AU '19: Distant Connection: Black Political Consciousness in the U.S. and Germany: In my first honors class, I had the opportunity to read When They Call You A Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors, one of founders of the Black Lives Matter movement. I still remember when the news about Michael Brown and his murder aired. I was, I think, a middle schooler then and the resurgence of dialogue around police brutality and the manifestations of racism in the modern age posed a lot of serious questions for me as I figured out who I was and what kind of world I lived in. Reading this autobiography 1) gave me an appreciation for who actually started the movement, a queer black womxn, and 2) offered insight into how it all began.
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AU '19: Intro to Bioengineering Problem Solving: My interest in exploring bioengineering led me to take an intro course to it in the fall. My favorite assignment in the class was focused on the ethics that should be embedded in the work, and the consequences when ethics are violated due to neglect. In particular, I value the article we read on the false narrative of fertilization that has been held as an objective truth in our society, and how that has perpetuated sexist ideology and toxic masculinity. This intersection of the humanities with the sciences reminded me how important it is to remember that science is a product of people for people. It demands appropriate qualification and ethical consideration.
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SP '20: Composing the Anthropocene: My second honors class was a space to critically think about climate change, and how the way we view nature and our relation to it influences our response. I learned to think about genre in broader terms, simply as a lens, a collection of commissions and omissions that guide thinking. I also learned about a new mode, the padlet presentation, as a way of concisely and visually presenting ones thoughts. The creative process behind this assignment was enjoyable. I created a conversation between two seemingly unrelated works to highlight the role of privilege in climate change and how eco-capitalistic solutions cannot be the solutions we adopt moving forward. We must sacrifice our current mode of living, but do so with inclusion of the marginalized in the conversation.
*Note: the image links to the presentation |