction – Overview of Decision Problem This project centers on how to launch Royale Resort Hotels with its new recreational facilities and opulence service into a mature competitive market. The company’s product is the state of art amenities and excellent services to satisfy the leisure and business travelers. The market have the hotel competing with other well-established rivals in the fast changing market place but intend to position itself with its unique features and quality service to differentiate and leverage its competitive edge. The newly developed hotel is centrally located in Stockton city, CA. and ready to be launch into the market in a grand style by hosting the city’s yearly festival slated for July 4, 2013. The hotel is on contract to Regal Properties Group to lead the management team along other hotels managed by the group. Regale Properties has a record of accomplishment of managing hotel chains, based on their experiences is ready to launch the hotel products by officially hosting the festi val as a good marketing strategy. The group resumes its contract six months prior to the grand opening with its management team trained and ready to take off as official sponsor and host of the city festival. Preparations are in top gear with all hotel rooms booked, advertisement and publicity in place, invitations send out to special guests while mementos and brochures already printed. The stakeholders suddenly meet over the turnout of events, revoked their contract with Regal Properties Group to move into franchise with Marriott Hotels to proper position and market the hotel product offerings. Revoking contract has its legal and financial implications. The senior management feels hosting the festival at this time is the best way to position the hotel into the market and fear that changing consulting group now to move into franchise will disrupt present arrangements and not portray a good image for the new hotel. Problem Statement Since the stakeholders revokes their contract with Regale Properties whose strategy is to host the city’s festival as marketing strategy to launch the hotel product offerings into the market and prefer moving into franchise with Marriott for best reasons known to them. The decision problem becomes â€Å"How do we better position and market the hotel product offerings into the mature competitive market?† To better define the problem at hand, we need to identify key decision elements surrounding the problem such as: The general nature of the problem: There is a sudden revocation of an existing contract with a consulting group (Royale Regale Property) to move into franchise with another group (Marriot Hotels). Royale Regale Property already entered into a deal to launch the hotel into the market by being the official sponsor and host of the city’s festival schedule to open soon. Preparations and arrangements are already in top gear as adverts, publicity are on while invitations already send out to special guests or the events. Reservations and bookings of hotel rooms for guests, attendees are in progress, as the hotel rooms are booked. Hosting the event is imminent to the consulting group and its management team. Not holding the event is tantamount to bad image for the new developed hotel while transitioning to franchise is critical to hosting the festival. What event triggered the situation? Launching the hotel products into the competitive market so far will have been ideal but the sudden revocation of contract by the stakeholders resulting from their deliberation after the turn out of events prior to the festival gets everyone panicked. Are we imposing constraints on the situation? There are serious concerns that can pose as constraints regarding the situation at hand. The first concern is the cause of sudden revocation of contract. There is need to ascertain why the contract is revoked. There is need to ascertain when the revocation takes effect, immediately or right after hosting the festival. Confirm the possibility of the management hosting the city’s festival or handing over to new management group. Consider the impact of the contract revocation on the festival and the present management team. Consider the impact of rescinding to host the festival. Consider the response of the city organizers knowing about the recent revocation. Envisage the fears of all invited guests, visitors and attendees. There are other concerns as to ways to handle the publicity, confirmed bookings and reservations. Consider transition into franchise, cost effect of moving into franchise. Consider the possibility of hosting the event before transition into franchise; ascertain the cost of hosting the events if that might be the cause of revocation. Consider Marriott Hotel taking over the events to transcend into franchise, or consider other options. Engage the senior management to brainstorm how to better position and market hotel products into the competitive market. What are the underlying elements of the problem? Positioning and marketing the hotel products centers on people, market share and profit. Hosting the festival is a success factor to better position hotel products in the market by creating awareness, penetrates the market to achieve good market share, enhance revenue and yields more profit. Rescinding to host the festival might leads to guests moving to other competitors within the city, special guests, visitors and other invitees might cancel their bookings and reservations, which might lead to loss of revenue as all hotel rooms have been booked. To rescind the hotel as the  official sponsor of the festival might damage the image of the hotel as advertisement and publicity are currently running. The hotel image is important in creating a product brand. Dependencies on other decisions The probability of hosting the festival or moving into franchise to better position the hotel product offerings depends on the outcome of senior management meeting. The success of the festival will better position and market the hotel product offerings. Rescinding to host the festival will damage the hotels image and results in loss of revenue. Moving into franchise after the festivals enhances better positioning and marketing the hotel product offerings. Summary of Key Objectives: The objectives are sub-divided into fundamental and means objectives. The fundamental objectives will help in evaluating and comparing alternatives while the means objectives will assists in generating alternatives and deepens our understanding of the decision problem. Fundamental Objectives| Means Objectives| Objective 1To penetrates the competitive market to achieve good market share.| Means Objective AEstablish a brand. Consider how to build quality product offerings.| | Means Objective BEstablish procedures for hiring experience staff and training to give quality services.| | Means Objective CMaximize management capabilities in operating the business. Consider operation through managed contract or franchise affiliation with high-level brand recognition for the owner.| Objective 2Create awareness by communicating the target market.| Means Objective AEstablish marketing committee to decide on identifying the target market and create brand awareness.| | Means Objective BEstablish committee to consider attracting people to the hotel. Consider different methods of communication, advertising and publicity, holding events in which hosting the festival is a factor or move into franchise.| | Means Objective CEstablish committee to consider the cost of designing a media mix, cost of hosting the festival, cost of moving into franchise.| Objective 3Enhance revenue to yields more profit.| Means Objective AEstablish committee to ascertain cost of hosting the festival and cost of moving into franchise.Establish committee to  ascertain the average room rate, occupancy percentage and revenue per available room (RevPar).| | Means Objective BEstablish committee to confirm profits accrue from room sales in hosting the festival and revenue loss that might accrue in rescinding to host the festival.| | Means Objective CEstablish franchise fees, operating costs, marketing costs. Committee review event costs with franchise costs to decide which better profits the business.| Alternatives Description of Alternatives: Identifying alternatives involves the senior management brainstorming and other group members as committees identify ideas and feasible options to defined problem. The feasible options are: Alternative| Description of Alternatives| Alternative 1Management rescinds to sponsor the event and cancel the festival.| Canceling the event is not an option. This alternative does not meet the objectives. Refunding costs for booked rooms will result to great loss of revenue. Image of the hotel is at stake.| Alternative 2Management revoked the contract and move into franchise.| Revoking contracts has its legal and cost implications. The impact on not hosting the event is enormous. Staffs are train and prepare to host the event. Adverts, publicity, brochures, fliers, banners printed, the cost affect is enormous. The alternative does not meet the objectives.| Alternative 3Management revokes the contract after the festival and move into franchise.| Hosting the event is the best option. There is great opportunity in this alternative as adverts, publicity better position the hotel products, create a brand image, attracts people to the hotel, guests will experience quality service. The hotel penetrates the competitive market to have a share.Hotel image creates easy transition into franchise. Reduces operating costs, marketing costs, needs only technical assistance.Helps build a brand that will facilitate franchise negotiations. Hosting the event helps in creating awareness, gives the opportunity to penetrate the market, with hotel rooms fully booked provides profitability to the owner. The alternative fully meets the objectives.| Alternative 4Management revokes the contract approves Marriott to host the festival and transcends into franchise.| Marriott’s fees will increase. Familiarize with management team and other employees will be time consuming. Setting standards in terms of creating logo, design and style will forestall events date. This will lead to incurring additional operation costs. Hosting the festival and transitioning into franchise can be cumbersome. Retraining and rehiring staff to their standards can be stressful.This alternative is not a good option to take.