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Always- Daniel Caesar

Always is a song about an unfinished love story. It talks about waiting for the person you love to come back and reminiscing on the past. In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Offred talks about her past husband Luke. She talks about going back to him, if he’s still alive, and remembering their life before they went their separate ways. In the story, Offred has 3 different beliefs of where Luke could be and then she says, “The message will say that I must have patience: sooner or later he will get me out…”(106). Offred is saying that even after this time has passed Luke will come find her because they still love each other and they will have a life together. This reminded me of a lyric in the song that said, “I‘ll give you time and space, Just know I’m not a phase, I’m always, ways, ways.” Offred knows that Luke is not a phase to her and that she will always love him. Their time and space is forced but they still have an unfinished love story like the story describes.

WILDFLOWER- Billie Eilish

Wildflower paints a picture of being in a relationship with a person that a girl you are close with already had a relationship with. It talks about seeing the other girl and wondering if she felt the same in the relationship before you. I think this applies to Offred with her relationship with the Commander. Offred knows that what she is doing is wrong and against the rules. One of the lyrics in the song says, “Did I cross the line?” and I think this relates to when Offred first went to the meet up with the Commander and kept saying how this is against the rules. In the story it says, “Anyway, she won’t talk to me much anymore. We don’t seem to have much in common, these days.”(158)This is the commander talking about his wife and how things aren’t the same between them anymore. The song starts off with “Things fall apart and time breaks your heart.” This made me think of the Commander because his relationship seems to be falling apart over time and that is why he started having meetings with Offred. Offred thinks about the Commander’s wife before and during these meetings just like the song says. “But I see her in the back of my mind…All the time.”

Lacy- Olivia Rodrigo

Lacy talks about the comparison between women and the jealousy that comes with that. I think this relates to how the Handmaid’s think when they see another pregnant Handmaid. In The Handmaid’s Tale, a pregnant Handmaid came into the store when they were all shopping and Offred said, “She’s a magic presence to us, an object of envy and desire, we covert her.”(26) In Gilead the Handmaid’s job is that they carry the babies so that is what they are working for. When they saw the pregnant Handmaid they got jealous because that is all they want and for some reason they can’t get it. In Lacy Olivia Rodrigo says, “You got the one thing that I want. Ooh, I try, I try, I try.” The Handmaid’s are all jealous of the one who is pregnant because they keep trying over and over again and she has the thing they are all longing for.

What Was I Made For?- Billie Eilish

What was I made for is a song known for talking about feeling stuck in your life and confused in your life. The chorus of the song goes, “Cause I, I I don’t know how to feel. But I wanna try.” Offred doesn’t know how to feel anymore and she doesn’t know how to express it. In the story it says, “I’ve broken, something has cracked, that must be it. Noise is coming up, coming out, of the broken place, in my face.”(146). Offred had her first meeting with the Commander and she is confused with everything that happened and she doesn’t know what to express that. She has been taught that she can’t express herself so she is having all these feelings now that she has to get out so all she can try to do is laugh. But that is not allowed so she thinks she is broken. Also after the first night she said it was a let down and she was confused. In the song it says, “I used to know but I’m not sure now. What I was made for. What was I made for?” Offred and all Handmaid’s are told that they are just used to carry the babies and now that the Commander is actually doing other things with her she is confused and is questioning why and what is using her for. Like her purpose is changing and she doesn’t know why.

Never Grow Up- Taylor Swift

Never grow up talks about two different ways of not wanting to grow up. Not wanting your little kid to grow up and missing your own childhood and wishing you never grew up. Offred always talks about her daughter and how she wishes to have her back. In the story she was trying to protect her by leaving. Also in the field when they were caught. She describes, “I pull her to the ground and roll on top of her to cover her, shield her.”(75). In Never Grow Up,Taylor sings, “I won’t let nobody hurt you.” Offred remembers her daughter when she was little and she reminisces on everything she did with her. She also thinks back to her own childhood and life a lot. She misses the freedom she had and wishes she was still there. The end of the song goes, “Wish I’d never grown up. I wish I’d never grown up.” She grew to a different person and she misses the person she was before and wishes she was still there. Just like in the song she wishes she was still little but in this case when Offred was little she had a better life.

