Product Liability Essays (1493 words) - Tort Law, Product Liability

Product Liability This weeks question concerns liability and moral responsibility in consumer products. As the question is multi-part, the answer will be likewise. To begin, the first question addresses who should be liable for the voluntary actions of others. Specifically, if substantial information concerning the hazards of a product or service has been offered to the consumer, who is to blame if someone is injured? Similar to most questions derived from this course, the answer is it depends. From a legal standpoint, the contract or arrangement must first be analyzed. If, for example, the activity is a high risk activity such as sky diving or feeding sharks on a scuba dive, then the legal concept of duty of care obviously plays a major role. Without sufficient training, education, and discussion of the inherent risks, potential problems, and possible results of mishaps, the seller is not fulfilling his or her duty warn the buyer of known risks or hazards. In this case, the seller would be legally required to warn the buyer that a failure to exercise reasonable care poses an unreasonable risk of harm (McCarty, 279). If the buyer has been properly apprised of the level of care necessary to avoid unreasonable risk, the buyer then assumes the risk, and subsequent liability, should tragedy occur. This is due to the Assumption of Risk liability defense that states that if the plaintiff knew, or should have known, of the risk inherent in a particular situation and voluntarily as sumes that risk, then the defendant is not liable for the plaintiffs injury even if the defendant was negligent. In this case, if the sky diving company requires 4 hours of classroom training before the first jump to thoroughly cover the risks of the activity and the prospective jumper voluntarily assumes the risks, then the skydiving company can not be held liable if the jumper breaks his leg on touchdown because he could not hear when the instructor calls for the flare upon touchdown. In an ethical light, this arrangement of reasonable liability division is in keeping with our understanding of moral rights in the economic sense. According to the negative right of freedom of consent, all parties should be free to make any arrangement to which both parties agree. It is a moral imperative in this free consenting agreement or contract that both parties fully disclose all pertinent aspects of the arrangement, in this case, the disclosing of the inherent risks involved with jumping out of an airplane (Velasquez, 330). Once both parties are satisfied with the conditions of the agreement, they are free to commit to the agreement via contract. The buyer has freely accepted the risk of the product, and the seller has fulfilled his obligation to provide enough information for the buyer to make an educated decision. The liability transfers from the seller to the buyer once both parties have freely and knowledgeably entered the contractual agreement. In this arrangement, the r ights of all parties have been preserved. Additionally, this arrangement fulfills the deontological requirements of an ethical contract. The seller has a moral duty to provide the safest product possible in relation to the nature of that product. The seller also has an obligation to disclose information about his or her product that could cause unreasonable harm if not carefully managed. Under the Due Care theory, the seller is required, as the more expert of the parties, to ensure that the buyer is fuller aware of the dangers. Finally, the seller has the duty to allow the buyer the opportunity to make an informed decision. Once the decision is made, the buyer has the duty to abide by the contractual agreement. As Velasquez states, the manufacturer is no longer morally negligent after having taken all reasonable steps to protect the consumer and to ensure that the consumer is informed of any irremovable risks that might still attend the use of the product (337). Therefore, the liability of injury transfers after the seller h as fulfilled his duties to the buyer. The second question addresses the issue of the role of government in the regulation of individual choice. Velasquez describes the impact of a government over regulating safety standards. Such government interference, as

Renal Cell Caricnoma essays

Renal Cell Caricnoma essays Renal Cell Carcinoma: Genetic Causes :: How does the Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome cause Renal Cell Carcinoma? In the course of researching information about Renal Cell Carcinoma, a cancer of the renal cells located in the kidney, the impact of Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome and other genetic defects resulting in the formation of Renal Carcinoma was quite interesting. A great risk factor in the diagnosis of Renal Cell Cancer and the initial tumour formation would be the family history of the disease, and/or a family history of the Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome, both of which are genetic defects that are passed down from generation to generation; analysis of this information would lead to the conclusion that genetic factors play an important role in the formation of the Renal tumours. Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome is a genetic birth defect that is passed down through heredity. In a person that suffers from the Syndrome, the Von Hippel-Lindau Tumour Suppressor gene is deformed in certain cells, resulting in cells that turn into tumours more readily then normal cells. If a tumour does indeed form, the peripheral blood (or blood flowing alongside the tumour) will have a greater chance of picking up the deformed VHL gene. But how does the deformation of the VHL gene result in the formation of the tumour in the first place? The VHL gene mutation is a genetic disease found in 3 out of 100,000 people. Usually, carriers of this disease begin to form VHL-related tumours during ages 20-40. Some tumours that can be caused by the VHL defect are retinal blastoma, cerebellar blastoma, and, of course, renal cell carcinoma in the kidney. The VHL defect lies in the short arm of the 3rd chromosome; over 300 positions of the deformations have been reported worldwide, and some include entire deletions of the VHL gene from the chromosome. It has been discovered recently that the VHL protein that is transcripted f ...