| Selection From the outcomes of the senior management meetings and other group deliberations, it is observe that the stakeholders’ concern were more on costs incurred so far in preparations for hosting the festival. Based on the management decision, the objectives to select the best way to market the hotel product offerings is to review operating costs, advertising costs, contact fees and all agreement terms while determining marketing strength is twice as important as other objectives. The contract with Regale Properties is to manage the property for ten years, 3 – 4% total revenue, 2% incentive fees, high lender’s reputation in providing loan, and high penalty impose on party that initiates cancellation. The managed contract gives owner greater control over physical and operational quality of the hotel thereby protects owner’s trademark and reputation. Franchise agreement will be for twenty years with non- refundable initial fees, fixed monthly fee ranging from 3 -6.5% of room sales, advertising fees, loan assistance, training fees, with owner loss of autonomy and contract terminates when not meet standards. Other options arrived at are maintaining the managed contract with Regale, moving into franchise, going into partnership with a reputable chain operator or independently managed by owners as a liability company. (Retrieve from Allan Stutts, & James Wortman. (2006). Management Contract and Franchise Agreement: Hotel Lodging Management, second edition, p247 – 266). Consequence Table with Original Values: | Alternatives| | Managed Contract| Franchise Affiliation| Partnership| Independently Run by Owners| Operating Costs| $80,000| $200,000| $120,000| $150,000| Advertising Costs| $15,000| $50,000| $20,000| $60,000| Contract Fees| $1.5million| $5million| $1million| No Contract Fees| Marketing Strength| 2| 1| 3| No Marketing Strength| Scoring Model: The table shows the ranking of all objectives with one as the lowest value, four as the highest value. | Managed Contract| Franchise Affiliation| Partnership| Independently Run By Owners| Operating Costs| 4| 1| 3| 2| Advertising Costs| 4| 2| 3| 1| Contract Fees| 2| 1| 3| 4| Marketing Strength| 3| 4| 2| 1| Score| 13| 8| 11| 8| Legend: 4 = Best Option, 3 = third best, 2= Second best, 1 = Worst.| Weighted Scoring Model: | | Alternatives| | Weight| Managed Contract| Franchise Affiliation| Partnership| Independently Run by Owners| Operating Cost| 20%| 0.8 | 0.2| 0.6| 0.4| Advertising Cost| 20%| 0.8| 0.4| 0.6| 0.2| Contract Fees| 20%| 0.4 | 0.2| 0.6| 0.8| Marketing Strength| 40%| 1.2 | 1.6| 0.8| 0.4| TOTAL| 100%| 3.2 | 2.4| 2.6| 1.8| Legend: 1 = Lowest Value, 4 = Highest Value.| Eliminate dominated alternatives After more deliberations with all appointed committees to deliberate on the necessary objectives by the senior management, the available options to better position and market the hotel product offerings zero down on management team capabilities of managing the hotel products. However, when apply weight to the values, franchise dominates the idea of independently managed by owners hence eliminates the idea. Identifying Tradeoffs Using Even Swaps Swapping the available options, managed by contract exceeds all other options and appears to be the best alternative. Consequence Managed by contract appears the best alternative to position and market the hotel products as having a brand name is paramount in having a market share. The contracted group will bear all costs and expenses but attains its  profit through gross revenue; the brand image of the chain operator will be of more advantage. The senior management continues to battle with several issues as risks, uncertainties and probabilities to better position the hotel products into the competitive market or move into franchise affiliation. Their objectives are to achieve a good market share, create a brand image and maximize profitability. Some of the consequences envisage are: * Management holds festival before revoking the contract. Can this help in penetrating the market to have a good market share. Based on relevant information from the senior management, there is high possibility of hosting the event to attain good market share. * Stakeholders rescind to host, sponsor the festival and therefore cancel the festival. Canceling the festival creates bad press that might affect the hotel’s image. With the available facts, it is highly observed that the city festival will not be cancel. * Stakeholders might move into franchise affiliation. Reviewing the budget costs, moving into franchise involves additional fees as training fees, advertising fees and monthly fees. Based on the management analysis, there is likelihood that it might affect the profitability. Thus highlights a risk profile to identify uncertainties and probabilities. Risk Profile: Uncertainty: Uncertainty 1| Outcome:| Chance| Consequences: | Host/Sponsor City festival| 90%| Achieve Good Market Share| Not hosting/Sponsor City Festival| 10%| Achieve no Market Share| Uncertainty: Uncertainty 2| Outcome:| Chance| Consequences: | Cancel City Festival| 10%| Lead to bad press| Not Cancel City Festival| 90%| Lead to Good Press| Uncertainty: Uncertainty 3| Outcome:| Chance| Consequences: | Move into Franchise| 80%| Increase Operating Costs| Not Move into Franchise| 20%| Decreases Operating Costs| Risk tolerance High Risk: Outcome| Gain| Probability| Expected Value| Host /Sponsor the City Festival| $9, 000 | 90%| $8, 100| Not Cancel City Festival| $9, 000| 90%| $8, 100| Not move into Franchise| $2, 000| 20%| $ 400| Total| | | $16, 600| Low Risk: Outcome| Gain| Probability| Expected Value| Not Host /Sponsor the City Festival| $1, 000| 10%| $ 100.00| Cancel City Festival| $1, 000| 10%| $ 100.00| Move into Franchise| $8, 000| 80 %| $6, 400.00 | Total| | | $6, 600| By using this concept, the management is able to evaluate which of the three alternatives will yield best result while factoring uncertainties that exists. In this case, the high risk has the best expected value. To ascertain the risks and probable of uncertainties, management will have to picture the risk profiles with a decision tree and decide to hedge likeable risk and insure the hotel products against future risks. Decision Tree Host Festival Host Festival 90.0% 0.9 9000 8100 Cancel Festival Cancel Festival High Risk High Risk True 90.0% 0.9 16,600 9000 8100 Franchise Franchise 20.0% 0.20 How to better position and market hotel product offerings How to better position and market hotel product offerings 2000 400 Host Festival Host Festival 10.0% 0 1000 100 Cancel Festival Cancel Festival Lower Risk Lower Risk False 10.0% 0 6, 600 1000 100 Franchise Franchise 80.0% 0 8000 6400 (Retrieve from Week 5: Group Decision Making – Lecture. http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/ (NEXT (a4f7ff0b65))/Main/Course Linked Decision To better position the hotel product offerings, management will have to leave all options open by operating a flexible plan. The immediate problem is to launch the products into the competitive market, communicate the products to the target market and create a brand image. Consequent plans will be to move into franchise after attaining a brand; this will boost sales revenue and automatically improve profits. (Retrieve from John, Ralph & Howard. (1999): Smart Choices). Implementation, Monitoring and Control To implement the chosen decision, senior management will brief all parties  involved with up to date information. The senior management meets with all committee heads to assess the chosen option against foreseeable risks or bias. In this case, senior management feeds back the stakeholders as per the research, outcomes, consequences and benefits of the chosen option. To better clarify issues, opinions of legal experts will be inquire to put management at a desired advantage. Hosting the festival is imminent in launching the products into the competitive market, thus stakeholders will honor Regale Property Group to host the city festival as the official sponsor for the event date 4 July 2013. The trained team from the operation managers, middle managers and supervisors will oversee the trained personnel to deliver best services to guests by turning guest services into a memorable experience that will bring about a repeat visit. Senior management is to review subsequent plans, ensure proper communications, effective supervision and proper accountability to ensure success of the plan. Summary Making tough decision problems poses few difficult problems, while applying a systematic approach helps focus on tough elements to resolve problem easily. The decision of revoking the contract to move into franchise poses a tough decision problem on the management but save for the senior management ability to resolve issue by applying a rational approach. The management was able to address the right decision problem, clarify the objectives, develop creative alternatives and ascertain consequences of their decisions. They eliminate poor alternatives, deal with uncertainties, consider their risk – taking attitude and develop flexible plan to deal with linked decisions ahead of time. (Retrieve from Frumi Rachel (2010). A Practical Guide to Making Better life Decisions: Smart Choices). Conclusion With great success of hosting the city festival holding on Fourth of July, the quality of guest services will attract customers to bring about a repeat visits. Their standard rooms, food services and recreational facilities with quality service exhibit by the trained staff will create the brand to attain expected market share. The quality service and product will leverage the hotel edge in the competitive market. As the hotel becomes well known and attain more sales the precedent to future plans in maximizing profits is foreseeable. References Allan T. Stutts. & James F., Wortman (2006). Management contract and Franchise Agreements: Hotel and Lodging Management, second edition, p.247 – 266 Frumi Rachel (2010). A practical Guide to Making Better Life Decisions: Smart Choices John S. Hammond, Ralph L. Keeney, Howard Rafia (1999). Smart choices, Harvard Business School Press Culled from Week 5: Group Decision Making – Lecture: Decision Tree. http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/

