Sergey Kuznetsov Capstone

Development of a Comprehensive Mutational Pannel as an Effective Tool for Personalized Diagnostic of Medullary Thyroid Carcinomas

 

Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC) originates from mutations in calcitonin-producing parafollicular C cells of the thyroid, is a rare malignancy, accounting for 3-4% of all thyroid carcinomas. It occurs in a hereditary form (HMTC, 25%) or in a sporadic form (SMTC, 75%). The prognosis for patients with MTC is poor, as the tumor metastasizes at early stages; and the only curative therapeutic option so far is radical surgery. Genetic analysis helps identify inherited cases at a stage where prophylactic surgery can be offered to carriers of such mutations to prevent the disease. This approach may also be used to determine better treatment options for patients who are already diagnosed with MTC.

The goal of this project was to develop a comprehensive mutational panel for the detection of clinically relevant mutations in MTC samples. A total of 143 mutations (nucleic acid variations) in 8 human genes were selected from numerous papers and public databases and included into the MTC mutational panel. The selection criteria were based on the coding mutations (mutations that occur in the coding area of the genes) that were reported to occur in MTC patients and considered functionally relevant. Some of the mutations included into the MTC mutational panel (such as BRAF gene V600E mutation) were also described in other types of thyroid cancer, but most of the mutations were unique to MTC (such as all RET gene mutations). The entire assay design was carried out using Sequenom's online design tools (ProxSNP and PreXTEND (https://www.mysequenom.com/Tools) and Assay Design software (v. 3.1)).

The final file comprised from 115 assays corresponding to all 143 mutations included into the MTC panel. This file will be further processed using the SEQUENOM® Mass-ARRAY iPLEX® platform for DNA genotyping of clinical samples by the cancer research scientists at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

 




References:

1. Millis, M. (2011, Summer). Medium-Throughput SNP Genotyping Using Mass Spectrometry: Multiplex SNP Genotyping Using the iPLEX® Gold Assay. Springer Protocols, 700. Retrieved August 20, 2012, from http://link.springer.com/protocol/10.1007%2F978-1-61737-954-3_5

This paper discusses and explains the basics of genotyping with the using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry. This was the first paper that I have read right after being given the project. After fully interpreting this paper, I realized that I am going to be able to finish the project on my own. This paper served as a guide to me throughout the process of doing this project, as well as while writing the entire research report. In addition, this paper was used to make sure that I am not saying something that is factually incorrect.

 

2. Gabriel, S., Ziaugra, L., & Tabbaa, D. (2009, January 1). UNIT 2.12 SNP Genotyping Using the Sequenom MassARRAY iPLEX Platform. Current Protocols in Human Genetics.

This paper describes in details the SNP genotyping method based on the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. It includes two step protocol (initial locus-specific PCR reaction, followed by single base extension using mass-modified dideoxynucleotide terminators) an assay structure and how using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identify the SNP allele. The paper is mentioned in the corresponded section of the Introduction.

 

 

3.      Ricarte-Filho, J., Ryder, M., Ghossein, R., Fagin, J., Chitale, D., Rivera, M., et al. (2009, June 1). Mutational Profile of Advanced Primary and Metastatic Radioactive Iodine-Refractory Thyroid Cancers Reveals Distinct Pathogenetic Roles for BRAF, PIK3CA, and AKT1. CANCER RESEARCH. Retrieved July 1, 2012, from

http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/69

The paper describes profiling of 111 mutations in RET, BRAF, NRAS, HRAS, KRAS, PIK3CA, AKT1 genes in clinical poorly differentiated, anaplastic and radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancers. The genotyping method is based on the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. It was shown that RAS mutations were prevalent in primary PDTC, whereas BRAF was more common in metastatic PDTC and ATC. PIK3CA or AKT1 mutations were rare. The paper is mentioned in the corresponded section of the Introduction.

 

4. MEN2 Database. (n.d.). AURP Scientific Resource for Research and Education.. Retrieved July 12, 2012, from http://arup.utah.edu/database/MEN2/MEN2_display.php

This database was only used for its mutations list during the collection phase of the project.

 

5. Human BLAT Search. (n.d.). UCSC Genome Browser. Retrieved August 17, 2012, from http://genome.ucsc.edu/cgi-bin/hgBlat

The Human BLAT database was used for alignment of nucleic sequences. The sequences retrieved from COSMIC were inputted in the BLAT Database to be aligned with the rest of the nucleic sequence, as only a small part of it could be gathered from COSMIC.

 

6. Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer - COSMIC. (n.d.). Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Retrieved July 10, 2012, from http://www.sanger.ac.uk/genetics/CGP/cosmic/

This database was used to retrieve the nucleic sequences that were used as the base to be inputted in the BLAT database. As it is impossible to use BLAT database with only knowing the position of the mutation, COSMIC was used to retrieve the minimal part of the sequence required to find the full nucleic sequence for any particular gene.

 

7. Genetics of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Neoplasias (PDQ®). (n.d.). National Cancer Institute. Retrieved July 12, 2012, from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/genetics/medullarythyroid/HealthProfessional/Table4

This database was only used for its mutations list during the collection phase of the project.

 

8. OMIM Entry - # 171400 - MULTIPLE ENDOCRINE NEOPLASIA, TYPE IIA; MEN2A . (n.d.). OMIM - Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man . Retrieved July 19, 2012, from http://omim.org/entry/171400

This entry was used as the basis of understanding of the MEN 2A syndrome. It talks about the relationship between MTC and diseases such as pheochromocytoma, and about the basics of what MEN 2A syndrome actually is. In addition, it talks about what mutations are associated with the syndrome. It was specifically used for comparison with the MEN 2B and FMTC.

 

9. Jimenez, C., Hu, M. I., & Gagel, R. (2008, Spring). Management of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma. Elsevier Saunders, ?, 15.

This MTC review was the first of many that I have read in the duration of this project. This review provided me with the basic information about MTC without which any attempt at actually finishing this project would have been obsolete. Many parts of the introduction are referred to this paper, as it was very influential. Similarly to many other sources, mutations were taken from this publication during the first phase of the project.

 

10. MacConaill, L Profiling Critical Cancer Gene Mutations in Clinical Tumor Samples. PLoS ONE (2009). http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0007887

This publication was one of many that were used only for its mutations. No part, except for the abstract, which contributed to the overall idea of the research report, has been read.

 

11. Ehsan Alvandi, Seyed Mohammad Akrami, Mohsen Chiani, Mehdi Hedayati, Babak Noori Nayer, Mohammad Reza Mohajeri Tehrani,et al. (2011, April 5). Molecular Analysis of the RET Proto-Oncogene Key Exons in Patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Study of the Iranian Population. Thyroid, 1. Retrieved September 1, 2012, from http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.10

This publication was one of many that were used only for its mutations, and or one small piece of information. No part, except for the abstract, which contributed to the overall idea of the research report, has been read.

 

12. Moura, M., Cavaco, B., Pinto, A., & Leite, V. (2011, February 16). High Prevalence of RAS Mutations in RET-Negative Sporadic Medullary Thyroid Carcinomas. JCEM ONLINE, 95, 6.

This paper has shown a study where 64% of the patients that had Sporadic MTC were found to have a BRAF mutation in position 600. This is very unusual as this mutation is considered to be PTC specific. In addition, this publication has given additional context to this research report. Similarly to many other sources, mutations were taken from this publication during the first phase of the project.

