My biggest concerns about attending college free essay sample

Have you ever thought about attending college and if you have what are your biggest concerns? One of my biggest concerns is that I have been out of school for 17 years now. The fact that I have almost forgotten mostly everything I learned about math and it scares me, and I wish I could afford to pay for my classes out of pocket. The biggest concern that I have about attending college is the fact that I have three kids, a husband and a part time job that I have to attend to. It would be very hard for me to attend classes if they are not online. That is why I am attending online classes as of this moment. I would also have a hard time finding the time to study because I have such a busy life outside of school helping my children with homework, taking them to outside activities, sitting down and giving them a little of my undivided attention and doing the little things on the agenda. We will write a custom essay sample on My biggest concerns about attending college or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The hardest part about attending college is the financial aspect of it. I always have to apply for financial aid because I cannot handle paying for my classes on my own. It is a heavy weight on me knowing after I graduate it will be extremely hard to pay back my loans; this is the only way to achieve my goals right now. It is always on my mind the fact that I may not be able to land a job in my career field. Hopefully, this is something that I can achieve and start working in my field immediately to start paying back my loans and earning decent earnings.

Free Essays on Journal

Observation Journal Entry #1 Teaching Style o In my opinion the teacher is pretty much laid back. The entire environment is very different then what I am use to. I went to a suburban catholic high school. The teacher, however, always has control over the class and the students do not seem to take advantage of his laid-back attitude. This I believe can be the basis for better teaching, were the kids do not feel so much pressure. o The teacher uses visual and analytical methods. Since he teaches math he uses drawings for problems so that students can see the picture and the numbers to better help them understand the lesson. He also uses overheads and pictures of the calculator to help students understand and use the calculators better. o The greatest thing that he makes his students do is give him reasons why. For each problem the students are required to write a conclusion. This helps them not only express what they learned but helps their writing skills. Students’ Response to Teaching Style o Most students seem to stay on task, yet you still have a few students that are sleepy or not paying attention, which I think, is normal in most high school classrooms. The biggest problem would probably be the talking. o The students like when the teacher gives different views. He will explain one problem from many different views or angles. Just by looking around the classroom you could tell which way helped which student. They all seemed to be excited to find out that they finally got it. Assignments o I think that all of the assignments are fair, in that they are directly related to the lessons taught in class. o Each night the students are assigned problems to work on, sometimes they are to be handed in or to be done in the copybooks. They seemed to be always allowed to start them in class. o Each assignment includes writing. Even though it is a math class each student writes a conclusio... Free Essays on Journal Free Essays on Journal Observation Journal Entry #1 Teaching Style o In my opinion the teacher is pretty much laid back. The entire environment is very different then what I am use to. I went to a suburban catholic high school. The teacher, however, always has control over the class and the students do not seem to take advantage of his laid-back attitude. This I believe can be the basis for better teaching, were the kids do not feel so much pressure. o The teacher uses visual and analytical methods. Since he teaches math he uses drawings for problems so that students can see the picture and the numbers to better help them understand the lesson. He also uses overheads and pictures of the calculator to help students understand and use the calculators better. o The greatest thing that he makes his students do is give him reasons why. For each problem the students are required to write a conclusion. This helps them not only express what they learned but helps their writing skills. Students’ Response to Teaching Style o Most students seem to stay on task, yet you still have a few students that are sleepy or not paying attention, which I think, is normal in most high school classrooms. The biggest problem would probably be the talking. o The students like when the teacher gives different views. He will explain one problem from many different views or angles. Just by looking around the classroom you could tell which way helped which student. They all seemed to be excited to find out that they finally got it. Assignments o I think that all of the assignments are fair, in that they are directly related to the lessons taught in class. o Each night the students are assigned problems to work on, sometimes they are to be handed in or to be done in the copybooks. They seemed to be always allowed to start them in class. o Each assignment includes writing. Even though it is a math class each student writes a conclusio... Free Essays on Journal Entry # 1: Today was my first day at Midwood High School, where I observed three European History classes. All classes were majority sophomores and a few freshmen that were ahead of the game as well as a few juniors and seniors that fell behind. To estimate each class has, give or take, thirty five students on average. By request the three classes that I observed was on a different tracking level. The first class was an honors class that was composed primarily of Asian students, some Caucasian student and a very small percentage of African American and Hispanic students: to estimate I would say approximately four. The average class that I observed seemed to be very heterogeneous mixture of every ethnicity, race, and religion. It was so equally mixed that I was unable to estimate how many students belong to each subgroup. Finally, my low level class seemed to be majority African American, some Hispanic and three students belong to what I will very uneasily call the Caucasian group. Behavior wise my honors class could not be beat. They were eager to participate, quite down upon the request of the teacher, and seemed to truly be interested in the material that they were learning. They always appeared to be in competition with one another to give the right answer. I found it incredibly interesting how these students not only knew the material very well, but seemed to do the reading before class. They read the newspaper and watch the news to make sure that they are up to date on current events and took great pride in incorporating this knowledge to class discussion even without the teacher’s request. When the teacher spoke anything, these students immediately wrote it down: a skill I am still to this day unable to pick up. They were assigned an extremely large amount of homework every day that was due the following day. This is probably about two to three hours worth of hard work and the students did not seem to mind. By looking at ...