La Vita E Bella

lAira G. ManaloAugust 31, 2012 COM31Mr. Edgar Garnace Life is Beautiful (La Vita e Bella) I believe that being free is a matter of choice. We are free because we want to be defined not by other people but ourselves. We make choices together with the thought of making a choice for the good of everyone. We exist not for other people to tie strings on our hands and feet and do the manipulation. I don’t exactly know what to feel about this film. It was a good laugh and a painful thing for me at the same time.Guido (Roberto Benigni) is such an optimistic human being, a positive father to his son Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini) and a loving husband to his wife Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), who he treated like a princess if I may have to mention. As for me, being a person who freaks out when things don’t go right, I have perfectly seen how Guido made life beautiful for his son and wife. It hurts me to see him hiding the truth from his son by reinventing the things that happens inside t he concentration camp.In the midst of that threatening situation, Guido manipulated his world and made life beautiful for him and his family. I think that is the very essence of the film, making life perfect for you, even if it really isn’t for the entire world. It is important that we find beauty even in the darkest and cruelest of places. Dora amazed me too. I will not forget how she willingly set foot into that train containing all Jewish people. I can see how strong her love is for her husband and son that she can give up her life just to be with them.I have seen her change from a spoiled girl who fell into Guido’s arms and turned out into someone braver and stronger, someone who thinks not much of her own sake anymore. This is where I would now start relating it to Existentialism. The very core of this philosophy is that â€Å"Existence precedes Essence†. It emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent uni verse and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one’s own doings. It is just so ironic for me that a person like Guido is living in a world where freedom is the rarest of all terms.The Nazis have defined what living should mean for them, which I also think is very contradicting to the center value of Existentialism, which is freedom. A person defines himself and what he wants to make of himself. No one could ever define him as a person but only what he wants him to be. The Jews in this movie let the Nazis define the world for them, though I know they are left with no other choice but to keep responding to what these people want them to do, because if not, they will cease to exist.This is what Sartre called â€Å"Quietism. † The poor Jews let the Nazis decide for them because they are afraid to die, to get hurt, even if being shot to death while fighting for freedom would be a better death than be degraded by people of other race, in my o pinion. I have seen an authentic person in Guido. In his quiet ways he defined the world for himself. He fought for what he thinks is right and there he exercised his freedom.He tried to fight his way out of the hellish camp if not for himself but for his family, and this he thinks is right not for himself but also for those other people with him. Life is beautiful. It will be if you want it to be. When things are not going right for me, I know ranting won’t make them all right. I know that I always have the choice. I would always remember Guido who has found beauty in the ugliest of places. Because the man who can accept all the barriers and restrictions in life and is not afraid of them is free.

American Politics - USA Patriot Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American Politics - USA Patriot Act - Essay Example Congress approved the USA Patriot Act on October 26, 2001, scarcely six weeks after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The bill was passed with modest discussion at the altitude of the anthrax contagion scare when many policymakers did not have right of entry to their offices. A stable stream of revelations, and the resulting news media reports, have represented a president starving for power, doing no matter what is necessary -- lawful or not -- to defend this country. In the rouse of such news, some officials in Congress see flaw and an prospect to burn down one of President Bush's fundamental weapons in the war on terror: the USA Patriot Act. The USA Patriot Act, petite for Uniting and intensification America by providing suitable Tools necessary to interrupt and hinder Terrorism Act, is not one unconnected law. Most of its 132 pages adjust present federal statutes ranging from foreign observation to money laundering and were in the hopper previous to September 11. The Patriot Act, though, extends Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authority by counting the issuance of "roving wiretaps" that can track a person from, in case, a public phone to a neighbor's processor to a library processor. Critics say this is a contravention of the Fourth Amendment, which needs that merits must "particularly" explain the position to be explored and the people or things to be detained.

Durkheim's and Merton's Sociological Positivism in Explaining the Essay

Durkheim's and Merton's Sociological Positivism in Explaining the Criminal Behavior - Essay Example So there are biological positivism, psychological positivism, and sociological positivism in criminology depending of the field of knowledge that is taken as reference. Sociological positivism in criminology makes a strong emphasis in the study of crime and criminal behaviour as a social phenomenon that is explained through the critical analysis of social structures, functions, and agents. Since criminology is an interdisciplinary science, sociological positivism also takes into account biological and psychological data when undertaking the study of crime and criminal behaviour. The study of deviance or abnormality in society belongs to the field of criminology, too. Sociological positivism attempts to explain crime and deviance from different angles trying to find valid and reliable theories that can help in its prevention and deterrence. Sociological positivism emerged as a scientific effort to fill the gap of other criminological studies based on biological and psychological perspectives, which were mostly centred on the individual. It also emerged in opposition of the Classical School of Criminology that was grounded on the standpoints of classical Greek philosophers, especially stressing the importance of free will (O'Connor, 2006). It was also based on utilitarian/hedonistic premises and the concept of social contract to whcih Durkheim was opposed (Hopkins Burke, 2005:91). Positivistic criminology takes a different position, and its main features are the following: 'The demand for facts, for scientific proof (determinism). There are body and mind differences between people (of these, the mens rea, or reasons for committing crime are important). Punishment should fit the individual criminal, not the crime (indeterminate sentencing, disparate sentencing, parole). The criminal justice system should be guided by scientific experts (rule by scientific elite, technocracy). Criminals can be treated, rehabilitated, or corrected (if not, then they are incurable and should be put to death). (O'Connor, 2006). The most influential figures in the field of sociological positivism in criminology are Quetelet, Guerry, Comte, Durkheim, Ferri, Garofalo, Merton and Agnew. 3. Durkhiem's and Merton's main features of sociological positivism. The main features of Durkheim's sociological positivism in criminology are the distinction between mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity, his views about the division of labour as a signal of social progress, his idea that crime and deviance are necessary for change and progress in society, and the introduction of the concept of anomie in the social structure for explaining the causes of crime and deviance (Hopkins Burke, 2005:91-95; Greek, 2005). For Durkheim, simple societies before the industrialisation process were formed by people that behaved and thought in similar ways since they performed similar work tasks with group-oriented goals (Greek, 2005). They were characterised by having mechanical solidarity. They had 'an intense and rigid collective conscience invariabley reinforced by sacred religious belief' (Durkheim paraphased by Hopkins Burke & Pollock, 2004:10). In this kind of society 'Repressive

Economics and Business of the Asia-Pacific Region and Emerging Markets Essay

Economics and Business of the Asia-Pacific Region and Emerging Markets - Essay Example As the paper highlights the measurement of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is principally viewed to be one of the decisive parameters in determining the economy of a nation. In this regard, it is observed that the economy of China has developed significantly during the post Mao period in terms of GDP. This has been more prominent after the economic liberation witnessed by the nation in the 1990s. Further development in the economy of the nation occurred during 21st century, wherein the rate of GDP is mostly found to be in double-digits. The GDP rate of China in post Mao period can be better understood from the below depicted graphical representation.This discussion stresses that  there are certain nations in Asia that have grown extensively during the same period. These nations include Japan, South Korea and India among others. It is important to note that Japan and South Korea are the nations that have shown constant growth in GDP rates during the post Mao period. Moreover, it is wor th mentioning that China has also grown extensively after liberation and more prominently in the 21st century. However, these countries i.e. South Korea and Japan could not grow in higher rates as compared to China. One of the prime reasons for China to experience higher GDP is the liberation in the economy. The open economy in the region has led to the creation of equal and fair opportunities to the traders.

Memorandum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Memorandum - Research Paper Example The procedure for the discovery process entails presentation of a complaint to a court of law by the plaintiff, opening of a case file by the court clerk, issuance of court orders or summons together with a copy of complaint to the plaintiff to deliver to the defendant, and filing of responses by the defendant, after which the actual trial follows. However, the components of each of the step in the discovery and proceeding process may vary and thus the time taken to realize the whole discovery process may extend. 2. Criminal cases reach trial so rapidly because of the short discovery and pleading process. After the accused is arrested, he/she is presented to the police, who in turn arraign the suspect in a court of law, following the provisions of the laws regarding speedy trial rules and continuances. Yes, such a dichotomy should always be there because it is only through the dichotomy (stages of the discovery and pleading process) that the fine but very crucial details of civil cas es are addressed. 3. The lawyers play a great role in prolonging this period since they are the ones who advise the parties involved, while also filing disputes, motions to dismiss the complaint, and answers required by the court. The more issues raised by the lawyers in disputing, requesting for dismissal or involving other parties to the case, the longer it will take before the trial commences. Statement of Facts Civil cases and criminal cases are very different owing to the nature of accusations contained in either of the cases and the procedures by which both civil and criminal cases are brought to courts. Civil cases, also known as civil suits, refer to a type of case where an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization is accused of damages (Carper, McKinsey, and West 132). On the other hand, criminal cases refer to the type of cases where the state or any authorized regional body prosecutes an individual or group of individuals for breaking the law that has been es tablished. Additionally, while the verdict for a criminal case may end up committing an individual to imprisonment, a civil case gives a verdict regarding the payment of damages in the event that the accused is found liable for the accusations leveled against them (Resnik 165). Owing to these differences, it therefore follows that there are chances that the two cases can run for different durations. This is because the procedure for a civil case is fundamentally different from that of a criminal case. There are certain aspects of the two cases that account for the differences in the duration applicable for the two cases. Discussion of the Issues The civil case basically applies four procedures, starting with pleading, then pre-trial, trial and finally judgment. It is these procedures that explain why a civil case is likely to take long before it gets to trial, compared to a criminal case. Pleading entails the process by which the plaintiff raises accusations against the defendant in a court of law, seeking to be compensated in form of damages for a wrong committed by the defendant. After the presentation of a claim, the claim is filed by the court clerk, after which the plaintiff is then issued an order and a copy of the complaint to deliver to the defendant (Hall 385). This procedure is different from that of a criminal case where the accused is directly arrested and taken to the police custody, awaiting to be arraigned in court to begin the trial. This makes the civil case procedure more time consuming since

