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Jordyn Randall Capstone

Posted by Jordyn Randall in Capstone - Block - Wed on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 2:56 pm

For my Capstone, I performed skits from the sitcom “In Living Color” for entertainment purposes. One of the purposes of this project was to practice performing more than one character in a small allotted amount of time. This is important for me because I plan to go to college majoring in Theater, then later graduate with my BFA (Bachelors in Fine Arts) and spend my life performing in plays, musicals, and films as a career. I had to show complete distinction between each of the character that I played. Even though I did take the scripts from “In Living Color”, I did add my little twist on some things and give all credits to “In Living Color” writers of course. After I searched for skits that I felt were perfect for me, I had to think of the people that I thought would be perfect for certain roles. When I found the actors that I wanted to use, it was a little hard to work with everyone’s different schedules, which is why I wasn’t able to do as many skits as I would’ve liked. However, it still worked out because this project helped me to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, which I will have to do frequently in the acting realm. I wanted to help my community by entertaining them. The emotional state of the members of my community is just as important as their physical state.

Bibliography:



"SNL Highlight: Girls Promo." YouTube. YouTube, 29 Sept. 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=female+skits+on+snl

This is a comedic skit on SNL. It’s about a group of girlfriends who are all very unique and going through very different problems in their life. Later they meet another girl from Albernia who becomes their friend and helps them with their problems, which makes all of their lives even more interesting. This source was helpful because it gave me another option for a skit to use. One limitation of this skit is that it’s so much going on in the film it may be harder for me to do it. I found YouTube helpful most importantly because they never let me down when it comes to finding scenes or skits from shows or movies.


"How to Improve Video Quality." WikiHow. Mediawiki, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Video-Quality

This website gives good tips on different ways to edit your videos. This was very helpful because I’m my final product is going to be a film and I’m going to need a lot of help editing. I like how this website goes step by step on what to do and had many other techniques to use on making movies. This website provides information on different editing applications I could use. I selected this source because I need to learn how to edit nicely to have my finished product looking swell. One limitation of this source is that it’s “wiki” so whether it’s as reliable as it says it is.


"In Living Colour - Go On Girl." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Mar. 2009. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vogAflT4h18

This is a skit about a woman who has show called “Go On Girl”. This is a show that’s suppose to empower women to remind them that they can do anything without a man,. She has two guest women on the show who talk about how the recently broke it off with their boyfriends. The skit later shows that these two women are actually with the same guy, which makes the skit more interesting. This source was helpful because it gave me another skit to use for my film. One limitation about this source is whether I’m going to be able to use the people that I want to use for this skit.


"In Living Color - Oprah Winfrey Show-[legendado Portugues]." YouTube. YouTube, 6 June 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxrKA_MQxO0

This is a skit that’s based off of Oprah Winfrey and her show. Oprah has three couples on her show who are all having problems. The couples would explain their situation and Oprah would always take the women’s side explaining how the man is no good for the woman. Which makes it interesting is that Oprah is eating a bunch of food during the show, and comparing her relationship life to their situation. I selected this source because, I could possibly use this skit for my film. One limitation about this source is whether I’m going to be able to use the people I want to use for this skit.


"In Living Color: Andrea Dice Clay on Love Connection." YouTube. YouTube, 13 June 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbIRiDaCxLo

This skit is based off the old show Love Connection. There’s a rock and roll type of lady and a sweet man who went on a date. The lady talks about how bad the date was and how much of a punk the man is and the man talks about how scary the lady is. What makes it interesting is that the host of the show is really trying hard to get the couple to go on another date despite how bad the first one was. The two decided to give the date another try. I chose this source because This could be one of the skits I could use. One limitation about this source is whether I’m going to be able to use the people I want to use for this skit.


"In Living Color Milli Vanilli HD]." YouTube. YouTube, 4 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVpItnFES_4

This skit is called Milli Vanilli. It’s about two brothers who have a show and they are promoting a Milli Vanilli kit which has some of their different products that can help the public be just like Milli Vanilli. What makes the skit interesting is that items that they are promoting are mop wigs, contact lenses cases, and dvd’s that can help you to have horrible accents just like Milli Vanilli. I picked this source because I could possibly use this skit. One limitation about this source is whether I’m going to be able to use the person I want to for this skit.


"How to Improve the Quality of Video." Improve the Quality of Your Video. Movavi, 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

http://www.movavi.com/support/how-to/enhance.html

This source shows different tools you can use to enhance your film quality by downloading different apps. What I really like about this source is that it shows the before and after of the quality and how well it really changes. It also gives you different downloads and what to use those downloads for. I picked this source because I’m going to be making a film at the end of my project and I’m going to need different tricks and tips on how to enhance my film quality. One limitation about this source is that it doesn’t really go step by step on what to do and how to do it.


Becker, Christine. "Acting for the Cameras: Performance in the Multi-Camera Sitcom." Mediascape. UCLA's Journal and Media Studies, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

http://www.tft.ucla.edu/mediascape/Spring08_ActingForTheCameras.html

This source talked about how sitcoms and usually set up their cameras and how they transfer over from one camera to the next. What i like about this source is that it’s very credible because they compare the different sitcoms and how they did their products. I would use this source because I’m going to be filming my skits and I’m going to be changing the camera to different angles. One limitation about this source is that I’m not going to be changing the camera angles the way the professionals do in sitcoms.


"In Living Color - Racism Skit." YouTube. YouTube, 9 Apr. 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La4DNXzdLhU

This is a skit about a guy who’s uncle dies in the cave where they lived. So he leaves the cave and comes in contact with the real world and he still thinks he is in slavery times. What makes it interesting is that he’s in the 90’s and the people he comes in contact with thinks he’s just crazy. I chose this source because I could possibly use this skit for my final product. One limitation I may have is not having the people that I want to play the roles that I want them to play, and that I may have to shorten the skit.


"In Living Color - Snackin' Shack - Season 1 Episode 6." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m__CbXiUIo

This skit is about a couple who goes to this restaurant for the first time called the “Shackin’ Shack”. What makes the skit interesting is that everyone in the restaurant has their own perks about them, which makes the couples experience at the restaurant very interesting. I chose this source because I could use this skit for my final product. I found this source useful because there are so many characters in the play there are so many different characters I can play. One limitation about this is whether I’m going to be able to use all the people that I want to use for the skit.


Tags: capstone, 2015, Block
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Donesha Lee Capstone

Posted by Donesha Lee in Capstone - Block - Wed on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 1:34 pm

Abstract

This year has been quite interesting through the perspective of my capstone. I ended up changing my capstone to something I could not be more proud to present. Both me and my partner Lala through the weeks of April 20th, 2015 to May 1, 2015 hosted spirit week in order to help with fundraising for an academic scholarship we created. We began our Capstone by first fundraising for a scholarship award we titled The B.A.S.I.S. The B.A.S.I.S is a non-profit organization capstone that helped to fund money for students pay to for the annual "$75 Laptop Insurance". So that majority of the SLA student next year could have the opportunity to win the chance to not pay the insurance from their own inconvenienced pockets. However, we were notified that the amount for laptop insurance changed from $75 to around $40. Thus, in our first fundraising session we raised enough for 2 students to win. Based, on these numbers we decided to place the winnings between the sophomores and juniors of next year. Also, the seniors will have their own chance to win, only in their grade pool. Lastly, we will be donating a fresh lab coat, that the teachers can award to an incoming freshman for next year. In order to make people aware of this amazing opportunity we hosted spirit week.The first time we did spirit week we made it "People's Choice", where students got to decide on what days we did for that week. The next week was committee chosen. Both week’s were successful. Overall, the capstone I will be presenting in more detail was a wonderful success. 



Besides why wouldn’t anyone want to be a Bold. And. Successful. Intelligent. Scholar.


Spirit Week Days


The following days within the slideshow are some of our most successful days within spirit week. They were determined by the number of people who participated.

Annotated Bibliography

I noticed that my project really related to self empowerment and knowing “who you are in his world”. You need to be confident with yourself, in order to dress up.  Spirit Week has a lot of days that are not very socially acceptable. Thus, the reasoning behind me focusing on subjects such as “self-confidence”. So, I decided to focus on these areas for my research.

Source (1): "Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are." Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are. TEDGloba, June june 2012. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

Link

This source provided information about body language. Amy Cuddy the social psychologist speaks about her take on how “body language shapes who you are”. She says that “power posing” or standing with confidence, even though you may not have confidence will help with your succession. She makes her point on how it will affect a person’s “testosterone” and the “cortisol levels in the brain”. Basically, if you act like you have together, then you will have it together. Confidence is a huge factor within this capstone. It takes a lo tout of people to come in wearing pj’s or a superhero costume. 