 

13. OMIM Entry - # 162300 - MULTIPLE ENDOCRINE NEOPLASIA, TYPE IIB; MEN2B . (n.d.). OMIM - Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man . Retrieved June 19, 2012, from http://omim.org/entry/162300 

This entry was used as the basis of understanding of the MEN 2B syndrome. It talks about the relationship between MTC and diseases such as pheochromocytoma, and about the basics of what MEN 2B syndrome actually is. In addition, this entry talks about what mutations are associated with the syndrome. It was specifically used for comparison with the MEN 2A and FMTC.

 

14. hybridization, f. i., & (1989), I. e. (n.d.). OMIM Entry - + 164761 - REARRANGED DURING TRANSFECTION PROTOONCOGENE; RET . OMIM - Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man . Retrieved July 19, 2012, from http://omim.org/entry/164761

This entry was used as the basis of understanding MTC, and why the mutations RET gene are found in so many cases of MTC. Unfortunately, as with many other publications, no definitive answer was given. This entry was also used as a guide, to make sure that what I say about mutations in RET gene is factually correct.

 

15. RT-PCR., & (2003), M. e. (n.d.). OMIM Entry - # 155240 - THYROID CARCINOMA, FAMILIAL MEDULLARY; MTC . OMIM - Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. Retrieved July 19, 2012, from http://omim.org/entry/155240

This entry was used as the basis of understanding of the FMTC syndrome. It talks about the relationship between MTC and diseases such as pheochromocytoma, and about the basics of what FMTC syndrome actually is. In addition, this entry talks about what mutations are associated with the syndrome. It was specifically used for comparison with the MEN 2B and MEN 2A.

 

16. Hazard, J., Hawk, W., & Crile, G. (1959, January 1). MEDULLARY (SOLID) CARCINOMA OF THE THYROID—A CLINICOPATHOLOGIC ENTITY. JCEM, 19. Retrieved June 26, 2012, from http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/19/1/152

This publication was the first time MTC was classified. The paper itself was not read by this applicant, however, due to its historic relevance, it was referred to in the first paragraph of the introduction.

 

 

17. Cakir, M., & Grossman, A. (2009, May 25). Medullary Thyroid Cancer: Molecular Biology and Novel Molecular Therapies. Neuro Endocrinology, 25.

This publication, alongside many MTC reviews, was used as the guideline for this research report. Many facts, such as information about Sporadic and Hereditary MTC were confirmed by this publication. Similarly to many other sources, mutations were taken from this publication during the first phase of the project.

Final1

Quinn Platzer Capstone

I’ve been drawing my whole life, and I’m always seeking to improve my art. For years, I’d wanted to draw a long running comic, but I always got distracted and rarely made it past the first couple of pages. I figured that if I drew a comic for my project, I would be more motivated to finish it. Drawing characters in new poses and environments and even clothing would expand my range as an artist. I looked up tips by popular webcomic artists, and observed the over time changes I saw in their artwork. Even in just a little over 30 pages, I have started to see a difference mine. On top of that, I feel a small sense of pride when I get ahead of schedule, which acts as a motivator for me. This ongoing project will continue to be a part of my life after SLA, and I hope to present a compelling story with great art to whomever reads my comic

Smackjeeves site
Teal Reef (accessible on school network)

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle

. "Neuschwanstein Castle." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 19 1 2013. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle>.

Because I’m not very good at designing architecture, my School of Magic required a reference for the exterior view. I looked at several different castles, and this was the one I settled on. Of course the interior is entirely my own, but the exterior is heavily referenced from the images of the Castle. I chose this castle, not only because I thought it looked pretty, but also because I could envision a fictional interior for it. It was similar to Hogwarts in a sense that there was a great dining hall/auditorium. Unlike Hogwarts, I could imagine the rest of the rooms being built around that one large, all-purpose room.


  1. http://smackjeeves.com/

I love using this website. It’s a simple, easy to use webcomic host site, that enables me to have a set time that my comic will update. If I leave for a trip, I can upload multiple comics that will post themselves on time without fail. It also lets me track how many other users have added my comic to their favorites, as well as how many views my comic gets each day. It also allows for colorful, animated banners to be used, which helps attract readers like bees to honey. Whenever I update, people will see that banner on the section called “Most Recent” and will look into it.


  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove_Monitor

. "Varanus indicus." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 16 1 2013. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove_Monitor>.

In designing characters of less common creatures, I often browse the internet for animals that I like the appearance of. When researching the “best friend” character for my comic, I decided I wanted him to be a reptile of some kind. I’m fond of monitor lizards, and I settled on a Mangrove Monitor lizard because I liked their physical appearance. I later regretted choosing an animal with so many spots. Despite that one issue, I really like drawing him. The monitor lizard’s ability to pick up smells with their tongues makes for funny expressions, which helps amuse readers. That habit makes him appear rather adorable.


  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_hyena

. "Spotted Hyena." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 27 1 2013. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_hyena>.

In many of the anthropomorphic comics I read, the main characters are often cats of some sort, or a wolf. In order to avoid this cliché, I selected a hyena. I haven’t regretted my choice, but I occasionally need to reference the markings. One of the other decisions I had to make when choosing a species for my main character, Aldwin, was his personality. I wanted him to be a generally nice guy, but no clique leader. When someone has an idea, he listens. Considering that my “hero team” will have multiple females, this trait suits a hyena, since hyena packs have a matriarch, not a patriarch.


  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Goral

. "Himalayan goral." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 10 1 2013. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Goral>.

For my sidekick, I wanted to choose a very unusual animal. For that, I chose the Himalayan “Grey” Goral, which is related to mountain goats. It suits her headstrong nature and thrill-seeking personality. I also need to frequently research images, since I am still a little unfamiliar with drawing cleft-hoofed animals. I chose the Himalayan Goral specifically because I fell in love with the markings, which translate beautifully. Also because a goat face becomes funny when being expressive. Ulyssa is tough, and quick to anger, and often butts heads with people who want to do things a different way, traits that many associate with goats.


  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mockingbird

. "Northern Mockingbird." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 16 1 2013. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mockingbird>.

While contemplating a more complex character who toes the line between right and wrong, I decided that I don’t see enough anthropomorphic birds in important roles. Even then, most of these characters would be birds of prey. In order to make someone who’s a little more unique, I chose a Northern Mockingbird. There is symbolism in my choice as well. My character starts out being a bad guy, pretending to be a good guy. Mockingbirds are able to mimic the songs of other birds. I still need a lot of reference for drawing her, even though she has yet to make an appearance.


  1. http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/g/giant_sculpture_of_a_scarab.aspx

"Giant sculpture of a scarab beetle." British Museum n.pag.British Museum. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/g/giant_sculpture_of_a_scarab.asp&xgt;.

This is one of the most important components I’ve researched for my comic. I needed a plot, a storyline, and a quest. In fact, the item which the entire comic is built around is based on this statue. The beetle relic with the potential to make the world destroy itself. In fact, I even named the comic “Ye Old Doom Relic” after it. Beetles symbolize creation, and transformation. I take this to new extremes, since that is what my statue was meant to do, allow anyone to shape-shift at will, though its powers became perverted and it uses those abilities to destroy.


  1. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Webcomic

"How to Make a Webcomic." WikiHow. n. page. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Webcomic>.

