VA Tech Shooting - Cho Seung-Hui Research Paper

VA Tech Shooting - Cho Seung-Hui - Research Paper Example Cho was able to buy these weapons despite the psychological problem he was afflicted with and that was in the records. At around 7:15 AM he killed two students. He sent some videos to NBC News proclaiming himself to be Jesus Christ and revealing his contempt towards the wealthy students and â€Å"deceitful charlatans† (Hagan, 2010, p. 212). After two hours he entered a classroom, shut the main entrance doors and resumed to murder several students and faculty at large in 170 rounds. He had already used 174 bullets and 203 live cartridges were recovered. Several students and professors acted bravely and managed to escape and also save some others. If police had not arrived on time, further killings would have occurred. The following report will analyze the various aspects of the massacre and especially the accused along with the action taken by the VPI Campus Police Department. An analysis of behavioral theory about Seung-Hui Cho would have led to an early identification of this negativity in the student and perhaps could have prevented the massacre. Cho’s behavior can be analyzed with the help of Trait Theory, especially Psychodynamic Trait Theory proposed by the Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso. The theory asserts that criminality is a result of abnormal biological or psychological characteristics. Biological this might be explained as follows: â€Å"Chemical and mineral imbalance leads to cognitive and learning deficits†¦and these factors in turn are associated with antisocial behavior† (Schechter, 2003, p. 100). Psychological Freud has put forward a theory, which has become significant with time. According to Freud, â€Å"â€Å"[the] residue of the most significant emotional attachments of our childhood, which then guides our future interpersonal relationships† (Siegel, 2005, p. 111). This theory comprises of three components – id, ego and super ego. The id dominates one’s basic needs like sleep, food habits,

Accounting II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting II - Essay Example This form of company typically have unlimited life and ease of ownership transferability in addition to owners limited liability. Examples of such companies are Microsoft and HP (Brigham & Ehrhardt, 2008). The accounting treatment of partnership takes company as an entity which is separate from partners’ personal affairs (Horngren, Bamber, & Harrison, 2005). The major difference in the accounting of corporations and partnership is the calculation and disclosure of the capital of the organization. Corporations are required to prepare and publish audited annual and quarterly reports which could be accessed by shareholders. These annual reports contains statements including income statement, balance sheet, cash flow and changes in shareholders’ equity. Financial reports are not published for external users by partnership and tax return is submitted as part of individual tax forms. There are different ways of identifying whether a company is a partnership or corporation. Firstly, partnerships and corporations fall in different tax regimes. In partnership entity is not liable for tax and it is deducted from owner’s personal income. IRS has set out guidelines for distinguishing between partnership and corporation. In addition to the characteristics discussed above if one partner has the power to dissolve company then the characteristics of corporation is absent. Shareholders of corporations can sell their stock to third party however in partnerships there is general lack of transferability. There is also centralization of management in partnership whereas in corporations there is a board of directors which comprise of company’s shareholders (Brickman, 1991). ï‚ § What does a statement of cash flows tell us about the short and long term prospects of the firm? How does an outside review use a statement of cash flows and other financial statements to assess the viability of the firm? Companies prepare cash flow statement on a periodic basis for

The Use of Steroids in Sports Should Be Permitted or Legalized Essay Example for Free

