Lisette LeMerise

HON 1000 Sec. 505

Dr. Ewing
What Should we Do Presentation Reflection

From this presentation and its research, I learned a lot about how to apply my critical
thinking skills to make connections between the readings in class and the research I had to do
about the urban form of the Karmanos Cancer Institute. This not only allowed me to practice the
skill of synthesis, but it also gave me an opportunity to see how this honors class applies to my
daily life. For example, I realized that tactics the city uses to help itself, such as building urban
forms like the Karmanos Cancer Institute, are oftentimes critical to aiding a broken Democratic
Social Space as suggested by Fisher. The Institute itself works to solve some of the
deindustrialization issues proposed by Solnit too, especially since it promotes research and work
in STEM fields which remain innovative and new, preventing Detroit from sinking back in to a
one-industry city as discussed by Martelle.
Additionally, this project taught me how to effectively incorporate research into a
presentation instead of an essay this time. In this sense, I was able to practice my presentation
skills, such as eye contact, vocal clarity, making a PowerPoint with effective visuals, and
pronunciation. However, it also gave me the chance to practice conveying information in a new
way, since the way one presents information vocally must be done differently than writing. For
example, sources must be cited verbally, and a fairly informal, relaxed tone must be maintained
to prevent confusing the audience with complex words and phrases. Therefore, the skills I
learned from this project will be very helpful for my future career goals. If I plan to be a doctor,
I will have to communicate vocally with my patients, and it must be done effectively to prevent
confusing them. This is especially important if the topic is complex as many medical situations
are. Additionally, the mere research of the Karmanos Cancer Institute and its surrounding
hospitals has contributed to my future significantly since this is the field I would like to go into.
I was able to learn what specific research exists, such as those specifically focused on cancer.
Plus, I was able to more thoroughly learn about what doctors do in the medical field, helping me
decide whether this is the right line of work for me to go into.