Observe particles by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Essay

Observe particles by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray SEM and Transmission Electron Microscopy - Essay Example Analysis shows that even though the particle size range is from 10 ?m to 160 ?m; however most of the particles are confined in three size ranges: 10 - 20 ?m, 50 – 70 ?m and 110 – 120 ?m. SEM-EDS analysis shows that the bright particle in the silica sample are yttrium oxide. TEM images show two kinds of shape – spherical and cylindrical for TiO2 and faceted equiaxed morphology for Fe2O3 particles. The detailed results and analysis is presented in this report. Introduction Powders play very important role in materials science and industry so much so that one stream of metallurgy is known as powder metallurgy. Besides, ceramics engineering revolved around powders. Consolidation of many materials becomes possible only through powder metallurgy route, which involves filling, compaction and sintering of powders. All these processes depend heavily on powder characteristics like shape, size, size distribution etc. to name a few. Experimental determination of these attrib utes of powder is very important. Some of these attributes like size and size distribution can be determined by indirect methods like laser particle size analysis. However, only a direct method like microscopy gives the confidence in the result. Beside, many attributes like shape and chemistry can be determined only by advance electron microscopy. Electron microscopy involves obtaining high magnification images of the samples using focused beam of accelerated electrons as probe and then forming images by collecting the different signals like backscattered electrons, secondary electrons, transmitted electrons etc [1]. As wavelength of accelerated electrons is much smaller as compared to light; therefore, it can be focused to much finer spots and much higher resolution and magnification is possible in case of electron microscopes as compared to the same in case of optical microscopes. Besides, many signals generated by electron – matter interaction like auger electron, characte ristic X-rays etc. contain information about chemistry of the matter and these signals can be used to determine chemistry of the sample using different detectors like Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometer (WDS), Energy Dispersive Spectrometer etc. Accordingly there are different instruments like Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), SEM-EDS, Electron Probe Microanalyser (EPMA), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM) etc. A basic description of SEM, SEM-EDS and TEM which were used in these experiments is provided in the subsequent sections. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) [2]: As suggested by the name, in this microscope a focused beam of electron is scanned over the sample in a raster using scanning coils. This leads to generation of signals like secondary electrons and backscattered electrons; which are used for image formation on a CRT screen. The image is formed in a pixel by pixel manner and therefore, the raster size corre sponds to the CRT screen size magnification is arrived by dividing the CRT length by the raster length. The magnification can thus be increased gradually by reducing the rater size on the sample as the CRT size is fixed. An SEM consists of an electron source or an electron gun, apertures to block unwanted beam, electromagnetic lenses to focus the beam, different detectors like secondary electron detector and backscattered electron detector for image formati

Software Design Defects Detection and Classification Literature review

Software Design Defects Detection and Classification - Literature review Example This essentially refers to â€Å"fitness for use†. On a detailed elucidation of quality, software design defects come into the picture. Quality software not only meets the full user requirements, but is also usable for the purpose it was designed( Du Bois, Verelst and Demeyer 2004). Given the software process as earlier mentioned morphs the information from one form to another, errors are likely to occur in any of the forms (user needs, design, code etc.) of the product. This paper focuses on the design of software and the relation to the overall product. Generally, it ties software quality management to the success of the software process. In a more specific perspective, realised by careful examination of the models and frameworks of the software process, the paper reviews the software design defects are detected. The models reviewed are an indispensable part of software development and as such, it is important to examine how they help â€Å"clean up† the software proc ess(Leszak, Perry and Stoll 2002). In addition, the paper classifies the software design defects â€Å"shortcomings† that stem from poor design of software. In software development, the writing of a defect free code is one of the major concerns. This concern is cuts across the e software development and object oriented programming community. ... The shortcoming of this approach was that the same defects would still be realised in another software process(Moha and Gueheneuc 2005). It is important to consider the uniqueness, of each piece of software. They are designed as artefacts and meant to serve the user needs adequately. However, the process – individuals, tools, methodology- followed are is the same. This aspect of software development shows that the defects in the process are likely to be repeated. Applying quality management â€Å"control† on the software process is being adopted as a guarantee to achieve software quality. Total quality management of the software design aims at continuously improving the quality of the end product( Kessentini, Sahraoui and Boukadoum 2011 ). Managing the software design by controlling the end product at the design stage is a technique to curve out the causes of defects. This technique adopts a set of practices throughout the software process and is aimed at consistently m eeting the end user needs. While focussing on the software design defects, it is important to note that poor customer requirements elicitation could contribute to poor design of the software (Moha 2007). The focus here is the practices of software management adopted to counter software defects and detect the defects. Most importantly, the main idea is using established processes to catch the software design defects. From this perspective, we are able to examine how total quality management – continuous management of the process – is effected using the design The development of code for software development is a practice that requires skill and experience, producing a design defect free code that does

DNA Evidence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DNA Evidence - Research Paper Example The research on DNA evidence started showing significant improvement by the 20th century. DNA evidence became widespread and it became a problem-solving tool for immigration disputes, refining the assay, resolving specimen identity, detecting genetic differences and identifying criminals; thus, the need for DNA identity testing became significant. Historically, DNA evidence began in the forensic field when ABO blood group was used as a system in providing evidence of crime issues. Later, the paternity identification that based on serum protein variation became commonly used. However, it was not until when Jeffrey became a pioneer of DNA based identity testing. DNA evidence became common in federal courts, and the first DNA evidence was carried out in the court case of Andrews Vs., Florida in 1988 (Newton, 2008). Many states started adopting DNA evidence in order to identify crime issues as a way of maintaining criminal justice. DNA evidence started evolving as an effective technique of providing proof over crimes issues. It is used up to present in many areas including clinical applications for testing identity, and also solving paternity issues in case of child denial or resolving specimen identity; thus determining the origin of mishandled specimens. The major sources of DNA evidence include semen, bone, blood, skin cells, hair, teeth, urine, tissue, saliva, feces, and vomit. First, blood is one of the main sources of DNA evidence. The substrate in which bloodstain is found can determine the DNA testing; thus providing effective evidence in case of homicide or any other crimes issues. Blood contains some substances that may hamper successful DNA testing process; thus, these substances can be removed through purification methods (Parks, 2010). DNA profiling is the only way through which scientists can be able to stain of a given blood mixture. Through DNA testing, one can be able to determine in case specimen are from the same or different sexes. Semen is anot her source of DNA testing. The semen stains can be analyzed and examined as well as tested through conventional methods in order to provide the required evidence. Sperm cell staining can help in determining in case the stain is the outcome of vaginal drainage. This will enable scientists to determine the rape cases through DNA analysis of semen stains. Moreover, body tissues, saliva and hair roots are among the major sources of DNA evidence. DNA strand isolation from body tissues can help in achieving the intended goals of DNA evidence. DNA survival can be found in teeth or dense bones. The remains of body tissues that have been scattered by either gunshot or trauma can adhere to the bullet; thus, they can sometimes yield sufficient DNA testing. There are some treated tissues by use of the chemical treatment known as formaldehyde and embalming. DNA testing can be successful in both tissues. For instance, a body of a person killed and buried for many years can still yield better resu lts when used in carrying out DNA evidence. Hair roots can be the legitimate source of DNA evidence, but they are not effective in regular forensic use. Saliva can be taken from penile marks, bite marks,  bottles and cigarette butts found in the crime scene. Despite the exciting promise of DNA technology, DNA evidence poses some problems.