I needed to to a lot of research before posting my comic. I already knew what site I wanted to use, but I wanted to be ready for anything. The biggest problem I had was picking a plot/story. I didn’t know what I wanted it to be about. I searched all over the web, but I never found any help in that area. I did find some helpful tips though! One of the most common tips I found was to get my comic “out there”, and advertise. This I was able to do without too much trouble, but I’m not exactly reaching my target audience.


  1. http://www.between-worlds.com/tutorials/comic_webcomic_basics.shtml

Fagin, Joel. "Webcomic Basics." Joel Fagin's Tutorial. Between Worlds, n. d. Web. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.between-worlds.com/tutorials/comic_webcomic_basics.shtml>.

I’m including this site as a reference because of the in-depth instructions they provide. They include tips about how to set your comic apart from others, such as tips on how to lay out the comic, or how to avoid clichés. The author collects a bunch of tips that he found off of webcomic forums that are meant to aid comic artists that are stuck and need a bit of help. He also brings up a point that I always try to emphasize. If you’re frustrated with other artists always being better, then keep drawing until you get there.


  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elder_Futhark

. "Elder Furthark." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 27 1 2013. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elder_Futhark>.

Every fantasy comic about magic needs some way to cast spells. Often this includes a fancy magic language. Some people think of some sort of Elven, or latin. I think of runes. Runes are special in their own way, people generally don’t know how to pronounce them. This gives the words a mysterious vibe, and leaves the spells open to interpretation. I also like the shape of the letters. Only after I had used this set of runes in my comic, I discovered that the set of Elven letters that author J.R.R. Tolkien had used in his books was also available.


  1. http://resources.teachnet.ie/mmorrin/norman/town.htm

. "Life in a Medieval Town." Teachnet.ie. N.p.. Web. 1 Feb 2013. <http://resources.teachnet.ie/mmorrin/norman/town.htm>.

A simple description of the sort of things you would find if you jumped into medieval England. It also includes an old painting of a town’s general layout. This includes the position of the castle, how the shops and houses are placed, and even the sort of people you might find there. This is useful for my comic because of how many towns will need to design. One of the most important things I found in this site would be the detailed descriptions of what one of these buildings would look like, as well as what my characters would experience in the process of entering a city.


  1. http://www.facebook.com

On Facebook, I have a decent number of people I know friended. People that I knew from school, family, or friends of family. Social networking sites are useful resources for people like me, even though most of the people I know there are not very into my things. However, sometime people will share my advertisements with their friends, who will potentially be more likely to read my comics than my own friends would. I can post when I update, and I can even share little images and panels from my comic. Though it’s not as effective then an ad on a popular comic’s page, it’s a handy feature.


  1. http://www.tumblr.com

Much like Facebook, Tumblr is a social networking site. Out of the 250+ followers, I only know a couple. Tumblr allows me to share my little clips and panels from my webcomic, but it allows gifs, so my animated banner will continue to cycle on Tumblr when all you see on Facebook is a still from the gif. Tumblr also allows for easy sharing of my comic, since it’s much easier for followers to spread the word then on Facebook. One of my friends, both online and off, had followers that are very into comics and art, and he’s willing to help me promote my comic.


  1. http://www.deviantart.com

When it comes to comic advertising, one of the best places, other than other webcomics, would be an art community website. Deviantart is a place where thousands of users upload tens of thousands of pieces of art all the time. With the amount of activity, it’s not hard to promote your comic. I myself follow, or “watch” users who post comics on Deviantart. It’s a good way to promote your art. I use it to store my character color reference sheets, so that while coloring the comic, I can easily find what I need. I can also find stock and reference images to help me when I need it.


Pauline Garcia Capstone

My name is Pauline Garcia and I am a senior in Science Leadership Academy. For my capstone, I decided to work on the human brain. Knowing that the brain is the control center of our body, I wanted to go through the basic function of how our brain works. Learning the complexity of the human brain, I used my time every Wednesday to learn its functions. The reason why I picked this subject for my capstone is because I wanted to pursue a career in Neurology. I figured out that since I would love to be a neurologist in the future or in medical field, I might as well start early and learn about the basic functions of the human brain. Throughout the whole year of learning, I gathered twenty pages of information about the functions of the brain. It has been a rollercoaster ride trying to understand and learn the complexity of our brain but it was all worth it.

Snippet of the whole research paper

Bibliography

Freudenrich, Craig, and Robynne Boyd. "How Your Brain Works." HowStuffWorks. How Stuff Works?, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/brain3.htm>.

This site helped me understand and review how each parts of the brain functions. The articles have 10 pages worth of information from the four main parts of the brain to the brain stem and why they are water in the brain. It only doesn’t focus on one part of the brain but also link the information with the smaller parts. This website is really helpful to me because I feel like I should just format my project like this. Make a website and let all the information live in there for the sake of other people who are also interested with the human brain. 
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"Human Brain Structure." Human Brain Structure. News Medical, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.news-medical.net/health/Human-Brain-Structure.aspx>.
I actually like this site because it have so much more articles that I can choose from about the brain.  It talks about the structure, diseases, cures, and the little parts of the brain. It’s a great website to gather basic information about the brain. They’re not as detailed like my first source was but it still do the job because I can still add more simple explanation about the brain which is going to be awesome because everyone can understand it.
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"Neurological Control." Brain Explorer. Lundbeck Institute, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.brainexplorer.org/neurological_control/Neurological_Neurotransmitters.shtml>.
This is more about the neurotransmitters and which are the excitatory and inhibitory. This information helps me to explain further information about the brain and how it works. I can’t talk about the nerves of the brain if i’m not going to talk about the neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are the signals and the ones that keeps up hyper or calm so I wanted to add these information in my project.
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"What Can You Do Without a Brain?" YouTube. YouTube, 24 Oct. 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3teflb1QNN4>.
Another video but this is not really a primary resource. Anyway, this video is pretty cool because it talks about what would happen if we do not have a brain. It also gives examples about animals and insects who lived even then it doesn’t have any heads. In addition, he  also explained why it worked and how it will not work.
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"Brain Diseases."
WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/brain/brain-diseases?page=2>.

I would like to add brain diseases and how they are triggered or how they are affecting the brain. Adding this to my project will be great because it will show how the brain function when there are something wrong with it. I would also like to point out the different parts of the brain that are affected depending to the diseases.
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Vermillion, Franchesca. "A List of Fatal Human Brain Diseases." LIVESTRONG.COM. Dr. Franchesca Vermillion, 13 Mar. 2011. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/106901-list-fatal-human-brain-diseases/>.
I wanted to add the most fatal brain diseases and the incurable ones so that people knows what’s going to happen and the further research that the scientists  are doing. I think this will be helpful in my project because I am making people aware of these diseases and maybe letting them know how to prevent these illnesses, at least.
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PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/3d/>.
I actually like this site because it gives me different views of the brain. The other brain anatomy video that I have is great but I feel like it’s also messy because it’s a real human brain that they’re working with. For this one, its more polished and distinct on the parts. It’s nice to have the best of both worlds so I wanted to add this site to the things that i wanted to use because it is distinct.
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Bailey, Regina. "Anatomy of The Brain." About.com Biology. About.com, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://biology.about.com/od/humananatomybiology/a/anatomybrain.htm>.
I actually like this site because it have so much more articles that I can choose from about the brain.  It talks about the structure, diseases, cures, and the little parts of the brain. It’s a great website to gather basic information about the brain. They’re not as detailed like my first source was but it still do the job because I can still add more simple explanation about the brain which is going to be awesome because everyone can understand it.
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"Â anatomy of the Brain." Brain Anatomy. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-AnatBrain.htm>.
I actually like this site because it gives me different views of the brain. The other brain anatomy video that I have is great but I feel like it’s also messy because it’s a real human brain that they’re working with. For this one, its more polished and distinct on the parts. It’s nice to have the best of both worlds so I wanted to add this site to the things that i wanted to use because it is distinct.
 

