Gated Community

In my Humanities class, Rhetoric, we recently finished our third and final unit “Unity”. In this unit we furthered our knowledge on rhetoric the impact it can have. We studied different situations where rhetoric has been used to inspire, unite, and bring about change. We then focused on the certain devices used to create this unity. Some being  Alliteration, Assonance, Hyperbole, Metaphor, Antithesis, and more. We studied certain passages to really grasp how these devices get used, For example Common Sense by Thomas Paine was a pamphlet that continuously used rhetoric to persuade  independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. With this we were simultaneously seeing the strong connection politics have with rhetoric. This all led to the eyes of our creative selves to create an art piece that speaks on our mayoral candidate to shine light on what they represent as a unit. I decided to create a abstract collage that is based on the school system to show forth what my candidate is about. I wanted to challenge the idea of abstract as it is seen simplistic and open for interpretation with this I created a intentional theme that simplistically holds analogies to this one fight. As our unit ends I hope you have gained knowledge to go out and VOTE!

GA, "Gated Community", 2018

This piece challenges what a gated community is. The word gated is defined as confinement, elaborating on that it’s not very inviting. Community defined as a group, it can be taken as inclusive to a lot of people, very inviting. Yet, once put together it becomes contradictory, gated community draws the idea of the people seeing education as this untouched community that doesn't play within the rest of the corrupt system when in reality we built a "gated" playground to invite pipelines of prison industrial complex, rigged funds, censorship, military practices, and bordered white walls. This serves as a recording of what has been said by kids, teens, and adults it unites the stories into a collective theme that breaks the barriers that have been made to separate the thought of education being affiliated with Greed of money, power, Luxury or any other market desires. Engravings and recordings have been used rhetorically throughout the years to convince a certain way of living, thinking and being. I was influenced by that concept to visualize my drawing with recording incidents. Theodore de Bry was a famous engraver who depicted the early European expeditions to the Americas. Theodore influenced the European perception of the New World, Africa, and Asia by showing negative illustrations of how the Indians live. The tradition of recording history to your advantage has been successful and will continue to be. My piece carries the tradition of serving a plate filled with the nutrition you need(education) and letting you see it be poisoned(systems). I grounded this piece with lightly sketched lines to show how classrooms create these invisible borders of conformity that subconsciously restricts students to these fabricated dynamics. Within the lines that represent the frame of the school, I started adding concepts that make up the student body and what it does to us. The "RM 102" is a small door that rooted the rest of the chain. "RM 102" represents how schools are designed and structured around the same set up of prisons and manufacture. Organizing classrooms by numbers send a message to the students that the space they occupy to learn isn't for them. Classrooms aren't built to feel connected its just a border that separates another classroom with a different number. This is what lead me to the school to prison pipeline, gravitating with the set up of a classroom I explored what makes up these tendencies reoccurring with the students. Factors such as school disturbance laws, zero tolerance policies, and practices, and an increase in police in schools these were all put in for SAFETY! safety for who? safety from who? We've created a system where we don't see children skills and growth, we have created an inventory of social, economic, racial demographics. We've created a resume for these children to prepare them for their set up pipeline. This chained analogy is a rhetorical device that I used to demonstrate the issue around the structure of cps and its harm it brings. Another rhetorical technique is the strong balance of pathos and logos. Facts can cause an emotional connection when the truth that's being given is destroying generations to come. This piece isn't an exaggeration. This is the system finally bleeding into the walls of the schools and the student lives, the chain isn't invisible anymore. You need to speak up, stop censoring your children in what they are being enrolled in don't let the schools built a resume and choose the path for your kid.

Life Cycle of my Poem

Day 1: Egg Stage

A still of gradient blooms

Filters tranquility stream of tunes

Listen for me

I hear of you

Cemented silhouettes still solicit you

Solid drips enhance the grains

Slipped through solutions

This filter can't purify you

Cheek smothered on the cold yet stable reflection of your distance

Sound pollution comes from the roots of in denial

Clear the air with excuses

Consistent dials

Drove consumerism The Occupational sin

Stopped.

After I closed the car door.

