12 Years A Slave Scene Breakdown - Lily Prendergast and Avery Buglione

Intro Avery: Hi! My name is Avery, and I’m here with my partner Lily. We are here today to analyze a scene from 12 years a slave. This scene can become very gruesome, and heart-wrenching to watch, so we understand if you cannot continue with this analysis.

Intro Lily: Before we start off, we would like to share a quote we found from The Atlantic: “It’s scenes like these in the film, surely, that lead critic Susan Wloszczyna to state that watching 12 Years a Slave makes you feel you have “actually witnessed American slavery in all its appalling horror for the first time.” Now, Thank you so much in advance for watching, and we hope you enjoy the analysis we came up with for the kidnapping scene of 12 years a slave.

Avery: At the beginning of this scene, we can see that Solomon wakes up in the middle of sunlight signifying what he knows. There is darkness surrounding supporting the idea of the Unknown. When he begins to wake up we cannot notice the chains on his wrists. As begins to move into the light, his chains become apparent to us and the actor.

Lily: As we jump to a flashback of Solomon throwing up we see again the emphasis on light and shadow. With the two mysterious men in the shade while the obvious signs of Solomon throwing up in the light. When he first met them he had a clear sign of who and what men’s intentions were but as he woke up his memories and impressions of the men became unclear. You see his unknown knowledge of what the men look like and who they really are from the light and shadow.

Avery: We come back to the present moment with Solomon trying to understand where the chains coming from the darkness lead. We then see as he moves into the light, his legs and chains become apparent making him feel helpless in any form.

Lily: In this flashback, you can see all faces obscured from view showing that Solomon had no idea what was happening. The dialogue helps us understand the mysterious intentions of the two men. As we can see Solomon obviously looks drunk but Hamilton’s need to tell a passerby that Solomon had one too many drinks emphasizes an ulterior motive than making sure he gets home safe.

Avery: As we reach back to the present, we can see the immense amounts of struggle caused by the chains. We only see his back as he tries hard to stand up. The lack of light signifies the unknown of what has happened to him, and how he cannot begin to accept the idea of being a slave once again. He begins to pull on the chains from the darkness, unknowledgeable of where they lead. As he pulls, chains and chains keep coming, making our main character even more angered than he started off as.

Conclusion Lily: In conclusion, we learn throughout this scene that the light and dark shadows of the room play against Solomon’s knowledge of the situation at hand. Because of this, we can see that the trauma at hand will attest to Solomon’s future.

Conclusion Avery: As we end this analysis, we would like to show off a review from Roger Ebert: “as the audience wipes their tears and gather the strength to leave their seats, their minds will be filled with one thought: That they have actually witnessed American slavery in all its appalling horror for the very first time.” Thank you so much for watching, and we hope we made the scene clearer for you.

Sources: 12 Years a Slave movie review (2013) | Roger Ebert How ‘12 Years a Slave’ Gets History Right: By Getting It Wrong - The Atlantic

Anatomy of a scene - Inception

El Newburger and Nadiya-Bhaktika Weld

El: This movie got all around great reviews. People, such as Roger Ebert and writers from the Hollywood reporter say that this is Christopher Nolan’s best work. The movie concept is quite confusing and has a lot of twists and turns but Christopher Nolan and Wally Pfister, the cinematographer, did an amazing job with blending dream and reality seamlessly. The scene being analyzed is pivotal to the rest of the movie, we learn more about the dream world and about the personalities and curiosities within Cobb and Ariadne.

Nadiya: The main theme in the film is dreaming and not just dreaming but what it means to dream and what can happen within them. There’s a lot to unpack in the scenes because there’s so much going on at once it’s mind boggling in a sense. Throughout the movie the question of “What’s a dream, and what’s reality?” lingers in the mind of the viewer and it’s never answered even at the end of the film the question is left unanswered. Which leaves it up to the viewer to determine if the ending was a dream or not. In this scene laws of physics are tested as Ariadne takes control in Cobb’s dream as you watch the scene unfold. It takes a minute to adjust to what’s happening. The theatrics of the setting are so profound it’s almost like the buildings and the streets are their own characters, shifting in every direction. In the dream sequence when Ariadne learns how to build dreams she says “I guess I thought that the dream space would be all about the visuals but it’s more about the feel of it.” This quote truly explains the nature of the film. Even though the visuals are a key part of the dreams, the look of them would be nothing without the feeling that comes with the creation of them.