Battle of Issus Essay Example for Free

Battle of Issus Essay The Battle of Issus Sometime around 310 BCE an artist by the name of Philoxenus of Eretria created a mosaic (creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored material) of the Battle of Issus that has long been considered one of the greatest artworks of antiquity. Found at the House of the Faun in Pompeii in 1831 the mosaic is composed of about one and a half million tiny individual colored tiles called tesserae. The artwork illustrates the battle in which invading troops led by Alexander of Macedonia defeated the army led by King Darius III of Persia. When looking at the piece the viewer cannot help but be impressed by the psychological intensity of the drama taking place. On the Persian side of the piece the viewer’s eye is immediately drawn to the prominent figure of Darius shown in his chariot. A look of pure desperation, and perhaps even fear, is etched in Darius’ face as victory slips through his hands. As his steely eyed charioteer turns to rein his horses for a fast retreat to safety Darius stretches out his hand toward Alexander either in disbelief that Alexander has beaten him, or perhaps in grief over the death of one of his â€Å"immortals†. Around him are his Persian soldiers who mill in confusion in the background, their faces filled with fear and determination. On the same side, there are two other figures that are quite notable and demonstrate the artist’s technical mastery. The first is the artist’s depiction of the rearing horse right below Darius which is seen in a three-quarter rear view. The rider, his terror evident upon his face, glances back at the battle as he attempts to control his horse. This kind of depiction is very impressive and is much more accomplished then other similar attempts such as the shading in the Pella mosaic or the Vergina mural (Kleiner 142). The second, perhaps even more impressive, is the artist’s portrayal of the Persian in the foreground who has fallen onto the ground and raises a small shield in a pathetic attempt to prevent being trampled. The man’s terrified face is reflected on the polished surface of the shield moments before the chariot crushes him under its ornate wheels. On the Macedonian side of things the viewer’s eye is of course drawn to Alexander. This portrait of Alexander is one of his most famous. His breastplate depicts Medusa the Gorgon. He leads the charge into battle on his horse Bucephalus, without even a helmet to protect him, and maintains an aura of unshaken confidence in direct contrast to Darius. As Alexander surges forward in a supreme effort he drives his spear straight through one of Darius’s trusted â€Å"immortals† who puts himself between him and the King of Persia. As the impaled Persian collapses to the ground, Alexander fixes his gaze upon Darius in utter hatred. Although the deteriorated condition of the mosaic makes it difficult to distinguish much on the Macedonian side a cavalryman wearing a Boeotian helmet with a golden wreath can been seen behind Alexander. Looking at the mosaic as a whole there are a few important details that grab ones attention. First is the fact that the landscape is very minimal, only one gnarled tree trunk appearing in the background and a few discarded weapons and rocks in the foreground. Secondly, everywhere in the scene men, animals, and weapons cast shadows on the ground. This unusual attention to detail is what enhances the intensity of the piece and gives it an aspect of realism that truly shows the horror and confusion of battle. The viewer cannot help but be drawn into the conflict and become a part of the drama as it unfolds. To me this mosaic is not only a truly great piece of art but also has furthered my understanding of Roman artwork, Macedonian warfare and the emotion in Hellenistic-styled mosaics. It is easy to understand how Roman author and natural philosopher Pliny the Elder concluded that Philoxenus’ depiction of the Battle of Issus was â€Å"inferior to none† (Kleiner 142). Battle of Issus. (2018, Oct 25).

Mark Rothko Chapel and Diego Rivera Paintings Term Paper

Mark Rothko Chapel and Diego Rivera Paintings - Term Paper Example The paper "Mark Rothko Chapel and Diego Rivera Paintings" discusses Mark Rothko Chapel and Diego Rivera Paintings. Approaching from the south, one would also see a steel sculpture written Broken Obelisk standing in the middle of a pool of water. Inside the building there are painting on a majestic scale which cover each of the eight walls. Little is there to barge in their power, just a few benches, eight to be precise, bare plaster and some few cushions on the floor. It is also amazing that the building appears to have doorways, but don’t lead anywhere, except to a small alcove which has nothing. I also noticed that the building has no modern lights fixed but only illuminated by the skylight from the afternoon sun. What I learnt of the building was that it was designed to house the paintings of Mark Rothko, a Russian abstract expressionist. The Chapel is also considered sacred but a non-denominational place of worship. The fourteen paintings in the Chapel are just astonishing . The paintings are dark, in black hues while others are purplish. I learnt that there is a reason why Rothko did the paintings in this manner. The patron I found in the building explains that they are ‘sort of a window to beyond’. In this regard, she explains that bright colors are meant to stop your vision at the canvas, where dark colors go past. After making a first glance at the paintings, it appeared made of solid, dark colors. A closer look revealed that the paintings are made up of several uneven washes of pigments.