-  When I first started writing this piece I was at LTAB having writers block. I came from a period of time where I stopped writing until boom I got hit with the power of writing. We were given the task to write about our mom when I looped into a broken record memory. This memory is in the past present and likely to continue in the future. When writing this piece I tried so hard to bring back myself back to those senses and paint a picture my subconscious already made. I hated this poem because of the cheesy ongoing rhyme. I'm very nit picky with the flow I tend to use and the words I use, It bugged me to even call this a draft. I used very short phrases that lead a lot to the imagination. I noticed there was a consistent theme of feel. Specifically how your sense of touch puts emotions in objects to paint the tone of what that memory was like. My intention was to describe a memory without getting to know the character I'm taking about. I wanted to create a scene where I use the surroundings to let the reader know what was emotionally happening. Day 2: Caterpillar Stage
Exploring the garden: Does your poem/story sound like the beginning of a much larger piece? Pick up where you left off & write the next part. Aim for at least 5 new lines.


A still of gradient blooms
Filters tranquility stream of tunes
Listen for me
I hear of you

Cemented silhouettes still solicit you

the root traveled without hydration sweaty palms of a mother nurtures her child's clogged pores

Solid drips enhanced the grains she knew she caused a breakage
sweat was the dry tears she flaked

Slipped through solutions

This filter can't purify you

Cheek smothered on the cold yet stable reflection of your distance the more I squint my eyes unto the window

Sound pollution comes from the roots of in denial

Clear the air with excuses

Consistent dials

Drove consumerism The Occupational sin

Stopped.

after the car door was closed.

Day 3: Chrysalis Stage 

On this step my partner revised over my poem in order to progress on my piece.

1. Are there any grammar/spelling mistakes? Make a note directly on their work and/or provide suggestions on how they can fix their mistakes below:

No mistakes.

2. What themes do you notice in their piece? Quote at least 1 line that seems to exemplify this theme:

Mother/child Relationship "sweaty palms of a mother nurtures her child's clogged pores "

3. Do you notice any patterns (such as recurring words, imagery or sentence structures)? 

"Sweat" "Cemented silhouettes still solicit you the root traveled without hydration" - imagery

"Drove consumerism The Occupational sin

Stopped.

after the car door was closed." - spacious structure

4. Do you have any questions about this piece? List them below

How does the ending solidify the poem? "Slipped through solutions" implies what? Is someone reflecting on a topic as they stare out a car window? What is the story within this piece?

5. Make 2 suggestions for your partner’s piece:

"Solid drips enhanced the grains" Drips of what?

"Sound pollution comes from the roots of in denial"- Make in denial capitalized like In Denial or

with quotations

Day 4: Fly

A still of gradient blooms

Filters tranquility stream of tunes

Listen for me

I hear of you

Cemented silhouettes still solicit you

the root traveled without hydration

sweaty palms of a mother
nurtures her child's clogged pores

Solid drips enhanced the grains of the her child
she knew she caused a breakage

sweat was the dry tears she flaked

Slipped through solutions
This filter can't purify you
Cheek smothered on the cold yet stable reflection of your distance

the more I squint my eyes unto the window

Sound pollution comes from the roots of in Denial
Clear the air with excuses
Consistent dials
Drove consumerism The Occupational sin

Stopped.

after the car door was closed.

Kuest Bike

In my STEAM class, Design and Engineering, we recently finished our second unit called “Farther”. In this unit we focused on a lot. For example, simple machines, specifically wheels and pulleys. This led to our studies of circles and ellipses. We focused on graphing these shapes and finding the area and circumference of them. We also studied weight, mass, speed, velocity, and acceleration. We also focused on graphing, functions, and slope. Lastly, we studied bikes, how they work, and how they can make an impact on someone's life. We found that all of these concepts connected to find the idea of designing a new bike. The class gained a lot from having several FE's that really brought what we were learning to life. For instance, we went to one of our classmates mom's bike shop, and got to explore the space and get on the bikes for the hands on action. We also had an in-house FE where we made prototypes with the help of a designer from Dyson. The concepts we learned in class and the FEs we did all came in handy for this Action Project. This project called for the class to design a bike based on a unique persona. My partner and I worked hard to create a bike that met the needs of our unique persona, which actually represents a bigger population of people with a similar situation. Below is my presentation of this project, I hope you enjoy!

Coming into this unit I didn't have a lot of knowledge on the fundamentals of bicycles so everyday was something new and exciting. If I were to pinpoint two things I learned from researching existing bikes would be how certain bikes are design for certain activities. I learned how rode bikes are designed for riding on paved streets. Hybrid bikes are great for urban areas and a nice stroll to enjoy. Last but not least mountain bikes, these are the tough machines that withstand hearty measures. All in All these aren't the only designs that exist but these are the basic types of bikes when looking for a bicycle of your own.The second thing I learned in this unit are gears. The fundamental of gears and the purpose is strongly connected to the first thing I learned which is the type of bike. gears are sets of toothed wheels that work together to alter the speed of what drives (bicycle crank) and the speed of the driven part (wheel).