Dylan Cordivari - Capstone

Process Paper:

For this project I wanted to test my limits as a director, actor, writer and camera worker. I wanted to emphasize my leadership skills in a way that would not only help myself but help and benefit others and those around me. When this project started I had many visions that would and would not come to pass, but I never let that stop me. During the capstone process I created and designed my own production company with my own notorious crew of misfits making films and learning how to better our skills. We started out sophomore year as some friends with basic knowledge of film and the heart to keep learning. By the time I got to senior year I was looked up to in film by a lot of the under class intro students, so i took it upon myself as part of representing Bad Habbit' to SAT in my spare time for Herman's digital video intro class. I try to teach even the kids that aren't in my ILP that I instruct. With that being addressed I have strained to teach anyone who needs film help despite not having the time or energy to do so. I have been working hard to make films by writing, directing, filming and acting with Jesús, Joseph, Steven and Jenny. Aside from teaching, learning and making films we also wanted to try being more professional and scored ourselves our first film job where we filmed a party event for a company that holds parties and vacations for the mentally disabled. We filmed the whole event and edited a video for them to use and hand out to their customers and future customers. This gave me a lot of confidence in film and was something that made me strive even more for my future film career. 


    In the end I chose this as my capstone because it was a huge part of my life and my life as a student as SLA, without which I would never have started on the path of film. The project just sort of spoke to me, I wanted to teach and learn and make films that I could show people and be proud of. When i set out to do this project all I wanted was recognition for not just myself, but also for my crew. I wanted us to be known as the kids who were good with film and could help teach and train others to do the same. I chose this because it worked and was something I had been working on extremely hard and making it my capstone gave me more room to work on it and make it an even bigger thing that what it was when we started. The goal of this for me was to simply make something out of nothing and create something I was proud of. This project was not easy we ran into fights and other issues along the way, but we all came out of it having worked hard and created something great that we plan to continue to work on both in and out of SLA with and without rough cut through out our time together over the next few years. 


When it comes to the core values of SLA I think my capstone did a good job of covering all of them at once. Inquiry in our ability to strive to continue to learn film throughout the whole process, Research in the loads of reading, watching videos and learning hands on about film and the things i searched for for inspiration, Collaboration is evident from the shared capstone I had with Jesús as well as the students we worked with and taught, Presentation in the fact that we created videos that were presented to the public and shared all over social media and reflection in the fact that after we finished each film we talked about what we could improve or innovate so when we went to film our next work it would be better and would show that we are also getting better. This capstone was for us and also the students of SLA. 


When we set about creating this capstone I had already been working with the ILP and making films for two years so I had a very good idea of what I wanted to do. First was our company workers. I had to recruit a crew and that was going to be simple. I had Joe Tartaglia as my co-director, Jesús as my partner/ co-founder as well as chief editor, Jenny Cruz as my make-up and costume design and Steven Webb as one of my star actors as well as various extras. My next step was research for inspiration and skills. When inspiration struck Jesús and I would sit down and design a story and script after we finished this process we brought it to the crew and got ready to create our film we then went through pre-production and production phases. During post production jesús and I would sit down to edit our footage. Once we had a final product I would upload it to youtube.com Facebook as well as various other social media. This was our process through the year and on the side i would teach small lessons for choreography and film work to the crew so they knew what they were doing as well. This was a process throughout the year.


Throughout this process we encountered a lot of obstacles the ones that really hindered us were the amount of school work we had making a imbalance in time to work on the project. We also had an issue with teenage drama that did make for some very difficult working conditions. We also had a problem with technical issues that put us behind for time. We needed to fix these issue unfortunately we couldn't stop the course load of work so we decided to incorporate our digital video assignments with our company so we could have access to more people and better ideas. When it came down to drama we had to replace certain people or let people leave temporarily until things were better and finally for the technical issue we had to back up our files better and put a better lock down on our software and footage to keep it safe. 


When i was trying to complete my capstone I had to work hard and find lots of different things to help me as I went along. This was hard because I hate working really hard and its not always easy to find the right resources. I had to find something to help me with ideas and motivate me to keep doing what I was doing and although I found a bunch of small stuff along the way it seemed nearly impossible to find it. That s when it finally hit me and I had realized my best resource was right under my nose the whole time. I loved to watch Rooster Teeth Productions' videos and CG work as well as their podcasts and buy their merchandise. They were the perfect example of what I wanted our company to be like. They started as a bunch of video game playing friends that got together and made films using their video games and from there they went on to become famous and sell tons of their stuff as well as please a giant audience of viewers. I researched everything that they did over time so I could stay inspired and continue to aspire. 


The things I am most proud of about this capstone are my fellow students that I watched work super hard and get better and better as the year went by. This made me feel good about myself and the project because the thing I really cared about in this project was to make film and to help those around me do so as well. I learned so much from this process about myself and film and art as well as that with work, friendship and the mindset to do something anything is possible.  If I could do this project again I would have strived to not let drama get into the way of our work and I would have tried harder to please those around me so they had a easier fun time with the film we produced. SLA may not exactly be a better place because of me but I feel as if i brought at least some type of memorable flare to my work and to my friends around me and that is really all I care about. I hope that in doing this project I would have made more students comfortable making films and maybe even inspired some people to make films as much as I do. 

  

 Abstract:

  For this capstone I had a vision and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Although a lot of things changed during this process the hopes and dreams of my peers and I never faded. We set out sophomore year as two art students with a bunch of ridiculous ideas in our heads, Jesús and I built the show Dylan's dumpster and not long after with it a free form digital video ILP. We created a show and built up a cast. Once I realized that I was capable of making something like that I set out on a career path that no once has been able to stop me in. I work hard to press my limits in film and created my best work possible. I decided to team up with Jesús for a new project and once we built Members Only productions, he left and I had to build a new cast. Joseph Tartaglia helped me achieve this goal and became my new partner. Together we created and whole new line of short films and trailers for our audience amusement. That was the entirety of my sophomore and junior year. Senior year I still had the same dream and Joe had become just as motivated as me. I wanted to make a capstone that would be inclusive and would produce great work. Together with Jesús and Joe I set out to make Bad Habbit' productions our new company. We started making some new films right away that grew from digital video and our ILP sessions with other students. We filmed our trailer for a zombie film called complication Z to start up our new year and that became a great success to us. We filmed all over the city in random woods and abandon train track to in houses and school. I pushed my limits with my ability to work the camera to almost a perfection. I even make sure as part of representing my company that I take away my x2 lunch on occasion to help SAT Mr. Herman's digital video intro class. I like to teach as well as work in every other field of the job so I took this year to take up everything at least once. I worked with make up, directing, acting, filming, editing, stunts, prop making, choreography and script writing. This was a challenge but I loved every minute of it and teaching it to those around me made me feel even better. That was what I set out to do for this capstone I wanted to teach film while at the same time prove that with help I can produce a whole lot of funny and credible films. I do have visions for the future of coming back to further help teach when I have free time and helping joe run Bad Habbit' from the outside while he keeps the ILP running for the underclassmen including Marshal woodruff who will possibly be our future chief editor to take over for jesús if he accepts our offer. We wanted him to feel welcome in a community of film students that want to make films with him as well as Joe who will be taking over for me and some other future juniors as well as hopefully some sophomores that may be interested. This as well as our outside business working professional jobs is off to a great start, but it is still only a start we have worked hard this year and I have strived to make this as perfect as I could and I am very proud of the work my team has made and of my capstone's message and affect in digital video classes. 

