This month we're spotlighting our two Spring 2016 winners of the PWR Boothe Prize for Excellence in First Year Writing: Julia Sakowitz (winner) and Alex Maben (honorable mention). Julia and Alex will be honored at a ceremony in May 2017 along with the winners of the Fall 2016 and Winter 2017 Boothe Prizes.
Julia Sakowitz
Julia was awarded the Boothe Prize for her Spring 2016 essay, "'We're A Lot More Than Gospel Singing': Small Tourism Businesses in Harlem and Policy Proposals for UMEZ", which was written for Irena Yamboliev's PWR 1, "The Rhetorics of Travel and Tourism." Julia is originally from Manhattan, NY, and is a pre-med who is interested in women's health because, in her words, "it combines so many of the things that make me excited, like science, politics, public health, and feminism." Over summer 2017, Julia will be spending 3 weeks in St. Petersburg on a BOSP seminar; she is also very passionate about interfaith work and organized Stanford Hillel's first ever interfaith event with the Sikh community last year.
Irena writes of Julia's Boothe-winning essay, "Julia's argument is riveting because it addresses an issue that's alive right now: the struggle to preserve neighborhoods like Harlem for the people who live there, and the unintended consequences that can come from well-meaning but incompletely thought-through efforts such as the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. Julia draws on voices from different sides of the debate, giving each of them its due attention, but also her respectful criticism. Her retrospective on the recent history of efforts to empower Harlem can help inform future efforts. And, a maybe surprising reward of Julia's piece: As I watched Luke Cage this fall, I felt that I had a deeper understanding of what the corrupt politician villain's words about 'taking Harlem back' were based in, and why they came across as so hollow and, well -- villainous!"
When asked about her PWR 1 experience, Julia shared the following: "For me, the most valuable thing about PWR 1 was that it introduced me to topics of research (urban studies, economic policy) and methods of research (finding unique primary sources, interviewing) that have given me ideas about what classes I want to take and what kind of research I want to conduct in the future." Read Julia's reflections on the process of writing her prize-winning essay here. Her essay will be available online in May 2017.
Alex Maben
Alex received a Boothe Prize honorable mention for his essay, "Crafting CRISPR Fantasies: Flaws in Current Metaphors of Gene-Modifying Technology," which he wrote as part of Jennifer Johnson's Spring 2016 PWR 1, "The Rhetoric of Language and Thought." Alex intends to major in Biomedical Computation, and his academic interests span the range of molecular biology, computer science, and food systems. He feels particularly passionate about nutrition, public health, sustainable agriculture, gene-modification technology, and education.
Dr. Johnson reflected on Alex's work as follows: "Alex brilliantly combines his interest in bioethics with course themes: linguistic relativity, or the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, the idea that language shapes perception, and cognitive linguists Lakoff and Johnson’s notions of conceptual metaphor framing. In his examination of the recent rhetoric surrounding CRISPR, a gene-editing tool, Alex claims current CRISPR metaphors are flawed, and, in turn, have severe implications in public perception and policy. 'Curbing CRISPR’s metaphorical nightlife' calls for a consideration of what he calls 'linguistic bioethics,' or a interdisciplinary focus on defining 'ethical and effective vocabulary' in science communication. While linguists can offer analysis and criticism of metaphors, Alex concludes that the ultimate responsibility “rests in the hands of scientists.”
Alex, in reflecting on his experience in PWR, writes, "In PWR1, Dr. Johnson really encouraged us to take risks when writing. I now feel more confident about using rhetorical creativity in traditional academic settings. Going forward, I look forward to utilizing these skills to make my scientific writings more interesting and enjoyable for the readers."
Alex's essay has already appeared in a recent edition of the Inquiries Journal. Read Alex's full reflections on the process of writing his prize-winning essay here.