Introduction to the Humanities, question question # 4 Essay

Introduction to the Humanities, question question # 4 - Essay Example He thus copied statues and reconstructed classical paintings from contemporary, ancient descriptions. His patrons would also occasionally dictate what would be painted. Sandro Botticelli exemplified this in his painting â€Å"The marriage of Alexander to Roxana†, based on the descriptions of a 2nd century Greek writer. Renaissance artists tended to idealize physical beauty and endowed their subjects with perfect proportions that did not mirror real life. Botticelli also portrayed his Venus as being perfectly symmetrical. There seems to be an instinctive yearning to illustrate and look at romanticized and unachievable skin effects and bodies. The renaissance artist simply showed the alleged representation of beauty exacted by his values, epoch, and physical settings. The solo artist who savored in taxing the conventional blueprint of beauty and techniques of painting was Leonardo da Vinci. When painting Mona Lisa, he purportedly set up orchestra and performers in his studio to ensure that she did not get bored and was amused by his efforts as depicted in the final painting. Leonardo managed to capture a deeper and more genuine beauty that is rarely depicted by artists (Bishop, 2010). In Rome, renaissance artists, while adopting the same concentration on beauty as their counterparts in Florence, portrayed an improved concentration on musculature as depicted in Antonio del Pollaiuolo’s â€Å"The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian†. Another painter, Antonio del Verrocchio also closely explored the complexities of the human anatomy. Donato Bramante, a Romish architect of the period, produced works such as â€Å"Tempietto†, a miniaturized classical temple. Renaissance artists in Rome tended to stress on the horizontal plane and the earth rather than depicting heavenly subjects. This was in contrast to Florentine painters who concentrated on depicting divine subjects in various earthly endeavors. The vanishing point of the perspective is

E-learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-learning - Essay Example The acquisition of learning techniques and styles by students depends on the personal characteristics of the student, the subject of study, and the student’s level of understanding of the subject. Research confirms that different people prefer different approaches to learning. No one approach or strategy of e-learning is optimal for all students. The methods and technologies used for e-learning in the United Arabs Emirates include the use of web-based education techniques, podcasting, internet video conferencing, social networking software, and computer-assisted instructions, among others. The styles of e-learning are especially gaining popularity in the higher education sector where most of the students are distant learners. This paper discusses how the learning preferences of an individual influence the extent to which e-learning can be an effective learning tool, especially in the United Arabs Emirates. E-learning allows the adoption of the education content to suit the learning styles of individual students. It may entail the incorporation of digital media, digitized materials, graphics, web-based interactions, interactive videos, among others. The adoption of different learning styles and methods impact on the effectiveness of e-learning in the higher education sector. Some researchers have supported the adoption of e-learning with the argument that it allows for the adjustment of educational content to suit the learning needs of the students. However, majority of studies in this field have been confined to the use of standard conventional learning styles in the e-learning systems (Brown, Zoghi, Williams, Jaberzadeh, Roller, Palermo, & Holt, 2009, p.4). This includes tutorial, lecture, problem-based learning, and written text. The relationship between the styles of e-learning and the effectiveness of the e-learning system, as well as the attitude of students towards e-learning, h as been discussed in