Capstone Products:

- ​Cordivari , Dylan, dir. Cray-4: Regaining the fame. Bad Habbit' Productions , 2012. Film.  May 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9EqyXperkE>.

Cordivari , Dylan, dir. Complication Z. Bad Habbit, 2012. Film.  May 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu_bV25u2TY>.

Cordivari , Dylan, dir. Grande getaways: Christmas Party. Bad Habbit, 2013. Film.  May 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcskgtSF4Es>.

Cordivari , Dylan, dir. Joe's Fantastic day: Part 2. Bad Habbit, 2013. Film.  ay 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q7KhyJGZO4>.\

Cordivari , Dylan, dir. A love found is a love lost. Bad Habbit, 2013. Film.  May 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGhxXfu62VM>. 

Cordivari , Dylan . "Bad Habbit's Productions channel."Itschannel69. Bad Habbit's Productions , n. d. Web. May. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/user/ItsChannel69>.


Bibliography:

"Film Job info." FIlm Job Info. N.p.. Web.  January 2013. <http://filmjob.info/>.

"Professional Careers in Cinema Production in Portugal: Different Contexts, Generations and Gender."gender-research.net. Portuga- Film Production . Web. May 2013. <http://www.gender-research.net/web/files/53/en/CB_FP_Portugal.pdf>.

Mitchell, Angela. "Stage Makeup 101." about.com. N.p.. Web. January 2013. <http://performingarts.about.com/od/Industry-Tips/ht/Stage-Makeup-101.htm>.

Miller, Gerri. ""Stunt and Fighting Choregraphy."Entertainment.Howstuffwork.com. N.p.. Web. march 2013. <http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/inside-3005.htm>.

"Basics of Screen writing." Movieoutline.com. N.p.. Web.  April 2013. <http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/scriptwriting-for-beginners-learning-the-basics-of-screenwriting.html>.

"Basic Acting techniques." ace-your-audition.com. Night Owl Media, LLC.. Web. May 2013. <http://www.ace-your-audition.com/acting-techniques.html>.

"Basics of Camera work ." indie-film-making.com. N.p.. Web. May 2013. <http://www.indie-film-making.com/basic-video-camera-technique/>.

"Making short films." making-short-films. N.p.. Web. May 2013. <http://www.making-short-films.com/>.

"10 tips for designing a logo that doesn't suck."Designshack.com. N.p.. Web. May 2013. <http://designshack.net/articles/inspiration/10-tips-for-designing-logos-that-dont-suck/>.

"Saturday Night Live." nbc.com. NBC. Web.  May 2013. <http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/ source=Reso_SNL_AlwaysOn&hcoref=search&WT.srch=Google&mkwid
=C3Hx6zfD|pcrid|22553084904|pkw|snl|pmt|e>.







Matthew Rinaldi Capstone

​Link: http://www.mightypost.org/one-small-step-for-the-vgas/

Abstract: I've only recently discovered my passion for writing. I know I wanted to further improve my skills as a writer, but I didn't really know the right steps to take. That is where the Mighty Post comes in. It is an outlet in which I can write what I wanted to write most about: video games. The Mighty Post has not only helped with improving my techniques as a writer, but it has taught me the experience and skill set that is required to help me break into the field of journalism. Throughout the year I have been in the Mighty Post, I have slowly built up a portfolio of my work which exists on the website. Through this project, I want to show people to never doubt there dreams and aspirations. Video game journalism is something that is still scoffed at by many people due to the focal point of video games. But this is where my passion lies and though I'm taking small steps to get there (by joining the Mighty Post), I'm taking the right steps. 

Tenzin Ngawang Capstone

Abstract: 

My goal for the capstone was to pick 3-5 diseases that I wanted to go in depth with. The diseases had to be common and something that I can acquire a lot of information about. My final product is this website/blog. This blog includes everything that I have learned through out my research. It is all facts. The diseases that I studied are Diabetes, Tuberculosis, Schizophrenia, and HIV/AIDs. Each site includes statistics, what it is/what it does to the patient, whether it is curable or not, what can a person do to prevent it, its' symptoms, current researches, caring tips, what that person's diet should look like, and whether it is contagious or not, etc.


http://highschoolepidemiologisttenzinngawang.blogspot.com/

Mathew Walker Capstone

Student Name:
 Mathew Walker

In school mentor’s name:
 Mark Miles

 

 

Topic Summary:

 The goal of this project was to help me develop a better understanding of my future major, and also to show my current knowledge on the topic of computer science to see where I am going to be when I enter college. What I did was I created a game via the program processing which is a coding program that codes on java. What I learned during this process is that it is not always easy to stick to your original idea. As I went through the project I was learning a bunch of new coding material that I did not know and trying to take all that and apply all in one year was a little difficult. So I created a game that was not like my original idea but I did this because the game that I was able to produce in the end took some of the new knowledge that I learned and apply it. My original idea was to make a side scrolling adventure game such as the game Zelda but a lot of things such as drawing the maps and writing different coding functions for changing the map were slightly difficult. So in my end product, which was a maze, I was able to take the drawing maps and apply it. I also learned that you do not need fancy graphics to make a game fun because when I let my friends test it out everybody surrounded my computer trying to beat the game, which I am proud of.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: 
Here


PROCESS PAPER:
Here

FINAL PRODUCT:

Download This: Game

and Processing





 




Ruben Burenstein Capstone

Student Name:

Ruben Burenstein


Mentor: 

Mark Bey


Summary:

The goal of this project is to provide extra help for students who seemed to be having trouble in a Spanish 2 class. 



Abstract

 I was inspired to make this my capstone because wavering interest in education. Since I started learning Spanish I liked it, and decided that if I were to teach a subject it would be Spanish. During freshman and sophomore year I thought that I wanted to be a teacher, but then during junior year my opinion changed. After finding out that I would be the SAT for a Spanish 2 class I thought that this would be a good opportunity to see what teaching a small group of kids would be like. I soon realized that I would not just help the students on their work, but also help reinforce their core understanding. To do this I had to re acquaint myself with the topics that they were learning, as well as research teaching techniques. For the project I did small activities, and created worksheets with the intent of improving the understanding of the Spanish language. Researching how to be an effective teacher has given be a better understanding of what I should do in teaching situations, and given me methods on how to clearly display information to students. 



Following are links to pictures of the worksheets that the kids I taught completed, as well as other worksheets that were made, but there are no pictures of the kids doing them. There were also many days where I held activities and don't have physical proof of the work completed on those days. The descriptions for completed worksheets are below the pictures, so you may have to scroll down. 





CPaganCapstone

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Screen Shot 2013-05-30 at 11.29.03 PM
​Student Name

Cheyenne Pagan

Mentors

Stephanie Dunda, Jean Marie, Dr. Mecky

Topic Summary

To tutor and introduce science to children at the after school program TIMBA.