American Revolution Essay Example for Free

American Revolution Essay After the American Revolution, Americans, who had just broken free from the British, completely changed their politics, economy and society. The Founders decided to change how they wanted to run their society, even though, in the end, they went back to a more powerful federal government like Britain. Most people’s daily lives didn’t change much but the principles from the revolution made some try to look for better financial opportunities. Women, slaves, and loyalists were changed a lot in society. Women had more freedoms, some of the slaves were set free, and many loyalists left America. America did not go through much economic change, but it did experience social and political change. Since they had just fought a war to gain their freedom from them, Americans wanted their government not to be similar to Britain’s at all. This is why they implemented the Articles of Confederation that greatly limited federal power. But this government couldn’t raise taxes, or do a plethora of other tasks that were desperately needed, so the people realized their need for a more centralized government. While the new Constitution was still being created and ratified, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay were writing the Federalist Papers in hopes of convincing states to support it. James Madison, in number 51 of the papers wrote â€Å"Ambition must be made to counteract ambition† (Doc I). He was referring to the idea of checks and balances that would be used to ensure that anyone in the federal government would not be able to have too much power, which the people were very wary of. When it was finally ratified, the Constitution was similar to Britain’s government but also different because of their system of checks and balances. There was not much economic change in America after the revolution. The Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture in 1786 gave out a medal, which said, â€Å"Venerate the plough† (Doc F). This exhibits how the elite were still trying to help the common people who weren’t financially better off than before the revolution, but it didn’t make much difference. Similarly, in Shay’s Rebellion, Yeoman farmers in Massachusetts, according to Abigail Adams’ letter to Thomas Jefferson, â€Å"were crying out for a paper currency, some for an equal distribution of property† (Doc G). Shay’s Rebellion symbolizes the economic troubles that the poor had to deal with. The social change was the biggest change that happened in America. After the Revolution, the place of women, slaves, and loyalists in society was greatly altered. In order to teach justice and liberty to their children, women were educated in the ideals of Republican Motherhood. In a woodcut of a patriot woman made in 1779, a woman is shown with a rifle and gunpowder horn (Doc A). Some women did play bigger roles in society by going with the fighting soldiers and sometimes even fighting with them in the revolution. However, not all women were satisfied to just go back to the earlier place in society they were at before the war as shown by Molly Wallace who said during her valedictory address in 1792, â€Å"if [taught] to read, why not to speak? † (Doc J). Many American women, like Wallace, sought after advancing their roles in society. But sadly, women suffrage didn’t happen for 140 years. For slaves in some regions, there was a lot of social change. In the years after the revolution, the slave owners in the North practiced manumission, and freed many slaves there. In the South, however, it would take many more years and a Civil War for the slaves to gain their freedom. There were more actions against slavery, though. The Northwest Ordinance in 1787 stated, â€Å"There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in said territory† (Doc H), outlawing the spread of slavery in new states in hopes that eventually, states without slavery would exceed the states with it and be able to abolish it everywhere. The loyalists or â€Å"Tories† also went through significant change in society. Since they had favored Britain during the way, after it, they were became a widely hated. The Pennsylvania Packet says â€Å"Never let [the Tories] return to this happy land† (Doc B). They went through so much change in society that countless loyalists left America, never to return. Politically, Americans underwent some change by creating a new government even though they still altered it in the end. Economically, there were still elites who ruled over the lower, poor class of people. And socially, a large amount of change occurred for women, slaves and loyalists, although the change in the place of loyalists was extremely negative. In these ways, American society was changed in respect to political and social life, but not economically.

The Communication Process Essay Example for Free

The Communication Process Essay Communication is a critical action that is done in a variety of ways across different cultures and settings. It is done at school, work, home and the grocery store. It can be done face-to-face or through technology with one person or multiple people. However, communication can be a challenging concept; have you ever left a conversation knowing that you forgot to mention a particular detail? Following the steps outlined below will lead you to a better communication process. Identifying Needs and Purpose The first step to the communication process is to identify the needs and purpose of the conversation. You can do this by considering a few questions like, â€Å"What is it that I need to accomplish in this conversation?† or â€Å"Why am I having this conversation?† Just taking time to assess your intent and direction will automatically help in identifying different approaches and ideas for communicating and managing effective conversations (University of Phoenix, 2012). Establishing Key Points After an initial brainstorming session to organize thoughts and ideas, the next step in the process is determining key points. In this part of the communications process, it is helpful to write down all the ideas from step one in order to figure out which are the most important and relevant to your audience. Once about all the necessary points have been identified, these should be compiled into a list in order of importance. This will aid in the flow of the overall communication and create a more organized and professional position (University of Phoenix, 2012). Audience Analysis Following the process of identifying key points comes the time to analyze the audience. At this point, it is critical to think about whom your audience is and what its needs and preferences are, as a group. It is beneficial to consider if you will be addressing work strangers, colleagues, family, friends and how these groups prefer to receive communication. It is important during this process to decide if the people you are talking to are all part of a particular demographic, or if there are diverse ages and other  factors. An effective communication strategy will be able to address the audience based on their specific preferences and interests. To accomplish this, it is wise to cater your delivery of messages to things that relate to your audience members. This will help hold their attention and get everyone to listen without losing interest in the conversation (University of Phoenix, 2012). Choosing Communication Channels The next step in the process after a thorough audience analysis is to figure out the communication channel that is most appropriate for the audience. This is the perfect step to precede step three, because after you figure out who you are talking to, you are going to need to figure out how to address them. For example, if children are in the audience, a good way to engage them is to make your message exciting or story-like. On the other side of the spectrum, if there are young adults in the audience, using vivid images and colors will help gain their attention. Younger business people may like to communicate by email, where older business people may prefer to interact by phone or in person. Some groups may prefer consistent, weekly communication when others only want to hear from you once in a while. These individual preferences can tell you which is the best channel, whether it is a newsletter, in-person presentation or phone call (University of Phoenix, 2012). Time to Deliver Step five is applied when it is time to edit, review and deliver your message. This is the time where it is critical to pay attention to detail and ensure the quality of your work. Begin by reviewing all of your notes; make sure everything is in order and worded a way your audience will understand. If you have chosen to deliver a speech, practice a few times to get rid of some nerves. Then go out there and deliver what it is you are communicating with confidence (University of Phoenix, 2012). Validate Reception While you are delivering your message, think about what you are saying and watch what your audience is doing. This feedback will let you know if you are connecting with the group and what their reactions are. Consider the following: * Are they paying attention to you? * Are people taking notes? * How is the listener sitting? * Is there any eye contact between you and the audience? * Do you have a bouncing leg while you are sitting? Not paying attention to these important cues could misdirect a conversation and lead to missing a key point that you are trying to convey (University of Phoenix, 2012). Receive Response Receiving your response is near the end of the communication process. This is a great opportunity to learn from yourself and from others. You can learn from yourself by understanding what you did right and wrong, based on audience feedback and responses. This could be determined by the confidence you had or the body language you presented. Understanding what your audience felt about your communication is an essential part of communicating. It is not a bad idea to ask for feedback because it could lead to finding out that the presentation was particularly relevant or irrelevant for a certain field or demographic. Appropriately receiving responses helps you to grow as a communicator and learn new ways to communicate, contributing to future success (University of Phoenix, 2012). Feedback and Follow Up The final step to complete the communication process is to seek feedback and follow-up. During this step, a communicator will determine if more communication is necessary and when. This step allows a communicator to understand if messages were seen as clear with all of your key points for the audience to understand them. If you receive a great deal of questions after you communicate, it is a good indication that you will need additional communication to provide more information. If you do not receive questions, you can also opt to use a survey or ask follow up questions to understand how the process went. Getting feedback and following-up on the things you conversed about shows that you care and are connected with your audience (University of Phoenix, 2012). Listening and Responding One thing that you want to do as well as follow the steps is to learn to  listen and respond. Listening is a very important part of the communication process. It is a way to show the person communicating with you that you are engaged in the conversation. Become an active listener by creating an interest in the speaker and the message that is being communicated. Also, learn to be focused. People sometimes look like they are listening but sometimes they may be thinking of something completely different than what is actually being discussed. When asked a question what do people do? They respond to it. After listening to a question people think about how they are going to respond. Sometimes people answer fast but other times people may need some time to react and think about what to say. There are a few ways that you are able to answer these questions. One is to evaluate the question by judging it or advising it. This way really only works well if you are asked for advice and if the person listening does not like it they will rebuttal it. An interpretation response would be handy if you are to be explaining something such as why somebody could do a particular thing. Supporting a person that makes the statement is a good way to show support and reassurance. If you are unsure of all the details in a conversation the questioning method will prove useful because it can clarify the meaning and details of the conversation. Lastly, paraphrasing, by paraphrasing a conversation you are showing that you understand what you have been told and are interested in finding the root solution. (Cheesebro, OConnor, Rios, 2010) Conclusion The eight steps in this communication process are a complete approach to communicating successfully. Understanding and applying these steps is a great way to advance in business and in personal relations. Once you are more comfortable with how the communication process works, you should have also learned about how to listen and respond during appropriately. Successful communication will come in handy for every job that you have. If you follow the steps and listen to feedback, you will be able to learn from all your experiences and grow as a communications professional. Regardless of where and when you communicate, this process will be a helpful guide and valuable resource. References Cheesebro, T., OConnor, L., Rios, F. (2010). Communicating in the Workplace . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.. University of Phoenix. (2012). Communication Process. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, BCOM275 website.

