Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Honors Program forum explores genetics
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The USI Honors Program will present its eighth annual public policy forum at 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 6, in Mitchell Auditorium in the Health Professions Center. This year’s topic is “Medical Research: Dollars, DNA, ‘Dolly.’” Students in HONS 101: Issues for the 21st Century, have been considering genetic issues this semester and will lead deliberation in the forum, which is free and open to the public. Perspectives on this topic include first, that science should be free to pursue genetic research, which could have enormous benefits to humanity; second, that genetic research's potential for treating disease is too great to ignore, but that researchers should draw the line at genetic engineering, which could have unforeseen and dangerous consequences; and third, that human life is sacred, and by trying to change our genetic makeup scientists are undermining the basic laws of nature and God. A deliberative forum is not a debate, but rather a moderated discussion where the participants (the audience) work toward making choices involving the public policy issue. During the forum, participants will consider how they can act on the problem and what policy they think is best for our society. Participants will weigh the costs and consequences of various options and what they are or are not willing to do in addressing this issue. Renee Hitch, a 2005 presidential scholar majoring in international studies, is a student in the course. She said students have researched the issues surrounding genetics and meet twice a week for discussions led by Partridge and two group leaders. “I’ve always been interested in genetics, and the idea that through genetic engineering you could prevent diseases from happening in children before they are born, including extremely harmful diseases, or prevent bipolar disorder or depression through genetic engineering," she said. "We’re not there at the moment, but it’s interesting to think about possibilities and it opens up questions such as: should we, even if we can? “How far should we go in allowing cloning? Do we want to clone humans, or only animals, or do we want to clone, period? What if we could clone organs that could help keep people alive? It’s a fascinating subject.” The USI Honors Program offers enhanced opportunities to students who show promise of outstanding academic achievement, to develop verbal and written communication skills, critical thinking, and investigative learning. For more information, contact Dane M. Partridge, associate professor of management and director of the USI Honors Program, at 812/465-7085. |
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