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Lewis Ford Capstone

Posted by Lewis Ford in Capstone · Reddy · Wed on
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​This capstone process was long. I changed my capstone at least three times. My original plan was to create a mural somewhere in the school. Then, I realized that there were already a bunch of art things on the wall in our school building. I finally settled on making abstract art on the ceiling tiles. I decided to form the letters "S-L-A" with three ceiling tiles. I know. that sounds so plain and boring. The creativity comes stems from what I used to make the capstone. I used all my old trans passes from freshman year to senior year. I got this idea from an abstract art class I attended with my uncle. I became familiar with seeing and creating art with things like soda cans, paint and pipe cleaners. I decided to use trans passes due to the fact that I see them as a passageway to knowledge, education, and learning how to communicate effectively with all types of people. To me, trans passes are also a sign of opportunity and mobility. They are a sign of endless possibility (usually up until 7 or 8 o'clock). The people I've been able to meet and connect with because of this resource has literally changed my mindset for the better. For instance, I'm able to travel back and forth from my physical therapy internship. That might not sound like something that can change your life, but physical therapy is my way of helping and giving back to the world.

Annotated Bibliography:

 

Barasch, Moshe. "Color." In Modern Theories of Art 2: From Impressionism to Kandinsky, 320-40. NYU Press, 1998. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qg2fz.29.

 

  • This link speaks on the important aspects of abstract art which include lines, colors, form and space. Of these important aspects, color is what is most important out of the group because of the emotions that colors are capable of bringing out of spectators. According to this link, color is the furthest from the representation of objects, figures, and external reality in general. Kandinsky, the author of this piece views color as a way to view the deeper meaning of the painting or other form of art piece. Kandinsky also believes that colors have a psychological effect on the spectator.  

 

"4.1 Transpass Service." 4.1 Transpass Service. Accessed February 03, 2017. http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/offices/administration/policies/principals/4-1.html.

 

  • I used this link to learn a little bit more about the School district of Philadelphia and its process/requirements for getting a free transpass. These requirements include living in philly, being in 7th-12th grade, and living more than 1.5 miles away from your school.  You also have to attend a Public, Charter, Archdiocesan school. Also, I can use this link in my presentation for where I got most of my information from. It also brings attention to free transportation which is something many people take for granite. I’m grateful for it now that I think about how much money I would’ve had to spend to get to school.

 

"Murals Your Way Logo." Abstract Wall Murals - Stunning Abstract Wall Art. Accessed February 03, 2017. https://www.muralsyourway.com/c/abstract-murals/.

 

  • I used this link to get a clearer picture on how abstract can be extremely simple or extremely intricate and detailed. This link also explains how abstract art is growing as a popular design component for artist all of the world.

 

"Art And Science: How to Reach Your Audience." Sales Funnel Training. Accessed February 03, 2017. https://autogrow.co/art-and-science-how-to-reach-your-audience/.

 

  • This link is geared towards systematically being able to connect to your audience through different avenues. The best way to do this is to set goals, analyze data and incorporate those findings into framework. The message is almost like establishing your passion/reasoning for caring so deeply about whatever you are doing. This link is more focused on helping businesses thrive but just like businesses, I want my artwork to resonate with a larger group of people. This website also encourages having a clear and concise message that isn’t overly drawn out because in all honesty, people don’t want to listen to such an extended backstory.

 

"Step 4- Supplies and materials you need to paint your mural." How to paint a mural: The best guide. May 27, 2012. Accessed February 03, 2017. http://www.paintamural.pipalo.com/step-4-supplies-and-materials-you-need-to-paint-your-mural/.

 

  • I’m still considering if I want to use paint in my abstract art piece. But I know that there’s different paints for depending on the location of the art. If I do use paint, I’d need acrylic paint which is used to to keep the art bold and long lasting.

 

Reskillmows. "Abstract Mural painting process." YouTube. March 06, 2016. Accessed February 03, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdAKjIKiUnQ.

