The Independent Artist

For my independent study, I worked on beefing up my art portfolio for various colleges. I spent a lot of time working on essays and making different films that I could add to my art portfolio. I plan to go for a film major and I decided I needed to have more film work in my art portfolio. This independent study allowed to me see if film was something that I could get into and it also allowed me to explore different styles of film like animation and noir. The biggest project that I completed was a Noir film which you can watch below.

                                                                                                                

I submitted applications to the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Pratt Institute, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and Savannah School of Art and Design (SCAD). Each college requires two essays, one talking about personal aspirations and another talking about why I as an artist is a good candidate for their school. In addition to the essays, each of the colleges asked for something different to be included in my portfolio. For instance, Pratt asked for a film treatment and RISD asked for a separate art project following their guidelines. So, I needed more time to work and explore my art and be able to follow my own schedule. This is why I decided to have an independent study. I worked on a lot in the month I had to myself. I was able to work on my essays and really focus on what I needed before a certain deadline for SAIC.

Then I got to work on various films. I worked on different animations, as well as creating a movie about someone doing something so bad they needed to lose their identity. In that short film, Lost & Gone, I want the audience to interpret what it is that he did that he would need to lose his identity. I created new film where for a week I planned out the script and was always writing down ideas for how it look very good, this way I got to see more of the planning behind films. I knew I wanted to create a Noir film, so I started by looking up the elements a Noir film, other than the fact that they are usually in black and white. I got a few people I knew to be the actors. Following a storyboard and a script, I recorded the actors. Then I took the footage to post-production, where I edited a short film to tell the story I set out to tell. I am very proud on how it came out and I wish I had more time for this independent study. But I will still be creating films. In fact, I already have another idea ready. I want to keep growing as a filmmaker and artist and that’s what I plan to do.

Road to Olympus!

In unit two of my class, Game Changers, we basically worked creating our own game and looking at the process to see how games are made. We talked to many different officials in the field of game making and designing as well as seeing how playtesting can work in the designers favor. We went to the Chicago Toy and Game Fair to present our second edition of the games in the Young Inventors Challenge. This was super helpful in seeing what the industry looks for and really seeing a good game vs. a sellable game. For the action project, we worked on making the board and making it better also just had to really show our game off, by showing the process, and making an elevator pitch. The game I co-created was Road to Olympus, which you can learn more about below. What I really liked was that I got to have a partner, which made it easier to do a more complex idea and really get different viewpoints on what we should do. What was stressful was getting the board ready for the Game Fair because we had to have two editions done in a week to make it ready for the fair. I over came that stress by worker hard and using any free time to my advantage. I really hope you like learning about the game I created with my partner DR!

                                                                                              

Hello! I am NVA and my partner is DR; together we have created the game Road To Olympus - a Greek Mythological game where you can play as one of 7 demigods. Hades has captured these 7 demigods and now they must make their way back to Olympus, going through 5 creatures the Sphinx, the Cyclops, the Hydra, the Minotaur, Medusa, as well as Hades himself to get to Olympus. They can pray to the gods to help them, but their prayers can be heard by any god, even Hades. In the end, only 3 can make it back to Olympus.

Creating this game was so fun, but stressful at the same time. What was fun about it was how my partner and I were able to make an actual game and in a pretty short amount of time. That was fun for me because I got to see how I can really push myself. I also really liked doing playtests with so many different people. It was a great way to really learn on what can be improved and made better to appeal to more people. One day during lunch, I got bunch of people and we just started playing my game and slowly more and more people wanted to see what the game was about. That was something I was super happy to see - that our games was actually appealing to people, and it was still in its first edition. We got to talk to the people from Marbles and they were able to give us great feedback on how our game could be improved. I think the thing I am most proud of is making the last board. I say that because so many people were telling me that we need to make it where the person gets the sensation of actually getting to climb to Olympus. The only thing that was stressful were due dates, and needing to get it ready for Chicago Toy and Game Fair with only a week. Besides that, I am very proud of the game I have created with my partner DR, we learned a lot together and I could not have done everything without him. In the end, I put a lot of mental and physical work into this project and I am happy to look at my game and see all the different stages it went through to become what it is now.

Honey I Love This Trip!

In my new class, Game Changers, I am learning how everything works in depth about tabletop games such as how you define a game, the different genres of games there are, and all the mechanics behind games. Also we looked at randomizers like dice and how certain dice give you more abilities, such as a die with 12 sides (d12) versus having 2 dice that are 6 sided (2d6). For FEs, we went to Cat and Mouse, a game shop, where we learned how to play Settlers of Catan, and ask the expert, Peter, who worked there his experience with games and game making. We also talked to Jason Little, a game designer who has created over 50 games, and we asked him questions about what the industry was actually like. For the action project we had to think of a scenario where some people would like to play a game and our recommendations for that scenario. I chose a scenario that I lived through where a bunch of kids are going to another country and they need to do something while in the airport. The two games I suggested they should play are WA and Honey I love You. What was challenging was that this scenario was that I lived through it and when I was stuck in this airport with all these people while only knowing one person, it would’ve been fun to play these games. We did have games we played in airport, but the problem was that they were more of riddles than actual games. What I like about this project was how free it was in getting to choose the scenario and the games we see fit to play in those circumstances. I hope you enjoy reading my scenario and seeing why WA and Honey I Love You are the best choices for the kids in that airport!