Always- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKFd12id5oQ&list=PLVdTk5qwCaqkfmubuC1k3HT99ms9i1PvO

Wildflower- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l08Zw-RY__Q&list=PLVdTk5qwCaqkfmubuC1k3HT99ms9i1PvO&index=2

Lacy- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IB5EYuz3XM&list=PLVdTk5qwCaqkfmubuC1k3HT99ms9i1PvO&index=3

What I was Made For?- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW8VLC9nnTo&list=PLVdTk5qwCaqkfmubuC1k3HT99ms9i1PvO&index=4

Never Grow Up- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maEVfpxDB8k&list=PLVdTk5qwCaqkfmubuC1k3HT99ms9i1PvO&index=5

Throughout reading The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Maragaret Atwood, I have not been able to shake an immense feeling of discomfort. This new, and belligerent feeling was not based upon the many uncomfortable sex scenes, or any sort of generic ideas that would make a teenager squirm in their chair, snickering to their friends. Instead - I have found the source of immense discomfort to be from each scene—or even sentence—holding a strong similarity to real life. On the surface, when I first began to read this novel I alienated myself from the ideas Atwood brought to the surface of my brain. A world structured around increasing birthrates—without money, even—was shocking to read about. Merely grasping the general trope of the story was a feat in itself. It seemed unidentifiable when compared to the life I have experienced; until after some clos(er) reading, that is. Looking back to the notion of discomfort which stems from the similarity to real life, there are scenes throughout the novel, but more importantly this selection of chapters, which resonate with this idea. Which especially resonate with me, as well. At first, ideas such as a world functioning around birthrates, and an ‘America’ without monetary value seemed impossible. In my experience, that was one of the defining points of the country I lived in. An America which was not driven by capitalism? Impossible. An America which encourages people to have more children through dehumanizing them, creating people such as handmaids? Impossible. Yet—as I had begun reading through chapters twenty-one, to twenty-six, I have only begun to see more and more similarities between Atwood’s novel, and our world. From my experience, the dehumanization of people seen within the novel, I can now see within the ‘villains’ of America: pro-life believers. Although not nearly as intense, after making the distinct yet obvious connection, the story slowly left an imprint on my view of real life. It made me deeply uncomfortable. During a scene where the reader experiences Gilead’s “birthing ritual” there is a striking similarity seen. On page 126, “We hold our breath as Aunt Elizabeth inspect it: a girl, poor thing.” Although as seen throughout the entire story, this reminded me of countries like China, where they banned having over one child, which is what made every family desire a boy. While today’s society seems more liberating than Gilead, there are moments when I feel like we are not that far off from a variation of Gilead. I’ve noticed that while reading through this book how much emotion seems to be narrowed down, and stifled. Through reading chapters 21–26, one quote especially resonated with me. “They get sick a lot, these Wives of the Commanders. It adds interest to their lives.” Seen on the bottom of page 154 this quote profoundly shows this notion. Living such a seemingly pointless, repetitive, and mundane life, the Wives within this story must feel quite numb. Something that I love to think about is the notion that emotions are only felt when they are accelerating, or decelerating. This novel, however, seems to completely stagnate the world, careful to not leave room for emotion to flow, and move people—much like a current while out at sea. Seemingly, the wind has disappeared in this setting.
My classmate, Lyev, had an insight especially about this specific scene. “She emphasizes art. Art is the opposite of boredom, right?” Nearly perfectly connecting to this notion of a numb world - Lyev made a brilliant connection between art, and the absence of feeling. Living a repetitive life, without any reason, numbs people, from my experience as a high school student. If I were to wake up and go to school everyday without a goal of some sort, I am sure that I would feel like a Wife from Gilead. Speaking to the mundanity of the Wives life, page 154 continuously aligns perfectly. “…knitting away at her [the wife] endless Angels scarves.” Angels are presumably babies. Seeing as they are endless, it only speaks more to the pointlessness of their way of life. Making scarves for babies, in a world which lacks a notable amount of them, can be interpreted to support Lyev’s point about art. In a world like Gilead, where creativity, autonomy, and overall freedom are completely thrown out of the window, art becomes not just a form of creative expression, but a need. A need for emotional survival; in order for Wives, Handmaids, or anyone within this treacherous novel to keep their sense of self. In this case, Wives knit not for babies’ needs, but their own. For, it is one of the few freedoms which they have. Lyev’s observation, tailored with this portion of the novel, made me think about how we, in our society, also turn to art, music, etc. to break free from our daily lives. From a teenagers’ perspective, this can be seen from the mountains of the playlist which, frankly, we all have, and listen to more than the sound of our own breathing. Especially social media, as well. Much like Offred’s small acts of rebellion seen which seem to keep her sane, art does the same for us. For me. Ultimately, The Handmaid’s Tale seems less & less of a cautionary tale about a distant, and impossible future, and much more like a twisted, and entirely possible version of our world, and reality. This is what makes the novel so unsettling to read: it is essentially a world which feels far away, yet disgustingly similar. It shows a ‘gray area’ of the world which we all know about, yet refuse to look towards.

