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  Katia Hadjeb Capstone

Posted by Bradford Latimer in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on
Abstract:


The original project was to  complete a novel by the end of this year, that talks about the way society  treats people with visual disabilities. Also talking about what people consider as normal, and how is difference often rejected. In deed, I finished the first chapter of this book. I was not able to finish the whole book, because  I kept having new ideas and changing the story; but also because of health issues I’ve had which required me to not do work for a very long time.  I am planing on finishing the other chapters  as I’m moving forward to college.

The other part of the project was creating a group that consists of high school students who have visual disabilities,  and discuss the obstacles that face them and the reasons behind them as well as ways to overcome them. Also to participate in certain activities and workshops in order to raise awareness about blindness, and advocate for our rights.  Although I found people who were very passionate about the project, we faces a lot of obstacles as moving forward.  Because the students are from a private school for the blind, they were not allowed to get out of the school since they lived on campus; and in order for us to do our activities in that school I had to go through a lot of people. The end of the year  started approaching and I still had to meet with other people in order to make it work. Meeting with those people was never a problem, but it took up to three months in order to schedule an appointment with one of the principals. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time and resources to complete this part of the project, but I’ll definitely keep working on it.

Over all, I have learned a lot about   different ways of dealing with different people. Most importantly I worked with great mentors who thought me  that when things don’t go the way I want them to, I should just make the best out of it. Even though the result of this project was not exactly what I wanted it to be,  but  this project is still a great start for a future greater project.


bibliography:

My project is mainly based on my personal experience, as well as the experiences of some other students whom I’ve met with a few times. 


Marvin Pearson,Shaniyah Scott,  Madeline Nobles, Tyler Jordan and Christian Childs  all confirmed that they have been treated differently/negatively by people only because of their blindness/visual impairment.


The following books helped shaping the story and characters of my book, due to the critical and philosophical ideas and theories they introduce.


How to make friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie.

This book talks about human relationships, and the min theory that it introduces is that the deepest  urge of all human beings is to feel important. Therefore the best way to positively influence someone is to make that person feel important,  or unimportant  if the goal is  to destroy  the person psychologically.  So the question that comes out of this book is:  do people feel important when they believe that  people with disabilities need them to do anything and everything?


psychotherapy and existence realism (selected papers on logo therapy) by Victor Frankel

This book is very interesting. It is very philosophical. It questions truth  and reality, but it also talks about what makes humans  humans.  To be a human being is not to be driven by instinct, but to be responsible.  Humans are instinctual, but they are also existential  and that’s what makes them different from animals.  


Man's search for meaning by Victor Frankel

This book suggests that all humans need to find meaning in their lives, otherwise they cannot live because they’d have nothing to live for.  It also states that  if humans have the ability to find meaning in their sufferance/pain, they’d never be negatively impacted by that pain or suffering.


the tears of humanity chapter1

Tomy Fleurine Capstone

Posted by Tomy Fleurine in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

​I created a mixtape/album. I wanted to host a soccer tournament but my original partner proved to be not as available as I hoped and I was not able to raise the funds that I needed in order to have a successful tournament. My goal when starting my capstone was to do something that I can really relate to, have talent in, and that I love. I have been writing music since I was younger and had some songs I wanted to produce and put out there so it was not really a hard decision for me. Furthermore, I was able to find someone else with a Capstone exactly like mind, Ameer Forte. He planned to focus on rapping in his album and I planned to focus more on singing and producing. Therefore, I thought would be smart to work with him and create the album together. 

This has been a masterpiece in my opinion. All the Science Leadership Academy core values have been incorporated into this project. I collaborated with Ameer to get it done along with his uncle so collaboration was key. I have researched different ways to sing work on my voice so it sounds clearer, editing songs and make them sound good, and getting into a good flow of songwriting so research was key. I used inquiry to use my new found knowledge and apply it into the final product. I also used the remaining two core values which are presentation obviously and reflection. Enjoy. 

https://www.scienceleadership.org/media/open/38711
01 Intro_ I Hope You Feel Me (Prod. DougieOnTheBeat)
Our Struggle(Prod. Uncle Savage AKA Ramsey Forte
Dirt (Prod. Daw Beats)
04 All My Love Feat. Tomy Fleurine (Prod. Roland Forte & Classixs Beats)
05 Right My Wrongs_When I lost it (Prod. Lobia)
06 The Scene (Interlude) (Prod. P.SOUL)
Never Trust. (Prod. beatsinmybackpack)
Rotation Feat. Sincere The King (Prod. Nique Musiq & Ameer Forte)
09 We'll Be OK (Prod. Ricky Vela & Ameer Forte)
Tbh (Prod. Uncle Savage & Ameer Forte)
All The Feels (Interlude) (Prod. Ameer Forte) 2
Love Story Feat. Keely (Prod. Curtis Drummond)
13 Intentions (Prod. Flip)
Outro_All I Know (Prod. Canary Julz)

Annotated Bibliography: 

"Advice for New Referees | US Youth Soccer." US Youth Soccer. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.

Since we will be spending so much money for the tournament, we won’t have enough to hire referees for the game. We will be doing the refereeing ourselves therefore we needed a website showing us how to referee a game. Soccer is a very fast paced and dangerous game so we need to be fair to everyone and be in favor of the safety of everyone. However, we can’t be too soft and we need to know when people are flopping and when people are being fake. There is going to be yelling at the referees especially since they have to pay money to enter the tournament therefore we need to learn how to keep our composure. This website is a really good source about referees and how to referee effectively.


"Affiliates." Tournament Travel. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.


Soccer is played all through America. Especially in the youth soccer system in America, in these systems there are many tournaments. These tournaments help organize American soccer in ways that help develop soccer players throughout America in ways that help strengthen the game of soccer throughout America. This source gives an example of how soccer tournaments are supposed to be announced, documented, promoted, and hyped up to produce numerous participants and sustain organization.


"How to Organize a Soccer Tournament." WikiHow. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.

Organizing a soccer tournament takes a lot of time and energy. You have to promote to the public what you’re going to do, let as much as the public as possible know, and have the energy to have a successful tournament. Through hard work and dedication, a successful soccer tournament can be made. Sources like this help us understand how a tournament is supposed to work. Through making sure how everything is supposed to function to making sure everyone is having a good time. This source is an excellent way to help someone organize a tournament of any kind.


"How to Play Soccer." WikiHow. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.


Soccer, who is also known as football everywhere besides the U.S., Canada and Australia, is a fun, competitive game. It is the most-played sport in the world, with over 200 million players in about 200 countries. Now, it is referred to as "the beautiful game" because of its dazzling degrees of technical skill, team play, and individual contribution. This source shows a lot of information about the sport itself and it shows a lot about what you need in order to become a successful soccer player. It also shows a lot about different kits and other objects you need in order to play the sport.

"How to Host a Kick-Ass Event - Eventbrite Blog." Eventbrite Blog. 2009. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.