Philosophy final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophy final - Essay Example Individualism is believed to be a factor which is being promoted in the society to maintain the balance in society. Adam Smith was a proponent of capitalism along with liberty as he believed in individualism in every individual. He believed that if everyone realizes his or her advantages in accordance to his needs then he would be able to balance the needs of the society too. Adam Smith is considered to be the first promoter of individualism in the society. Nowadays a similar change can be felt in the society when everyone is realizing his own individual advantages and disadvantages in accordance to his needs. Similarly Jeremy Bentham believed that a social policy could be a great way to promote individualism in which the benefits of every individual could be noted down without any moral judgment. By this he meant that every individual has a right to be happy in the way he likes and his happiness cannot be judged on moral grounds. Bentham proposes that a social policy must include clauses and ideas which are equally beneficial for all people living in a society without any indication of discrimination or bias on any grounds. His approach is more inclined towards democracy of thoughts, judgment and social order. Nowadays in the modern society similar events can be seen when people are not able to judge their happiness by being rich only. Even a poor old man can be happier than a rich man because of his realization of individualism. The equal opportunity rights, bills condemning discrimination and social policies for the minorities are all translating the idea of creating individualism in a democratic manner i.e. by creating self-regulating attitudes. People are motivated to think, judge and choose for themselves. They are given the autonomy to choose the career that best suits them, vote for the leader which they truly trust in, go for a decision which find the most appropriate and form

Binge Drinking Essay Example for Free

Binge Drinking Essay Binge drinking usually refers to drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking with the intention to get drunk. Researchers define binge drinking as consuming eight or more units in a single session for men and six or more for women. Due to the long-term effects of alcohol misuse, binge drinking is considered to be a major public health issue. Binge drinking has become more popular in several countries worldwide, and overlaps somewhat with social drinking since it is often done in groups. Many young people make binge drinking a habit due to them not having anything to do. Lots of young people buy cheap alcohol and drink to excess. They drink large amounts of alcohol to become extremely intoxicated over a short period of time. It is understood that student drinkers choose to engage in this behaviour as a means of fitting in with what is considered a social norm. The high levels of binge drinking among young people and the adverse consequences which includes increased risk of alcoholism as an adult and liver disease make binge drinking a major public health issue. Being associated with certain groups, especially in the college setting influences young adults and their decision to engage in binge drinking. Young people are confronted with social pressures involving binge drinking and if ignored, risk being isolated from others. The main cause of death among adolescents as a result of binge drinking is road traffic accidents; a third of all fatal road traffic accidents among 15-to 20-year-olds are associated with drinking alcohol. Violence and suicide are also common causes of death associated with binge drinking among adolescents. The suicide risk in adolescents is more than 4 times higher among binge drinkers than non-binge drinking adolescents. Binge drinking can also result in unwanted pregnancy in young people and a higher rate of sexually transmitted diseases. Female binge drinkers are three times more likely to be victims of sexual assault too; research shows that 50% of adolescent girls reporting sexual assault were under the influence o f alcohol or another psychotropic substance at the time. Culture as well as peer pressure play an important role in driving binge drinking. Reasons for binge drinking in young people include it being fun for the drinker, making the person feel more sociable, helping the person to feel happier and more relaxed and to forget their problems. While  it may seem like a fairly harmless pastime, binge drinking has health and well-being implications that make it far from safe. Binge drinking is more common in men than it is in women. Approximately 50% of men and 39% of women binge drink. Acute intoxication, such as binge drinking, and alcoholism are known huge factors for suicide. Binge drinking is also associated with an increased risk of unplanned sex, unprotected sex, unplanned pregnancies, and an increased risk of catching HIV. 10% of women and 19% of men have reported being assaulted as a result of alcohol. Males who drink more than 35 units of alcohol per week report being physically hurt as a result of alcohol, and 15% report physically h urting others as a result of their drinking. Almost 16% of binge drinkers report being taken advantage of sexually and 8% report taking advantage of another person sexually as a result of alcohol within a 1 year period. Heavy drinkers cause approximately 183,000 rapes and sexual assaults, 197,000 robberies, 661,000 aggravated assaults, and 1.7 million simple assaults each year. Binge drinking can also cause adverse effects on the body such as ischaemic heart disease. The most common risk of consuming massive quantities of alcohol in a short period of time is a dangerously high blood alcohol level. The result is called alcohol poisoning (overdose), which can be fatal. Choking on (or inhalation of) vomit is also a potential cause of death, as are injuries from falls, fights, etc†¦ Another common risk of alcohol is a blackout which makes the victim unable to create memories after the event which can cause shame, guilt and embarrassment. Binge drinking is also associated with strokes and sudden death. Binge drinking increases the risk of stroke by 10 times. In countries where binge drinking is commonplace, rates of sudden death on the weekend in young adults and middle aged people increase signific antly. The government are adding a minimum price of 45 pence for every unit of alcohol to prevent young people and adults from purchasing alcohol, although many have argued that this is not a good idea and will not make a difference to binge drinking because they believe that people with the intention of drinking a large amount of alcohol will do no matter the price. Some researchers believe that rising the legal drinking age and screening brief interventions by healthcare providers are the most effective means of reducing morbidity and mortality rates associated with binge drinking. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that increasing the cost of alcohol or the excise taxes,  restricting the number of stores who may obtain a license to sell liquor (reducing outlet density), and implementing stricter law enforcement of underage drinking laws. There are also a number of individual counselling approaches, such as motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural approac hes, which have been shown to reduce drinking among heavy drinking college students. Binge drinking costs the UK economy approximately  £20 billion a year; 17 million working days are estimated to be lost due to hangovers and drink-related illness each year. The cost of binge drinking to employers is estimated to be  £6.4 billion and the cost per year of alcohol harm is estimated to cost the National Health Service  £2.7 billion. Due to the risks especially in adolescents, of cognitive impairments and possible irreversible brain damage associated with binge drinking, urgent action has been recommended. There is some evidence that interventions by employers such as, health and life-style checks, psychosocial skills training and peer referral, can reduce the level of binge drinking. Increasing public information and awareness regarding the risks of binge drinking, conducting interviews in emergency departments of young people suspected of harmful drinking patterns and trying to persuade them to accept individual counselling in youth addiction counselling services are effective strategies for reducing the harm of binge drinking. Increasing public information and awareness regarding the risks of binge drinking, conducting interviews in emergency departments of young people suspected of harmful drinking patterns and trying to persuade them to accept individual counselling in youth addiction counselling services are effective strategies for reducing the harm of binge drinking.

