Miranda v Arizona

This term I took a class called Policy. In this class, we talked about how different policies have changed our country and our lives. So far I have really enjoyed this class because it has given me a new perspective on how some aspects of our daily lives are really the way they are because someone somewhere came up with a policy that allows for that aspect and it wasn't random. So far in this class, we have taken multiple FEs but the one that has stood out to me the most has been our trip to Mayor Andre Vasquezes office because we got to talk to him about different policies he wants to implement in his neighborhood and how he chooses those policies with respect to peoples opinions and what he thinks is right. For the final project for this class, we were tasked with analyzing a supreme court case and talking about what we think about it. I hope you enjoy my work.

I dont think the lakefront is for a select few. Do you?

I took a class this term called Urban Planning. In this class, we have talked about how cities are planned, built, and run. This class has inspired me to take a different approach to looking at cities and how they are laid out, and to understand that there is always a reason for why something is where it is even if it's not obvious. In this class, we have taken a couple Field Experiences to a few different places but the one that stuck out to me the most was when we went to the Pedway system in downtown Chicago. This FE stuck out to me because I never understood how expansive they were and it was really interesting to see something new somewhere I visit often. For the final action project in this class, we were tasked with redesigning an area that we thought could use a makeover. I chose DuSable Park, another downtown location and make a few adjustments. I hope you find them interesting!

World War Wrong?

I took a class this term called Policy. In this class, we have discussed how policies have the capacity to change anything from your local grocery store to the direction of a war. Along with policy we have talked about different United States wars and how they were legal or illegal according to the constitution. In this class, we have taken a couple FE's to places like Andre Vasques's office or Walter Burnett's office to talk to them about different policies they employ or at least different ideas they have for deciding policies. For this action project, we had to choose a war that the United States was involved in and then decide if it was a just war or not. I chose to talk about World War 2, I hope you enjoy!

Now the big question, was World War 2 just? When you look at the war and how the United States stayed out of it for years until provoked most would say it was justified. This war was only one of a select few wars in American history that the United States was not eager to join. In the years leading up to America joining there were many conflicts already in progress and so when the United States joined it was out of pure necessity. I think that when you look at the conflict with Germany it becomes a little less black and white as to how just it was. It was just because if the United States had not started fighting the Germans and the Germans took control of Europe then they would have switched their focus on America and by that time they would have conquered many of their main enemies which meant they could have focused their power on us. When America declared war on Japan they knew that that was also a declaration of war on the rest of the Axis Powers which meant taking on more than just one country. This was certainly the right decision for the United States not only was it legal as far as terms of war but also it was justified.  

This war took place in Europe, Russia, Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, India, the Middle East, and South East Asia. WW2 was a very expansive war that took place across many fronts all around the world. It started on September 3, 1939, with an unprovoked attack on Poland from Germany, this caused the Prime Minister of Britain to declare war on Germany. The United States joined on December 7, 1941, when Japan launched an attack on the Naval base Pearl Harbor. This was a welcomed change by the people of the United States but there are a few people who disagree.

Germany and Britain were not the only countries in the war others included, Italy, Japan, Britain, France, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, the Soviet Union, and China. There were two main groups in WW2, they were the Allies and the Axis Powers. On the Allies side, there was The Soviet Union, China, Great Britain, France, and the United States. On the Axis Powers side, there was Germany, Italy, and Japan. Something intriguing about this war for America is that they made it clear that they were confident in their military abilities which is not something previously demonstrated in many other wars. This is because when they declared war on Japan they knew that that was also a declaration of war on the rest of the Axis Powers which meant taking on more than just one country. This was certainly the right decision for the United States.

World War 2 was a very different war in many senses. For one simply the scale of the war is unmatched in history and up to this very day. This war resulted in the death of over 70,000,000 people. This war was also where atomic bombs were created and implemented for the first time. There were also new battle techniques implemented such as Blitzkrieg, a German technique also known as lightning war, that was meant to bring quick defeat in the form of overwhelming ground power backed up by air strikes. This may sound terrifying but almost none of it had reached the citizens of the United States before Japan bombed Pearl Habor. This is why we had to join the war because if we hadn't then millions of innocent civilians would have been under siege in their own homes on American soil.

One of the biggest problems for the Allies in this war was how Germany and Japan were spreading rapidly and attempting to grow their countries. This was a huge problem for not only people near Germany and Japan but for countries around the world. An obvious example of this is the attack on Pearl Harbor which was an attack on America from Japan that was meant to render the Pacific Fleet from interfering with Japan taking over countries.

At the time of the Pearl Habor attack the president, Franklin D Roosevelt, was not open about joining the war without reason. This is because most people were not in favor of sending Americans to foreign countries where they would lose their lives without a cause. When Pearl Habor happened Roosevelt used the opportunity to unite the country behind one cause and send troops to defend our nation.

Senate voted 82-0 and 388-1 in the House. The only person to vote against the war was Jeannette Rankin because she believed that if she couldn't go to war with her being a woman then she shouldn't send others to war. This shows that there was really no controversy with declaring war on Japan. When the United States declared war on Germany it was voted 88-0. This is important because of the fact that so many people were in support of this war shows that for people at this time the idea of the need to go to war was almost a given. It is important to know how people felt then because we won't fully know if it was just or not if we can't understand the circumstances people were under and how they felt. This is important because if the vast majority of the country felt that we shouldn't go to war then there would be a stronger case for the war being unjust, but without that aspect, it was just.

