Alexa Lahr Capstone

IMG_1066
IMG_1066

I started my Capstone in Junior year in Ms. Jonas’ class.  We had to make our own non-profit organization, and with the help of friends and Ms. Jonas, I decided to make it my Capstone.  My goal was to bring awareness and help the women and transmen who can’t afford feminine products. What inspired this was a video I watched last year about women on the street and how they struggle when it comes to there period.  Using different fundraisers and outreaches I was able to accomplish this goal and I am excited to go even further with this outside of Science Leadership Academy. Probably one of my favorite things we did was going to “Overington Home” for the first time.  This is a home for women who are living on the streets and who are recovering addicts. When I visited them for the first time we brought clothes and feminine products. Our hope in the visit was not just to give them something but to connect with them on a personal level.  Meeting the women was amazing and hearing how having their period and living on the streets was difficult, became the backbone of this project. If I had to say there was one outcome to my capstone, it would be my mindset and how much it has grown towards the women on the street.  I learned to really hear the women and others who are in the streets. Also I learned a lot more information about the women. I did many events throughout the year that have all grown my heart for the women and transmen on the streets. Another outcome of the project was that it brought awareness to the issue of homelessness and the need for feminine products and the conversations that came from the events were amazing.  I look forward to what this seed of a project will produce in the future.


Annotated Bibliography


1. Grigg, Viv. Companion to the Poor: Christ in the Urban Slums. Urban Leadership Foundation, 2013.


This book is about a man who went to Asia and established a church to the poor.  He tried to find ways that would treat the people’s spiritual needs separate from there poverty.  This is a true story about his time there and challenges his story is still continuing. He uses the bible as a reference on how to be with the poor.  He explains this through the text. Christianity is a big part of my life and why I live the way I do. This book is really helpful for me to hear the Christian perspective.  Also, this gives me insight on how to treat the homeless separately from there poverty-how to treat them like anyone else.


2.“Homeless People Poetry.” Purple Moon Group, LLC,

www.friendtothehomeless.org/homeless-poetry.html.


I wanted to go a different route with this link.  I wanted to see the artist point of view on homelessness.  This website is full of different art done by homeless people what I think is very beautiful and very powerful.  Showing how different art forms can really shape a situation and make you look at poverty differently. I read a few poems and was able to see the different feelings these women and men had.  The different words from these poems are really encouraging me to write my own piece for my project. On this website, they also have videos of the homeless men and women, singing videos, art pieces, and stories.  What a great way to bring awareness.


3.“How Do Homeless Women Cope With Their Periods? | NSFWomen.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 Oct. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABch4VYOJZ0&feature=youtu.be.


This is a video that really made me want to start this project.  I came across it last year when I was searching the internet. This video drawled my attention and gave me insight into something that I didn’t realize before.  I didn’t realize the struggle women have to get through on the streets during their periods. This video shows the struggles women have to go through day by day on the streets.  Showing the struggles of getting good hygiene, some women would use a cup to clean their lady parts. Also, they talk about examples of what they use instead of period products. Anywhere from paper towels to socks.


4. Okamoto, Nadya. “The Menstrual Movement | Nadya Okamoto | TEDxPortland.” YouTube, 21 May 2016, youtu.be/ncg2bw9s30M.


This is a TED talk by Nadya Okamoto.  She gives her background story of when she started her period and how her mom celebrated her by becoming women.  She talks about how growing up when she was poor how she struggled to get products. Growing up she kept a journal of all the different things women used for their periods including paper bags.  This really intrigued her and she was amused about the way people talked about there period. How women would whisper it like they were ashamed. So she decided to make an organization that would talk to students about your body and normalizes the word “period”.


5.“Period Poverty Can Imprison Women – and Humiliate Women Prisoners.” New Statesman, www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2018/01/period-poverty-can-imprison-women-and-humiliate-women-prisoners.


This source is an article on tampon tax.  It talks about different parts of the world that have tampon taxing.  It talks about if the government is truly keeping women safe. This is a sign that there is a problem the way the government has a control over women.  It isn’t fair to the women that condoms are freely given out but there is no way for women to get their basic needs. This article talks a lot about Scotland and the way they treat women.  This article is important because it shows that women having these problems in everywhere. It is a worldly issue that needs to be confronted.


6. Period, The Homeless. “The Homeless Period.” The Homeless Period, thehomelessperiod.com/.


This is a website that talks about an organization called “The Homeless Period”.  What this organization is about is one day having free products in homeless shelters.  They bring an up point that I use a lot in my reach for awareness around the topic. The point is that the shelters give out free condoms and are actually given the money to buy these every year.  But there is no money put forth into getting free products for women. One thing I thought was cool was that they have a video on their website that is words written on cardboard. This is a good vision because a lot of the time the homeless writes on cardboard to bring awareness that they need help.  They have a hashtag called #thehomelessperiod this makes me think about how I started a hashtag #equalflow.



7. Snyder, Howard A. Radical Renewal: The Problem of Wineskins Today. Touch Publications, 1996.

This book is about the poor and also the church and how they connect.  The chapter I read for this annotated bib was The Gospel of the Poor today.  This talked about how people in the church need to stop shutting out the poor and act as though they are less than.  It talks about how people in the church do a lot of analyzing of the poor but they don’t bring them in. This chapter continues to talk about Jesus and his actions.  I think this is important for me to read for my project because I can see the proper ways to act around the poor. The church sometimes acts bigger and better than the homeless and this is where a lot of problems come in.


8.scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1747&context=gsurc.

This is an art piece done by women interested in the different protests and pink tax.  Pink tax is going on all over there are certain products that have the color pink and they are products meant for women.  These pink products are taxed showing how certain things are just taxed for women and not men. There were many protests that came out of this including women gathering in front of the Houses of Parliament without any products on.  Their bloody underwear showed that these products were necessary. I thought this was really powerful to show that this is needed. Also, the author of this writing posted her artwork what was a mask she made out of tampons and she wore it in the shower and she let it get heavy and expand and this showed the weight the women had to go through.


9.Scaramella , Nicole. It’s a Part of Life. Period.


This is a document that talks about why menstruation is looked down upon.  It talks about the history of how women in the bible were told they were dirty for 7 days while in their period.  This was shocking to me because I never noticed this in this chapter. Although this is in the old testament a lot of stuff is contradicted in the new testament.  Then this document goes through the positives and negatives coming out of the word period. There is much weight on this topic and this is written well throughout this paper.  Especially with the new female taxing where they are going to tax feminine products.


10. TEDxTalks. “Period Poverty: Breaking The Silence | Amika George | TEDxCoventGardenWomen.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Dec. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WRuKvLMkpA.


In this TED Amika George talks about girls in other countries having to skip school for a week every month because of their periods.  She started a potion to bring free products to schools so the girls can be in school. Period poverty is a hidden problem that needs to get awareness so that these girls can go to school.  She talks about how we need to stop the silents around the topic of periods. Women are taught to keep girls there periods products from the beginning. This is even built into out commercials, for instance, naming a female produce brand “whisper” to show it needs to be silently dealt with.  The first steps to fixing period poverty are to realize it's not just a women's problem.


MS Awareness

Capstone 2018

Science Leadership Academy // 4.14.2018

For my Capstone for the year of 2018 has been one that I known about since my freshman year. I have had many idea changes but in the end I finally settled with my original plan to just expand my idea and turn it into a project that I'm really proud of. I made a website for people to visit and learn about MS awareness through the mind of a high school senior, letting people into my personal life. As most of you know my mom has MS and it's something that can't be cured. This topic is important to my entire family. I spent time reaching out to different organizations that help out the MS community. I've taken part in the MS walk to raise money and I raised money on my own at school. I want to thank everyone who supported my bake sales at SLA. Together we raised over $250 dollars for the National MS Society. Along the way, I’ve also been at Morris elementary school telling people about my capstone and what has led me to this stage of my high school career. The road blocks that I've had during the process was trying to get my own booth at the MS walk, that didn't work out but it didn't stop me from helping out the local people in my area and my mom as well. This project has been pretty interesting an I believe that the four years at SLA have been just a preparation for something to be bigger and better than all of us.


Link to bibliography : https://docs.google.com/document/d/11sQGykOuS3xKjDn08FPp-K1q7QtWLfqN7AeKyWzn_IE/edit?usp=sharing


Jevon Price Capstone, Pahomov, 2018

For me, the capstone process was one filled with great highs and lows. The idea for my capstone towards the end of junior year. I wanted to take the science fiction short story that I worked on during junior year, and expand on it. I originally intended on it being a full length novel, but it did not end up as such. High school, working, and the college process caused me to spend a lot of time away from my capstone. Soon I realized I would not have enough time to write a full length novel of quality, so I changed my plan and turned it into a shortened novel. With my revised idea, I spent time writing, editing, and revising my story. Using the information given from my mentor Stephanie Sessa as well as the input of friends and family I was able to produce my final product. One that I am very proud of. The book titled, Control, is a combination of science fiction and dystopian fiction that take issues of the modern world and puts them a new and different perspective. Throughout my process, the most important lesson I learned was that in order for product to be as best as it can be, there must be time put into it. Had I been given the chance to do this process again, I would allow myself more time to work on the novel so that it could be my full and complete vision. Despite this, I delivered a solid final product. 


Link to buy book

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/cart


https://docs.google.com/document/d/10pmRkDrT9moYf5KuJby3HgNAd4mhBoLoMj90Z5LF7MQ/edit?usp=sharing



Chapter 3- Us Girls

(Section)

Lily was the optimistic one. The youngest, barely 18, she always tried to lift the mood of sorrow and anger. She tried to play games, tell stories, and such although we weren’t the cheeriest bunch up to have fun. She often spoke of her big loving family. How they spend every christmas at her grandparents cabin in the Poconos and roast marshmallows over the fire. She seemed to stay in a state of disbelief, and tried her best to remain in the past where everything was good. I guess this was her way of coping. Sit in a state of false bliss to avoid coming to terms with the actual problems. She would tell us about her life plans, and what she would do with her family once this entire “simulation” as she called it was over. She had her entire life planned. None of us had the courage to tell the poor girl that she’d probably never see them again. That she had come to the point of no return and would be stuck here forever. We let her live in a whatever bliss she created for herself to manage the pain.

Next was Alice. Quiet girl, soft spoken, around my age. Like me she had been taken on her way home from work, accept according to her accounts that had been very rough on her. She said once a main grabbed her she managed to kick his groin and run down the block, only to have three men tackle her to the ground. She was punched, gagged, and tied in down in the van. She was thrown in the cold room with the rest of us, with a bloody face and they didn’t seem to interesting her distressed appearance. I could tell she was still slightly traumatized from the experience, and was scared of anything else happening. She adopted the motto of “laying low” and never challenged the authority. After seeing a small portion of what they were capable off, she didn’t want to put herself through anymore unnecessary pain.

In most ways she was an ideal prisoner. Always did what she’s told, kept complaints to herself, and expressed no desire to leave. Accepting this as her fate, she had the mindset of listening and doing whatever it took to make it through both this day and the next. It was hard to get through her tough exterior, making it hard for any of us to get close to her. However, we would get glimpses at the girl beneath the exterior.

Sometimes, she would tell a story here and there about her family or life in general and she seemed more than a robot programed to do everything she was told, but just as the vulnerable and human side of her came out it would quickly close back up.

Lastly, there was Diamond. The exact opposite of Alice, Diamond was a spitfire, She wasn’t shy to speak her feelings of disdain for the government and the program. Something that nearly got her ruffed up by The General and a few of the guards on more than one occasion. That’s the nickname we gave to Joe. Every she expressed to us her strong desire to figure a way out, telling us that it would take the cooperation of all four of us to make it happen. It was her fierce personality and determination to never give up that brought me closer to her than the other two.

One night after dinner, she told us her story. She was a single mother, lived with her mother, and taking classes at Community College while working a full time job at the supermarket. One night she was late picking up her sun from daycare, and as she stepped out of her car was hit on the head and fell unconscious. The thing that plagued her mind most often was of the wellness of her family. She wanted to know that they were okay, and no one could give her the assurance that they indeed were. Despite her strong front, I could see the pain and sorrow within her eyes. Every so often she would utter her son’s name and her eyes would get watery. Unlike the rest of us girls, she was not just living for herself, but also for her child. The one she may not ever see again.

They tested our ovulation every other day trying to pick the perfect day. Diamond was the first one to experience the removal of her eggs. She was gone for about an hour and came back in a sea of rage and disgust feeling as though something had been stolen from her. She cursed at the gards and even flipped one of the beds. Eventually I was able to calm her down, but I had yet to experience the feeling that something had been stolen from me. But I would soon experience that very thing.

I remember slowing walked down the dimly lit hallway looking towards the big red doors. I took small steps, wanting to take up as much time as I could before I entered the room. I didn’t fully know what to expect nor did I want to find out. I walked into a what looked to be your average looking hospital room. White, clean, and abnormally silent. There was a man sitting at the desk, who if you weren’t paying attention could walk right past him. He had me completely undress and lay on an operating table. Not much interested in conversation, he was there to do a job and I was there to be used.

A man named Wayne introduced himself as the doctor. He said no more words to me before the procedure, instead just putting me to sleep. When I woke up, he was cleaning up and simply said, “You can go.” I sat up, confused at what just happened. Physically I looked the same, but my body felt as though it didn’t belong to me. Something was off, and I don’t think I ever felt the same after the procedure.

Walking back to the room, the emotions begin to fill my body. I’m not sure if I was more angered at my bodily possessions between forced out of me or the fact that those doing it had so little respect for what I was giving to them. We were giving them the “future of America” and they had not the decency to say thank you for our great contribution.

It was that night as I laid in bed staring at the ceiling that I decided I was done. Previously I tried to convince myself to go along with the program and to keep myself safe in hopes that one day I’d be able to go home, however that feeling was long gone.

I was no longer willing to actually give myself to those who were so unappreciative of it. I knew in that moment when he rudely told me to leave, that this was the end. I knew I had to escape. The next morning, right before The General, I told the girls we had something very important to discuss. When we got back to the room after retrieving breakfast, I expressed my strong feelings of disgust for the program and my desire to escape. Letting them know that if the four of us band together, we could possibly find a way out. Without even asking if there was a definite plan, they all agreed to participate. Even Alice who several times in the past spoke against escaping, arguing that dealing with our fate would be a better option. With the four of us in, we started to the planning. We realized early on that there would be a series of obstacles in our path. The first being The General.


Screenshot 2018-05-10 at 8.33.38 PM
Screenshot 2018-05-10 at 8.33.38 PM
Annotated Bibliography (1)
Capstone Draft (6)

Keith Hodge Capstone

My Capstone if you don't know already was a SLA Philadelphia Pro sports update website that I made using Google slides and Google sites and I updated this site every time a Philadelphia sports team played. As you can imagine this was a little difficult to complete sometimes because 2 or 3 teams played each night but as the year progressed it got easier and I was able to do updates in a matter of seconds. The website had multiple pages including one for the Sixers, Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and even a "This day in Philadelphia sports" page. I also did a Kahoot and went around school asking people different trivia questions based on the Philadelphia sports teams, Overall the Capstone process for me was very enjoyable but it also had its moments. 

My goal for the Capstone was doing something enjoyable because I was not going to do something boring or non engaging for 90 hours. I also think in the start of my process I said I want the community to come together with sports and I believe I did that. Because sports always bring people together I mean just look at the Eagles this year the whole team bonded when something went wrong and when they won the superbowl all the fans bonded as well. One last thing I think I picked the most perfect capstone because I chose a sports capstone the year the Eagles won the superbowl, the year the Sixers and Flyers made it to the playoffs and the year the Phillies are hot yet again.  