A Diet of Worms in the Digital Age :: Digital Technology Technological Papers

A Diet of Worms in the Digital Age I can’t prove it, but there is no doubt in my mind that textual arguments have been raging in scholarly circles for as long as there has been text to debate. In my mind’s eye I can see them: ancient Sumerian scribes lecturing each other about clay types and wedge depth; early Semitic peoples voting â€Å"no† on the vowel; medieval European scribes boldly pushing forward with punctuation, spaces between words, and the lower-case alphabet, and having heated debates on the long-term viability of the capital letter. And then came the printing press! Can you imagine the contention! What bold new vistas were opened up for scholarship! But anyone could publish anything—no matter what the quality! And surely, this spelled the doom of calligraphy. With the advent of the digital age, scholarly textual debate has simply entered a new phase. At issue here: what is the potential of digitally-powered scholarship, and how can that potential be realized? What approaches should we take in terms of format and methodology? William H. O’Donnell and Emily A. Thrush (â€Å"Designing a Hypertext Edition of a Modern Poem†) discuss the issues involved in designing hypertext editions of literature. Specifically, they refer to the edition of Yeats’s â€Å"Lapis Lazuli† that they designed. The main work to be studied, they feel (be it â€Å"Lapis Lazuli† or something else), must not be cluttered with visible links. They have devised a method of windowing that anticipates the modern â€Å"frames† format of Internet documents, and stress that any attempt at electronic analysis of a work of literature must be intuitively structured, easy to use, and customizable. Their edition of â€Å"Lapis Lazuli† appears well-constructed and functional and seems to have fairly broad appeal, but it seems also to be intended more as an aid to understanding the poem than as a tool for scholarly research. This distinction separates this article somewhat from the others considered her e, though the basic format could be applied to other projects. Peter Shillingsburg (â€Å"Principles for Electronic Archives, Scholarly Editions, and Tutorials†) frankly admits that what we all secretly want is to have every conceivable kind of information—textual, visual, audio—related to a given topic all sorted for us and available right at our fingertips. This is, of course, impossible, but he feels that electronic editions of scholarly works have the potential to come closer to that ideal than any other medium. He systematically lays out the main problems facing those who create electronic editions and suggests some ways to address them.

Evaluation of Comptronix Corporation: Identifying Inherent Risk and Control Risk Factors Essay