                                                                                                                     

Scenario:
A bunch of kids are stuck in the airport for a service trip and not everyone knows each other. What is a game that they can play to keep them entertained while they are waiting for the plane? You are trying to give the trip coordinators the best game so the kids aren’t bored whilst waiting. They have certain needs that are:

- They need a game where they can learn each other's names and more about each other.
- They do have room because it is late and the airport is mostly empty, so it could be a physical activity.
- They have no money to spend. 

I have chosen two games that meet these needs, Honey I love You and WA. Below are the reference sheets to describe the games in more depth:

These kids could really gain a lot from both games. They are both icebreakers so the kids can get more comfortable around each other for the trip. They both involve great interaction to help them get comfortable as well. They are physical games so they aren’t just laying around bored in the airport. Plus they are both free and pretty fast to learn after some playthroughs. Each game does have one thing that another might be lacking in, but together they work very well. When I was on the trip we played both games, and both helped us get used to each very quickly and got our minds ready for the trip.

I recommend Honey I Love You more than WA just because you get to really connect with people, and everyone is happy and laughing at the creative ways people think of to make others laugh. An additional bonus is that some people in the airport know each other so they might use names and that will help people get used to new names. It really gives people something to talk about afterwards, as well.

SMART Investing

In Unit 2 of my class Economics, we learned about investing, and different types of things to invest in, such as bonds, mutual funds, and stocks. Then for the math side of things we focused a lot on matrices and how to add them, multiply, scalar multiply, find the determinant, find the inverse; also to solve a system of equations using the methods I listed before. For an FE we went to Northwestern Mutual to meet the owner and see what it is like to deal with investing and financial planning as a job. We also talked to former director E.D. to see his philosophy on investing and talk about the best time to start investing and saving money, now. Leading me to the action project we had to make a financial portfolio, by thinking of three SMART goals, and one would be for 1 year, one for 5 years, and one for 25 years. We were then given $49,128.87 to invest into companies we would want to invest in that we could use to get money for those three goals. I decided to invest in Disney, Nike, and General Electric, I will explain why down below in the post. Something that was difficult about this was definitely thinking of the goals, just because it is very hard to think of where your life will be in 1, 5, and 25 years. What I did like about this is that I can apply to my actually life, maybe not with the same amount money given to me, but it helps me think about my future more. I think for this if I did have that money I would definitely invest the same way because I think my 25 year goal will will be set, and I care more about that time, than I do in 1 or 5 years. Down below is my portfolio, hope you enjoy reading about my plans for the future!

                                                                                  

First I want to talk about my philosophy when it comes to investing, now I have never invested before, but after studying it for so long and talking to professionals I came to this conclusion. I want to make investments where I can make some kind of profit, and have it be something I believe in. What I mean by that is doing a good thing for a nice cause, and getting some kind of reward for that. When it comes to my risk tolerance, I took a test, and I have a 27 score, which basically means that I have a moderate one, where I am not too risky with my choices in investing.

As I said for my investments I have a 1 year, 5 year, and 25 year goal, and here they are:

1. 1-year goal: Summer trip to Greece and Bulgaria ($2700)
2. 5-year goal: Move into my own apartment ($25,000)
3. 25-year goal: Have my own house, with car and start college fund for kids ($320,000)

You might be wondering what kind of companies I value. Well, ones that are innovative and think outside the box. While also trying to appeal to citizens and not just themselves, almost as something that wants or has long term values/plans. Now for my own person values just as NVA. I value doing good in the world, by helping people out, doing my part in something, making sure everyone is okay. Being creative, and not just sticking to what certain people have to do, thinking away from them so I can think of something better. To always be happy, and smiling, and knowing that certain things happen for a reason and you need to learn to live with it and face your fears.

These are the share prices for the three companies I am investing in:
$93.05: Disney
$51.16: Nike
$28.92: General Electric

Two Companies I like the most are Disney and Nike, so I will tell you a little about their companies.

Nike:

They value their customers and want to make sure every athlete is taken care of so they can perform at their best. P/E ratio of 23.32. Dividend yield of 0.85%. They have been around for a long time, and sponsor many famous athletes, also because they sell so many different products they are always making money. This company really focuses on my values, and they are a company that takes care of people, and they think outside of the box a little, in making sure someone can perform the best. Now below is what they stock looks like for Nike in one year. Now it may seem that is dropping, but it actually leveling it out, because Nike has a lot of bursts. Also during the that it was high was basketball season, so that when it starts again the stocks will go up.