A critical evaluation of the role of Friends of the Earth in the Essay

A critical evaluation of the role of Friends of the Earth in the development of policy responses to climate change in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Thus, one can easily relate Climate Change to the Global Financial Crisis, as the latter seems to be the deterring point behind the ignorance on the former. However, this isn’t the point where it can be established that Climate Change is a lost cause. Instead, a few examples can still be narrated where government involvement led toward policy responses, and that too legally binding in context to the state legislation. The scholarship on climate change indicates that government involvement with the issue is very critical to resolving the crisis at hand. Also, the efforts that are already being done must be rocketed by taking the crucial stakeholders into confidence. In other words, theoretical paradigms in climate change studies indicate that the social interest groups or volunteer organizations can play a positive role in bringing the issue on agenda, and once the issue transforms into a political one legislations are bound to be designed. However, certain steps need to be fol lowed which includes; developing or identifying non-environmental leadership, initiating action in the community, changing lifestyles and lastly transforming it into a global effort. Policy responses on the issue of climate change will only result after the intermingling of three actors; normative rationale on part of government, citizen`s will to take action and accurate consultation designs by organizations/individuals having expertise. To prove the point, a critical analysis of the organization functioning actively in the UK, the Friends of the Earth can be quite insightful. The organization reached a huge breakthrough in 2008, when after many concerted efforts; they were able to incorporate the Climate Change Act of 2008 in the UK, with binding legislations aiming at controlling the environmental damages via limiting carbon emitting gases. The organization i.e. Friends of the Earth initiated their campaign by publishing

