Past Paper TopicsDrugs and Athletes
In recent months, sports fans have been hit with news of legal problems for some of the biggest names in sports the indictment of baseballs all-time home run leader Barry Bonds , as well as the prison sentence handed down to former Olympic gold medal winner Marion Jones. Both cases have to do with lying about their use of illegal steroids and performance-enhancing supplements. As Congress begins public examination of The Mitchell Report (the investigation into illegal steroids use by professional baseball players, including star pitcher Roger Clemens), the news about performance enhancing drugs in sports is disturbing. At Ms. Jones sentencing, the judge commented that "
athletes in society have an elevated status. They entertain, they inspire
they serve as role models for kids around the world
This widespread level of cheating
sends the wrong message
" Aside form the ethical issues involved, there is widespread concern for the public health implications for younger athletes that may be imitating these stars. What are steroids? What public health issues are involved in steroid use? Do athletes have the right to accept the risks and benefits of performance enhancing drugs? Is steroid use a growing problem among American high-school athletes? Is testing for steroids a violation of players privacy? Should there be Congressional regulation of steroid use? Has the integrity of sports been compromised by the pursuit of individual records and profit? (Prepared January 2008)
Suggested Reading:
Journal and newspaper articles will discuss this topic. Enter "steroids" or "performance-enhancing drugs" in the searchbox in the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center to locate comprehensive information on this subject, including viewpoint essays, reference material, as well as journal and magazine articles.
Many newspaper articles discussing this topic can be found in
ProQuest National Newspapers.
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Books will also provide information on this topic. In our collection you will find the book Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball by Howard Bryant, New York: Viking, 2005. Call number: GV877.5.B78 2005.
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Internet Music Piracy
In August 2007, the Institute for Policy Innovation stated in its report that piracy of recorded music "have cost the U.S. $12.5 billion in economic output and 71,060 jobs annually." Yet individuals that illegally download music via the internet on a regular basis often feel that they have done nothing wrong. In a recent interview with The New York Times, music industry executive Mitch Bainwol described music piracy as a "basic collision of philosophies about whether music is a property that should be protected, or whether once its in the public realm it should be free." Are critics correct in saying that online file sharing harms the music industry? Does the trend of downloading music from the internet amount to criminal copyright infringement? Are supporters of this practice correct in their assumption that the ease of downloading music off the internet will force the music industry to develop new ways of legally distributing music online? (Prepared November 2007)
Suggested Reading:
Journal and newspaper articles will discuss this topic. To access and read the interview referenced above, click on the database ProQuest National Newspapers, one of the HCC Library's Electronic Resources. In the search box, enter "the music of change" and this June 10th, 2007 New York Times article will appear in the results. You will find a comprehensive treatment of this topic in the database CQ Researcher.
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Books will also provide information on this topic. In our collection you will find the book The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution David Kusek and Gerd Leonhard, Boston, MA: Berklee Press, 2005. Call number: ML3790 .K86 2005.
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Emergency Preparedness
The Gulf Coast of the United States recently marked the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the costliest disaster in the history of the United States. The devastating aftermath of the storm, including more than 1200 deaths and property damage in excess of 70 billion dollars, resulted in a renewed debate regarding the role of the federal government in responding to natural disasters. This issue is of particular importance to American citizens, as the failure of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to organize appropriate relief efforts has led to renewed fears and damaged confidence in our governments ability to implement relief operations in the event of any future terrorist attacks. How will the United States government handle future emergencies? Should local authorities or the federal government be responsible for directing rescue and relief efforts in the event of a major disaster? Should our nations disaster-relief agencies focus their resources on natural disasters or on terrorist-related matters? (Prepared October 2007)
Suggested Reading:
Journal and newspaper articles will discuss this topic. A comprehensive discussion of this topic can be found in the database CQ Researcher, one of the HCC Library's Electronic Resources. Enter the term "emergency preparedness" in the quick search box on the top left. Many newspaper articles discussing this topic can be found in ProQuest National Newspapers.
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Books will also provide information on this topic. In our collection you will find the book Lessons of Disaster: Policy Change after Catastrophic Events by Thomas A. Birkland, Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2006. Call number: JK468.P64 B585 2006.