Hosting an event a takes a lot of work and hard dedication, and sweat and tears, blood and guts, haha jk . But forreal hosting an event is no joke, with it has to come a heart to serve your community and to have fun of course. Many events, whether they are formal events for an office party, concerts for famous singers or performers, or anything that requires an immense amount of concentration and dedication. This source helps us understand what it takes to host a successful public event.

Micah’s:

"How To Play Soccer." How To Play Soccer. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.

Soccer allows people to stay healthy and energized. Through this tournament, not only will the community be positively affected but it will enhance the knowledge of my partner and I to be better with our organizational skills as well as helping our community in ways we don’t have to. We plan on having money to raise to help the community through selling drinks at the tournament. We plan on even possibly teaching some of the kids at the tournament soccer as well. Understanding fully how to play soccer is necessary to complete this tournament. This source helps greatly with our cause.


"North Texas Soccer." Tournament Applications and Forms. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.

This source is a  really good source. It shows a lot of different tournament applications that we need to host the tournament. Soccer is a very fun and amazing sport however, it is also very dangerous. That’s the reason why we need a lot of different forms in order for a tournament hosting to be legal. This source provided me with a lot of information and forms so that my capstone can be successful. I’m going to get people to sign the forms and I’ll be good. This website is essentially a template for tournament forms.



Oklahoma Soccer Association." How To Host A Tournament. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.

This source helps us understand with much more understanding of how to create a successful tournament. We have many sources that help us make a successful tournament on this doc and this one is one of the most valuable. It helped us understand there is more to a tournament than just making it. It helped us see the true meaning of helping the community and what it means to have a successful Capstone.

"How To Play Soccer." How To Play Soccer. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.



"Tournament Brackets - Printable Single & Double Elimination." Tournament Brackets - Printable Single & Double Elimination. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.


This source allows our group to understand how brackets. Brackets work different ways and work often. Brackets can work for tournaments, competitions, events, social events, athletic events, non-athletic events. Other events like baseball tournaments, bowling tournaments, football tournaments, golf tournaments, such as PGA, the Masters, soccer tournaments. Which the Champions League, Copa del rey, World Cup, and other soccer tournaments like these. Basketball tournaments such as March Madness, the amazing, incredible, world class event known as the Olympics, the NBA Finals, along with many other beautiful tournaments in the world of sports. Brackets will help us organize our soccer tournament better.


"The Philly Soccer Page." The Philly Soccer Page. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.


Soccer is an amazing sport. Around the world, almost every country plays this sport, from Germany, to Australia, from Japan, to China, America, Greenland, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France, England, Austria, Belgium, Narnia, Canada, Honduras, Peru, Turkey, Jamaica, Switzerland, Hawaii, Nigeria, Russia, North Korea, Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, the Congo, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, along with many others in the world. Soccer is a great sport. This source helps us understand world soccer better which ultimately helps us understand soccer better, which then helps us understand soccer better, in our city, which then helps us understand soccer better to do this tournament which then helps us complete this tournament because we understand soccer so well. This is a very beneficial sport.


Cole Hinton Capstone

Posted by Cole Hinton in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

​

For my capstone, I wanted to add items to the SLA apparel. The person who helped me with this was Travis Fields, who works at Philly Kid Grafix The first thing that I did was make a survey to find out what people would like to see in the school store. The next step was to find a place to produce the products. From there, the next step was to produce the products and sell them. But, that couldn’t happen. Unfortunately, my capstone could not get started and happen how I wanted. Some of the problems that I went through were communication problems. There were days when I wasn’t available and days where Travis wasn’t available. Another problem I faced was not getting some of my questions asked and waiting for answers for a long time.


When things weren’t going well, I had to find another place to produce my products. The next thing I tired was Customink.com. This was good at first until the price came around. The problem with this source was that they were too much money. I wanted to make my products under $30 and that wasn’t the case.


Something that I would do differently is starting this a little bit earlier than I did so I wouldn’t have to go through this same problem again. Another thing I would do differently is having more than one source. This way if one source wasn’t working, I would have more to rely on.


Click here for the bibliography

Here are some ideas and pictures for my capstone. View them here.

Here are links to Philly Kid Grafix:

http://www.pkg215.com/PKG/CONTACT.html

http://phillykidgrafix.bigcartel.com/products

Claudia Bonitatibus' Capstone

Posted by Claudia Bonitatibus in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

​Since the beginning of the year my capstone has taken many different forms. The original plan took the form of a book club focused around the Free Library of Philadelphia’s One Book, One Philadelphia program and organizing events outside of school, including composer Jennifer Higdon's opera based on Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain. I also incorporated a physical portion to act as a tangible representation of our interpretation of the text. Since my project involved leading a book group, a key component of my capstone was collaboration because I had to get the group members' input in order for the project to run smoothly. However, over the course of the year my capstone became less book club oriented and more project driven. I created this project by analyzing and illustrating quotes that the book club members picked from their reading. Each of these books represents a major theme of the book, such as resilience, mobility, and hope for the future. In creating the final product I had to do research to gain background knowledge of the historical setting and fully engage with the text. I also include a brief summary about the historical context because the historical setting of Cold Mountain plays a major role in the tone of the book and the fundamental questions that it presents to the reader. This was accompanied by a description of the major characters, which is critical in order to be able to comprehend and interpret the quotes that I go on to analyze later on in the project.
Access capstone project: 

Brandon Yam Capstone

Posted by Brandon Yam in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

​For my capstone I decided to interview people in different professions in order to learn what they are like. Going in to college is scary enough, but declaring a major is even harder. I did not know what I wanted to major in and I still do not know what I want to do with my life. I wanted to create a guide for underclassmen that would give them a little insight into the professions that they are possibly looking into. Getting interviews with professions that are relevant today was hard. I could not secure interviews with people in high positions such as lawyers, but I was able to get lucky with a medical technician. A fair amount of my interviews had to deal with the arts which is not bad, but I do wish I had more variety. My partner (Jiwon Choi) and I worked on grabbing as many interviews as we can and we worked with what we had in the end. It was a tough process. There were a lot of emails and phone calls that went unanswered as well as time and effort. Unfortunately, I would not be able to set up an internship program with the individuals I met with (due to schedule conflicts and such). This is a setback for what I originally intended but I feel as though I needed more time/assistance to make it work. Despite the internship program, I am still very satisfied with my work. 

Website: 

Bibliography: 
Cahill, Paula. “Being an Artist.” Personal interview. 03 Feb. 2016
    Paula Cahill, a local artist in northeast Philadelphia, brought the world of art up close and personal. Being an artist is not only her hobby, but her occupation as well. She makes money off of commission from her works and doesn’t plan on stopping. She displayed numerous amounts of her work, all varying in size, color, theme, and style. She states that being an artist is hard, but definitely do-able. Her last words were “If you love what you do, it’ll all work out.” Paula Cahill’s interview will be used to create her individual profile on the website. There will be an in-depth profile of her along with actual footage of the interview itself. 