Intelligence Test Use Bias Education Essay

Intelligence Test Use Bias Education Essay Bias in test use occurs when deficiencies in the test itself or the manner in which it is used result in different meanings for scores earned by members of different identifiable subgroups (American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education, 1999, p. 74). Bias in testing has been of interest since the origin of testing. Students referred for an assessment to determine special education eligibility are given standardized cognitive and achievement tests administered by a school psychologist or educational diagnostician. These tests are part of a comprehensive assessment which includes measuring general intellectual ability, specific cognitive abilities, scholastic aptitude, oral language, and academic achievement. Data from these tests are important in determining eligibility for special education placement. This paper will review the literature that addresses the test bias associated with intelligence test use as it is used to assess special education students for initial and continued eligibility for services. This literature review will examine race, culture and gender as it relates to test bias. In addition, it will briefly review the literature surrounding the significant litigation pertaining to test bias in intelligence testing of special education students. The literature dealing with standardized testing is broad and includes some issues of testing non-disabled students because many issues are relevant to all students. Far from being a neutral practice, intelligence testing perpetuates and intensifies educational inequities in two ways: through the misuse of test scores; and because test bias works against the interests of students from low-income groups, racial and ethnic minorities, girls and young women, and students with disabilities (Froese-Germain, 1999). The goal of this research is to identify the major theories and opinions related to intelligence test bias and issues relating to the use of these tests with respect to overrepresentation in special education. Intelligence Test Use Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, mandated free and appropriate public education for children, ranging in age between 3 and 21, who have disabilities (Mercer, 1991) and identified eleven qualifying categories. In 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) included two more categories in the definition of disabilities for a total of thirteen. As these disabilities are categorized, testing, classification, and placement in special education programs are unavoidable (de la Cruz, 1996). The primary criterion in identifying students with learning disabilities is the discrepancy between achievement and intelligence (Mercer, 1991). Siegel (1989) disagreed with this fact and stated that IQ tests are inaccurate and irrelevant in the qualification of learning disabilities. The use of IQ tests for the purpose of qualifying students for special education placement is at the forefront of the test bias controversy. Despite this fact, IQ tests continue to be used to identify students for special education. Racial Bias Jensen (1980) has published what may be the most comprehensive review of racial bias in psychometric tests. His review, with others (Brown, Reynolds, Whitaker, 1999; Cole, 1981) concluded that there was little or no evidence of bias against minority students in intelligence tests. Gutkin Reynolds (1981) agree that there is no evidence of bias with respect to ethnic background when interpreting IQ scores. Rock Stenner (2005) measured intelligence tests as a predictor for achievement test and came to the same conclusion. They found no evidence of racial bias. Brown, et al, further concluded that the major constructs underlying intelligence tests are comparable across ethnic groups. Weiss, Prifitera, and Roid (1993) researched the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; Wechsler, 1991). They concluded that WISC-III scores predicted grades and achievement test scores for samples of Hispanic-American and African-American students as well as they did for White students. Critical surveys and critical analyses of available studies have failed to support the hypothesis that ability tests are less valid for African-Americans than for Whites in predicting educational performance and similar results have been obtained for Hispanic-Americans (Anastasi, 1998, p. 197.) Assessment bias in special education is part of the larger debates about race, intelligence, and inequality in society (Herrnstein Murray, 1994; Mensh Mensh, 1991; Snyderman Rothman, 1988). In the Journal of Black Psychology, Onwuegbuzie Daley (2001) claimed that Herrnstein Murray subscribed to the hereditarian or classicist theory of intelligence. They further elaborated on the eight premises linked to this theory. Suzuki Valencia (1997) stated that although hereditarians claim that African American and Hispanic students are classified as special education due to genetics, evidence suggests that environmental factors such as racism and poverty are to blame. Shephard (1987) argued that item response theory explained a small but significant portion of the variance in Black-White test score discrepancies. Blanton (2000) determined that there was race and class bias in intelligence testing with respect to Mexican Americans and African Americans when compared to white students. However, some of the bias is attributed to the unintentional racism of the testers themselves. Cultural Some of the literature addressed the issues of test bias with respect to race and ethnicity as cultural. However, Curran, Elkerton Steinberg (1996) studied the use of intelligence testing with American Indian children. In this study, they used two different intelligence tests in an attempt to identify test bias in the most widely-used measure of intelligence, the WISC-III. Their study did not determine a significant difference. Therefore, no test bias was identified in the use of these tests for determining intervention needs. As the United States population becomes more diverse and multicultural, more controversy regarding assessment bias in special education is expected (de la Cruz, 1996). The results of studies regarding the cultural bias of standardized tests have not had unanimous outcomes. Valencia Aburto (1993) studied the use of intelligence testing with respect to Chicano students. They found that this testing played a role in ability-level grouping and tracking in elementary and secondary schools. However, no test bias was found between Chicano and white students with respect to construct validity (terms tend to be more familiar to one group than another.) This is consistent with Reynolds Gutkin (1979) study of Anglo and Chicanos students referred for psychological assessment. Gender Stone Jeffrey (1991) studied the use of intelligence tests to predict achievement for males and females. Their study concluded that intelligence tests predicted achievement equally for each sex. In addition, they found the intelligence tests were not biased and not responsible for the disproportionate number of male students in special education. Maller (2001) studied differential item functioning (DIF) with respect to males and females. Although one-third of the items she studied presented DIF, she reported that the WISC-III did not exhibit test bias. Hale Potok studied the sexual bias in the WISC-R with respect to the overrepresentation of boys in special education classes. They found that girls scored five points higher than boys. Although the results were statistically significant, they were not practically significant. Interestingly, the sample was entirely white children of lower to middle socioeconomic status from a rural area. Litigation Surrounding Testing Bias The direction of special education has been influenced by the court decisions on test bias. Test bias concern, coupled with overrepresentation in special education led to court cases concerning minority disproportionality. The California Department of Education agreed in Diana v. State Board of Education (1970), to (a) test bilingual children in both English and their primary language; (b) delete unfair verbal items from the tests; (c) reevaluate all Mexican-American and Chinese students enrolled in classes for individuals with educable mental retardation, using nonverbal items and testing them in their native language; and (d) make IQ tests that incorporate Mexican-American culture and are standardized only on the Mexican-American population (Salvia Ysseldyke, 1995). Many of the facts pointed out in Diana v. State Board of Education found their way into P.L. 