Meredith Bennett, Junior Environmental Science
At the end of this year, The D.U. Quark will have published a wide variety of science-related articles, including columns about the often neglected link between science and art, a look at the research of Duquesne students investigating the conversations between brain cells and the bladder, and an article about environmental justice among Native Alaskans experiencing severe pollution in their communities. I am thrilled to be part of this organization and to play a role in fostering this creativity.
This semester, I am excited for my own accomplishments, but more importantly I am excited for the accomplishments of my peers in the journal and for the journal itself. The D.U. Quark has further established itself as a vital publication on campus. With the help from students with unique perspectives, the range of The Quark’s content has expanded to include articles that incorporate social and artistic ideas into how we approach science. One recently published article, for example, examined the social implications of In Vitro Fertilization while providing background information on the science behind it. This internship has anchored my belief that an interdisciplinary approach to science is crucial for engaging the interest of all readers. Science is awesome! I think people are more likely to get enthusiastic about it, if we incorporate new voices in the discussion of scientific topics.
The D.U. Quark has also taken on the publication of The Spectrum this semester in the Bayer School of Natural Sciences at Duquesne. In addition to increasing the journal’s presence on campus, I think The Spectrum is an important undertaking for several reasons. For writers in The Quark, it is a chance to learn how to report the research of scientists in an understandable way without neglecting the subtlety of the science being done. No reader wants to be patronized, and it is often hard to strike a balance between accuracy and accessibility. Interviewing researchers for The Spectrum also provides an opportunity to the researchers themselves. As any science student knows from their professors, scientists like to talk about their work. Furthermore, I think talking about one’s work is crucial. Discussions about your research can be lessons in how best to make it interesting and relevant. Finally, I think it is important that the Duquesne community knows more about what’s happening in the Bayer School. We should be proud of our researchers!
I am so proud of what the members of The D.U. Quark have accomplished together this semester. I continue to learn new things from my fellow interns and I am excited to see what we can do in the new year!
Building Bridges 