Why was America was fighting Germany? This may seem obvious at first because they were killing millions of people, but that had been going on for a couple of years by the time America joined and so there has to be a different answer. The reason America started to focus on Germany is that when Japan attacked America they needed to put down their fist to ensure that the attack on Pearl Harbor would not be seen as acceptable by the Axis Powers this lead to America declaring war on Japan who was an ally of Germany. Hitler had been wanting to start a war with America because he hated Roosevelt and America was already attacking German U-boats. Hitler also thought that Japan was stronger than it really was according to history.com and had expected them to be able to conquer the United States. The United States and the rest of the Allied powers eventually ended the war in D-day which was an invasion on the coast of Normandy the ended in the death of Hitler.

Latin America is a little talked about subject when it comes to World War 2 but nonetheless, it was just as important as any other place. Latin America was mainly a neutral country throughout WW2 which was risky because the United States needed to, at minimum, keep them neutral since they used the Panama Canal as a way to increase war goods production and for defenses. On top of that, the United States used Latin America as a base for fighting Germany and Italy in Africa since Latin America provided the closest point in the Americas to Africa. This is where the Good Neighbor Policy came into play because once WW2 started many of the Latin American countries joined the Allies which meant we could utilize those assets. The Good Neighbor Policy basically said that the United States would participate in reciprocal trading with Latin America which became important during WW2 since Latin America mainly traded with Europe and that trade was cut off by the war which meant we had to work together. This policy was not created as a result of war but it did change the course of the war indirectly.

Not only was this war just in terms of revenge and standing our ground but it was also completely legal. President Roosevelt went to Congress to ask for permission to go to war and they said yes, overwhelmingly. The Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war and the Commander in Chief to command the military, this is exactly what happened and therefore this war was completely legal.

S, D. RIPLONDON. Chicago, 22 May 2019.

Citations:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Good Neighbor Policy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 5 Aug. 2014, www.britannica.com/event/Good-Neighbor-Policy-of-the-United-States.

“D-Day and the German Surrender.” Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association, www.ushistory.org/us/51c.asp.

Littell, McDougal. American History. Rand Mcnally.

“Germany Declares War on the United States.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 16 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-declares-war-on-the-united-states.

“Home | D-Day | June 6, 1944 | The United States Army.” Home | D-Day | June 6, 1944 | The United States Army, www.army.mil/d-day/.

Network, The Learning. “Oct. 13, 1943 | Italy Switches Sides in World War II.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Oct. 2011, learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/oct-13-1943-italy-switches-sides-in-world-war-ii/.

Snyder, Tanya. “Nazi Germany Surrenders, May 7, 1945.” POLITICO, 7 May 2018, www.politico.com/story/2018/05/07/nazi-germany-surrenders-may-7-1945-568948.

When Did the Second World War End?, www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/end.html.

“Japan Surrenders.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Feb. 2010, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-surrenders.

Energy efficient appliances to save your wallet

I took a class called Urban Planning. In this class, we learned about circuits, energy efficiency, how cities are designed, and how they're built. In this class, we went on an FE to the Museum of Science and Industry where we learned about the Tesla coil and then we got to make our own circuit bracelets. I think that this was a good learning experience because we got to see Nikola Tesla's invention in action.

 

In conclusion, this project turned out really well because we built a very strong and functional circuit that has a switch for every appliance. I did not experience many challenges during the building process because I think I am rather knowledgable when it comes to circuits. 

Tammy Duckworth Letter

I am taking a class called Policy and in this class, we are talking about how different policies have shaped the county around us and how they have impacted us. We have gone on one field experience so far and it was to Andre Vasquez's office where we talked to him about his ideas for what he thinks his ward could become. Andre had a lot of interesting ideas that I didn't necessarily agree with but he was very nice and welcoming and I felt like it was a great experience. For this action project, we needed to write a letter to a representative about a problem we see.

Tammy Duckworth

Suite 3900

Chicago, IL 60604

Phone (312) 886-3506

Dear Ms. Duckworth,

My name is DS and I am writing to you because I believe that Veterans deserve the opportunity to get a visa to get back into the United States since they have laid their lives on the line to protect us. I have had multiple relatives who have served in the armed forces who I think very highly of and think that anyone who has risked it all for us deserves the opportunity to come back to our country with open arms.

Veterans risk their lives fighting for our freedom.

Veterans should be taken better care of because they risk everything.

Therefore we need to make the process of allowing veterans back into the United States better.

If you were to risk it all for a place because you believe in it and then you moved away for a while but then wanted to move back wouldnt you want to be accepted back into this place?

Veterans should be given a good reason to want to move back to The United States after they retire from the military. Currently, they can choose from many different options in different countries that offer them low tax deals with visas that may seem more appealing than what we currently offer.

Veterans are being put on the afterburner when it comes to coming back to the United States when we need these people and they need us to support them.
S. 1041: Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2019 is a fitting bill that will take care of the problem above.

The opponents may say that they must go through the same process as everyone else but I beg to differ because sure they are still human like the rest of us but we need to be courteous to these people who are brave and good to the entire United States population.

In conclusion, we need to be more lenient with how our veterans are allowed in our country because if we can't treat the people who fight for our freedom with respect then how can we take care of the rest of the population?

Thank you for keeping this in mind,

DS

Bridge the Gap

I am taking a class this term called Urban Planning. In this class, we are discussing how cities are planned out, how they are constructed, and the physics and math behind all that. So far in this class, we have taken an FE to downtown Chicago where we met with the Metropolitan Planning Council to discuss how Chicago has evolved with different designs for different things such as bridges, parks, building, and other city amenities. For this project, we had to design our own bridge using 65 popsicle sticks. I think the project went well and below is a slideshow showing the process and the math behind it.

