The CRISPR Mormons and Traversing Murray, Kentucky
By Norah Laughter
The CRISPR Mormons group arrived to class dressed in tropical vacation-themed apparel, with Jesse holding his copy of The Code Breaker like a Bible. The Hawaiian shirts were allusions to Jennifer Doudna’s (the subject of The Code Breaker) upbringing in Hawaii. Today they plan to head out and walk around Murray State University’s campus to distribute fliers with the intent of informing community members that RNA technology in vaccines is safe. This public service announcement comes with numerous risks, especially because vaccine hesitancy in rural areas has become a more prevalent issue. To ensure the safety of the students, the local police were informed of the execution of the PSA and a few members of the Commonwealth Honors Academy staff accompanied the students.
Before leaving, Jesse said, “It’ll be interesting to see what people say and how they react.” They group was not terribly nervous, but they were interested in gauging the public receptiveness to their message.
Upon their departure, the group immediately began to notice stray walkers on campus, which they talked to. An overwhelming majority of the first encounters were fully vaccinated individuals, but this was soon subject to change. As the group progressed further and further away from Murray’s central campus, more and more people began to give the group odd looks. They stopped at the Dollar Tree, one of the more active locations in Murray, but were quickly shooed off the property by an employee. This did not dissuade the group; in fact, they began to work harder to talk to more people and hand out more information. They met numerous people, including a pregnant woman, who were hesitant to receive the vaccination because of concerns about the newness of it. Jesse explained that the technology in the vaccine has been around for years now, this was merely an opportunity to apply it to a public health crisis.
Later, the group encountered a man who talked to them for a very long time about the fundamental vaccine facts. The man, impressed by the dedication of the group, told them, “This made me rethink my decision to wait, thank you.” This was the first total realignment of opinion the group witnessed, as well as the most positive interaction the group experienced.