Impact of Bank Consolidation on Small Business Lending

Impact of Bank Consolidation on Small Business Lending Review of literature According to the big bank barrier hypothesis large banks provide the credit facilities for larger clients or larger corporate businesses. Large banks are more likely headquartered in metropolitan cities near to large corporate businesses. Large banks may not able to get adequate information because the distance between large banks and small businesses are at large. It is frequently determined the credit facilities to them. Large banks do not have local based environment for relationship lending to small businesses. They are more frequently offered transaction loans for well equipped, larger and financially secure firms. (Hayes and Berney (1999)) Banks relationship lending may be based on local knowledge of small business. Large banks relatively associates with large clients. They are provided loans with high interest rates and high collateral requirements to large businesses. Small customers may not able to get loans from large banks with this high collateral requirements and high interest rates. (Berger and Udell 1996) Small banks are most likely associated with low interest rates and low collateral requirements for transaction loans to small customers. They also do have local based knowledge about small firms. Informational distance between the small banks and customers are frequently helped to small businesses. Hauswold and Marquez (2000) suggest that informational distance between the banks and small clients more often reduces relationship lending of the banks to firms. The consolidation process and bank size frequently have in significant results for small business lending. Some MAs process between the financial organizations slightly raises and rather than frequently reduces small business lending. The evidence from the China, shows that total assets of banks is partially insignificant variable for banks to take decision for small and medium business lending. Frequently, the bank’s lending power has been stimulated by the banks’ lending authority, special incentives schemes form government and powerful law enrichments that gives more credit facilities for small and medium scale businesses. Yan Shen et.al (2009) According to De yang et.al (1996), U.S banking industry has been splinted two primary groups based on asset size of banks through the changes of deregulation, technological and consolation process of banks. They are viz. very large banks and small banks. Large banks are specialized to create normalized loans with the use of hard information of small business. Small banks are specialized to give non-normalized loans with the use of soft information and development relationship lending between the small customers. In the period of 1993-2001 performance of small business lending is based on relationship lending and non-standardized loans of small banks. Smaller banks performance with small customers are more likely better than larger banks performance in the market of small business lending. However, large banks are also slightly involved to make roadways for the small business loans. They are very consistent to lend credit facilities to small business due to informational distance. (Berger et.al 2004) Consolidation process between the small and large banks slightly improves small business loans rather than more frequently reduces lending opportunities to them. After this process large banks credit facilities declines due to high interest rates and lack of informational collateral requirements. Small banks offer more credit than large banks. After the consolidation process, small banks becomes big with large banks and their credit facilities to small customers has been splinted and shared by non-bank financial institutions of the regions. Consolidation process between the small and large banks reduces small business credit positively. The large portion of small businesses credit has been lent by small banks. Small banks are after receives comparative advantage in relationship lending to small customers. As evidence from the sample of U.S at 1913 from national survey of business finance shows that probability of small firms credit facilities does not reduces in long run. However, in short run may occur disruptions to small firm lending. It explains that same firms in areas are likely to return credits lately with small banks. There are no more credit constraints available with small banks to such firms. According to Klien (1971) competition raises between the banks that are more likely to give loans on low interest rates to small customers. Competition among the banks raises that they have a less ability to lend more credit to small firms with their surplus share of funds. Banks more likely makes decision of credit facilities for small firms on period by period basis. They are less likely extended credit to small firms with their asymmetries information of banks. Rajan et.al (1995) According to Berger et.al (1998) the credit availability for small businesses are not negatively intervened by banks MAs. However, some MAs process between the large banks and bank holding companies (BHCs) have an inverse effect on small firms lending. Furthermore, small business lending has been more likely raised by MAs process among small banks. Gobbi et.al (2007) has conducted a study on Italian corporate borrowers, MAs between the banks negatively effect on small businesses lending process. Particularly, lending relationship between the banks and firms has been more likely reduced after the MAs process. Bill Francis (2008) explains that in short run the overall effect of bank consolidation is inversely related to the small business lending. This negative relationship is initially initiated by large acquirers with consolidation process. Furthermore, consolidation activity between the small and medium size banks have a positive significant effect on small business lending and new business formation. In the long run, consolidation process have a significant positive impact on small business lending that has been initiated by large or well-equipped acquiring banks. Peek and Rosengren (1997) analyze the relationship among small business and bank lending performances and bank consolidation. It argues that small business lending depends upon the banks’ capital and assets size. It is mentioned that particular mismanagement and dis-economies of scale may raise the cost expenditure of small business lending when the bank size and complexity rises. Most of the mergers and acquisitions of banks generate the welfare affects for borrowers and also rescheduled their loan portfolio for small customers. It is positively correlated with the market power and negatively impact on the credit availability for small borrowers based on the relationship lending. Peek (1997) study also gives that the other borrowers get benefit from mergers when their efficiency raises for credit availability to small customers. The larger sample of private firms has given the negative impact of credit availability to small borrowers when the bank merger rises. It suggests that small, medium banks have served more credit risk to small borrowers because they have the regional knowledge and information relationship between them. Some study also argued that relationship lending for the target bank borrowers slightly raises, but the acquiring bank borrowers frequently declines when the merger announces. (Smith et.al 2002) The above mentioned review of literature is shown that mergers and acquisitions between the small and large banks have a positive insignificant effect on the small business lending of the different nation in the world. As Concerns from India, Indian banking sector has not been well equipped to foreign banks. Small business lending of the Indian commercial banks are not been satisfactory due to more outreach section of the regions. However, small customer are not able to contact with financial institutions and their credit availability has been captured by non-bank financial institution of the regions like Marvadi, Money Lender and Jeminthar. (Hayes and Berney (1999)) (Berger and Udell 1996) Hauswold and Marquez (2000) Yan Shen et.al (2009) De yang et.al (1996) (Berger et.al 2004) Klien (1971) Rajan et.al (1995) Berger et.al (1998) Gobbi et.al (2007) Bill Francis (2008) Peek and Rosengren (1997) (Kerceski, Onegena and Smith 2002) References: Shen, Yan Shen, Minggao Xu, Zhong Bai, Ying, 2009. Bank Size and Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Lending: Evidence from China† World Development Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 800-811. Yildirim, H. Semih Philippatos, George C., 2007. Restructuring, consolidation and competition in Latin American banking markets’’ Journal of Banking Finance Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 629-639, March. Berger, Allen N. Rosen, Richard J. Udell, Gregory F., 2004. Does Market Size Structure Affect Competition? The Case of Small Business Lending† CEI Working Paper Series, 2005-8, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University. Steven G. and Craig Pauline Hardee (2007), the impact of bank consolidation on small business credit availability.’’ Journal of Banking Finance., pages12-63 Joe Peek and Eric S. Rosengren, 1997. Bank consolidation and small business lending: its not just bank size that matters.’’ Working Papers. 97-1, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. (Kerceski, Onegena and Smith 2002). Klein, Michael, 1971. A theory of the banking firm. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking 3 (2), 205–218. Petersen, Mitchell A., Rajan, Ragjuran G., 1995. The effect of credit market competition on lending relationships. Quarterly Journal of Economies (May), 407–443. Berger, A.N., Saunders, A., Scalise, J.M., Udell, G.F., 1998. The effects of bank mergers and acquisitions on small business lending, Journal of Financial Economics, 50(2): 187-229. Peek, Joe, Rosengren, Eric S., 1998. Bank consolidation and small business lending: It’s not just bank size that matters. Journal of Banking and Finance 22, 799–819. Strahan, Philip E., Weston, James P., 1998. Small business lending and the changing structure of the banking industry. Journal of Banking and Finance 22, 821–845. Bill Francis, Iftekhar Hasan, Haizhi (2008) Wang Bank consolidation and new business formation’’. Journal of Banking Finance 32, 1598–1612 Allen N. Berger, Leora F. Klapper, Gregory F. Udell (2001) The Ability of Banks to Lend to Informationally Opaque Small Businesses’’ The World Bank Development Research Group Finance. policy research working paper 2656 Hauswald, R., Marquez, R., 2000. Relationship banking, loan specialization and competition, Indiana University working paper. Haynes, G.W., Ou, C., Bemey, R., 1999. Small business borrowing from large and small banks, in Business Access to Capital and Credit, edited by J.L. Blanton, A. Williams, and S.L.W. Rhine, A Federal Reserve System Research Conference, 287-327. DeYoung, R., Nolle, D.E., 1996. Foreign-owned banks in the U.S.: Earning market share or buying it? Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking 28(4): 622-63 6. Berger, A.N., Udell, G.F., 1996. Universal banking and the future of small business lending, edited by A. Saunders and I. Walter, Financial system design: The case for universal banking, Burr Ridge, IL, Irwin Publishing, 559-627. Bonaccorsi Di Patti, Emilia, Gobbi, Giorgio, 2007. Winners or losers? The effects of banking consolidation on corporate borrowers. The Journal of Finance LXII (2), 669–695.