Link to my Capstone website: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/slaprosportsupdate/this-day-in-philadelphia-sports-history

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v3sAJJH-i1JLtElKfgx0s66XqZ4z2EuRdwhwuPFtwrQ/edit
    ​

Nisa Hardin Capstone

I had to think of something unique to my passion. Psychology is all about studies and experiments, depicted through articles and documentaries stemmed from someone just like me wanting to know the anthropology fueling the ever-changing human mind. I had to do it to the extent of my understanding, so a documentary or prolonged experiment of my own was out of the question. I wanted to make it more about my own learning experience and had to think of what I could do to create a good balance between gaining a source for learning while also utilizing it to show what I am working towards. I’d been volunteering at a nursing home outside of my neighborhood for about three years, and my mother works there as a recreational manager, so I figured that I could use these accessible factors and make something out of it; and that's how I came up with the idea to simply interview the people that I see regularly. 
         A large fraction of the nursing home did not exercise, and outside of those in healthcare, I wanted to know why they didn’t use the gym provided. Those that were pushed to exercise and care for their health were better off in the long term and began encouraging others to do the same. I found that people tend to follow the common myth that the older adult isn’t required to continue exercising and taking care of their bodies, yet it’s arguably one of the most effective ways to alleviate conditions that follow old age. 

___________________________________________________________________________

Barnett, Anne, Ben Smith, Stephen R. Lord, Mandy Williams, and Adrian Baumand. "Community‐based Group Exercise Improves Balance and Reduces Falls in At‐risk Older People: A Randomised Controlled Trial | Age and Ageing | Oxford Academic." OUP Academic. Oxford University Press, 01 July 2003. Web. 24 Jan. 2018.

 Unlike the other trials, this experiment assesses how the older adult reacts to exercise from a more emotionally based standpoint. This is done by collecting the results from the subgroups within the total number of patients, such as those who exercised at home, in a small group or a larger group. the objective was to determine whether participation in group activities had an effect on a patient's willingness to exercise and take more interest in their overall well-being or not. The results showed a small increase in the participation of a larger group, and a majority of the patients reported having better balance and less joint pain. I can use this to prove that conducting trials such as this can result in something that possibly wasn't expected.

Dustman, Robert E. 
"Aerobic Exercise Training and Improved Neuropsychological Function of Older Individuals." Neurobiology of Aging. Elsevier, 19 Mar. 2003. Web. 22 Jan. 2018.

 This trial gives me an in-depth explanation on the differences between the neuropsychological and physical changes that might occur in the older citizen depending on time, place and length of the trial period. It was aerobic exercise specifically, which I am not positive makes a difference in the overall mental effects, but the trial concluded with the improvement of balance in the arms, legs and backs of older adults, with little to no increase or decrease of the function in the patient's peripheral part of the brain, and more of a change in the central. I can use this in comparison to the other trials that assess this topic from a similar standpoint.


Hampe, Barry. 
“Making Documentary Films and Videos.” Google Books, Henry Holt and Company, 7 Sept. 2002, books.google.com/books?hl=en. 

This was one of the two sources I decided to use as guidance through the filming and editing parts of the project. I like this excerpt because it gives inexpensive and creative ways to create a documentary whether the goal is to have it broadcasted or not. It also provides information on how a documentary differs from other genres of film both historically and design-wise, so going into this aspect of the capstone I at least know a few tips on how I am planning to film the project as opposed to getting the actual equipment without knowing what I plan to do with it. 

Howe, Tracey E.
 "Exercise for Improving Balance in Older People." Wiley. Cochrane Library, 17 Oct. 2007. Web. 24 Jan. 2018. 

This article will be used to help me analyze if there is a certain pattern of the types of exercise elderly citizens prefer to engage in, and how that part of the body relates to their age, by decade, in search of a narrower assessment. Overstimulation or lack thereof from any exercise can take a toll on the older adult's health , which more often than assumed can be associated with illness and falls. I am thinking of including a segment within the documentary that suggests some exercises that are free weight or don't require any other than body weight, being that my audience is the older adult and I have to place myself in their shoes and think of what they'd want out of something similar to what I'm doing.

Lord, Stephen R.
 et al. “The Effect of a 12‐Month Exercise Trial on Balance, Strength, and Falls in Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 27 Apr. 2015, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1995.tb07394.x/full. 

Along with a couple other citations, I felt it was necessary to include some trials made surrounding my topic that have different independent/dependent variables so that I am able to compare these results with each other and eventually with my own. This is also conducted by experts within the neuropsychological field, so I figured since my topic falls under this umbrella that I could apply some of the tactics used by the scientists to how I decide to form some of my questions. This experiment in particular was conducted over the course of a year, so the results regarding the motor skills, physiological changes, etc. are solid.

Miles, Toni P., Ann V. Schwartz, Marie Luz Villa, Mila Prill, Joseph A. Kelsey, Jill A. Galinus, Romelia Ramirez Delay, Michael C. Nevitt, Daniel A. Bloch, Robert Marcus, and Jennifer L. Kelsey. 
"SPECIAL POPULATIONS IN GERIATRICS." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 22 Jan. 2018.

 I am using this to show that there are differences in the changes of the peripheral cortex and the stimulation of it when it comes to race/background. This study was conducted on mexican-american patients specifically, so these results will cater more towards my research which is presumably more diversified than the general research results that I have explored. There are a number of things that older people of color don't have access to, and that might even be a nearby nursing home, elderly fitness group or personal fitness instructor. This drastically extends the amount of time a patient is expected to become accustomed to and further rely on a exercise/nutritional routine, especially being that the options listed are out of reach. The study was conducted over roughly 3 years, the results of which displayed that mexican-american women actually faced a higher risk of serious falls. It wasn't until the end of this trial that the patients involved were knowledgeable of this fact, and were more willing to take action. I want my documentary to have this type of influence. 

Ratto, Matt. 
“DIY Citizenship: Critical Making and Social Media.” Google Books, M.I.T, 4 Sept. 2014, books.google.com/books?hl=en. 

I am using this source because it reminded me that in creating my documentary, I should take into account the type of visuals and language that I want to use. I need something that can resonate with the elderly residents, but up until I read this article I realize it would be better to avoid assuming I know what it is that amuses or catches the attention of the older audience and better to simply add that into some of my preliminary questions. It also proves that I need to have a solid balance of entertainment, persuasiveness and scientific detail. 

Reuben, David B., 
et al. “Quality of Care for Older Persons at the Dawn of the Third Millennium.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Blackwell Science Inc, 10 July 2003, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2389.2003.51346.x/full.

 I will use this source to make a comparison of how the attention paid to the geriatric community has grown or diminished based over the generations. I didn't know there was much of a change as I didn't really pay attention to the lifestyles of older people up until now, but according to the study there has been a significant decrease of residents in nursing homes, and older adults are staying home with their children. Because of this, there has also been an increase in the interest of older people currently living in nursing homes. I can either include this research directly with a hyperlink or explain it briefly in my documentary.



Romaniuk, M., McAuley, W. J., & Arling, G. 
(1983). An examination of the prevalence of mental disorders among the elderly in the community. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 92(4), 458-467.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.92.4.458 

 This excerpt allowed me to see from the perspective of one who not only studies geriatrics, but also the ever changing mental state of America’s older citizen as it rapidly evolves. Despite the recent spike in tensions politically, economically and so on, the study of cognitive and emotional behavior in geriatrics has been conducted long before this year. With the large number of factors that play into how the mind does or doesn’t develop mental illness, to attempt to come to a conclusion for the mental disorders that a majority of older citizens may face is difficult and ongoing. Remedies for the effect mental illness on the older adult include exercise, so I will be able to use this so the inclusion of this topic is seen in my final product. 



Young, Deborah Rohm, Lawrence J. Appel, SunHa Jee, and Edgar R. Miller.
 "The Effects of Aerobic Exercise and T'ai Chi on Blood Pressure in Older People: Results of a Randomized Trial." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 Jan. 2018. 

I am using this trial to explore how a type of exercise can be more for the mind than the body, such as tai chi. It forces you to practice patience and balance, and become more aware and at peace with yourself and the world around you. I think I will pitch the idea of meditative exercise towards the mentally disabled or ill older citizens, considering that they're far less likely to be involved in group activities or outside of a fairly isolated area anway. Though I would say that it panders to a smaller audience (at least in America), I would emphasize that it can be learned and mastered just as any other exercise would be, just less traditional and requiring more patience and determination.

Nadya Negron Capstone

Throughout my time at SLA I felt my peers and I lacked school spirit; there was something missing from our high school experience. That’s what moved me to take it upon myself to bring more school spirit to SLA. Due to the upcoming move to Ben Franklin high school in 2019, the student body has become divided. I felt that it was my obligation to remind everyone why we chose SLA and that we are more than just a building.
First I had to form a spirit committee. After that, we got straight to work. We decided to plan SLA’s first-ever haunted house, which turned out to be a success. Unfortunately, we didn’t make as much as we spent on it, but it was ultimately a good learning experience for our next event. Next, we planned the first of two-spirit weeks. Usually at SLA spirit week isn’t that popular however this year we surprisingly had a nice amount of students to participate. My goal for the end of the year was to have a pep rally but unfortunately, we couldn’t find the facilities to do so. In order to compensate for that, we decided to have the second installment of spirit week with a twist, each day had a different lunch event rather it be wild 'n out or a international luncheon. Throughout this process, I learned that in order for our community to evolve there has to be unity throughout the student body.
 
                                                 Annotated Bibliography

Berkeley. “Steps to Building an Effective Team.” Steps to Building an Effective Team | Human Resources, Berkeley University of California, hr.berkeley.edu/hr-network/central-guide-managing-hr/managing-hr/interaction/team-building/steps.

Annotation: I selected this source because it provides me information on how I can strengthen my spirit committee. It starts with a fully detailed list on ways to improve the structure team and produce the most effective outcome. It also touches on the leadership aspect of team building. If you are not a good leader you can not have a good team. In order to build an effective team you must first begin with yourself. That’s the information I found most useful in this article. Other information that I found just as useful is establishing team goals. If we all set one clear goal then we all know what to work for. This also goes into assigning jobs, when there is a common goal you can delegate which person of your team could be best fit for each job. Using this source has helped me understand how to build the confidence and effectiveness of my spirit committee so we can be able to produce more detailed and planned events. 


Deb, Samar. Unified thought on management. Kalpaz Publications, 2004.

Annotation: The source provides information on building morale and the importance of it in management settings. It references Napoleon and his philosophy on the necessity of morale to win a battle. In my case it would be a common goal. It also refers to the “Platonic Theory of State” which is said to detail the three elements of the human soul - reason, spirit and appetite. These elements in Plato’s Theory leads man to wisdom, courage and hunger, thirst and love. All of these aspects are essential in human morale building. With this new knowledge I’ve gained it has helped me develop a new understanding on how I can build the enthusiasm and school spirit at SLA. Not only at SLA but as well as in my spirit committee. I selected this source because it not only has historical evidence of the importance of morale but it also analyzes that historical evidence.    


Greguska, Emma, and Rhonda Olson. “ASU study finds school environment can affect student behavior.” ASU Now: Access, Excellence, Impact, ASU News, 24 Jan. 2017, asunow.asu.edu/20161215-solutions-asu-study-finds-school-environment-can-affect-student-behavior.

Annotation: This source provided information about how a toxic environment in school can affect student behavior. It explores the physical and also emotional aspects of a healthy school environment.  It helped me analyze how can I develop a different way I can approach spirit week and planning new events. It also provided the importance of having a healthy working environment for students. It can help improve test score and even the school spirit. It inspired to not only work on the psychological aspect of school spirit but the physical as well.  Developing new places for students to hang out as well as being able to start building bridges to create healthy workspace. 


Klesse, Edward J. Student Activities in Today's Schools: Essential Learning for All Youth.

Annotation: I selected this source because it provided me information on how building school spirit also builds respect. It also refers to careful planning of activities and making sure they relate to the overall school values and the community. It made me understand school spirit is not at all about the school but about the promotion of community. You have to be able to understand the students and teachers in order to create a productive community. It also provided me with a detailed list of different activities we can do in order to boost the self esteem in the community as well as the promotion of teamwork in all aspects of the spirit committee.  

Northern Michigan University. “Running An Effective Meeting.” NMU Student Organizations, www.nmu.edu/organizations/running-effective-meeting.

Annotation: This source provided me information about how to run effective meetings. Recently, that has been one of the things I have struggled with when it comes to spirit committee meetings. They’re usually not as structured as they could be. This source gave me steps on what a good meeting should look like. I’m going to use these tools to run more effective spirit committee meetings so we can have more planned out events. This source also gave me different ways to approach group members on how to improve their work. It is sometimes difficult learning how to approach people who aren’t as active and this source provided me with a detailed list on how to do this.



“Importance of School Spirit becomes increasingly important.” School Themes, School Spirit, Official Yearbook Ideas & School Homecoming Themes, www.schoolthemes.org/importance-of-school-spirit.html.

Annotation: This source helped me understand the importance of spirit committee in schools. Recently, spirit committee and myself have felt as if we were underappreciated and not needed in SLA. But after researching this I’ve actually realized how needed we actually are. There is so much going on with the move and benchmarks I think the SLA student body needs us. So this source helped me uplift the spirits within my spirit committee so we can work to produce better events.  It also provided me with a clear definition of what is school spirit. This will help me measure the school spirit at SLA and what I can do to improve it.

Nat Hilton Capstone

I have been writing and producing music since my freshman year of high school, using all accessible instruments, software, and influences at my direct disposal. Throughout my endeavors, I found I have developed an obsession with the final product. I want my music to be concise, clear, and represent professionalism in an exciting way. 
For my capstone, I decided to start a musical group that would record and release an EP, play a successful release show, and create an accompanying music video. I decided to collaborate with a fellow senior, Lyle Seitz, and junior, Sofian Zapf, to create five professionally recorded songs and release them online. 
I studied home recording and worked with my out-of-school capstone mentor, Donato Pignetti (a junior recording studies major at the University of the Arts), to create the EP. We produced the EP with his help at the University of the Arts recording studio. 
Once the EP was completed, we then spent several months planning a release show. We spoke with popular Philadelphia based bands and several venues. Through extensive planning, we managed to have the release at a popular venue named The Sound Hole on January 6th. We managed to have the band Joy Again play with us that night, a band with millions of supporters in and outside of Philadelphia. The release show had over two hundred people in attendance and allowed the EP to gain large amounts of attraction in the Philadelphia musical community. After this event, our songs were played on WXPN. We also obtained a featured review on Post Trash, one of the largest websites for independent music reviews. 
After this, I then spent several months working on a music video for the EP. I chose the first track off the release, ¨Drug Store Romeo¨, to make the film for. The music video included many hand-drawn animations and featured me as the world’s worst dancer. Once the video was completed, the final product was accomplished and so was my capstone. 

Link: https://earthboypa.bandcamp.com/

Bibliography:

“Planning Your Album, Ranch Studios,” Accessed May 10, 2018.
https://www.ranchstudio.com/otherstuff/PlanningYourAlbum.pdf
This source speaks about how to explore a narrative or concept in a musical release. The EP we released attempted to tackle the concept of relationships and the specific traits of individuals. This source showed that you must extensively plan before recording, making lyrics and the meaning behind those lyrics the forefront of the concept. I attempted this with the songs I wrote by looking at individuals in my life and writing character studies throughout the lyrics. It also spoke on how to balance poetic language and realism and how subjective that can be. We chose to write lyrics that hid the meaning of the songs, making the audience delve deeper into the words that were being sung. This source was extremely helpful in understanding how to create a piece of music that fits and flows together more interestingly than a series of standard songs. 

The Small Venue Survivalist. Accessed May 10, 2018. http://smallvenuesurvivalist.com/electric-guitar-mic-or-di-and-why/.
This source is important because it helps with home production. We are producing the entire release in a home and want the most professional sound possible. This article speaks on how to record guitar well. In home recording, you can either record an instrument directly into a computer or record an amp with a microphone, which then leads into a computer. This article reveals that for guitar it is best to record with an amp, whereas other instruments it matters less. This was an important source because it helped with the process of recording the creating the final product.

Hirschberg, Lynn. "The Music Man." The New York Times. September 02, 2007. Accessed May 10, 2018. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/magazine/02rubin.t.html.
This source is an interview with Rick Rubin, one of the biggest producers in the world. He created Def Jam records and helped create releases for some of the biggest modern stars of this era. This source helped me gain an understanding of how important production itself is in creating a release.

"Home Recording Tips for DIY Musicians." Ditto Music Promotion. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://www.dittomusic.com/blog/home-recording-tips-for-diy-musicians.
This source is similar to the microphone recording source above, it gives information on home recording. A lot of the demos created for the EP were recorded in my home and I needed to figure out how to make the songs sound cohesive and professional with very limited resources. A lot of these tricks had to do with recording drums and micing amplification systems, which was extremely helpful for my process and furthering education on recording itself. It speaks on phantom power, which is a necessity when recording vocals through a condenser microphone. I wanted the vocals to sound close and quiet, but also clear, which a condenser microphone can accomplish very easily. This source was extremely helpful and important.