Source (2): Chamberlin, Judi. "National Empowerment Center - Articles." A Working Definition of Empowerment. National Empowerment Center, 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

Link

This source provided to be useful for its explanations on empowerment. It begins with explaining the definition, but shifts into what actually can be used to define the term. It speaks about “the elements” or empowerment. Consisting of “ Having decision-making power”, “Assertiveness”, and even “Understanding that people have rights”. It breaks it down very well using other element of empowerment as well.  It finishes up with “empowerment and rehabilitation”, where discusses that forming an empowerment has both rises and falls. Empowerment starts within and it takes a lot to use.

Source (3): Gbla, Khadija. "My Mother's Strange Definition of Empowerment." Watch Later Favorite Download Rate Khadija Gbla:. TEDxCanberra, Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

Link

This source provides information about two different definitions of empowerment. Speaker Khadija Gbla grew up in a world with two different definitions of the word empowerment. Gbla’ s mother thought circumcising her daughter, to eliminate any and all sexual urges was empowerment. However, the culture of Australia taught her that it was okay to want pleasure and that what her mother did was “female genital mutilation”. She explains what it was like living in a “clitoris-centric society”, and her struggle to make sure women never find this out about her. You have to be content with your body, in order to accessorize it. 

Source (4):Bronson, Mary H., and Don Merki. Glencoe Health. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.

The source provided great information on body language, helping other with their emotions, and emotions. It hits on some of the most known body language between people, signs of a persons emotions, and how to deal with some issues. It provides both the problems and resolutions for people’s life struggles. For example, the signs of when a person needs help list “feeling trapped or worrying all the time”, and “becoming increasingly aggressive, violent, or reckless”. It also list the benefits of gaining help during a person’s troubling times. The source overall is one of the best I have chosen in my research for my project.

Source (5): Rowlands, Jo. Questioning Empowerment: Working with Women in Honduras. Oxford: Oxfam, 1997. Print.

Link

I found this resource helpful for all of the information it provided about empowerment through the sexes. Jo Rowlands the author questions empowerment throughout the book. Rowlands explains  how “empowerment” is used so often, yet not fully defined. Through out the book empowerment is studied further about what it actually means. Giving examples of men and women and comparing the way they each approach situations. Rowlands explains how women were empowered in order to frame their experiences. The overall conclusion being that women can be empowered without major changes.


Source (6):   Bronson, Mary H., and Don Merki. Glencoe Health. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.

Link

This source was a little hard to connect to my project at first, but then I found it helpful. People go through life with either a “growth” or “fixed” mind set. A person with a “growth” mindset will reach higher levels. While, a “fixed” mindset wouldn’t amount to their full potential. Knowing about these terms will allow a person to understand their issues better enough to correct them using a more effective pathway. Marla Popova the author uses many quotes to describe the difference, and which one a person should flex more in their everyday life. In order to do spirit week you need to have a growth mindset.


Source (7): "The Effort Effect." Stanford Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

Link

In this source the author explains that a person can be more successful and push past their expectations for themselves, by just embracing their mistakes. This is something I really want our program to really make notice of to our kids. When you understand your mistakes, you learn from them. I feel like our program would thrive if it were to have a motto or “saying” behind it. Most programs with a quote or reference display a sense of unity, which I believe our project should have within it. 


Source (8): "Youth Psychology." Laura Thomas, Ph.D. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

Link

This source explains all of the common issues within young adolescent and young adults. They struggle with some of the same issues, however deal with them very differently. A teenager may deal with the loss of someone by crying or shutting out others around them. Opposed to a child who may not even recognize the person is missing. The source would allow me to understand how people process their emotions, through different experiences. 


Source (9): "7 Ways Stress Does Your Mind and Body Good." Ideastedcom. N.p., 16 July 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.


Link

The source provided information about how a person stress can both heal and damage the body. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal changes the perspective of things that we originally believe about stress. She tells her patients that stress can lead to other major illnesses, but something came up and changed her perspective. It changes everything around about how people truly view stress. Spirit Week was also created to help with some of the stress happening a the time. here were a lot of standards and benchmarks and a lot of  people were freaking out. It was supposed to help relieve some stress. 


Source (10): "Want to Be Happier? Stay in the Moment." Matt Killingsworth:. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.


Link

This source discussed about whether or not humans are happy. A researcher named Matt Killingsworth decided to find out using an app. He named it track your happiness, and it reports them back their emotions. His discovery was that we find ourselves the most happiest when we get lost in the moment. feel when people are more educated about how to interpret their emotions, they can succeed further in life. 



Tags: capstone, Capstone 2015, 2015, Block
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Michael Nicolella Capstone

Posted by Michael Nicolella in Capstone - Block - Wed on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 12:22 pm

Abstract:

For my capstone, I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone, so I thought that it would be a good idea to teach the freshman of SLA about stars and how everything came to be in the universe. I worked alongside Alex Held, Richard Yoeun, and Brycen Itzko and together we taught the broad topic of astronomy over a four week period to the freshman. 

Much of this capstone consisted of planning out the hour and a half long lesson and making sure that the point got across through various activities and power point slides. I'd say that the most important thing that I have learned from this capstone was how to lead effectively, because when you are the teacher, you are the leader. You must guide the students in the direction that you want to teach them.

Presentation: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45339378/Capstone%20Presentation%20Michael%20Nicolella.pdf

Pictures: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45339378/Pictures%20of%20Capstone.pdf


Bibliography:


1) "Stars - NASA Science." Stars - NASA Science. NASA, n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2015. <http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve/>.

This source is about the formation and destruction of stars. It basically talks about how stars are formed or born and how they get destroyed or die. It also goes into the many different ways stars end, like for example they make black holes or make a supernova and explode. I would consider this source very reliable, because it is from NASA. This source will mainly be used to inform me so that I actually know what I am talking about when I present It also is useful because at the bottom, it gives me links to pictures of all types of stars and things relating to this topic.


2) Greicius, Tony, and Brian Dunbar. The Dark Heart of the King. Digital image.NASA.gov. NASA, 29 Sept. 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/multimedia/gallery/pia13129.html>.

This source is a picture of a cloud of dust and gas that is located in the constellation of Cepheus. The significance of this picture is that this is the stuff that stars are formed from. This would be a good example to show to the class because I want to have something visual in my presentation that will gain the interest of the students. This source would be considered very reliable because it was taken from one of NASA’s own telescopes and it is from their website. Although this source does not provide any knowledge to me, it is important to have pictures relating to the topic, especially since it is a presentation.


3) Pitts, Derrick, Sc.D. "Talking about Presentation." Personal interview. 28 Jan. 2015.

This was a conversation that me and Derrick Pitts had about presenting to a class. The main idea that I have gotten from talking to derrick is that I can't just talk to them and tell them what they should know, I need to let them find out themselves by asking questions to the class. One thing I thought stood out was when he said something like “You are not the teacher, you are the guide” I thought that piece of advice was something that I will benefit greatly from when I teach a class. It will make everyone more interested. I think that this source is very reliable because Derrick has been teaching kids at the Franklin for a long time and he has the experience.


4) "Chandra :: Multimedia :: Stellar Evolution Activity." Chandra :: Multimedia :: Stellar Evolution Activity. NASA, Harvard University, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://chandra.harvard.edu/resources/flash/stellar_evolution.html>.

This source is a good visual representation of the many cycles and forms of stars. They show stars from brown dwarfs to blue supergiants. It is a great source to show to people because it puts in perspective the size of these stars. Also there is sort of an interactive element to this source that lets you click on the different types of stars which gives you some information on it. The reliability of this source is solid because is is on a .edu website and it was done in partnership with Harvard University and NASA.


5) "Stellar Spectral Types." Http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/. Hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/starlog/staspe.html>.

This source talks about the ways that we classify stars that we observe. Usually, we classify them by color and temperature. This system is important because it is how we organize all of these stars that we find when we look through our telescopes and even our own naked eye. I would trust this source because it is a .edu source and they are almost always trustworthy. This source will mainly be used to further my knowledge of how stars are classified so that I know what I am presenting about.


6) Protostar. Digital image. Http://9-6sciencegroup4.wikispaces.com/. Wikispaces, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://9-6sciencegroup4.wikispaces.com/Protostar>.

This picture is mostly just for the presentation. It is a picture of a protostar which is an early version of a star. Protostars are important because they are a good glimpse of how all stars once looked, including our sun. While I would not trust the information located in this source, I know that this picture is a good representation of what we know a protostar looks like.


7) Blue Supergiant. Digital image. NASA.gov. NASA, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/741844main_BSG.jpg>.