CNC Class

I took an Independent Study class this term that I named CNC Class, after the machine, I focused on. In this class, I dove into the Carvey to really understand how it works and how it can be used. Over the course of this class, I learned about all the different ways the Carvey can be used to make many different things from simple logo cutouts to small games. I learned so much during this class even though I have previous experience with CNC machines because I have only used homemade CNC machines and larger versions of the Carvey which use more complicated programs to use and so this was a good learning experience.

I have learned more than I had anticipated and also learned that the CNC Machine is more extensive than I had previously thought. For example, I still haven't figured out how to use really small bits on hard materials to where they don't break. This was a problem the first few weeks before I resorted to using a 1/8th inch bit which never broke. In conclusion, I have discovered the answer to so many questions I had about the machine but also discovered many many more than I started with, and hopefully, I will discover the answers to these in the future. 

The MM 1000

I took a class called Light Sound and Time. In this class, we talked about many different topics such as how time is relative, how the universe is expanding, how time is relative, and many many other topics. My favorite part of this class was probably learning about how small the time period is that humans have been around for compared to the rest of time. In this class, we went on multiple FEs to awesome places such as the Adler Planetarium where we learned about the history of some time telling devices and tried to understand how vast the universe really is. For this Action Project, we needed to design our own time telling device which was tricky because there are so many different forms that could take but I think I went down an interesting path and I hope you enjoy it.

S, D. “Video.” DS.

Over the course of this class, I have learned a ton of new things and really let my mind wander trying to conceptualize the topics we discussed. In conclusion, I think this has been my favorite class and I have learned a ton and have explored new things on my own that relate to the class. 

Does Chicago Have Too Many Police in Schools?

I took a class called A Nations Argument which was based around The United States history and how people over the centuries have used argument to fight for the founding of this country, their rights, and their liberties. Over the course of this class, I have learned so much about the United States that I never knew about previously including how the rights of so many people were infringed upon during the Jim Crow era. While in this class we have gone on many fascinating FEs to really cool places but one of my favorite FEs was actually at school when we held a peoples assembly hosting multiple people with different roles that are supposed to try and amend the Chicago Police system. I found this particularly interesting because I have never really had a firm decision on whether I would want more or less policing in the city and this really cleared any questions I had. 

The Diddley Bow

I took a class called Light, Sound, and Time. In this class, we are talking about how light sound and time work and how they move through the air and impact us. During this class, we have gone a multiple FE's to places such as The Chicago Music Exchange which we visited to learn about guitars so that we could better design our diddly bow. I have loved this class so far because I have always been interested in the topics we are learning because they have some theoretical aspects and a lot of math aspects that you can use to really understand the situation and figure out different problems.

   

This quarter I took a class called A Nations Argument. In this class, we have discussed many things including the United States Constitution which relates to this project. During this class, we have visited a couple of places and had a couple visitors. One of my favorite places we have gone is to the Citizenship and Naturalization Court in downtown Chicago. This was interesting because we experienced the court process but it was also different because the people going to court were attending over the internet since they were in jail. So far I have really enjoyed the class because it has given me a better understanding of America and how it functions which is always interesting. For this project, we had to learn about the citizenship test and then propose an amendment to fix it.

Below are three questions that I think perfectly demonstrate why the citizenship test needs to be amended.

58. What is one reason colonists came to America?

61. Why did the colonists fight the British?

70. Who was the first President?

P1: This test asks you to know information that you don't need to know in America.

P2: The test forces people to learn things they may not want to learn.

C: In conclusion, the test is unfair and does not prove you belong in America. 

Below is a quote from Raymond Lopez talking about how people are trying to make immigrants second class citizens because of where they come from. I think that knowing certain facts about the United States is a way of enabling that because if you live somewhere where you cannot access good education then you may not be able to get the information you need to pass the test to get into the states. 

"He's trying to make central American Mexican families second class citizens simply because the parents are from a different origin then where those children are from." -Raymond Lopez

People who move to the United States simply should not need to know detailed facts about the United States past because it does not help them become better people or more functional members of society. On top of this people who are already American citizens are not required to know this information and in a place like America you are free to choose what you know and don't know. I think that the process should be an interview discussing views and opinions about the United States so that we can see if they have the United States in a good light or not. If they dislike the United States or support the United States enemies or terrorist organizations then they will not be allowed in. 

P1: American citizens are not required to know this information.

P2: America is a free country and you are not required to know certain information.

C: Immigrants should not be required to know things that American citizens are not required to know. 

"The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age." -Constitution 

This is similar to my amendment because not allowing everyone 18 and above was not moral and that is a similar concept to what I am proposing since it is not moral to only allow people into the states that can talk about the history. 

For a large part of United States history, there were different requirements for who could and couldn't vote which means that if you can change who can vote because it's morally incorrect then you can also amend the questions that may unfairly keep people out of America.

Here is a quote from a fellow student named OL who agrees with my amendment. "Personally I like this idea. I think it is good because it is a really easy way to see if this person will be good for the country." -OL He also signed in agreement and so did TM.

Steel Oats Camera

I am taking a class called Light Sound, and Time. In this class, we are learning about those exact things but in detail which means we are learning about the way light sound and time travel move and react with the environment. In this class, we have gone on an FE to Latin school where we were given the opportunity to use their darkroom so that we could test our pinhole cameras. I really love this class because I have always been interested in this topic and the sort of questions that surface when talking about light sound and time.

   

Who knows about the history of vehicles?