Abstract

In the beginning of my senior year, with the help of a few teachers, I was matched up with a non-profit organization by the name of Palms Solutions. In the rectory of a small West Philadelphia community church, Palms Solutions hosts an after school program called TIMBA that caters to helping African American children connect back to their African roots while also helping the young students to practice and develop their math and reading skills. My connection with Palms Solutions consisted of volunteering as a tutor for TIMBA. In addition to tutoring in math, it was my intention to also bring science to the learning environment and even perform a few experiments with the children all the while incorporating the math that they were reviewing in their tutoring sessions. However, through a few scheduling difficulties I was unable to accomplish all of the goals that I had set for my partnership with the program. Despite this, I did manage to perform one experiment with the children that worked petri plates and culturing bacteria. Overall, over the course of my capstone I gained volunteer, tutoring, teaching, and coordinating experience that I had not previously had. 



Annotated Bibliography


Stephanie Dunda


Jean Marie


Doctor Mecky


Eric S. Weinberg ( Biology of Human Diseases ) Penn arts and sciences


Science Bob. (n.d.). Make your own volcano. Retrieved from http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/volcano.php


To begin thinking about my proposed experiment I researched the simple volcano experiment. This source breaks the steps down easily and includes a video.


Vinegar baking soda explanation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/3347/vinegar bsoda4.html


This source is an explanation of the reaction between baking soda and vinegar. It explains what happens and what each step of the reaction is caused by.


Schultz, J. (n.d.). Vinegar and baking soda. Retrieved from http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem99/chem99096.htm

The baking soda and vinegar formula. This also includes the balanced formula and the formulas for each reaction.


How to make a volcano -the improved no mache or plaster way [Web]. (2008). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWZW4FeHHbU


Video instruction for how to create a model volcano.


Koralek , D., & Collins, R. (n.d.). Tutoring strategies for the primary grades. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/113/

Originally


Four habits of highly effective math teaching. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/teaching.php


This source is that talks about the strategies that one person could use to teach children math. This helps in my capstone process because the majority of my time has been and will be spent tutoring children in various grades.

Science experiments for kids . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html


Allen Yang Capstone

My senior capstone was a 6 week long Astronomy Mini-Course that consisted of me and the involvement of two classmates (Matthew Ginnetti & Winston Wright). The whole idea originates from a separate, yet long term astronomy project that all three of us are involved in. It's taken place at The Franklin Institute for the past four years and we decided to take the initiative to tackle some of the more popular topics in the recent decade. Each of us taught a class of about 15-18 freshmen on our topic, twice in six weeks during Wednesdays. I was responsible for the topic of "Exobiology" and I gave them all a 90 minute lesson through a Keynote presentation that I created myself. Research and everything was done beforehand, in order to create the presentation. All citations are also included inside the Keynote/PDF. I found it to be pretty fun, all three of us could agree that astronomy is section of science is often times misconstrued and that's due to a lack of interest. That's one of our main reasons behind why we decided to create a Mini-Course.


Process Paper (Link): Click Here

Below will be the presentation (click on it to view in a different window) and pictures of which we took during some of these mini-courses that were in process.

Introduction to Exobiology
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2013-02-27 15.11.47

Matthew Ferry Capstone

Student Name:

Matthew Ferry


In school mentors’ names:

Brad Latimer, Jeremy Spry


Out-of-school mentor’s name and affiliation:

Fred Brown, Assistant Track and Field/XC Coach at Germantown Friends School


Topic Summary:

The goal of this project was to develop a deeper understanding of long-distance running plans and athlete development, blending these together to provide athletes training plans unique to their needs.


Project Abstract:

This project was inspired by my senior year cross country season, when I was responsible for creating training plans for myself and several other athletes. Although I have created training plans for myself in the past, this was the first time I was responsible for creating training plans for others. This not only required me to research the fundamentals of training, but also to learn each athlete’s unique strengths and weaknesses. I worked with Fred Brown, an assistant-coach at Germantown Friends School, whose program has been very successful (having one or more national qualifier every season). Working with Coach Brown I learned the importance of communication and inquiry in creating athlete specific training. As a result of this project, I was able to further my understanding of individualized coaching methods. I hope to continue this work both as an aspiring coach and by sharing my findings with the runners at SLA. 


http://ferryrunning.weebly.com/index.html





Greene, L., & Pate, R. (2004). Training for young distance runners. (2nd ed.). Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics.


Daniels, J. (2007). Daniels' running formula. (2nd ed.). Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics.


Cabral, D. (n.d.). Donn cabral training plan [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.running2win.com/community/DonnCabral.asp?m=dbhc8996&k=donnstraining


Flotrack. (n.d.). Workout wednesday [Theater]. Available from http://www.flotrack.org/page/workout-Videos


Horwill, F. [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/crash-training-can-be-applied-to-all-sports-where-fitness-is-a-major-factor-743?


Marquardt, C. (2012). Workout log: cmarqq [Web]. Retrieved from http://merv.stanford.edu/Workouts?name=cmarqq


Salazar, A. (Performer) (2013). Alberto salazar on galen's 3:50 mile race at bu [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/250010-2013-BU-Terrier-Invitational/video/685963-Alberto-Salazar-on-Galens-350-mile-race-at-BU


Fritzius, J. (2012, December 31). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.flotrack.org/blog/44207-My-12-running-reflections-of-2012


Bloom, M. (2011, August 27). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.runnersworld.com/high-school-training/5k-confidential


Barker, S. (2012, March 29). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.runnersworld.com/high-school-training/filly-funk


OldPost. (2002, October 14). Pure speed(finishing kick)- the best way to improve it read more: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=27488&thread=27488


Wejo. (2003, June 21). How does wejo run 7:00 miles all day, then run 28:06??? [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=152890&thread=152890


Gaudette, J. (2012, July 05). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/speed-base


McMillan, G. (n.d.). Training paces. Retrieved from http://www.mcmillanrunning.com


Cacciola, S. (2012, September 20). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444032404578006274010745406.html


J.Pullins, A. Wallace, K. Hudson, J. Landham: How to Lie With Statistics (Chapters 6-10)

Below are Chapters 6-10 of How to Lie with Statistics.

The podcasts are in order below.

*Note: Does not work on Google Chrome. Please click in place for the podcast to start.







Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapters 9-10

Cyndi Lynn Sheridan Capstone

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Screen Shot 2013-05-22 at 7.41.24 PM
Name: Cyndi Lynn Sheridan

Mentor: Mr. Sunil Reddy



Capstone Summary:


The goal of this project was to organize a drive where students were able to donate old items that would be sent directly to a No Kill Animal Shelter in New Jersey in order to enhance the living environment of neglected and sickly animals.