This picture is for the presentation that I will be using to teach the class. It is a picture of one of the biggest stars in the galaxy called a Blue Supergiant. This picture is a good way to show how big stars can be and just to show the massive scale of things in our universe. I think that this source is reliable because it is from NASA.gov which is a very reliable source when it comes to space and things involving that topic.


8) Fuchs, Miriam. "Teaching Astronomy." Personal interview. 23 Jan. 2015.

In this interview Miriam was giving useful information on my presentation and telling us how we can incorporate the facts and things like that in our presentations. This is helpful because she graduated college with an astronomy degree, which means she is trusted as a source to tell us these facts. Also one thing that was helpful was that she told us about some activities we can add to the class like making a star and then classifying it.



9) Stovall, Idriss, Ph.D. "Teaching Astronomy." Personal interview. 23 Jan. 2015.

Idriss talked about many useful teaching tips that we can use to engage the audience that we are teaching. For example he talked about the comparison of college students and high school students and how differently you have to teach to engage them. He explained that college students are more self directed, while high school students need to be a little more guided because they might not be as interested as a college student.



10) "Spectral Classification of Stars." Spectral Classification. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://astro.unl.edu/naap/hr/hr_background1.html>.

This source is more about how we classify stars and where we came up with this system called spectral classification. Using things like finding the color and amount of light emitted from stars is very important when it comes to classifying stars.  I think that this will be a useful to expand upon my knowledge of how we classify stars. I know that this source is trustable because it is a .edu website. Also, this source is from a university, which means that the information on this website is reliable.



Tags: Block, 2015, Capstone 2015, capstone
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Rabbi Awsan _ Capstone

Posted by Rabbi Awsan in Capstone - Block - Wed on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 11:34 am

  Working out and bodybuilding has been a huge part of my life ever since I started my high school. It helps me to stay fit, reduce stress, and to appreciate my own physique. I have been working out since freshman year, and it has helped me physically, mentally, and academically throughout high school. Physically, it increase my fitness and stamina in every physical activity including weight lifting. Mentally, it warms me up to face reality. Academically, I have become more motivated to tackle down any school projects and assignments. 

    For my senior year capstone, my focus is on bodybuilding in a motivational aspect. I am trying to observe ways that people do to motivate themselves to go to the gym and potentially  workout for two hours to three hours a day after a long tiring day. With this idea, I started thinking about my project. I came up with four main questions that I wanted to ask the people that I will be interviewing.

1. How often and how long do you workout each week?
2. What keeps you motivated to focus on your physique? 
3. What are some tips and routines that you use to keep yourself motivated through this fitness journey?
4. What is your main goal that you are trying to achieve through the workout?

  I chose a few students from SLA to INTERVIEWED. Those who are going through the same experience that I am going through in our daily lives trying to manage education and physical activities. My observation is to collect each individual responses in ways they get their motivation, and goals or routines they set for themselves to achieve in the outcome.

Annotated Bibliography:

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/strength-training/8-ways-to-make-your-protein-shakes-taste-good.html


"8 Ways to Make Your Protein Shakes Taste Good." / Fitness / Strength Training. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.


This source provides information about healthy food/drink that you can make it home easily and which will have more protein in it.

I selected this source because it shows that the protein you will make with your hand is healthier than the powder you will buy from your nearest store.
I found this source useful because
One limitation of this source was

http://www.motivatedbodybuilding.com/why-do-people-become-bodybuilders

"Why Do People Become Bodybuilders? | Motivated Bodybuilding."Motivated Bodybuilding. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.


This source provides information about why a normal person spend 2 to 3 hours of their day in a gym working out when they could do 100 different things. I selected this source because the reason they have in this source we all can related to it.I found this source useful because because it can motivate people to workout and keep their body fit. One limitation of this source was

http://www.rippednaturally.com/bodybuilding_motivation_tips.html


"Bodybuilding Motivation Tips." RippedNaturally. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.


  • “This source provides information about your motivation speeches and workout tips.

  • “I selected this source because I always need motivation to workout to stay focus and I thought it would be helpful to people who also workout. I found this source useful because. One limitation of this source was



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDEFNzJVyGM



"BODYBUILDING MOTIVATION ~ This Will Destroy You." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.


This source provides information about the bodybuilders who spends good amout of their day in the gym because they are passionate about it and they are good in it, a lot of people are good at basketball, football, giveo games they are good at bodybuilding.

I selected this source because when i'm working out in the gym I like to listen to motivational speeches to push even harder and work more and I like to watch professional bodybuilders to get some workout ideas from them.

I found this source useful because



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6Fg4dfw49k


"Arnold Schwarzenegger Motivating Interview - The Life of a BodyBuilder."YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.


This source provides information about interview of Arnold Schwarzenegger is was the best bodybuilder in the world and then became Mr.Universe and Mr.olympia and now a successful actor. I selected this source because it show how motivated he is and when he focus on one thing he only focus on that. I personally chose this video because he is my motivation and everytime I look at him I always tell myself that I want to be like him.


http://historyofbodybuilding.org/


"History Of Bodybuilding." History Of Bodybuilding. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.


This source provides information of the history of bodybuilding and where it started and how it stated. I selected this source because I thought it would be very motivational to know the people who first start bodybuilding without all the equipments we have now. This source also give information about the best bodybuilder in the history of bodybuilding and their life stories.



http://ask.metafilter.com/188086/What-do-people-think-of-weightlifting


"What Do People Think of Weightlifting?" - Weights Bodybuilding. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.


This source provide information about what people think of bodybuilding. I chose this source because a lot of the people here asked really good question that made me think why I goto the gym and want to be fit. I think this would be a good source for me to look back when I am answering question or when I am interviewing people for my project.


http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/a-bodybuilder-is-born-45.htm

"Bodybuilding.com - A Bodybuilder Is Born: Episode 45 - The Gym As Therapy!" Bodybuilding.com - A Bodybuilder Is Born: Episode 45 - The Gym As Therapy! N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.


This source provide information about why some people choose the gym as therapy. I chose this source because after reading this I could relate this source to my life to. why pay money to a therapist to tell them about yourself. just goto the gym and and workout it will open your mind to think and if you are angry take all the frustration on the weight and make yourself look better in your eyes.


http://www.girlshealth.gov/fitness/whygetfit/index.html

"Why Fitness Matters." Why Fitness Matters. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.


This source provide information about how fitness can help you to improve your mental health as with your physical health.

http://www.parenting.com/blogs/show-and-tell/desiree-parentingcom/children-begin-bodybuilding-young-age-2


"Children Begin Bodybuilding as Young as Age 2." Parenting. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.


This source provide information about why some people start to workout/bodybuilding so early in their life. Maybe we don't notice but bodybuilding doesn't mean you goto the gym and work out for hour. Bodybuilding first started from gymnastic and then move to the gym.


Video:

https://vimeo.com/128551493




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Omar Hendricks Capstone

Posted by Omar Hendricks in Capstone - Block - Wed on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 9:10 am

It has been a long ride for my all year but I feel all the hard work I put in has paid off. Especially the hard work I put in for my capstone. For my capstone I created a website about the game of chess and how to play it. I felt like this would be a great idea for my capstone I grew a huge interest for chess this year.


I chose to do my capstone on chess because I grew a  huge passion for it this year. Also being in Mr.Baird’s chess class was a huge factor of me doing my capstone about chess. Just being in that class learning how to play chess increased my passion for chess.  I owe a lot to Mr.Baird for helping me develop my skills. Before this year I didn’t really know how to play chess. After learning I feel like more people should be playing chess. So I wanted to use my capstone as an outlet to teach people about chess. I personally feel like chess should be bigger than what it is. It is a game that requires a lot of thinking and strategy. In my community chess is not something I see played a lot it doesn't get a lot of exposure. I feel like if it got the exposure that it deserves the benefits would be great.


Looking back on this year and the work I put in on this capstone I would say I am very proud. I am proud of this whole process and the time I put in doing my capstone. I had a great time doing this capstone it wasn't as hard as people made it out to be. I would say that this was the easiest part of my senior year. I say that because the capstone  didn't really stress me out. It was really the work from my regular classes that really stressed me out. During this process I learned how to manage time.


  • http://chessminds.weebly.com



Capstone Bibliography

http://www.chess.com -Source #1

This website helped me out a lot with developing my skills in chess. I created an account for this website a while ago and I had it for months now. The cool thing about this website is that you can play people from all over the world any time you want. Also you can watch live chess tournaments from the greatest players in the world. Everyday I would go on this website to prep for upcoming tournaments that I had .