The Use of Steroids in Sports Should Be Permitted or Legalized Essay Steroid in sports has been used since 1954 where the soviets won many weight classes which brought about debates about use of testosterone on the team members. The testosterone injections were used to enhance the performance of the athletes that led to wining so many medals. Use of Anabolic steroids was evident and this was different from the use of oral steroids, use of herbs and foods that improve the muscular strength in performance in events (Milton John H. 205-208). In the resent past, professionals especially in the athletic field have had lucrative contracts on use of these substances has been on the increase. Besides increasing performance they have been known to fasten the healing process of injuries and also increase the length of time in which one spends in the career. In the late 1990s their use was a symbol of national pride as athletes won Olympic Gold Medals. Other substances and drugs have been in use in an attempt to enhance performance but the anabolic steroids have been found to be more powerful. For example, with Dianabol many athletes sought to have access to the drug and even have protocols on their use. However, in 1968 the World health Organization (WHO) complained on use of the steroid on their use and dispensation on pharmaceuticals. The Anabolic steroids were banned by the International Olympic Council although many athletes avoided drug tests (Putriam Douglas 250). In the 1990s the use of anabolic steroids had spread into the society and into high school levels that led to an anti-steroid policy being formulated to monitor their use. However the government should legalize it so that there is a level playing field since many athletes are using the drugs (Taylor William N. 370). A legal option should be provided as well as having a moral choice on its use The situation should only be regulated and supervised as this would minimize health risks that may be associated. Despite the fact that they have great effects on the body, it can maximize physical performance and hence one can optimize his earning potential. It should however not be advocated for those under 21 years. Their use should be legalized and regulated and more importantly taxed. In an example of Rafael Palmeiro who was a player of the Baltimore Orioles who suffered serious injuries and used steroids as an alternative to quick recovery and resistance to injury rather than increasing on his performance. In such a case, use of this steroid would be a good option so that he would be helped out of multiple serious injuries that he suffered (Hanson Glen 100, 115). They are none to reduce injury, increase recovery and tissue bonding that increases exertion with blunt force trauma as in footballers. The substances should be looked into to find out on their chemical content and especially to find out those that offer better living for athletes. Perhaps they may be necessary or of help to laborers who carry out heavy jobs such as dock workers who load goods. It’s also too late to ban steroids and a consideration of making performance enhancing drugs should be of concern. Athletes who do not use the steroids risk low performance and risk their job too. Those that use want to be competitive as this is their only measure of worth. Despite the link of steroid use to physical and mental problems, this is only as a result of their abuse and improper use but otherwise doctors would prescribe the same for medical and cosmetic reasons. If legalized, doctors would safely prescribe the drug according to medical history and condition of players. Doctors would also give benefits and risks of their use so that they can make informed choices. Furthermore this would guarantee protection or enhancement from the use of steroids. According to Husak D. , in sports, performance is considered more important than character and so if the steroids can revitalize these careers then it should be legalized (Husak Douglas. 30, 36). The belief that steroids will give a development of power and strength to win has pushed more athletes to their use. It is also believed that they relieve them from heavy workouts by increasing their muscle mass. The same drugs are used for treating anemia, bone degradation, facilitate growth and in other disorders of gonads and gynecological problems. Steroids work so well and the society enjoys and supports sports and the athletes and so, they would not mind so much if they are kept entertained on the screen without considering what is behind the energy presented in their fans (Yesalis E. C. 456-465). A swimmer by the name Rick De Mont was confronted for using ephedrine which is a steroid and a performance enhances in 1972 and this drug is also used to treat Asthma. Coincidentally the swimmer was also found to be asthmatic and this proved his use. Ethically he should not be denied this drug because of his health and medical need since his life is at risk and his living needs not be compromised too. If steroids are legalized then all athletes would be operating from one level rather than others being more competitive than others. Equal opportunity of legal and controlled drugs should be made available.

