While I was sitting comfortably in a couch, eating my favourite popcorn snack, and reading the paper, I came across with this article entitled — “Whose afraid of human enhancement?” (Reason, 2006). Certainly, not me.
Come to think of it why will we have to fear for a better future ahead of us? What is so scary about things that are yet to occur? Is it the unknown?
Our day to day acquaintances with the living and the lifeless actually makes me wonder. The couch on the floor can hold someone as thin as a bamboo and someone as a heavy as an elephant. The packaging of the snack I am holding says it was fortified with vitamins and minerals and so on. The paper I’m reading is full of stories and arguments. I don’t even know how they have been able to pack something tightly and yet it is so informative and educational.
The hurricane Katrina and its impact are all over the news. The damage of the 9/11 attacks are still felt by many. Many lives are lost. Properties, crops, cars, parks, malls, families and etc. are ruined enormously. Such occurrences smother me and make me wonder even more.
Going to school, you’ll mingle with a lot of people from different race and status. There are Blacks, Asians, Europeans and Hispanics. Those people will trigger the youthfulness in you. Some will make you think twice. Others can put a chip on your shoulder; make you the biggest loser of high school life and the loudest joke in your classroom.
In some instances, you will realize the differences in everyone in one way or another — differences that provoked us to be mean and unguarded. When a black girl says “Hi!” with a wide, friendly smile on her face, others just would stare and then turn their backs on her. An Asian asking for a hand to carry his heavy books, often than not, his simple wish would likely to fall on deaf ears. Why is this so? We do have the same components in our body — genes, right?
Do we really have to be different? Does being different mean stepping on other people’s feelings in such a way that you are already hurting the ego and pride of others? When I was a kid, I was made to believe that I have no limitations. I think of ways on how I can make life easy for others and how can I lessen the burden of people around me.
I want to dig in to my natural curiosity and discover where it will lead me. I want to answer the questions nagging at the back of my mind like how does people deal with poverty or in a much narrow sense, why some people have food on their plate and others don’t. Is food that expensive that some people cannot afford to buy? Do they have choices on what to eat and not?
Experts say that the United States is expecting an approximately 8.7 billion persons in 2050 (Keener, Hoban & Balasubramanian, 2007). How will the government deal with feeding this people? Where will they put them? I hope not in the farm lands because if they are going to do that more people get hungry. I expect not in rain forests for it will damage the natural ecological diversity and the environment in general. I wish to explore and subsequently discover solutions to these future problems through educating myself.
The people must be conscious enough to know that the reduction of biodiversity due to forests destructions, over fishing, conversion of agricultural lands to residential areas and other practices to feed a growing population is a significant loss (Keener, Hoban & Balasubramanian, 2007). Thus, biotechnology and its application will surely help eliminating constraints of people.
When I learned that Vitamin A deficiency is very common among poor countries and that malnutrition is very rampant in Asia and Africa, I know studying biotechnology can further help the status of their heath and improve their nutrition. I have also read that biotechnology increases the iron content of rice which fights anaemia. It was called the “golden rice”. My being humane was aroused even more.
I want to provide the hungry mouths and the illiterates the power to choose. This is one of the many reasons why I want to pursue my studies in College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). I am one with the goal of the whole university system in improving the world and continuously discovering the environment (SUNY-ESF).
I always wanted to be a bigger influence. Many a reasons why but it is because I want to touch lives of many. How I can do it? One thing to consider is education. Knowledge combats the unknown and the dangerous. It can even provide a better understanding of changes and differences.
“Biotechnology is at a crossroad in terms of public acceptance but it holds a significant promise to the future”. It deals with industries, environment and humans. I am aware about the benefits and risks of using the technology (Keener, Hoban & Balasubramanian, 2007). I know, the knowledge and capabilities that I am going to acquire in ESF will equipped me to lessen the risks and broaden the benefits and applications of biotechnology. I want to take advantage of the massive intellectual resources in ESF.
While studying in ESF, the realization of my inner leadership potentials will never be neglected. The university is widely-known for researches and programs that reach across the globe. The search for new knowledge and ideas excite me and making me eager to contribute what I know and I can. My objective- and constructive-thinking will be enhanced which will eventually be of good use when I am already working in the real, complex world.
It was said that an ESF experience is not just about books and lectures. It is extended to the community in a living-learning environment. The university is also encouraging students to be actively involved in student organization and diversity awareness programs. The service learning approach excites me. I want to know the feeling of becoming one with your surrounding and go beyond creating bonds between students, faculty and the community (SUNY-ESF).
I want to establish my own identity on a campus context, explore the culture of ESF and identify myself with the traditions such as walking across the quad, annual fall barbeque, December soirees, spring awards banquet, friends and family weekend, campus lectures, ice cream socials, TGIFs and spotlight on student research. It sounds so fun and academic (SUNY-ESF).
I wonder what it feels like walking in the quad and be shouted to “Get off the Quad!”. Being with my family is my comfort zone and security blanket, introducing my “home” family to my would-be “ESF family” really excites me. I want to indulge in fine foods, music and dancing in Decembers when the people are all very high-spirited and doing it in a university setting would be great. I want to attend a “TG” gathering so I can learn more about the university, my classmates and colleagues and the faculty and employers. Did I already mention I love ice creams? In any kind of weather, I always find myself slurping sherbets, sundaes and anything frozen.
The continuous student recognition, for me, is a very nice approach in acknowledging the efforts of the students and to encourage them to strive even harder academically. I find the campus lectures and the student researches very providential.
I want all my concerns and interests to have solutions and be applied to a bigger community through my learnings in ESF. I believe that the curriculum and schema of activities inside the classrooms and the immediate community will widen my perspective regarding the environment and its existing restraints. So that, I would understand why there is a need for a relaxation, a snack time and a need and access for information.
I have researched that the ESF was founded on 1911. If I will be accepted, then most probably, I will be a centennial graduate. A bachelor’s degree is something that I always dreamt of. In ESF, I know this will materialized because, from the very start, I dare to dream and because of the fact that ESF is one of America’s best colleges, I know your experience will really push the effort and will see me through.
Reference List
Keener, K., Hoban, T. & Balasubramanian, R. 2007, Biotechnology and its Applications, North Carolina State University: The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Office, Department of Food Science.
State University of New York- College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Retrieved from <www. esf.edu> on 30 August 2007.
‘Who’s afraid of human enhancement? A reason debate about ‘the premise, perils and ethics of human biotechnology’, 2006, Reason.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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