1. Professional auditing standards present the audit risk model, which is used to determine the nature, timing, and extent of audit procedures. Describe the components of the model and discuss how changes in each component affect the auditor’s need for evidence. The audit risk model is used to determine the nature, timing, and extent of substantive audit procedures. The components of audit risk model usually stated as follows: DR = AR/(IR x CR) Where: DR = detection risk; AR = audit risk; IR = inherent risk; CR = control risk Detection Risk: auditors’ procedures will lead them to conclude that a financial statement assertion is not materially misstated when in fact such misstatement does exist. If auditors want to decrease DR, they had better collect more evidence and make sure the validity of evidence. Audit Risk: auditors may unknowingly fail to appropriately modify their opinion on financial statements that are materially misstated. If AR should be keep in low level, which means the other risks also should be low. Inherent Risk: The risk of material misstatement of a financial statement assertion, assuming there were no related controls. As inherent risk increases, PDR decreases, which in turn increases the auditor’s need for stronger evidence. Control risk: The risk that a material misstatement that could occur in an account will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by internal control. If the strength of internal control is assessed as decreasing, the auditor should pay more attention to control risks. 2. One of the components of the audit risk model is inherent risk. Describe typical factors that auditors evaluate when assessing inherent risk. With the benefit of hindsight, what inherent risk factors were present during the audits of the 1989 through 1992 Comptronix financial statements? Inherent risk is a measure of the auditor’s assessment of the susceptibility of an assertion to a material misstatement assuming there are no related internal controls. Some believe that inherent risk would be greater for some assertions and related account based on some conditions as follows: †¢Complex calculations rather than simple calculations. Once the company lost their a key customer, Management have a strong motivation manipulate sales and operating performance to satisfy investor expectations because the loss of a key customer put too much pressure on management to meet the requirements of external users. †¢Public Offering of Stock: After Comptronix made its public offering of stock , they have the pressure which push the management to manipulate operating performance too meet the expectations from the external users. †¢Technological Improvement: Comptronix is a manufacture company which main products are circuit boards and the circuit boards’ development depend on technological improvement. The technological improvement has a negative impact on operating performance. †¢Pressures from a new star Company: By the first year of the fraud (1989), Comptronix became a new company which can employ more than 1,800 employees in less than a decade , and at same time, the company expanded its the size of the company in three different locations. The rapid development of company made the management adjusted their operations instead of monitoring company operations. †¢Estimation of Accounts: The high inherent risk accounts include Accounts receivable/ payable, inventory, and property, plant, and equipment. But all the accounts’ computation is based on estimation which led the numbers are very unreliable and subjective. †¢Cash Flow Pressures: Comptronix suffered net losses from 1986. Until the company attracted a venture capitalist, the company was able to generate strong sales and profits. Prior to 1989, Comptronix had generated only two consecutive years of profit after several years of net losses. cash flow of financial statement cannot cover many years of recurring losses. The management has motives to make up operating accounts to look perfect to attract more investors. 3. Another component of the audit risk model is control risk. Describe the five components of internal control. What characteristics of Comptronix’s internal control increased control risk for the audits of the 1989-1992 year-end financial statements? Five components of control risk are: control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring. Control environment set the tone of an organization by influencing the control consciousness of people. Risk assessment is management’s process for identifying, analyzing, and responding to the risks. Control activities are policies and procedures that help ensure that management’s directives are carried out. Information is needed at all levels of an organization to assist management in meeting the organization’s objectives. Monitoring of controls is a process to assess the quality of internal control performance over time. The information and communication is seriously weak in that he three executives were able to perpetrate the fraud by bypassing the existing accounting system. They could record the fictitious entries manually and other employees were excluded from the manipulations to minimize the likelihood of the fraud being discovered. Besides, the weak control activity and monitoring is represented by the fact that Mr. Shifflett or Mr. Medlin could approve payments based solely on an invoice. Therefore, the fraud team was able to bypass internal controls over cash disbursements. Internal controls were also insufficient to detect the manipulation of sales and accounts receivable. Mr. Medlin had the ability to access the shipping department system. 4. The board of directors, and its audit committee, can be an effective corporate governance mechanism. Discuss the pros and cons of allowing inside directors to sere on the board. Describe typical responsibilities of audit committees.What strengths or weaknesses were present related to Comptronix’s board of directors and audit committee? As shareholders have limited access to the sufficient information, they are hard to monitor the daily transactions and management. They would delegate the responsibilities to the board of directors. Then, board of directors require inside directors to provide sufficient information in order to make decisions those are in the maximum profits of shareholders. However, if the inside directors have improper purposes, it’s easily to be a manipulation tool for management. Audit committee is responsible for ensuring that the company’s financial statements and reports are accurate and use fair and reasonable estimates. More specifically, it is charged with overseeing the financial reporting and disclosure process, monitoring choice of accounting policies and principles, overseeing hiring, performance and independence of the external auditors, oversight of regulatory compliance, monitoring the internal control process, overseeing the performance of the internal audit function, and discussing risk management policies and practices with management. The control environment is significantly influenced by the effectiveness of its board of directors or its audit committee. Factors that bear on the effectiveness of the board or audit committee include the extent of its independence from management, the experience and stature of its members. However, among the seven individuals in Comptronix board of directors, five members are either inside directors or directors had close affiliations with management. In addition, the primary responsibility of the board of directors is to protect the shareholders’ assets and ensure they receive a decent return on their investment. Board members act as trustees of the organization’s assets and must exercise due diligence to oversee that the organization is well managed and that its financial situation remains sound. But the composition of Comptronix’s board of directors obviously lacks objectivity. A qualifying audit committee should be composed of independent directors who are not officers or employees of the organization and who do not have other relationships that impair independence. However, The audit committee of Comptronix is made up two outside directors and one gray director, which would inevitably impair the independence. What’s more, to qualify, the committee must be composed of outside director with at least one qualifying as a financial expert. Nevertheless, for Comptronix Corporation, there is no indication of whether any of these individuals had accounting or financial reporting backgrounds. Lastly, the audit committee met only twice during 1991, it was not efficiently and sufficiently to monitor and oversee the financial reporting. 