El: The camera movements are a big part of this scene. The handheld recording style makes the audience feel as though they are there with Cobb and Ariadne, an outsider learning about being an architect for dreams right alongside the characters. There aren’t many POV shots in this scene and it’s mostly laid out in a two shot sequence. This can be seen as a way to show the audience that neither character has the upper-hand in this scene, they are both in new territory even though Cobb has been in dreams many times before, each one is a new challenge. Not only does the handheld shot make the audience feel like a part of the scene but it gives the scene an uncertain undertone to it. The shaky movements let us know that something is unstable about this environment; even though the characters themselves seem quite comfortable in this dream space. The shaky camera movements could also be seen as a hint of foreshadowing, that something is going to go awry soon, we then see that it does toward the end of this scene. Ariadne toyed with the dream space and started creating areas from her own memory triggering a domino effect and the dream world became dangerous very quickly. There is a constant unsettling nature in this scene and when Ariadne takes it too far the cuts become quicker and of course the shaky camera movement is still there. At this point in the scene the audience is probably very confused as to what’s happening, again we are right alongside Cobb and Ariadne. This movie is all about dream vs. reality and due to the amazing cinematography it can get confusing what is dream and what is reality. To quote from Roger Ebert’s review, “The movie is all about process, about fighting our way through enveloping sheets of reality and dream, reality within dreams, dreams without reality. It’s a breathtaking juggling act…”

https://youtu.be/XzYuA9NTkm4

Iris and Josie: The Final Duel in Barry Lyndon (1975)

Josie DiCapua and Iris Peron-Ames

Amal Giknis

Reel Reading

24 May 2022

Transcript: The Final Duel in Barry Lyndon

Josie: Barry Lyndon, Kubrick’s underrated masterpiece, follows the life of the titular character, Barry Lyndon, an Irish rogue. The film is, according to Jason Bellamy, “subdued, straightforward, introverted” and often overlooked due to its “deliberate, drawn-out pace” (Bellamy and Howard). Kubrick documents Barry’s rise and fall along the social ladder. Using calculated composition and blocking, the auteur develops the intricate narrative. Barry Lyndon acts as a sort of tragic hero as he navigates his fate.

In this scene, Barry is involved in a duel with his stepson, Lord Bullingdon, who seeks atonement for the abuse and mistreatment he endured. It is a very slow paced and drawn-out scene, playing with its emotions and expectations. Nobody really knows what is going to happen at any point in the duel.

Iris: We begin with the men preparing for the duel. They are arranged in an L-shape, creating depth. Bullingdon and Barry are placed opposite one another, visualizing their confrontation. Bullingdon is set slightly apart from the others, whereas Barry is framed by them. This illustrates Bullingdon’s lack of familiarity with the situation, his isolation, and seeming lack of power in the scene. Barry has already proved himself a skilled and practiced duelist, while this is presumably Bullingdon’s first duel.

As they prepare the pistols, Barry fixes directly on Bullingdon, but Bullingdon keeps his gaze on the ground. This once again defines the power imbalance. Barry maintains the power in this moment. This is also reflected in their body language. While each man holds his hands together, Bullingdon does so nervously, clutching his hands tightly. In contrast, Barry holds himself in a refined, confident way. He looks every part the gentleman he aspires to be. Josie: In this shot, Barry is framed by the other men at eye-level, allowing the viewer to feel like a part of the crowd.

The order of the duel is decided by a coin toss, reiterating the theme of fate throughout the film. Fate is notably a trademark of the tragic hero narrative. The coin toss decides Bullingdon as the first to shoot, signalling a shift in the power dynamic. To illustrate this, Bullingdon is centered in the shot for the first time. The attention is purely on him. Meanwhile, Barry is ever-so-slightly off-center. He has lost the control he previously possessed.

Each man is framed by a set of cross-shaped windows, which in turn allude to the religious symbolism in the narrative. This could be a reference to Lord Bullingdon’s previous assertion that “Quarreling people do not go to heaven.” However, Bullingdon is now quarreling with Barry.

Iris: Bullingdon misfires on his first shot, signaling another shift in power. Due to the stress, he gets sick. For the first time in the scene, we see camera movement. It enhances the panic and uncertainty of the moment.