  • Short, Nigel. Nigel Shorts Chess Skills. 1989. 125. Print.


This  book helped me out a lot it was called ‘’Nigel Shorts  Chess Skills’’ it was released in 1989. Nigel Short is a chess grandmaster and chess commentator. He won the grandmaster title and the age of 19 and he is considered one of the greats. It’s crazy because Mr.Baird gave me this book. I think this was the first chess book I received since my grandfather gave when I was young. When I was younger I didn't have interest in chess. But since this year that has changed completely for me. Baird just told me to study this book because it would help me develop my skills. It did it taught me different openings and good defense tactics. I would take this book everywhere with me especially to tournaments.


  • Kurzdorfer, Peter. The Everything Chess Basics. 2003. Print.


This is another book that helped me a lot improve my skills in chess. This became a habit for me whenever I got any extra money I brought any chess book I can find. Overall this book helped me a lot improve my skills in chess and I took this to tournaments as well.

  • Staff, Listverse. "Top 10 Greatest Chess Players in History." Listverse. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.


This resource was important for me because this list the greatest chess players of all time. This was important to add in my capstone because these were the people that pioneered the game. In order to teach about the game you have to know these people. It’s like these guys are on the Mount Rushmore for chess players. So it was very vital that I included these players in my capstone.


  • Robertie, Bill. Winning Chess Tactics. New York: Cardozo  Pub, 1996. Print.


This was another book that helped me out a lot improve my chess skills. I purchased this book at Barnes and Noble it is a great book to teach about chess tactics. I took this book with me on chess tournaments as well and it was a great book.


  • Fischer, Bobby, Stuart Margulies, and Donn Mosenfelder. Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. New York: Bantam, 1972. Web.

This book helped me out a lot it was written by arguably the greatest chess player of all time. The book was written by Bobby Fischer  it was called ‘’Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess’’.  It was released in 1972 when Fischer was in his prime. They called it the ‘’Bobby Fischer era’’ that period is the reasons why Americans play chess. He was like the Michael Jordan of chess and he was dominant in his era sort of like Jordan in the 90’s. Anyway this was the most helpful  book for me had everything in it. It had tactics,strategies, and different puzzles and it was written by the greatest. This was the first book I had before I went to a tournament.  


  • https://vimeo.com/23993043


This was a documentary called ‘’Street Knights’’ and it was about people playing chess in New York. New York is a big chess town probably the best chess town in America. In this documentary they discuss the impacts of chess. I watched this documentary a lot it was very helpful.


  • http://vimeo.com/19766657


This documentary is very similar to ‘’Street Knights’’ but it’s called ‘’Tompkins Park’’ it was made in 2003. It’s about a park in New York where people play chess. But this documentary goes a little deeper than ‘’Street Knights’’. It discussed more how people in that park play for money. I felt like this was a good documentary  but I didn’t watch it as much as ‘’Street Knights’’.


  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84924572&x-yt-ts=1422411861&v=N7Ggwlk4e_4

This documentary is called ‘’Men Who Would Be Kings ‘’ it was very similar to the previous documentaries as well. But the documentary takes place in the 1980s. It’s still New York in Washington Square Park. But this goes into more of the passion in chess. Also it talks about how legendary players such as Bobby Fischer played there before their careers took off. This was a good documentary as well it was very entertaining.



  • http://examinedexistence.com/does-playing-chess-make-you-smarter/

This resource just talked about the impacts of chess and how it develops your brain and can make you smarter. I talk about this a lot in my capstone chess has a lot of great benefits. This source basically explains most of that stuff it was very helpful.

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Jennifer Perez Capstone

Posted by Jennifer Perez in Capstone - Block - Wed on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 3:30 am

Abstract:

A year ago, my family had lost a friend due to a battle against breast cancer. Ella Reynov was a brave women who lived happily married and once became a mother of two young children. After her death in April 2014, she inspired me to make a change by helping others that are diagnosed with the sickness because it really hits you, when someone you truly love is hurt by strong medications and painful procedures. Now that senior year was approaching, I decided to dedicate my capstone in the memory of my dearest friend Ella. My overall ideal of having a breast cancer project, I wanted to be supportive and to make a difference for the victims that are fight against cancer. When I was introduced to the Susan G. Komen organization, I always participated to walk the 5K but this year I decided to fundraise and form a team for SLA called “Pink Rockets”, after finding out that in the Philadelphia area about 3.8 million women and 15 counties, 75% were funding for the awareness. To raise money, I sold Pink Rocket t-shirts and created a bake sale along with my partner, Chaveliz Nieves. Overall we made $139 dollars to donate. Anything counts towards breast cancer, either if we were short on money or have big bills. Throughout the year, I also wanted to connect and reach out to other breast cancer patients so I created a mini diary blog on tumblr by sharing stories and reblogging.

Link to Google Slides:

https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/presentation/d/1tcuzaGv07hqOUkGCVoDyfUWWJGxQ-lD3K4tzcmPJXZQ/edit?usp=sharing

Link to Tumblr Page:

http://teampinkrockets.tumblr.com/


Bibliography:


"Breast Cancer Awareness Month | A Little Bit Better With Keri Glassman."YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD9HVREnnYs>.


This source provides information about Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout October. The video is presented by Keri Glassman, who is the founder and president of Nutritious Life in New York City. Glassman, has been leading many females to health and wellness plus encouraging other viewers to learn more information about early detection and ways that people can support the fight towards breast cancer. We know that the disease can be aggressive but the video includes tips and advice, that we should be aware for the ones we love. In the channel ‘Living Strong Women’ organization, the source gives plenty of recommendations and definitely helpful to my capstone.


"Pink Ribbons, Inc. Official Trailer #1 (2012) Breast Cancer Documentary HD." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2xY2cxto1M>.


This source is not only an ordinary video, It’s a Breast Cancer documentary. The documentary provides information about marketing campaigns throughout fundraising the awareness. We know that many brands are involved such as New Balance, Fuze, and even the NFL who supports the awareness. Each year, there is an estimation about millions of dollars is raised but the documentary questions, where does the money really go? Is it really donated to the awareness? Are campaigns unfair to Breast Cancer patients? or Does it even achieve? One of the woman in the trailer explains that the disease is able to help raise but also believes that it is being used so that people can profit. It gives good background and helps improve my progress for capstone presentation.


"Breast Cancer - Symptoms and Treatment." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsviAPGfPUo>.


I found this source useful because the video includes information about Breast Cancer. The video is basically in a animation and breaks down of how is cancer transfer to a woman body, also it is scanned as a 2D- 3D video. Describing the facts of what females such as the three different types of Breast Cancer, most women should be aware of the life threatening alert and how to prevent the disease is very important. The Health channel gives support throughout the video and believe it is helpful towards the viewers. I personally think, that this video is very useful because when capstone presentations will begin, I would want to give a short summary of what breast cancer is and how many women are affected each year.



"Are We Fighting Breast Cancer All Wrong?" BuzzFeed. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/are-we-fighting-breast-cancer-all-wrong>.


I found this source useful because it is different from other research that I found and it is an infographic about breast cancer. The infographic questions, are we fight breast cancer all wrong? and how much breast cancer research money is spent on prevention? There is enough statistics to look at and discover how is the money is being used. Such as, $87 million is made by Department of defense of 2011 and only 1.1% has been given towards the prevention and the rest is wasted on treatment and survivor outcomes, etc. Another interesting fact that I am able to use for my capstone is that in 1975, there were 105 reports for each 100,000 women with Breast Cancer and 32 years later in 2007, there were 125 reports per 100,000 women.


"8 Things You Didn’t Know Cause Cancer." BuzzFeed. Mark Celestino, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. 

<http://www.buzzfeed.com/celestinomark/8-everyday-things-that-may-give-you-cancer#.kxXKDNYXQv>.


I selected this source because I thought it will be helpful that there are secret ways to get cancer, therefore people should be aware of. These are the type of things that people can get cancer easily such as the processed meat of what we eat, popcorn bags since its filled with perfluorooctanoic acid that is basically a toxic, and farmed salmon that is a high risk of cancer, etc. This can be part of my research for my capstone presentation. I would include how much research I have done and possibly show this video if I am able too but will definitely share the information to the viewers.


"Home | Susan G. Komen®." Home | Susan G. Komen®. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://ww5.komen.org/>.


I found this source very helpful because the Susan G. Komen is the main cite that I will follow up everyday for my capstone. I had set up a group account so I can fundraise and join the 5k walk on mothers day. Almost every other two days, I receive updates and reminders about the charity within how I am able to help out the community with survivors but it even sends me short personal stories. Since, I decided to create a gathering call Pink Rockets, this source will honestly be my best friend throughout the year. It will follow me up of how much I will fundraise and how much effort have I gave.