 

  • This video reminded me how free flowing this abstract art project should be. Abstract art is something that’s supposed to clear the mind and be soothing to the brain. This reminder is one I’ll need when I’m sketching and mapping out my mural.

 

Elgin, Catherine Z. "Understanding: Art and Science." Synthese 95, no. 1 (1993): 13-28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20117763

 

  • This link is focused on the connection between art and science. Catherine Z. Elgin believes that art, just like science often scorns fact to advance understanding through fiction. I agree with this to because no one thing/topic stands alone. There’s always a support system.

 

"How Arts and Cultural Strategies Enhance Community Engagement and Participation." How Arts and Cultural Strategies Enhance Community Engagement and Participation. Accessed February 03, 2017.  https://www.planning.org/research/arts/briefingpapers/engagement.htm

 

  • This link focuses on the community involving aspect of making art and how that has a positive effect on everyone in that community. It leads to people working together to making new friends while creating beautiful art. Also, it creates a feeling of pride and reasoning for keeping the surrounding area clean.

 

"$1,000 Scholarship Contest for Students of the Arts." Art Student Scholarship | College, Trade School, University | MAD. Accessed February 03, 2017. https://www.modernabstractdecor.com/art-student-scholarship.

 

  • I use this link as almost a guide to what a award winning mural looks like. I understand that I’m not trying to like win this scholarship but it is a good reference. I also like this website because it acknowledges highschool kids my age who enjoy art work and do a good job of portraying emotion in their artwork.

https://www.facebook.com/verywell. "Art Therapy: Relieve Stress By Being Creative." Verywell. Accessed February 03, 2017. https://www.verywell.com/art-therapy-relieve-stress-by-being-creative-3144581.

 

  • I like this link because it explains a holistic way of dealing with major problems including depression, stress, and the negative things going on in your life. Art provides people with a hobby. Having a hobby is always good because it keeps the mind sharp. Also, art appeals to both the creative side of your brain and the problem solving side too.


Environmental Pollution in Philadelphia: Are people aware of it?

Posted by Asnain Khan in English 1 · Giknis · E Band on
     Environmental Pollution in Philadelphia: Are people aware of it

Hi again! As you may have read in my first blog, my name is Asnain Khan and I am currently working on a project called “You and the World” for my English class. This is my second blog post of the project, and I am here to inform you even more about the environmental pollution in Philadelphia. If you are reading this and haven’t read my last post, you can access it here. In my first blog post, I talked about what environmental pollution is like in Philadelphia and what some of the main causes and effects are. I also talked about the different types of pollutions. In this blog post, I will informing you about the original research I have done and some new research I found about pollution in Philadelphia. Without further ado, here’s my post!


Since my first blog post, I have done more research, and conducted my own original research. As part of my own original research, I created a survey, which I sent throughout my school. My goal with my survey was to see if the SLA students were aware of the environmental pollution encasing Philadelphia, and what they thought about it. The questions I asked were: What grade are you in? Are you aware of environmental pollution in Philadelphia? What do you know about environmental pollution in Philadelphia? What do you think are the main causes environmental pollution? How many of these types of pollutions have you heard of? Did you know that Philly is the 10th most polluted city in the United States? Did you know that each year in Philadelphia, an estimated 126 lives are cut short and 284 people are hospitalized due to excess air pollution? Did you know that Philadelphia area's pollution earns an “F” from American Lung Association? Did you know that ozone and particulates exacerbate chronic obstructive lung disease, requiring more than 280 Philadelphians each year to seek hospitalization or treatment in an emergency room? On a scale of 1-10, how much do you agree with the following statement? Environmental pollution is a major problem in our community. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you agree with the following statement? Environmental pollution is often talked about in our community. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you agree with the following statement? Students are well-educated about environmental pollution? Finally, do you think that people should know more about environmental pollution in Philadelphia? I felt that these questions would be helpful to determine everyone’s knowledge on this topic.