De Selincourt, Basil. 1907. “The Ethics of Passion”. International Journal of Ethics 17 (2). University of Chicago Press: 181–94.http://www.jstor.org/stable/2375843.
    Basil de Selincourt, an editor at the University of Chicago Press, wrote about the ethics of passion. Basil described the societal boundaries of passions and essentially, what was cut out to be a passion and what was not. Basil talks about how these societal norms is what limits people and if there is hope for a diverse future, people must venture further and test the “limits”. This will be used to create the description of the project itself on the website along with contributing to the foundation. This will be the underlying message before visiting the profiles of the interviewers. 

Gaskill, Monica. “Being a Researcher.” Personal interview. 18 Nov. 2015. 
    Monica Gaskill, a medical researcher at Abramson Research Center, gave an exclusive interview of her workspace and occupation. There were many machines and tools lying around, their purpose unknown until Monica explained. It was everything a person could expect it to look like documents, graphs, flasks, etc. She also gave an explanation on her current project with genes and her experiences in getting into the field. This source will be used as one of the many profiles created on the website. There will be a page for Monica individually explaining her occupation, answers to interview questions and gallery of pictures of workspace. 

Kelly, Darien. “Being a Musician.” Personal interview. 04 Feb. 2016 
    Darien Kelly. a freelance musician in central Philadelphia, takes music seriously. He takes on jobs from performances at local communities to performing with the Philadelphia orchestra. He composes his own music as well and is fluent in a variety of instruments ranging from the trumpet to tuba. He showcased his pieces with a sense of accomplishment. His most rewarding moment in his career as a musician thus far was when he traveled to Memphis and taught a group of kids. One of those kids wrote to him in an email months or years later expressing his/her gratitude and that they would be the first to attend college in their family and they wanted to pursue a degree in music education. This source will be used in creating Darien’s profile for the project. 

PALMER, GEORGE HERBERT. 1914. “WHAT IS A PROFESSION?”. The Journal of Education 80 (20 (2006)). Trustees of Boston University: 537–39.http://www.jstor.org/stable/42798386.
    George Palmer, a member of the Trustees of Boston University, talks about professions and the best way for them to thrive. For instance, he talks about teachers and how their salaries are not cut out for their living expenses. With the anxiety of not being able to pay bills, the teacher brings that into the classroom, thus minimizing his or her potential in teaching. He explains that in order for one to maximize their potential to the fullest, they have to be free of stress and negative energy. He tells how it’s hard to go out and do what you want to do in life due to the unstableness of it all. This source will be used as ground knowledge to enhance the website. 

MACDOWELL, LAUREL SEFTON. 2001. Renegade Lawyer: The Life of J.L. Cohen. University of Toronto Press.http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3138/9781442679214.
    Laurel Sefton Macdowell, the author of Renegade Lawyer: The Life of J.L. Cohen, talks about the life of an average lawyer back in the 1900s. Laurel gives insight of the workings, day to day life, troubles and upsides of the lawyer profession through the eyes of J.L. Cohen. Though not all lawyers have had the same experience as Mr. Cohen, the workload and procedures are no different. This source will be used to fill the space for the lawyer section since getting an interview with a lawyer could not be scheduled. This is not the only source being contributed to the section.  

McDonald, Steve, Nan Lin, and Dan Ao. 2009. “Networks of Opportunity: Gender, Race, and Job Leads”. Social Problems 56 (3). [Oxford University Press, Society for the Study of Social Problems]: 385–402. doi:10.1525/sp.2009.56.3.385.
    Steve McDonald, an editor for the Oxford University Press, Society for the Study of Social Problems, talks about a multitude of factors that affects your job and how you got there. He analyzes deeply into gender roles and race to grasp the essence of getting ahead in the field. McDonald reveals that white males have a significant lead in jobs as opposed to white women or even other minorities. It really makes one think about how this came to be.This source will be used in the closing statements of the website when addressing the issue of individuals being barred from their professions due to social problems such as this. 

MERCHANT, CAROLYN. 1918. “THE LURE OF OTHER PROFESSIONS”. The Journal of Education 87 (22 (2182)). Trustees of Boston University: 594–95. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42826961.
    Carolyn Merchant, a member of the Trustees of Boston University, talks similarly about occupations that are stuck in time and are underpaid, just like George Palmer. Carolyn mentions that people such as merchants and middlemen live soundly because financially, they are better off than a teacher, butcher, or candlemaker. As people in these professions struggle to make ends meet, it makes the professions that have no problem meeting their bills that much more enticing. She tackles the idea that professions that help build nations are paid less than those who put bricks together. This source will be used to summarize the rise and fall (financially) of certain jobs. 

Ross, Edward Alsworth. 1916. “The Making of the Professions”. International Journal of Ethics 27 (1). University of Chicago Press: 67–81. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2376957.
    Edward Ross, an editor at the University of Chicago Press, published a journal about “The Making of the Professions” where he explained exactly where these occupations stemmed from. He talks about the pathology, mentorship, and all of the inner workings of jobs in general. He even goes into the social aspects of jobs and how it can affect someone mentally and the world around them. This is a great source in building up the “base” to the capstone. It helps lay the foundation for the interviews to follow. With this text, it makes it easier to understand how others get into the professions they do along with the experiences and passion. 

Terkel, Studs. “Working” (1974)
    Steve Terkel takes career exploration to another level. He went out around the nation and interviewed people with different professions ranging from farmers to people in corporate America. Steve Terkel is certainly a jack-of-all-trades with this book. His interviews are very thorough and provide great insight to the lives of these people. The dialogue and writing has a sense of “rawness” to it as if the reader was right there. This source is great because this is what the project essentially is just in a different form. This will serve as the mentor text for future interviews to enhance the final product. 

David Leonard Capstone

Posted by David Leonard in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

For my capstone I decided on making a 2D platforming game. The reason I chose to do this is I like to play a lot of video games so I decided to try and make one. I first looked for free tools for making a game for beginners where I found a web-based one called sploder which is what I decided on using. I then made levels for my game based on the gaming videos I watch by using ideas from the games being played and trying to input them into my game. I also had someone test out some of the game to get feedback on it and then made edits to the levels based on it. What I learned from this is if you plan making a complex game then you should not use any of the free tools since you are extremely limited in what you can do.
Bibliography:


Dooley, Jeremy, Matt Bragg, and Trevor Collins. "Speedrunners Gameplay - The Stream Team (Twitch Highlights)." YouTube. YouTube, 16 Aug. 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4w2QRLenOg>. This video shows gameplay of a 2D game where the objective is to run an obstacle course and to eliminate the other players by making them fall behind and go off the screen using different types of tools and weapons. I chose this because one of the tools you have is a grappling hook to traverse different areas so I decided to have something similar in my game. I think this source is reliable since it shows enough of the gameplay to get a good understanding of what you need to do and how it works.


Heyman, Joel, and Adam Ellis. "How To: Happy Wheels." YouTube. YouTube, 31 Jan. 2016. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkHwvddJpcM>. This video shows gameplay of a 2D game where you play user created levels and have the option to create your own. I chose this because the website I am using to create my game looks like it has similar mechanics as this one but the ones I’m using seem to be a little downgraded but it still gave me some ideas.