"Breast Cancer." Breast Cancer. American Cancer Society, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/>.


This source provides information about breast cancer awareness. It is able to help you find support and treatment, exploring research, learning about cancer of what it is exactly, and how to get involved. We may know what cancer is but people must know that this disease is not easy to recover. We love our mothers and other important females in our life, so therefore we should take care of women. The way this source will help me present my capstone is by explaining the audience of why is it important and how it can impact everyone is a certain type of why. Or even, go around to the students and let them share their experiences with this disease because it is always nice to hear short stories. But mostly, this sources will provide many information and lead me to a good path.


"Fight for Ella Fund." N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <https://mobile.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_express-checkout-mobile&useraction=commit&token=EC-6SG9750153990851B>.


I selected this source because the link will direct to paypal where students, teachers, and friends will be able to donate to ‘Fight for Ella Fund’. You can donate at any amount as you please towards the fund that will help me for the capstone and the organization. This link will be used in my Capstone presentation and website. I will also post statuses on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr to see if people will participate and have a good heart to donate. At the final product of my capstone, I will announce how much did we raised and what were the goals.


"Breast Cancer For Dummies." Barnes & Noble. Ronit Elk, Monica Morrow M.D., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breast-cancer-for-dummies-ronit-elk/1100578787?ean=9780764524820>.


Not only that I would want to look into online sources, It is always good to find information in text books. This book is called, ‘Breast Cancer for Dummies’. It’s a common book that people always use for any situation or guideline. Since, this is about breast cancer,  it will help me understand a lot better of what is the disease. Some of the truths of breast cancer that I recently found out was that, when a woman has breast cancer it does not mean it will lead to death because there are some cure and depending of what type of cancer it is. There are millions of survivors and it really inspires me to talk about the facts towards my capstone. I just think it is interesting and it will be helpful throughout my process.


"Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor's Soul: Stories to Inspire, Support and Heal." Barnes & Noble. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Mary Olsen Kelly, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chicken-soup-for-the-breast-cancer-survivors-soul-jack-canfield/1100307581?ean=9781623610494>.


Other than online sources, there was another book that I found that was clever about Breast Cancer. Not only, does it give facts or any other warnings that readers should be aware of. The book explains the positive side of breast cancer and give stories about survivors. Even, if we lost the ones we love and became afraid, at the end families shared their experience in the book and gladly supports the awareness that people fundraise. I believe that the book is very heart-warming and touching. It is a nice book to enjoy and other readers would like to find more information about the fight.


Tags: 2015, Block, capstone
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Emmanuel Kouadio Capstone

Posted by Emmanuel Kouadio in Capstone - Block - Wed on Friday, May 22, 2015 at 12:13 am

Abstract 


  Have you ever walked down the street and see someone homeless? Maybe you haven't, but if you did it's not a pretty sight. Homeless people in Philadelphia tend to roam the streets, sleep anywhere, pan handle at multiple septa locations, and much more. People who are homeless have to deal with a lot of issues like where their next meal is coming from, where will they sleep, how will they get money, and more. Food, protection, and shelter is a big factor of living and the fact that people are homeless that makes it harder on themselves to provide and also survive. Even some homeless people have too much pride to goto shelters. I thought to myself that its not the fact that the person is faking their homelessness or not, but either way that person is ill and attention is needed. My capstone was helping the homeless and that is exactly what I did. I thought about the different needs and things a homeless person would want like food, clothing, money, and other personal needs to take care of themselves so I did the best I could do. With the help of an SLA alumni parent my capstone mentor (Mr. Joe Willard) and I thought about the ways I could pitch in and leave and impact on the environment. He is the vice president of Philadelphia's People's Emergency Center and a well known individual. With my ideas and goals Mr. Willard helped and guided me into the right path. 




Presentation-
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/176CsnUfVTweYXf2UHLOihF0gCLVulwYqIj5zofAbHNg/edit#slide=id.gb07975e91_0_0

Image-
http://www.filedropper.com/img0296-1


​


Annotated Bibliography


Source 1-
M., Morris. "10 Shocking Realities Of Modern Poverty." Listverse Ltd., 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. <http://listverse.com/2013/09/26/10-shocking-realities-of-modern-poverty/>.


In this source it basically talks about how poverty doesn’t define people or situations. It is possible to have a good life even if you’re labeled as poor. There are many good views about poverty. Many people think negatively when they hear the word “poverty”. When hearing poverty even myself used to think, “dirty, trashy, poor, lower class”, and reasons for that is because growing up in a city rated #3 for poverty and homelessness in the U.S. they are things I see when roaming the street. Prior to my knowledge there were many more insights about the reality of poverty. In the article, “10 Shocking Realities Of Modern Poverty.” Morris talks about 10 shocking and revealing things about the poverty happening today. His list of things relating to poverty consisted of the following: chronic illness, relocation, early death, homelessness, low social mobility, lifelong debt, working poverty, loss of human rights, hungry kids, child mortality. It basically gives me an overall on poverty and homelessness.



Source 2-

Ambrose, Jeffrey. "The Reality of Global Poverty." ECONOMY & PERSONAL FINANCE. The Real Truth. Inc,, 30 Nov. 2014. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. <http://realtruth.org/articles/080325-001-economy.html>.


In this source the article provides a lot of feedback on the topic of reality and poverty. When first reading this article I saw a quote that amazed me. The quote said, “While pockets of genuinely severe deprivation do exist even in the Western world’s lands of plenty, most notably in inner cities and rural areas such as Appalachia, the overall picture of the poor in the United States is starkly different from the rest of the globe. On other continents—in slums, rural villages and jungles far from any kind of government-funded social programs—what is it like to be among the “have not’s”? After reading that quote I thought to myself, “What does this actually mean?”, so I redefined it. That quote meant that many populated cities in the United States today are basically portrayed as wealthy and a fine environment to live in, but most of those environments are struggling and need help. Many of the attention directed towards poverty aren’t really making clearer images for people to actually see.



Source 3-

Battistoni, Alyssa. "Poverty in America Is a Moral Issue." The Reality of Poverty. The Nation Inc,, 27 Oct. 2007. Web. 26 Jan. 2015. <http://www.thenation.com/article/reality-poverty>.


In this source I read about an article called,  “The Reality of Poverty” and it also included new obtainable data and information. By now in my chapter you should’ve basically learned much about poverty, the relationship between the economy and the people, and how people enter into the stage of poverty. Now I am going to surely bring my essential question into play and relate it to my deeper questionings and thoughts. What is the reality of poverty according to this article? Well, this article is focused on the aftermath of poverty that happens in the United States and what actions could be taken place.



Source 4-

Rank, Mark. "Poverty in America Is Mainstream." The New York Times Company, 2 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Jan. 2015. <http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/02/poverty-in-america-is-mainstream/?src=me&_r=0>.


In this article it provides a lot of helpful information to use and obtain for knowledge prior to the reality of poverty happening in current day America. First lets start off by stating some statistics that I have found and hear some explanations that I have for each of them. it shows that the articles name actually has proof to back up its theory. America’s system of poverty actually is mainstream. Think of it this way, poverty in America is mainstream because people fail to realize that there are pros and cons of living in poverty. Most people assume that people who live in poverty are poor, have no home, or lives near an abandoned subway or church.



Source 5-

Ryssdal, Kai. "Tell Us What the Economy Feels like to You." Marketplace Productions, 9 Dec. 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/kai-ryssdal/tell-us-what-economy-feels-you>.


In this source it talks about how starting at the age of 25, you have a lot of things to take care of and responsibilities. Whether you have a child, going to school still, out of school and paying off debts, or just working… all citizens have something that they have to take care of and that’s just apart of growing up in life. Times in today’s economy are rough and surely even if you have money and “middle class” or not, you must have to learn the economy is rapidly changing and people have to fully adjust to it in order to be financially stable.


Source 6-

Elliott, Andrea, and Ruth Fremson. "Invisible Child." Girl in the Shadows: Dasani’s Homeless Life. The New York Times Company, 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/invisible-child/#/?chapt=1>.



In this source I think the main idea was to show how when you take a stand and help someone who is going through homelessness overcome their situation you are both apart of something good and the person is too. In this source a girl is interviewed, followed to school, and is looked at from a different perspective since people knows that she is poor and doesn’t have the best house around as possible. She lives in a house of trash and dangerous living conditions, but as time passes overtime peoples then get involved such as organizations and big time names in helping her. This was the motivation for my capstone.