In class on Wednesday we discussed Angela’s birth and the labor scene described in Chapter 21. We got to see what a handmaid’s birth is like, and what it consists of. On page 123, the reader is told for the first time what the process of giving birth is like. It involves repetitive chants, a handful of handmaids, and spiked grape juice. It says the handmaids have been prepared for this, “We are all good at this, we’ve had lessons” says Offred who helped Janine while she dealt with her contractions.
After Janine has given birth, the wives help the household’s wife down from the Birthing Stool and take her to lie in bed. Then, the baby is taken from the handmaid and given to the Commander’s Wife. Offred speaks about the process after giving birth and how the handmaid will now never have to be sent to the Colonie, or be labeled as an “Unwoman.” She says it’s the handmaid’s “reward.” This entire section of Chapter 21 resonated with me because I honestly can’t imagine the pain of birthing a child, and it’s not something that’s on my bucket list. Pregnancy isn’t always the safest thing, and there could be a lot of issues. The handmaids were very passionate during the chants and seemed to be working hard to try and help Janine out. “It begins to catch me, it’s hard work…Already I can feel slight pains, in my belly” Offred says, and “By now I’m wrung out, exhausted. My breasts are painful.” The handmaids described being tired, sweaty, and in pain afterward, so I can imagine it was not a pleasant experience. It made me think of all the women who have gone through pregnancy and the ones who have had complications and have either lost their lives or have lost their babies. I think complications during pregnancy are a really big issue and people often undermine it. While reading I became curious about what happens with the babies with complications. My curiosity got the best of me and I ended up accidentally spoiling it for myself. I wanted to find out more about what happened to the babies afterward. That led to me finding out about something called an “Unbaby.” I won’t be going into detail about it because I don’t want to spoil it for the readers. But I did end up spoiling it for myself because the author hasn’t mentioned what happens with the babies born, and I wanted to know. I feel like the section I chose to write about was intriguing and it shed light on the impact of pregnancy and made me think of women’s postpartum care. Despite this, there was also something comforting in this chapter, all the women that gather around Janine to support her. The amount of handmaids involved in this process and what they do, Offred says, “The two women help her off the bed, support her on either side while she paces…One of the girls kneels and rubs her back. We are all good at this we’ve had lessons.” and “We are jubilant, it’s a victory for all of us. We’ve done it.” I think these quotes show how supportive and happy the handmaids were to be there for Janine and help her through her pregnancy. There’s comfort in knowing you have help and that it’s coming from women, and people who know what they’re doing. Nevertheless, this chapter and section stuck out to me and left me asking questions.