5. Public companies must file quarterly financial statements in Form 10-Qs, that have been reviewed by the company’s external auditor. Briefly describe the key requirements of Auditing Standards (AU) Section 722, Interim Financial Statements. Why wouldn’t all companies (public and private) engage their auditors to perform timely reviews of interim financial statements? The term interim financial information means financial information or statements covering a period less than a full year or for a 12-month period ending on a date other than the entity’s fiscal year end. A review consists principally of performing analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters, and does not contemplate (a) test of accounting records through inspection, observation, or confirmation; (b) tests of controls to evaluate their effectiveness; (c) the obtain net of corroborating evidence in response to inquiries; or (d) the performance of certain other procedures ordinarily performed in an audit. The decision to have a review engagement is a joint decision of the client and auditor. So a review would be performed when the benefits to the auditor and to the client exceed the costs to both parties. In general, firms with high complexity are more likely to be reviewed than firms with low complexity. Firms with high growth opportunities a less likely to be reviewed than those with low growth opportunities for they may be associated with higher information and litigation risks. And it’s also about the firms’ audit assurance and insurance needs. 6. Describe whether you think Comptronix’s executive team was inherently dishonest from the beginning. How is it possible for otherwise honest people to become involved in frauds like the one at Comptronix? We don’t think Comptronix’s executive team was inherently dishonest from the beginning. In opposite, we think there are two main reasons for the company committed the fraud. The first is its weak internal control. First comes to the company’s board of director. The board of directors is responsible for overseeing the actions of management. Factors that bear on the effectiveness of the board include the extent of its independence from management, the experience and stature of its members, the extent to which it raises and pursues difficult questions with management, and its interaction with the internal and external auditors. the audit committee of the board of directors should be composed of independent directors who are not officers or employees of the organization and who do not have other relationships that impair independence. In addition, the audit committee should have one or more members who have financial reporting expertise. However, Comptronix’s board of directors consist of the CEO and the COO of the company, And two of the other five directors who had close affiliations with management, one served as the company’s outside general legal counsel and the other who served as vice president of manufacturing for a significant customer of Comptronix, and one of the remaining outside directors who was a partner in the venture capital firm that owned 574,978 shares (5.3%) of Comptronix’s common stock, the second outside director who was the vice chairman and CEO of the local bank originally loaning money to the company, and the third outside director who was president of an international components supplier based in Taiwan. And there was no indication of whether any of these individuals had accounting or financial reporting backgrounds. 28.6% of the board consisted of inside directors. And even all of the board of directors disobey the independence and effectiveness of the formation of the board of directors. The interest relationship with the company increased the potential risk for the management to commit fraud. The second reason is the huge pressure of harsh competition for the companies in the industry. The fraud was motivated by the loss of a key customer in 1989 to the three executives’ former employer, SCI. Since the first manipulation of the financial statement, they were forced to manipulate the other years and evidences to hide the manipulation, which created a vicious circle. In conclusion, the weak internal control system provided a good environment for the commission of fraud. The huge pressure of the company brought the motivation of the fraud. Both of them played important roles for the honest people to become involved in frauds. 7. Auditing Standards (AU) Section 316, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, notes that three conditions are generally present when fraud occurs. Research the authoritative standards for auditors and provide a brief summary of each of the three fraud conditions. Additionally, provide an example from the Comptronix fraud of each of the three fraud conditions. (1) Three fraud conditions First, management or other employees have an incentive or are under pressure, which provides a reason to commit fraud. Second, circumstances exist—for example, the absence of controls, ineffective controls, or the ability of management to override controls—that provide an opportunity for a fraud to be perpetrated. Third, those involved are able to rationalize committing a fraudulent act. Some individuals possess an attitude, character, or set of ethical values that allow them to knowingly and intentionally commit a dishonest act. (2) Examples The incentive for top company executive to do fraud is that after the company went public, the company needed an increasing number for profit on the income statement, to attract more investors and make the stock price higher and higher. One of the opportunities for fraud perpetrated in Comptronix is that their internal controls were so insufficient. The three executives had so many authorities to get access to various accounts. They can get control of both checks and accounts payable, which enable them to make fake equipment purchasing recording. Because Comptronix`s quarterly filings were unaudited, the executives were successful in manipulating quarterly financial statements. After they successfully manipulated 1989 year-end sales and receivables, they thought their performance may not be discovered by external auditors and SEC, so they began recording fictitious quarterly sales frequently. 8. Auditing Standards Section 316, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, notes that there is a possibility that management override of controls could occur in every audit and accordingly, the auditor should include audit procedures in every audit to address that risk. a. What do you think is meant by the term â€Å"management override†? Management override of internal controls is the intervention by managers in handling financial information and making decisions contrary to internal control policy. Managers may think they have the ability to operate outside of the internal controls, but this is not true. b. provide two examples of where management override of controls occurred in the Comptronix fraud. For example, Mr. Medilin, as controller and treasurer, has the authorization to manipulate both sales documents and accounts receivable documents. Thus he can enter bogus sales into the accounting system then make fake accounts receivable to overstate the company`s earnings. Moreover, in order to overstate the equipment and accounts payable, the three company executives cut fake checks to the bogus accounts payable vendors associated with the fake purchases of equipment. However, the check preparing and recording of equipment purchases jobs should be distributed to different staff. Handling these two jobs at the same time by same executives provide them opportunity to make overstated recording of equipment purchasing. c. Research AU Section 316 to identify the three required auditor responses to further address the risk of management override of internal controls. Three required auditor responses to further address the risk of management override: (1) Examining journal entries and other adjustments for evidence of possible material misstatement due to fraud. (2) Reviewing accounting estimates for biases that could result in material misstatement due to fraud. (3) Evaluating the business rationale for significant unusual transactions.