Jones, Michael. "Rage Quit - Cat Mario." YouTube. YouTube, 30 May 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BksFy5qbwwM&list=PLTur7oukosPGhIYDLakN7OXX1Wba5pMbG&index=73>. This video shows gameplay of a remade mario game with the same objective as normal mario except anything can happen like an invisible block appearing and random enemies coming out of nowhere and killing you. I chose this because I was going to have similar things happen in the game I am making but I couldn’t have the things do most of these so I am having my game do things that are close to the same ridiculousness.


Jones, Michael. "Rage Quit - Mega Man 10." YouTube. YouTube, 28 June 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhdAqD890Og&list=PLTur7oukosPGhIYDLakN7OXX1Wba5pMbG&index=121>. This video shows gameplay of a classic 2D platformer shooter where you have to defeat enemies and get through the level to get to the boss and defeat him. I chose this because there is a power up in the game where you give the character a gun so I am going to make a level similar to this.


Jones, Michael. "Rage Quit - The Unfair Platformer." YouTube. YouTube, 20 June 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW8KKU-GXio&index=70&list=PLTur7oukosPGhIYDLakN7OXX1Wba5pMbG>. This video shows gameplay of another platforming game where you have to make it through each level while looking out for hidden things like spikes coming out of the ground or the ground itself disappearing beneath you. I chose this because in the game creator I am using there is a block that breaks when you step on it so I could do something like this or at least similar to it.


Jones, Michael. "Rage Quit - Trials Evolution." YouTube. YouTube, 19 Apr. 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzqtePR5_YE&list=PLTur7oukosPGhIYDLakN7OXX1Wba5pMbG&index=131>. This video shows gameplay of a platform racing game where you need to complete different tracks that each have different types of obstacles that you need to get through. I chose this because it gave an idea to make a driving level in my game where you have to make it through some things in a vehicle.


Jones, Michael. "Rage Quit - VVVVVV." YouTube. YouTube, 15 May 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDFnsHO0QR4&list=PLTur7oukosPGhIYDLakN7OXX1Wba5pMbG&index=26>. This video shows gameplay of a 2D game where your ship malfunctions and you have to travel all around the ship and space to get to them. I chose this because there are parts in the game where you have to traverse through some spikes while falling which gave me some ideas of a level I could add into the game I am making. I think this source is reliable because it shows a good amount of gameplay of the game and


Lee, Joel. "5 Free Game Development Software Tools To Make Your Own Games." MakeUseOf. N.p., 10 Feb. 2010. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. <http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/five-free-game-development-tools-make-your-own-games/>. This article has a list of game developing tools for people to use to create their own games. I selected this article because I needed something to use in order to make my game for my capstone. It had the tools in order from beginners to experts which made choosing one easier since I don’t have any experience with this. I think this is a reliable source because it explains what each of the tools is good with and the difficulty level of each tool.


Roy. "Tutorial #3: Platformer Creator: Making A Game." YouTube. YouTube, 21 June 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnvHqMg9Ew4>. This video is a tutorial of the platform creator and shows an example of a game that can be made using it. This video helped me get an idea of what you can do with this game creator and gave me some interesting ideas for a level I could make with this game creator. I think this is a reliable source since it seems like that this person has created multiple videos on this game creator and has a lot of experience with it.


Ryckert, Dan. "More Addictive Than Ever." Rev. of Trials Evolution. Game Informer 18 Apr. 2012: n. pag. Game Informer. Web. 4 Feb. 2016. <http://www.gameinformer.com/games/trials_evolution/b/xbox360/archive/2012/04/18/review.aspx>. This article is a review on a platform racing game. This article tells about the previous game in the series and explains how this one is an improvement to it with the additions and new game mechanics. I chose this because this article shows what made this game an improvement from the previous one which I plan on having something similar.


Greta Haskell Capstone

Posted by Greta Haskell in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

For my capstone I wrote a blog about gap years. The blog is ongoing so it will never be “finished” but I am happy with how it stands. In the beginning of the year I was going to build my portfolio by styling people and taking their pictures, because I want to be a fashion merchandising major. But my whole year was revolving around my gap year so I decided to change my plan. My gap year and gap years in general, are something I am super passionate about, so I decided to write a gap year to track my progress. I interviewed people about their gap years and wrote posts with my tips and my stories. My plans are to keep updating it while I am away so that people from home can read about it. I am also going to send my link to Mrs. Hirschfield so she can post it on the college news blog. 

Here is my blog.

My bibliography now has nothing to do with my capstone, but here it is:

1. Bolton, Andrew. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011. Print.

This book is my main source of creativity for my project. As I explained to my advisors in my Teach your Passion project, Alexander McQueen is my favorite fashion designer and he was the biggest influence on me wanting to have a career in the fashion world. The book has pictures and written pieces about McQueen that I am going to reference in the backstory of my capstone. I selected this source because of the importance it plays in my life and how it has shaped my thinking of my future. It is a reliable source being a book published by the MET. I also attended the exhibit where I bought the book after McQueen died which really influenced me. 

2. Borecka, Natalia. "25 Photoshoot Ideas to Inspire Your Next Editorial." Lone Wolf. N.p., 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.

I chose this source because it will serve as inspiration. It gives me a short description about a photographer and their style of photography and by knowing that I can look at their photos and decide how I want mine to look. After deciding that I can learn how to take photos like theirs. It also describes different types of of interesting ways to take photos. There are lots of ideas for me to consider, this source is a good beginning point for my project and my creative aspect. 

3. Digital-Photography.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.

This source is good because it has a lot of articles for me to learn about how to use the flash on the camera. It also has camera reviews and examples of how photos will look when using different flash. This source will be good for reference if I can not get help from Mr. Herman. I will most likely have to take photos alone or teach my helpers how to do what they need to help me with. This will be good because I will need to be an expert about how to use the camera and all the equipment when I take the pictures. 

4. Gelardi, Piera, and Christene Barberich. Refinery29: Style Stalking. N.p.: Potter Style, 2014. Print.

This book is also super useful for my project because it includes hundreds of styling tips. This will be really helpful because even though I can style people I want to show my knowledge of fashion, silhouettes, accessories, etc. This book will give me tips on how to style people with pieces or combinations that I wouldn’t think of without a little inspiration. It tells you how to mix patterns, wear clothes you wouldn’t pick on your first instinct and lots of other interesting points. When I received the book as a gift I was excited to read it and pick up some tips. This will be a very useful and reputable source for my project. 

5. Herman, Douglas. "Mentor Meeting." Personal interview. 01 Feb. 2016.

Mr. Herman is my mentor and will be the backbone to my project. I have never taken photography class, only digital video so he is giving me the basics of the class during my free periods. He is also going to help me learn about photoshop so that I can edit my pictures. He is extremely knowledgeable and i know i can ask him a question whenever I need to. Another great thing he did for me was add me into the photography course on canvas so that if there is ever a time where I can’t reach him I can look at the sources on there and use them to help me. 

6. Horan, Betsy. "Indelible Images From a Fashion Photography Icon." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Feb. 2016. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.