Censorship in the Music Industry Essay -- Censorship Essays

Censorship in the Music Industry Censorship in the music industry can be divided into two categories involving new music technology and music products. In the United States, the issue of censorship doesn’t necessarily concern music products but rather new music technology. The music industry has become increasingly concerned with the online peer-to-peer services like Kazaa and Morpheus using the MP3 format or motion pictures expert group which allows users to download music free and fast (Cloonan, 2003). In almost every other part of the world, music is censored someway or another usually by a country’s government, religious leaders, or individual broadcasters who are financed by their government (Cloonan, 2003). For example, the Middle East and North Africa region had the highest number of censorship incidents with 54 reports from 1980-1999 (Cloonan, 2003). The highest rated country was Turkey with 23 reports followed by the United States with 18 from 1980-1999 (Cloonan, 2003). During this period of time, the Turkish government succeeded at suppressing the language and culture of the Kurdish people involving the forbidden sale of cassettes by a Kurdish artist named Yzan Cugdis for being â€Å"against law and order† and the arrest of Ahmet Kaya for causing â€Å"political incidents† during one of his performances (Cloonan, 2003). In some countries, being fans of certain types of music can be reason for arrest or enforcement of a state ban. In 1996, Iran officials arrested 28 teenagers for possessing â€Å"obscene†CDs and cassettes and in 1988, two men of Albanian ethnic origin were arrested by Serbian police for possessing cassettes of Albanian music (Cloonan, 2003). Certain countries have even taken the step to completely... ...s or sexual content. Music censorship is still a heavily debated topic around the world. I believe in the areas of the world where censorship does take place, censorship isn’t enforced to protect citizens from the dangers of influential music but rather to maintain political control in these countries and also psychological control of its citizens. Is censorship really necessary? Do government authorities and religious leaders need to have this responsibility to censor music with supposedly good intent? And if so, what is the real purpose for censorship? Book: Cloonan, M and Reebee G, Ed; (2003). Policing Pop. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Online/Web Site: Index Online (2003). Report: Morocco: Judge jails Moroccan heavy metal fans. March 7. Available online: http://www.indexonline.org/indexindex/20030307_morocco.html (accessed March 7, 2003) Censorship in the Music Industry Essay -- Censorship Essays Censorship in the Music Industry Censorship in the music industry can be divided into two categories involving new music technology and music products. In the United States, the issue of censorship doesn’t necessarily concern music products but rather new music technology. The music industry has become increasingly concerned with the online peer-to-peer services like Kazaa and Morpheus using the MP3 format or motion pictures expert group which allows users to download music free and fast (Cloonan, 2003). In almost every other part of the world, music is censored someway or another usually by a country’s government, religious leaders, or individual broadcasters who are financed by their government (Cloonan, 2003). For example, the Middle East and North Africa region had the highest number of censorship incidents with 54 reports from 1980-1999 (Cloonan, 2003). The highest rated country was Turkey with 23 reports followed by the United States with 18 from 1980-1999 (Cloonan, 2003). During this period of time, the Turkish government succeeded at suppressing the language and culture of the Kurdish people involving the forbidden sale of cassettes by a Kurdish artist named Yzan Cugdis for being â€Å"against law and order† and the arrest of Ahmet Kaya for causing â€Å"political incidents† during one of his performances (Cloonan, 2003). In some countries, being fans of certain types of music can be reason for arrest or enforcement of a state ban. In 1996, Iran officials arrested 28 teenagers for possessing â€Å"obscene†CDs and cassettes and in 1988, two men of Albanian ethnic origin were arrested by Serbian police for possessing cassettes of Albanian music (Cloonan, 2003). Certain countries have even taken the step to completely... ...s or sexual content. Music censorship is still a heavily debated topic around the world. I believe in the areas of the world where censorship does take place, censorship isn’t enforced to protect citizens from the dangers of influential music but rather to maintain political control in these countries and also psychological control of its citizens. Is censorship really necessary? Do government authorities and religious leaders need to have this responsibility to censor music with supposedly good intent? And if so, what is the real purpose for censorship? Book: Cloonan, M and Reebee G, Ed; (2003). Policing Pop. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Online/Web Site: Index Online (2003). Report: Morocco: Judge jails Moroccan heavy metal fans. March 7. Available online: http://www.indexonline.org/indexindex/20030307_morocco.html (accessed March 7, 2003)

Essay --

Social Media marketing is modern marketing communication tool that helps marketers to engage with customers, prospects and other stakeholders of the business online. These are relatively low-cost communication channels that help firms to personalize theirs brands among the target audience. Primarily social media marketing assists companies to spread their intended messages mainly with the use of words, videos and photos. Some of the widely used social media channels are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Myspace. One of the major objectives of social media marketing is to communicate product and service offerings to those who interested in and also to make them visible to new target markets. Importantly social media channels create brand personalities, strong presence and relationships within the selected audiences. Social media provides firms with the opportunity of creating repeat and loyal customer base. The flowing can be identified as some key differences between social and traditional media tactics. Building relationships through adverts It is evident that there’s less or no interaction with target audiences with the use of traditional media tactics. They will only help firms to present their product or service. Whereas with use of social media, companies will be able to truly interact with customers and will help to build sustainable relationships through active and real communication. Operates within the boundaries of internet Traditional media tactics go beyond internet to try to reach people in off-line. Even today there are significant amount of customers who are yet connect online due to a number of reasons. By concentrating only on social media tactics, a company would not be able to communicate ... ... as 1) to determine whether the campaign adds value to the brand 2) to determine any necessary changes to make to the campaign 3) to obtain customer feedback 4) follow up leads. The effectiveness of a social marketing program will mainly depend on the following factors, 1) Align with the set objectives of the campaign (Targeted and focused) 2) Effects on brand awareness and reach (Number of people follows on Twitter; number of Facebook likes, number of downloads etc.) 3) Lead generation (people who shown interest via Twitter, returning visitors etc.) 4) Sales/ conversion rate (online purchases, favorable comments, referrals, number of people registered) 5) Level of interaction/ dedication of the marketing team (regular updates, comments, tweets) 6) Value additions within the campaign (games, mobile apps) – encourage people to actively participate in the campaign.

Interview With a Parent of a Child with Special Needs Essay -- Intervie

I interviewed a woman who has a child with special needs. The child is now in kindergarten. The mother reported having a normal pregnancy with no complications. This was the second child for the mother, who has another child who was five years old at the time. The mother disclosed that during the pregnancy, she was in the process of separating from the child’s father and that this caused a moderate level of stress. At the time of the pregnancy, the mother was also working full time as a waitress in a local restaurant. The mother reported that her job required her to be on her feet for long periods of time. She was able to work until around a week before her child was born. The mother reports that the child was born around two weeks early but that labor was easy and the child was born healthy. The mother described the child as being a fussy infant who had trouble sleeping and would awake several times during the night. The mother also reports the child was a fussy eater, and she experienced trouble feeding her daughter during infancy and needed to switch her daughter to soy formula. Overall the mother reported that the daughter was a happy infant who smiled often. The mother reported her child being alert and responding positively to family members who visited and enjoyed playing with her toys. In regards to the development, the mother reported that her daughter seemed to be developing slower than her first child who hit certain milestones earlier. The mother reports remembering her daughter babbling, but says she did not say her first word until much later on than her first child. She said that this was a concern for her and that she discussed it with her pediatrician who did not see any cause for alarm at the time. When t... ...orking collaboratively with families is to be patient understanding. Do not assume their unwillingness is because they do not want to help their child. I would also say that it is important for them to keep communication open make an effort to include the parents. â€Å" Take the initiative to a establish coequal relationship. Don’t be discouraged by limited initial success.† (Oslens & Fuller 2012, p 128.) References: o http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/K †¢ Gerald Mahoney, Ann Kaiser, Luigi Girolametto, James MacDonald, Cordelia Robinson, Philip Safford, and Donna Spiker Parent Education in Early Intervention: A Call for a Renewed Focus Topics in Early Childhood Special Education Fall 1999 19: 131-140, †¢ Olsen, Glenn W., and Mary Lou Fuller. Home and school relations: teachers and parents working together. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print.