I found this project to be challenging due to being a "newb" at bikes. However, I am happy with the end results and the knowledge I have learned to create a better bike. Having a partner made this experience a lot easier. My partner and I ran into some small issues, such as the 3D printer malfunctioning and settling on a concrete design. However, we were both able to effectively find solutions to all of the small problems. This project has taught me a lot about bikes, patience, and empathy. If I were to do this project again, I would do more research on the material as much as input I we put on the structure.

Aisle of risk

In my Humanities class, Rhetoric, we recently finished our second unit called “Challenge”. In this unit we furthered our understanding on rhetoric. For instance, we focused on the three rhetorical appeals: ethos (trust), pathos (feelings), and logos (logic) to our greater advantage when analyzing the use of it. We also studied rhetorical challengers, which are those who challenge the norm. We discovered the significance of these challengers who challenge the social norms in society. We studied real life examples of rhetorical challengers on several FEs. For example, we studied Martin Luther King Jr. and how he challenged the status quo during his time. This AP called for us to study a chosen rhetorical challenger. We then had to explain, using the rhetoric in their language, to justify what makes them significant to be commemorated. Therefore, as you read I ask that you imagine yourself stepping into a exhibition and as audience analyze the rhetoric of my candidate.

This is a link to my rhetorical challenger website I created.

GA, "aisle of risk", 2018

Sales Griffin Collective Risk

In Humanities class, Rhetoric, we recently finished our first unit called “Suppose”. Focused on the principles and powers of rhetorical language, we studied rhetoric and the different components. The three rhetorical appeals; ethos (trust), pathos (feelings), and logos (logic). Also studied rhetorical stylistic devices. We came to an understanding that these concepts can help make a rhetorical situation successful. We learned about the march that took place in Marquette Park by MLK. Our first FE, where we met Alia the organizer of IMAM, the monument created as a remembrance of what that riot did for the community and the voice MLK brought to Chicago. We had the opportunity to meet Troy LaRaviere one of the candidates for the mayoral position to help us get the notion of as a speaker. What we have learned transitioned into the action project. In this action project we all picked a candidate of our choice to later create a question along with a scripted response as the candidate.

Question: Being that you have no government experience or a substantial track record as an entrepreneur how are you any different from any other bad incidents that have been elected with no government experience in the past?


Audio:

GA, "Logo", 2018

Scripted response:

Super Digger

In my STEAM class, Design and Engineering we just finished the first unit called “Stronger” where we focused on the idea of tools by learning and analyzing strategies from history, present, and the future. We studied the three main simple machines; lever, wedge, and inclined plane. Lastly, we studied volume, surface area, work, force, and vectors. We found the connections between all of these concepts, and we found how they can apply to a design process. We then experienced and brought these concepts to life. To do so, the class traveled to Home Depot. At Home Depot we had the opportunity to test out different gardening tools to get a sense of what goes on when picking/designing a tool. As we dove deeper into learning about our tool we started to think for our targeted audience and taking into account the accessibility, the “easy to use”, safety, comfort, reliability, and appeal. By doing so we start to enhance our tool for the better for all people not just the “average person” by looking at the problems elderly people might be facing on the day to day basis with these so called built for everyone/easy to use inventions. The reasoning behind this is to simultaneously create empathy in a way that you put yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand the needs the tool should fulfill for the benefit of all people.

In order to apply empathy and to design an effective tool, research needs to happen. We researched tools and the elderly, in regards to gardening. Our research was done through online resources, interviews, and field work. We even had the opportunity to go to Home Depot where we were able to experience the tools we would be redesigning. This experience was very effective because we also spoke to experts that helped us along the way of getting to know our tool. We then researched the setbacks that the elderly may suffer through because of aging, and how this can affect their ability to garden. There were many online resources that gave advice and tips to the elderly on how to make gardening easier that also aided our new design ideas. Knowing this information and using the tools ourselves was a solid foundation to redesigning an effective tool for the elderly. This gave me a sense of how to approach a new design by going on a process of elimination strategy to create the design to the best of my ability.

The purpose of this assignment is to create an effective gardening tool for senior citizens. We started researching the targeted audience gardening tools tend to be made for. Interestingly enough the majority of gardeners are senior citizens, yet a majority of the gardening tools being sold are not built for the, being that tools are designed for the young and strong. This is unfortunate for senior citizens because with aging comes setbacks when it comes to the things one is able to do. That is why it is a must to apply empathy when redesigning a tool. Empathy is putting yourself in another person’s shoes to understand and share their feelings or experiences. This will ensure that the tool is close to perfect for them.