Disney: 

They work to entertain people, and make sure kids, teens, and adults are all happy from their products. They are always expanding, and trying to see how they can make certain things better. They have a P/E ratio of 17.84. They have a dividend yield of 1.53%. Also because they are always expanding and have been around for so long they are well protected in the market. Again, this one looks like it is dropping, but they just haven’t come out with any big movies yet. At the left,down below, it is very high, and well they had just done the Star Wars movie, and there are a lot more to come, and even Marvel movies. So this is perfect because I will get to hit those high points, as the same for Nike.

Time horizons are huge, because they can really tell you how much money you might invest in one thing versus another. Knowing that here is how I invested in my 1,5, and 25 year time horizon:

- For year one of my invest to take a summer trip to Greece and Bulgaria, I want to invest in General Electric and Nike. I would invest a total of 1,281.28, meaning 50/50, so 640.64 towards each company. This would give me 12 shares for Nike and 22 for General Electric.

- For 5 years of my investment to have my own apartment. I want to invest in General Electric and Disney. I would invest a total of 1,951.56 and again 50/50, so 975.78 towards both companies. This would give me 10 shares for Disney and 33 for General Electric. \

- For 25 years of my invest to have my own house, car, and college fund started. I want to invest in Disney and Nike. I would invest a total of 45,896.08 and again 50/50, so 22,948.04 towards Disney and Nike. This would give me 448 shares for Nike and 246 shares for Disney.

You might be wondering how I thought that through, well I shall tell you. At first I knew I needed to have the most amount of money towards the 25 year goal. I also knew for the first goal that I didn’t need a lot of money back from my investments. So what I did was add the two share prices from each one and multiply it by 2, and keep doing that until I came along a number I thought was fair.

Let's look at Return on Investment (ROI) to make sure I get a good percentage of money back. Nike as an ROI of 23% and General Electric as an ROI of 3.19%. So to find out the ROI of year one I will do 0.50 (50%) times 0.23 (23%) and add that to 0.5 times 0.0319 which is 0.1309. Now we can say that my ROI for year one will be 13%. Disney has an ROI of 12.5%, so with that we can find the 5 year. 0.5 times 0.125 plus 0.5 times 0.0319 which is about 7.8%. But I am not done there I would turn that 7.8% into 1.078 because 0.078 is the decimal of 7.8% but we add that 1 for the next year. Next we do (1.078) to the fifth power which equals 145.6% for my ROI in 5 years. For my 25 year, we do the exact same thing we did in the 1 year and 5 year, just different numbers. So, 0.5 times 0.125 plus 0.5 times 0.23 which is 17.7%. Lastly we do (1.177) to the 25th power which is 5880% for my ROI in 25 years. Now I can use that to find out how much I will have in those time horizons.

Now I believe having a diverse lifestyle is important and it is important that you use that kind of thinking in investing. For example, my stock sector is very diverse from entertain (Disney), energy (General Electric) and consumer goods (Nike). Disney is an in entertainment field because of what they sell to people, or give out to society. General Electric is energy because of how it deals with all different types of energy, from renewable to fossil fuels, and seeing how we can make everything better in the world. Nike is retail because it sells clothing mainly and accessories for athletes. My strategy for this was use companies that focused on different products, but had the same values in the end. So they are diverse in way but not in another.


My Assumptions:

- I have made the assumption that even though my 1 year or 5 year goal might not go as planned, I put enough money into my 25 year, because I believe that to be more important. 

- I assume that Nike and Disney, even though it looks like they are going down, will come back from the season for Basketball and other sport to start up again; for Disney they will have new movies coming out, giving them a higher rate.

- I assume that my 25 year goal will work out better than wanted because I put so much money towards it.



References: 
“General Electric Return on Investment.” CSI Market. N.p.,n.d.Web. 27 Oct. 2016
“Investment Risk Tolerance Quiz.” Rutgers. N.p.,n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.
"Nike Return On Investment." CSI Market. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
"Nike Inc. (NKE) | Valuation Ratios." Stock Analysis on Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
"Walt Disney Co. (DIS) | Valuation Ratios." Stock Analysis on Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
“Walt Disney DIS”. MorningStar. N.p.,n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

Comedic Genius

In unit 2 of Journalism we learned about how to formulate a podcast, and make sure one can flow very smoothly. We did by following what Ira Glass had to say on making a good story, and doing it in a podcast form. For an FE, we went to Columbia College, to their Journalism Department, where they do TV and radio broadcasting for class. For the action project, we had to think of a famous person in the 20th century, and make a podcast about them. In this podcast we had to explain why they are famous, and we had to tell a story about them. The person I chose for this was Jim Carrey, for he is one of my favorite actors. He also has a side to him not many know about, and it is one that I really wanted to show in this podcast. Something challenging was getting the story together, and editing the podcast together. What I am proud of is that I got my message out, but in the podcast, I tried to do what Jim Carrey loves to do, which is getting people to smile. I did this by trying to add humor to the podcast. Thank you and I hope you enjoy listening!