When Barry goes to shoot, Bullingdon is placed front and center, triangulated by the other men on one side, and Barry on the other. This emphasizes a sense of humiliation and distress. He is on display, much too close, feeling trapped and scrutinized by the others. Barry, surprisingly, decides to shoot the ground. This serves as an act of atonement, as he is equalizing the situation, and offering Bullingdon a kind, merciful, and almost fatherly service. Geoffrey O’Brien, of Criterion, calls this act the “one incontestably right thing he does” (O’Brien). However, it could also be interpreted as degrading towards Bullingdon. It is an act of pity, demonstrating Bullingdon cannot win the duel on his own. This, in turn, strips him of the full power and masculinity promised through the duel, circling back to the thematic desperation for masculinity. This interpretation is further compounded by the blocking. Bullingdon remains front and center, with the men on either side of him, as if to suggest humiliation and further distress.

Josie: Bullingdon is angled slightly higher than the camera as he decides not to end the duel, proving he has some semblance of power over the situation once more. The power is a quivering one, though, seen by the subtlety of the low angle.

At the end of the scene, doves fly, suggesting that peace has been restored.

Works Cited

Bellamy, Jason, and Ed Howard. “The Conversations: Barry Lyndon.” Slant Magazine, 21 October 2011, https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-conversations-barry-lyndon/. Accessed 24 May 2022.

O’Brien, Geoffrey. “Barry Lyndon: Time Regained | Current.” The Criterion Collection, 17 October 2017, https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/5047-barry-lyndon-time-regained. Accessed 24 May 2022.

Rebecca and Daijah: The Sixth Sense

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QxBrJo6ruPspnNvRFeIA-KQFWzcm6YWJ/view?usp=sharing

Rebecca Cassel-Siskind and Daijah Fleming

Ms. Pahomov

Reel Reading

24 May 2022

The Sixth Sense Scene Analysis Transcript

This is the ending scene in The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan. This is where the main character Malcolm, played by Bruce Willis, realizes that he is dead.

To start off, his wedding ring rolls onto the floor. A close-up of the ring is shown as it spirals. He raises his ringless hand as the camera focuses on the foreground, in the background, you can see his wife’s ring on her finger.

Tears fill his eyes and he has his first flashback. Shyamalan’s directorial choice of flashbacks reveals to the viewer all the clues that he was dead the entire time. This is where his true realization begins.

This is a close-up of Cole in the hospital revealing to Malcolm that he has the ability to see dead people.

Cole’s voice from his reveal in the hospital continues as a voiceover. Malcolm alarmingly steps back as eerie music plays setting the scene for his dramatic realization.

When this scene actually occurs in the film, not just this flashback, director M. Night Shyamalan sets the scene to make it seem like nothing is abnormal, but in actuality, Malcolm is dead and therefore Cole’s mother cannot see him. But Shyamalan purposefully sets it up like this so that the audience does not know.

Dolly tracking is used in this scene to portray his immense confusion and panic. He looks over to see a dinner set for one at the dining room table with a red napkin. Red is a recurring color in the film that symbolizes a closeness between this world and the next.

According to a review from the Looper, “In the scene where Malcolm and Lynn are seated across from each other, Lynn has no clue he’s there. That’s why Cole won’t talk to Malcolm until his mom leaves the room. Malcolm, on the other hand, doesn’t notice that Lynn is ignoring him. Ghosts are in such denial that they ignore anything that proves they’re really dead.”

The whole time he thinks that his relationship with his wife is not good and that they are distant, but in reality, he is dead. That is shown in this flashback where he tries to grab the check but she does just before him.

There is then a closeup of his hand on the red doorknob to the basement in an attempt to open the door, but he unfortunately cannot.

Malcolm then collapses his body up against the wall in complete disbelief and realization that he is actually dead. Intense, loud, almost haunting non-diegetic sound is playing to emphasize these feelings. This also creates suspense for the viewer. It then cuts to a closeup of Malcolm’s wife asleep and you can see her breath emphasizing the idea that it gets colder when dead people are around, that has been a theme throughout the film.

The haunting music fades to a gunshot and then a scream from his wife from the flashback. As he is backed up against the wall, it then smoothly zooms out to the first scene in the film when he is shot by the boy, he is on the bed, and his wife rushes over to him.