For this Lit Log, I created a visual representation of Chapter 6 from The Handmaid’s Tale. More specifically, I drew the scene regarding the wall of Gilead. The main details here are the two handmaids, Offred and Ofglen, along with the wall and its six hanging bodies.

A goal of mine with this drawing was differentiating the two handmaids without trailing too far from what happens in the actual scene. One key moment I took inspiration from was Ofglen’s tremor, along with Offred suggesting that she was crying:

“I feel a tremor in the woman beside me. Is she crying? In what way could it make her look good? I can’t afford to know. [p.33]”

Due to how Ofglen is described here, I gave her dress a more frantic pattern. This is opposed to the smoother and more vibrant dress worn by Offred, who reveals that she feels a mix of blankness and relief to the hanging bodies. Relief in particular, because she knows that none of these men are Luke.

Since the handmaids’ headgear are often referred to as “wings,” I also decided to give them literal wings behind their heads. Ofglen’s wings are sharp and alert, while Offred’s wings are more relaxed.

In case the differences with the dresses and wings were too insignificant, I also drew the handmaids’ faces next to them. Ofglen is almost squinting, soft tears running down her face, and Offred has a blank stare.

The wall is said by Offred to be at least one-hundred years old. Because of this, I tried to make it look as antique as possible with the different paint splashes, vibrant warm colors, and the messy brick textures in some areas. I wasn’t sure where the gates would fit in this image, but I did draw flood-lights along the wall instead. There are also seven hooks on the wall instead of six, because it’s noted in the story that not all of the hooks are occupied.

Regarding the hanging bodies, the primary quote I took note of was this one:

“A child’s idea of a smile. This smile of blood is what fixes the attention, finally. These are not snowmen after all. [p.32]”

Offred’s description about the bodies being like snowmen inspired multiple things for this drawing. To start, the title of this piece and the writing on the wall behind the men. I also decided to give the bodies a cold bluish-gray color, considering that they’re lifeless. They are compared to snowmen even earlier in the scene when Offred notices the outlines of the faces through the bagged heads, and suggests that they’re like snowmen without the coal eyes or carrot noses. I drew shadows in place of the eyes because of this.

Back to the main quote from before, one of the bags had blood seeping through it in the shape of a smile, “like the mouths painted with thick brushes by kindergarten children. [p.32]” This detail stood out enough for me to put the smiling body in the center, even though that would mean the other five bodies would have to be off-centered. I also made the smile glow a bit, since it’s being seen from far away.

In short, what’s portrayed in the scene are the two handmaids with opposing emotions, the eerie wall in front of them, the lifeless doctors and scientists, and the bleeding smile on one of the bags. I made sure to re-read the chapter before drawing this representation so I could include as many details and perceptions as I could. I believe this chapter in general is significant to emphasize the cruelty of Gilead, and the individuality of the two handmaids. Since it’s pretty early in the story, Chapter 6 of The Handmaid’s Tale serves as part of a well-done exposition.