This source takes a deep look at one specific photographer and his style of taking photos. This is good for me because he has shot many different styles, not just fashion. Seeing these photos is good because I can learn a brief overview of the photographer and also see his style and use it as inspiration. There are a lot of different perspectives for me to look at which will hopefully give me some diversity in my photographs. I especially like the photo of the Rolling Stones, I like the lighting and the way that every member of the band can be seen but they are all different distances away so it gives the photo very good depth. 

7. "How to Become a Fashion Photographer | FASHION NET." Fashionnet. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.

This is a very professional source with a lot of tips and information to have good fashion photography. There are a few paragraphs about each topic, not all topics are relevant to me but the one that is most relevant to me is “Having a Portfolio”, as this is basically my capstone. This source is also helpful because they listed their sources at the bottom of the article, so I used a few of their sources to find helpful ones to me. This source has good info about how my portfolio should look, such as sizes of images and preferred lighting. 

8. Mowery, Allen. "How To Get the 'Terry Richardson Look' and Shoot Like a Fashion Pro with Minimal Gear." DIY Photography. N.p., 18 Aug. 2015. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.

I chose this source because Terry Richardson is one of the most famous and influential fashion photographers in the fashion industry. The way he photographs is very different and I like how his photographs look. It will probably be hard for me to achieve this look because I am not that experienced as a photographer but with a combination of Mr. Herman’s help and this source’s tips I can at least try. His look is very bright and sharp and kind of crazy. I would have to work out if my styling would look good with this style of photography. It also tells me the gear to use and how to achieve the look with not too many props or gear.

9. "PhotoForum on the Internet." School of Photographic Arts and Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. <https://people.rit.edu/andpph/pf-faq.html>.

This source is amazing because it has a huge list of any photography topic you can think of. I am planning on using this source to help answer any questions I have if I don’t have Mr. Herman’s help. There are pdfs and links to hundreds of tutorials and tips of how to use cameras and photoshop. The thing I will need the most help with is the flash and how to use a flash and reflectors that are not attached to the camera. I will be able to find a lot of help with that on this website. This was a website that was linked off of Fashionnet. 

10. School of Photography. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.

This source is a good source for any questions I have. It is a free source with tutorials, tips and and links for me to use. I can search any topic and find some useful articles about it. On the homepage there are links that I can click on to lead me to a number of helpful and informational articles. There are also videos about how to use equipment. I think this source will be extremely helpful because of the amount of information on the site. It is called school of photography, so it should help teach me what I need to know. 

Gina Sorgentoni Capstone

Posted by Gina Sorgentoni in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

​Students today have extremely high stress levels, especially at SLA. During benchmark season, there isn’t a relaxed student in the building. That is what inspired my capstone, I wanted to find a way to help lower student and staff stress levels. After doing some research I discovered that many universities and colleges bring dogs on campus during finals to help lower their student’s stress levels. I started by doing research on studies that showed owning pets help lower stress levels. I decided to bring cats and dogs to the building and have the SLA community become engulfed in the joy that is kittens and puppies, with the hope that it will bring stress-levels down. I reached out to Morris Animal Refuge and together we organized the Pet de-stress day; for one afternoon we had one dog, four kittens, two guinea pigs, and one rabbit. Students and staff were able to interact with the animals, the best part being that most of the animals were adoptable. Not only were students able to relax, but the interaction with people was therapeutic to the animals. The event was a huge success, and it was easy to see that students went into the event stressed and came out relaxed and happy. It was great being able to see the reaction the students had and hearing their feedback on the event.

The video below shows highlights from my capstone.

Aleccia, Jonel. "Teens More Stressed-Out Than Adults, Survey Shows - NBC News." NBC News. NBC News, 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <http://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/teens-more-stressed-out-adults-survey-shows-n26921>. This source shows that students are just as stressed if not more so than than the adults around them. The article also stresses the importance of breaking the cycle of stress for students, stressing the importance of students receiving better support in their school and home environments. The article also talks about the idea that social media bring students more stress, since that follows students around everywhere relentlessly. Many students also have the stress of performing well in their classes and extracurriculars, the combination of all the pressure put on students leads to depression and anxiety. A large issue with this is that student are not taught how to properly manage and control their stress levels.


Benedictus, Leo. "Sick Cities: Why Urban Living Can Be Bad for Your Mental Health." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 25 Feb. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/feb/25/city-stress-mental-health-rural-kind>. This source compares stress levels between people who live in the city and those who live in the country. A group of people were put into stressful situations -solving difficult math problems, rude instructors- and their brains were scanned for their levels of stress. The two sections of the brain that deal with stress were shown in the scan. Compared to country dwellers people living in the city had considerably higher stress levels. Even compared to those living in a small town, city dwellers had the highest level of stress by far. I wanted to use this source to highlight how utterly stress people living in the city are, even if we do not realize it.


Borchard, Therese J. "6 Ways Pets Relieve Depression." World of Psychology. Psych Central, 19 May 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/19/6-ways-pets-relieve-depression/>. This source gives the detailed run down about how dogs and cats help with depression. Though it only gives six reasons, they are all valid. The source gives reasons as to why owning a pet is a positive thing. It highlights what I want people to know about having a pet, and brings in a lot of the physiological reasons that have been left out in previous articles. It gives the physiological benefits of each category. Things like unconditional love and acceptance and giving the owner responsibility all have positive impacts. I feel that if more people knew how beneficial it is to own a pet, there would be fewer animals in shelters and more in loving homes.


Falcone, Alissa. "Drexel Becomes First University to Host a Permanent Therapy Dog in a Recreation Center." Drexel Edu. Drexel, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 5 Feb. 2016. <http://drexel.edu/now/archive/2014/September/Drexel-Therapy-Dog/>.I chose this source because it shows the direct benefits of a therapy dog with students. Even though my event will be held outside of Science Leadership Academy, students will have access to the event. Also, since it will be held in a public place there will be a more diverse group of people than just students. The article talks about the long term plans they have for the dog and how students will be able to access him. Though this source does not talk directly about the benefits of having a therapy pet on campus, it shows how more schools are moving forward with the idea of using pets to lower stress.



Jayson, Sharon. "Teens Feeling Stressed, and Many Not Managing It Well."USA Today. Gannett, 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/11/stress-teens-psychological/5266739/>. This article goes into teen stress statistics. The source goes in depth of people being extremely stress at a young age and how it carries over into adulthood. The article states that teens with high levels of stress are more likely to have a shorter lifespan. It goes into the reality of what it is like being a teenager trying to balance everything. I wanted to have this article as a source to show the reality of teenage stress and how negatively it impacts us. It shows how stress is directly linked to depression and anxiety among teens. It highlight the fact that teenagers under severe stress now are more likely to have severe illnesses later in life.


Kahler, Susan C. " Unmasking the Shelter Dog." Unmasking the Shelter Dog. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association, 18 Mar. 2015. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/150401a.aspx>. This source talks about the stigmatism surrounded by shelter animals. A large part of the article is spent dispelling various myths about shelter animals. Animal behaviorists are working to dispel the remaining myths about shelter animals. Studies are being done on animal aggression and food guarding. I wanted to use this article in my sources to show that there is a stigmatism of aggression in shelter animals. Since that myth is a reason many shelter animals are left unadopted. The article also shows that the new owner’s interacts with their pet has an impact on the animal’s behavior. The article also talks about euthanasia versus putting an animal in a shelter.