Kipp, Marianne. "How to Design an Album Cover: The Ultimate Guide." 99designs. March 10, 2018. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://99designs.com/blog/design-other/how-to-design-album-cover/.
This source spoke about how to create good album art. Alongside music, I have been making visual art from a very young age and I wanted the art of the cover to reflect the music itself. The source spoke on using the meaning of the music to derive visuals for the cover. I took this in a different direction and used a recurring image that we found over the course of the recording process. The image was of two animal figures, one with a hand for a head which corresponds to a song named Sun Daze. This image was frequently talked about during recording and had a lot of meaning to us and the music. This source allowed me to finalize decisions more quickly with art and to understand depth is important to both the audience and the musicians creating the music.

Kusek, Dave, Chris Robley, Brad, Joel Andrew, and Brian Hazard. "How to Create an Image for Your Band." DIY Musician Blog. July 07, 2016. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/artists-think-image-issue/.
This source speaks on how to create a band aesthetic that challenges the norm. Many modern music projects have very similar looks and feel, copying and reusing has become a strong motif throughout modern music culture. I wanted to find a way to add uniqueness to the project without straying too far from the genuinity of the music itself. I found this source to be very helpful with that. It spoke about how using traits and feelings of your songs to derive an image. If your songs are darker follow that feeling, if they are more lively follow that. We found that our music was very positive and fun, so we decided using bright colors and to make a fun music video would create the aesthetic we were searching for. This source was very imperative to us, and was a huge reason our release show was such a success.

Letang, Shaun. "How To Make A Music Video For Beginners 2018." Music Industry How To. March 10, 2018. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://www.musicindustryhowto.com/how-to-make-a-music-video-for-beginners/.
This source spoke on how to create a music video. I wanted to create a video to add a professional feeling to the release, but I did not want to bog it down with pretension or overly artistic intent. I found that a simple idea with me dancing and having fun would capture the essence of the song and EP as a whole. The source spoke on how to use beats of the song or breaks in structure to dictate the plot of the video. I found that we did this by using location to reveal the change in section, we also created animated characters that added something more interesting on screen. This source was extremely helpful in understanding how to create a music video that interests the audience, flows with the music, and fits with the mood you are attempting to capture.

"Recording Drums: A Primer on Recording Drums at Home." Tape Op - the Creative Music Recording Magazine. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://tapeop.com/tutorials/31/recording-drums/.
This source speaks on recording drums at home, which is similar to the above sources on home recording. Recording drums was a huge issue for us, we found that a lot of the time they sounded spacy or distant. But this source gave us information on microphone placement and post-recording mastering and mixing. Those two factors allowed the drums to sound clearer and crisper, something that we had been searching for since the beginning of the recording process. Drums are the backbone of the song, and this source allowed that aspect of the music to be prominent and clear. That is why this source is extremely important.

"Recording Drums: A Primer on Recording Drums at Home." Tape Op - the Creative Music Recording Magazine. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://tapeop.com/tutorials/31/recording-drums/.
This source speaks on recording drums at home, which is similar to the above sources on home recording. Recording drums was a huge issue for us, we found that a lot of the time they sounded spacy or distant. But this source gave us information on microphone placement and post recording mastering and mixing. Those two factors allowed the drums to sound clearer and crisper, something that we had been searching for since the beginning of the recording process. Drums are the backbone to the song, and this source allowed that aspect of the music to be prominent and clear. That is why this source is extremely important.

"Release Preparation: The Musician's Guide to Marketing Plans Part 1." Cyber PR Music. May 04, 2018. Accessed May 10, 2018. http://cyberprmusic.com/album-release-preparation-the-musicians-guide-to-marketing-plans-part-1/.
This source speaks on how to market music. I found this the most difficult, I just wanted to produce music and art for myself, and the business behind it was never something that interested me. However, the source speaks on how marketing oneself and creating a business around you art is a huge step in reaching listeners. This source allowed me to become more comfortable with sharing the music I made and placing it on the internet, I also created several social media pages to gain listeners. I then put the EP on Spotify, making my music more accessible to the public. This source was extremely helpful in my understanding of music business and how to confidently represent yourself alongside your art.

Nicholas Shaw Capstone



For my Senior Capstone Project, I decided to create a wind tunnel to assist Mr. Kamal with teaching future classes about the laws of aerodynamics. A wind tunnel is something used to test model planes to see how they can fly and to test the forces on them. It creates consistency between the two campuses throughout the years, and also gives future engineering classes something different that my class never had. I chose to create this wind tunnel because it was a unique challenge. Originally, I had no idea what tools and materials I would need to use, and I didn’t know how I would the process design it. All I knew was that I have a good background in engineering, and if I worked hard enough I could succeed. I’m hoping that for future engineering classes, my project can make a small but meaningful impact on how they learn about aerodynamics.

My mentor, Mr. Kamal, helped a lot with it along with the Mr. Pilla, SLA Beeber’s engineering teacher and Mr. Kamal a colleague of Kamal’s. I also had several students help with the construction and printing aspects, including Asher, Yafang, and Boubou.

The biggest challenge of creating the process was actually brainstorming on what I wanted to do. That easily took a month of just brainstorming and meshing ideas together with Kamal. Through this process, I’ve been reminded that communication is key. Hardship arose if Mr. Kamal and I weren’t on the same page when it came to dimensions, specifications, etc. Keeping it consistent with SLA Beeber’s wind tunnel was difficult as well. I would have had better communication with Mr. Pilla from Beeber, as well as started the fabrication process much earlier in the year.

I’m proud of the fact I created a wind tunnel with no pre-existing knowledge of how it worked, what went into it, etc. Aesthetically it could use some work, but it hits the data right on the nose perfectly.



Basic Design of Flying Wing Models, www.mh-aerotools.de/airfoils/flywing1.htm.


Like some of the other sources, this one gives me the basis of the making a model plane that can be designed in the most aerodynamic way possible, so it has the best way of gliding through the wind in the wind tunnel. It gave me information on the longevity and the stability of their own example as well. It’s reliable because it’s from a Deutsch (German) University, which is known for their own aerodynamic engineering. It also gave me equations that I can use to find and calculate the wing area of the planes. It also provided me with the basics on how to create the graph on how long the plane flies for.


“Chegg.com.” Solved: A Laminar Flow Wind Tunnel Has a Test Section That Is 4... | Chegg.com, www.chegg.com/homework-help/laminar-flow-wind-tunnel-test-section-40-cm-diameter-60-cm-l-chapter-10-problem-95p-solution-9780077295462-exc.

This is the core piece of my project. After the wind tunnel is made, calculating how the sophomore and junior planes run is essential. I would have to calculate the drag, the weight, the lift, and the thrust. I’ll use this textbook to find the equations and help me calculate all of these, especially the thrust. I’ll also use this to determine which factor is the most important in the design of the plane that the sophomore and juniors create. It’s reliable because it was submitted into a textbook, and has multiple sources itself. It shows that laminar flow is the best way of flying the plane as well.


Goalieguy, and Instructables. “Cardboard Wind Tunnel.” Instructables.com, Instructables, 1 Nov. 2017, www.instructables.com/id/Cardboard-Wind-Tunnel/.


For the instructable above, I used it to gain inspiration and start my project. This is the one that Kamal had used to create his wind tunnel. He discusses the need for laminar flow, which is essential for a wind tunnel and measuring data. It shows the materials needed for a smaller scale model, one that uses materials that Kamal had used. It’s reliable because this is the exact design that Kamal had used himself to create a reliable wind tunnel that he has himself.  I’ll use this exact design but not the direct materials that this person uses, making it more sturdy and permanent rather than flimsy and unreliable.


jamesabt007, and Instructables. “How to Make a Wind Tunnel.” Instructables.com, Instructables, 22 Oct. 2017, www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-wind-tunnel/.


This source is reliable again because this is one of the sources used by Kamal when he had created his wind tunnel, which worked for the seniors when he had taught aerodynamic engineering. He based his off of the one he had seen at Temple University, which has its own professional grade wind tunnel. I found it through Mr. Kamal, who sent me this and the other instructable as the instructions he had followed himself. I’m going to change the design a bit to gather the data more smoothly, and have a way implemented into the box to gather it.



“Laminar Flow.” Couette Cell for Demonstrating Laminar Flow - Apparatus or Plans Available for Purchase | Flintbox, University of New Mexico, 6 Mar. 2007, www.flintbox.com/public/project/6027/.


This is showing and explaining what Laminar Flow is, and how it’s used in real life applications. In this link, from the University of New Mexico, they display Laminar Flow

catwebster. It’s a reliable source because it’s from an educational program, the University of New Mexico. It provides me with the reasoning behind why there were straws in the instructable designs above, and how it helps with the plane’s flying and replicates reality. I found this source through a youtube video that was from the college, demonstrating how the airflow would look. It’ll help my capstone by providing a realistic view and demonstration inside of the wind tunnel, so the plane flies in conditions it would in real life.



NASA, NASA, www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/tunnozd.html.


NASA is obviously a reliable source, but for this I used this source to determine were to gather the data for the planes. It showed me that the best place to gather the data is right next to the direct flow from the laminar flow. It also gave me labels for each individual piece of the wind tunnel, so that in the process paper I can be more direct with the naming of each individual piece. The piece also shows that having a smaller “throat” of the tunnel would increase the wind speed of the tunnel, so making it better conditions to test the plane.



“Plane Statistics.” Plane Statistics -, www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/128898.


This article is useful because it will give me the best way to present the data I gather from the wind tunnel. It gave me how I should present the data through a presentation. The article’s domain is reliable because it’s known for giving educators good lesson plans and documenting the best way of presenting this data. It also provided me with a way of presenting the idea to the sophomores and juniors when they have to gather their own data. The best way of presenting this data through my final presentation is via graphs and infographics.


UIUC Airfoil Data Site, m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads.html.

The source I chose was part of the University of Illinois, the Department of Aerospace engineering which is perfect for my capstone. It’s filled with useful links and information on airfoils, which will come in handy when I’m testing the prototype and the final product. It’s incredibly reliable, because it’s not only from a University but it’s also from the department of aerospace engineering from a prestigious university. This will be the site were I gather the majority of my plans and ideas for the perfect model plane design. This will give me more information and open my mind to the best planes to use.


“What is the best design for a small flying wing with special flight envelope?” Aerodynamics - What is the best design for a small flying wing with special flight envelope? - Aviation Stack Exchange, aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/30034/what-is-the-best-design-for-a-small-flying-wing-with-special-flight-envelope.


This article helps just because if I want to design the best possible wind tunnel, you need to design the best possible small model plane design as well. The article lists how the best wing design has wings that are not double decker; but slick and long in design. The article also gives several examples of perfect model plane designs, with real life examples being Boeing Scaneagle. The source is reliable because it has multiple degrees of verification to make sure the poster has some degree of expertise. The source is a comment chain on how a model plane has a good wing span.



Jamie Polson Capstone

Here is the link to my video:  
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AIJCnfi3cw

For my Capstone I decided to create a documentary for my Unitarian Universalist church.  It will have its 200th anniversary and I wanted the church to have some kind of documentation of it's past present and future and what their goals are as a congregation.  

I feel like I have learned a lot while doing this project.  For starters I feel like I have become a better listener.  Since it was a documentary and you always want to make sure that you have clear audio it meant that I could not vocalize when I wanted to react to things that people said for instance if I strongly agreed with it etc.  Another thing that I think I learned was how to make people feel comfortable when being interviewed.  Not everyone is used to being on camera and some people need a little time to fully open up on camera so you want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to make them feel very comfortable and safe.  What I would do before the interview is just ask them how they are doing and just have a casual conversation, but when the interview started I would look them in the eyes when they were talking and tried to be very aware of my body language.  If I ever noticed that I was crossing my arms or had them on my hips I would just put them by my side because folded arms conveys a message of judgment sometimes and can make people feel uncomfortable.
Some challenges I faced was dealing with scheduling.  I am a very busy person and am involved with a lot of things that unfortunately meet on the weekend.  Early on I was able to get 2-3 interviews almost every Sunday but when it started being warmer out things got harder.  I am on SLAs Ultimate Frisbee team which frequently have two day tournaments on the weekend and I also have a lot of choir practices on the weekend as well.  Since I have these conflicts it meant that I could not go to church on Sunday to interview more people so I would have to pick days when I didn't have conflicts and the person I wanted to interview didn't have conflicts.
Another problem I faced was at the very end with exporting the video.  In retrospect I should have tried to finish the editing a lot sooner so that I could have dealt with the issue sooner, but when I tried to export it, I kept getting these messages on my screen saying that there was some problem.  I would try to fix it and tried to export it again several times (which took about an hour each time) but I kept getting these messages.  So I brought it to school to talk to Ms. Walker-Roberts but I was still having the issues even after talking to her.  This caused LOTS of stress for me since it was the day before it was supposed to be due.  Finally I figured out that it was a space issue and that I needed to export it onto an external hard drive that had enough space to store it, so I tried that and it worked!!

All in all this whole process has been very fun and I have learned a lot in the process.  I have had a great time interviewing people getting to know their perspective and where they are coming from a little better.


Annotated bibliography:

  1. http://www.uurestoration.us/

Jane L. Hain

The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration

4/28/98

My capstone project is that I am going to create a documentary for my church which is called the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration in Mt. Airy.  I have been a member since around 2013 but have been attending my entire life so it means a lot to me. This source is the home page of the Official churches website.  It talks about who they are which I can use in my documentary in a voice over section and I might even quote them on some of their information. It talks about how diverse and welcoming they are which I think is crucial for a church no matter its beliefs if they want to get new members.  This site is credible because it is the official website for the entire church and so whatever is put on the website has to pass through a couple rounds of editing by members of the church to make sure that they actually want that on their website.

  1. http://www.uurestoration.us/history.php

Jane L. Hain  The Church of the Restoration since - 1793

4/28/98

Copyright 2016

I am going to use this site to help inform me of what my churches history is.  I go to the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration in Mt. Airy and have been going my whole life.  I know the basics of its history but I do not know specifics and so I am going to use this site to gain knowledge of its history so that I can put it in my documentary and let the general public know about it as well.


  1. http://www.uurestoration.us/mission.php

Jane L. Hain

Our Mission

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration

4/28/98


  1. Linda Hansell

Linda Hansell is a member of the church who I have already interviewed and she is a very active member of the community.  She is Worship Associate Leader so she is in charge of all the other worship Associates and makes sure that they do what they are supposed to and once a month she leads a church service.  That is why she is credible because she has expirience in the church and knows about it and knows where she wants it to go in the future. In our interview she talked about how she does not think that the name of the church best describes what it is all about and that we need to change the name to something less christian sounding because we are not a christian church.

  1. UUCR book

This book goes into great detail about the history of Restoration it talks about the church all the way back in the 1700’s when it was built and established.  It also talks about the couple times when it had to move one time because of a fire. It talks about the architecture and why it was built the way it was. It is trustworthy because

  1. https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles

Unitarian Universalist Association

The Seven Principles:

Unitarian Universalist Association

1996

This source is trustworthy because it is from the UUA which stands for the (Unitarian Universalist Association) so it is very formal and they are the ones that decide things for the greater UU community so they have a huge impact on my church and are the reason that my church exists basically.  Without the principals of UUism I probably would not go to church. The website talks about what UU’s think about the world and about other people that we believe in the beauty and dignity of everybody and respect people no matter whether we agree with them or not. It talks about the interconnected web of life that we are all apart of which basically means that we are all connected to each other and the earth no matter our species or race or gender.


  1. https://www.filmmakingstuff.com/12-tips-how-to-make-a-documentary/

Bru Baker

12 Steps On How To Make A Documentary

Filmmaking Stuff

March 13th, 2017

This website talks about the 12 steps that are needed to make a good documentary.  Some of those steps include: Make a trailer, think of the end first, and use your own music.  I think those are very goods tips that I will strongly consider when in the editing phase of the documentary.  I will also try and write my own music for it as well to add some flavor to the final version. This site is credible because the author (Bru Baker) has won many awards in creating documentaries so it is evident that these techniques work at least for her.