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a profound exploration of power, gender, and identity set in a dystopian future that strips women of their rights and autonomy. Section eleven where Offred reflects on some of her past life resonates with me, specifically her memories of her mother and the concept of femininity. This chapter captures the tension between the nostalgia and harsh realities of her current living conditions, entailing both intellectual and emotional responses that reflect the contemporary issues surrounding women’s rights and identities. In a moment of sadness, Offred recalls the sight of her mother’s activism and the feminist movements of her past. In chapter eleven, she describes her mother as a “feminist, a term that was once seen to evoke pride and empowerment but has since felt distant and almost foreign in the oppressive place of Gilead. Having a fate served to you by an upper power limits your choice and freedom as expressed throughout the story so far. I recognized that Offred and other handmaids have been convinced that they have less power than they do being controlled by some kind of republican government ruled by some belief system of god with the willingness to do things unquestioned but with full attention and specification with harsh consequences that follow if you were to break the rules. In chapter twenty Offred speaks on the times when she recalled her mother expressing her femininity and she says, “…not young and earnest and pretty the way she was in the movie, but wiry, spunky, the kind of old woman who won’t let anyone butt in front of her at a supermarket line.” I found this particularly intriguing as it allowed me to try to picture what Offred’s life must’ve been like when she was with her mother and connect all these flashback memories that she has of her mother together. Initially, I felt a sense of discomfort as it approached the social expectations of beauty but more so the reality of aging which provoked a thought on death and what it means to confront death when it knocks at your door. It also provoked a thought on life and what it means to live your life or have life being lived for you through someone else. Offred’s confrontation of her memories with her mother is both stimulating and emotionally charged, “I admired my mother in some ways although things between us were never easy. She expected too much from me, I felt. She expected me to vindicate her life for her, and the choices she’d made. I didn’t want to live my life on her terms.” As Offred reflects on her mother, I find myself stuck between a mix of admiration and a sense of discomfort. Her mother represents a fierce, unapologetic feminism that Offred reveres and feels completely distanced from. The recollection of her mother’s activism, marching with signs, and fighting for women’s rights brings out a sense of loss in Offred. I felt both nostalgia and sadness coming from this quote recognizing how far she is from that world. It’s a world where women have a voice, choice, and agency. This causes tension between the two as they grapple with ways to be included in each other’s lives being as though they live in two completely different worlds of feminism. The close and far proximity between the past and present times is striking, revealing a sense of loss for Offred and all women who have fought for autonomy and power. I found myself often struggling with the emotional weight that this chapter carries. Offred’s specified reactions are often laced with a bittersweet nostalgia that highlights the contrast between the freedom that her mother fought for and the enslavement she now endures. This moment is particularly intriguing to me because it forces me to confront my understanding of feminism and the ways it has evolved. Her reflections prompt me to consider what it means to be a woman in a society that seeks to define and limit femininity. Offred’s ambivalence towards her mother’s beliefs mirrors my uncertainties about the path of feminism. The comparison of Offred’s mother’s radicalism with Offred’s subdued existence raises questions about identity and self-worth. Offred struggles with feelings of not being enough, questioning her feminism in a world that has rendered her powerless. I found this internal conflict to be relatable to some ideas of masculinity, highlighting the struggle one may face when confronted with the legacies of those who fought for change. How do we honor their struggles while navigating our limitations?

Clicking the PDF should allow you to view all 3 pages

Knowing Fear within thy inner soul

The section that resonated with me was when Offred lost luke. However, the moment that truly struck with me within my mind was when Offred felt such fear after supposedly losing Luke that she felt not so much loneliness but afraid as if she had lost not just her child but also a part of herself, her very being as if there was nothing left in her world to truly matter to her.

After noticing this It seemed to me that Offerd had lost so much of herself that she felt fear not only that but she felt fear and darkness so much within that moment that she now knew fear itself as if she were looking directly at it as fear too was looking back through the darkest deeps of the world.

“I want to reach up, taste his skin, he makes me hungry. His fingers move, feeling my arm under the nightgown sleeve, as if his hand won’t listen to reason. It’s so good, to be touched by someone, to be felt so greedily, to feel so greedy. Luke, you’d know, you’d understand. It’s you here, in another body. I think of the hanged men, hooked on the Wall. I can hardly stand up. I have to get away, back to the stairs, before I dissolve entirely. His hand’s on my shoulder now, held still, heavy, pressing down on me like warm lead. Is this what I would die for? I’m a coward, I hate the thought of pain.”

Now as to why Offred was feeling this was because she had lost luke the man who she had a romantic interest with, only to then see him in a different body some time after losing him therefore causing her to feel such sadness, shame as well fear because it was as if she feeling thy sting of death within her body.