I took a class called A Nation's Argument. In this class, we talked about how arguments are formed and what parts make them up. One argument we dove into is the Declaration of Independence and how it was laid out. We learned about the premises, conclusions, and inductive and deductive statements. I really have found this class interesting because I feel like I am a talented debater but have never really dived into the parts that create a good argument or the order they should be in and this class has really shown me that. Below is my project that is my argument for why I should do a certain independent study.

I am writing a declaration for an independent study that revolves around the history of vehicles and how they have shaped the planet. It is necessary to write this declaration because vehicles have shaped the space in which we live from things like highways to parking lots to the way entire cities are laid out. Without a good understanding of vehicles, how are we supposed to understand history as a whole?

In light of proposing an independent study, you have to consider the purpose of school and how your independent study lines up with your purpose.

I think the purpose of school and learning is to advance yourself and weed out the motivated from the unmotivated so that colleges can make good decisions as to who to accept. It is also there to create an educated general public so that everyone has the best opportunity to do good for themselves. Schools also give you the opportunity to become someone who is a functional member of society, which means you contribute to the economy rather than living off of other people’s taxes. Without schooling, you would not be able to do anything in society and that includes helping others. To help other you need to be stable yourself and that is a benefit of the school.

While thinking about this we also have to consider our unalienable rights and how they too, connect to what I am proposing.

These are your unalienable rights presented by The Declaration of Independence and GCE Lab School.

Life and Liberty

The pursuit of happiness

Exploring the real world

Connecting classroom the environment

This declaration is an expression of your unalienable rights because without the knowledge I seek to learn I feel that I won't be able to try and grasp the entire picture of what history looked like and how it has been shaped by some things more than others. For me to feel like I am fully living life and understanding it I think that I need to be able to understand where my history and heritage lay and how I can tap into them or at least understand where I fit in this day and age.

The guiding question I will be following is, Without a good understanding of vehicles, how are we supposed to understand history as a whole? I think it is your my right to learn about this because without it I am not able to understand society and history which denies me my right to life and liberty, and exploring the real world.

I hope to understand why our world has become the way it is specifically because of the way we transport ourselves and materials.

Learning about the history of vehicles is like learning about the history of religion; they both have played massive roles in history and have changed the world we live in.

P1: Animals as vehicles advanced many kingdoms and empires in the form of the silk road.

P2: The assembly line brought cars to the masses and in the span of twenty years, millions of Americans went from not owning to owning cars.

P3: Cars have changed entire whole continents.

P4: Vehicles have allowed people to travel further

P5: Vehicles allow for a more efficient transfer of goods

P6: Between 1900 and 1920 Americans went from owning 8,000 cars to 8,000,000

Conclusion: Vehicles have shaped the planet and to truly understand history and the course it has taken we need to understand vehicles.

I will be referring to these articles that talk about specific events that prove that vehicles have revolutionized the planet.

Caravans and Transportation

Assembly Line

Henry Ford

Military Vehicles

How cars changed the world

Citations:

“Motor Vehicle.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle.

Hays, Jeffrey. “CARAVANS AND TRANSPORTATION ALONG THE SILK ROAD.” Facts and Details, factsanddetails.com/china/cat2/sub90/item1103.html.

“Ford's Assembly Line Starts Rolling.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fords-assembly-line-starts-rolling.

Editors, History.com. “Henry Ford.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/inventions/henry-ford.

“Articles Tagged: Military Vehicles.” Military.com, Member 30298028, www.military.com/equipment/military-vehicles.

“How the Invention of the Car Changed the World.” Aceable, www.aceable.com/blog/how-the-invention-of-the-car-changed-the-world/.

“How Transportation Changed the World.” Spike Aerospace, 28 July 2017, www.spikeaerospace.com/how-transportation-changed-the-world/.

How we see Atonement

I took a class called Ollywood. In this class, we learned about movies, how they're made, what their purpose is and how they impact people we also learned about cinematography and how to do it. I found this class VERY interesting because it really made movies an entirely different thing for me because I stopped looking at them as simple things put together by people in a computer room and started looking at the whole process. In this class, we have taken a bunch of field experiences to many different places. The main one that stood out to me was the trip to the Gene Siskel Film Center where we watched a documentary called The Area. What really touched me about this FE was how much time and effort people put into the craft of making movies because we got to talk to the director of the documentary and it was really inspiring to actually get to talk to someone who had created a documentary. The other thing was Gene Sickel Film Center was a place that I would say many people don't know about and the fact that it exists for a rather niche group of people is crazy because its in an expensive location which means someone had to make the decision to invest in this and must know that there is enough support out there, support of which I didn't know previously existed. For this action project, we had to create a review of a movie and below is mine. I hope you enjoy.

 

Nail Climbing (yes it is safe)

I took a STEAM elective named Game Changers. In this class, we talked about how games work, their mechanics, and how they can teach. I found the class very interesting because it gave me a look into a world I never knew existed. I met people who have dedicated their entire lives to games in various ways and that's something that I never would have imagined seeing. In this class, we went on many Field Experiences to different places but we also had many in house experiences.  One of these experiences that really touched me was when we talked to JR Honeycutt about his life as a game creator; this inspired me to think differently because he was so devoted to something he loved that it gave me the realization of what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it. That I did, and so did my team partners AA and RP. Together we created an exciting game that involves cards, a board, and creating fantastic memories with friends. So I hope you enjoy learning about it and maybe you'll even consider playing. 

We have taken the initiative to create an incredible game that puts you into the shoes of a rock climber with a few added difficulties. In the game, you are playing on a vertical board. Along the way you can hit patches of rocks that are impossible to cross without going around, you can collect gems that can help or hinder, and you can make strategic decisions to be the first to the top! The objective is to be the first to the top of the board and claim your victory. 

