Philadelphia, the American Philosophical Society, Pennsylvania Hospital, and, of course, the charity school that evolved into the University of Pennsylvania. As they served the larger community of Philadelphia, each institution in turn formed its own community.
Which of the academic communities and social communities that now comprise the University of Pennsylvania are most interesting to you and how will you contribute to them and to the larger Penn community?
There are innumerable worldly questions to be answered, and many other questions will emerge through time. For it is those few amongst us, who dare to question the facts that we are blandly taught, that are the creators of society. I approach life as if it is an immense question which I shall spend the entirety of my time on earth seeking to answer. Where will I go? What will I be? Or even the simple question of what I may eat today?
In life I am forced to make grave decisions that may appear to be miniscule at the time they must be made. Benjamin Franklin once asked: "Query, Whether it is worth a Rational Man's While to forego the Pleasure arising from the present Luxury of the Age in Eating and Drinking and artful Cookery, studying to gratify the Appetite for the Sake of enjoying a healthy Old Age, a Sound Mind and a Sound Body, which are the Advantages reasonably to be expected from a more simple and temperate Diet." After reading this quote I questioned whether I should enjoy my overly sweetened muffin for breakfast, or choose to have an apple instead. The muffin would surely please my taste buds at the time of its consumption, but would the knowledge of its negative effects on my blood sugar (I am a type I diabetic) be enough to suppress the wanting of its sweetness? To my health's dismay it was not.
The American Philosophical Society is one of the original social communities which draw my greatest attention. The beginning members of the American Philosophical Society began as members of a small group Franklin referred to as the Junto; this group consisted of virtuosi from different levels of society (this indicates Franklin's knowledge of intelligence not coming merely from wealth or stature). What a grand feeling it must have been to be a member of this prestigious society, in which the sincere goal was to discover truth, something that is often deeply hidden in society.
Penn's Bioethics Society is one I wish to become a member of. It resembles that of the APS in its goals to inform others of ethical, social, medical, and legal issues. I enjoy politics and the sciences. By using the knowledge I will gain in the classes offered by UPenn in these areas I will contribute my well informed opposition to issues discussed in the Bioethics Society's meetings. For no argument can be worthy of having if its positives and negatives are not of seemingly equal proportions
I once heard that every corner of Penn is a crossroads of ideas, and these are the type of roads I yearn to travel upon. Penn's mission of creating knowledge and creating solutions for the public good echoes my life's goal. I seek to inform all who will hear me of the truths of humanity. I especially desire to inform America's African American youth of the truth (I began my journey to do so through tutoring and mentoring youth). I aspire to teach these youth that nothing is impossible, not even being accepted to the magnificent University of Pennsylvania.