      8. Tim Styer

Tim Styer is a member of the church and is very involved.  He is the moderator which means that he organizes meeting and oversees all the other people who work for the church which is a large responsibility.  He is credible because he has been involved with the church for many years.

      9. Jane Hulting

Jane Hulting is another member of the church and is in charge of coordinating music at the church.  She leads choir practices almost every Thursday evening and Sunday mornings right before church starts.  In the winter around Christmas time she also leads a group called the restoration ringers and they play hand bells.  They rehearse several times a week and perform 3-4 times a year. Another thing that Jane does is that she leads Yoga class almost every week and has several people participate in that many of which are church goers.  Jane is trustworthy because she is very involved in the church and has been attending for around 20+ years.


     10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUsdwDgPqxs

This video talks about how to make a documentary.  It talks about the necessary things that you need to do in order to make a successful documentary.  It talks about getting a lot of extra footage since you never know what you might need and don’t want to have to film a lot of stuff at the last minute.  It is credible because it is on Expert Villages YouTube channel and their whole shtick. The whole point of their YouTube channel is to get experts who know a lot about their topic and get them to share information and tutorials on YouTube so that other people can be as good as them at that thing.


Josh Turner Capstone

What I did for my capstone is I did a sculpture of a dog for animal awareness/cruelty. I first started by getting the supplies needed. After that me and my friend made the head and stuffed newspaper in it to make it sturdy, then made the ears which took a bit of time, the snout was was kind of difficult to make due to the shape of it , and the eyes were ok. It was hard, but it was not easy to do.. Next we did the body of the dog that was a little difficult. I hard to figure out what size and shape we were going to use. Then we made the legs and the tail which was easy enough. The only problem with the legs and tail was they kept breaking off easily, so we were able to find a way to stop it from breaking. The final thing we did for the capstone is that we painted the dog it was tedious to do the eyes because if you mess up, you have to redo it, next we did the glossing which was hard at all. Lastly we went to a dog walk and went to some animal shelters in the area and collected pamphlets that promotes animal awareness and prevents animal cruelty and post them around the school. So that is what I did to complete my capstone.




For my annotated bibliography I am going to show the definition of animal cruelty and animal awareness, how you can support animal awareness and how to prevent animal cruelty, some facts that you do not know about this topic.


Source: 1

HSUS. “Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats.” Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats: The Humane Society of the United States, 25 Jan. 2018, www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/facts/animal_cruelty_facts_statistics.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/?


This website shows many facts and info on animal cruelty. I found this to be reliable because it tells you facts about this topic in full detail. Like for example the most common animal in animal cruelty are dogs at a high 70.1 percent. It also shows organizations that hosts events that show animal cruelty. It also shows that people who abuse animals, also abuse their children and/or their spouses and that 71 percent of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also abuses animals. Another thing is that Intentional cruelty to animals is strongly associated with other crimes, including violence against people.


Source: 2

Animal Planet. “20 Ways to Raise Awareness.” Animal Planet, 1 Oct. 2014, www.animalplanet.com/helping-pets/roar/awareness/


This website is good to use because it teaches you how to support animal awareness in many different ways. I noticed that most of the ways to support this cause is to either to host an event, rally, or a Fundraiser to help the animals to get what they need to live and survive. There are also some small things you can do support the cause becoming a mentor to show people the way to animal awareness and get them to join the cause. Another is one of the most common things to do to support awareness and it is volunteering at your local animal rescue center.



Source: 3

“PAWS - People Helping Animals.” Animal Cruelty » PAWS, 25 Jan. 2018, www.paws.org/kids/learn/animal-cruelty/.


This source is helpful because it shows what to do and what not what not to do in a case where you run in animal cruelty. Animal cruelty is when someone hurts an animal or does not care for an animal’s well-being, like not giving a dog or cat food and water. When you see animal abuse, do not intervene because not only the animal’s life will be in more danger, It will put at risk of getting hurt.  Even though it is sad, it’s the right thing to do is call someone for help and let the situation play out. Also it’s a known fact that people that abuse animals, were most likely abused in their past.


Source: 4

MSPCA. “What Is Animal Cruelty?” MSPCA-Angell, 26 Jan. 2018, www.mspca.org/cruelty-prevention/what-is-animal-cruelty/.


This website is useful because it tells you about what are different types of actions that is and turns into animal abuse/cruelty. One of the most common way to abuse an animal is: No water or food, abandon it, no shelter, and unsanitary household. Uncommon ways to abuse animals are running animal over, to give away for profit and attending a animal fight club and it does count as animal abuse if you do attend one because since your not helping a abused animal in a fight club and letting it fight. Does not matter how you put is still animal cruelty if attend these types of events.


Source: 5

Allen, Colin, and Michael Trestman. “Animal Consciousness.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 24 Oct. 2016, plato.stanford.edu/entries/consciousness-animal/.


This source tells you the philosophy of animal awareness or in scientific terms: animal consciousness and how it became a thing in today’s society. It tells you the history of animal awareness and a in depth analysis on animal consciousness. Also it shows the structure and the evolution of animal awareness of the years. To see what has changed with it and what has not changed with animal awareness. As that went on, a called animal suffering or commonly known as animal cruelty. It shows that when there is a good thing, there is always a bad side to it.



Source: 6

“Sensitivity and Self-Awareness in Animals.” One Voice, 26 Jan. 2018, one-voice.fr/en/blog/sensitivity-and-self-awareness-in-animals.html.


This website tells you how sensitive animal is and how animal has an impact on the world. It also tells you how some people use animals as test subjects in scientific/chemistry labs. Another to mention is how we use animals for dissection projects, medical research, and cage them for fun. This is all a form of torture to an animal. Some people who this do not even notice how the animal feels. They’re another ways to find a solution other than animal testing and such, but people do this because it is more convenient for them test on animals than other things.



Source: 7

“Yes, Animals Think And Feel. Here's How We Know.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 15 July 2015, news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150714-animal-dog-thinking-feelings-brain-science/.


For this source, it is going to be about how animals feel and how animals think. To humans we think animals only think about is food, water, shelter and sleep, but they actually think about others well-being and instinct. They know something good will happen or something bad will happen to them or others. They care about our safety as much as humans do, but to some people do not see that in animals. Some people see them as lazy animals or animals that are energetic and annoying creatures, but most of us do no think like that because we treat animals as equals.


Source: 8                                                                                                                                               Bekoff, Marc. “Do Animals Know Who They Are?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 6 July 2009, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/200907/do-animals-know-who-they-are.

This is going to be about animals knowing who they are and how they they are animals. When some animals look in a reflective type of material, they either do not react to it at all or they that it is another one of their kind. Sometimes don’t you think that when animal see itself they think “Wow that’s me?” Some animals know because of their speech, appearance, animal like reflexes and such other things like that. Some animals don’t even think that they are animals. They probably think that they are humans like us, but they don’t that they are animals


Source: 9

“11 Facts About Animal Cruelty.” DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change, TMI, 26 Jan. 2018, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-animal-cruelty.


This source is going to be about facts about animal abuse that people did not know. One fact is that there has been an estimated 900 to 2,000 new cases every year of animal hoarding in the US, with 250,000 animals falling victim. Another fact is over 115 million animals like  mice, rats, dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, birds, among others, are killed in laboratory experiments worldwide for chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing every year. Final fact is more than 50% the fur in the US comes from China, where millions of dogs and cats are often bled to death and skinned alive for their fur. Chinese fur is often mislabeled, so if you wear any fur, there’s no sure way of knowing whose skin you’re in.



Source 10


This source is going to be about fun facts and the dos and don’ts of animals. One fact is If an animal changes its behavior, you are too close which means either they are scared of you or they feel threatened by you. The World Animal Awareness Society has campaign specific goals as well as organizational goals. The organization has multiple locations in the United States that you can join. It tells what the situation is in that area and how you can support animal awareness in different states. People do not know about this because is it not that well known.


20180509_182307
20180509_182307
20180509_182407
20180509_182407
20180509_182522
20180509_182522
20180509_182553
20180509_182553

Hadleigh Stammers Capstone

      For my capstone I have created a handmade makeup and beauty brand, called Sheer Beauty, containing products such as tinted lip balms, lip scrub, highlighter balms, and skin rejuvenating facial sprays that are sold on my etsy site (which is currently hidden as I am still working out minor details regarding shipping and costs):   
                                                          https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShopSheerBeauty

      As I was planning my capstone, I intended to do something that incorporated what I had learned at SLA while also integrating aspects that would translate into my future. I will be attending business school in the fall and thought that getting an idea of what it is like to be apart of a business, run a business, start a business, etc. would be beneficial to me. A lot went into this process, and the inquiry-based learning that I have experienced at SLA certainly helped me break it all down and combat each aspect efficiently. 

      I’ve always been a skin care and makeup lover, specifically all natural beauty products and skin care remedies, which many of my products are (aside from any pigments). The (almost) all natural aspect certainly sets my products apart from others that are on the market, along with the packaging that I designed on my own. I have attached a photo of what my shop looks like (as it is currently hidden) and the link to my annotated bibliography. 

      annotated bibliography:     https://docs.google.com/document/d/14DlCoJ2vMteJD8gASrtITWYNo2fxp2nmir_8W3wwnoU/edit?usp=sharing
Screen Shot 2018-05-10 at 11.17.54 PM
Screen Shot 2018-05-10 at 11.17.54 PM

Madison Harris Capstone

For my Capstone, I wanted to find a way to have an outside event for students to interact and have fun with, but also raise money for the SLA Girls Basketball Team to put money towards them getting new apparel. I believe that this will make the team confident and bring unity to their apparel. I came up with the idea of running a basketball tournament and raise money by charging students from the school to play.

The final decision I made to do for my Capstone was to have my basketball tournament at Taney on April 30th, 2018. I did not charge students to play, but leading up to the tournament I ran a bake sale to draw attention for students to buy items, but I also had a sign up for the tournament at the bake sale. This raised money, but I also had a sense of what students were going to play. I advertised the tournament often on social media which had to word spread fast.

The day of the tournament I prepared by having a speaker so people watching would be entertained as long as the players. I wanted the tournament to be chill and for the students to have fun so it was very light on the rules, but it was on a time constraint so everything could flow and I did not run into the games being too long or short.

I believe that the tournament was fun for the students because it was just a day to have fun with peers outside of school. One piece I wish I could have done better was not overwhelming myself at once, but do one thing at a time in a spaced out amount of time. I am happy that I have completed my Capstone it has taught me so much about to overcome challenges and yet still benefits others.





This is a collage of the day of my tournament along with one of the flyers I created. I had three games. Freshman vs. Sophomores and winner faces the Upperclassmen. The Sophomores are Winners. Congrats Class of 2020!!
This is a collage of the day of my tournament along with one of the flyers I created. I had three games. Freshman vs. Sophomores and winner faces the Upperclassmen. The Sophomores are Winners. Congrats Class of 2020!!




Annotated Bibliography

Running a Tournament & Playing High School Event


“How To... Organize a Basketball Tournament.” Basketball Manitoba, 2018, 22 Jan. 2018 <www.basketballmanitoba.ca/2006/07/how-to-organize-basketball-tournament.html.>

I found this website/blog helpful for my capstone because it is talks specifically about how to organize a basketball tournament and making sure to be on top of the planning without leaving anything out and just having a flawless event per say. This is important for me and to have a successful capstone because it helps me have an idea/ plan of making sure I have everything and stay on track with my capstone without having spaces between the process and being upfront with the plan. The successful for the tournament will be having a plan prior to the big day. By following the checklist and the tips will help be a reference from start to finish from my capstone.  


McGroarty, Kent Page. “Benefits of Teamwork in Sports.” Healthy Living, EDGE Publications , 22 Jan. 2018. <https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/benefits-teamwork-sports-1119.html .>  

I researched the importance of sports and the importance it brings to teamwork and having the ability to work with others. This ties into my capstone because there has to be teamwork and collaboration in order for this tournament to be exciting and bring enjoyment to the players. It also teaches a life lesson of showing how if you are trying to get anywhere in life collaboration and understanding others is important to become successful in life. It also helps with the interactions between others and understanding everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and how it will  make the team successful and fun.


Frei, Terry. March 1939: before the Madness: the Story of the First NCAA Basketball Tournament Champions. Lyons Press, 2016. 23 Jan. 2018

This book is about how a team prepared before the March Madness tournament and the bonding they had before the big day. This made me think about how my teams may prepare before they enter the tournament. I wonder how the teams will prepare and how this will make the tournament engaging and entertaining for the players. I know that the collaboration will be successful and I hope their preparation is a well because that is what makes any team successful and the importance of it. It is better than teams who just comes out there without having any chemistry and limited collaboration.


“The Complete Event Planning Guide.” Membership Software - Wild Apricot, 23 Jan. 2018. <www.wildapricot.com/articles/how-to-plan-an-event.>  

Talks about the major qualities of event planning and how it will make your event successful. Without a plan there is no event. It only cause confusion, chaos, and stress to make an event work at the last minute. That would also produce a crappy event that looks rushed and unorganized. Others will notice this to and it create confusion and chaos with the crowd. Planning ahead can make anyone successful and on top of the game no matter what.  Since I know I am not an event planner this website gave me the instructions of what to do to be successful along with my event.


Long, Kimberly. “4 Ways to Get Students Interested in Extracurricular Clubs.” Education Week Teacher, Editorial Projects in Education, 29 Apr. 2016, 24 Jan. 2018. <www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2015/02/17/4-ways-to-get-students-interested-in.html.>

Because I want my tournament to be engaging and having the SLA community involved, this website touches on how extracurricular and events are important in schools because it can build on having new school traditions, leadership within different students, and how it defines the student body. It shows me how important it is for SLA to keep thriving and make school fun outside of school per say. This helped me identify my purpose for my capstone to make sure that it is strong enough and hopefully involving a great amount of the student body. Also involving the core values that pertain to the project and the even within itself.


Elizabeth Mulvahill on August 24, 2016 .contest-social .share-links svg, .share-links svg { top: 50%; left: 0px; } #atftbx p:first-of-type { display: none; } .entry-content .addthis_toolbox, .entry-. “50 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Building School Spirit.” WeAreTeachers, 4 July 2017, 24 Jan. 2018. <www.weareteachers.com/50-surefire-ways-to-build-school-spirit/.>

This website explained how to keep School Spirit going and the ideas to do so. This produces excitement and engagement from the student body along with something for them to look forward to. School can be seen as boring or routined to different students, but bringing something new to the environment which causes them to research and explore what it is about. School spirit is very important because it causes hype around the school and how to explore outside of school but pertaining to the school. Everything needs something new once and a while and bringing the spirit to school will change the view of basic and casual understanding but newness and excitement.


Meier, Kelly. “How to Prepare to Be an Event Planner in High School.” How to Prepare to Be an Event Planner in High School | Education - Seattle PI, Hearst Seattle Media , 25 Jan. 2018. <http://education.seattlepi.com/prepare-event-planner-high-school-2863.html .>

Since I am in High School and I don’t plan events , this blog has helped me understand how to do so on my level. Being an event planner you have to have great communication skills with talking on the phone and with having interactions with others.Having great communication skills show your professionalism and confidence in what you are trying to portray and the importance of it. Being involved in clubs and sports is a way that event planner can be exposed because it shows how your involvement is there. It shows that being involved in one area can help you to create your own by seeing the positives and negatives in another.


Smeds, Mia. “School Events Are Important for Community Spirit.” Justice Through Education, 12 Sept. 2016, 25 Jan. 2018.< www.justed.org/school-events-are-important-for-community-spirit/.>

This talks about the importance of school events and how they reflect upon the school. It shows that having school events makes the school unified between all grades along with teachers and students. The community spirit is something that is stress relievers for kids so everything is not all about work projects, etc, but we can have fun and still within the school environment. It also shows how the school works together and brings collaboration within each and every aspect of the school and how everything is connected into one system and the everyone's goal is the same with bringing engagement to the school body.


Glick , Sarah. “Success Stories: Brilliant Event Planning.” I Do PR, Jan. 2014, 26 Jan. 2018.