"NYU Study Examines Top High School Students' Stress and Coping Mechanisms." NYU Study Examines Top High School Students' Stress and Coping Mechanisms. New York University, 11 Aug. 2015. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2015/08/11/nyu-study-examines-top-high-school-students-stress-and-coping-mechanisms.html>. NYU research on student stress. Similar to the other two sources written about stress, I chose this source because it seems the most reliable. Like the other articles, this source discusses student stress and coping mechanisms . This source also compares stress levels between males and females. A lot of this stress comes from wanting a tangible reward and the pressure put on student from their parents to receive those rewards. The article states that a good education is not tangible, but a degree from Harvard or Yale is, so teens are feeling pressure to receive the tangible awards. This source also talks about teens often go to substance use to relieve stress.


Pancake, Soul. "Kitten Therapy: The Prescription for Stress." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35T8wtmTbVg>.

This first source was my initial inspiration for the project. Though I know my project will not look exactly like this, it is the general outline of what I want it to look like. Originally I just wanted to have an adoption even to get animals adopted, but through this video I decided to try and gauge other’s stress levels. This gave my capstone the goal to try and help lower stress levels of others. Because of this video I will now gage with the participants asking them about their stress levels before and after the event. Perhaps, if there is a nice turn out, I will film it and make a small video.


Rovner, Julie. "Pet Therapy: How Animals And Humans Heal Each Other."NPR. NPR, 5 Feb. 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/03/09/146583986/pet-therapy-how-animals-and-humans-heal-each-other>. The article shows that there is a mutual benefit between humans and their pets. Not only would the even help people in the short term, but it may also get some people to adopt. That would help both parties in the long term. It helps us distress, and lower our blood pressure, and it puts animals in a more social situation. Playing with pets has the health benefits of exercise for both parties. With this event I would like to highlight the mutual benefits of having a pet, and adopting. I selected this source because of how well it highlights the benefits shared between people and pets.


Weaver, Jane. "Puppy Love- It's Better than You Think." Msnbc.com. NBC, 08 Apr. 2004. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4625213/ns/health-pet_health/t/puppy-love----its-better-you-think/>. This article goes into depth about dogs help with our mental health. It goes into specifics highlighting the fact that saying your own dog will lower your blood pressure. The benefits are seen clearly in owning a dog versus an unfamiliar dog or even a robotic dog. It shows that after about a half an hour both your and the animal’s blood pressure will drop considerably. The writer of the article compares it to the benefits of eating chocolate. It is also noted that this behavior is wired into how humans work, it is not something we learn over time. Exposing children to pets at a young age also helps lower their chances of having allergies and asthma.


Noah Caruso Safe-Self

Posted by Noah Caruso in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

​Check out out our website here!

For our capstone, Pilar and I wanted to do something that could potentially impact and save people's lives. We decided to do a self defense course directed towards women because the harassment of women is a major issue in society today. Our goal was to make women feel safer in a city environment where they consistently feel violated and in danger. 
The capstone process was a long, arduous one. At first, Pilar and I wanted to teach a self defense class every week after school. When faced with the sad truth that no one would attend, we settled on a website because we wanted our help to reach as far as it possibly could. While Pilar focused on mainly on self-awareness and precautions to take before desperate measures need to be taken, I recorded videos of self-defense I learned throughout my thirteen years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The product is something I’m proud of, but also something I feel could’ve looked better had we started with it from the jump. 
I learned a lot through our capstone about the constant harassment women face. It helped put into perspective why what I was doing mattered when, before the project started, I felt very disconnected. I hope this project helps both women and men alike learn about the effects and dangers harassment brings, and how they can help put a stop to it.


You can find my sources here.


Kara Rosenberg's Capstone

Posted by Kara Rosenberg in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

​ Over the course of my four years in high school, I have been diagnosed with anxiety, watched it grow, and learned how to overcome it. Anxiety is a part of my everyday life. At first, I felt alone, but then I realized how many other people suffer from the same problems I do. I decided to create a capstone that reflects how many people have anxiety, and how different anxiety can look from person to person. The goal of my capstone was to not only show people these differences, but to also simply spread awareness of how common anxiety is and can be. 
I created a blog where I, for the first time, publicly told my story with anxiety. Not only did I post my story for the world to see, but I regularly posted my daily feelings of anxiousness. This aspect of my project helped me deal with my anxiety in a way I wasn't used to. I also interviewed people who wanted to share their stories with anxiety. I conducted 5 filmed interviews of my SLA peers, and many written interviews of people of all kinds. With the filmed interviews, I created a montage film of all of the interviews combined. This video clearly displays how different anxiety can be.
My goal is to continue the blog after graduation. I also hope to create a submission space for visitors to post their stories on my blog. I started the blog in March, after my original capstone of a pet adoption event fell through, which is why the blog posts don't start until then. 


Bibliography:
I completed a bibliography for my old capstone, which is what I received my original grade for:

1. "Buying vs. Adopting." Pet Adoption: Why Adopting Is More Humane than Buying. American Humane Association. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. 
This article discusses the difference between buying and adopting an animal. It explores the benefits of both, but goes into depth on how to go about buying an animal from a responsible breeder. This source is mostly informative, however it is a little biased towards adopting animals rather than buying. This source also defines what a responsible breeder is, and how to tell the difference between responsible and responsponsible breeders. This source will help me most when making flyers about breeders. I don’t want to make it seem like all breeders are bad, so this will help me inform people on how to responsibly buy an animal if they choose to do so. 

2. Stilwell, Victoria. "Shelter vs Breeder." Positively. Victoria Stilwell. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. 
Victoria Stilwell is a world renowned dog trainer. This source is her blog, Positively, where she tells you everything you need to know about owning a dog. This article explores the pros and cons of both adopting an animal and buying an animal from a breeder. Some of the benefits she lists of adopting a pet is that you will save an animal’s life, most animals already have their vetting, and most of them are already potty trained. However, some of the challenges she lists are that some of the animals have had traumatic pasts, so it’s unclear how they will act in your home, and also that the animals may be mutts, so you won’t know their breed. It is a truly unbiased view from a very credential professional. This source will be beneficial to my project. I will mostly be using this for background information for my flyers. 

3. Best Friends. How to Conduct Successful Adoption Events. Kanab: Best Friends. Print. 
This manual is arguably the most valuable source to my capstone. It is an extremely extensive manual that walks you through every step to running a successful adoption event. Best Friends, who published the manual, is an organization dedicated to saving the lives of homeless animals, and now all animals. They started off with opening animal sanctuaries around the nation, and now they have multiple spay/neuter clinics as well. This manual first lists steps that you need to take to organize an event, then it also gives resources such as a timeline as to how to plan and conduct the event, as well. It is clear how I will use this source, as I will use it as my guide to completing this project as a whole. 
 