Project Abstract:


There were two experiences that truly inspired this project which included volunteering at the Philadelphia Zoo for four years and completing my ILP at the Philadelphia Animal Hospital. These involvements intensified my interest for not improving the lives of animals through cleaning and enrichment. I decided to do this capstone because it revolves around my particular career interest and shows my dedication to strengthening animals’ lives. My main goal was to make my event well known throughout the city of Philadelphia so that the final result is exceeding initial expectations. Obviously, I really had to push myself past the difficulties I encountered each quarter in order to make sure I was staying on track with completely my project. As a result of this project, I was able to understand the issue of animal homelessness and ways to reduce the number of animals that enter shelters each year. I gained a deeper understanding on how the No-Kill Animal Shelter operates and its desperate need for donations in order to continue providing medical assistance and housing to innocent animals. Thankfully with the help of Stanton Elementary School, I was able to receive a vast majority of the items I requested to be donated. This makes me smile because I know that from this drive I was able to make a huge difference to the lives of those animals suffering. Additionally, by holding a few bake sales in school I was able to utilize the money earned and buy any extra items at the local PetSmart in South Philadelphia. One thing I am truly disappointed by was the amount of donations I received from SLA students. There was definitely a lack of help from my peers which hurts considering I have been attending school with them since freshman year.


Click HERE to view my process paper and annotated bibliography as well.

Michael Sanders Capstone

Newscast

Abstract

For my capstone I basically made a bunch of newscast that talked about current events. I was part of the MightyPost program and so I needed to attract teens using the media. I was the producer,writer, director editor and the anchor. I decided to do this because I really enjoy working with media. When I was a kid I wanted to be a news anchor for sports but now my dreams had changed and I want to be behind the scenes. I am going to major in Telecommunications which is the behind the scenes broadcasting, as well as behind the scenes for all media connection, like the internet for example. Like I said my goal was to attract teens so some videos were about current events and others were about stories that teens would love or find interesting. I do enjoy editing the films the most because I can present my creativity which is fun and somewhat relates to my current major.

Sources





Bibliography


Stephens, Mitchell. "A Short History of News." Center of Media Literacy. Center for Media Literacy, n.d. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/short-history-news>.


This source is about the history of news. It talks about how news have influenced people. This is just a basic outline that shows me what works in the news. I used it for a basic outline of presenting my news.


Deahl, Rachel. "The News Media ." About.com. N.p.. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://mediacareers.about.com/od/mediacareers12/a/PrintJournoHist.htm>.


This site talks about what is Journalism. It gives a brief information on how journalism is used. I used this to get some information on the topic of Journalism. I also learn the different kinds of journalism


"Television the history." Thinkquest.org. N.p.. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://library.thinkquest.org/18764/television/history.html>.


This shows the history of television. It shows how television affects people lives and how the a visual reference of the news affects Americans. I used it as a reference guide so that I could relate my videos to the ones like on Television


Hopibkins, Russ. "A Brief History of Digital Media." Organic.com. Organic, Inc, 13 Oct 2009. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://threeminds.organic.com/2009/10/a_brief_history_of_digital.html>.


This is website talks about the history of digital media. I mostly used the article for finding what the old times used digital media for. I learned what was successful and what was not successful. Some parts of the website also had some statistics and I used the statistics to see what works in America and what doesn't


"Tips on how to make a video news report." BBC News. BBC, 29 Jan 2010. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/resources_for_teachers/8472052.stm>.


This was a tips page on specifically how to make a newscast. It is very basic but very informative. Although it is not exactly what I wanted to do it still gave me tips on preparing filming and editing all of my information. I learned what the basics were for production and pre production.


Rogers, Tony. "A (Brief) History of Print Journalism in America." About.com. About.com. Web. 31 Jan 2013.<http://journalism.about.com/od/ethicsprofessionalism/a/printhistory.htm>


This is another website giving me information on journalism in general. It gives examples on how journalism has affect people in history. They even give some examples from the 1800s and what works and what doesn’t work. It mostly talks about print journalism but I can relate it to digital media.


Bias. 2012. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://www.newseum.org/digital-classroom/video/bias/de>


This was a video on the web from the Newsuem. It basically talks about what is bias and what is not bias. It teaches me what are some effects I have if something i biased. Since I want to be a little bias to make my newscast stand out but I learned how it will effect my viewers.


Digital Revolution. 2011. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://www.newseum.org/digital-classroom/video/digital-revolution/default.asp&xgt;.


This showed how digital media has changed throughout the 19th century. It is basically like the other websites but this video includes more interviews and gives me a visual appearance. I used some techniques and other strategies to help figure out how to make my newscast stand out.


Kahn Frank J., ed. Documents of American Broadcasting, fourth edition (Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1984).


This was a book I found in the library that basically gives media examples of broadcasting. I didn’t really read the full book I just skimmed it over. It basically had some examples of broadcasting. I’m comparing my work to their work.


" Antique Replica Console Radios & TV's." DCW Antique Replica . DCW Trading Company - DCWStore.com Jukeboxes, Radios & Phonographs. , n.d. Web. 31 Jan 2013. <http://www.dcwstore.com/console-radios-and-tv.htm>.


This website shows more information on broadcasting in general and how it has affected people in American history. It shows some strengths and some weaknesses. I learned some history on the TV and Radio news in the 20th century. It was another website I used to relate my newscast to.


"AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY."museum.tv. The Museum of Broadcast Communications, n.d. Web. 1 Feb 2013. < http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=americanbroa>.


This talks about the ABC specifically and how they run their digital news. IT talks about the history of ABC and what struggles ABC goes through. This only gives me some insight on what mistakes I can try to avoid in making my newscast. I also just learned some new information on the Broadcasting station.


Montgomery, Kathryn C.. "Journal Issue: Children and Computer Technology." Future of Children. Princton, n.d. Web. 1 Feb 2013. <http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=45&articleid=206§ionid=1348>.


This was a PDF file that shows how digital media affects children in general. Since the website Mightypost is specifically for high school students, I wanted to see what attracts them and what turns them off. It was another website with information to help make my newscast better.


Goldsmith, John R.. "Epidemiologic Evidence of Radiofrequency Radiation (Microwave) Effects on Health in Military, Broadcasting, and Occupational Studies." Ingenta Connect. Maney Publishing. Web. 1 Feb 2013. <http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maney/oeh/1995/00000001/00000001/art00009>.


This was a research paper made by a student on radiation and how it affects broadcasting. Although the title made sound pointless it actually gave me information on international broadcasting. Although I only read the abstract, not the full paper because the full paper cost money. I used the information when I am making a script for the newscast.


Williams, David. 28 Jan 2013. Jan . Print.


I go to meetings with Dave every Monday and Wednesday. What I talk about with him are some topics I could use for the newscast that current week. On Wednesdays Dave is there helping me film and gives me constructive criticism on my videos. He also gives me a newspaper to find some interesting news.


"CNN." N.p., n. d. Web. Web. 1 Feb. 2013. <http://www.cnn.com/>.


This is just a plain website that I receive most of my stories from. I believe CNN is a great news source that talks about the top news while not being as biased like most websites. Most of the stories I do for the newscast, comes from CNN. I give my interpretation of the stories and explain them during my newscast.


Capstone - Film Portfolio

​http://hizeus.portfoliobox.me/portfolio

Abstract
Since sophomore year, I've been exploring the art of cinematography. This year, I wanted to explore even further and make a variety of different films that could showcase my skills and progress through in film. In order to start off my career in film, I decided to create a film portfolio documenting films I've worked on during my senior year. I've also included writing samples from scripts that I have worked on, and also a little artist statement to go along with each video. This portfolio will work as a base for my future endeavors as I venture into the real world.

Bibliography

"Cinematography.com - Community, Education, News and Resources for Cinematographers." Cinematography.com - Community, Education, News and Resources for Cinematographers. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. <http://www.cinematography.com/>.