For my survey, I got exactly 50 responses. The majority of responses were from freshmen (72%). From the results I got, 86% of the students in SLA are aware of pollution in Philadelphia and 14% are not. This was kind of surprising to me, because people don’t really talk about pollution at all. When I asked what people knew about pollution in Philadelphia, many answered that it is very harmful to humans. Following this question, I asked what people thought were the main causes of environmental pollution, the majority of the students answered “people.” This shows that many people believe we are the main cause of the pollution. I also asked about what type of pollutions they have heard of, the majority being air and water pollution. This shows that the awareness of pollution, and types of pollution, in Philadelphia is low.

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*This image shows the percentage of people that answered this question. 86% answered “yes” and 14% answered “no.”


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*This image shows the answers to the question, “what do you think are the main causes of environmental pollution?” This shows that the majority of the students answered “people.”

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*This image shows how many of these types of pollutions the students heard of. As you can see most of the students picked “air and water pollution.”


After that, I wanted to see if people knew the facts about pollution in Philadelphia, so I wrote down a couple of facts and asked the students if they knew about them. The questions were “yes or no” questions. The majority of the students answered “no” for all of the questions. I wasn’t surprised by this at all, because I knew that the awareness of pollution is low, so we can’t expect people to know that facts. To see how the students felt about environmental pollution in Philadelphia, I simply asked how they felt. Students were asked to rate how much they agreed with a statement from a scale of 1-10 (1 being “definitely disagree” and 10 being “definitely agree”). Most of the students rated a “10,” for whether they felt like environmental pollution is a major problem in our community. I expected this, because pollution is a major problem in our community. Also, the majority of the students rated a “4,” for whether they felt like environmental pollution is often talked about in our community. This makes sense, no one really talks about pollution in our community. Finally, most of the students rated a “4,” for whether they felt like students are well-educated about environmental pollution. I definitely agree, because many people don’t know about pollution and they aren’t taught about it in schools. The last question I asked was, “do you think that people should know more about environmental pollution in Philadelphia?” 98% of the students answered “yes” and only 2% of the students answered “no.” I would answer yes to this question as well, because I feel like students aren’t taught about environmental pollution as much as they should be.


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*These are all images of the facts I wrote and asked the students if they knew it or not. As you can see for all of these questions, most of the students answered “no.”


In addition to conducting my own research, I did some new research online. In my last blog post, I didn’t go deep into the effects of air pollution in Philadelphia, so that’s what I am going to do now. I am also going to include new facts about air pollution in Philadelphia. Air pollution in Philadelphia makes people sick and cuts lives short. It irreparably damages lung tissues in ways similar to secondhand tobacco smoke, leading to a wide range of health impacts. Air pollution also triggers heart attacks and strokes. It causes diseases like chronic bronchitis and lung cancer. Air pollution can even send people to the emergency room with respiratory problems, cause asthma attacks, and contribute to respiratory illness in otherwise completely healthy people.


Most people think of air pollution only on days when the news announces an air quality alert, warning about high levels of smog and advising citizens to limit outdoor activity due to the health threat posed by smog pollution. Unfortunately, people in Philadelphia aren’t exposed to air pollution just a few dozen times a year on bad air days. Philadelphians breathe polluted air day in and day out throughout their entire lives. Much of the pollution comes from burning fossil fuels for energy, in cars, trucks, power plants and industrial facilities. Many of these pollutants are invisible, but they are everywhere.


Air pollution in Philadelphia is a serious and persistent problem. The American Lung Association gives 28 neighborhoods in Philadelphia an “F” for air quality, and that’s just for smog pollution. Philadelphia as a whole has the second worst chronic air pollution problem, worse than every state but California. Air pollution poses major health risks for Philadelphians, especially children and the elderly. Air pollution shortens lives, sends people to the hospital and the emergency room, and triggers asthma attacks. These are merely the most visible signs of the health threats posed by polluted air, as this pollution affects every individual in Philadelphia by reducing lung function and increasing the risk of illness.