As the flashback from Malcolm getting shot cuts in and out, he then holds his side where he remembers being shot. Using a closeup, we see the blood dripping down from his stomach.

He turns around to his back drenched in blood. Shyamalan is using the technique shot-reverse-shot between scenes to show Malcolm’s realization and remembrance of his death. We decided to do this scene because after watching The Sixth Sense we agreed that the plot twist was just brilliant. According to a review from The Cinemaholic, “The Ending, in particular, leaves you questioning your ability to pay attention to details while watching something. An unexpected twist which knocks you flat upon first viewing.”

Saini, Ashish. “The Sixth Sense Ending, Explained.” The Cinemaholic, edited by Gautam Anand, Gani, 2022. https://thecinemaholic.com/sixth-sense-ending-explained/

Moore, Nolan. “We Finally Understand The Ending Of The Sixth Sense.” Looper, 2019. https://www.looper.com/154520/we-finally-understand-the-ending-of-the-sixth-sense/

Final Benchmark Claire + Paula

Claire Powell + Paula Vekker

Reel Reading

23 May 2022

Mrs. Giknis

                                    Anatomy of a Scene


           Gone Girl is a psychological thriller that was released in 2014. Directed by David Flincher who uses his “strong sense of story”(FilmLifestyle) to create a dark and dominant atmosphere to lure the audience in. Nick and Amy's cat appears in small scenes throughout the movie. Bleeker, the cat, was seen as an object that someone needed to take care of. In the beginning of the movie, Nick was supposed to be seen as likable, as he comes home instantly when he gets a call that his cat has escaped. This informs the audience that Nick is someone to trust, the sense that we then believe Nick has nothing to do with the disappearance of Amy. Den of Geek says, It's their abiding association with the supernatural. As an omen of things to come,  that makes their representation in horror films particularly interesting.” The cat is viewed as the omen of Amy's disappearance. 
      The film continues to carry the notion “things aren’t what they seem.” Director Flincher uses elements of suspense in plot and character building to engage viewers into the story. Escalation is implied as the speakers in the scene, officer Rhonda accuse Nick of withholding the pregnancy of his missing wife. The point of view is focused as an over the shoulder shot, as the back of Nick's head is only visible and the evidence of credit card debt and life insurance forms the officers are staging. Movement is used to escalate the emotions of the character in the scene… as officer Rhonda stomps on the ground and ironically the couple's pictures fall flat on their face, as a physical sign of their relationship turmoil. Nearing the end of the interaction between officer Rhonda and Nick it is revealed through a phone call the question of Amy’s pregnancy was in fact true. Nick thrashes his drinking glass on the floor, stating he will not speak to law enforcement moving forward without a lawyer. This abrupt action by Nick establishes a sense of dominance and acts as a symbolic representation of the peak of the film. The framing of the sense switches to a back of the head shot of Nick, putting spotlight on officer Rhonda and her fellow detective. This choice seemed to have been made to redirect the power and experience of Nick's shock and building aggression, as well as to establish the foggy distance between Nick and his interaction with the delivering of this news. Nick’s experience in this scene has been highlighted in the space his reaction takes up in the frame, which lacks the viewing of his facial expression. Nick’s statement adds to an overall sense of weary conclusion as the audience now assumes Amys husband committed the murder, but the pieces of the puzzle don’t fully fit yet. 
    When the Officer throws down the folder of images used for evidence, these pictures hold more color than the background. The tint of the room is filled with intense brown and yellow colors. This implies that Nick is stuck in the false reality that his wife Amy has created for them. Even so, everyone else has fallen victim to her tactics. There is a dark shadow that covers half of Nick and the officers face as they are facing each other and arguing. Almost all of the furniture and walls are a mixture of yellow and dark brown. Vishnevetsky from the AV Club says, “Fincher’s style—with its looming ceilings and motel-murder-scene lighting—can make something as simple as a man going out for a cup of coffee look like a procedural.” I believe Flincher made this obvious for the viewers to realize that Nick and law enforcement officers are in a false constructed reality, much different than Amy’s.

Cinematic - The choice of camera angles was definitely intentional. Blue and yellow lenses often come into play for almost all of the scenes with Nick. Theatrical - Nick and Amy’s cat is definitely a symbol. The cat is viewed as an omen for what lies ahead. Literary - Smooth Dialogue. Narration is overwhelmingly cool and sensual. Almost to trick the viewer into the real mood of Amy Dunne. “Amy not only crafts her own narration, but controls it.”