Hess, John P.. "FilmmakerIQ.com." FilmmakerIQ.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. <http://filmmakeriq.com/>.

"IMDb - Movies, TV and Celebrities." IMDb - Movies, TV and Celebrities. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/>.

"Revision3 > Film Riot." Revision3: The Best TV Shows on the Internet. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. <http://revision3.com/filmriot>.

"The DSLR Cinematography Guide - NoFilmSchool." NoFilmSchool. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. <http://nofilmschool.com/dslr/>.

"VIDEO COPILOT | After Effects Tutorials, Plug-ins and Stock Footage for Post Production Professionals." VIDEO COPILOT | After Effects Tutorials, Plug-ins and Stock Footage for Post Production Professionals. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. <http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/>.

Vineyard, Jeremy, and José Cruz. Setting up your shots: great camera moves every filmmaker should know. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1999. Print.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. McElhenney, Rob, Glenn Howerton Howerton, Charlie Day, Michael Rotenberg, Nick Frenkel, and Tom LoFaro. FX. 2005. Television.

Seinfeld. David, Larry, Benjamin Scott, Howard West, George Shapiro, Andrew Scheinman, Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Berg, and Jeff Schaffer. NBC. 1989. Television.

Daniels, Greg, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein, Ben Silverman, Paul Lieberstein, Jennifer Celotta, B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, Brent Forrester, and Dan Sterling, prods. The Office. NBC. NBC, 24 Mar. 2005. Television.

Michaels, Lorne, prod. Saturday Night Live. Dir. Don R. King. NBC. NBC, 11 Oct. 1975. Television.

Brown, Sam, Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore, Darren Trumeter, and Timmy Williams, prods. The Whitest Kids U' Know. AMC. Fuse, 20 Mar. 2007. Television.

Clement, Jermaine, and Bret McKenzie. Flight of The Concords. Flight of The Concords. Mickey Petralia, 2008. CD.

Red Vs. Blue. Rooster Teeth. N.d. Roosterteeth.com. 01 Apr. 2003. Web. <http://roosterteeth.com/>.

Foster, Gary, Russ Krasnoff, Dan Harmon, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Neil Goldman, and Garrett Donovan, prods. Community. NBC. NBC, 17 Sept. 2007. Television.


Loren Jenkins 2013 Capstone

​Loren Jenkins
SLA first offical Pep squad
(Dance and Step)
Mentor: Jasmine Taborn
Advisor: Zoe Siswick

As a founder, coach, and choreographer of SLA’s first Pep Squad, I can gladly say it was all worth it. I have been working on this team for my capstone, and own interest purposes. It’s been 2 years working on this club, and I have gained many exposure such as responsibility and patience. In order to be successful in an time consuming club you also learn how to manage time with school work and your personal life. These were just a few skills that I can for sure say better me to help me mature as a young women. 

During these two years of conducting pep squad we have became very successful. Both years were full of excitement with shows and contest. Especially, this year 2013 with the step team  and SLA first ever step show which happened to be more than a great success.  I have been preparing for this time for awhile, and the prepping was all worth it. Practices were held on Monday and Thursday or every day if we had a show coming up. They usually last for 2 hours. 

As a reflection to this I have created a strong sisterhood between each member and each member has created a sisterhood with each other. I was proud to see the eagerness, and the maturity developed that helped among all of us. I was glad to have brought girls from all ages, and grades from SLA to participate together in a positive youthful cub. I am thankful for all of my supporters, and mentors who were able to guide me while I was riding this road. I am excited to see what I have left here at SLA to become when I am gone.

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Annotated Bib


"Zeta Sigma University of Huston ." delta Sigma Theta History. Delta Sigma Theta, 2012. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.uhdeltas.com/dsthistory.html>.

- This link can be used to help create my timeline. It also has a lot of data that can help me create a good blog.I can put this on a prezi to help make this timeline also. This information is helpful because it also tells me where it begins and the dates. It also helps with the places that it was created in.


. "Delta Sigma Theta Sorority INC." History,Founders, Programs, and Leadership. N.p., 2012. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.deltasigmatheta.org/>.

-  This website is helpful because not only is the official website, but it also has information that you wouldn’t find on other sites. I will be able to get all of the photos, site names, and much more. It would be able to provide me with years of members information and also photos.


Gamma, Eta. "Delta Sigma Theta Sorority INC Eta Gamma Chapter." . N.p., 2011. Web. 9 May 2012. <http://www.k-state.edu/dst1913/founders.html>.

- I will be able to use this source to get information on a certain type of chapter. I would be able to also use this chapter as example of their uniqueness and how they formed. It can also be highlighted as one of the best.


Anderson, Ashley. "Delta Sigma Theta Sorority ."American History . Suite101, Nov 12, 2009. Web. 9 May 2012. <http://ashleyanderson.suite101.com/delta-sigma-theta-sorority-a167616>.

- This gives me good information based on why the deltas began. It also gives me great data which can be used in my project for references. It also has a lot information that I didn’t even know for myself.


Anderson, Ashley. "Delta Sigma Theta Sorority ."Wikipedia. Wikipedia , 2012. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Sigma_Theta>.

- I know that this is a questionable site to use for certain things, but since I am well knowledge on this topic I think it would be okay for me to use. I can get reports on the challenges they did and also the rewards they have received. They also talk about the community service and the effect they had on society on here.


. "Delta Sigma Theta Sorority INC." Delta Sigma Theta Sorority INC. Delta Sigma Theta, 2012. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.deltasigmatheta.org/home.htm>.

- I plan to use this to help me getting photos of the presidents. Also for more modern time information of all of the branches they have. I will also get cool facts such as celebrities that are deltas. I can get to know what events that are coming up to. For example, the community service projects that they do, and not just the step shows/competitions they do.



Stomp 1996 Delta Sigma Theta from West Chester University and Temple University. Rho Alpha and Epsilon Delta Chapters, , perf. Stomp 1996 Champs. Dawg9, 1996. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZmQCWNgcdk&feature=related>. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZmQCWNgcdk&feature=related>.

- I would like to use this link because it shows an old style step of the Temple and West Chester Deltas stepping together proudly. This is a good example of stepping in the 1990’s. This can lead to an comparison to how the step then to today. Although, some steps never got old and got carried over there is a difference between the two. This was one of the oldest ones that I liked that I could find.


Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. (Alpha Chapter) performed at the 2011 Howard Homecoming Step Show, , perf. Delta Sigma Theta @ Howard University Homecoming Step Show 2011 . HUreaction , 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQqoqgMIOOE>.

- This step show took place at Howard University in October of 2011. This is a good video that shows a nice more modern step flow. It is very hardcore compared to the old times. Its more rough, with an edgy bit of loudness. This is just an example of how the different styles are.


Final Product- Marina, Sierra & Prisilla

For our 4th quarter statistics benchmark we read a book called How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff. After reading the book, we held insightful conversations which with discussed amongst each other and recorded as well. In our podcast you will not only get an overarching idea about what the book is about, but you will also get to hear our views and opinions on different topics that play a key role in the book. By reading this book and recorded the podcasts we learned a lot about how statistics can be misleading which can either hurt or help the point that the statistic is trying to get across. This project also made us view statistics in a different way than we have been viewing it in the past. We hope that you enjoy our podcast and that you learn a little something about the book and about tricks statistics can play on people.


- Sierra Dinvil, Prisilla Nieves, & Marina Pyfrom

Final Product