WHEN	WHO/HOW	WHAT
00:00:00 to 00:13:47 00:13:48 to 01:02:52 01:02:53 to 01:07:07 01:27:81 to 01:32:30 01:32:31 to 01:50:30 01:51:47 to 01:53:64 01:53:65 to  03:36:55 03:36:56 to 03:44:76 03:44:77 to 04: 15:92 04:15:93 to 04:22:42 04:22:43 to 04:29:03 04:29:04 to 04:40:43	Jim Carrey voices fades Background Music starts (“Ambient Background” by Soundshrim) My voice fades away My voice fades Her voice faded Song fades out	Jim Carrey: I watched the effects of my father’s love and humor, and it altered the world around me, and I thought, that’s something to do. That's worth my time. NVA: From GCE Chicago High School, this is NVA, today we are going to be talking about the famous Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey is a comedian that became very famous in the 20th century, from doing In Living Color, Liar Liar, Truman Show etc. Now let me talk about what I think of him first, then we will see what someone else thinks about him. While I am talking, please think of what you think abou him. Is he just a goof? And afterwards did anything about your view of him change? For me Jim Carrey has always been this person that can make me smile. When I am feeling down, or need some reason just to smile, I would turn to him. Watching so many movies he is in. Going on Youtube and looking at his funniest moments from various movies, interviews, and impressions. Jim Carrey: You love me, you really love me! NVA: I learned something when I stumbled upon a video. Jim Carrey is very inspiring, and wants people to just do what makes them happy, and spread that happiness through what they love to do. Many people view him as a guy just acts crazy and loud, I see him as someone that wants to just make your day better in any way possible. Jim Carrey: The purpose of my life has been to always free people from concern. NVA: So today we have M.A. with us and she has been able to see his comedic genius grow throughout the years. And so, I want to ask you what has been like to see this progression and how has he changed the comedic scene? Jim Carrey: Hold on I got to warm up, I don’t wan’t to pull a hammy! MA: Well, Jim Carrey started out in a TV show called in Living Color and he was just kind of a stand-in. He was not one of the A-list, and he quickly rose to stardom with his impressions and rubbery face. One the things about Jim Carrey however, is that he really is a comedic genius. In order to be a comedian you have to be quite smart, you have to be able to ingest the news, ingest what’s going on in the world/worldwide. So you can relate comedy to it. Jim Carrey, thought most of his movies he does play kind of a goofy guy, I don’t think he has written any of those movies but he may have. He may be typecast- ed as this goofy guy but in reality he is brilliant and really comes off making the movies moe in depth and inspiring for people. Even the Cable Guy, which really is.. I thought it was a funny movie, it kind of taught you something about people at the end; and I think that’s something Jim Carrey brings into his movies. NVA: So he can make society a little more relatable for you, in his comedic genius? MA: Yes, Jim Carrey comes off as a goof but in reality he tries to inspire, the youth, by sending them messages in some of his Ted Talks and different podcasts about how life is short and you need to do what makes you happy and strive for excellence. Jim Carrey: My soul is not contained with the limits of my body, my body is contained with the limitless of my soul. NVA: Alright thank you MA and thank you for everyone that listened, I hope you enjoyed this! Jim Carrey: Okay I'm gone! Taking off! See ya… bye!

Picturing The Meaning of Life

In unit of 1 of my Humanities class Journalism, we learned about the what being a journalist means; we also looked at photo journalism, and how you can tell a story with one photo. For an FE, we went to Wienberg Newton Gallery, and we looked at an exhibit with photos of the spots where someone was shot in Chicago. This was really in impactful to see how one image can old so much meaning behind it. As for our action project, we had to interview someone about the meaning of life, and take a photo of them. This photo could just be them in their natural environment, but I decided to do something different. What I found challenging for this project was thinking of the right picture to take, and showing that the picture has meaning behind it. I am proud of the image that I ended up using because I put a symbolism into it. Below you can learn about the interview I took and see the picture I used. Please enjoy!

                                                                                    

There are so many things happening in our world right now, every few seconds someone dies, someone is born. The planet is changing, we are evolving. But--What is the meaning of it all? Why do we do the things we do, why does the earth move it does? What is the meaning of life? Just ask yourself that.

I asked myself that, and then I went out to interview someone to ask them the same thing. The man I am interviewing is AA, my father. He is 57 right now, he is married, he is works for the City of Chicago as an architect. He has sister and brother, both living life happily. He is very involved in the Greek community, going to church, parades, and any special events. He is always giving a happy vibe to everyone around him. I thought he would be perfect to interview, because he has experienced so much, and still has such a happy face.

I asked him, “What is the meaning of life?” he responded with, “It is to able to leave good thoughts behind so people can continue to do good deeds and be smiling as they do so. I say this because now of days everything, TV, newspapers, and social media are about disasters, murders, it is all bad news with no good thoughts.” I really liked that response because I believe the same thing, there is too much bad in our world.

I followed with a question that, I think, is very important, “How do you represent your meaning of life?” He replied with (speaking in Greek), “Do good and good comes back to you.” Let me explain first why I think that was important question. These days, a lot people will say something or judge someone and not follow what they said. I knew he was going to say that because I always hear him saying that to me. He even says it to others. They will ask why he does certain things, and he is never hesitant to say, “Do good and good will come back to you.” Next I asked if he was taught to believe this because he taught it to me. He answered with, “You aren’t really taught you are mentored that way from everyone, and everything around you.” I connected a lot with this answer, because it is true, the people, the area, that you live around really makes you the person you are; it does this either in a good way or bad way.

