In my opinion, my group’s deliberation definitely had some flaws, but it was overall really good. There was a fairly equal effort among our group members and everyone worked really hard to put it together.
During the Deliberation, every group member participated one way or another. There were definitely people who spoke more than others, but that is how most deliberations go; there is usually a leader. All of the questions we asked the audience ended up sparking major conversations, and there were not really any periods where the room went silent. The audience was also really into it for the most part and interested in what we had to talk about.
The topic of our deliberation was the Penn State student healthcare, unaffordable, alternatives are not readily available, leaving students with a lack of healthcare that is potentially harmful and unsafe.
Our 3 solutions to this problem consisted of 1, Changing hours of University Heath Services, expanding/closing off hours for urgent matters, 2, Allowing free transportation to urgent care, and other alternative health care options, and 3, Bolstering alternatives by encouraging the use of Penn State Health on Demand.
Among the audience, the clear consensus was that option 2 was the worst one. The audience did not believe free transportation to urgent care and other alternative health options was not feasible or affordable. The more favorable options among everyone were options 1 and 3, changing the hours of University Health Services and encouraging the use of Penn State Health on Demand. Changing the hours of University Health Services is a very feasible and affordable option. Although the school would have to pay employee’s for longer hours, we would have sick students treated quicker. With option 3, it is very easy for the school to further promote their online health service, and it is worth it for people to know about it because it is a convenient way to schedule an appointment with a doctor.
Overall, our deliberation was solid and the good things we did outweighed the flaws.
Nothing is without flaws, so I’m glad to hear it overall went well. – VP