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975) according to MacMillan, et al, 1988. Zurcher, 1998 states that the regulations arising out of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA; the reauthorization of P.L. 94-142) state that testing and evaluation materials and procedures used for the purposes of evaluation and placement of children with disabilities must be selected and administered so as to not be racially or culturally discriminatory (section 300.530). The case of Larry P. v. Riles (1972, 1974, 1979, 1984) brought attention to test bias. In this case, six African-American students in the San Francisco Unified School District complained about the unconstitutional number of African-American students that were identified with educable mental retardation and placed in special education classes. The presiding judge in Larry P. v. Riles (1972/1974/1979/1984) agreed with this concern. Thus a court order banned the use of standardized IQ tests in California stating that they disproportionately assign Black and other minority children to special education programs. Additionally, Larry P. v. Riles brought the stigma associated with classification as a predictor of educational failure. Reschly (1980) stated that the banning of IQ tests may prevent single factor discrimination, but would negatively impact the economically disadvantaged minorities who may require a disproportionately greater share of special education services. Therefore, this decision may help some students, but may also hinder the opportunities of other students. In PASE (Parents in Action on Special Education) v. Hannon (1980), the ruling was that one item on the Stanford-Binet and a total of eight items on the WISC [Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children; Wechsler, 1949] and WISC-R [Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised; Wechsler, 1974] were culturally biased against African-American students, the use of those items does not render the tests unfair, and would not significantly affect the score of an individual taking the tests (as cited in Rothstein, 1995, p. 102). This case did not see the same results as Larry P. v. Riles because they were not the only bases for classification beca use multifaceted testing was also used (Turnbull, 1993). Additionally, the evaluation procedures section of the IDEA regulations outline specific procedures to address difficulties that culturally diverse students may have with language on tests: States and other evaluation agencies shall insure, at a minimum, that: tests and other evaluation materials are provided and administered in the childs native language or other mode of communication, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so (section 300.532). MacMillan and Balow (1991) focused on inconsistencies with the state of Californias protocol for testing African-American students which led to their conclusion that the Larry P. v. Riles case does not apply to students of other backgrounds. In addition, MacMillan, Hendrick, and Watkins (1988) determined that the Diana v. State Board of Education and Larry P. v. Riles cases did not serve in the best interest of minority students in spite of being favorable rulings. Larry P. v. Riles was revisited in 1993. The issue at that time was the discrimination against African-American students because the use of IQ tests had been previously prohibited. One of the main determinants for students being qualified as learning disabled is a significant discrepancy between ability and achievement. Without the use of an IQ test to determine ability, African-American students were not able to meet the criteria for learning disabilities. The judge allowed the administration of intelligence tests to Afri can-American students (Salvia Ysseldyke, 1995). Standardization with Respect to Testing Traub (1994, p. 5) states that Standardization means that the scores of all students tested can be fairly compared, one against the other à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the essential requirements are that the conditions of administration and scoring be the same for all the students who are tested so that their scores can be compared. There is a great deal of research to support the flaws in standardized tests. FairTest (the National Center for Fair Open Testing in Massachusetts) states that a standardized test (all students take the same test under the same conditions) consistently under-predicts the performance of women, African-Americans, people whose first language isnt English and generally anyone whos not a good test-taker. This group would clearly include those individuals receiving special education services. Froese-Germain (1999) contends that there are eight consistently identifiable reasons that standardized tests are inadequate for assessing student learning and development: (1) Many ty pes of student ability are not captured by a standardized test; (2) Tests may be standardized, but students are not; (3) Standardized tests designed for large numbers of students are of necessity very general in nature; (4) Standardized tests typically measure lower-order recall of facts and skills, and penalize higher-order thinking; (5) Because standardized tests are designed to sort individuals into groups, test questions are chosen on the basis of how well they contribute to spreading out the scores, not on their centrality to the curriculum or their predictive validity; (6) Test performance is shaped by individual characteristics not related to content knowledge; (7) Test preparation and administration take up valuable classroom time that could be used for teaching; and (8) Teachers are induced to teach to the tests rather than for learning with the result that curriculum is becoming increasingly test-driven (Meaghan Casas, 1995). Additional factors identified by Meaghan Casa s (1995) include costs, inability to identify and improve ineffective school programs, and the shifting of responsibility over curriculum to the government and the testing industry. All of these factors involve bias at some level toward the test taker. Overrepresentation in Special Education In 1980, Reschly reported that a great deal of attention has been devoted to enhancing the usefulness and fairness of assessment in classification/placement decisions in recent years. In 1981, Reschly stated that IQ tests were only a small part of the problem of overrepresentation in special education. In 1984, Reschly reported that although the literature stated that overrepresentation was due to bias in tests and possibly even racism, a very small percentage of minority or majority students had been placed in educable mentally retarded programs. Additionally, no significant disproportionality exists with more severe handicaps with respect to race, social status, or gender (Reschly, 1981.) He further reported that overall, IQ test use protects many students of all races, social statuses, and genders from erroneous and inappropriate classification. Conclusion All tests and/or testing/evaluation procedures have limited value with reference to certain individuals or certain groups within the overall population. This is true particularly regarding economically deprived and/or minority group children, and when age/grade norms are used, with male children as well. (Magliocca Rinaldi, 1982). This argument goes to the credibility of using multiple assessments to determine special education qualification, not simply standardized tests. To address the influx of current buzzwords pertaining to multi-factored assessment with regard to current evaluation and placement procedures, Magliocca Rinaldi state that there is simply a greater need to implement procedural safeguards to prevent possible discriminatory practices in this process. This would, in turn, reduce test bias concerns. Snyderman and Rothman (1987) found that the school psychologists and education specialists they surveyed believed that intelligence and standardized tests appropriately measure the significance of success in society. However, although Snyderman and Rothman believed these tests held significance, they also viewed the tests as racially and socioeconomically biased. These viewpoints substantiate how some tests simply do not measure what they are being used to measure. Tests do not tell us anything; their data always require interpretation in the case of an individual child (Mearig, 1981). In summation, Standardized test scores are becoming the mechanism that facilitates a number of questionable education practices that contribute to education inequity. (Froese-Germain, 1999). The misuse of standardized testing is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦moving us away from a more inclusive model of education. (Meaghan Casas, 1995). Additionally, it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦accounts in large part for the disparity in achievement observed between American White students and those from minority groups, as well as between students from higher- and lower-income groups (Darling-Hammond, 1991). Oakes (1985) concluded that misuse of standardized testing hurts low-income and minority group children, and that it not only reflects but perpetuates class and racial inequalities in the larger society. Using a method of testing already biased against certain groups of studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦only adds insult to injury. Gardner (1983) stated that only if we expand and reformulate our view of what counts as human intell igence will we be able to devise more appropriate ways of assessing it and more effective ways of educating it (p.4).