Nor are we safe on days when air pollution levels are below those recognized by the government as meeting federal “safe” standards. Ozone smog and particulate soot can cause health problems even on days when pollution levels are within the “safe” standards set by federal officials. This is especially true for people who live, work, or play near busy roadways. Pollution from traffic can be high near roadways, even when overall air pollution levels are relatively low. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that, “In numerous cities in the United States, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter, because emissions from millions of vehicles on the road add up.” Scientists are now finding that children who live or go to school near major highways are more likely to have respiratory problems, including asthma.


It wasn’t supposed to be this way. When Congress adopted the federal Clean Air Act in 1970, it established the goal of setting and achieving air quality standards protective of human health by 1975. Nearly three decades later, Philadelphia’s air still fails to meet established health standards—standards that may not even be fully protective of human health. With the rollback of key air pollution policies at a federal level—and with increased motor vehicle traffic population, and overall energy use threatening to undermine the progress we have made toward cleaner air—Philadelphia has reached a critical juncture. Solutions do exist. From modern emission controls for cars and power plants to effective transit systems, we have the technological know-how to significantly reduce air pollution in Philadelphia. By adopting public policies that put these technologies to work, Philadelphia can reduce air pollution and help millions of its citizens to live longer and healthier lives.


For my Agent of Change, I am going to raise awareness. I am going to make a video about pollution in Philadelphia to inform more people about it. I will make sure the video is set to public, so that people can see it. I am going to post the video up on facebook and even show it to people in school. The next blog is on it’s way, stay tuned in!


Check out my annotated bibliography for more information!








Husain Kegler Capstone

Posted by Husain Kegler in Capstone · Sessa · Wed on
Goal:

Make tutorial videos for incoming freshman. These videos should be tutorials of tools that students usually have trouble using such as: Google drive, Google Docs, and Canvas. The Goal is for the students to watch the videos and be able to use the different tools with ease.

Abstract:

    For my final project I decided to make tutorial videos on a few things that I noticed. I noticed that plenty other students and I  struggled with working with online tools that can be used as shortcuts. Coming from a traditional textbook school, it was a major change when learning how to work with computers and to rely on them to perform basic functions like where to find my homework. As, time continued to move forward I basically became a pro at finding whatever I needed to make sure that my assignments were turned in on time and keeping up with work. Not even just that, but I made sure I followed the guidelines to projects so I wouldn’t get points deducted because of simple mistakes. Like a Freshman, I once was a freshman and I know how difficult it can be to work with computers. So I decided to make simple tutorial videos to help freshman coming into the SLA community, with these videos it will make their work process way easier than it would be without them. Although, I have faced many challenges with working with these things, I know that Teachers know what frequently asked questions are in their classrooms, and I know Teachers get tired of answering the same questions. So I decided to make a sample survey and I sent it out to the Teachers who work at SLA, asking them to give me ideas on what videos I should make for their students, and what do they see their students struggling with the most. The results came back and Teachers told me that I should make tutorial videos on Google Docs, Google Drive, and Canvas. The things that students struggle working with the most.

Video #1: Teaching Kids How To Use Google Docs
https://youtu.be/VqUHfdZXAvs

Video #2: Teaching Kids How To Use Google Drive
https://youtu.be/i5q7-K_Ehdo

Video #3: Teaching Kids How To Use Canvas
https://youtu.be/QVW6qZoQ5js​

Bibliography:
https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/16ouyOer_D8HPWc5HLTwU-vjx-3FeSDncIW0hTi0aMGc/edit?usp=sharing