<www.idopr.com/wedding/success-stories-brilliant-event-planning/ .>

This helped me understand what makes an event successful and reading the different stories. They all had in common that they prepared before the event which was important. It also made me realize that everyone is not perfect so there is always going to be a flaw in the event ,but finding ways to overcome it is the way because those flaws can be unseen and no one would even know. Events can be successful or completely off and it is all about how much time and effort you put into the event is what will be produced and seen by others.



 Carlton, Duane. “Divided by Diversity Documentary.” YouTube, Vermont PBS, 4 July 2016, 26 Jan. 2018. <www.youtu.be/fqGRZ7KrbSI .>

The documentary was about how basketball use to be divided based upon race and not talent. This made me wonder what can I question about my own project and establishing my main purpose for the project. What is the cause of having the game? How will shift the players mind on what their goal is and the importance of having teamwork and collaboration while playing. I want everyone to have fun, but take something from and apply a life lesson to it because we do everything for a purpose and not just because. Everything has a meaning and worth recognition of fighting for if it is worth it.










Arielle Moore Capstone

Abstract

For my capstone, I created a podcast. Having no experience with the medium of radio and audio, you can imagine that starting my own was a definite challenge. First, I considered my target audience: adolescents and young adults. Ultimately, I decided that social awareness, pop-culture, and politics would be the best backdrop for my show. Next, I had to create a name. After polling a few of my peers and searching for inspiration, I stumbled upon the name ‘Get Schooled’. It was short, concise, and not only represented the podcast well but that it was school-based.
Now, I had to find a hosting website for each episode. I learned that SoundCloud lets artists upload their content for free, and it can be streamed from their app. Concluding that this was the most feasible option, I created my SoundCloud page and got to work designing a logo and the content I would use to market my podcast with. 
After collecting all my necessary recording materials, it was time to begin creating each episode. I first made a template for what would be covered in the span of 15-20 minutes, and requested a co-host and ‘student spotlight’ for each week. Coming up with new subject matter on a weekly basis was the most efficient way to ensure a consistent episode schedule. I used Monday & Tuesday to write, Wednesday to record, Thursday to edit, and Friday to upload. This system was time-consuming and hard work, but proved itself to be worth it in the end.

Capstone

https://soundcloud.com/getschooledpodcast 
(All episodes are here and available to be streamed)

Bibliography

 Adams, R.L. “7 Cost-Effective Ways To Market Your Business Online.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 31 Dec. 2016, 
This source was really informative regarding the outreach for my podcast. I don’t have a strong background in marketing so this showed me how to effectively and inexpensively get your message on a larger platform, ultimately having your voice heard. I wanted to make sure that SLA students at least knew about my podcast so that I would have an established audience. For the most part, I’m just using my hosting website and some flyers around the school as promotion and this website talked about getting a strong base as being effective. 

‘Code Switch’ Podcast 
This podcast is a bit more structured, but still maintains the format of a natural, fluid conversation, which I plan to use in my own podcast. I also really like that the show has a playlist of current songs that they encourage their listeners to hear. That is a creative touch that I might consider mirroring with my podcast. I do find a bit of their topics to be more geared toward a different demographic, but I appreciate getting inspiration from all areas.

 Geoghegan, Michael W., et al. Podcast academy: the business podcasting book: launching, marketing, and measuring your podcast. Focal Press, 2014.
This book is all about the technical aspect of creating a podcast. Which audio is the best, where to host your podcast, how to record, how to plan your episodes, and so much more. Before knowing how to even begin, I needed a template. This book served as a guide on how to get started and understand the basics of running a podcast. In many instances, I was able to refer to it as a foundation for my new show. A few of its aspects are a bit outdated since this book is almost 4 years old, but its content was very helpful to me nonetheless.

 Martin, Dylan, "Inside the notebook: taking inspiration from a podcast about starting a podcast business" (2015). Maine News Index – MaineBiz. 6260
I gained a lot of vital information from this source, although I’m not planning on making my podcast a business. It provided a lot of points about how to manage and market your podcast strategically and successfully which I find to be quite helpful. I will hopefully be able to expand my podcast beyond the borders of SLA and I think this source will put me on the right track to manage and monitor it by myself. It also gave me a lot of information on how to properly plan and strategize in order to have the most fruitful outcome. 

"NPR One" NPR. Accessed January 25, 2018. 
NPR is a tool to search for and create new podcasts. I find it to be incredibly innovative and interesting when searching for inspiration or needing new information about what kinds of podcasts have a large audience. I like getting other aspects of podcasts I wouldn’t usually listen to or that aren’t geared toward my demographic. It allows me to see more than one perspective and learn how to incorporate themes that are transcendent and cater to a plethora of interests. 

‘The Read’ Podcast
Looking for a podcast that candidly comments on aspects of media, pop culture, politics, and everything in between? It’s The Read. Its two clever hosts continuously keep their fingers on the pulse of what everyone’s talking about and their witty banter sets the perfect scene for a podcast. I’ve been pulling a lot of inspiration from this show due to their fast-paced and consistently interesting episodes. As an avid listener, I closely look for what aspects make this show worth listening to each week. A bit of their topics can be a bit vulgar which I tend to stay away from when making my podcast, but I appreciate their honesty.

 Taylor, Mike. “Start a Podcast Now. Here’s How.” Entrepreneur
This article provides a lot of resources on how to upstart your podcast and how to take initiative with the topics and make a clear decision for your show. This article was from more of an 
entrepreneur standpoint, so the business aspect was clearly displayed as well. Being responsible for just about every aspect of my podcast is quite intense, but with the right guidance, it is bound to be successful. Laying out the surface on which to build your vision requires being disciplined enough to educate yourself on the things you didn’t previously know, and this source showed me the importance in asking for help and searching for the materials you need. 

 “How to Actually Create Podcast Intros That Attract Listeners.” Podcast Motor 
What do the people want to hear? That is the question. This article shows the reader what it is that actually builds an audience. I have gained a lot of knowledge from using this source because even though I have social media as a platform for my outreach, I would also like to know what it is that actually keeps listeners consistently tuned. A large part of what attracts listeners is your intro. When creating mine, I needed a place of reference and I found this source to be incredibly helpful.

 "Using Social Media to Build a Podcast Audience." Podcast Motor
I’m currently finding it a bit difficult to use social media as a way to expand my voice, but this article has been really helpful in labeling the steps I should take. I appreciate that this source takes a realistic and achievable approach to getting your message across through social media. I want to ultimately enlarge my platform and this article breaks down each aspect that is necessary to do so. 

"How to Make a Podcast: Lessons from an NPR Producer." OkDork.com. August 05, 2017.
This website shows the time, effort, and logistics that go into starting and running your own podcast. I have never done this before and have no real point of reference, so being able to read about someone else’s experience and draw inspiration has been helpful and benefitted me and the current state of my podcast. I gained a lot of information about how to turn your writing into something people want to hear, and how to incorporate other creative themes into your final product.

Kimberly Barnes Capstone

Topic Summary: The goal of this project was to teach children how to handle conflict in the right ways, learn the different ways in which children learn and interact, and to tutor children struggling with homework and other challenging school subjects.

My capstone was tutoring and mentoring children in grades k-8th through the Free Library of Philadelphia: Kingsessing Branch (my local library)’s LEAP After school walk-in program. I worked with students of all grade levels, assisting and tutoring  them with any homework assignment and subject they were struggling in. The initial inspiration for this project came from my aspiration to pursue a career in Education and my love for children, and  passion and dedication to see them learn and succeed in challenges faced with both learning and with school material.

Although, I already had much experience through my involvement  in various activities and programs that required and allowed for me to be able to work, interact, and teach children, this was the first time that I would be thinking outside of the box for ways as to which I as an individual could help to make a change in my community.

It was also  my desire to see my community come together in unity, and learn to work together as team, that also inspired this capstone. To see children, from all different backgrounds, walks of life, and circumstance learn to rise above their obstacles whether in their homes (inside and outside of school) and come to know, learn, and realize that they are not their circumstance or their struggle but they are better than it and are able to overcome it with the right resources, determination, and even support.


As a result of this project, I created, planned, and started my own Conflict Resolution Program at the Library for children ages 5+, which taught and showed them the importance of handling and resolving conflict in the right ways, and learning how to channel their anger in ways that are not harmful or hurtful. My goal, being to teach children the importance of keeping the peace and not allowing a conflict or situation to determine who they are, or even who they become.




IMG_0056
IMG_0056
IMG_6107
IMG_6107
IMG_0052
IMG_0052
IMG_6110 (1)
IMG_6110 (1)
IMG_6106
IMG_6106

Kingsessing Branch LEAP Program

Contesta , Nicole. “Friends of the Kingsessing Library Bring More Programs to the Community .” Friends of the Kingsessing Library Work to Bring More Programs to the Community, University City Review , 30 Sept. 2015, ucreview.com/friends-of-the-kingsessing-library-work-to-bring-more-programs-to

-the-commu-p5962-1.htm.


This source proved to be very reliable. Not only does it provide insight into why the Kingsessing Friends Library created the LEAP program, along with the other programs, but gave a description as to what the programs are about and what the mission and goals of each are. Before providing a description of each program, this article talked about the need for more programs and how the closing down of the library resulting in the call to attention for more community involvement.  This source also provided information on the impact LEAP and each program would make and is CURRENTLY making on the community. It helped me to see why LEAP is such an asset to my community and why it should be offered in the best ways possible. This article also showed me how even the smallest action can have and make such a large impact in a community, specifically mines. The LEAP program was created through the threat of the libraries being shut down. It was made for the sole purpose of serving as an asset to people of ages and meeting their needs. What started as an idea, has become a program adopted by all Free Libraries in Philadelphia and other regions! LEAP is changing lives.




How to Effectively Start A Program

“Starting a Program.” Starting a Program Youth.gov , Youth.GOV,

https://youth.gov/youth-topics/mentoring/considerations-starting-mentoring-program


This source gave me so many great ideas and tips needed to start a mentoring program. It gave me a chronological list order of what is needed to be kept in mind when starting and creating the program and even upon the program being in progress. It gave me great tips on what a good program looks like and even advice things such as financial policies and program procedures to follow. I learned a lot more about what starting a program actually looks and what you will need to ensure that it remains in effect and successful.  It is also helped me to prepare certain steps for which I will need to apply when officially introducing and putting the program into play. Because, it is a new program it will need to have much base and structure. This source taught me exactly how to have these two things which are going to be very helpful and determining how the program is going to be facilitated. We are looking to start up the conflict resolution program very soon, and in order for it to be successful and last long, it has to be effective. This source showed me how to exactly make this happen.


Leap Program: Background Information, Mission, and Explanation

“LEAP After-School Program.” Free Library of Philadelphia, Free Library of Philadelphia ,

https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/leap/


Upon first reading this source, I felt that it was not very reliable, it was short and brief and didn’t seem as though it would give me much information. However, upon reading it I realized that not only is the source reliable but it explains the LEAP program and its mission in a way that is simple but clear. This source gave me a much deeper insight as to what I would specifically doing as an intern of the LEAP program. It gave me background on the program and its mission and even what it stands for. It also gave me an idea of where else the LEAP program is being provided at and I can use this for further research for my capstone to see what other communities are being positively impacted by the LEAP program.

When figuring out the time, I would spend per week for my capstone, this source was very handy. It helped me to structure the time in which I spent committing too and doing my capstone. It also gave me an idea of what to expect while interning for the program, and what types of skills needed to work with the children. I used this source to begin to research good communication skills and interactive skills so that I would know how to work alongside those who chose to participate in the program. Although it is a shorter source, it provides a brief introduction as to what my job is as a LEAP intern and the main things that I will be doing upon participating.

 Video Interview with Ms. Kelley! (Mentor)

2018, 14 January, LEAP Program, Leitz Kelley, LEAP Program Director


This video interview with Ms. Kelley was my top source, and it is most certainly reliable. In the video, Ms. Kelley is explaining what exactly the LEAP program is, what makes it unique, and how it has served to be a positive impact in the community. She also talks about why she decided to participate in the LEAP program and how the way the program was created really impacts the amount of students that come in and are benefited from it. She also explains why the program is needed and even some of the struggles and conflicts that sometimes come with directing a program that helps children of all different age groups and backgrounds. She also talks about some of  her favorite memories when working with the children that come into the program. All of this information received in the interview was not only reliable because I could stand witness to the impact the program was having and even agree with some of Ms. Kelley’s opinions on the program and was even present for some of those best moments and challenges she mentioned, but it was also inspiring. It made me even more passionate about my capstone, and more passionate to see a student learn and grow their knowledge. It made me feel good during every tutor session that I patiently sat with a student as they learned how to add and subtract correctly or even pronounce a word. It made me feel good, like everything I did was helping to make an impact in someone’s life.


Andrew Miller’s Mentoring Students and Young People handbook

   Miller , Andrew. “Mentoring Students and Young People.” Google Books, Taylor and Francis E-Library , Mar. 2002,

https://books.google.com/books?id=3smPAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false


This source was amazing and did an excellent job of explaining the history of mentoring, and the different types of mentoring. As both a LEAP tutor and mentor, I did not want to begin serving as a mentor without having a clue as to what is needed or entailed. I also wanted to have a history of mentoring, where it started from, and where the idea was originally created. To be a mentor, is a very important job. This source helped me to see why it was important to prepare for it and how to make it enjoyable. it also broke down the different forms of mentoring and what is required for each. This was helpful in helping me to see the type of mentoring I would be doing and what kind of mentoring related to me most and the steps I would need to take in order to become a good one. Not only did this source explain the basics of what mentoring is and what it requires, Miller dedicated sections of his book to help the reader better understand mentoring, provided a series of case studies to show how effective mentoring is and why it is needed, and even the roles of a mentor and how being a mentor can open you up to so many other doors of opportunities, in both the educational field and even in the real world.


Tips for Tutors: How to Ensure That the First Lesson Goes Really Well.” Tutorhub Blog, TutorHub Blog , 9 Mar. 2014, Tips for Tutors: how to ensure that the first lesson goes ... - Tutorhub Blog


This source was reliable in helping me be a great tutor to the children in the LEAP program. I used this source my first day of interning. It really worked! I had to prepare and set the environment. Not only does this source provide steps but breaks down how to effectively do them. Because it wasa blog, upon first reading and observation I felt that it would be bias. However, there was a lot of "If you", which let me know that I could choose to follow the tips if I wanted too. It wasn't really a bias experience but instead helpful suggestions. I also enjoyed reading this source because it provided actual real scenarios that could possibly occur as a tutor in a program or at a school, which was really helpful especially if I found myself in a situation similar to what was provided in each scenario given in the blog.



Auerbach , Yehudith, et al. “From Conflict Resolution to Reconciliation.” Google Books, Oxford University Press , 2004,

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wOo8PiX8PWMC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=conflict+resolution+techniques&ots=-cK1XGYAjV&sig=mdydEwZ22N_xDnqWD5eg1xGvyP8#v=onepage&q=conflict%20resolution%20techniques&f=false


This source showed me the importance of not only resolving conflict but of finding reconciliation within the conflict. Often times when we think conflict has been resolved it isn't, which sometimes causes for further build ups and frustrations. Thus, nothing is ever solved. This source helped me to see more into my planning for my conflict resolution program and even helped me to shape and structure the rules and guidelines of my program. This source also showed me why reconciliation goes hand in hand with conflict just as much as resolving it, because it builds mutual trust between those involved in it. I used this source to plan out exactly what the goals of my program are. Upon first observation of this book, I felt as if it would be a lot to read before I would come to find what I was looking for. However, immediately from the beginning the book provided an explanation that corresponded to its title and even some history about conflict resolution which helped me to further see why it was an important part of growth and maturity as a person.

Because there were so many different contributors to this source I was able to get many different perspectives about conflict resolution and the different ways to go about it. I am excited to try each suggestion to see how each one fits with the program’s missions and goals.




“9 Tips on Conducting Great Interviews .” Forbes, Forbes Magazine , 14 Apr. 2012, www.forbes.com/sites/shelisrael/2012/04/14/8-tips-on-conducting-great-interviews/#10de0a3656f1.