Source 7-

McArdle, Megan. "What Prevents the Poor from Reaching the Middle Class?" American Enterprise Institute, 10 July 2014. Web. 28 Jan 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AchISJUKfH4>.


What stood out to me in this source that made me use it is that it talked about numbers and facts a lot. I have learned that statistics say that at least over 54% of Americans in their lifespan will spend at least one year going through poverty or near the state of living in poverty. At least 40% of Americans ranging from ages 25 through age 60 will most likely experience a year below the poverty level. I found this source very useful because it helped me know about the things that people involved in homelessness ever go through and what the numbers look like on paper. Things like this would be good for my presentation.



Source 8-

Rosling, Hans. "Hans Rosling: New Insights on Poverty." Ted Talk Inc,, 26 June 2007. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpKbO6O3O3M>.


In this source  it talks about how their are multiple insights of poverty which leads to the topic of homelessness. Becoming homeless and just the state of being homeless has been misjudged by people and in this video Hans Rolling does just that by talking to the public in his Ted Talk on what he believes is the way to guiding people to the right path of seeing why homeless people feel uncomfortable going into shelters, asking for help, rather beg for many, and many many more issues. Hans Rolling discusses a lot of things that I never thought about and should ever be discussed with the public.



Source 9-

"Opening Doors: Preventing Homelessness." Preventing Homelessness. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Inc. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://usich.gov/usich_resources/fact_sheets/opening_doors_preventing_homelessness>.

In this source it talks about more information just like the others. Homelessness, how to prevent it, how it starts. The main argument of this source is that it eventually likes to bring into play that poverty in the U.S. is an occurring event because of less job opportunities for people that are low class citizens, which forces many of those lower class citizens to live off of welfare, social security, and over government provided programs for people in need of financial help. This will come to show that homelessness in America and poverty itself is being overlooked by people who don’t know enough about this topic or people who are not educated. Poverty shouldn’t exist in extreme ways, the government should step up more.  



Source 10-

How YOU Can Help End Homelessness. National Coalition for the Homeless Inc.,, 1 June 2006. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/you.pdf>.

In this source I thought it was helpful because it talks about different ways to contribute to homelessness, how to end poverty, and the different ways of how to avoid the improper way of approaching it. This source was amazing to me also because this pdf in the source provides a great amount of info on where to go if homeless and how to still feel special and not down. How to bring yourself up if you are going into a homeless position. Shelters and other programs for people who need to get special help and attention for themselves and their family.
Tags: Block, capstone, 2015
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Reginald Simmons Capstone

Posted by Reginald Simmons in Capstone - Block - Wed on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 10:32 pm

​

My Abstract: I’ve loved writing since I was very young. It’s a passion I’ve explored further in my high school career in different writing classes. In my junior year, I held an internship at a newspaper named The Philadelphia Tribune. Writing is a theme that I stuck with for my Capstone project. At the Tribune, I was writing articles about education-related things, and I decided that for my Capstone, I’d like to give other students to have their own articles published for everyone to see. Science Leadership Academy has a focus on science, engineering and technology, so I thought it would be fitting for these Capstone articles to focus on the same subjects.


I worked with several different students to co-author small, supplemental articles that explained some interesting scientific stories that are relevant today. One might read about a new computer technology, and another some new information on the Hubble Space Telescope. I learned that people, even those who don’t normally like writing, are eager to share with others the things the passionate about. My hope is that by creating these short articles, they found that writing is one of the best methods to use if a story needs to be heard.


In addition to writing articles with other students, I also created a few of my own to be grouped with them. My writings span across a few different subjects that hopefully will create in the reader’s mind a fuller picture of the purposes of journalism.

Here, you can see an easy to read layout of all the student articles, labeled by author and subject: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ebuv2qiB6uuAFu-rguyu-T1PYe-Po2tHuTjVeNi2KTs/edit

And below is my annotated bibliography:

Annotated Bibliography



Source #1:


Gonchar, Michael, and Katherine Schulten. "Google." Google. The New York Times, 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.


I used this New York Times contest website to get another possibility for where the work that’s created in my project can be hosted or shared. I talked with my advisor about some other possibilities, such as SLA’s writing group or class, whichever it is(I’m not too familiar with this, but it sounds like a pretty good possibility). I’d originally planned on creating my own website for the articles, but my advisor, and this is something I agree with, my advisor suggested trying to get it out there on a site a lot of people know to get some more publicity.  


Source #2:


Fong, Jing. "Spring 2015 National Student Writing Competition: Learning That Matters." YES! Magazine. Yes Magazine, 13 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.


This is a source similar to the previously listed one in that it is also a kind of writing contest. This is another suggested possibility by my advisor. It’s just another alternative to having work published on my own personal site. The one issue that I see with this is that the writing for this contest has to focus on a story that originates from YES! magazine, which takes away a lot of the creative freedom that I want for this project. This source does have some information on how to organize things, which I find a bit useful, but I don’t see myself pursuing this any further in the future.


Source #3:


Hacker, Diana, Nancy I. Sommers, and Marcy Carbajal Van Horn. A Pocket Style Manual. 6th ed. Vol. 1st. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2013. Print.


This is a manual that details all the intricacies of writing a professional paper. I’ll use this book to refresh some of the writing skills that I’ve gotten a bit rusty on. Skills that will become very important as I’ll be helping other students write their articles. I’ll have to know exactly what I’m doing or none of this will work at all. It has sections on clarity, grammar, punctuation and mechanics, research and other extremely vital writing skills. I’ll continue to reference this book as I delve more deeply into writing articles with other students and the written portions / explanations for my project overall.


Source #4:


Cialdini, Robert B. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. New York: Collins, 2007. Print.


This book on the psychology of persuasion is one I started reading a while ago based on my interest in psychology and how it relates to everyday human interaction. I’m now seeing that the topics discussed and explained in this book are definitely applicable to writing news articles, specifically opinion editorial pieces, because they are written to try and persuade someone reading it to a certain point of view or idea. I can take ideas and methods from this book and explain them to the students that I help to write their own articles.


Source #5:


Irv Randolph, Managing Editor at the Philadelphia Tribune


Mr. Randolph is the man I originally worked with when I first went to the Philadelphia Tribune in the beginning of my junior year. He was an invaluable source to me and helped me a lot when I was in the process of getting my footing at the Tribune. I collaborated with Mr. Randolph on most of the articles I wrote during my time there to make sure that they were ready to be published. He also worked with me on coming up with important topics for me to write about in my articles, which helped a lot, because when you’re young sometimes you don’t have the same wisdom that people who write award-winning works have.


Source #6:


Meenoo Rami, Science Leadership Academy Teacher


Ms. Rami, other than being my mentor in this project, helped me last year to succeed in my internship at the Philadelphia Tribune, which helped in turn to inspire me this year to come up with my current idea for my Capstone project. Ms. Rami gave me guidance a few times when I struggled with where to go with my writing both inside and outside of class, recommended me certain texts to read to help me through the process, and put me in contact with someone who works as a professional writer to help me out with some ideas.


Source #7:


Shonda McClain, Philadelphia Tribune Magazine Editor


Shonda McClain is another invaluable employee at the Philadelphia Tribune. Last year, while I was completing my internship there, I ran all of my writing through her as well and received important guidance as to room for improvement and places to expand on. Dealing with the intricacies of writing a news article, I’ve found, is a pretty tough skill to master. Ms. McClain was very important to me in making sure that my writing was perfect and ready to be published (in addition to the help I received from Irv Randolph, the Tribune’s managing editor).


Source #8:


"Writing Your Article | Scholastic.com." Scholastic Teachers. Scholastic, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.


This Scholastic site that explains how to teach to children how to write news articles is also very helpful to me in that it will assist me in implementing methods to do the same thing in my Capstone project. I’ve taught lessons in class to my peers before, but I’ve never had to teach writing to students below my grade level, and thus I’ll have to master how to present things to them in a way that doesn’t belittle them and at the same time encourages them to learn more; this project’s participants will need to be mostly self motivated to write these articles. I’m still working through this to come up with a solid lesson plan.


Source #9:


"All Issues." All Issues. Environment America, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015.


This source gives a comprehensive list of some of the current issues in America that can be written about in the news articles for my project. I sometimes get ‘writers’ block,’ where I struggle to come up with good and interesting material that I know people will be inclined to read about in a newspaper. Having this list will help me to give guidance to other students who may run into the same problem. Who knows? Maybe they’ll be so excited and motivated that they won’t need guidance in this area, but I want to have a plan to deal with them promptly should they run into this problem.


Source #10:


"How to Design a Website Easily - No Experience Required." 2 Create a Website. 2 Create a Website, Jan.-Feb. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.