Fatu Castillo

Posted by Fatu Castillo in Capstone · Herman · Wed on
​    For my Capstone Project, I decided that I wanted to pursue three things. 
    The First, crochet baby blankets and donate them to The Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia on Mother’s Day. The second, organize a crochet club to help interested students learn to take up the craft. And third, enhance my personal skills as a sewer and a knitter by taking up projects that expanded those skills
     None of which were exactly challenging; more so, they were all time-consuming. 
     The first one, making and donating baby blankets, was the most complicated of the three. I had to work with limited time and finances, so I settled on making two blankets a week until I reached twenty-five blankets. To save on supplies, I decided to make all the the blankets triangular with slight variations to add a personal touch to each of them. Even with this though, I only was able to make ten, due to lack of finances and time. Personal labels bearing my name were added to each blankets to help compensate for the lack of quantity. 
     Crochet Club was easy enough to organize, advertise, and find a teacher sponsor with. I never wanted to assign a group project, so I helped individual members pursue projects that interested them. 
     Though most of my time was consumed by managing Crochet Club and making blankets, I did take up knitting and sewing projects. Including my mentor and I doing a joint knitting gproject together with regular check-ins, and repurposing clothes.
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Colin Pierce Capstone

Posted by Colin Pierce in Capstone · Reddy · Wed on
The first level of my game
The first level of my game
I have been interested in technology for longer than I can remember, building my own computer in freshman year and experimenting with programming as a sophomore. I wanted to find an outlet to test my abilities with programming, so for my capstone I designed a video game which would run within a web browser, with the goal of having as small of a file size as possible so that it runs smoothly on mobile devices and bad internet connections. You play as a black and white smiley face who travels through a labyrinth collecting artifacts, and to beat the game you must collect all eight and make it to room 50. When I started my project I first researched the most efficient ways to write code so that it would load quickly, then I collaborated with Mr. Hernandez, my Capstone mentor, to improve how the game is presented so that it is attractive to prospective players. When I had a mostly completed product, I took a survey of SLA students asking them to play my game and suggest improvements. I accomplished my goal of being extremely lightweight, since the whole project only takes up around 25MB of space and can load completely in under a second on the school's wifi. I am planning to continue working on my game after the school year ends, building upon it and making it better based on the information I will get during presentations.


Link to my Capstone product: http://www.trog.ga/

Stephen Buchanico Capstone

Posted by Stephen Buchanico in Capstone · Sessa · Wed on

Hockey is something I have become very passionate about and has continued to make a huge impact on my life as I grew up so I knew I wanted to do something related to hockey for my senior capstone. My initial idea was to attempt to raise money for Snider, the organization that has allowed me to play hockey from a young age regardless of my family's financial standing. This was difficult for me because I couldn’t think of a practical way to raise a substantial sum of money that would be useful to the organization while also struggling with the logistics of paying for ice time. With this defeat, I sparked the idea to organize a roller hockey tournament, being since all outdoor roller rinks are free for public use. I used my Snider contacts to gather the children who would participate in the tournament and then the rest was a breeze. I discussed rink times with those in charge of the playground rink to coordinate which days the rink would be in use and when it would be open for the tournament. Once the day was decided, I contacted all of the children involved, who were excited to participate. The young boys, aged 12-15 years old, had experience with hockey so they got right into playing while I supervised and refereed the games. It was wonderful to have organized an event where my passion created a sense of community and happiness.


This is a photo of some of the children getting ready for the tournament, tying skates and taping sticks
This is a photo of some of the children getting ready for the tournament, tying skates and taping sticks
This is a picture of tournament in mid play.
This is a picture of tournament in mid play.
In this picture I am helping warm up some of the kids before the tournament began.
In this picture I am helping warm up some of the kids before the tournament began.
This is another picture of play from the tournament
This is another picture of play from the tournament
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Bibliography:

Animal Cruelty Needs To Stop

Posted by Sarah Son in English 1 · Giknis · A Band on

Hey there! I am Sarah Son, a freshman at Science Leadership Academy. In my previous blog post, I introduced my English project, which is called You and the World. My main focus is animal cruelty. In my previous research, I found a lot of alarming information about my topic. The results of graphs that I have found were very surprising. Recently, I interviewed a volunteer from SPCA in Philadelphia and her answers to my questions were very helpful.


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This is a photo taken by Ruby Ginsburg, she was there with me while I was interviewing the volunteer at SPCA. 