This source helped me to structure and formulate my interview with both Ms. Kelley and the LEAP children. I was able to structure my question in a way that would make the interview comfortable and provided questions that gave the interviewees time to speak and to answer each question. I also used this source because as one of the most popular business websites and magazines, Forbes is reliable enough because they are always interviewing someone new for the magazine or the website about their latest achievement in business or what makes it unique. This content was most certainly relatable for Ms. Kelley as she talked about the LEAP program. Although she didn't start the program, she is still in charge of it as it changes and impacts lives in positive way. The questions I asked her allowed for her to summarize and break down what LEAP was about in clear and concise ways. I was not looking to have a basic interview with Ms. Kelley but was instead trying to come up with questions that would make the interview unique and interesting for the viewers. I also wanted them to be able to take something from it about the LEAP program that wasn’t just in my capstone description or what I had provided. The interview tips this source provided allowed me to do just that and I learned more about the LEAP program than I had thought I would or knew.



Forhan , Christy. “Middle School Event Ideas.” PTO Today, PTO Today , 2 Mar. 2018, www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/1141-tips-and-ideas-for-middle-school-events.

This source gave me a variety of creative ideas to do for the LEAP program. As an intern, my job is not just to tutor but to plan and create events and activities for the children to participate in that brings the community together. Because the program is from grades K-8th with middle schoolers usually always coming in, planning events and activities for that age range was something I realized I needed to do. This website helped me get an idea of how to correctly plan an event ,and consider the individual while doing this. I now know how to setup the perfect environment for an event, advertise it, and even host it. As a program specifically targeted children, they are going to want to do fun things, and consistently ask about doing activities. This gave me the idea of event planning, This source helped me to also figure out the financial aspect of planning out an event and even how to prepare for it.


Jhazzelle Majarucon Capstone

For my capstone project, I decided to create a montage of my trip to Costa Rica with 9 other girls and 2 teachers from SLA. The trip was a field study in the small village of the Bribri community. Over the course of 9 days, our trip consisted of exploring the capital city of San Jose, driving for 6 hours then taking a boat ride to the community, a 2 day service, beach time, and much more. During our time in the Bribri village, we bonded with the Bribri people and completed community service for 2 days in which we built a water pipe system for two houses. There’s so much more that I can talk about during my time in Costa Rica and that is why I decided to document parts of the trip so it would give the audience an overview of my experience and the girls’ experience as well.

I knew even before the trip happened that it was going to be an amazing and eye-opening experience which led me to film almost everything that we did. I documented our experiences from San Jose, the Bribri community, and even the beach after a few days of service. Every single day, I made sure that I had filmed the most important parts of the day for the montage content. However, I learned that it is difficult to focus on what is going on around you if technology is in your hands. Despite my willingness to document my experience in Costa Rica, especially the Bribri community, I wish I didn’t have to stress about having enough memory storage, my phone or camera falling in the water, not capturing the important moments through the lens, and getting a good camera angle. We shouldn’t focus on these, but instead focus on what nature has to offer around us. Regardless, I gained so much knowledge in such little time and I will be able to cherish the beautiful experience forever with this project I completed.


Annotated Bibliography:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z1Hhw-PWdhlE1YjgPUC9EAAp3lYZ1AcMVDowp4GT7kE/edit?usp=sharing


Athalia Tan Capstone

IMG-8542
IMG-8542
IMG-8561
IMG-8561
My capstone project is about how a sickness or illness could affect the whole family when one family member has it. I got to work with some family members at the Ronald McDonald House(RMDH) and see how they interacted with me and their surroundings. Volunteering at the nonprofit charity, gave me a feeling on what their community is like. To get to interact with them, I decided to do arts and crafts with them, while Tatiana Ream, played bingo with the kids. Through a fundraiser that we did, I bought a set of 8x10 canvases, paint brushes, and acrylic paint and Tatiana boughts items to make gift bags for them. Even though it did not go as expected, with only two kids showing up, I decided to use the rest of the material to  give back to my community church. 

Bibliography: 
"An Illness in the Family: Accounting for the Complex Effects of Illness on Other Family Members." AJMC. May 1, 2004. Accessed January 24, 2018. http://www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2004/2004-05-vol10-n5/may04-1787p305-306.
Sometimes the families have to sacrifice a lot of their daily schedules to care for the patient. Their work schedules and leisure activities can get affected because they need to give more time to care, support and take the patient to the doctors. It also points out that an illness in the family can affect the health and happiness of the family members. This source talks a lot about the different illness that might happen at certain ages and how caregivers take part in the equation. Since some families have caregivers, they are also getting affected. They might not have a good health status but it gives the family a little rest. The sourcing is saying that there are more things other than the family itself that’s getting affected when someone in the family has an illness.

Edwards, Ben, and Valerie Clarke. "The psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis on families: The influence of family functioning and patients' illness characteristics on depression and anxiety." Psycho‐Oncology. December 02, 2003. Accessed January 25, 2018. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.773/full. 
If a family member is diagnosed with cancer, the people around them can suffer from clinical levels of depression, severe levels of anxiety, and stress. The characteristics of the patient and how the family function have a big impact on the family’s depression and anxiety. It also depends on how the family tackle the illness. If they’re positive, meaning that they act openly, they express their feelings and solve problems effectively, they will have a lower level of depression. To have lower levels of anxiety, the family needs to communicate with one another. Researchers and doctors need to be more family-focused because if the patient and the people around them doesn’t have the same mentality, it will have a negative outcome for them all. 

Golics, Catherine Jane, Mohammad Khurshid Azam Basra, M. Sam Salek, and Andrew Yule Finlay. "The impact of patients' chronic disease on family quality of life: an experience from 26 specialties." International Journal of General Medicine. September 18, 2013. Accessed January 24, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3787893/.
Learning a little about the experiment that was conducted, it proved that different illness have different effects on the family. It said that the physical effects, psychological distress and social problems quality in the life of the family can be reduced. Since the family members have a critical part in caring for the patient, they need to be prepared too. The emotional impact, financial aspects, social life, time commitments, personal relationships, and family activities are the most common to be affect in all of the chronic diseases. The studies described in this source is similar to what I want to do, they asked the people in the interview, “Can you tell me about any ways your life has been affected by your family member’s illness?” That is similar to my essential question, so this will be beneficial to me later on. 

Good, Byron J., Mary-Jo DelVecchio Good, and Bill D. Burr. "Impact of Illness on the Family: Disease, Illness, and the Family Illness Trajectory." SpringerLink. January 01, 1983. Accessed January 25, 2018. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4612-5433-1_6. 
According to this source, for a physician to treat a patient, they need to acknowledge the psychological problems of both the patient and the family of the patient. It needs to be recognized, diagnosed and addressed to successfully treat the patient. A study showed that more than half of the families with children that had cystic fibrotic experienced growth and returned back to stability. It is important to support the patients because to share the burden and try to stay positive has a big impact on the family. At times when a family member has an illness, it will most likely bring the family closer because they’ll find strength within themselves.

"How Chronic Illness or Disability Affects a Family." HealthyChildren.org. Accessed January 26, 2018. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chronic/Pages/How%20Chronic-Illness-Affects-the-Family.aspx. 
The parents and caregivers are placed with a big responsibility. They have to worry about their own health and fears and also carry the health condition of the patient. There are different ways that can help with the situation. For example, physicians, social workers, therapists, etc., can be a big help. Trying to solve all family problems associated to the illness or condition can end up isolating yourself from others. It’s okay to recieve help from others when it gets too much. Social networking is also a helpful thing because it allows the family to surround themselves with a supportive environment. 

"Impact of illness on the family." EuroMed Info. Accessed January 24, 2018. https://www.euromedinfo.eu/impact-of-illness-on-the-family.html/.
This source answers my essential question. It states that the lifestyle of the family are affected when a family member becomes ill. Everyone has to adapt to a new change because they have to take into account that they should function the way that’s best for the patient. Some families might even need counseling depending on what specific role they should play a part of the family’s function. The source also talks about how the extended family might be affected by the seriousness of the illness. It said that some illness might bring families closer but some might be a strain, so it’s important to identify the illness to the whole family.

"Individuals and Families: Models and Interventions." Health and Behavior: The Interplay of Biological, Behavioral, and Societal Influences. January 01, 1970. Accessed January 26, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK43749/. 
This source proves that if someone has an illness in the family, it will lead to a long-term stressor for both the patient and the family. To help with the emotional ride of having an illness within the family is to secure and support personal relationships with one another. Behavior also plays a big part because to have a stable, secure, and mutual family relationships helps enhance consistent disease management. It helps the family share the burden associated with the illness so that they will have each other to rely on. It also talks about how behavior plays a big part in other aspects of life.

International, Inc. Advanced Solutions. "Chronic Illness." American Association for Marriages and Family Therapy. Accessed January 24, 2018. https://www.aamft.org/iMIS15/AAMFT/Content/consumer_updates/chronic_illness.aspx.
The first line of healthcare that a person with chronic illness has is their family. The families are the ones that are there with them everyday and the one who do whatever it takes to help the patient. The chronic illness of one family member influences the lives of everyone around them. Their everyday lives change to find a way to help their loved ones. They might not be emotionally stable because it will be hard for them to adjust to a different lifestyle. The families might need help from trained professional for support, but they will always try their hardest to live a “normal” life. 

Reichman, Nancy E., Hope Corman, and Kelly Noonan. "Impact of Child Disability on the Family ." Medscape Log In. Accessed January 25, 2018. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/581577_2. 
There are pros and cons about having a child or a sibling that needs medical attention. It can bring out everyone’s inner strength, enhance family cohesion, and it encourage connections to the community around them. However, it takes a lot of time, financial costs, physical and emotional demands, and support. People might have higher stress levels due to the different effects that come with the responsibility of caring a disabled child. Most of the time, the mom stays at home and the dad’s work hour decreases. Parents that have a disabled child are found to be less social and they are less likely to have large families. 

Rusk, Howard A., and Joseph Novey. Marriage and family living; international issue on the family. Chicago, 1954. 
The chapter, “The Impact of Chronic Illness on Families,” it said that chronic illness contributes to family problems. Whether the illness is a something small, it will still affect the family because everyone is aware of it. The financial and emotional aspects of the family is the primary points that the illness will affect. The family’s social life will be affected due to the things that the patient need. Depending on the severity of the illness, it affects how the family function as an individual and as a whole. What they need to do and how they respond to things will be determined by the illness.

Tatiana Ream Capstone

For my senior project, I decided to visit children at the Ronald McDonald house to do a little evening activity with them as well as give them little gifts.The activities I did was bingo and a little bit of arts and crafts along with Athalia Tan. In order to do this, I held a fundraiser in school to raise money to buy the materials needed. The Ronald McDonald House was kind enough to let me borrow their bingo set, all I had to do was buy them the gift bags. Inside the gift bags, I included things I thought could be fun to play with such as bubbles, play-dough and more. The purpose of this visit, was to see how the families cope and deal with either having a family member in the hospital everyday, or constantly having to return to the hospital.  
setting up
setting up
kids playing bingo with Ms. Hernandez
kids playing bingo with Ms. Hernandez

Annotated Bibliography :

Golics, Catherine Jane, et al. “The impact of patients' chronic disease on family quality of life: an experience from 26 specialties.” International Journal of General Medicine, Dove Medical Press, 2013. <www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3787893/>

After reviewing this source, I noticed that it gave me a lot of background information. I also noticed that it was an interview put into a sort of document. At first I didn’t think that this source was reliable, but once I started getting more into it, I noticed it has a lot of references. I also saw statistics, and the interview questions that was talked about. Most of the interview questions that were asked answers my capstone question on how families feel about their relatives conditions. So maybe I can use some of these questions to ask the families I get in touch with.  


Good, Byron J., et al. “Impact of Illness on the Family: Disease, Illness, and the Family Illness Trajectory.” SpringerLink, Springer, New York, NY, 1 Jan. 1983, link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4612-5433-1_6.

Although this source is similar to the other source, I selected this one as well because it’s the impact instead of the effect. This gives me a lot of information on how illness affects the whole family and the different ways they can cope together as a whole.


How Families Cope With Chronic Illness - Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY, <wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102000363.>

After reviewing this source I got more information on how families cope. I also noticed that this source puts together verses from the bible, which I think is really reliable. It also gives questions families frequently ask doctors when they find out their loved one is diagnosed with an illness. This source helps me a lot because it gives a variety of information. It talks about the many ways someone can be supportive, so this can help me on how to be supportive to the families I talk to.


“Interviewing an individual to gain a family perspective with chronic illness : a clinical demonstration.” Free Library of Philadelphia, [San Francisco, California, USA] : Kanopy Streaming, <know.freelibrary.org/Record/2103858.> https://freelibrary.kanopystreaming.com/video/interviewing-individual-gain-family-perspective-chronic-illness-clinical-demonstration

At first I didn’t think this source would be reliable. Although this interview was about a man’s experience on chronic illness, it was still able to help be gather information. While watching this interview, they introduced the skills they would be talking about which included, coping strategies and impact on family. They also explained ways someone can cope even without family members, but how to on their own. During the interview, the doctor asked the patient many questions on how he coped, and how he felt about the loss while he was a young boy. In the end, this source was pretty useful for me.


Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Health and Behavior: Research, et al. “Individuals and Families: Models and Interventions.” Health and Behavior: The Interplay of Biological, Behavioral, and Societal Influences., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK43749/.

This source shows how families and or the individuals that are diagnosed behave. An individual sometimes feel guilty when they’re diagnosed because of the many things their family has to go through in order to prepare for them. The many equipment they have to get, and the amount of money they have to gather.


Lawrence, Erika. “The Impact of Chronic Illness on the Family.” http://www.igliving.com/magazine/articles/IGL_2012-06_AR_The-Impact-of-Chronic-Illness-on-the-Family.pdf

This source provides informations on the different strategies to cope with a family member's illness and the impact on it. It not only gave information on how families cope, but how individuals, as well as couples together cope. It gave the many effective ways for both couples and families. A big thing I noticed, was family therapy. I could use this, to see whether the families go through family therapy together or even bring up the different ways I learned, to give them ideas on how to cope. In the end, this source was really helpful for me and I will be using it as a guideline when I visit the Ronald Mcdonald House.  


Rothenberg, Michael B. “The Effect of a Child’s Chronic Illness on the Family.” Psychosocial Family Interventions in Chronic Pediatric Illness, 1982, pp. 163–178., doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-4247-2_24. <https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4684-4247-2_24>

This source is a book called “The impact of Chronic Illness on the Family”. Not only does this source show the different ways to cope, but it also shows what the impacts are for the families. Not every family goes through the same thing, so there are many different  things that could happen. This source gave me a lot of information, and was very helpful with not only coping but also the impact it has.


“Saying Goodbye.” Saying Goodbye: Coping With a Loved One's Terminal Illness, www.helpguide.org/harvard/saying-goodbye.htm.

This source provides information on how to properly say goodbye and cope on a loved ones illness. This shows grief and the challenges that the family could face. The process of coping and grieving takes awhile. There’s many steps of these things. At first I didn’t think this source was reliable, but it gave me good information on my topic.


“Signs and Symptoms of Trauma - Causes and Effects.” PsychGuides.com, www.psychguides.com/guides/trauma-symptoms-causes-and-effects/.

This source shows the many causes and effects for Trauma on illness. It gives information about the signs and symptoms to know someone is diagnosed with trauma. Trauma is a really serious thing, and this source can help me know how to properly talk to the families, just in case they are sensitive about a certain topic or thing.


“When a Loved One is Terminally Ill.” When a Loved One is Terminally Ill: Talking About Death and Making End–of–life Decisions, www.helpguide.org/harvard/dealing-with-a-loved-ones-serious-illness.htm.

This source shows how families prepare for the worst when they know their loved one is diagnosed with an illness. They have to prepare financially, physically and emotionally. This source gives the many ways family does these things. This can help me put together information on my end product or slideshow.


Emma Schwingel-Sauer Capstone

​Abstract
For my capstone I wanted to expand the sport of girls lacrosse throughout Philadelphia. My ultimate goal was to create equal opportunity for girls to learn lacrosse without the financial impact so that girls from all backgrounds were able to join. As I grew up in Philadelphia there weren’t a lot of chances that I had to learn lacrosse either and I wanted this to change for the next generation. My goal to reach all of Philadelphia was a bit too optimistic right away, so I chose to begin by giving back to a local middle school, Greenfield School, that kindly lent us room to practice sports for our school in the past. After applying and receiving a grant from US Lacrosse that supplied me with equipment for everyone, I was able to plan out lacrosse clinics. Throughout the course of about a month, I held three sessions with the help of my mentor, Erin Giorgio, that taught girls the fundamentals of lacrosse as well as the impact it could have on them as because of the skills it teaches you. The collaboration throughout this process was very vital to helping me achieve my goal. In the future, I hope to continue this program so that we are able to expand it throughout the rest of Philadelphia. By starting at a middle school level, we will be able to grow the sport enough so that we can eventually implement high school programs too. 