Speaking of that, my next question was, “What’s your advice to people that have bad all around them?” He responded with, “Time will tell and everything will work out.” I expected something different, but I was happy with what he said. I say this because a lot of people think where the place they are is where they will be forever. This isn’t true, if you work hard and always keep a positive attitude it can change for you, change for the better. Lastly, I asked him, “Has your definition changed overtime?” He was quick to respond, saying, “My definition has gotten stronger in a positive way. It has changed for the better.” This is an answer that I was surprised to hear, mainly because so much can changed in 57 years; you might define something differently than you did 20 years ago.

NVA. "DO GOOD." 2016. Chicago

Above is the image I have chosen to use for this article. I used this one because I liked the symbolism behind it. The first piece of symbolism is the how the dark the image is, and the background. I did that because he was saying there is so much bad news, bad news you see in: social media, newspapers, and TV. Now, you might be wondering what the sign he is holding is saying. Well, that is Greek, and it translates to “do good” which was his message during the entire interview. I also had the light focusing on that sign, so it shows how much he tries to represent that. In addition, he is only showing half of his face, because it adds to the realness of the situation, how he always tries to do good, that it is normal to him. He just does it, without any expression, he just wants to spread good, positive views.

When it comes to the aperture, shutter speed, and focus, I didn’t really do anything special with those aspects in the use of the camera. I really just played around with the lighting around me to get that darkness, and light look. For me, this pictures makes me use my 5 senses and think of something smooth a crisp, I say this because the image is very simple (smooth), but the meaning is very powerful (crisp).

In the end, I really took away a lot from away this interview, I knew some of this information already. It was still nice to hear him explain it more and go deeper in his meaning of what life, and how he always wants to do good. Now go back to what I asked in the begining on what your meaning of life is. Has it changed? Or has it got stronger?


References:
Personal Interview. AA. 2016.

Directing My Life

In unit 1 of my STEAM class Economics, we learned about opportunity cost and how everything has a price: your time, your choices, and your passions. It was heavily filled with concepts of how people think and incentives. From a math point of view we went over calculating interest, such as compounding or continuously; another thing we touched on was matrices and how they work. One big thing we looked over was Supply and Demand and how a graph of that works. For FEs, we went to the Federal Reserve Bank to talk about how they work, and how they really control the economy. For our action project we had to pick a future job and think about two routes to get there, and make a presentation about all the costs that go into it. The career I chose was a film director, because it is something I have always wanted to do. The purpose of this was really to help us map out our future using what we learned. It wasn't just for a project, this helped us a lot in mapping out our lives. My main challenges were getting the correct information and how to put it all together. I am the most proud of getting to finish it on time, and using my time productively when doing this. Below is a Soundcloud of me explaining my two routes and below that my presentation, thank you!

Glimpse of Glimpse

Over the summer of 2016, I was fortunate to be accepted to a program called Global Glimpse. With Global Glimpse I traveled to the Dominican Republic for 18 days with one other student from GCE Lab School; in total there were 20 students and two teachers from different high schools in the Chicago area. The city I traveled to in the Dominican was Bonao, which is in the center of all the mountains The main purpose of this trip was to work with local people teaching children to speak English.

Teaching wasn’t everything, we got to experience the lifestyle of the locals and how one area of the Dominican was different from another. Our experience in the Dominican highlighted differences of living in the United States. There was no hot water for showers, so it was a cold bucket shower everyday; which to me wasn’t so bad, because the weather was so hot. We couldn’t drink the water there so we had special purified water made for us and we couldn’t eat street food, only the food that was made for us, or any place they said is safe. Everyday was different, where we could learn and do different things, for example we had a “Living like a local day” where we actually had to live like a local. This meant less food for the day, no lighting in the place we stayed at and no fans to cool us down. Or “Working like a local day” where we went out to help plant plants. Another example was “Imigration day” this day we got to meet a Dominican village where all the people came from Haitian descent and we got to see how Haitians were viewed by a lot of Dominicans.

Not everyday was like this. On Wednesday we had a fun day and on our first fun day we hiked to a waterfall. We also had Free days, where we got to go out in a group of four people and shop and just walk around Bonao. We did so much in just 18 days, and it was truly amazing. But I want you to walk away with an important lesson that I learned, these people while living in “poor conditions” don’t need our help. They want us working with them, and being a team; not just helping them a little and going away.

The last days were for our Community Action project (CAP), where we were presented with many different ideas of what we could to do by the locals. The one idea that caught our eye was building a playground so they didn’t have to play in the street. We did this by donating money and then we used that money to build the playground. We never got to finish but we did so much that the locals were very happy and couldn’t wait to complete it for us. Not only did we build this playground, but we had enough money to buy a deep freezer for another CAP, so our delegation was able to do two CAPs in the span of two days! Below is a slideshow with pictures of my trip, please enjoy! If you want to see more go to this link of a video I made of the trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF4dL-HW3xg.