Canadian Senate Analysis

Canadian Senate Analysis The current government of Canada has remained in place since the British North America Act, 1867, which established the Parliament for Canada to be comprised of three parts: the Crown, the Senate, and the House of Commons.[1] Unique to Canada’s government, which is based on the Westminster Parliamentary System, is that the upper house of parliament, or the Senate, is comprised of unelected officials. For a large portion of Canada’s history there has been a debate concerning the Senate, largely concerning its unelected officials. While there has consistently been a discussion on if the Senate should be changed, Canada’s political parties cannot agree on if this change should be a reform of the Senate or its abolishment. In recent years this debate has been revitalized due to scandals concerning senators, Stephen Harper’s commitment to reform the Senate, and the Supreme Court ruling on what would need to be done to reform the Senate. While it is understandab le that some may want to push for the Senate to be abolished, this is much too drastic of a step for Canada to take and should not be taken just for simplicity’s sake. Democracies function and exist on mechanisms that help balance the power of the governing bodies to ensure that no one body or official has too much power and abolishing the Senate before attempting to reform it would give the House of Commons too much power. Prime Minister John MacDonald’s words are often used in explaining what the Senate does when he said that they are â€Å"the sober second thought.†[2] The reasoning for this is that by having politicians that are concerned for the long term stability and integrity of Canada and its laws and not concern themselves about being reelected and the perpetual campaign or about politics. Essentially they can give their full attention to being the check on the House of Commons. In addition, section 54 of the Canadian Constitution states that bills which deal with any aspect of money, including appropriating revenue or creating or removing a tax, must originate from the House of Commons.[3] What this then causes, because most bills deal with issues of revenue or taxes in some manner, the vast majority of bills come from the House of Commons, which creates a unique dynamic between the two houses.[4] The dynamic that is crated is an uneven balance between the two in terms of the am ount of work that is done. The House of Commons is the primary body that creates legislation and the Senate largely provides review and second thought on the issues addressed in legislation. While this may be the original thought, there are flaws to it. Many ideas on how to change the Senate have been proposed over the years, but to understand the current debate the most it is best to look at what each major political party current proposes. Currently the common discourse about the Senate is divided into three areas: main the status quo; keep the Senate, but reform it; or abolish the Senate in its entirety. Political parties of Canada have often differed on how the Senate should be approached and dealt with along the three lines. The New Democratic Party (NDP), especially in recent years, has been vocal proponents of abolishing the senate. The NDP has even gone as far as creating a website to promote the idea of abolishing the Senate, citing its unelected nature and high costs as reasons for it to be abolished.[5] The Conservative Party, on the other hand, has taken a different route and has attempted to reform it. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party attempted to create a system whereby senators would be elected by the provinces for nine years.[6] The legislation that proposed this came in 2011, but the constitutionality of this effort immediately came into question and went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court responded in 2014 when it ruled that any Senate reform must go be approved by at least seven provinces and half of the population.[7] The Liberal Party has not been as loud as the others, but did eject the senators that were part of the Liberal Caucus and released a statement declaring their support for reform of the Senate and the ejection of the senators from the caucus is the first step.[8] Each of the major political is in favor of some change to the Senate, which is a reflection of the opinion of Canadians. In addition to the political parties siding on the Senate being altered in some way, a majority of Canadians are in favor of some sort of change. According to a poll by Angus Reid conducted in April of 2015, 86% of Canadians are in favor of a change.[9] However, while an overwhelming majority of citizens are in favor of a change, there is a deep divide on what kind of change should exist. In the same poll by Angus Reid, 45% of Canadians are in favor of a reformed Senate while 41% are in favor of the Senate being abolished entirely.[10] Just as with the political parties, this mirrors the debate and contention between the political parties on exactly what should be done. Compared to the 2013 poll by Angus Reid on the same topic, in a year filled with news about scandals concerning senators, 50% of Canadians were in favor of abolishment vs. 43% for reform.[11] This shows, like with many topics, the interest and concern of people will differ a lot depending on how senators are conductin g themselves and how the Senate is functioning. The reason why the vast majority of criticisms that have been leveled against the Senate are about its unelected senators is because that is its biggest flaw. While it can be argued that removing the time consuming process of elections it gives senators a different set of priorities to focus on the work of Parliament, this is the exact reason why it is bad. By being selected rather than elected, senators are then beholden to those that choose them rather than the citizens of Canada. This then means that if a senator does not do a good job, or do the job at all, according to Canadians, it is a difficult process to get rid of them. Since these senators are then beholden to those that choose them, this creates a dangerous mechanism for internal party politics whereby those that are actually selected to be a senator may not be deserving of the position. On the contrary, as the NDP accuses the Conservative Party of doing, those that do work for the party or the Prime Minister may end up a s a senator as a favor.[12] The Senate is an undemocratic and authoritarian instrument that has to be reformed. Regardless of the scandals that have occurred or if the senators take advantage of their position, the critical point is there exists a need for senators to be elected. In the overall discourse, the idiosyncrasies of reform matter little as long as the process towards elections. What the Conservative Party proposed is a good step and is not a bad way to reform the Senate. An important part of this proposal that should be in all other proposals is that senators should have a longer term than those in the House of Commons. This is to help preserve some of the original motivations for the creation of the Senate, which is to have senators think about and be concerned for the long term integrity and development of Canada. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party’s efforts to reform the Senate have been described as failures, but they actually began one of the most important steps to changing the Senate: discovering the process. The Supreme Court ruled that reform or abolishment of the Senate cannot be done unilaterally by the House of Commons, which caused the Conservatives to cease their efforts and Prime Minister Harper to say that the ruling â€Å"leaves [them] with little choice† but to abandon their efforts.[13] Contrary to what Stephen Harper may say, the Supreme Court’s ruling gives the Conservatives and all of Canada reason to pursue reform and creates the parameters of how. The Supreme Court ruled that in order to reform the Senate, at least seven provinces would need to approve in addition to half of Canada while abolition would require unanimous consent.[14] Although this is a daunting process, if we take into account that 86% of Canadians want change, i t is not impossible. While this 86%, when broken down accounts for 45% that are for reform and 41% that are for abolition, it can be assumed that many of those that want abolition would much favor reform rather than no change in the event that a vote was given to the general population. Overall, the strengths and arguments for reform outweigh those of abolition. In addition to paving the way on how reform of the Senate must occur, the Supreme Court also gave a strong argument for reform over abolition: it is easier. While there may be arguments to be made for to having a unicameral parliament and abolishing the Senate, this path is too far to go without attempting reform first. If we are to accept that a bicameral legislature and Senate is part of our cultural heritage and that it does have merit in providing a check and balance to the actions of the House of Commons, there should at least be some effort to preserve it with reform. Some of the criticisms that have been used against the Senate including the significant cost to taxpayers compared to the lack of work can be rectified with reforming and making senators elected officials. By becoming elected officials, they are then accountable to the people that elected them into office and can easily be voted out if th ey do any work or their work is not sufficient to their electorate. While there many strengths to reforming the Senate, there does exist problems that must be considered. The first, and possibly biggest, obstacle in regards to reforming the Senate is its inability to create bills concerning the allocation of revenue or use of taxes. Already this creates a great hindrance on the work of the Senate and is one of the reasons why the Senate does not produce nearly the same amount of bills as the House of Commons. If the event of serious efforts and progress to reform the Senate, it would have to be addressed if the Senate would be able to create bills concerning money or if the restriction would remain in place. On one hand, the removal of such restriction would encourage senators to produce more bills, but would diminish the role and authority of the House of Commons Insight into this can be drawn from Australia’s Parliament, which has an elected Senate, but still requires all money bills to begin in the House of Representatives, which is the low er house of the Australian Parliament.[15] This causes the same imbalance that occurs in Canada’s Parliament where the House of Representatives produce the vast majority of bills while the Senate produces much less, but gets to spend much more time in committee work.[16] When looking at the overall discourse and benefits presented by reforming the Senate, it is something that should be pursued by Canada. The Senate still plays an important role by providing committee work, which the House of Commons often does not have enough time to do, and provides a needed balance. However, an unelected Senate is an artifact of an old system of government that must be updated to become more democratic. While there are strong arguments to be made for abolition, it should not be considered before at least attempting to reform. In addition, it is easier to reform rather than abolish so it is rational to at least turn the Senate into something Canadians want before losing it forever. References A Legislative and Historical Overview of the Senate of Canada. A Legislative and Historical Overview of the Senate of Canada. Accessed April 27, 2015. Abolish the Senate. Roll up the Red Carpet: Its Time to Abolish the Senate. Accessed April 29, 2015. Angus Reid. Future of the Senate: Majority of Canadians Split between Abolishing, Reforming the Red Chamber. Accessed May 3, 2015. CBC News. Canadas Senate: Sober Second Thought. CBCnews. July 9, 2010. Accessed April 25, 2015. Cody, Howard. Lessons from Australia in Canadian Senate Reform. Canadian Parliamentary Review. Accessed May 3, 2015. Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982. Legislative Services Branch. Accessed April 26, 2015. Fine, Sean. Stuck with Status Quo on Senate, Says Harper after Courts Rejection. The Globe and Mail. Accessed April 29, 2015. Parliamentary Institutions. Parliamentary Institutions. Accessed April 25, 2015. Trudeau Leads on Senate Reform: Liberal Leader Takes Concrete Action to Remove Partisanship and Patronage from the Senate. Accessed May 3, 2015. [1] Parliamentary Institutions, parliamentary Institutions, accessed April 25, 2015. [2] CBC News.,Canadas Senate: Sober Second Thought, July 9, 2010, accessed April 25, 2015. [3] Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982, Legislative Services Branch, accessed April 26, 2015. [4] A Legislative and Historical Overview of the Senate of Canada, A Legislative and Historical Overview of the Senate of Canada, accessed April 27, 2015. [5] Abolish the Senate, Roll up the Red Carpet: Its Time to Abolish the Senate, accessed April 29, 2015. [6] Sean Fine, Stuck with Status Quo on Senate, Says Harper after Courts Rejection, The Globe and Mail, accessed April 29, 2015. [7] Sean Fine, Stuck with Status Quo on Senate, Says Harper after Courts Rejection, The Globe and Mail, accessed April 29, 2015. [8] Trudeau Leads on Senate Reform: Liberal Leader Takes Concrete Action to Remove Partisanship and Patronage from the Senate, accessed May 3, 2015. [9] Angus Reid, Future of the Senate: Majority of Canadians Split between Abolishing, Reforming the Red Chamber, accessed May 3, 2015. [10] Angus Reid, Future of the Senate: Majority of Canadians Split between Abolishing, Reforming the Red Chamber, accessed May 3, 2015. [11] Angus Reid, Future of the Senate: Majority of Canadians Split between Abolishing, Reforming the Red Chamber, accessed May 3, 2015. [12] Abolish the Senate, Roll up the Red Carpet: Its Time to Abolish the Senate, accessed April 29, 2015. [13] Sean Fine, Stuck with Status Quo on Senate, Says Harper after Courts Rejection, The Globe and Mail, accessed April 29, 2015. [14] Sean Fine, Stuck with Status Quo on Senate, Says Harper after Courts Rejection, The Globe and Mail, accessed April 29, 2015. [15] Howard Cody. Lessons from Australia in Canadian Senate Reform, Canadian Parliamentary Review, accessed May 3, 2015. [16] Howard Cody. Lessons from Australia in Canadian Senate Reform, Canadian Parliamentary Review, accessed May 3, 2015.