Carlill V. Carbolic Smoke Ball Co. Essay

Facts The Defendants were a medical company named â€Å"Carbolic Smoke Ball†. Who manufactured and sold a product called the â€Å"smoke ball†, a cure for influenza and a number of other diseases. The company published advertisements in the Pall Mall Gazette and other newspapers on November 13, 1891, claiming that it would pay  £100 to anyone who got sick with influenza after using its product three times a day for two weeks, according to the instructions provided with it. The advertisement also claimed that  £1000 was being deposited into the bank to demonstrate their sincerity. The plaintiff, Mrs Louisa Elizabeth bought one of these balls after seeing the advertisement. She used it three times daily for nearly two months until she contracted the flu on 17 January 1892. She sued the company to recover the money promised in the advertisement. Procedural history Appeal from decision of Hawkins J. wherein he held that the plaintiff, Ms. Carlill was entitled to recover  £100. Issue: Does an advertisement to the general public promising to pay money to anyone who does something create a binding contract between the parties? Arguments The Defendant argued that there was no contract between it and that there was no acceptance of its offer. So the contract was too vague to be enforced, there was no way to check the conditions were met, you cannot contract with everybody and the timeframe was not specified. Also the acceptance had not been communicated to the offeror. And the last argument was that there was no consideration: nudum pactum. The plaintiff’s argument was that she just followed the constructions. The advertisement was also an offer were under an obligation to fulfil because it was published so it would be read and abided. The promise was also not vague . Judgment The court rejected both arguments of the company, ruling that the advertisement was an offer of a unilateral contract between the Carbolic Smoke Ball Company and anyone who satisfies the conditions set out in the  advertisement. According to the judgment of lord justice Lindley, â€Å"†¦the person who makes the offer shows by his language and from the of the transaction that he does not expect and does not require notice of the acceptance apart from notice of the performance.† The advertisement was an express promise to pay 100 pounds to anyone who contracts flu after using the ball three times daily for two weeks. Also the ad was not a mere puff: â€Å" 1000 is deposited with the Alliance Bank, showing our sincerity in the matter† , which is a proof of sincerity to pay. The promise is binding even though not made particular, a unilateral offer. The advertisement is not so vague that it cannot be construed as a promise because the words can be reasonably construed . Notification of acceptance The notification of the acceptance need not precede the performance- â€Å" this offer is a continuing offer†. If notice of acceptance is required, the person who makes offer gets the notice of acceptance contemporaneously with the notice of the performance of the condition. Also when there is an offer to the world at large, acceptance is legally valid when the offeree communicates to the offeror notice of performance of the specified conditions. This means acceptance is not legally valid when notification of the performance of the specified conditions does not occur. Consideration There was consideration in this case for two reasons: first reason is that the carbolic received a benefit. In the sales directly beneficial to them by advertising the Carbolic smoke ball. The second reason is that the performance of the specified conditions constitutes consideration for the promise. The judgment of Lord Justice Bowen : How would an ordinary person construe this document? Was it intended that the 100 should, if the conditions were fulfilled, be paid? The advertisement says that 1000 is lodged at the bank for this purpose. Therefore the statement was not a mere puff, â€Å"I think it was intended to be understood by the public as an offer which was to be acted upon.† According to the judgment of Bowen LJ, the contract was not too vague to be enforced. Whereby an offer can be made to the whole world and will ripen into a contract with anybody who comes forward and performs the condition. Notification of acceptance There is no need for notification of acceptance of the offer ( Bowen LJ differs from Lindley LJ on this point). Because an inference should be drawn from the transaction itself that if he performs the condition there is no need for notification. Consideration Lord Justice Bowel founds that there was consideration for the problem for same reasons as Lindley LJ. The consideration was using the smoke ball and the reason of using the smoke balls would promote their sale. And finally Lord Justice AL Smith decides on same basis as Bowen LJ. Ratio decidendi: In unilateral contracts, communication of acceptance is not expected or necessary. Advertisements of unilateral contracts are treated as offers. Where the language is clear that an ordinary person would construe an intention to offer, anyone who relies on this offer and performs the required conditions thereby accepts the offer and forms an enforceable contract. Held: The contract was binding and the defendant was ordered to pay the 100 to the plaintiff. Appeal Dismissed.