The Health Benefits of Chocolate

The Health Benefits of Eating Chocolate For centuries, chocolate has been one of the favorite sweet-tasting treat in the world and until not too long ago, also considered unhealthy. Recent studies show that cacao, which chocolate is made, contains potent antioxidants that can actually be beneficial to our health. Cacao is derived from the beans of Theobroma cacao, a tree native to South America (1). Historically cacao was being used by ancient people with various medicinal purposes such as treatment of inflammations, heart palpitation, and prevention of infections.Cacao is an abundant source of flavonoids, a potential antioxidant, which can be beneficial to one’s health. The benefits greatly depend on the type of chocolate that is consumed and the percentage of cacao bean it has. The higher percentage of cacao, more health is the chocolate. The best chocolate is the darkest, which contains 60 to 70 percentage of cacao and small amount of sugar. Dark chocolate is proven to be g ood for the heart. A small bar of it every day helps the cardiovascular system run well.In recent study, it has been demonstrated that the flavonoids present in cacao stimulate the production of nitric oxid (NO) which helps the dilatation of the blood vessels allowing the easy blood flow to the heart and brain reducing the blood pressure(2). When blood pressure is lowered, there is a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Additionally, the flavanoids affect the cholesterol decreasing the bad cholesterol (LDL) in your blood and increasing significantly the good cholesterol (HDL), which cleans and mops up the blood vessels from the harmful fats.Also, dark chocolate improves the body’s ability to use insulin which helps to prevent Type-II diabetes, the type that is caused by the body’s inability to deal with sugar. Cocoa can increase nitric oxide levels to help with insulin-stimulated uptake of blood sugars. The increase in nitric oxide also improves the health of the bl ood vessels, limiting the damage of diabetes on the small vessels. Like the heart and blood vessels, dark chocolate consumption can be good for the brain.More recently, it was discovered that a compound in dark chocolate, called epicatechin (a flavonoid), may decrease the risk of stroke by increasing cellular signals that shield nerve cells from damage. A stroke is similar to a heart attack, but occurs when the blood supply to your brain becomes blocked or reduced. This can cause your brain cells to begin to die within minutes because it deprives your brain of necessary oxygen and nutrients.Furthermore, dark chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine that stimulates the nervous system giving to people a feeling of pleasure, serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant which makes you feel good after eating chocolate and theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants that can increase your mental awareness. Good for the memory, flavanoids, can help boost brain power and mem ory. The beneficial brain effects appear to result from flavanoids impact on the blood system. In essence, the chemicals stimulate an increase of blood flow to the brain.Chocolate may also prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. The antioxidant flavonoid helps protect the skin against sun’s harmful UV rays and pollution, soothes inflammation such as acne, and prevents wrinkles by increasing the blood flow, restoring collagen and improving the appearance of the skin. (3) Also, some studies conducted in Europe, Asia, and North America have found that people who eat a diet rich in flavonoids from chocolate have lower incidents of cancer than those who eat fewer flavonoids. Lastly, dark chocolate can help reduce weight gain in the body.Rich in fiber, dark chocolate can actually help keep you full, so you can resist eating more food than you need. It also can take longer to chew, giving your brain time to get the signal that you have had enough to eat. To Sum up, eating dark chocolate has various health benefits. It contains high concentrations of beneficial flavonoids that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancer. However it should be consumed in moderation to receive the full potential of these health benefits. References: 1. Dillinger TL, Barriga P, Escarcega S, et al. Food of the gods: cure for humanity?A cultural history of the medicinal and ritual use of chocolate. J Nutr 2000; 130(suppl):2057SÂ ±2072S 2. http://www. aarp. org/health/medical-research/info-03-2011/dark-chocolate-can-help-lower-your-blood-pressure. html 3. http://www. cnn. com/2006/HEALTH/12/20/health. chocolate/ 4. http://img. pathfinder. gr/clubs/files/4093/6835. pdf 5. http://mydrchocolate. soundconcepts. com/research/rs_rwhateat. htm#cardio 6. http://www. dark-chocolate-antioxidant. com/ 7. http://EzineArticles. com/844267 8. http://mydrchocolate. soundconcepts. com/research/rs_rwhateat. htm#other

All high school graduates should be given a chance to get a free college education

The skyrocketing costs of modern higher education are a serious threat to national economy and well-being. Students who are presented with formidable barriers on their way to college, such as the need to take time to complete their degree, staying out of the workforce for the time period, and serious entrance tests, have to cope with a problem that is insurmountable for many: the cost of higher education.Although in the US student loans are available, this is a serious consideration that may prevent many from getting an education. It seems feasible that students are provided with a no-cost public college education in the way it is done in many European countries. This policy would have many benefits for the labor market and educational system.1. Finding Ways to Finance Public educationWhat is the way to finance public education? The money is typically raised through the taxation system involving federal and local taxes. This setup involves a more equal distribution of the financial b urden implied in the higher education system.After all, the advantages of higher education are later consumed by the whole society as educated specialists are working in many spheres of society for the benefit of all. Students who are investing time, effort and money in their education are not only toiling for themselves – they are leveraging their talents to create a better world for all.However, when the system is financed out of funds provided by students and their parents, the distribution of burden is unequal since it lies exclusively on the shoulders of those who are studying and ignores the positive social effects of education. Education is a communal affair and it should be treated as such by all relevant parties, who should attempt to turn it into a powerful vehicle for social development. Providing a public education out of public funds will ensure a more equitable distribution of the financial responsibility for supporting college education.2. Giving Talented Stude nts a ChanceRising tuition costs place heavy demands on family and personal budgets, making financial background of a student an important factor in determining the decision to go to college. As of now, the constant rise over the past decade gives no indication of stopping. Quite soon, education may be affordable (excluding students loans) only to a select few. In fact, policy-makers have already expressed concern about the steep rise in costs.The National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education established in 1997 stated that â€Å"the federal and state governments may elect to impose price controls on higher education† given uncontrollable rise in tuition fees (Martin 2002:88).In determining the factors for financing and tuition, society should ask itself what it really wants in terms of enrolment in colleges: a more affluent or a more talented class. If the answer is the latter, enrolment clearly has to be determined by intellectual ability and leadership potential, not by the ability to cover the costs. If we take affluence and talent to be unrelated, there is no reason to desire the enrolment of students from wealthier families.Quite the other way round, wealthy parents may have ways to promote their children other than through education, and if they have connections, it is possible to make it even to a top position with an online degree or even without any.Thus, free college education is a way to harness the potential of all talented students regardless of their parents’ financial possibilities. In contemporary American society, individuals from needy backgrounds may rely on education as their only way to success. If society denies them this way, they will never gain a chance in those jobs that could reveal their full leadership potential.3. Are Fees Inevitable?Despite students’ protests against costs of higher education, education experts continue to insist that fees are inescapable. As reasons for increases in college tuition, t hey cite the need to maintain an adequate economic basis including development of new technology in universities and colleges. Some college officials insist that students should be happy with fees because they are â€Å"fire-sale bargain considering what it actually costs the school to educate an undergrad each year† (Sausner 2001:20).Evaluating those arguments, one should keep in mind what should be the ultimate purpose of education. If this is taken to be the benefit of the overall society, if should be structured in such a way as to ensure this maximum benefit for all. For example, imposing taxes in order to finance education will gather more money from the rich and less from the poor. Putting these funds into tuition-free education, the government will give all equal access so that cost is not an issue.As a result, the education provides the nation with more efficient professionals who will be able to contribute to economic growth. Tax payments can be maintained at levels that correspond to the needs for technological and other development of colleges. Surely, this means higher taxes, but this will be offset by absence of tuition for citizens.