Due to the School District of Philadelphia half day for Staff Professional Development, SLA will follow the below schedule on Friday, 9/27:

08:15-08:55 B2 Band

09:00-09:40 C2 Band

09:45-10:25 X2/Y2 Band class

10:30-11:10 D2 Band

11:15-11:55 E2 Band

12:00-12:30 Lunch/Dismissal

Welcome Back to School!

Due to extreme heat in the forecast, SLA will follow modified schedules on Tuesday, 8/27, and Wednesday, 8/28. We will follow our traditional daily schedule on Thursday, 8/29.

TUESDAY, 8/27

08:15-08:40 Advisory

08:45-09:20 E1 Band

09:25-10:00 A2 Band

10:05-10:40 Y2/X2 Band (class, not lunch)

10:45-11:20 B2 Band

11:25-12:00 C2 Band

12:00-12:30 Lunch/Dismissal

WEDNESDAY, 8/28

08:15-09:10 D2 Band

09:15-10:05 E2 Band

10:10-11:00 A1 Band

11:05-11:55 B1 Band

12:00-12:30 Lunch/Dismissal

The traditional SLA schedule (linked below) resumes on Thursday, 8/29.

Welcome Back to School!

To kick off the 2024-2025 school year, we’re beginning with a modified schedule on Monday.

MONDAY, 8/26 – Have a wonderful first day!

08:15-10:20 Advisory

10:25-11:15 A1 Band

11:20-12:10 X1 Band (first lunch)

12:10-01:00 Y1 Band (second lunch)

01:05-01:55 B1 Band

02:00-02:50 C1 Band

02:55-03:45 D1 Band

My Capstone project was all about digging into how students here at school and in our city get around on bikes. I was super into the idea of doing something related to biking because it’s just something I’m really passionate about. I wanted to either work directly with bikes or teach others about them. But, here’s all the options I found were paid, and our school doesn’t let students get paid for their Capstone projects.

I Worked with the Bicycle Coalition to create some surveys and analyze data. The inquiry question I wanted to answer was why some students bike and why others don’t. I figured it would be a cool way to see how students get to school and what they think about biking.

Working with Nicole from the Bicycle Coalition was awesome. She helped me make sense of all the data and keep on track. We found some interesting stuff, like safety concerns about biking to school. I even came up with some ideas to make things better.

Honestly, the beginning was a struggle. I had to switch up my project halfway through the year because of payment rules. Originally, I wanted to help younger teens learn about bikes, but that fell through.

Looking back, I wish I’d planned things out better from the start and maybe reached out to more schools for data. But overall, I’m proud of what I accomplished. And I think I made a positive impact by caring about this stuff and trying to make things better for everyone.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qEs3E2dVvdxGPuzY0jYhzJjc8gpwsQxMhh3m1gfCD_Q/edit?usp=sharing

Link To Slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/145pU9-fHAHEbfnsftIk7Da0BpZEfqZ8mBiUNSta6Hcg/edit#slide=id.p

Link to responses: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i1ukqwQ8nPgzLxOBxsRZvIU3Yt6MDg5Gf8wVJPQ9Oho/edit?usp=sharing

Capstone: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JwvD1awfKpv0skU6tVa-1V_-HHnbvpE6ZF_BsY9M-0k/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I wrote a book of poems. The poems are structured as they would regularly be, but instead of just a stanza of a poem, there is a book full. I decided to do this because of the passion I have for poetry. I’ve always been infatuated with the flow, mindset, words, and escape that poetry provided for me. Finding a different focus and perspective every time I put words on the paper. During this process, I discovered a lot, A lot about myself mostly. I had to start a new perspective about the reminiscence of my past. Focusing on where I used to be and where I am now. Reflecting and considering how I’ve changed, how I’ve felt, my mindset during that time, and where I am now.