This is a site that explains to the user with little experience (criteria that I meet) in web design how to create a website that is clean, clear and concise, just like the articles that are created in this project should. I have created websites before, but they’re only been for classes. I’ve not had to create something that will be showcased in a public setting. I’m certain that there are skills I need to know in order to create the best website possible, and this website that contains a tutorial helps me in doing that. I’ll most likely look to a different source for this as well, since this website’s design is a little sketchy to me.



Tags: capstone, Block, 2015
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Darya Nemati Capstone

Posted by Darya Nemati in Capstone - Block - Wed on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 3:37 pm

​Abstract:

My partner, Marlyn, and I began a partnership with Benjamin Franklin Science Corner in Paraguay this past October. The Science Corner hosted a series of science festivals throughout several cities this year and we were given the opportunity to be a part of the excitement. The goal of the festivals was to present science in a fun and engaging manner for students who are not fortunate enough to learn the material in school.

We cultivated a relationship via email and video chat with a group of five engineers. Marlyn and I quickly became familiarized with the education system in Paraguay. After some introductory conversations where we learned each other's strengths, we were given the task of displaying physics and chemistry concepts through simple experiments using materials that were easily accessible to the engineers in Paraguay. Each experiment that was displayed at the fairs required an intricate process to ensure the most successful outcome. My partner and I divided the work so that we each had very specific goals. My goal was to research and create science topics that would be exciting for students between the ages of eight and eighteen. Marlyn’s goal was to display the experiments chosen in the most engaging and creative way. After brainstorming ideas, we began the google hangouts to inquire about materials available and ideas for improvement. There was a good deal of back and forth communication before the final experiments were sent over to the engineers. The last step in the process was the troubleshooting, which took place after the experiments were created by the engineers. 

The first festival took place in the city of Caacupé on October 25th. The engineers were able to find and hotspot in order for Marlyn and I to witness the fair live. Hundreds of young students were in attendance, testing the experiments we had created for the festival. The look of fascination on the students’ faces was exhilarating. The second fair took place on March 27th in Villa Hayes and the last one will be held in Villarrica on May 29th. 


Final Product:

http://phillytoparaguay.weebly.com/


Bibliography:


  1. Mr. VK

    1. The most important source I can name is our mentor, Mr. Vk, who brought this project to us and has helped us tremendously along the way. Mr. VK is our number one source when it comes to communication with the engineers in Paraguay. He is cc’ed on all emails that are sent back and forth. He checks all work that is being sent over to the engineers before it is sent and always gives us his input. VK has also been a source for other sources that have come our way such as books and articles.


  1. Claudia & other engineers @ the ben franklin science corner

    1. Claudia, our main contact in Paraguay, works with a group of five other engineers at the Benjamin Franklin Science Corner. The BFSC has developed a partnership with the Franklin Institute, which is how my partner and I became involved. The BFSC is one of the organizations featured in the science fairs being held around the country of Paraguay. All of our science experiment proposals have been sent to Claudia and the group of engineers, who build the actual models and test all experiments before taking them to the fairs. We have had many google hangouts to help with experiment testing in any way we can and make any changes to the procedures or materials if necessary.


  1. "Benjamin Franklin Science Corner - About - Google+." Benjamin Franklin Science Corner - About - Google+. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <https://plus.google.com/+BenjaminFranklinScienceCornerAsunci%C3%B3n/about?gl=us&hl=en>

    1. The Benjamin Franklin Science Corner is the organization we are in communication with in Paraguay. Their mission is to bring science and technology to students who are not fortunate enough to get the experience in school. Most students in Paraguay are only in school for four to five hours a day and have no hands on science curriculum whatsoever. The Science Corner supports Paraguayan education by promoting science and technology among the youth and by promoting scientific education. The Benjamin Franklin Science Corner website has a blog and many photos that have aided us in our capstone process.


  1. "Fun Cool Exciting Science Experiments for Children and Kids." Fun Cool Exciting Science Experiments for Children and Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://weirdsciencekids.com/FunExperiments.html>

    1. This source provides information about science experiments that will be used in our proposals to the engineers in Paraguay. The science fairs were organized with the intention of giving students around the area, who don’t have a strong science curriculum in their schools, the opportunity to get hands on science experience. This source provides many experiments that are simple and entertaining for the younger kids at the fair. The oobleck experiment was one of the most successful ones, despite the fact that it was one of the simplest ones. This source has brought many ideas to our attention, whether we use the specific experiment or not.


  1. "Experimental Procedure." Experimental Procedure. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/physics600/procedure.html>

    1. This source was used to create the Trebuchet for the first science fair and will be used again to better the second version of the model. We used this source only as a template for our model. The units we use here are different than the ones used in Paraguay, therefore we had to convert all units to the metric system. After doing that we also had to scale the original trebuchet down because size was a factor for the engineers. Although there were other procedures for trebuchets that we looked at, this source was the most comprehensive and specific one we found.


  1. "Chemistry." Science Fair Projects, Ideas, and Experiments. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.<http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/Chemistry.aspx>

    1. This source was used for the ideas on Chemistry experiments. We had about four chemistry experiment proposals for the first fair. One was the shiny penny experiment which is always a classic for kids and very easy to show. The second, was also a simple one that involved the reaction between vinegar and baking soda. Another proposal was for an experiment that involved making slime, which is a great way to get students to do some very hands-on work in a fun way. The last one consisted of making saturated copper sulfate solution. The goal for many of these experiments was to create them using the most simple and attainable materials possible.   


  1. "Physics Science Fair Project Ideas." Physics Science Fair Project Ideas. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/Intro-Physics.shtml>

    1. This source was used for the ideas on Physics experiments. We had about four physics experiment proposals for the first fair. The first one was building a parachute and using different shapes for the parachute to see the difference it would make. The second involved watching the motion of a trash bag filled with air. Another experiment was a water bottle toss, involving a water bottle with a poked hole in the cap. This experiment was a test of gravity. The last experiment, and my personal favorite was building a gyroscope using a bicycle wheel. The goal for many of these experiments was to create them using the most simple and attainable materials possible.  


  1. "Thinking about How to Evaluate Your Program? These Strategies Will Get You Started. Gajda, Rebecca & Jennifer Jewiss." Thinking about How to Evaluate Your Program? These Strategies Will Get You Started. Gajda, Rebecca & Jennifer Jewiss. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=9&n=8>

    1. Although our capstone is not necessary building a program, we decided that there should still be some type of evaluation to ensure our work was making progress. This source gives information on the most effective ways of evaluating a program and much more. The source includes a clear outline of the steps needed in order to evaluate the program, it’s progress, and it’s effectiveness. The source enforces the fact that having a specific audience is essential. Quantity and quality are both factors that are explained in depth. Assessing outcomes, achievements and indicators is very important in maintaining success in a program.


  1. "Designing a Survey." Designing a Survey. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Soc_survey.shtml>

    1. This source will come in handy when making the surveys for the next fair. I wasn’t expecting to have to research this, I thought I could just create one but then it dawned on me that I’d never made one. I didn’t know where to start so I decided why not look it up? Sure enough I found many credible sites, but I chose this one because it is specifically based on creating surveys revolving around science courses and curriculums, which is exactly what I will be evaluating. This source gives me ideas on what questions to ask, as well as objectives to keep in mind and templates to use.


  1. "The Popular Education News: What Is Popular Education?" The Popular Education News: What Is Popular Education? N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.popednews.org/newsletters/definitions.html>

    1. This source is valuable in learning how we want to connect with the students at the fair. Although, we won’t be there with them we want projects they see to be as meaningful as possible. Our goal is that students learn some science in a much more interactive way then they are used to. Popular education is a collective effort, one that engages students and allows them to work together and participate in the material. Popular education begins with learning the students’ ability and knowledge, which is what we want to learn through the surveys we will be giving at the next fair.

Tags: 2015, Block, capstone
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Leah Kelly Capstone

Posted by Leah Kelly in Capstone - Block - Wed on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 9:10 am

Ever since I was a girl I have had a passion for photography and in the past few years have actively pursued expanding my portrait portfolio. Therefore, for my senior capstone I decided to create an instructional portrait photography guide full of all the tips and tricks that I have used while shooting. 

The process was rather scattered, since I was coordinating photoshoots while editing past ones while trying to format my final instructional manual, but I wouldn't have had it any other way because it kept me busy! 

After this year long process of creating a portfolio and then putting it all together in a portrait guide, I have learned a lot about myself as a photographer and myself as a learner. First of all, I learned a ton more about how to compose a nice shot and about lighting, framing and editing. I also learned how important it is to be organized with photoshoots and to not procrastinate on editing pictures, because it can all really back up!