Breaking down the Anatomy =

Joshua Rothmen (The New Yorker) “I enjoyed Fincher’s film on its own terms, in all its abstract, intellectual, postmodern glory.” Rothmen says that the film is full of texture and detail, a psychological thriller. The twists that upturn the plot really change the narrative which makes it so interesting to watch. Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (AV Club) “The movie traffics in flashbacks and backward twists that purport to reveal more and more about its dissatisfied central couple, but which only uncover facades.” Visgnevestsky also says “Fincher’s style—with its looming ceilings and motel-murder-scene lighting—can make something as simple as a man going out for a cup of coffee look like a procedural.”

                                             Sources

Flincher, David, director. Gone Girl. YouTube, YouTube, 27 Jan. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmkfeIsZYP8. Accessed 23 May 2022. Harrison, Mark. “The Importance of Cats in Horror Cinema.” Den of Geek, 31 Oct. 2018, https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-importance-of-cats-in-horror-cinema/.

Matt. “David Fincher Directing Style: Learn from the Modern Master • Filmmaking Lifestyle.” Filmmaking Lifestyle, 12 Mar. 2022, https://filmlifestyle.com/david-fincher-directing-style/.

Miller, Jenni. “Is Cheeto the Cat the Real Star of Gone Girl?” Gone Girl Cat Star, https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2015/01/80778/gone-girl-cat.

Rothman, Joshua. “What ‘Gone Girl’ Is Really About.” The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2014, https://www.newyorker.com/books/joshua-rothman/gone-girl-really.

Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy. “Gone Girl Is a Trick Only David Fincher Could Pull Off.” The A.V. Club, The A.V. Club, 20 July 2018, https://www.avclub.com/gone-girl-is-a-trick-only-david-fincher-could-pull-off-1798181471.

YOUTUBE LINK : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vs74jwz_qA&t=4s

Jacob Farrell's CTE Capstone

My Capstone was made to support all the teachers with the staff bathroom. The way I did that was by creating a table connected to the wall and being able to be used by all the teachers to but any accessories on it when needed and to put all the air fresheners on it. I began my journey by setting up a plan on how to build the table. The picture below shows all the views of the table and the measurements for it. I also wanted to add that going into this project I had no knowledge of wood work and most of the tools to use for it. So the entire time I was learning a lot of working with wood.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TgkPGXCo5_Qo25VxqvC7F69Xg7nwRe0k2yxtbecR_dQ/edit?usp=sharing
Capstone Final product  (1)
Capstone Procesess Paper (2)

Becky Stolker Capstone

For my capstone project I volunteered with the organization Special Olympics. Every Sunday from October to May since 2016. I shadowed a high school senior who was working with an athlete, Sammy. When she graduated I took over her place as Sammy’s coach. We worked on his skating skills and his program and soon (in March of 2019) went to York, PA for the national competition that they hold yearly. Each year we worked on his skating skills, skating accuracy, and his final program which has elements that are determined by the rule book for the competition. I have been a part of the Special Olympics since I was a young teenager. Having the Special Olympic values ingrained in me from a young age made me have a more open minded look on life.

paper https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kDcFHDFQwEkbFyxbDI_JA6JOQHA0dnT_CqJve_UYWKY/edit?usp=sharing
capstone _3 (1)

Yohanna Heyer Capstone

My capstone is a 13 minute video about the class of 2022’s high school experiences. This includes interviews of students and videos students took throughout high school. The project is meant to give incoming high schoolers an idea of what their high school experience may be like and to allow current seniors to reflect. Although my final product is not what I had previously thought it would be, and there were a lot of scheduling issues and filming mistakes that I would change if I could, I am proud of what I created.

Capstone Annotated Bibliography (1)

Cashmere Harvey’s Capstone

The thing that inspires me most is those who advocate for firearms and gun violence to be taken off the streets. I have things that I am passionate about in my personal life but I decided to base my capstone around something that I had never talked about or expressed my feelings on rather than doing a project on a topic i had previously spoken about. This Capstone/Video will give the audience the chance to dig deeper inside the meaning of BLACK LIVES MATTER, how hurt and destroyed families become when they hear that their loved one has been taken away from them due to a bullet.