This game is perfect for people who love a challenge or a game that combines luck with decision making. This game can also attract fans from the sport of rock climbing or fans from strategic games that already exist such as Settlers of Catan. We have designed this game to create an environment that helps grow your patience, long-term decision making, and sportsmanship so you'll never be a sore loser. 

This game was incredibly fun to create but it all had to start somewhere. When we first started brainstorming, we had so many ideas that it was hard to choose just one! Our first idea was a race car game that would be on a flat board but, of course, this eventually evolved into a vertical board that focused on rock climbing rather than race cars. I think the major reason we did this was so that we could have a more visually appealing game that could stand out from the rest of the competition. Creating the game was very tedious because we had to literally nail almost 500 nails into a board not once but twice since we switched to a different board after the first one turned out to be too flimsy and dangerous. Along with nailing in about 1000 nails, we also had to tweak the final board numerous times before we determined that there weren't enough straight paths to the top that it made the game unfair. Playtesting the game went horribly the first time because the card game had no connection to the board and so there wasn't really a way to play. This wasn't a surprise since we were barely into the design process and already knew it wasn't functional yet. The second time we playtested, and after receiving pages of feedback that referred to the exact same problem every time, we changed the cards to clear cards that gave you a certain amount of moves to make so that it had a connection to the board and people were actually able to play. After making corrections to the actual correspondence between the cards and the board we, also discovered that if a player ended up with numerous cards that instructed them to move upwards they had a straight shot to the top and made the game pass too quickly. This is why there are several "rock" formations along the route that are impossible to pass through. 

I am proud to say that I came up with the original idea for what the game would look like and how it would perform. This is not to say I was the only one working but only to say while the entire group contributed to the idea coming to mind. I can say that I brought it up and had us pursue it. I also am very proud of the actual video that we made and all the time it took to edit it into a concise video that got to the point. I also intentionally made the video that shows how much fun we had playing the game so that you would feel more inclined to play while also learning about the game. This was an ordeal that I would estimate took me about 6 hours to finally accomplish because I had many technical problems that inhibited my work and forced me to restart the editing process multiple times. In the end, I think the video turned out great and that is something I am very proud of.  I think the final thing that really wrapped up my contributions to this project is how I really tried to bring the entire team together and I truly believe that I have never worked on a team in school that performed better together than us. At the beginning of the project, one of our group members was hesitant to join our group for unrelated matters, but we were finally able to convince him to join. This was not in vain; I wanted him to join because I knew that with the three people involved, we could make an incredible project. Even though I had to overcome obstacles trying to get us all to work in harmony, it worked out beautifully. I made sure to divvy up work based on skills, workload from other classes, and simple desire to accomplish to the task. I think this resulted in an entire team being extremely excited about the final outcome and a team that is truly proud of the work that was accomplished. 

Lincoln Analysis

I took a class called Ollywood. In this class, we discussed cinematography, screenplay, acting and other topics relating to movies. For this class, we have taken many FEs to amazing places such as the Siskel and Ebert movie theater to watch a documentary called The Area which featured the struggles of people living in Englewood. We also had representatives from the Goodman theatre come and help us read out a screenplay with proper inflections and tone. So far I have found this class to be very interesting and really have learned a lot about movies and have gained a better appreciation for them, every time I watch a movie I actually look at the details and the characters and how they are portraying their part. I think the biggest takeaway is really understanding the context of the scene and seeing if what's happening is what should be portrayed. 

 

Life behind the scenes

This term I am taking a class called Ollywood. In this class we are learning about what goes on behind the scenes of movies and how much work it really takes to really make a movie function.  We have discussed screenplay, location scouts, and storyboards. To really understand those topics we have make our own storyboards and we even had to choose our own locations based on certain criteria and my location was actually chosen for our trip since it really fit the criteria assigned. This class really gave me an appreciation for older films as well as some newer ones because older films really seem to be better thought through since they had less in work with in a way. Newer movies can be corrected with special effects which makes it easier.

For this action project we had to analyse a movie. I chose the movie Life of Pi. I chose Life of Pi because I think that it has a very dynamic plot and the characters are very unique and that isn't something very often seen among newer movies. I think that newer movies tend to follow similar plots and have relatively generic characters. I think that Life of Pi breaks that trend and I will explain that below.

I think Life of Pi had a strong plot because there was a lot of content to explore. The journey always had somewhere to go and something to do but along with that it kept you wondering because you couldn't know what was coming up. For example nobody could have predicted that Piscine would end up on the island of death while he is in the middle of the ocean nor would we have ever guessed how he tames Richard Parker. The crisis is when the ship taking Pis family to America sinks and Piscine ends up on a life raft with a tiger. I would consider the climax of the movie when Piscine finds the island because while it isn't the most action packed it sort of peaks in what is happening since the island scene is surrounded by scenes of ocean. The resolution is when Piscine lands in Mexico and Richard runs away into the woods. Many parts of the film were surprising and different than situations that would normally pop up in movies. I think that's what made this film something special.

The protagonist of this film is Piscine Patel who is a very religious young man from India. In the film he seems like a good person who was easy to connect with and sympathize with. "Religion will save us," I said. Since when I could remember, religions had always been close to my heart.” I think this is a quote that really shows who he is because he was very religious and that's what he lives by. Pi is also shown throughout the movie to courageous and brave because “the island of death” is a test to his will since he could have easily lived there and quit but he knew what his journey was and stuck to it.

