Schreyer Honors College, Clas of 2018
Eberly College of Science; Biology (Vertebrae Physiology option)
David J. Kutz
Below I've posted some of my work from my first year of college. Many of these assignments originated in my English/composition class, but they apply to much broader topics. From in-vitro fertilization to the crisis of Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, I've talked about several highly relevant topics during my college career. I hope you enjoy reading about and listening to them as much as I enjoyed writing them!
Paradigm Shift Paper: PGD
Above is my paradigm shift paper, an assignment in which I talk about a shift in thinking that modern society is witnessing. I specifically discuss the idea of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), which is the same overarching topic that I discuss in the TED talk on my home page. This paper, however, focuses more on how the technology with revolutionize society's thoughts as opposed to the cut-and-dry technology.
The Controversy of Ferguson, Missouri
The video I posted above came in response to months of protesting in Ferguson, Missouri over the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. I recorded the video with three of my classmates. The overall goal was to capture the entire Ferguson controversy, its background, and possibilities for ending the controversy.
I wrote this issue brief after blogging about racial injustice for an entire semester. The assignment was to provide evidence for, and sugggest solutions to a societal problem. Given the extensive research that I had done as part of my sociology class, in addition to my own convictions on the matter, I chose to write about patterns of racism within America. The paper uses concrete evidence to explain not only what the problem is, but how we can remedy it.
My friend and partner Greg Reilly recorded this segment with me only days before the onset of Baltimore's protests regarding Freddy Grey's death. In the podcast, Greg and I discuss a highly controversial policy in New York City known as Stop-and-Frisk. We advocate for its abolition, as the officers who enforce it frequently do so with racist motivations.