CASHMERES CAPSTONE VIDEO

https://youtu.be/T819f-EY4I4

C6B44ACE-51C7-4CAE-9E56-607A78D2824B
C6B44ACE-51C7-4CAE-9E56-607A78D2824B

Samira Ahmed's Capstone

For my Capstone, my former sixth-grade teacher and I collaborated on a creative project for her students to engage and grasp more in class. As a student, I’ve always struggled to concentrate in class and would get lost in my thoughts, doodling in my notebook. However, everything changed after I entered SLA. All of the creative writing assignments and benchmark projects made me want to do more and look forward to school. This made me ponder how much more interesting middle school would have been if we had more creative assignments. As a result, I made the decision to return to my old school and try to make some positive changes.

Here’s a link to my Google site with all of the information: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/samirascapstone/home

My annotated bibliography is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T8LHn9Z7Up1whXHWniPDmax67bnTw3nLWSSetEAFqZU/edit

Annotated Bibliography

Etzio Hawk Capstone

For my Capstone I wrote a 10 page paper on Viktor Frankl’s book “Man’s Search for Meaning.” I really enjoyed reading it and wanted to analyze those ideas of what makes life meaningful. I did this through analyzing how people act from my own experiences, as well as studying Viktor Frankl’s experiences with helping people through his own form of therapy called ‘LogoTherapy.’

Paper: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1460_Ozg1XqoYW58ZF5ac6SNGesUiycZsrgS2PNSLfcA/edit?usp=sharing

Phillip Lee Capstone

The U.S. Government, as well as the countries they collaborate with, spie on U.S. citizens. I know this, you know this. It’s been common knowledge since the Edward Snowden leaks.

Now they wouldn’t be allowed to do this because of the 4th amendment preventing unnecessary searches and seizures. However nothing really stops companies from collecting data on users and thus having the government buy that data from them.

So instead of waiting for the 4th amendment to get a fix, here’s how to take your privacy into your own hands. Basically I made a list of certain tools and strategies to make it harder for anyone to collect data on you whether it be via encryption to make it harder to get or just make it not there to collect. Can’t collect what doesn’t exist.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xM3VFv_ph8_mng-_IJDhIBDfvu1zwsY7KSUSkTCG_q8/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Tpldm8VPhmPURmOocKZR4El0EZpPMEF1TQroObLhA4/edit?usp=sharing

Positivity @ SLA

Blue stream did and forever will hold a special place in my heart. I made efforts to create a video showing all the great, funny, and creative sides of Blue Stream. I spent all my time from April 2019 to June 2019 creating the blue stream video. It was roughly 8 minutes long. I gathered at least one person from each friend group in blue stream to collectively give everyone superlatives. It was my goal to make sure everyone felt included. That was the toughest part about making the video. The video as of today has been lost on my poor laptop. Lesser quality videos or I can try to actively retrieve them if requested.

People seen in photo: Entire Blue Stream of 2018-2019

Blue stream
Blue stream

I am having trouble actually submitting the video so the link will be at the bottom of my caption. This one is really short. I wanted to decorate SLA for the holidays! I remember freshman year some kids (I don’t know what club) made SLA look amazing for Halloween and I couldn’t do that for Halloween so winter break worked! This is just being said because I have a really cool video with the lights off decorated so I can include it.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/12WFkGRBWwPxxvYb7

People in Video: Jakob

I am having trouble actually submitting the video so the link will be at the bottom of my caption. This one is really short. I wanted to decorate SLA for the holidays! I remember freshman year some kids (I don't know what club) made SLA look amazing for H
I am having trouble actually submitting the video so the link will be at the bottom of my caption. This one is really short. I wanted to decorate SLA for the holidays! I remember freshman year some kids (I don't know what club) made SLA look amazing for H

I started SATing SLA Green stream African American history at the beginning of the year. It was the best experience working with children. I knew that I wanted to be a history teacher but being able to volunteer to help and work with these students was a blessing in itself. SATing was something that was very different from my other “deeds”. This was something that became very personal to me because as the year went on I started growing with them. They were at times too much for me and that’s really when I wasn’t only helping them but they began helping me. Green stream was such a challenging class to deal with at times and honestly, that was the most impactful thing I feel like I gained in this capstone. Being their SAT helped me figure out what kind of teacher I wanted to be and how I wanted to do it on my own terms. They were amazing and from what I asked some students, they gained as much as I did.

