Debate in Genetics
I am so glad I took this class my last quarter here at the UW. After years of receiving lectures about genetics and having professors skim over controversial topics, Bill Noble and Michael Maccoss finally gave students the chance to apply their knowledge in a real debate format. Although there were still introductory lectures and reading assignments, the main focus of the class was to prepare for debates you were assigned to. From 3 person IVF to the Bermuda Triangle Principles the debate topics were all current and relevant. The freedom to research anything and everything from studies to news articles made the debates more than just a rehashing of scientific principles but included ethics and economics as well. While in my junior year I approached GMO's from a film analysis perspective, I had the opportunity to debate for the retention of GMO crops in the US with a more scientific approach. Below is the introduction and argument outline I wrote for my debate, WHICH I WON!!