DNA and the Human Genome Project essays

DNA and the Human Genome Project essays What is the Human Genome Project? To understand the HGP one must know what a genome is. A genome is all the DNA in an organism including its genes. The genes carry information for making all the proteins needed by all organisms. The proteins establish what the organisms look like, how it fights infection, and how the organisms behave. This is a project with a 13-year effort that was begun in October 1990. This project has been planned to last 15 years, but because of all the technological advances, the expected completion date is now 2003. this project has five main goals to base the research upon. One is to distinguish all the approximate 100,000 genes in human DNA. Two is to be able to establish the sequences of the 3 billion chemical bases that make up the human DNA. They are also going to use this information and store it in databases as a third goal. The fourth goal is to create tools for data analysis. As a fifth and final goal, they are going to direct specific time to the eth ical, legal, social issues that may be brought up by this project. The most important goal of the HGP is to obtain the DNA sequences of 3 billion DNA subunits present in the human DNA. The US HGP is lead by Ari Patrinos, which is head of the Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The progress toward HGP sequencing goals is 47% of 3 billion DNA base pairs. The working draft sequence goal is going to be 90% by the summer of 2000. The finished high-quality sequence is expected to be 100% by the year 2003. There are many laboratories around the US Receiving funding from either the Department of Energy or the National Institute of Health and sometimes both. The most funding for research is at numerous colleges, universities 33 in all, and laboratories. At certain times the Department of Energy funds about 200 separate principal investigators for the research provided for the HGP. The major HGP investigators are laboratories and 6 universities. The ...

Traditional Sports of Kuwait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Traditional Sports of Kuwait - Essay Example This event comprises of training the birds to swoop down on their prey from a great height at a great speed and then return to their masters. This requires quite a skill but was practiced and mastered by the people in the ancient days. This sport is an integral part of the desert life but it helped to support the meager diet of dates, milk and bread (United World, 2006). Even though it started as a necessity, it eventually became a sport enjoyed equally by both the rich and the poor. The traditional sport has adopted certain changes. In the ancient days the hunting parties used to pursue their prey on a camel or a horse back but today this has been replaced by a four-wheeled vehicle. The UAE government spends about Dhm100 millions on falconry every year (UAEInteract, 2006). The purpose is two-fold – protection of the falcons and creating awareness of this endangered species. Horse racing is still pursued by the modern Kuwaitis. The exclusive Hunting and Equestrian Club is still active although the club’s original horses were stolen by Iraqi invaders (HotelTravel, 1999). The club has race tracks and riding and gymkhana facilities along with other sports and recreation facilities. Racing is still held every Monday at 3pm from October to April except during Ramadan (eKuwait, n.d.). Jockeys and horses from all over the world compete on the club’s attractive, tree-lined track and is open to public. Camel racing is a sport that has its roots in the desert culture. Camels commonly referred to as the ‘ships of the desert’ play a vital role in the daily life of the people in the region (Hezaz, 2002). Camels start receiving training when they are 13 months old and it continues up to the age of three when they begin racing. Care is taken of nutrition of the camels and it requires a very careful camel maintenance hierarchy. Nutritionists, feeders, jockeys, drivers, grooms, cleaners,

Keyword Critique Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Keyword Critique - Research Paper Example In sociology, persons are normally classified into groups according to their socio-economic conditions. Social stratification tries to understand political, social, ideological, cultural, and economic dimensions of social inequality. However, stratification is not homogenous concepts. It is by definition has multiple meanings and the meanings changes when placed against different contexts and different actors. In sociology, the use of the term stratification has changed from time to time. It even substantially changes in terms of meaning and practice in different schools such as Marxism, functionalism and structuralism. II. The Conceptualization of Stratification When someone tries to find answer of poverty in any society the concept of stratification becomes important. If we try to locate reasons behind the backwardness of Black people or women vis-a-vis White people or we try to gauge chances of a child born into working class family to climb the social ladder, we will lend into ou rselves into the study of social stratification. The methodological analysis of stratification seeks ‘to discover social gulfs- to find the gaps in people’s social relations and experience- which might explain the fissures in people’s perception of each other. ... Max Weber has tried to elaborate the concept of social stratification wherein he studies stratification in traditional societies or we could call them status-based societies and of modern societies. According to him in traditional societies, person’s social status was depended upon his ascribed status wherein a person possesses qualities, which are beyond his control like sex, class at birth ethnicity, race, caste, or religion. Whereas in modern society element of achievement or personal qualities defines persons social status. Max Weber has made distinction between social class, which is defined according to material wealth, and status class, which depends upon social honor, prestige and links to the religious institutions. Studies of social stratification try to understand at what extends class or status system affects modes of social action. It analyses class and status structures and its reproduction in the society. Social stratification tries to understand how inequality of condition and opportunities affects outcome and what are the methods used by groups to protect their class or status boundaries. In simple word, how people maintain their class privileges and how other sections try to get access to it, these are the issues which get importance in the study of social stratification. Social stratification investigates various ways through which class, status-groups are formed in the society, and through it sociologist understand the society. While fiercely criticising the empirical sociology dominated in the United States, Anderson and Massey points out that â€Å"as the status attainment model came to dominate American sociology, the study of stratification became progressively despatialized. Socio-economic outcomes were conceptualized as individual-level