People in photo: Carla & Eden

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DSC09637

Capstone - Woman Is the *Cattle* of the World

The following collection entitled, Woman is The Cattle of The World, serves as an analytical commentary on women and society through art. The title itself was derived from the controversial John Lennon song, Woman is The N——r of The World. The song’s purpose was to highlight the discriminatory living standards of women in American society, which was bold and necessary. However, the song ignores one large and fairly simple fact. There is already an N——r of the world. At its core, the song acts as the pinnacle of white feminism. It advocates for women’s rights and highlights the discrepancies women face while disregarding the existence of black women and minimizing the historical mistreatment of black people. Unlike feminism, womanism advocates for women’s rights while prioritizing intersectionality. The ideology was popularized in the U.S, by the famous activist, Angela Davis. This collection was crafted and will be presented through a womanist lens. It’s essential that first, you understand a few things. For starters, these clothes are not meant to be worn— they are art pieces created solely for creative interpretation, activism, and aesthetic purposes, Each piece is comprised only of leather, no other materials would be used(or should be mistakenly assumed) if these pieces were to ever exist in a state that is not digital. The use of leather in this manner was a direct creative decision. In modern society women are viewed as commodities, they are so often dehumanized that the treatment they face is comparable to that of cattle. They are herded, traded, sold, and diminished to worthless figures despite their inherent vitality. Leather, in some sense, is just a second skin meant to constrict women’s freedom and mobility. It’s an inescapable prison that grows from their flesh yet is an active tool in their oppression. As intricate as it may be, the following 7 pieces exist to dissect the oppression at hand.

https://prezi.com/view/lUX5z6BsNj7NaKhJFRm4/

Nothing Is Ever Too Small

Growing up in Africa has shaped me and given me a better understanding of essential needs of a child. I was raised in west Africa and went to school there. Schools within Africa and here are different because of the difference in the societies. Society poses a different perspective on how a place should live their lifestyle and that impacted my school environment.

For my capstone I worked with 1st graders to provide them with basic needs. Their basic needs were toys for recess. And as a person who was raised in Africa and went to African school, and who didn’t experience what recess is or have access to toys. It gives me a different understanding of what a child is or needs to succeed at school. This project gave me an opportunity to show what changes I can make to improve society.

Working with the kids has given me the opportunity to indulge in what I missed out on and showed me two different sides of the world almost literally speaking. I have worked with the kids to make them happy. To me, making kids happy at school is not just learning instead I believe that they need to have fun by having time to play with toys and toys can be educational. I don’t believe that only learning subjects at a very young age is the only necessary component of a young child’s educational career. They shouldn’t have to learn just because it’s called “school”. I believe for kids to be successful at school they need to have fun by having time to express themselves and this can include both outdoor and indoor play time. That will refresh their mind and also give them energy at school to do their work when it’s time for that.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QsXkaD6CC8dfWE5w8YP0-HNaKVtOAPxC/view?usp=drivesdk

High School Smash Bros Lift Off (by Jakob Lehmann)

My project was to build a community through a super smash bros tournament. I did this by making a tournament and getting a bunch of different people to come, then recording the whole thing and making it into a documentary style video. When I started this project, I along with many SLA kids had very unrealistic expectations for my capstone. I wanted to do the biggest and grandest things for this project but I quickly realized that I couldn’t do all the things I had planned for this project. So as push came to shove there was a lot of stuff that I wanted to do that I wasn’t able to do. Things like starting a social media campaign or livestreaming the event. Even with the things I took out I still had the workload of 2 capstones. I had to start off by making all the rules for the game and finding out all the logistics that were going into this tournament. Number of players, Number of Switches, Camera equipment, and stage lighting were all things I had to do. I then made sure that the event was going to run smoothly by getting people to go and assist me. I think the coolest thing I had to do was figuring out how to work the mics in the auditorium. After the actual event happened I still had to go through the hours of footage I got and piece together a documentary.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ONhay95DaCCDXsGl_-UjgVn44K6jSFeLj70bWEO6uiQ/edit?usp=sharing

Video: https://youtu.be/QigJFIm-12s

Max Blakelock - Capstone

For my capstone, I created a podcast with a few SLA staff members to learn more about them as people and to emphasize the importance of a teacher and student relationship. My final product is two video podcast episodes. However, they were derailed a little due to me testing positive for COVID last week. I recorded two episodes, one with Mr. Lehmann and one with Ms. Gasser. My goal was to be able to learn more about their story and who they are beyond the classroom. The bonds that I have created with teachers are so special that I wanted to be able to show them through this podcast. I want to show how SLA is able to give students such a special space to be able to connect and feel comfortable with the teachers and staff. I want this to be able to be listened to by students, parents, alumni, and prospective students.