Works Cited 

”Agility Training and Conditioning for Women’s Lacrosse.” YouTube, uploaded by Sports 
Nation Video, 19 Sept. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=nLpMO1E7JxU. 
In this video, Veronica Dyer, the Syracuse University Strength and Conditioning Olympic Sports Director, gives step by step tutorials on agility and conditioning exercises. I can use these exercises to train myself as well as include in some of the clinics for the Greenfield students. 

“Athletic Administration: No Longer A Boy’s Club.” Ohio University, 18 Jan. 2016, 
https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/athletic-administration-no-longer-a-boys-club/? g=infograhcs&t=maa. Accessed 24 Jan. 2018. 
This infographic gives lots of statistics of females in athletics after Title IX, which I will use to introduce my project about why I want to provide sports to girls. This brochure is reputable as it was created by Ohio University’s Athletic Administration program. 

“George Washington Strength and Condition: Lacrosse.” The George Washington University. 2012,http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/gewa/genrel/auto_pdf/2011- 12/misc_non_event/Lacrosse_2012_Summer_Packet.pdf. Accessed 24 Jan. 2018. 
This packet provides lots of training exercises and stretches to get in shape for a season. I will base my training and planning for Greenfield students with modifications off of this, which is trustworthy due to the fact that a university athletic program is having their athletes use this. 

Heywood, Leslie. “Addressing the Needs of Female Professional and Amateur Athletes.” Women’s Sports Foundation, July 1999, file:///home/chronos/u- dd35740fee8c2b3274a21abc97f08d87ce1f910a/Downloads/pro_amateur_athletes_full.pdf. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018. 
This report by Leslie Heywood, a professor of Sports Studies at Harpur College, shows results of coaches and athletes who are women and the need for more of them. This is important to my project because it’s a big part of the inquiry step, as I am stepping into the role of a coach as a female and the students at Greenfield are also girls and I am trying to open up opportunities and resources for them. 

Koeniges, Pete. “Conditioning Lacrosse Players.” Athletes Acceleration, 
https://athletesacceleration.com/conditioninglacrosse.html. Accessed 24 Jan. 2018. 
This source by Pete Koeniges, a certified athletic trainer, talks about the type of energy your body is using during lacrosse and exercises that will help raise your stamina for this. I will use this in my training as well as planning for the clinics for the girls at Greenfield. 

Pietramala, David G, and Neil A. Grauer. Lacrosse: Technique and Tradition. 2nd ed., The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. 
This book will be very helpful when planning out what to do for Greenfield students as it teaches the fundamentals of lacrosse which is what I want to teach them. David Pietramala, the head coach of the 2005 John Hopkins’ winning national champions, also goes into specifics about different types of plays for offense and defense.

Sabo, Donald. “Beyond X’s and O’s: Gender Bias and Coaches of Women’s College Sports.” Women’s Sports Foundation, June,
2016, file:///home/chronos/u- dd35740fee8c2b3274a21abc97f08d87ce1f910a/Downloads/beyond-xs-osfinal- for-web.pdf. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018. 
This report, written by Donald Sabo, a professor at D’Youville College who directs research on physical activity, sport and health, dives into research about women in college sports which I will use to conduct information on where I can progress after this project. As my mentor plans to keep this program running after I graduate, I hope to continue to play sports in college and will use this to reflect on what I want to continue to do in the future. 

Samaras, Crista. “Research: The Bravery Gap.” More Brave, 30 Oct. 2016, Brave 
Enterprises, www.morebrave.com/single-post/2017/12/12/THE-BRAVERY- GAP. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018. 
This blog post helps establish what bravery is and why we should approach it, which is important for my project because I’m helping provide resources for sport and often times people are scared of trying new sports. I also have a connection through my mentor with her and we are reaching out to Crista Samaras to see if she would be able to come speak to the girls. 

Tucker, Janine, and Maryalice Yakutchik. Women’s Lacrosse: A Guide for Advanced Players and Coaches. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008.
This book captures the essence of what it means to be a lacrosse player or coach, two things I am trying to tackle throughout this project. It also goes in depth to different skills of players that I can use to plan out clinics for the Greenfield students. The author Janine Tucker is the head coach of the women’s lacrosse team at Johns Hopkins University. 

“U.S. Lacrosse Physical Education Curriculum.” U.S. Lacrosse, 2006, 
https://www.uslacrosse.org/sites/default/files/public/documents/programs/pe- curriculum.pdf. Accessed 22 Jan 2018. 
This source, published by the US Lacrosse organization, will be used to help me create workouts and design the clinics as it as a PE curriculum, which is perfect for the age group I am working with. As my capstone is all about lacrosse, the US Lacrosse organization is very reliable as it is the professional program for the sport of lacrosse.

Harrison Wellner Capstone

Abstract:

For my yearlong Capstone project, I primarily wanted to focus on my interests in terms of my future, in college and beyond. Considering my intention to go to film school, I created a full, feature-length script for a film — an 89 page script to be exact. I also elected to create a short, proof-of-concept film piece featuring some of the base ideas of the film. I worked on the script for a few months, editing and revising both as I went and after finishing, and created the final short film in the final month and a half before the due date of the Capstone. I was able to create most of what I wanted to put together, however not everything can be perfect. This was quite a learning experience in terms of preparation and planning. There were several things I wanted to put in the short film that I wasn’t able to attain, because I couldn’t get the necessary permissions. If I had given myself more time to set those things up, maybe I would have. I also learned a wide variety of things about writing scripts, such as many things about formatting and conventions that I had never even thought of before. Putting word to paper to video is definitely some experience that I feel will be useful moving forwards. All in all, my final product expresses the work I put in, as well as serving as a strong learning experience for what I wanted to learn about.


Short Film:

Excerpt, Scene 16:

November 9th - Target Practice

INT. WARREN'S APARTMENT

Warren lays on the floor beside his bed, still gripping the gun tightly. He's leaning back against his nightstand, where his clock still sits. The time reads Nov. 9th, 3:23 A.M. 

He stares down at the gun, turning it over in his hands, taking in every inch of it. Every so often, he flips the safety off and on again. He turns it until the barrel is facing towards him while holding it sideways. Slowly, he turns it upright and looks straight down the barrel, almost as if he's examining it. He starts repeatedly flipping the safety off and on over and over.

Abruptly he turns the gun away from himself, extends both his arms fully, and points the gun straight towards the walls. He takes aim, flips the safety off, and breaths in heavily. He holds his breath for a long while, before letting out one large breath, flipping the safety back on, and dropping his hands down to his legs.

He looks up towards the ceiling for a short while, before he drops his head and stares directly at the wall in front of him, returning to flipping the safety switch repeatedly. Slowly, all other noise drowns out and the sound of the safety switching grows louder and more distinct. After a time, the safety flips in time with the loud click.

Final Script:

American Street - Final
Bibliography:

  1. Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1979.


This books is an introduction and guide to the basics of the more technical aspects of filmmaking. While it may be a bit dated in terms of technology, it still provides a good understanding into what the physical portions of the movie making process, such as camera placement, lighting, camera movements, etc. This source is useful to me because I gives me a resource to reference when I am actually doing the filming portion of my project, which will have to come about at some point or another. There are many things about actually shooting a film that I have yet to learn or even know about, and this book gives me a window into the things that I’m missing, the skills that will be useful to develop, etc.


  1. Eisenstein, Sergei. Film Form: Essays in Film Theory. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1949.


This books provides insight into theory behind film itself, taking specific look into film and movies as a medium, rather than just simply a look into writing or the creation of story. It discusses storytelling from the particular angle of movie and filmmaking, giving ideas about how visual aspects of film related and integrate into how stories are told by its creators and understood by its viewers. It gives me new perspective into what I should be considering when designing my scenes, not only for the process of writing the script, but also when thinking about how I should design the trailer that I plan on producing.


  1. Field, Syd. Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. Delta Trade Paperbacks, 1979.


I acquired this book from the library while trying to do research, and found it to have a lot of information about writing screenplays, down to the most basic level of methodology and constructive criticism. After reading it, there are several things that I took from this book into consideration while writing, such as certain aspects of designing character. This is especially helpful to me, considering the script I’m writing is a very single-character heavy story, in which every inner workings of the character’s mind is meant to be explored. Reading the book gave me insight into ways that I’ve been designing my characters right, and ways I’ve been designing them wrong. With that knowledge, I can better my process and create a more dynamic and interesting protagonist and story.


  1. Hirsch, Foster. Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir. Limelight Editions, 1999.


Found online while searching with Google Scholar, Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir is a book examining and breaking down the contemporary sub-genre of film known as Neo-Noir, which is a stylistic offshoot of the classic sub-genre Film Noir. The reason this source has value to me is because the film that I am designing the script for is in many ways, inspired by both of those sub-genres. Understanding what makes these genres themselves is useful to me because it allows me think about how to create scenes, characters, and interactions in a way that facilitates design choices that fit with the Noir style.


  1. Goldman, William. Which Lie Did I Tell?: More Adventures in the Screen Trade. Pantheon Books, 2000.


Which Lie Did I Tell? is a book that provides a large amount of insight into the screenwriting side of creating a film, using real examples from real films and real screenwriters in order to express its ideas. I gained several new understandings from the book, all of which have at least some value to me. Specifically, it’s helped me understand how different the process can be from person to person, as well as how similar it can be. Meaning, many people go about writing scripts, or really anything at all, in very different ways from one another, but the core concepts on creating a story are virtually always there in some shape or another. From this, it helps me understand that while the way I create a story should be influenced by others, the writing process will always be my own.


  1. “The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb).” The Internet Movie Script Database, IMSDb, www.imsdb.com/.


This source is an online internet archive containing a wide ranging amount of film scripts and screenplays. I’ve cross referenced multiple movies that I’ve seen and know fairly well with the scripts to ensure that they are most entirely accurate, which they are. As such, I feel this source is reliable. The reason this source is of value to me is because it features many different movie scripts. I find that it’s valuable to me to look at real scripts and screenplays of real movies, since it would be difficult to write a script when I’m not sure exactly what a script should look like. It also allows me to look at scripts from movies that I like or take inspiration from, which is helpful for looking at what works when used in a script, what certain things need to work, and what just generally doesn’t work.


  1. Mayo Clinic Staff. “Insomnia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 15 Oct. 2016, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-

causes/syc-20355167.


This source is something that I used for part of the creation of the main character themselves. My script follows a character with multiple different mental health issues, the primary one being insomnia, from which most of the other issues arise. When writing this script, I don’t want to create a misinformative piece in terms of the issues the character faces. I chose to do research into the problem, to have a better understanding it when writing about it. This way, not only does the piece not spread misinformation, it could potentially spread real information, that could help other people better understand issues like insomnia.


  1. Palmer, Stephanie. “Screenwriting Tips From Top Screenwriters - Video Showcase.” Good in a Room, Good in a Room, 3 May 2017, goodinaroom.com/blog/writing-process-videos/.


This source is a website article featuring several successful screenwriters providing insight into their experiences in writing scripts, as well as some tips on how to go about writing a script. Some of these tips are especially helpful to a beginner or novice scriptwriter, such as myself. The source provides me with a real look into minds and ideas of different writers that have written popular or successful films, which can come in handy when trying to figure out the best way to go about the process. One limitation, of course, is the fact that this is a very limited glance in, considering how many scriptwriters there are, and how few are featured in this article.


  1. Scorsese, Martin, director, et al. Taxi driver. Performance by Robert De Niro, Columbia Pictures, 1976.


Martin Scorsese’s 1976 Taxi Driver was one of my key pieces of inspiration, going into this Capstone. My initial idea behind the script was with the goal in mind of creating a modern, Philadelphia take on Taxi Driver. The story itself, main plot of the script, and the characters are all meant to be part of their own narrative — but the mood, vibe, and feeling are all meant to in some ways emulate that of Taxi Driver. The movie was a heavy influence behind the script, and inspired many parts of it. As such, Taxi Driver is one of my primary sources in creating my Capstone.


  1. Tarkovskiĭ, Andreĭ. Sculpting In Time: Reflections on the Cinema. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1987.


This book, like the previous one, provides me with some insight into the more physical aspects into filming, only with a more specific focus on Andreĭ Tarkovskiĭ, an acclaimed Russian filmmaker. It gives me a chance to understand a particular director and how he chooses to go about painting images and expressing details of a story through frames and shots in a film. This is useful for me to get an understanding of how filmmakers go about going from a script to a detailed piece of moving, visual art. It’s valuable information for taking parts of my script and converting it into a trailer that expresses the core ideas of what I’d like my film to be.


Eleanor Shamble Capstone

My Capstone was originally intended to be something else, but I switched it to an art portfolio I was already working on throughout the year to be shared at Free Library Of Comic Con. The majority of the art in here was done while I was unaware that it would be my Capstone, so it wouldn’t have been stuff I would choose to present normally. However, when I chose to switch, I realized that I shouldn’t be ashamed of myself, my art, or the things I enjoy. If someone finds the portfolio or anything in it cringeworthy, it’s their problem, not mine.

Learning new mediums was challenging. When I originally invested in the markers I ended up using, I had absolutely no idea how to use them, and knew hardly anything about them besides their unpleasant smell.Learning how to blend was an experience, because in my traditional art before this year, I blended hardly anything. It was also a struggle trying to translate the way I shade hair to different mediums because of how heavily it relied on cell shading.

All in all though, I like how my art progressed this year, and I’m proud of myself for overcoming the anxiety of presenting art I drew when I thought not many people I actually knew would see it.This Capstone was a lot of hours of work, but looking back, I enjoyed it too much for it to feel like it.


Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mw3VftOVTML2ZrKV81Vi4yt3z8tShLrxlIl2NF9oq2E/edit?usp=sharing

Alexander Khan's Capstone

I’ve been writing since I was in grade school. I was published by third grade, in a national poetry book for students. When it came time for the capstone in my final year at SLA, I knew I wanted to write something. I took the idea of writing a book and kind of ran with it. It would be titled Eat. I asked for submissions in the advisory memo, and on social media, and ended up with a few written works from people I knew online. The submissions were placed in a section of the book titled Moving Forward, dedicated to personal struggles and issues people have faced. This particular section is a combination of music, famous poems, personal works, and submissions. There were two other sections to the book, In Time and A Continuous; In Time being dedicated to time stamped things I’d written late at night or randomly throughout days, while A Continuous is simply things I’m proud of, and occasionally things I’ve had published.

Most of the time I spent working on this project, I was working with other people to collect works and compile things in an order that made sense. Getting people to submit things took a while, which is mostly due to asking for newly written works from most people. In this process, I came to understand that while I write well, writing on command like book writing entails is incredibly difficult. It’s also really really hard to get people to cooperate and contribute to things when you lack any serious backing to prove something will come from their effort.

In the end, though, the final piece came together nicely. It’s a polished 30 page book, including the title page.


Bibliography is here.

Lyle Seitz Capstone

When I was deciding what I was going to do for my Capstone project, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could incorporate what I have learned in my time at SLA, and my passions outside of school as well. Music has always been an important part of my life, and I had also learned a lot about digital media in my classes, so I decided that I was going to create an EP with a few of my friends in and out of SLA. Working together we were able to put together five original songs, put on a release show with a handful of other successful bands in Philadelphia, make a music video for the lead single from the set of songs, and learn how to promote ourselves along the way.

We began recording in the early summer, and finished in early winter, spending approximately spending five months to complete a project that ultimately began a year before. Along the way I was able to learn a lot more about the intricacies of a band and how different sounds meld together to make a cohesive sound, that was not only complex, but sounded good too. I learned a lot about marketing and promoting as well, with the goal of getting as many people to listen to our music as we could, we were able to make connections not only in Philly, but around the world. I am very proud of all the time and effort put into this project, and hope that I can see it grow even larger.