In my original research, which is the interview, I found out even more about animal cruelty, mainly in the area of Philadelphia. It was quite shocking to hear what Sandy, the respondent, had told me. Her responses were so detailed and clear, it made a great interview. The first question that I asked her was, “When animals are found, how do they react towards people? Or in other words, how do they act when they are being pet?” She replied by saying “... it depends on the situation. Sometimes the animals that we find don’t like humans, really. They have a hard time adjusting to humans and then others are perfectly fine with them and they are willing to interact with humans.” She also told me that they once found a dog that was chained up and was very skinny. Once they took care of him, he was actually one of the most playful dogs they have seen in the SPCA. I’m quite glad that she even gave me an example.


    Another question that I asked is, “When animals are found, how are their conditions like?” Her response made me almost jump out of my seat. “It usually depends. Sometimes the homes that they are found in is perfectly fine, it’s just issues with the owner themselves. Other times, it’s just like small things. Other times we’ll find something pretty bad.” Then, she continued and gave me an example that was so unbelievable. Sandy said that they (SPCA), “... had raided a home in Frankfurt and we found about 241 cats, pretty much everywhere in the house. Just so you guys know, the limit for animals in Philadelphia you can have in your home at once is 12.” She also added that the amount of feces that was in the house was up to their knees when they raided the home. This really blew my mind. I did not want to accept what I was hearing but it was the truth, sadly. It was just shocking and heartbreaking.
    An important question that I saved for last to ask is, “Why do you think that people are cruel to animals?” Sandy replied to me by saying that she can’t really give me a perfect answer to this question. She said that she can’t imagine herself being cruel to any animal, I 100% agree with her. The thought of it just makes me so upset. She continued on and said, “... sometimes I feel that maybe it’s because people don’t see animals having feelings or maybe, they don’t necessarily care about those type of things so they’re just willing to do whatever they want for their own advantage.” She finished the question by saying that people are cruel and she can’t really justify how they think.
Here is another photo by Ruby! 
    It was great that I took this opportunity to do this interview because it was so interesting for me. I was actually talking to someone who works with animals who are abused and is helping me by giving information that is useful and hopefully will make people open their eyes more about this specific topic. As for my Agent of Change, which is an action that I take on to improve to help with animal cruelty, I was thinking about volunteering at SPCA, or another animal organization. I would like to dig deeper and see the animals for myself. I hope that I can help. Even if my help or change is small, I would do anything to try help stop animal cruelty. I am still wondering what is going on in the mind of an animal abuser. Stop animal cruelty now!
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Annotated Bibliography

If you’d like to listen to the interview, click here!


Note for Ms. Giknis: There are few hyperlinks in this post because there is more in the first.


Siawale Vesslee Capstone

Posted by Siawale Vesslee in Capstone · Todd · Wed on

For my capstone project, I was able to travel to Cuba in the spring. During our trip, we were allowed to research a STEM related project of our choosing. For my topic, i decided to look at business and entrepreneurship in Cuba. My research questions were:

  • How are entrepreneurs able to start-up in Cuba?

  • What does entrepreneurship look like in Cuba?

  • How are people able to brand their names in a socialist country?

Because Cuba is a socialist country, many people believe that citizens aren't able to branch out to make money any other way. By going on this trip, I was able to destroy that myth, but I also learned of the many different opportunities for Cubans to make money.


For my final project, I made a website detailing some of the most popular  ways Cubans are able to make money. I was able to include pictures to show just how life changing this trip was.