My partner and I decided we wanted to redesign the pole hole digger that was displayed at Home Depot. One of the changes we made was the “digger” itself by creating a screw like feature with the idea of the corkscrew. The screw is a simple machine that converts rotational motion into linear motion allowing you to use less physical force.

I found this action project to be a great opportunity to work with a new student and share good ideas all around. I found the process pace perfect, I didn't feel overwhelmed in this term because of the accessible sources we had. Overall I learned a lot about the technical and creative process of design and how the audience plays a big part on creating the purpose of the product.

The Chit Chat

As my last Action Project for my spring course Drama. In this unit, we read A Doll's House. We also discussed what it means to live in a patriarchal society. We learned how to write a script as our last task as to reading plays. The purpose of this Action Project was to write a script with two partners, my partners were. JSN and GA. We had to write about the different views on how females were treated. We went to the Goodman Theater to tour the space and as to help us know how to set up dialogue, set, and expression. Hope you enjoy this lovely take on what we learned in this class!

Script:

Sarahi Elizabeths

In this last unit, we learned about prevention of diseases. Our classmates did math concepts like probability, to relate to the probability of getting diseases and medications working. We also did an activity where we make a family tree to do a recording of affected disease in our family history. For our field experiences, we had a certified Yoga Nidra instructor come in and guide us through a meditation session. This was to show us alternative ways of healing other than medication. For this action project, we combined what we learned in Disease and Cure. We had to create a patient profile for a fictional person, that could be based on someone real. I chose myself In this profile to learn about my health hen it came to my family. I hope you enjoy me playing doctor!

No More "Mamamia" with Diarrhea

For our second unit in our STEAM class Cure, we learned about different treatments and medicines. We studied how different substances affect the body. Medicament is a term that we learned referring to just the drug that is taken, but medicine can refer to the whole practice. For one of our FE days, we did a miracle berry lab. The miracle berry is a berry that blocks the sour taste signals in your tongue, so sour food can taste sweet. We tried different food like salt and vinegar chips, pickles, and my favorite mustard. For this AP, we had to choose a symptom to study. I chose diarrhea because it was symptom so common yet a lot of people are not aware of the prevention you might take. To find out more check this snazzy project out!

Petruchio Sonnet

In this first unit of the new sophomore class, Drama, we read play written by Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew. We started this unit with the understanding of what exactly this class was going to be about. The Taming of the Shrew is a play about a woman who speaks her mind getting pushed into a marriage that will tame her. We looked into the Elizabethan era to get a feel of the setting and the social setting of this play. For the action project, we created a sonnet about the characters of the play, I chose Petruchio, a rich man who only wants money. I chose to take a spin on his persona and talk as if i'm justifying why he treated the way he did to Kate.

A. Who says money can’t buy you love?...not I
B.“I come to wive wealthily, happily”
A. Changing the act of the women to mine
B. Tame her to your wants and love you receive

C. I rightly do inherit heaven's grace
D. Draw the dowry, i'll greatly wine and dine
C. Money is love, that’s simply the lord's way
D. Fool you are to see jewels as set in divine

E. A king's death in chess plainly ends the game
F. But that of a queen’s power fights to die
E. Surely, a lords ill fated end their days
F. Sweet wife obey and bear the anguished cry

G. So fool i'm not to think money buys love
G. But fool you are to think love from above

Petruchio Sonnet from GenesisAndrade on Vimeo.

Rotationplasty... a 180° difference

The First unit of our new Sophomore class, Cure, we explored the impact of surgery throughout the years. This unit was very exciting, the range of subjects we learned in this unit was was mind blowing to explore. From the method of healing in Western medicine to understanding of the different anatomic systems, organs and tissues. Our class visited the International Museum of Surgical Science to study the history of surgeries where we got a closer look into the trials and tribulations medicine has gone through. This led us to doing our own research on surgeries we were interested in; that's when I chose Rotationplasty as my final action project. Hope you enjoy!

Conservative Point of View

In the final unit of our class Forbidden Books, we learned about censorship. We did not do an action project for Unit 2 because our teacher thought this project hold more substance. In the 3rd unit, we learned about the censorship of books. We read Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." We had weekly book clubs to discuss the book. We visited our local public radio station, WBEZ, to meet with their south-side correspondent Natalie Moore. Ms. Moore wrote a book about the South-Side that was banned in Illinois prisons. We talked with her about what it was like to be an author of a banned book. At the beginning of this class, we chose one of five banned books. The options were: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Animal Farm by George Orwell. Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I chose The Color Purple because i've seen the movie before and really enjoyed it. We then had to read the book and write an essay about why it was banned. I wanted to take a spin on this essay and write about the banning in a conservative point of view.