Childhood Play Behavior and Cognitive Development Essay -- Child Deve

Childhood play behavior is an important part of every child’s life. Starting in infancy, children begin to explore their world through play. This behavior can serve as an indicator of the child’s cognitive and social development. The research on play and development is a key to helping caregivers understand the importance of childhood play. This paper will focus on the psychological aspects of childhood play behavior and its relation to cognitive development. According to the cognitive development theory, the purpose of play is to develop intelligence. While children play, it is theorized that they are able to learn to solve problems (Wyver & Spence, 1999). One of the most influential contributors to understanding play was Jean Piaget. According to his theory, all people must adapt to the environment through assimilation and accommodation. Childhood play is a form of assimilation and any behavior that is done for enjoyment can be defined as play (Piaget, 1962). Piaget also developed the stages of cognition these include: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational thinking. These stages of development provide a framework for conceptualizing childhood behavior and are made evident through play (Tsao, 2002). As children grow and mature, they transition through Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and their type of play changes. Up until a child’s second birthday, they are in the sensorimotor period of cognitive development. This phase of development is classified as a period of observation. These children engage in sensorimotor play, also known as practice play, which consists repetitively doing a physical activity. According to Piaget, this is the first stage of ... ...iversity Press. Hyun, E. (1998). Making sense of developmentally and culturally appropriate practice (DCAP) in early childhood education. New York: Peter Lang. Chapter 2. Kaufman, A. Barbara (1994). Day by day: Playing and learning. International Journal of Play Therapy, 3 (1), pp.11-21. Phelps, P., & Hanline, M. (1999). Let's play blocks: Creating effective learning experiences for young children. Teaching Exceptional Children, 32(2), 62-7. Piaget, J. (1962). Play, dreams and imitation in childhood. New York: Norton. Tsao, L. (2002). How much do we know about the importance of play in child development?. Childhood Education, 78(4), 230-3. Retrieved from OmniFile Full Text Mega database Wyver, S., & Spence, S. (1999). Play and divergent problem solving: Evidence supporting a reciprocal relationship. Early Education and Development, 10(4), 419-444.