Annotated Bibliography

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ouhVTprMOqkpn0nClXXjeDrZ-o0XvkziVpYhVIXegOw/edit?usp=sharing

I created a one-shot manga chapter that includes roughly 20 pages and a cover. A manga is a style of comic books that originated in Japan and is read from right to left. A one-shot manga specifically is a type of manga that has the entire story included within the lesser amount of pages given for the story. They are similar to a television pilot as one-shot manga are often written to be submitted in a writing contest and can possibly develop into a full-length series. My capstone project addresses the SLA core values through the messages in the story. The teacher of the main character is constantly asking questions to gain a better understanding of new knowledge. The teacher and their family’s constant research over generations is the reason they and the people around them were able to progress in the world they live in. Collaboration is shown through the peace and bonds built upon successful collaboration of a community. Presentation was shown through character interactions as well as my best attempt at paneling and drawing. The main character undergoes growth stemming from self reflection. The teacher’s application of these core values is what allows the main character to succeed, displaying the benefits of the SLA core values. The steps I focused on were meeting with my mentor, organizing my ideas in a google document, practicing drawing, and researching the manga creation process.

For my project, I decided to focus on a group of athletes who had been overlooked and lacked a dedicated photographer and cinematographer for their season. I ultimately chose flag football because, first, I never understood how the game worked, and second, they needed someone consistent to attend their games and practices. I dedicated hours of my time taking game and practice footage for them since it wasn’t fair that most other students often volunteered to take pictures for other highlighted sports. This specific group of athletes deserved that same recognition because they work just as hard as any other sport

annotated bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16bECl27iE4JXRZy0Sa6tqYA5Y62UQWJAY2sxewdOtus/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone project I wanted to display a form of community service to the school by helping other students on their mental health. I was thinking, what is a more newer but still school appropriate way of getting the students to talk about their mental health. so I wanted to make a bulletin board for students to write down how they feel about their academic challenges or how to handle personal life in school life. It’s easy for a student to be stressed out when dealing with mental health issues, so the bulletin board I wanted to make I wanted to help students to feel more open about how they feel about school and how we can handle mental health and classrooms better. Mental health is important in schools for a bunch of reasons. For me to complete my Capstone I was talking to a lot of my family members because in my dad’s side of the family we struggle a lot on mental health. I was just talking to them about their experiences dealing with mental health and how it impacts the family. It’s hard dealing with mental health when your family isn’t so supportive of your decisions or can’t understand you when you go through something.

For my senior capstone project I made a stained glass window. The idea started because I had done stained glass with The Stained Glass Project at the Kedrick Rec Center for my internship for junior year (now based at Woodmere Art Museum in Mt Airy). I loved the program and knew I wanted to come back next year. To create this capstone project we had a timeline, featuring the ideal design process and the creation process. I learned a lot about safety, the importance of connection and networking, and collaboration

At this point of my project, I wanted science to do that for other children around the nation. Accordingly, I did research. I scoured the internet for data and statistics, and I found a weird “anomaly.” According to PEW Research Center, children attending a K-12 school in the United States report loving science and hands-on learning, but as they aged older, that passion waned. In the report of The National Library of Medicine, It wasn’t because they didn’t like science anymore, in-fact, that interest seemed to stay almost constant. But, the children seemed to have lost their confidence in their ability to pursue a STEM career. When I looked into it, I found that this was most common amongst children who come from low-income backgrounds, a minority group, or children that suffer from a low self-esteem. My heart shattered when I saw this data. I kept picturing myself in that scenario. Especially because I was one of those kids that came from a minority background. It was apparent to me how close I actually was to losing something I was so passionate about. Something that I was sure I wanted to give my life to.

The Opioid Epidemic

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T1jw75y7E7jFlFu-1pjUIwYY7WAzoBjB/view?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I created a mini YouTube-style documentary that was around 10 minutes long and talked about the history of opioids. It talks about how the drug works, how it became an epidemic, the solutions that have been implemented, and what should be done to deal with the issue. Throughout the video, I combined real photos and AI-generated images to bring attention to certain words and information that I talked about in the video. I also used background music to intensify and draw attention to important points.