Conservative Point of View

Love has traditional values in the way it should be shown, given, and more importantly in the way it should be written. Love is the theme that was portrayed in The Color Purple. For example, Celie and Shug in a rather odd way, shifting between a very physical attraction to her to a sisterly love, and then right back to the love a daughter has for a mother. She says "I love looking at Shug." (Walker, 77) and "I work on her like...she mama." (Walker, 55) Even in the very beginning of the book, you get this feeling that Celie envies Shug's life, and really wants to be like her. Then it transforms from an admiration to a genuine love for Shug as she gets to know her, and then settles in on a sisterly love. The Color Purple is written in the form of letters that Celie (main character) writes to God. Celie is a uneducated, poor, African American 14 year old girl. The letters she writes to God talk about the trials and tribulations she faces. Her father Alphonso is mentioned heavily throughout her letters because of the damage he has done to Celie. Celie's father beats her harshly and rapes her continuously, she has been impregnated twice, but the children were both been abducted by her father. Eventually Alphonso marries Celie off to a man who is just as bad as him. The name of Celie’s husband is not mentioned, only written as Mr.__. Mister marries Celie to take care of his four kids, look after the house and work in the fields. Celie seems somewhat content with her marriage because she can take her younger sister Nattie out of her Father's house. Soon enough Mr. kicks Nettie out after Nettie rejects his sexual advances. After Nettie leaves, Celie’s life gets worse as she’s now separated from the only person whom she loves and who loves her back. Shug is Mr._ mistress, she becomes Celie's friend and eventually her lover. Shug remains a mentor who helps Celie evolve into an independent and assertive woman. Celie tells Shug how Mr._ beats her repeatedly and decides to stay to protect her. Shug and Celie’s relationship grows intimate, and Shug begins to ask Celie questions about her sexual habits. Celie grows admiration for Shug as she was the first person to show her signs of affection towards her. This form of love is not one that is rooted in traditional roots and should not hold educational values because of it. The Color Purple does not hold any educational values in the school system; therefore, it should be banned.

The Color Purple does not have any educational values based on the non systematic theme that it holds. West Virginia took action and banned The Color Purple in 1986, like several other school boards because of its troubling ideas about abuse, man’s relation to God, and human sexuality. Bernard King, a member of the school board said, "It could lead to different sex games and violence and other things" (Washington Post). The long established curriculum keeps the students formulated into a systematic ideology and detain from the toxicity emotional attachment does. Ultimately, these are topics that have no matter in a school system that holds the majorities inclination.

There are several examples in The Color Purple that school system point to as reasons it should be ban. For example, “He [Pa] never had a kine word to say to me. Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t. First he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my p****. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it”(pg. 1). This quote was problematic because its explicit depictions and language. Secondly, “Ain’t no way to read the bible and not think God white, she say. Then she sigh. When I found out I thought God was white, and a man, I lost interest. You mad cause he don’t seem to listen to your prayers. Humph! Do the mayor listen to anything colored say?”(pg. 194). This quote depicts the controversy of religion in a demeaning way. Quotes like these are throughout the book and holds no value. They are only expressing vulgarity with no necessity. The Color Purple influences political, religious, and diversity disputes, but because the delivery speaks figuratively the vulgarity outweighs the significance. That being said, it was problematic from the fact that the book hold text that triggers every social aspect. The Color Purple touched on religion when talking about God being a white male, politics when talking about the government not listening to colored folks, and lastly the diversity in race.

The ideologies the book expresses holds no substance in any systematic matter. This ratifies how the banning of The Color Purple is justified to be out of reach for kids. Reasons be the vulgarity in the depictions of violence, the lack of educational values based on the non systematic theme that it holds, and how love has traditional values in the way it should be shown, given, and more importantly in the way it should be written and with that being The Color purple portrayed love being an unhealthy in every standpoint. Alice Walker the author of The Color Purple implemented these ideas with a purpose, her controversial text was apart of her creative writing to expose a certain system that has been oppressed by the majority. As she states, "Also, I think it is anyone’s right to do what they feel they have to do. They have a job. I have a job. I will write what I think is right for me to write. They will oppose it. In a way that makes us equal. Though when one’s work is completely suppressed this is a bitter acceptance."(GuernicaMag).