Standardized Testing Is Counterproductive Essay -- Problems With High

Excessive testing has been integrated in the public school system to measure student intelligence, observe teacher proficiency, and distribute federal funds since the passage of the No Child Left behind Act (NCLBA) of 2001. The (NCLBA) ‘‘called for 100% of the nation’s public school students to become proficient in mathematics and reading by 2014’’ through the usage of standardized testing (Hanson 3). Since the inception of this policy there have been numerous issues involved in these tests. ‘‘Instead of providing equal access for all children, the frenetic use of mandated testing in schools and in teacher education is having the opposite effect’’ (Richardson 34). Standardized testing is an ineffective and outdated tool that creates a counterproductive learning environment; testing enforced by the state should be altered to better accommodate the students needs. The primary function of standardized testing is to provide an accurate measure of student and teacher performance; they fall short of meeting this standard. Test scores don’t accurately reflect a child’s intelligence. One reason for this is that a single test cannot properly show the extent of a child’s knowledge. Language barriers are a determining factor as well, if English is not the primary language of a student they will have a harder time understanding questions and in turn procure lower scores. More problems arise when students enter high school; students don’t try as hard since standardized tests do not affect class grades. Moreover, scores are influenced by external factors. A child’s emotional or mental state during testing is detrimental to their results. Living conditions along with social status affect testing data as well. If a student is upset or living... ... ERIC. Print. Longo, Christopher. ‘‘Fostering Creativity or Teaching to the Test? Implications of State Testing on the Delivery of Science Instruction.’’ Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 2010. ERIC. Print. Phelps, Richard P. ‘‘Characteristics of an Effective Student Testing System.’’ Educational Horizons, 2006. ERIC. Print. Reddell, Samantha. ‘‘High Stakes Testing: Our Children at Risk.’’ Online Submission, 2010. ERIC. Print. Richardson, Brian; Wheeless, Lawrence R. ‘‘Teachers Tattling on Teachers: Policy Attitude and Tenure's Influence on Peer Reporting of Unethical Behavior.’’ International Journal of Educational Reform, 2009. ERIC. Print. Ryan, Katherine E., Allison M. Ryan, Keena Arbuthnot, Maurice Samuels. ‘‘Students' Motivation for Standardized Math Exams.’’ Educational Researcher, 2007. EIRC. Print.

Local Literature for Entrance Exam Registration Essay

Every year thousands of high school graduating students seek admission to PUP through its College Entrance Test (PUPCET). For the School Year 2008-2009, the Admissions Office recorded approximately 42,000 applicants. During peak periods of application, it takes several hours to complete this process. At times applicant has to return to PUP to finish the transaction. Time and resources spent by the applicants and by the University could have been used to more productive activities. Moreover, during the month of October and mid-December, the Admissions Office has to suspend processing of application to allocate their resources to the processing of mid-year graduation and to attend to the enrollment for second semester. The existing system does not integrate the data captured by various offices involved in the processing of the PUPCET. The Admissions Office, Accounting Department, Cashier, Guidance and Counseling, Scholarships, Student Services, Academic Units, Research and Development, Human Resources are just some of the units who will use the information by this system. In addition, the University is required to submit data and reports regularly to external agencies such as the Commission of Higher Education (CHED), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Congress, etc. The absence of an integrated database tends to result to data inefficiency, which affects the quality and objectivity of the recommendations, decisions and plans by the policy-making body or administrators and other stakeholders. In order to address this problem, PUP iApply (formerly codename â€Å"Project Silangan†) was conceptualized. Applicants benefit from the proposed system as compared to the existing systems, because they can Apply anytime, anywhere at their convenience using any personal computer connected to the Internet, save on cumulative expenses (transportation fare, food, etc. ), save on time and energy (transportation, falling-in-line), and verify status of application anywhere, anytime. These are just a few of the ways PUP iApply can impact the bottom line and simplify the admission process.