For this Project as Action we were given the task of creating a slide show on a particular math concept. I chose calculating circumference and area of a circle, because, although they are relatively simple concepts, they are very easy to forget or mix up!

Enjoy my presentation below!

“U Kno We In Love”

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For this project as action, our task was to create a mashup using a utopic and dystopic beat. The two songs I chose were Uknohowwedu by Bahamadia and In Love by 9th Wonder. The song by Bahamadia has a dystopic beat, in my opinion, because it is plain and way too repetitive, while the beat by 9th Wonder beat is actually utopic for me for the exact same reason. I was inspired to use two songs that were classic hip hop style, but I also wanted to put an electronic spin on it, which is what moved me to take the song in that direction in the second half. I also decided that I wanted to throw some new audio in the middle to liven it up a little, so I took a scene from the movie “A Streetcar Named Desire”. The process of creating this song was difficult at times, but I really enjoyed myself.

Check out my song below!

My volunteer experience profoundly different from what I had expected. My task was working with other women from the organization doing community outreach, and spreading the word about House Bill 2675. This bill pushes for an updated, more comprehensive and informative sex education curriculum in Illinois. We went to the 17th Ward (around 75th and Ashland) to pass out flyers and spread information about this bill because the representative of the ward, Jackie Collins, was still undecided on the bill.

After doing this community outreach with CAF I can say that I will definitely be volunteering again in the future. The reception to our cause was so great, and people were so willing to ask for information like who to call and how they can help.

This unit in Policy we looked at infographs, and how effective they can be when it comes to communicating information to a large demographic. What I’ve learned about infographs is that they are key to data comprehension– no matter what language you speak, where you are from, or how educated you are, infographs transcend the boundaries we have from one person to another and deliver information in one uniform, global way.

My infograph is about the U.S. Nuclear Program’s spending. I chose this topic because it’s something that I have taken an interest in since I have been in Policy, and for my recent prep assignments I have made it my focus. I hope you enjoy my infograph below!

In this unit of Urban Planning we studied bridges and trusses, how they work, and how they connect/separate a city. My group decided to build our bridge from bamboo, duct tape, clay, and gorilla glue. Our goal was to make the bridge’s members as secure as possible. In the end, our bridge was able to support 18 lbs. I learned a lot about planning and calculating in this unit. Please view the video of my bridge below!

The purpose of this project as action was to create a song that describes a utopic/dystopic memory through sound and timbre. For this soundscape I drew from a utopic experience: When I was in seventh grade, I went to Madrid, Spain for three weeks during the summer and stayed with the Alcocer family. The most distinct memory I have from this experience was one afternoon during lunch on the hottest day of the trip. I had just walked a mile from the city center to the house to make it in time for lunch. We were all eating gazpacho, which is like a cold tomato soup, a custom meal meant to cool you down in hot weather. At the end of the meal everyone in the family brought out their classical guitars and began to play flamenco music– including the mother. I’ve never seen anyone play the guitar in this way– without a pic, beating on the body of it like a drum while picking the strings at the same time. The mother, Marisa, began to sing a spanish song in her deep, throaty voice. It was an ethereal experience.

I used Garageband as an editing tool to create this track. When listening to the track, I think you’ll find it relatively simple to understand what’s going on– I took a pretty literal approach to the entire event except for at the end, when I was faced with the challenge of making my own flamenco sound effects. The issue with this is that I do not know how to play the guitar, let alone flamenco music! So, I decided to create a flamenco-like sound using my voice, beatboxing, whistling, and drumming with forks. In making this soundscape, I wanted to assure that it sounded musical, so I decided to add my own rhythm to the soundscape using materials that were in the room at the time of the memory. I didn’t want the soundscape to be limited to the chronological order of the story, so there were some sounds that I decided to loop and have playing consistently throughout the track. Every sound on this track was created by me– with some help from my peers.

Please take some time to view my presentation below!

ERLANGER, STEVEN. “Skepticism Abounds as Six World Powers Resume Nuclear Talks With Iran.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/world/middleeast/skepticism-surrounds-resumption-of-nuclear-talks-with-iran.html?ref=nuclearprogram>.

ERDBRINK, THOMAS. “Ayatollah Says Iran Will Control Nuclear Aims.”NYtimes.com. New York Times, 16 Feb. 2013. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/world/middleeast/supreme-leader-says-iran-not-seeking-nuclear-arms.html?ref=nuclearprogram>.

TAKEYH, RAY. “A First Step with Iran.” NYtimes.com. New York Times, 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/opinion/a-first-step-with-iran.html?ref=nuclearprogram>.

My device is similar to a sundial in that it employs the same measurement tactics. The way my design functions is by using the sun’s rays to determine the time of day. When the sun hits the rectangle, the shadow will reflect at a different place depending on the hour. You can calculate the hour by measuring the degrees that the shadow falls from the rectangle. It is very similar to the sundial, but a little less advanced because it does not have numbers surrounding it like an average sundial. However, this is an advantage because it can be used anywhere in the world at any time so long as the sun is shining and you have a protractor!

The first people to use sundials were the Egyptians in 1500 BCE. The Egyptians used astronomy to develop the concept, and it was a monumental advancement in mankind. Their first primitive design looks a lot like my prototype, but a bit more advanced. This was a revolutionary invention, and greatly altered the way we live today. Sundials have been used by both ancient and modern cultures alike. This is a meaningful invention because as long as there is sunlight this is a 100% sustainable way of telling time.
My design is relatively simple aesthetically– it consists of a 6” tall rectangle made of a sturdy material on a stand so it can be upright.The units used to measure my time-telling device is inches, because I wanted to keep it as simple as possible.

I will employ math by finding the latitude of my exact area, (Chicago, IL) 41.8500° N, 87.6500° W. Once I do that, I can plug that number into a shadow calculator and determine what angle the shadow will fall at any given point in the day. Another way of doing this which is a lot easier and requires less materials is measuring the angle of the shadow with a protractor. By taking that measurement it is easy to determine what the time of day is.

When Time Began. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2013.

 <https://www.timecenter.com/articles/when-time-began-the-history-and-science-of-sundials/>

•Larkrise Web Calculator: Sundial angle calculator. N.d. Raw data.

Https://www.timecenter.com/articles/when-time-began-the-history-and-science-of-sundials/, n.p.