The antagonist of this film is Richard Parker (the tiger) who was from Piscines families zoo. This movie had an interesting situation between the protagonist and antagonist because they eventually started to respect each other. I would describe Richard as any other tiger, hungry, a predator, and territorial. “The first time I tried, Richard Parker bared his teeth, rotated his ears full round, vomited a short guttural roar and charged… I was beside myself with terror - of Richard Parker” this quote simply adds to what I said about the tiger simply being a tiger. Richard Parker eventually adapted to accept Pi because they started to look at each other as equals which I think adds a dimension to Richard because I think we assume most other tigers wouldn't accept people so quickly.

The film was based off of the book but the book was based off of the Trivandrum Zoo which is the same zoo that was shown in the movie. The author of the book even did research on actual animal behaviors for his book and that is partly reflected in them movie.

I think the set design was incredible at many different parts of the movie, especially the opening scene at the zoo where there were hundreds of plants not to mention the small things like water fountains, statues, and colors. As for the the ocean scenes when most would think there isn't a lot going on you can notice the details of the boat and the sort of things that were taken into account such as the oars, the bags, water, wood, fish, and even the tarp covering part of the boat. As for the locations I think it was absolutely fantastic. I love the zoo and the pool and even the “ocean” was very impressive. The “ocean” in the movie was actually a wave pool built in an abandoned airplane hangar. I think that the locations chosen were perfect since it really portrayed what was trying to be described such as the exotic zoo, the fancy pool, and the unpredictable, sometimes violent ocean.

The costume design was very impressive but at the same time there was not as much time to judge it as most movies because for massive chunks of the movie there is only one person floating through the ocean. But for that person they did a great job at giving him a costume that mimicked what we all think would happen if you were stuck at see for long periods of time. As for all the other parts involving costumes I think there was an incredible amount of attention to detail. In the beginning when the whole family was alive at the zoo they had clothes that matched what you would think they should be wearing such as the Indian style dresses and colors which really portrayed the environment perfectly.

Say Goodbye

I took a class this semester called Art of Rhetoric. In this class, we have discussed many things including what rhetoric is, why it's used, and why it's important. So far during this class, we have taken many Field Experiences including talking to Troy Laraviere, talking to Ugo Okere, and going to the Chicago History Museum. So far this class has been really fun and interesting and I think I have learned a lot. For the last project we needed to make a piece of Rhetorical art that is an advertisement for our upcoming people's assembly and on top of that write an invitation to it. Below you can find my work and I hope you learn something new.

Say Bye

S,D. Say Bye. Chicago, 25 Oct. 2018.

GCE Lab Schools 2020 Junior class will be hosting a peoples assembly on January blank. We the Juniors of GCE Lab School have decided to put our heads together to create a peoples assembly that will answer the questions that the people may have. We have been meticulously planning for the last couple weeks and plan to continue this process for the upcoming semester so that we can bring you the best environment to ask questions, learn, and ultimately make the best decision you can in this upcoming election.

Our class will be inviting many high ranking figures such as Toni Preckwinkle, Bill Daley, Garry Mcarthy, Amara Enyia, Jamal Green, Troy LaRaviere and many more. These are all people who are in the race to become mayor of Chicago, or in other words your mayor. They will be asked questions that are based on large problems the Chicago area have been experiencing. Some of those questions may address gun violence, tifs, schools, money, and transit. We hope that their answers will give you insight into what they think, how they treat others and if they're a good fit for you. These are all pressing issues in Chicago that may influence your vote!

Our people's assembly will be very accommodating. There are many reasons that could hold you back from attending but having children shouldn't be one after all this impacts you more than anyone! So if you have children that's fine we will be providing child care services for the duration of the assembly. We also will be providing lunch and snacks for the duration of the assembly. We hope to make this assembly as accommodating as possible while still having an extremely informative environment that will allow you to leave with more information than when you walked in.

Let's talk about why. You may be wondering why you should go, and that's reasonable. We think that people need to take charge. We have power in numbers and when you decide to show up you add to that. We have many problems in this city and when the people step up things get done correctly. Along with that if you have children then these issues are not only impacting you but also your children. These kids are the future of the city (and the world) we need to support them which involves coming to events like this. How many of you liked when many CPS schools got shut down? Not us as we think it was wrong and we think you share that opinion so if so agree you can ask these mayoral candidates about it and find out if they're on your side or the machines. This is your opportunity to see these people as their true selves, not just people on tv that won't listen, this is your chance to make your voice heard and there's nothing to stop you but yourself. So do yourself a favor and make sure that you do what's right for your family, your community, your city, and most importantly yourself.

Picture description

My picture addresses the issue of money not being put into poorer neighborhoods and being put into downtown Chicago. My painting breaks through to people because this will be seen by people in poorer neighborhoods who can relate to their money funding downtown innovation. My painting builds upon rhetoric in the U.S because the United States has a history of using rhetorical art to gather people over a certain cause such as world war two when they rallied for people to fight in the war. In the drawing, I included a hyperbole in the form of SAY BYE since your not literally saying bye to your money. I also used exaggeration because the city is supposed to look perfect in the foreground while all the money is going there but in reality, the city isnt perfect and not all the money goes downtown. I want my audience to experience a feeling of anger and rebellion when they look at this picture.

The Juggernaut

I took a class this semester called Design and Engineering. This has been one of my favorite classes so far since it is related directly to things I like, not only the designing and engineering which is something I have always been very interested in but also because of the specific things we have looked into such as bicycles. In this class, we have taken countless Field Experience to places like Beyond Design which is a design laboratory that creates designs for large companies to smaller places like On The Route bike shop where we talked to the owner about different kinds of bikes and the way they differentiate. For this final project, we needed to design our own bike around one person's specific needs below is that project and the bike I came up with.