Below is my annotated bibliography, some pictures from recording the episodes, and the 2 official episodes of Teacher Talks!

I hope you enjoy!!

Thank you!!

— Max Blakelock

Max Blakelock - Capstone Annotated Bibliography (1)
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Screen Shot 2022-05-09 at 11.53.31 AM
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Screen Shot 2022-05-10 at 10.41.47 AM

Damilola Akinboro Capstone - Celebrating Nigerian Culture Documentary

My capstone project is a 15-minute documentary about some insight into Nigerian culture and traditions. It doesn’t cover every single aspect, but I tried to include as much as I could within the time frame. The process of this documentary started with planning what the running theme would be, who I should interview, and then the materials needed and where I would go. I also had to keep in mind of the scheduling. Then after filming each interview (which did not happen all at once) I had to begin editing which took weeks to finish. This was not easy, but I was eager to get it done since I’m very passionate about Nigerian culture and video/film production. This video focuses on Nigerian clothing, perspectives, food, and music.

Annotative Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YHfAtxqm3XZ8Dq—VKyXXI2eFihvGo9NEHBan_987Vo/edit?usp=sharing

Miss Gade's Class Pet

Kane Burgos Senior Gasser Advisory Mentor: Gade

Capstone Abstract Some say they hope their capstone will leave behind a legacy. However I know my project will outlive my high school career by about 10 to 20 years. My work consists of two parts: a fully bio active vivarium and a detailed leopard gecko care guide. To be more specific, I am preparing the habitat and instructions for Miss Gade’s class pet! We have been working closely to ensure that the health of the animal is a priority. I have given this animal the best of the best. A fully bioactive vivarium. No paper towel or carpet substrate and no plastic plants. As well as a full set of instructions for Miss Gade and her students; in order to guarantee that, with care, the leopard gecko will be taken care of without having to navigate several care guides, cross reference, and verify in order to give them the best possible life. Below I have linked the other necessary documents.

CARE GUIDE https://docs.google.com/document/d/10rEpva_eFVAiw0AxdWeZW1LK2cS4YUEN1xflf5W_LsU/edit?usp=sharing

BIBLIOGRAPHY https://docs.google.com/document/d/11W00NHBTW4MSz698gFhjFWQAAxTfuKTizLwDIChQr-I/edit?usp=sharing

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Screenshot 2022-05-18 11.34.49 AM

Decoration For Motivation

My name is Vincent Ochwo, and my capstone project,”Decoration For Motivation” was based on the question, “What’s something I can do that could benefit the current, future, and maybe even the past members of the SLA community.” So I came to the conclusion that I wanted to decorate the bare walls around the school with creative paintings. There are fourteen paintings in total, which will have motivational quotes and drawings on them. Members of the SLA community will be able to admire, and be motivated by the paintings I put around the school, even after I graduate. This project features all of the SLA core values, while benefiting the SLA community in a unique way.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18sc6SPRhntWhl5lx_05eYNrYHi7VdV8M9m3Id162hZk/edit?usp=sharing

Capstone Pictures: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W459g5FBnejkQEnMcElYn2POaiG7pJUPsAHkO_93Q4c/edit?usp=sharing

Entrepreneurship: College readiness and career paths

For my Capstone I wanted to create a reference for other students who don’t necessarily know what they want to do with their lives and find programs and also use the programs that I went through to help them find some options that they can use to get through high school and also provide them with some scholarships for college. For my 4 years of high school I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career and I still don’t know and that’s fine and I think that a lot of students get overwhelmed with that so using the programs that I went through can help find them career paths in get them scholarships to go through college.

https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/http-college-careerpath/home

Link to my Annotated Bibliography

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j5CGlwfQhHNyG6PHvIr8CY1AHXiJhhEzZb_8_TD85vQ/edit?usp=sharing