4. "Success Stories." Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society PAWS. Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society PAWS. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.
This is a page dedicated to animal success stories from PAWS, the shelter I am partnering with for my capstone. There are many different stories about different animals’ lives- how they got to the shelter to where they are now. I’m planning on using success stories as advertisements for my adoption event, and also for the pro-adoption campaign part of my project. However, I don’t know if I’m going to use the stories on this episode or if I’m going to use actual people that I know. If I can’t find anyone in real life, I’ll probably use these stories. I also have an idea to use these stories for flyers and maybe take videos of interviews of people I know since those might be more in depth. 

5. "Ten Reasons to Adopt a Pet." The Humane Society of the United States. The Humane Society of the United States, 9 July 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. 
The Humane Society is definitely on the side of adopting rather than buying animals. This source is an article published by the Humane Society, listing ten reasons why everyone should adopt a pet. The reasons range from that you’ll save a life to because you’ll get to brag to your friends. One reason that really stood out to me was that by adopting an animal from a shelter, you’re ultimately fighting against puppy mills. Puppy mills are factories for breeding puppies, and  put profit over the dogs’ lives. After every reason, there is a description supporting it. This source is also important for background information to use for my posters and advertisements. 

6. Brandow, Michael. A Matter of Breeding: A Biting History of Pedigree Dogs and How the Quest for Status Has Harmed Man's Best Friend. Boston: Beacon, 2015. Print. 
Michael Brandow’s A Matter of Breeding is crucial to my project. This book is about how purebred dogs are always on demand, however it’s not because people want to honor a tradition, but because purebreds are a status symbol for success. The book goes in depth on the history of dog breeding, and how our focuses have shifted from the well being of the animal to our own appearance. These poorly thought of animals are paying the price with bad health, while the owners show them off like trophies. This book is great for turning people off of breeding. I think that this will be a great aspect to my project, whether I use it in posters, advertisements, or an introduction on my website. 

7. Walkowicz, Chris, and Bonnie Wilcox. Successful Dog Breeding: The Complete Handbook of Canine Midwifery. New York: Howell Book House, 1994. Print. 
Bonnie and Chris’s Successful Dog Breeding is a guide to breeding. Both of the authors are long time dog breeders, citing their personal experiences throughout the chapters. The book is aimed towards any person who is interested in dog breeding, whether it’s your first time or you’re a long time dog fancier. The book is made up of personal experiences from the authors and other breeders, and also from research from veterinary journals. This book is a good source for my project as it argues the other side, that breeding is worth-while and a great option. It also gives a lot of information to inform me on how breeding actually works. 

8. Garecht, Joe. "How to Build Your Prospect List." The Fundraising Authority. The Fundraising Authority. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. 
The Fundraising Authority is an organization on fundraising. Their website is very informative, explaining the steps to take if you need to fundraise for an event. This specific article explains how to build your prospect list. A prospect list maps out the people who will be donating to your cause. One of the points they give is that the closer your relationship is to a person, the more likely they are to donate. However, they also say that you shouldn’t limit your donors to those who you know, because there are many people in the world who probably want to donate to your cause that you simply don’t know about. This source is crucial to my project, as the main part of my capstone is an event that I will most likely need money to run. This will help me fundraise for my event and know the right people to ask for donations. 

9. "City of Philadelphia: FAQ." Managing Director's Office. The City of Philadelphia. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.
This source is the frequently asked questions page of the managing director’s office of Philadelphia. The questions specifically relate to special events. Most of the questions have to do with permits, and what permits you need to receive to host a public event. One part of this website that is very important to my project lists what open spaces you can rent out for an event. This is important because while I don’t know where I am having my adoption event yet, it may be outside, so I will be needing to get a permit and file a lot of paperwork to conduct it. This FAQ lists all of the questions I could possibly have when thinking of conducting the event outside, so it is very important for the planning aspect of my capstone. 

10. Rubenstein, Eliza, and Shari Kalina. The Adoption Option: Choosing and Raising the Shelter Dog for You. New York: Howell Book House, 1996. Print. 
Eliza and Shari’s book, The Adoption Option, explains the animal adoption process. It informs readers on how to go about choosing the right dog for their family by first determining what type of dog is best for you, and also how to find a good shelter to adopt from. The Adoption Option also gives very helpful information to how to raise your dog once you bring it home, and what to expect when it is transitioning from a life on the inside to the outside. This book is another good resource for my project explaining the adoption process. This can help me when I am actually at the adoption event and people don’t know what animal is best for them.

However, I did use this source for my current capstone:
"Understanding the Facts." Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Web. 19 May 2016.
This article published by the ADAA, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, explains what anxiety is. The article starts with a definition of anxiety, then some facts as well. What I find most interesting about this article is the chart that explains the differences between everyday anxiety and anxiety disorders. This chart in specific is very helpful for my capstone because it shows how the word “anxiety” can mean different things. Some people have an anxiety disorder, and others just have everyday anxiety, but they all are feeling some form of anxiety. This is a good foundation article for me to use for simple definitions of anxiety, especially for my blog.

Lindsey Jones Capstone

Posted by Lindsey Jones in Capstone - Pahomov - Wed on

The idea for my capstone derived from my pure and honest passion for storytelling. Having no prior experience in the writing world, I wanted to get my feet wet and gain some experience in a field not many trek. Along with wanting to storytell, I wanted to tell a different type of story. In a market where black characters aren’t common, or non-white characters are practically non-existent, I wanted to plant a seed in it. I wanted to show people that black characters can flourish in genres besides urban fiction. In the very beginning, the process of brainstorming and finding a solid narrative was initially the most pressing quest. The first thing I knew I needed to do was just write it. Everything after that was definitely a learning experience. I learned that a complete, solid, and physical book cannot be completely in a mere 6 months. I also learned that I wanted to take my writing in a different direction, since one of my main goals of this project was to attract an audience, something I had no idea how to in the beginning. In a nick of time, I created a wattpad profile where millions of people could possibly take a peek at my work. Aside from the things I learned in the process, overall, I walked away from this project with a solid understanding of the type of material I want the world to see. I want to influence and inspire people with my words, and this is just the beginning of it all.


Here is a digital excerpt from the first chapter of my book:
​

Bibliography


  1. Bureman, Liz. "The 7 Basic Plots: Tragedy - The Write Practice." The Write Practice RSS. The Write Practice, 04 June 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. <http://thewritepractice.com/basic-tragedy/>. I was looking for something to help me with the tragedy part of my novella and this was exactly what I was looking for. It is a website that has basically deconstructed what exactly makes a tragedy a tragedy. It tells about how a tragic story will have a main character that has a serious and intense thirst for something (be it money, power, beauty, youth, anything) and once they achieve that object, life seemingly gets to get better until the walls cave in all around them. There are many classic tragic stories such as Hamlet and Macbeth, and of course, Romeo and Juliet. The website also introduces an option of writing a prompt for the one of the "Dream stages" it describes. I also realized that not all tragic protagonists are anti-heroes. They can be a good person throughout the story and suffer a terrible fate just like bad.