One Man Army

In unit 3 of Policy we learned about what the judicial branch is, who it consists of, and the powers it can hold. We focused mainly on the Supreme Court and its involvement in the the checks and balances of the three branches. Also we reviewed Supreme Court cases and how they all challenge what the Constitution states. For the action project we had to choose a Supreme Court case and make a presentation on it, which consists of the historical context, looking at both sides of the argument, and if we think it was just or unjust. I chose research the Korematsu v. United States (1944), which had to deal with Japanese Americans being put in internment camps. I decided to this case, because when reading about it, it challenged me to think if it was just or unjust. Something I enjoyed about this action project is that it is in presentation form, whereas the previous action projects have been essays. A challenge I faced was being able to pick a case, because there are so many that it can be hard to find one that interests you. I hope you like reading about Korematsu v. United States!

Speaking Espanol

For my third period class, we went over speaking Spanish, but we did this by going over these topics: Spanglish, immigration, Latin American literature, influence on Chicago, food, and art. For this action project we had to write an essay in Spanish about one of the topics we went over, with an art visual. I chose to do Spanglish, because I like the concept of mixing languages, and I see it being used a lot more in popular media. With doing this we also had a 2 to 3 minute talk with our teach in Spanish about our topic. Something I liked about this project was getting to chose whatever topic and visual aspect to make this project to our liking. Something that challenged me was making an essay about Spanglish without repeating a statement over and over again. Hope you enjoy reading about what Spanglish is!

Becoming An Urban Planner

In unit 3 of Urban Planning, we focused a lot on the “flow” of a city, and how that can affect our society today and the people living in it. We watched three TED Talks on how today’s urban environment is not worth fighting for, is boring, needs to be retrofitted, and how it has led to segregation. For the action project we had to pick a block in a town/city and choose what flaws it has and how we can improve it. I chose a block right by my school. This is very industrial and bland looking, and I want to see how I can make it better. Something I liked about this was getting to choose a block anywhere in the city because it gives the class so much freedom. Something that was challenging was getting the volume for the buildings and doing the 3D model, only because it was very time consuming to get it perfect. Hope you enjoy!

                                                                                                                             

The area I have chosen is around the intersection of Concord and Throop. This is a very industrial area, which houses the Fleet and Facility Management (2FM). They fix Chicago city vehicles and have architects for city building in this area. I would say that there aren’t any strengths in this area. The weaknesses are that it barely has any nature, and there are a lot of big blank walls and skinny roads, with skinny sidewalks. To make this area better I would put some art on these walls to make it more welcoming, even if it is a city space. I would add more green by putting green roofs on the ceilings so that during the summer workers don’t get too hot. Also, I would make the sidewalks bigger, and put plants around them.

The shape of the area I would like to fix up is a trapezoid, the bases are 553.73 ft and 906.14 ft, and the height is 1,045.38 ft, meaning that the area is 754,675.11 ft squared. Below is a picture of the space from google maps. I have labeled what I think is wrong with it.

NVA. "Google Maps Design" (2016) 

But what should be done? Well on the roofs I would put solar panels and green roofs to get more energy and make sure the building doesn’t use extra. I would put art on the walls to make it look very welcoming, and widen the sidewalks, then add more greenery. Below is a scale drawing of my new design plans.

NVA. "2D New Design" (2016).

I was inspired a lot by James Kunstler, Ellen Dunham-Jones, and Majora Carter who all three gave TED talks on how they could/would change the urban planning we have now, and make it better. James inspired me by showing how blank walls can make an area look very bad and “not worth fighting for”. Ellen helped with showing how walkability in an area is so important for people, and it can affect how a space feels. Majora showed me cool roofs and green roofs which are good for energy saving and they look very nice as well.

My new designs will change a lot about the flow with this small area, but how? Well for transportation it makes walking nicer and gives the pedestrian more space to move. It will change the buildings by adding some nice art and adding green roofs and solar panels. Once the green roofs and solar panels are installed it will change the electricity/gas usage and save money, for when it is winter the heat/cool can stay in so they don’t waste electricity/gas. When the solar panels are up, since the building’s roof has a triangular point it will catch more sun, giving the building more energy. Lastly for infrastructure, the roads will be a bit slimmer but vehicles will still have room to move with both sides of traffic being able to move at the same time.

Now to get to the 3D aspect of it, the two main buildings of the area are the Fleet Department building, and the old fire house. So I got the volumes from people who worked there and they said that the Fleet Building was 24,296,300 ft cubed, all I need was the height. So I got the area from google maps which was 388,439.61 ft squared, then I just divided that to get my height which is 62.54 ft. For the old fire house they said the volume was 60,000 ft cubed, so using google maps I found that the area was 1,981.21 ft squared and when I divided those two numbers I got 30.28 ft as my height. Below is a 3D model of my design, made with Tinkercad.

