FALL 2022

9/11/2022, Distraction and Our Devices – Charles Mirsky ’23 and Sakib Arnob ’23
  • This discussion is about the nature of our distracted world, pinning down the causes for our perceived inability to focus, considering the real-world implications of these phenomena in professional and personal spaces, and contemplating how we should reorient our lives in response to these circumstances.
9/18/2022, Disability – Shirley Liu ’23 and Jefrey Alexander ’23
  • Disability exists within a spectrum; for able-bodied individuals, seldom is accessibility actively and consciously thought about. For many, even the word “disability” carries negative connotations. This discussion gets us to think about what disability even is, how we should talk about it, and ways to implement principles of accessibility and disability justice in our everyday lives.
9/25/2022, Passion vs. Pay – Cia Negron ’23, Onab Falak ’24, and Shreya Suresh ’25
  • This week’s discussion is about the societal and institutional pressures of selecting a career that is practical and financially stable, but not fulfilling. The fundamental dilemma every college grad entering the workforce has: Passion vs. Pay. More specifically, we discuss your personal experiences with selecting a major/occupation, and how societal pressures (your family, friends, social media, school, capitalism etc.) shaped your ability to follow your interests while making career choices.
10/2/2022, Montessori Education – Sarah Cohen ’24, Colin O’Shea ’25, Jordan Shaibani ’24
  • This week’s discussion will be about Montessori education, how it impacts child development, the opportunity gap, and systems of oppression.
10/16/2022, Her Body, My Baby – Fatimata Cham ’23 and Nada Awadalla ’23
  • This discussion focuses on how Surrogacy is tied to global gender inequality and the role that celebrities play in it, reproductive justice, and how low-income women rely on surrogacy as a form of economic empowerment.
10/23/2022, the ethics of mandatory reporting – Youmin Park ’24 and Eva vogt ’25
  • This discussion centered around the implications of mandated reporting in education and childcare. Mandated reporting was first enacted by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1975 with the goal of mitigating child abuse, but the success of these protections is up for debate. We debate it.
10/30/2022, the ethics of true crime entertainment – Heather Aikman ’23 and Evangeline Coffinas ’23
  • Why are we so obsessed with murderers and tragedy? True crime as entertainment has implications for the families of victims and for the perception of perpetrators. This discussion will broach the issues, including whether it is ethical to use real traumatic experiences as entertainment.
11/6/2022, Privilege v Opportunity – Virginia Sacotingo ’25
  • This discussion works through two terms often used interchangeably, privilege and opportunity, to measure one’s individual successes. The terms are also seen in contexts such as race, feminism, socioeconomic status, etc. The discussion allows scholars to pause and digest the presence of this content in our daily lives.
11/13/2022, Immortality – Damoi Morgan ’25, Carter Brand ’25, and Lawrence Narotsky ’23

  • The finite nature of life has plagued and inspired humanity for millennia. Scientists have conducted experiments focusing on expanding the human lifespan. This discussion examines the concept of immortality by examining the possible benefits it could bring to society and anxiety about the consequences of living forever.

11/20/2022, Stereotypes – Helena Koffigoh ’23, Zihao (Kevin) Ding ’24, and Grossman Scholars danny Andrade ’25 and eren Tekbas ’25
  • Stereotypes are present in nearly every aspect of our lives, whether it’s a conscious choice or a subconscious reaction. This discussion delves into their formation and their utilization in our society.