  2. "Character Virtues and Vices." W R I T E W O R L D. Tumblr.com, 2014. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. <http://writeworld.org/charactervandv>. In the process of character creating, I knew I wanted to create well-rounded, three dimensional people that would be seen as real. I focused on the vice and virtues this time. Since no one is completely good or bad, I learned how to evenly give life to my characters through these. Overall, one of the main characters in my book are mostly quiet and to themselves. However, this character wouldn't be completely the same throughout the story. I'd want other traits to come out so readers can decide if they want to root for them or not. So in this website, I found those vices and virtues that I could use freely. I picked five of each and then added detail to each; how they made my character act, how they affected their life, and how these vices and virtues would possibly change them by the end of the book.

  3. "How to Create a Character Profile." Writers Write. The Lazy Scholar, 1998. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. <http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jun98/how-to-create-a-character-profile-6986>. I used this website in order to organize and flesh out my characters individually. It's very long, very text heavy, and it really made me think about how I have free will to make the characters any way I want. I actually spent several days filling this out for each character, as it really makes me think about what I am writing and if the character I've thought of really needs to be in the story or not. But after using this this so much, I was able to mold it into something that I would actually use. I didn't want to take up a ton of time trying to fill out each line so I erased some of the questions and only kept the ones I felt needed to be answered. It saved time, helped me vision my characters better and ultimately made it way easier to mold them to the my story.

  4. Grace. "Examples of Themes. Choosing a Creative Writing Theme."Practicecreativewriting. N.p., 2014. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. <http://www.practicalcreativewriting.com/what-is-a-theme/examples-of-themes/>. This website is focused on explaining the theme within a story (narrative/ novel). At first, I thought that stories only had one theme, but after reading through this website and thinking of the other pieces of literature I've read, I've realized that stories can have more than one theme. The function of the website how choosing a theme should be personal to you. That I should care about it so that when I write, I won't get bored or feel like I'm forcing something. The site also gives a list of different themes and some short descriptions of it. I think this is very useful to me since I find that in my writing, theme might not be so prevalent or easy to find. This site will really come in handing when forming my story. I think I should start with this first. It is simple and easy to use.

  5. "Macbeth Summary." Absolute Shakespeare. AbsoluteShakespeare, 2005. Web. 2016. <http://www.absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/summaries/macbeth/macbeth_summary.htm>. I wanted to look more in different tragedies. Therefore, I revisited Macbeth, another tragedy by Shakespeare. As I read the summary, I saw that Macbeth died at the result of his own selfish actions. He killed many, feigned for power, and ultimately died a death some would say was "just his medicine". I also read further into the site and learned about the different themes and symbols throughout. Even though I already knew most of the things mentioned, I payed attention to how each theme was transpired throughout the story. I think this website is useful in trying to see how different stories with essentially the same themes parallel one another. Even though Macbeth was a majority violent and bloody play, the way each part of the plot connects is what motivates me. I want to do the same as well. After looking through Macbeth, I went on a search for Hamlet.

  6. "Romeo and Juliet Summary." Absolute Shakespeare. Absoluteshakespeare, 2005. Web. 2016. <http://www.absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/romeo_and_juliet/summary/romeo_and_juliet_summary.htm>. I stopped by this website in order to get a look at the most classic tragical romance, Romeo and Juliet. I was specifically looking to explore the different themes within the story. I wanted to find out what made it so popular, despite the ridiculousness of both of the main characters. What drove them to ignore their family members despite constant pleas? I was also able to look at the different symbols that are consistent throughout the story, such as poison. What I realized from this explanation was that even the smallest details can change a rather simple story. I also was able to see what exactly the story of Romeo and Juliet was. A narrative of ridiculousness and misinterpretations. Even though the movies dramatize the story, the reality of the situation is that the Montagues and Capulets are fighting over a silly feud that could have been resolved ages ago.

  7. "Stephen J Cannell Lecture Part IV: What Is Three Act Structure? -- *Writers Write*." Stephen J Cannell Lecture Part IV: What Is Three Act Structure? -- *Writers Write*. Writers Write Inc, 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. <http://www.writerswrite.com/screenwriting/lecture4.htm>. This website became especially useful when looking to create structure within my story. It is called the Three Act Structure. Every story and movie is made up of the "Three Act Structure", as there is a beginning, middle and end. Each aspect of the structure tells a different part the story so that everything will make sense. You'd never introduce the main characters in the middle, but in the beginning, which is what the first act is about. In the first act, main characters and conflict are introduced. The middle is where everything gets crazy and the characters are put to the test to see the conflict until the end. The third act is the solution to the conflict and where everything wraps up. This site was especially useful to me because my story definitely needed more structure. I also liked that the article gave actual examples on what to do.

  8. Victor, William. "What Is Plot - How to Build a Story from Beginning to End." Creative Writing Now. William Victor, S.L, 2009. Web. 2015. <http://www.creative-writing-now.com/what-is-plot.html>. This website is pretty similar to the others I've read about plot. However, it is written differently and isn't as simple. It's sort of messy but after reading through, it becomes easier to decipher. The website also gives information the different types of conflicts with a plot. Such as man vs man, man vs nature, man vs self, man vs other. I also learned that all stories would be boring if there was no conflict. People like to read about drama, its interesting. If everyone had a happily ever after, then books wouldn't be popular and literature itself would be lame. That is also a reason that Shakespeares stories are so referenced and beloved. They aren't typical romance stories where everyone lives greatly in the end, it usually ends in blood, leaving the reader in confusion and despair because events occurred that they did not prepare for nor expected in the end.

  9. "The Writer's Toolbox - Ask The Writer - Gotham Writers Workshop." The Writer's Toolbox -Ask The Writer. Gotham Writer's Workshop, 2016. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. <https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/ask-writer/what-is-a-novella-how-is-it-different-than-a-short-story>. Here, I learned the difference between a novella and a novel. A novella is not as expanded in conflict as a novel, and is therefore, shorter. But not as condensed as a short story. It is around 15,000 words but no more than 100,000, which would be crossing over in novel territory. I decided from this that I wanted to write a novella. It's going to be short, to the point, but rich with content that will have the reader asking for me, hopefully. I also want my story to be a novella because it gives room to possibly have a series and keep it moving. I'll be able to have cliff hangers and torture the reader, which motivates me to keep going. But one thing that the article reminds me is to just keep writing and try my best. Hopefully everything will come together in the end peace fully.

  10. "Writing A Novel." The Writing Bureau. WL Yorkshire, 2009. Web. 2016. <http://www.writersbureau.com/writing/planning-a-novel.htm>. This website gives a very simple step by step intro into planning a novel. Even though there aren't a ton of details, it was very useful to me. I think starting from one simple and then adding details later is what will really help when writing my novella. It helped me really ask myself questions about what my story was missing and what it had. I like how it isn't as complicated as most of the websites I've went to when looking for information or plot planning. I've already started writing, but this website will definitely come in handy when editing and making revisions. I figure that if I can answer any of these questions in a complete sentence, then my book will be good and easy to read. Even though this website/ article was designed for novel planning, I can still use it to write my novella. Just I will have to take some stuff out.

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