A main problem I had was just doing the sketch and finding out the volumes. I overcame the sketch by trying my best, and asking for help from the teacher. I overcame the volumes, because I was able to find them out from the people working there, but I needed to show the area and height as well; so what I did was use those volumes, find the area on Google Maps, and then divide the numbers to get the height. What I learned from both is that you can always find a way through something, you just need to work hard and not give up. I wouldn’t want to do anything differently, I am very happy with the designs I have created.

Just War

In unit 2 of Policy, we focused on the executive branch, such and the powers and different abilities it has. We also looked the Vietnam War, and the different things it did to people and how the executive branch can make policies that are unjust, like war. For an FE we went to the International Veteran’s Art Museum, where we looked different art work representing the Vietnam War. We also got to try on some gear that veterans had to wear while in battle in an exhibit inspired the book we are reading, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien. For the action project, we had to choose a war and explain if it is just or unjust, and explain our reasoning. I picked the Civil War because this is a war that is a very old war, and show how it had a lot of ripples that lead into the present day. Something I liked about this project was getting to select a war of any kind, even if it wasn’t an actual physical battle. Hope you enjoy reading about whether or not I think the Civil War is just or unjust!

                                                                              

The American Civil War, fought in between the north (Union) and the south (Confederacy), lasted for four years, from April 12th, 1861 through May 9th 1865, not a war that the United States joined but a war that was in the center of the United States, dividing our nation. A war that would push a ripple effect on our society, a ripple that is ongoing. The war was the first where slaves could fight if they had become free. This also was a war that brought our nation together and ended slavery in the United States. But why did this war happen? Mainly it was tensions between the north and south about what was right and wrong, like whether or not slavery should exist. A lot of underlying causes were the Underground Railroad for slaves to use to escape to the north. Also the Dred Scott case of 1857, declaring African Americans not citizens of the United States. The Missouri compromise of 1819, separating free states and slave states. But that was just putting gasoline on the wood, the match to start the flame was on April 10th, 1861 when in Fort Sumter and a firefight broke out between the north and south, marking the start of the Civil War.

Was it good we went to war, or should we have tried to make this civil conflict more peaceful, since this was the war with the most deaths so far? I believe this war was just, and needed to happen because it got people out of the state of treating others as literal property. It ended something that should have never been a to begin with, but was sadly. It gave the line, “All men are created equal” more truth in the Declaration of Independence. This war was a declaration in it’s own way, asserting that slavery is wrong and needs to stop, and our nation has to begin working together again.

The President at the time of the Civil War was Abraham Lincoln, and during his first inaugural speech said that we need to get the south to become part of the Union again, to have the nation working together; this was a month after after the war started. This also had a lot to do with Lincoln’s want and need to end slavery in the United States. Congress played a huge role in this war, in 1861 Congress created the Joint Committee on the Conduct of War. Where a group of people from the south and north would give intel on the war and everything else that was going on that they might need and should know.

During this time two big policies were made, the Conscription Act of 1863, and the Militia Act of 1862. The Conscription Act meant that every man between the ages 20 - 45 must register to be a soldier, even if they were about to become citizens. The Militia Act meant that freed African Americans would work as laborers and soldiers in the war. Both policies were created by Congress, mainly to get more soldiers for the Union. The Conscription Act was hated by many people and resulted in a lot of protesting in New York, whereas the Militia Act had many African Americans ready to sign up and ready to fight, to show their pride. Both these led to the reason why the American Civil War had the most deaths of any war that the United States has been a part of. I say on a legal and logical standpoint that Congress was just for making these policies, because they needed to be made for the Union to have won the war. Plus the acts didn’t go against any policy previously made, in fact it helped one act that was made during the Revolutionary War, saying that all men needed to have a weapon in preparation of war. I say this because it showed how the government need all these acts to secure the victory in the end.

In conclusion, this war was just and needed to happen to make a step to a better society, one where we could work together. President Abraham Lincoln was right to have wanted to free slaves for the greater good, and to bring the south back to the Union. If not, then we might not have won a lot of the wars that we did in the not-so-far future. This might have had the most deaths, and did have ripples both good and bad. But it did lead to the great migration, where many African Americans were able to get good jobs that they could survive well with. Also leading to more change that was for the good. This war needed to happen, and it moved us on.


References:

"Causes Of The Civil War | HistoryNet." HistoryNet. Web. 11 May 2016.

"African Americans In The Civil War | HistoryNet." HistoryNet. Web. 11 May 2016.

"Abraham Lincoln." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations. Web. 11 May 2016.

"Congress Passes Civil War Conscription Act." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 11 May 2016.

"U.S. Capitol Visitor Center." U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Web. 11 May 2016.

"The History Engine." History Engine: Tools for Collaborative Education and Research. Web. 11 May 2016.