Here is a link to my annotated bibliography:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ClJgNZX-FvO7nJbb8UB1XQJJNtwEliYTTXUBl0sa238/edit?usp=sharing.


Jamal Hampton's Capstone

Students Who Attend Science Leadership Academy Middle School
Students Who Attend Science Leadership Academy Middle School
For my CapStone, I  built furniture for Science Leadership Academy Middle School at the public workshop. The Public Workshop is an innovative participatory community that works with me and other volunteers in local communities. At the Public Workshop, I am taught how to use various hand and power tools to design and build projects while developing my woodworking skill, By doing this project I too learned how to use and function various tools that I will use in my engineering career that I plan to pursue. This Capstone enabled me to provide the middle school with furniture that so that the students would have a place to sit outside. In addition, I created furniture for inside Science Leadership Academy Middle School.

Bibliography-

Source 1

Gilliam, Alex- The Public Workshop


This source provides information about what the public workshop is. I selected this source because he owns the public works and offered to help me how to use the tools within the public workshop. I found this source useful because Alex taught me how to use  all of the tools that I would need in order to build a picnic table. One of the tools that Jeff taught me how to use was the chop saw which allowed me to cut wood into smaller pieces. This source did not have a limitation because Jeff even taught me stuff that I did not need to know in order to build  a picnic table.



Source 2

“Architects - What Do Architects Do?” {$Smarty.const.SITEDOMAIN}, 2009, www.studentscholarships.org/salary/556/architects.php#sthash.LMZknl2h.dpbs.



This source provides information about the architecture career and lifestyle in the workplace. I selected this source because being an architect and working in the design/building field is a career that I plan to pursue when I get older. My capstone provides basic idea of what architects do and learn about. I found this source useful because this source provides me with more information on what architects do. By using information on this source, I am able to apprehend that a architect’s work environment, education & training required, and needed. One limitation of this source was that this source was that it did not provide me the smaller aspects of architects.  


Source 3

Turner, Cory, et al. “Why America's Schools Have A Money Problem.” NPR, NPR, 18 Apr. 2016,


This source provides information about why America's schools Have a money problem. Schools in the United States have been struggling financially for decades. I selected this source because for my CapStone I would building furniture for Science Leadership Academy Middle School at the public workshop. Science Leadership Academy Middle School is a school that is impacted by America’s money problem. I found this source useful because it educated me on why Science Leadership Academy Middle School is in the poor condition that it is. The school district of philadelphia is located in an area were a lot of the money from taxes does not got too.


Source 4

Hannah, Ryan. The Effect of Classroom Environment on Student Learning. Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU.


This source provides information about how a learning environment has an impacts on students. I selected this source because I need have a reason to make the furniture. This website provides me with the information on why making better furniture outside would benefit the students mentally too. I found this source useful because this source provides me with information that with help me explain why making better furniture for the students outside.  One limitation of this source was that his source did not specify anything about my topic in particular which is furniture. It would have been helpful to explain why sitting on actual furniture would make the student feel better rather than cheap products such as crates.


Source 5

“Instructables Search Results.” Instructables.com, www.instructables.com/howto/pinic+table/.


This source provides information about different types of picnic tables. I selected this source because this website provided me with an array of type of picnic tables. By being able looking at the different types of picnic tables, I was able to brainstorm and create an idea of what type of tables that I should construct. I found this source useful because it provided me with a set of directions to make a picnic table. This source allowed me to developed on what type of furniture that I wanted. From the source I was able see if I really wanted to build the furniture for my capstone. One limitation of this source was that this source was not very detailed.


Source 6

Pond, Jeff- The Public Workshop


This source provides information about guidance within the public workshop. I selected this source because he works at the public works and offered to help me how to use the tools within the public workshop. I found this source useful because Alex taught me how to use  all of the tools that I would need in order to design a picnic. One of the designing tools that Alex taught me how to use was solidworks which allowed me to digitally design a picnic table. This source did not have a limitation because Alex even taught me stuff that I did not need to know in order to build a picnic table.


Source 7

“Public Workshop | .” Public Workshop | , Public Workshop, 2018,

Publicworkshop.us


This source provides information about the public workshop. The public worship it the place that I am working on my capstone at. The reason why I selected this source is because unlike other sources,  than other sources this source is made by the public workshop organization. I found this source useful because it provides me with information about the public workshop. The information on this website could be used when when I am presenting my capstone. For example, I could have a slide on that explains what the public workshop is, what people there, and what their mission is. The website with provide me with the ability to do so. Something that a found that this website lacked was the types of tools that

I learn how to use at the public workshop.


Source 8

2011-2017, (c) Copyright skillsyouneed.com. “Top Tips for Effective Presentations.”SkillsYouNeed, www.skillsyouneed.com/present/presentation-tips.html.


This source provides information about public speaking. In addition, this source provides

I selected this source because I am not good at presenting in front of a audience. By reviewing this website, I was able to find key tips and advice on what I should do when presenting my capstone in front of a large audience.I found this source useful because I am able to present information more formaley and more confidently without struggling. Struggling during presentations has always been a problem of mine and now that I don't struggle with presenting, I can say that I found this source to be useful. One limitation of this source was that it did not specify on student presentations.


Source 9

“20 Woodworking Hand Tools List for Beginners.” Wood and Shop, 23 Oct. 2017,

woodandshop.com/which-hand-tools-do-you-need-for-traditional-woodworking


This source provides information about different types of wood. I selected this source because this website provided me with an array of types of wood. By being able looking at the different types of wood- working methods, I was able to brainstorm and create an idea of what type of way that I should construct my tables. I found this source useful because it provided me with a set of directions to make a picnic table. This source allowed me to develop an idea on what type of woodworking techniques that I wanted use when creating the table. From the source I was able see if I really wanted to build the furniture for my capstone. One limitation of this source was that this source was not very detailed.



Source  10

Youtube. “Safety in the Woodshop: ” Online video clip. YouTube, Feb 27, 2015. Web. Jan 23, 2018

This source provides information about how to be safe in the public workshop. It provide me with basic and common mistakes that beginners tend to make when working with the tools in the woodshop. I selected this source because working in the public workshop requires me working with dangerous tools and safety is a priority when working in the workshop. I found this source useful because this video explains how to be safe in the public workshop. One limitation of this source was there are some tools that I will be using in the public workshop that they did not talk about.


Negative Space

  1. ​ Negative space is the empty space around and between the picture that was created.
  2. I found negative space by cutting out a house and using the stencil it left behind then later putting a solid background behind it.
  3. Negative space helps an artist because it make everything more visible.
  4. By using negative space it enhances your artwork because it make everything more visible and more aesthetically pleasing. 

IMG_2325
IMG_2325

Kawthar Hasan Capstone

My original Capstone Project was making SLA’s school store more profitable through initiatives like cutting costs. It was to provide profits for the school to use. However, the Home & School Association could not provide enough volunteers. So, the store was closed much of the year.

This required me to create a new Capstone. I decided to help children improve academics at one of my elementary schools, the Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy. My mentor approved my change of project. I attended the Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy from Pre-K to 1st grade when it was one of the best Muslim schools in Philadelphia. Currently, it is struggling academically. Parents have given it low ratings. Student enrollment is down.

The declining performance of the school gave me an opportunity to make a difference. I wanted to help younger children succeed. I also hoped to give teachers some relief. The main obstacle I faced was learning to be patient with the students. Sometimes students did not want to work. They would play instead of focusing. I tried to be firm yet positive with those who acted out. I hoped my coaching would transfer to their behavior in class.

Eventually, as I helped teachers grade student work, I saw improvement. Specifically, improvements occurred with presentations, tests, classwork and homework. In-class participation, engagement, and listening also improved.

The Capstone process was beneficial for me. I acquired significant knowledge. I only wish I had switched projects sooner. I am glad I was able to complete my Capstone and graduate.


The school store
The school store
Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy students I tutored.
Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy students I tutored.

Annotated Bibliography

Managing and Financing the School Store



https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/05/make-your-small-business-more-profitable.html


Emerson, Melinda. “5 Tips to Make Your Small Business More Profitable.” Small Business Trends, 23 May 2016,

This article suggests how to  manage the money at the school store. This is important to me because I wanted to make sure the store knows how to properly make a good profit to give towards the school and to buy more snacks without going over a budget.


https://succeedasyourownboss.com/seven-ways-profitable-small-business/


Emerson, Melinda, et al. “Seven Ways to Be More Profitable in Your Small Business » Succeed As Your Own Boss.” Succeed As Your Own Boss, 16 Mar. 2015,

This article helped me figure out some great ways to make better profit to help benefit the school store especially by creating some referrals/surveys for the customers. It is important to alway get feedback from others to help improve the choice of items in the store.


https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232272


Kittaneh, Firas. “4 Ways a Small Business Can Scale to Profitability.” Entrepreneur, 18 Mar. 2014,

If I had followed the steps that are on this website, then by the end of the year I would have a good presentation showing how much time and effort I put towards the school store. This is a good source to rely on to try to take proper notes to keep on track in case of any issues we may face with money at the school store. This site offered a few high level tips for small business owners such as defining your value for the market, taking sensible risks, having a good cash flow strategy and making a real effort to appreciate employees.


https://www.score.org/blog/5-innovative-ways-run-more-efficient-small-business


Miller, Derek- June 22, 2017. “5 Innovative Ways to Run a More Efficient Small Business.” SCORE, SCORE, 22 June 2017,

This was similar to the link I have above. This site motivated me to improve any strategies I have for representing this capstone. This site described five high-level considerations for new small business leaders. They include delegation, automation, consolidation and simplification of work, as well as embracing change and innovation and embracing technology to improve IT performance.


https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/306752#1


Rapetskaya, Maria. “5 Things Not to Do Running a Small Business.” Entrepreneur, 12 Jan. 2016

The Entrepreneur site provided me with ways to make sure that I had stayed on the right path by avoiding some of the mistakes of managing a small business at the store store. I know that in order for you to succeed you must fail and learn from that failure, but I did not want to cause a major money issue for the school store. It also focused on helpful, high-level tips for people who are starting a new company. This spoke to important issues such as choosing the right business associates,  patience, delegation, perseverance and renewal (including continually adapting the business meet market demands).


https://www.thebalance.com/steps-to-increase-small-business-profits-1200720


York, Mitchell. “6 Simple Ways to Increase Profits For Your Small Business.” The Balance,

This was another site that explains ways to raise a profit/fundraiser. I wanted to make sure I had the proper suggestions for the store to make sure that they could fundraise for the school  without having the store go into debt. It also focused on six ideas for how to increase the profits of a small business. The ideas range from changing operating procedures and stabilizing cash flow to trimming management costs and increasing marketing and sales productivity.


https://www.thebalance.com/starting-a-small-business-101-the-essential-steps-2951446

Zahorsky, Darrell. “What Are the Essential Steps in Starting a Small Business.” The Balance,

The website  was a planner/checklist for me to look back at to make sure I stayed on point with this project. I know that there were capstone timeline/checklist assignments to keep me on track but I did not want to rely on just those assignments. That was why I chose to use this  site that showed different aspects of setting up and running a small business. The site focuses on subjects such as defining a strong value proposition and business plan, choosing a business structure, and obtaining permits. It was interesting because the site also comments on specific details like naming the company and selecting a location.


http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/starting-a-business/tips-for-a-successful-small-business.html


“Tips for a Successful Small Business.” Findlaw,

This site offers me a  way of making sure I developed the proper skills of financing the school store, such as taking good notes to keep a record of the money coming in and out of the store. It also offered tips to small business leaders in over 10 areas ranging from high-level requirements (e.g. have a good business plan, maintain competitive advantage) to tactical considerations (e.g. use written contracts, buy insurance, hire well, pay expenses and taxes on time). This site has a clear focus on key legal issues required to run a small business.

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/run-successful-small-business-3183.html


“How to Run a Successful Small Business.” Chron.com,

This was a good site  because it guided me to understand how to run the school store with managing and fundraising. This also focused on four basic areas where small business leaders must focus: financial literacy, financing, legal issues and work-life balance.


https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/trends/the-10-hardest-things-about-running-a-business/


“The 10 Hardest Things About Running a Business.” QuickBooks, 14 Dec. 2016,

This was a helpful link for me because it showed the hardest things that I would have to deal with when running a business and allowed me to make sure I would not make any major mistakes. It also offers a view of 10 significant challenges faced by many entrepreneurs and small business leaders as they try to balance short-term business imperatives and more strategic considerations.

Annotated Bibliography

Tutoring Elementary School Students


http://www.readingrockets.org/article/tutoring-strategies-primary-grades

“Tutoring Strategies for the Primary Grades.” Reading Rockets, 7 Nov. 2013,

This website  explains how children from 1st to 3rd grade usually read and comprehend. It briefly explains how to read with the kids, helping students grasp strategies, better comprehension, and even work their way up  to become great writers.


https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-school/instructional-strategies/6-strategies-teachers-use-to-help-kids-with-learning-and-attention-issues

Team, Understood. “6 Strategies Teachers Use to Help Kids With Learning and Attention Issues.” Understood.org,

This site demonstrated how to professionally deal with children when teaching/tutoring them. It also included how to help those who have Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, ADHD, executive functioning issues, and slow processing speed. This was very important for me to take into consideration because I might have to face some students with  learning disorders. Therefore, I wanted to have the capability to help them out.


https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-makes-a-successful-tutor-seth-linden

“What Makes a Successful Tutor?” Edutopia,

This source described more about how to build a good relationship with the students I tutored. It is always good for children  to be comfortable expressing themselves through their work as they learn. So a tutor must be able to understand their personality  in order for them to achieve and succeed through their work.


http://www.readingrockets.org/article/tips-reading-tutors

“Tips for Reading Tutors.” Reading Rockets, 24 Aug. 2017,

This is similar to the first site above but it is more of a checklist than an elaboration on how to help elementary students read on the required level. It also includes how the tutor should manage herself when trying to help the kids since it takes a lot of respect and patience.


https://www.firsttutors.com/canada/tips-for-tutors.php

“Tips For New Tutors.” First Tutors, First Tutors  44 843 289 9165,

This website offers suggestions on how to increase student participation and engagement while while helping with  school work. This was one of the most reliable sources that I used because I had faced a lot of reluctance and acting out with the kids. Thankfully, I was able to use and create my own strategies while being professional and patient with them.


http://hechingerreport.org/elementary-school-teachers-struggle-with-common-core-math-standards/

“Elementary School Teachers Struggle with Common Core Math Standards.” The Hechinger Report, 16 June 2016,

This article talked about how  elementary teachers struggle with teaching their students math. At Al-Aqsa one of the academic subjects that students struggle with is math. This site allowed me to find and figure out better strategies to not only offer the kids but the teachers to improve their math skills.


https://www.care.com/c/stories/5383/how-to-become-a-successful-tutor/

Jayme. “How to Become a Successful Tutor.” Care.com, Care.com, 29 Mar. 2018,

This provided ways for me to be a good  tutor for elementary children since I had to be able to guide them on their level rather than on a middle or high school level. That way I could be able to build a beneficial relationship with them so that we could understand one another during our tutoring sessions.


http://education.seattlepi.com/tips-tutor-elementary-school-children-6003.html

Miller, Ashley. “Tips to Help Tutor Elementary School Children.” Why Is It Important to Have a Social Life in College? | Education - Seattle PI, 29 Sept. 2016,

This source was similar to the one above. I especially used the section that was titled, “Make Learning Fun” which is one of the best skills any tutor can have when dealing with children. The goal is that they should  never be bored or procrastinate. This did happen but as I continued to tutor I figured out ways, using this site and my creative strategies, to keep them engaged in their work which allowed them to use those same skills in their classroom.


http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin425.shtml

“Kids Tutor Kids to Big Gains.” Creating a Safe Classroom Environment | Education World,

What I took from this article in particular was the section about, “Big gains over short time” because that was my goal for not only the students and staff, but for the entire school. I wanted to be able to bring that lift and make a positive change to the Muslim community.


https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ways-help-students-understand-math-matthew-beyranevand

“6 Ways to Help Students Understand Math.” Edutopia,

This was another site that briefly describes how to help properly help students with math. This was useful for me to use because it offer skills that I could build off of such as; creating an effective class opener, topic representations, showing application, and communicating with reasoning.