Essay --

Aditya A R Flat no 102, E.S. Apartments, F-73, Madhura Nagar, Hyderabad, India, 500038 Tel: +91-8333820576 E-mail : adityaalur@gmail.com Department of Computer Sciences, University of Pennsylvania Statement Of Purpose â€Å"What imagination makes possible, computer science makes real.† While there may be no limit to what technology can accomplish—from space travel to robots that can build cars—none of it is possible without key breakthroughs in computing theory, artificial intelligence, data analysis, and application design. For this reason, I want to develop a deep understanding of computing theory and applications that will serve as a springboard to future discoveries. Absorbing new technologies has always been a pleasure to me. I like to be ahead of others in knowing new technologies, and that’s why I want to study further. It is this desire that made me apply for the master’s degree in computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania. During my Undergraduate degree program at SASTRA University, the area which was of special interest to me was the design and analysis of algorithms. My first encounter with algorithms was when I wrote code for the popular video game Pac-Man (in C++). Thereafter, I developed a liking for the subject and challenged myself with tougher algorithmic problems by participating in programming contests hosted on sites like Codechef , Sphere Online Judge and TopCoder. I stood 10th in India in the Codechef February challenge-2009 and was consistently ranked in top 200 in TopCoder. Later that year, our team of 3 members qualified for the Asian regionals of the prestigious ACM(Association For Computing Machinery) Inter-Collegiate Programming Contest . I also went on to top my department i... ...and innovative work, especially when it leads to practical applications. My ideal vision of a career has always been a job that involves creativity, innovation and flexibility. I am confident that higher education would give me the desired push towards a career in research and an opportunity to do well in my chosen field of interest. I am eager to work under the guidance of the distinguished faculty members of the University of Pennsylvania. I am convinced that the facilities in the department of computer and information science in your university will be very useful for dedicated involvement in research projects. I believe that the CIS program at UPenn is compelling enough to whet my appetite for solving difficult problems in the field of computing and the best impetus I can get to my career. It would be an honor to be accepted as a student in this institution.