The censorship of books has been a necessity for many years, whether they were banned because of vulgarity, suggestive themes, religion, or just plain hate against a certain group. The "forbiddance" of a book keeps us safe from a world thats created with ideologies and nonsystematic themes. Looking into a school system we should feel safe that our kids are going to school filled with factual strategic knowledge and no unhealthy ideas. In conclusion The color Purple holds no matter in any learning environment.

“The Pipeline of Book Censorship.” Tavaana, tavaana.org/en/content/censorship.

Works Cited:

“WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARD BANS 'THE COLOR PURPLE'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 9 Nov. 1997

“Why was the book "The Color Purple" banned? What was done to allow the book "The Color Purple" not to be banned?” Enotes.com, Enotes.com.

Stimulate the Mind

In our second Unit of our STEAM course Disease, we learned about mental disorders. This Unit we learned about different kinds of mental disorders, learning disabilities, and mental illness. We also learned about different brain waves and when they distinct. With this information we learned how to plot these on a graph and solve a piecewise function. Another thing we learned about was the DSM-5 This is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. This is a manual of many mental disorders that have criteria used to diagnose people. Although we didn't have any field experiences in this unit, we did have lots of class activities and discussions. For this project, we had to pick a mental disorder. I chose False Memory Disorder. We then had to create a lesson and simulation to try to get our classmates to feel the effects of the disorder. We also had to graph the brain waves that we thought our lesson would evoke. We then graphed these as a piecewise function. We filmed the lesson so we could document the experience. I thought this action project was awesome. This action project led me to see an aspect of the medicine field I wasn't exposed to before, this made me curious and want to learn more about neuroscience which I think is extremely interesting field to dive into. Well I hope you enjoy!

The False Memory Syndrome Foundation describes the condition as a person's identity and relationships are affected by memories that are factually incorrect but that they strongly believe. In other words false memory disorder is a predicament in which a person's identity centers on a memory of a traumatic experience that is false but that the person strongly believes occurred.

Signs of false memory disorder included in the DSM-5:

• Significant memory loss of specific times, people and events

• A sense of detachment from your emotions, or emotional numbness

• The person must be distressed by the disorder or have trouble functioning in one or more major life areas because of the disorder.

I wanted to dive in deeper with a person who struggles with false memory disorder in order to make my simulation as accurate as possible. So I watched a video of a person who deals with this disorder. Rebbeca Suger was 20 year old woman who dealt this disorder and has gone to court with a serious accusation that wasn't true. When she was 14 she accused her father of sexual abuse later to find out it was all made up. One thing that spoke to me was when she said, "the mind creates your reality". This made me realize how reality is made up of people imagination and beliefs which I found very fascinating.

Brainwave is an electrical impulse in the brain, they are the root off all our thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Specifically looking at a brainwave graph we have different types of brain waves that are associated with different states of consciousness, like being asleep or awake or even meditative states. In a brainwave graph we have: Gamma waves that is hyper brain activity, which is great for learning, Beta waves are your thinking waves where we busily engage in activities and conversations, Alpha waves is a relaxed state of mind seeping into meditation, Theta waves are the creative waves that drifts you into daydreaming down into sleep, and lastly delta waves that occur in deep dreamless sleep engaging in nothing but deep sleep. Everyone goes through there daily life engaging in these brain waves, but people who are diagnosed with false memory disorder tend to use some more than other in long periods of time. False memory disorder is mostly effected by Gamma waves, scientists observed electrical activity in their brains to determine whether specific brain waves were associated with successfully storing and retrieving memories. Researchers found that a fast brain wave, known as the gamma rhythm, increased when participants studied a word that they would later recall.

This is the lesson plan I wrote to simulate False memory Disorder with my classmates, I include a video to demonstrate the process in order for anyone to understand and try it out themselves.

 

This is a video demonstrating the simulation I presented that stimulates their mind (hence the tittle). This video is a "brain game" that takes them into a staged robbery to figure out who were the culprits. In order to solve this case as a witness its very important to remember every detail, but as we find out its very hard to remember certain events even if it was just seconds ago. This shows how False Memory works in a way that your mind makes up certain actions thinking they actually happened.

Here is a graph of the presumably measure of the brain waves my classmates might feel throughout the activity.

GA, "Brainwave Graph", 2018

This Flyer spreads the word about False Memory Disorder.