 

Pascals Triangle

I took a class called Prove it or Lose it. In this class, we learned about combinations, and how to find the different number of routes that can be taken for a certain puzzle or map. We also discussed Pascals Triangle which is also what this project will be about. In this class, we have not taken any Field Experiences but we have done many projects that have to do with real-world applications such as understanding reflections in the real world and proving them. For this project, we had to make a dynamic Pascal Triangle that showed different aspects of the triangle and showed different patterns regarding it.

 

Preckwinkle Power

I took a class called Rhetoric. In this class, we talk about different ways that rhetoric is used and why it matters. I think this is a very interesting class because we get to choose a Chicago Mayoral Candidate and do research on them and tie our learning into a real-world example. In this class, we have completed many Field Experiences including a discussion with Troy Lariviere. Other notable Field Experiences include visiting the Chicago History Museum to see the Martin Luther King Exhibit to understand the way they presented the information and how to museum used rhetoric in the exhibit. For this project we needed to choose our candidate in the Chicago Mayoral Election then choose a speech or article that they made and then dissect it and understand the rhetoric used.

Here is the video I analyzed in the presentation. 

Bikes

Frames

Carbon Frames

They are very light and very strong but they are expensive.

Wheels

Carbon Wheels

Very light and strong but drawbacks include price.

Prove it or Lose it

I took a class called Prove it or Lose it. In this class, we are covering different things such as mirrors, reflections, translations, and such. We set out to prove things in math rather than actually solving the problem. This is important because while the process is important understanding it to a different degree is even more important. For this project, we needed to take a picture of something, reflect it across a line and then prove it was a reflection.

 

In conclusion, I think this was a very interesting project since I had to directly connect in-class work to real-world items. I learned a lot, to say the least, starting with GeoGebra and I know it a bit off topic but GeoGebra is a really helpful program that allowed me to show my work and lay it all out in one place. I also learned different ways to prove that a reflection is a reflection. I used many different methods to prove this such as circles. triangles, and slope. I think the biggest takeaway from this project is that the math we learn is all around us whether we realize it or not. 

Jerry Joyce

I took a class called Rhetoric this semester. This class is about many different things, so far we have learned about how rhetoric is used for good or bad and how it plays into advertising. We have taken a couple Field Experiences such as a trip to the Chicago Music Exchange. We took this trip because we had to look up one of their antique guitars to make our own advertisement for so we needed to see it in person. Another trip we took was to an MLK memorial. We went there so that we could talk to the creators of the memorial to better understand why they felt the need to put a statue there. Finally for this project we needed to make a speech for a current mayoral candidate. We needed to make a video of us presenting our speech.

How Will you Address Violence In The City?

 

The Gravediga

I took a class called Design and Engineering. In this class, we learned about a couple of different things including vectors, simple machines, and how to design something for a certain audience. As far as Field Experiences go we went to Home Depot to learn about gardening tools so that we can better understand the market. We also went to Beyond Design which is a design firm that designs things for a living. Going to these places helped us understand the topic even better. For this project, we had to recreate a gardening tool for elderly people. I chose to recreate the sledgehammer.

Before starting this job I had to do prior research to make sure I made the best design possible. The research I did prior included an interview, going to Home Depot and personal research. I interviewed my sister so that I could understand how tools caused stress to certain joints. I went to Home Depot to ask questions of the professionals working there, and finally, I did personal research such as understanding the competition so that I could properly differentiate from them and make my tool better.

I learned that sledgehammers are too heavy for most elderly people to use. Second I learned some elderly people can handle the weight but not the placement of the weight. And finally, I learned that sledgehammers are typically not ergonomic because they stress out the same parts of the body.

Empathy is when you put yourself in someone else's shoes to understand what they are feeling. This relates to the class because to design something for a certain audience you need to be able to make it specifically for them.

I learned a lot from doing this project because while yes I was already very knowledgeable on the topic before entering the unit I hadn't done a sledgehammer or garden tool before so this was something new. I also think this project was beneficial because I now have a better understanding of how empathy fits into the project.

Scoliosis Prevention!

This semester we took a class called Cure. Cure is the third STEAM class this year. In this class, we talked about how we can take preventative measures to stay healthy and avoid getting bad diseases. We also have learned about probability which I will be using to help us learn the chances of developing the In this class, we have taken a few FEs including a Yoga Nidra Meditation class which was a great example of a preventative measure which someone could take to prevent diseases. The reason this helps is that it calms the body and releases stress. We read about another preventative measure someone took where they had their breasts surgically removed to prevent breast cancer since she had a high probability of getting it. For this project, we needed to look at a patient and give them recommendations as to what they could do to prevent a disease. I decided to look into Scoliosis.

Example of Scoliosis

Name: Ólafur Andersson

Sex: Male

Gender: Male

Age: 36

Height: 6’11”

Weight: 370 lbs

Medical History: He has an extensive medical history including broken bones, concussions, surgeries and pulled muscles. The main problem we are seeing is that he has had back problems and even had surgery on his back. This is not a good sign considering what he is trying to avoid. The problems he has had in the past may weaken his body and cause other complications with him such as an increased chance of Scoliosis. For someone who is worried about Scoliosis it important that they have a strong back support.

Lifestyle Behaviors: Ólafur Andersson is a former NFL football player. Who eats relatively healthy but has recently been slacking off after leaving football. On top of not eating as healthy as he should he also has all but stopped exercising. Things he likes to do in his free time include, watching tv, playing with his kids and cooking pastries. The only exercise he gets is a walk around the park once a day, which is not a lot.