Saving Your Bills

In unit 2 of Urban Planning we learned a lot about electricity, such as what it is, AC (Alternating Currents) vs. DC (Direct Currents), and how it can used. We also focused on the War of Currents, which was a battle between Tesla (creator of AC) and Edison (creator of DC) to see which type of electricity is better. For an FE we went to the Museum of Science and Industry, where we looked at the Tesla coil and we went to the Brick by Brick exhibit. Also the area around the museum is where the World’s Fair in Chicago during 1893 was held, which is part of the book we are reading, Devil In The White City. For the action project we were paired with a partner and had to create a parallel circuit with 2 switches, one that controls everything and another that only controls part of it, and 5 resistors, such as a motor and light bulbs. Something I enjoyed was working with my partner and seeing what we could create together, and being able to just test so many things. Hope you enjoy the circuit my partner, MS, and I made.

Modern Day Segregation?

In unit 1 of my class, Policy, we focused a lot on the Legislative Branch, such as who runs it, who makes it up, and what they have to do with making policies. For an FE we went to a city council meeting in Chicago, this was to audit a meeting they would have and see if what kind of stuff they like to discuss. For the action project we had to pick an issue that we were interested in, and then write a letter to a government official about the issue. I chose to pick gentrification because it is a very confusing topic, of whether it is good or bad in the long run. Also, I chose to write to Governor Rauner, because gentrification is a big issue in Illinois, and mainly Chicago. Something I liked about this project was that these letters are actually being sent to the government officials, which shows that we will possibly be heard.

                                                                                                            

April 25th, 2016

Governor Bruce Rauner:

Office of the Governor

207 State House

Springfield, IL 62706

Dear Governor Rauner,

What would you think if you were literally forced out of your house, because of other people’s likings? Everywhere more cities are growing, becoming more middle class suitable, with tensions of race and culture rising. Well this all has to do with gentrification, something that is happening a lot and needs to changed or altered to become a good thing.  

Gentrification is tearing neighborhoods apart, and leading to many problems, like racial tensions. People are being forced out of their homes, because they can no longer afford it. It has made racial tensions grow because neighborhoods become whiter and push different races out to another area. The website Governing says, “Neighborhoods gentrifying since 2000 recorded population increases and became whiter, with the share of non-Hispanic white residents increasing an average of 4.3 percentage points.” - Miciag, Mike. "Gentrification in America Report." Gentrification in America Report. Feb. 2015. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. Also the people that previously lived there are the ones that have made the neighborhood what is it, and are the ones that made it so good. Then soon, because of rising prices they will eventually be kicked out. PBS says, “Earlier residents may feel embattled, ignored, and excluded from their own communities. New arrivals are often mystified by accusations that their efforts to improve local conditions are perceived as hostile or even racist.” - "Flag Wars." PBS. PBS, 17 July 2003. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. This is true, and as I said makes more tensions grow, because the people that built everything are being ignored by the new people. Then because of the price increase the people that wanted and liked that the neighborhood was shaping up, they, because of the new people rising prices, are eventually bought out. How Stuff Works said, “While long-time residents may benefit initially from cleaner, safer streets and better schools, they are eventually priced out of renting or buying.” - Roos, Dave. "How Gentrification Works." HowStuffWorks. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. This says what I said, but it is true, and we need something to stop this from happening.

Now I am a person who lives in a middle class neighborhood, and the majority of the people that live in my neighborhood are white are white. I look around and I barely ever see anyone of another race, and I always ask why can’t those people live here, or why can’t they go to another neighborhood like mine. I have learned it’s because they can’t afford it, they have been pushed out of all the areas slowly through generations to the point where they now have their own part of the city, that is very bad. I know many people that can’t live in certain places because it has become too expensive for them, and they have literally pushed, even when fighting not to, to live in a certain area. What I am saying is sounding a lot like segregation, no? People having to go from one place to another, just because people with more money think that this area is better for them. Maybe they don’t physically kick you out, but it’s time that does it, it gets to the point where they can’t deal with the prices of everything around them. It’s like when a new piece of technology comes out, which is an area being gentrified, it takes over the older pieces of technology, the people previously living there, and soon the old pieces are pushed away to go somewhere else. I think we really need to show how bad gentrification is, and show what it does to people that live in certain areas.

You might be wondering, then what should we do? Well I have a plan, there should be a policy put in place that says if an a neighborhood grows to the point where it can, by definition be called gentrification, the people living their beforehand, that were lower than middle class, can have the option of buying/renting property at the original property rate. The owner of the property that was there first also gets a bigger tax rate savings.

Now I can see how gentrification could be good, it does get ride of crime in more areas, and cleans up the neighborhood to look better for everyone living there. It also opens up better places to eat, better education, and better places to live that are very visually appealing. But how should we let all that happen, and not let the people that were originally there have some of that, and let them stay for the original price they were paying. Because once they basically forced out, they will have to go to neighborhood that even worse than the one they were previously in, making it worse for food options, education, and job opportunities.

I, a student, leave off by saying that we need this policy, were people that are lower than middle class can have the option to pay the original price, not only for the people that are being forced out, but for everyone in the community, to be a better one. To have school with true diversity, and culture, where the kids can grow in a great environment. Where this policy will end the race tensions, and bring everyone together and learn to respect each other. To have it where people can have fresh groceries and not depend on cheap junk food. To really end our modern day segregation issue.

Sincerely,

NVA