GA, "False Memory Flyer", 2018

Works Cited:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/14/truth-about-memories-jarrett

http://www.fmsfonline.org/?ginterest=ButItIsInTheDSM

https://youtu.be/5HdF-hexNjc

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-sense/201307/remembering-something-never-happened

The Socratic Method with Mikeal and Elizabeth

In the first unit of Forbidden Books we were assigned a book called Fahrenheit 451 and have discussions about the book. The discussions were usually about why do we think the book was censored. Not only this we learned about how censoring another person’s view or idea can only be detrimental to your process of learning. We also learned about the Socratic method, the purpose of this action project is learning the Socratic method. Socrates believed that the examined life is not worth living, when you are having an argument with another person but your suppose to only ask questions that challenge the opposite argument and allows the you and the person you're arguing with to think more critically. we analyzed the reading The Apology by Plato. In the reading we examined how Socrates would often ask questions to help corner the thought process of his accusers and to get more forced out of them also. In the Apology,Socrates was supposedly apologizing for his actions of corrupting the young but actually is justifying his cause by asking questions. Inspired by this belief, we were assigned the task of choosing a topic we want to talk about entitling my own interest priority over that of the community.



Theme:
Am I entitled to give my own interest priority over that of the community?

Character:
Character #1: Mikeal - IF
Character #2: Elizabeth- GA

Script:

E: *jaywalks

E: Hey wassup Mikeal, How are you doing today?
M: Hey wassup, wait…..WHOA, did you just jaywalk to come over and talk to me?
E: Yeaah, what gives haha?
M: YOU JUST BROKE A LAW!!!
E: psssh, oh Mikeal, It’s just jay-walking. It’s a little law, it doesn’t matter that much haha.
M: mmm so, What makes a law less substantial than other laws?
E: Well… I guess some laws are less substantial than others because some laws cause less harm than others, like jaywalking to a felony. Are you allowed to give your own interest priority over the community’s interest?
E: I don’t think so, The community all works as one unit, but I think it’s fine for little slips to occur in our complete agreement. So like, no; but kinda.
M: Yes, but what is stopping me from calling the... police right now, and reporting you as a jaywalker. Jaywalkers are lawbreakers afterall.
E: Because, you are my friend and that is rude.
M: Is it rude to separate from the community’s ideas?
E: Yes, I guess. Nobody is being offended or hurt, so I guess it’s fine.
M: Can you be sure that nobody is getting hurt?
E: No, I suppose not.
M: Tell me, What does being part of a community mean to you?
E: Mmmh coming to think about it being apart of a community means that I work with all my fellow community members to make the place we live a better one.
M: Well, you just jaywalked all over that darned street, what if you had gotten hit by a motor vehicle?
E: Yes, that would have sucked but I like to beat the odds. As long as I remember look both ways Elizabeth i’m sure ill be fine Mikeal.
M: But what if everybody in the neighborhood started to do that darned jaywalking? Would the community still be a safe place? Would we need sidewalks at all?
E: I guess a lot more people would be getting hit by cars. But I can't speak for the whole community I think you’re over exaggerating Mikeal. that would never happen to me
M: *I ask again, can you be sure that you won’t get hit? What if someody decides to jaywalk and that causes a car to swerve in front of you and you happen to get hit? You might be careful while jaywalking, but you can’t guarantee that everyone will be.
E: You know what, your right Mikeal indeed I am selfish for prioritizing my own interest and not the overall safeness of the community. Boy o boy I sure learned my lesson Mikeal. HAHA
M: So you won’t be jaywalking anymore right?
E: tsk tsk tsk si
M: So what now?
E: You wanna play futbul?

THE END.

Pneumonia

In the second STEAM class of my sophomore year, we are learning about the body. This class is called Disease, the first unit is called Body. We learned about cancer and how that affects the body. We also learned about each organ system and the organs included in them and what they do. We also learned a math concept called completing the square. This is another way to solve quadratic equations. For this action project, we were asked to conduct an interview. It had to be anonymous but we had to find someone with a disease and interview them about it. We then had to write up their profile and classify their disease in accordance with what we learned in class. I  decided to interview my sister who had pneumonia. This presentation will teach you about the symptoms, treatments, cause and affect of pneumonia and how it effects you and your body. Enjoy!

9:23

In our last elective class Rocket Science, we learned about space exploration. We learned about the people that made the space mission possible whether it be pre or post-launch. Throughout this term, we created our own fire rockets, looked into aerodynamics, and created our own water rockets as our final mission. In order to prepare for our launch, we took everything we learned and compiled it into one presentation. This includes all the work I have done over the term which as you will find out quite a bit. I hope you enjoy!??!?!?!?!?

A Boy Within the System

GA Performs A Boy Within the System from GCE Lab School on Vimeo.