My goal while creating the capstone was to bring more attention to the opioid epidemic. As a resident of Philadelphia, I frequently see news about fentanyl overdoses and see homeless people who appear to suffer from drug addiction either while using Septa or while walking through city hall. The thing I’m proud of during the creation of this documentary was getting new skills and doing things I didn’t think I could do before. For example, at first I thought it would be challenging to talk to a camera and edit the video since these aren’t skills I had before, but I was able to do both successfully. I am also proud that my video conveys the core message I intended to communicate.

My capstone project was a fantasy book I named “Princess Indira.” It’s a tragic legend about Princess Indira of Anastasia. She grew up in a kingdom that was once attacked which caused her parents to be very restricting. One day, to her surprise, she witnesses an attack on the kingdom so she takes it upon herself to find a way to protect it. My story was derived from an assignment I did in statistics class that I decided to build upon. The assignment itself was essentially a graded game of Dungeons & Dragons, which I enjoy playing. The story itself doesn’t exactly follow the SLA core values, but the process does. First, I had an inquiry about what it would be like to write a book since I’ve taken multiple writing classes at SLA. I then researched how to write a typical structured novel and what constitutes as a novel. After I collaborated with my older sister and aunt who both wrote books within the last five years. From that, I learned that books need storyboards the same way movies do. I presented the idea to my advisor after reflecting on my circumstances by reassuring myself that I can take on such a task before the due date.

My capstone is documentation of the the SLA student-run Art Festival and the student-run film festival Rocketfest with an interview of Torian Ugworji about the impact festivals can have for creators as well as the pitfalls present within the industry.

Hello my name is Aidan Simas and my capstone project is a documentary on the opioid crisis. I chose to do this project because the opioid crisis is so prevalent in my day to day commute to school. To complete this project I needed to plan what I wanted my documentary to look like. I spent a long time just gathering B-roll footage and gathering leads for interviews. It took a lot of effort and late nights to put everything together towards the end. Not to mention that a lot of my ideas didn’t end up working out. I am proud of the research that went into this project the most. I gathered a lot of statistics and credible resources, and I kept an ear out for information about the opioid crisis in my day to day life. I listened to a lot of stories about people who lost loved ones to these drugs. I learned a lot about the reality of addiction and the opioid crisis. Not just on a personal level but on a societal and economic level. I’ve always known this has been a problem but I now see it for what it truly is, it is a cancer.

Capstone product attached: https://www.wevideo.com/view/3452369001

As a graduate for the year of 2024, for my senior capstone project I developed a website that is purposed around a question-and-answer, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for Science Leadership Academy (SLA), Center City specific questions. This project was developed to be an informational hub for SLA specific answers, so that students, whether they are current SLA students or upcoming students, are able to find quick answers for any questions they have. Although the database is not as broadscale as it was supposed to be, as in the fact that it doesn’t know about every teacher nor does it know about every current event, it knows about a few teachers, serving as the start of something that could be further improved by anyone who wants to pursue the capstone in the future. And if no one wants to pursue it, that’s completely fine! Since the reason for its proposition was to lessen the fear mongering brought forward due to AI advancements, and show the good things AI can do under the right intentions and hands.

And , if someone does end up trying to further improve it, I hope this paragraph will help you. The languages I needed a basic understanding of are Python, Javascript, CSS, and HTML, which I already knew a bit about. Resources to learn include: W3schools, YouTube, and Codecademy. The AI, the python code, is the backend – cannot be seen – of the website, while the HTML, CSS, and Javascript are the frontend of the website – can be seen. For the AI, look into FAISS, Hugging Face, and Langchain. For hosting the website, look into Vercel, and for hosting the Python app, look into Pythonanywhere, Heroku, or Render. That’s it, good luck!

Website (AI may or may not be down atm): https://slagpt.vercel.app/

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IpLb-_myW_AXVRYiibjFVCnllIKxPdHkntVrypc4mGU/edit?usp=sharing