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Women in Combat
As of May 29, 2007, eighty military women had died in Iraq. A recent op-ed column in The Washington Post made clear that the presence of fighting women in the military is still a cause for controversy, as the author detailed her disapproval of having U.S. military women in combat and other "positions of risk." Going beyond the old stereotypes that cause critics to claim that women are physically incapable of being effective in combat, and that their mere presence would be distracting to male soldiers, Kathleen Parker refers to the April 2007 hostage-taking by Iran of fifteen British sailors, including one woman. Ms. Parker writes that, even if women are "as capable as men in any battle," women in combat positions have an "unequal vulnerability to rape and injury" and that subjecting them to different "cultural attitudes towards women
make them useful to our enemies." Should women in the military be allowed in combat? Does the presence of women on the frontlines make the military less effective? Are women up to the physical demands of combat? Are the debate surrounding womens roles in the military similar to past controversies concerning racial integration in the military? (Prepared July 2007)
Suggested Reading:
Journal and newspaper articles will discuss this topic. A comprehensive discussion of this topic can be found in the database Issues and Controversies @FACTS.com. Enter the phrase "women in the military" in the search box in the top left side of the database home page. The above referenced article "The Mother of All Blunders" by Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post, April 7, 2007 can be found by typing the article title in the search box in ProQuest National Newspapers.
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Books will also provide information on this topic. In our collection you will find the book Women at War: Gender Issues of Americans in Combat by Rosemarie Skaine, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1999. Call number: UB418.W65 S56 1999
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Mandatory Vaccinations
During the course of the last three centuries, vaccinations have proven to be some of medicines greatest lifesavers. Vaccines to combat (and in some cases eradicate) deadly diseases such as smallpox, whooping cough and polio have been developed. In the 1960s measles, mumps and rubella/German measles were added to the list. Even as the incidence of serious illnesses has declined, however, political and cultural opposition has always surrounded mandatory vaccination. The introduction last summer of Gardasil, a vaccine against the sexually transmitted HPV virus, highlighted the conflict that surfaces when health experts urge lawmakers to make a vaccination compulsory in this case, for school-age girls. The HPV inoculation has been decried by those not convinced of its effectiveness, as well as by parents and conservative groups who believe that the shot would promote inappropriate sexual activity. Are todays vaccines safe enough? Has enough testing been done on the vaccines used today? Do vaccines cause severe adverse reactions? Does the need to protect the publics health require mandatory immunizations? Does mandatory vaccination for the HPV virus override parental autonomy? (Prepared May 2007)
Suggested Reading:
Journal and newspaper articles will discuss this topic. You will find a comprehensive treatment of this topic in the database CQ Researcher.
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Books will also provide information on this topic. In our collection you will find the book Vaccine: the Controversial Story of Medicines Greatest Lifesaver by Arthur Allen, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007. Call number: RA638.A45 2007 .
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Gay Marriage
Three years ago the Massachusetts Supreme Court granted same-sex couples the right to marry. Today there is a movement underway to overturn that historic marriage law, at the same time voters in twenty-six states have passed initiatives that effectively ban gay marriages. Opponents of these unions, including the Catholic Church and most social conservatives, seek to define marriage "exclusively as a union between a man and a woman." Supporters view such unions as the "ultimate expression of love and committment," as well as a means of gaining access to the myriad of legal protections established by the states and federal government for the benefit of legally married couples. Should same-sex marriages be legally sanctioned? Should the legality of same-sex marriages be determined by individual states or by the federal government? Should there be a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage? Does allowing gays to marry harm the institution of marriage as we know it? (Prepared January 2007)
Suggested Reading:
Journal and newspaper articles will discuss this topic. You will find a comprehensive treatment of this topic in the database CQ Researcher .
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Books will also provide information on this topic. In our collection you will find the book Gay Marriage and Democracy: Equality for All by R. Claire Snyder, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2006. Call number: HQ1034.U5 S58 2006 . You will also find information in Same-Sex Marriage in the United States: Focus on the Facts, by Sean Cahill, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2004. Call number: HQ1034.U5 C34 2004.
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Voting Controversies
The 2000 presidential election raised questions about the way that United States elections are conducted. With the 2006 congressional elections just weeks away, concerns about voting are taking center stage. Some criticize electronic voting, saying that the electronic touch-screen voting machines and the lack of back-up paper print-outs generated can be easily manipulated, and can affect the outcome of an election. Others fear that some laws relating to identity verification for voters may, in fact, act to disenfranchise minority voters. Is electronic voting, as it currently exists, too risky? Is electronic voting technology vulnerable to manipulation? Have the risks associated with electronic voting been exaggerated? Do new registration and voting requirements pose unfair barriers to minorities? (Prepared October 2006)
Suggested Reading:
Journal and newspaper articles will discuss this topic. A recent article "Major Problems at Polls Feared" by Dan Balz and Zachary A. Goldfarb can be found in the September 17 th , 2006 The Washington Post. This article is available through our databaseProquest National Newspapers , by entering the title in the search box.
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Books also provide materials for researching this topic. In our collection is the book Parties and Elections in America: the Electoral Process by L. Sandy Maisel, Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Call number:JK1965.M35 2002 . You may also find information in You Call This an Election? : Americas Peculiar Democracy by Steven E. Schier, Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2003. Call number:JK1976.S36 2003.
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