A Boy Within the System

A boy within

the system

made the boy go crazy

Ima victim of the system

Big man cutting treatment bills from the ill

That's mental

Survival of the fittest

That’s the way they got us livin

Addicted

Liquid pistols and pills

This is how we get commited

system gotchu restricted

Thin white lines

Now your jurisdiction

Turn to crooks that do time

When did we decide

This is a victimless crime

But that's the big mans plan

Keep you weak with a strong extended hand

Bills written in riddles

You misunderstand

Take your right hand

And sit in the witness stand

While the wise man gets tongue taken and tied

Bills get certified

Big man wears power

To hide his vile sty

Making deals with the devil

Roll the 6 sided die

Bills are even

And you’re oddly left with dry bones

mentally acidified

This boy Within

this system

Sees these people

These are the people stuck within this system

Aunt sally still nagging with a few pumps of oxygen

Little junior taking the wrong path but little junior brings home the dough so he's a fine
young man

Crazy old man goes by the name of joe

Joe owns no home

He reeks and sneaks rocks up his nose

Kids on the block know what's cool

These kids know how to kick it, pop it, and do a flaming lock it

Pass the joint

Don't dare to drop it

This is the system in which we disguise as poverty

Quick pills to take the eaz

Get rid of stress is all they need

This is mental illness not poverty

These are chains that have not been broken

These are people who have lived unspoken

Brainwashed to believe  they need no help

It's not the system

Its poverty

To think your ill is a mockery

Just keep thinking one day you will win the lottery

Say goodbye to poverty

Live a long healthy life

Only to find out

I'm back to the same chain

Wondering why it is this way

But all along you were stuck within

the system

not poverty

I'm the boy within

This system

The boy thats sick

Not mental

Loudspeakers keep the voices away

Baggy trus white tee glistening shoes keeps me cool

And keeps the abnormality away

Fed with lies and hypnotized life scares the hunger away

Boxes of antioxidants don't make me obey

Walking high on two feet

With a cig in each pocket

Lean walking

The money you baggin

Got us toe taggin

Im Delusional

Amphetamine got the best of me

Blurry vision

Got me

straight trippin

Hope the prayers start kickin

Admirable intoxication

Is what builds this nation

The world domination

The world is our creation

The matrix

kill the ill give me eaz

Just take the blue pill

Im mental

Hard to say

The red pill is existential

My demons write my future

Erase my brain with a pencil

I'm fed up

Choked up

Knees shake

Eye roll

God please

Save my soul

I'm begging you

I'm not worthy

But this little boy need sum lovin too

Good kid M.A.A.D city

Made the good kid cruel

I'm not ill,

I'm just sick of the same old stew

Same cig don't wanna light up too

Ignorance is bliss

Until the demons take that too

I'm gone

I'm not mental

I'm just sick

The message of my poem is a boy within the system and mental illness. The boy I address talks about how he feels towards bills being cut from the mental health care system; people of the lower class can't be treated after these cuts being made. In the first stanza I talk about the man in power taking away the bill that allows people to get treated and how that affects the people. I start to talk about how people start to rely on medicated drugs which lead to overdose and that can lead to “victimless crimes” and how that leads to, “crooks that do time”. In the second stanza I talked about the community and how “stuck within the system”. The purpose of this was to teach people how mental illness still seen as a taboo thing. It's not poverty that's bringing them down it's the mental chains that are not being broken, not letting you get out of that certain standpoint. In the 3rd stanza I talk about the boy who is mentally ill, he feels conflicted; does not want to settle on drugs and get stuck within the system. Because Writing this poem with the perspective of the boy, I seemed to use the same poetic devices throughout my poem. Throughout the poem I used a balanced level of wordplay for example, when talking about the man with power I used multisyllabic rhymes to balance the slang rhyme, giving it a stronger cadence. Throughout the piece I also used anaphora as my transition as i talked about the bills, community, and me which was the boy within the system. Throughout my performance I wanted to keep it strong, sharp, simplistic. My performance really depended on the poetic devices because the flow of the rhyme played a big roll. My cadence had a song like tone in the first stanza this enhanced the tone of the poem by setting a mood of who this boy is and how he feels about the system. The volume I used was loud and clear. I wanted the audience to feel attacked and made sure they knew every word had strong meaning and needed to be heard.When revising my poem and my performance I definitely change the poem more than the performance. Because I knew I wanted the performance to be monotone strong and simplistic I knew I had to include more metaphor, alliteration, etc. to hold meaning to what I was saying. I decided this because I wanted to play on the person that is mentally ill. Most people when they think of a mentally ill person think they have no sense of analyzation and articulate. I wanted voice in these people “who have lived unspoken”.