Overall, the capstone process for me was a wonderful one. I'm extremely proud of the pictures that I took and the final manual that I created, and I hope that future photography classes at SLA will use my manual as a guide.

View my Instructional Manual here.


1. Busselle, Michael, and David Wilson. The Perfect Portrait Guide: How to Photograph People.

Mies: RotoVision, 2002. Internet Archive. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.


While this is a physical book, I found a free copy of it online on an internet archive which is extremely helpful because now I can access it whenever I please. The section in particular that I looked at was on page 24, the “Directing Relaxed Poses” section. This is so important to my project because I want my subjects to be looking natural and happy rather than stiff and uptight. Along with this section, I related it to the next section entitled “The Candid Camera” which was useful specifically in teaching about take candid portraits, which I will use when I do group photoshoots.

The limitation that I found with this source is that while they showed example photographs in the two main sections that I looked at, they did not talk very much about the composition of the photograph but rather about the subject. I wish that with some of the photographs they had talked about the f-stop and shutter speed that they used since that is a huge component of any photograph.

Overall, however, this source was extremely helpful and will aid me in my group shots and family portraits as well as my overall composition.


2. Dickson, Christina N. "6 Tips for Perfect Composition in Portrait Photography." Digital

Photography School. N.p., 20 Sept. 2009. Web. 13 Jan. 2015.


This source was incredible because the entire site is full of amazing photography tips. The thing that I liked most about this source was that I started reading and taking notes on this article but then ended up clicking all around the website and learning tons of new things about photography.

This particular article, however, was useful because it reminded me of all the basics of portrait photography such as filling the frame, the rule of thirds and creating texture. While I have found other specific sources for different kinds of photography, this was a resource that I found that gives an overall review of everything that any type of photographer needs to know no matter what kind of portraits they’re doing.

The one limitation to this article is that I don’t like the example photos that they chose. They had awesome lessons and great explanations about six different points, but the images that they chose to represent the mini-lesson were not very appealing in my opinion. While this may seem like a negative thing, it actually helped me because I was able to look at the photograph and think about what I would have done differently, which in turn helps me become a better photographer.


3. Drew Bittel. "8 Framing Secrets for Creating Interesting Portraits." NYIP Photo Articles. New York

Institute of Photography, 29 June 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

This source is extremely credible because it is from the New York Institute of Photography. While it provided basic information on how to shoot portraits, it was particularly helpful because it showed creative ways to frame different portraits and simply make them more interesting to look at. I am going to use this knowledge especially when I take family portraits to make them look nicer and in order to use props. Overall, this reliable source opened up my creative eye to new ways to take portraits using props, different backgrounds and texture.

The limitation to this source was that they only provided eight examples of ways to frame the photographs more creatively and I would have preferred more. However, even though there were minimal examples it makes me think about if I had written the article what I would have added and how I can incorporate those into my pictures.


4. Gregory, Alyssa. "7 Tips for Writing an Effective Instruction Manual."Business and Marketing.

Sitepoint, 16 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.


This source shifted the focus away from my actual photography skills and more onto my final product: the manual. Since I’ve never written a manual before, this source was so useful because it talked about the main things that I should include and how to make it effective and creative. It included strategies such as outlining it first, getting out of your own head, being brief and using visual aids. In my opinion, the visual aids are particularly helpful because high school students especially like to look at pictures and read as little as possible.

The limitation that I found with this website is that they didn’t give an example of a good instructional manual, they just listed different things that a good one had in it. While this website brought up good points with how to be thorough and well understood with my manual, it didn’t show any examples of good instructional manuals or even link to something else that I could read about how to be effective.

Overall, however, this source was overall very helpful because it gave me basic knowledge on how to create an informative manual.


5. Klinger, Teri. "7 Steps to Making a Great Silhouette." Weblog post. Teri Klinger Photography. N.p.,

30 May 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.


First of all, I know that this source is credible because this is the photographer who took my friend’s senior pictures and who I have been in contact with about different photography things. I have studied Teri’s work and discussed it with her so I know that she is not only an excellent photographer but also very smart with editing and framing photos, which is knowledge that she has shared with me.

This source was especially helpful because it gave a bunch of tips on how to capture an awesome silhouette, which I will need to use when I take pictures at the shelter and I can’t reveal the identity of the children or the moms. Therefore, this source was so helpful because it gave me tangible tips about lighting and position in order to produce a beautiful silhouette.

The one limitation that I found with this source is that she only wrote about outdoor silhouettes and most of her examples used sunsets. In my case, however, I am going to have to use backlighting of windows or other natural light and this source did not provide information on how to take those kind of pictures.





6. "Lightroom Tutorials." Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Adobe, n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2015.


This source was one of the most helpful ones out of everything that I’ve used so far. While this is mainly the home page of the tutorials, in connected me to a bunch of different links about everything I could ever want to know about Lightroom, which was so useful because that is the editing program that I am using. Also, I know that it’s reliable because the company that produces Lightroom, Adobe, is the one who owns this website and posts all of the tutorials.

Honestly, this resource did not have any down sides. Everything that I needed to know about Lightroom was on one reliable source and could be easily found through either the drop-down menus or the search bar. There were videos as well as images as well as readings, which catered to all three of the ways that I learn best. In addition, if I was still confused, there is a live chat option which meant that all of my questions could be answered by a real person and left this resource being an overall success.


7. Meyer, Jeff. "Family Photos: What the Pros Don't Say about Taking Pictures of Family." Digital

Camera World. Future, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.


This source was so helpful because I am doing multiple different shoots with families. Some of them have little kids, some have dogs and some are all older kids, but this resource pretty much touched on every single one of those. Within this article, there are eight different pages focusing on different aspects of family portraits such as capturing action photos, posed photos and candid photos. These three pages in particular were so useful to me because I like to have a blend of all of those when I do a photoshoot.

The limitation to this source, like many other sources, is that I didn’t find that they had enough examples of photographs showing each of their techniques. For instance, they only had one picture for each of the candid, action and posed pages which lead me to believe that either not enough time was put into this article or the photographer simply couldn’t capture what he needed. However, this makes me want to be able to try out all of the techniques the author mentioned and prove his points even more than he could.


8. Smith, Brian. Secrets of Great Portrait Photography: Photographs of the Famous and Infamous. San

Francisco: New Riders, 2013. Print.


This was definitely one of the coolest sources that I found in my search. Brian Smith is an incredible photographer and has been doing it for many years according to his book, which I believe makes him an expert and a credible source.

While this book focuses on all aspects of portrait photography, what I noticed and found particularly helpful in this book was his use of color and how he used the skin color, outfits and backgrounds to create beautiful portrait photography. For example, he took a beautiful picture of an actress in a red dress with red lipstick against a red curtain.

Originally, I thought that it would look silly if almost everything in the photo was the same color or even in the same color scheme, but his purpose in that photograph was to make the actress’ ivory skin stand out and in the end, it made for a stunning photograph.

While this was an incredible book that I learned a lot from, the one downside was that it was extremely expensive so I couldn’t buy it. However, I am happy that I was able to find it, read it, take notes on it and have it overall be useful in my capstone.


9. Stitzer, Barbara. "How to Use Triangles to Improve Your Portraits Composition." Photodoto. N.p.,

23 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.


Even though I have taken a photography class and have been taking pictures for as long as I can remember (even though they weren’t always good), this is an aspect of photography that I’ve never quite realized but that this website brought up, which is extremely helpful. This source is all about using triangles in your portraits to make the pictures more balanced and appealing to the eye, which I will use specifically when I take group portraits.

I also know that this source is credible because one of my previous sources, the Digital Photography School, linked me to this website for further information. Therefore, through the sharing of reliable sources I was able to find this article and learn a lot from it.


10. Wilson, Jodi. "Photography: How to Capture Your Kids without Revealing Their Identity."

Practising Simplicity. N.p., 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.


This source is one of the most important ones to me because I will be using these skills in one of my most important shoots. It is one thing to be able to capture the identity of someone well and create a beautiful portrait, but another thing to keep the identity hidden and still capture the essence of someone in a photograph, which is what the website taught me to do and how I will use it.

This source might not be completely credible because it is a blog written by a woman named Jodi Wilson, but since all of these photography websites are opinions and tips anyway, not facts, I’m not bothered by the fact that every single thing that she writes might not be true.

However, that being said, I think that all of the points that she brings up are awesome and will really help me in my photoshoots.


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Science Leadership Academy @ Center City · Location: 1482 Green St · Shipping: 550 N. Broad St Suite 202 · Philadelphia, PA 19130 · (215) 400-7830 (phone)
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