Medical Concerns/Family History:  His family has a record of Scoliosis which he is concerned about. He is personally concerned about his back which has been in pain for weeks and given his family's history he is concerned he has Scoliosis. Scoliosis is a disorder that affects the spine by making it bent sideways. Scoliosis can affect different people in different ways, some people may need surgery if its bad enough and others may never feel the effects of it.

Purpose of Consultation: He has consistent back pains.

Risk Assessment: 3/100 people in the world have some form of Scoliosis. This means that the experimental probability of a person getting scoliosis is 3% and that is without the factor of your family history. If you include the genes in his family you will see his chances of getting Scoliosis will rise to 47% since 9/19 people in his family have it.

Medications: The only medications for Scoliosis are painkillers such as Advil. The Advil will help relieve the pain that comes from the spine. Some side effects of Advil can be stomach pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and constipation.

Nutrition Plan: People with Scoliosis should not eat a lot of salt and sugar. Salt and sugar can slow communication transferring in the body which is a problem when the spine is not perfect. They should only eat moderate to little amounts of healthier versions like sea salt or Himalayan salt, stevia or raw honey. These are slightly healthier versions since they aren't processed. Eating healthier foods will be beneficial because when you are more healthy in general your body can work to the best of its ability. Things I would recommend are fish, smoothies, and lots of salads.

Lifestyle Recommendations: Stretching and daily exercise such as 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 days a week will help. Some examples of aerobic exercises are swimming, running, and biking. The reason you want to be doing aerobic exercise is so that you can be healthy and your body is strong. Also strengthening the muscles in your back will help support you.

Alternative Therapies: There are a couple good alternative therapies that you can try that will help you. Yoga is the first one because it is known to stretch your body and it will relax you. Yoga will also lower your stress levels which means you will be healthier and your body will be able to heal itself better. Another option is acupuncture which relaxes and heals you in a similar way to yoga.

Goals:

Month 1-2: You're going to want to bike for 1 hour a day for two months. The reason for two months is because I want to ease you into the routine before we add more exercise.

Month 2-4: After the two months you need to add a 25-minute run after or before the 1 hour of biking for another two months.

Month 4-6: After those initial four months, you should add an exercise of your choice for another 35 minutes which will add up to two hours of total exercise.

Month 6-onward: I want you to do these exercises unless they start to hurt. Doing these exercises should strengthen your body and make sure there isn't excessive pressure on the spine. Doing these exercises will also give you a way to channel stress which will also help you in the long run.

Sources:

AboutKidsHealth, www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=2008&language=English.

“Ideal Diet for Scoliosis.” Mercola.com, Mercola.com, articles.mercola.com/scoliosis/diet.aspx.

“The Connection Between Spine Health and Blood Sugar.” Why Tobacco Should Be Banned From Your Life, www.thejoint.com/arizona/glendale/arrowhead-ranch-48016/the-connection-between-spine-health-and-blood-sugar.

Scupham, Beth. “Scoliosis Priority Protocols.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 24 Sept. 2017, www.flickr.com/photos/bethscupham/37430093115.

“Scoliosis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 29 Dec. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scoliosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350716.

Davis, Charles Patrick. “Scoliosis Treatment, Causes, Symptoms & Surgery.” MedicineNet, www.medicinenet.com/scoliosis/article.htm.

Play?

This semester I took a class called Drama. In this class, we talked about how plays are written and we have read a couple of plays such as Taming of The Shrew and Dolls House. I have learned a ton in this class so far such as how to make a play, the different components of plays and the different jobs that go into making plays work. As far as FEs go we went on a couple with the most memorable being the trip to the Goodman Theatre where we received a tour of the place and were allowed to see all the really cool parts that you normally would never see. After all this, I managed to get a much better sense of how plays are made which allowed me to make a good action project. For this project, I teamed up with JP and OL. We were tasked with making a play that displayed gender inequalities. Below are my script and the play we made. If you want to see my partners blog you can click the links. Here is OL blog https://olgcelabschool.blogspot.com/. Here is JP blog https://jmpgcelabschool.blogspot.com/.

Might be type 2 Diabetes but here is 3 options!

Right now, I am taking a class called Cure. In this class, we have discussed many things such as different drug types such as over-the-counter and prescription. We also have discussed different types of math such as graphing parabolas, ellipses, circles, and hyperbolas. My favorite part of this class had been learning about a berry called the miracle berry which essentially blocks your sour receptors and makes sour foods sweet. The way the miracle beery works is that it blocks the sour receptors in your tongue by essentially jamming them so that the sour molecule cant fit into the receptor. The way this happens is that the blockers find open receptors and they are essentially a key that blocks the entrance to the receptor. So you can think of the receptor as the lock and the medicament as the key. This was an eye-opening experience because it really demonstrated the content of the class. The lock and key idea relates to many other drugs and is the reason they work the way they do. In this class, we have taken a few field experiences such as the miracle berry demonstration. For this action project, we needed to choose a disease or symptom so that we could talk about different treatment options such as over the counter, prescription or other types of cures. Below is my action project, I hope you enjoy!

	Humulin Insulin	Genesis today 4 fiber	Biking
Price	$55	$18	$550
Effect	Lowers blood sugar	Help lower blood sugar levels	Helps level blood sugar levels
Accessibility	Prescription	Over the counter	Anyone can buy
Side effects	Low blood sugar	Bloating, diarrhea and cramping	Sunburn