Link to my website:

https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/establishing-business-in-cuba/home?authuser=0


Link to my annotated Bibliography:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UYj1valFugxg_drluAPrEAdrFYlBVqixYnkrVIOrEbk/edit

Matthew Willson Capstone

Posted by Matthew Willson in Capstone · Giknis · Wed on
​Powerlifting has taught me many things such as, patience, self discipline, mental and physical capability, and character development. Pushing yourself in the gym in a positive environment is great for physical and mental health. For my capstone I wanted to share the experience I have gotten from powerlifting with kids at SLA. Powerlifting Club takes place at the Philadelphia Sports Club on 18th St and Market St. I teach the members how to do weightlifting movements safely with proper form. Overall our goal is to increase our strength in the three powerlifting movements, the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Each member of the club has specific fitness goals so I shaped their training program around their goals. Powerlifting club has given me hands on experience with training people and helping people reach their fitness goals. I want to be a personal trainer or health coach in the future so this has benefited me greatly. After training the guys for three months, seeing their results in my own eyes has given me confidence to pursue my dream of being a personal trainer. I have created a model website for the personal training business I hope to own in the future.

My website:
http://mdwfitness.weebly.com/

Bibliography:


  1. Klerck, Ray. "How to calculate your one rep max." – MH's body boffins show you how to find the max you can lift in one rep - Men's Health. N.p., 02 Mar. 2016. Web. 18 May 2017.

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/how-to-calculate-one-rep-max

     This source provides information about your one rep max and percentages of your one rep max. When you know the percentages of your lifts it allows you to be very mathematical with your lifts and progression. Knowing what percentage of your max a lift is allows you to estimate how many reps you will get, this allows you to plan your training the most mathematically accurate way. Different percentages of your max are better for different goals. 90-100% is generally perfect for building strength. Around 80% is best for hypertrophy training. 70% and lower is best for endurance because you can move the weight for a lot of reps. I used this website to calculate percentages of the group members lifts.


  2. Personal. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.

http://www.tryad-pt.com/personal.html

This source is one of my personal training mentors website. Dan Mietti is a personal trainer in Abington, PA. My brother I have worked out with dan for the past ten years. He did our offseason training for hockey when we were kids. Dan also runs different programs and events revolving around fitness like races and bootcamps. Dan has helped me get into fitness and has helped me pursue my goals to be a personal trainer. He has taught me valuable information about anatomy and muscles in the human body. I have used this information to help teach proper form and ensure the best results.


 3. Blaha, Jason. "Jason Blaha's Ice Cream Fitness 5x5 Novice Program." Muscle & Strength. N.p., 18 May 17. Web. 18 May 2017.


https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout  

This source provides information about beginner strength and muscle building program. The author Jason Blaha talks about different solutions for mechanical problems. This was helpful because he lists alternative exercises that hit the same muscle groups, but avoid mechanical problems and put less stress on joints. For instance some group members had problems with their knees when squatting. Blaha says to do box squats instead and this has worked for both Declan and Aaron’s squat. Blaha also provides information about the central nervous system and how it responds to lifting. This information is crucial for beginner lifters and I passed it on to the group members.


4. Stark, Matthew, Judith Lukaszuk, Aimee Prawitz, and Amanda Salacinski. "Protein timing and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and strength in individuals engaged in weight-training." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. BioMed Central, 2012. Web. 18 May 2017.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3529694/

This source provides information about the anabolic period, protein timing, and the effects of food timing on muscle hypertrophy. This source is a review of a bunch of studies on the anabolic period and food timing. The anabolic period is the short period of time directly after your workout. Different studies say different times about the optimal time to eat your post workout meal. It is optimal to eat 30 grams of protein in the 30 minute period after you workout. It is also optimal to consume carbs in the 2 hour period after your workout to refill your depleted muscles with glycogen. This information was very helpful because I was able to teach the group members about nutrition and optimal timings to consume protein.


5. Bubbico, Aaron , and Len Kravits. "Muscle Hypertrophy: New Insights and Training Recommendations." Muscle Hypertrophy 2011. University of New Mexico, n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.

https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/hypertrophy2011UNM.html

This source provides information on muscle hypertrophy. This source highlights the difference between slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers. Muscle hypertrophy is the growth of muscle fibers. Muscle fibers grow when they are recruited and broken from resistance training. Different muscles have different proportions of fast twitch and slow twitch muscles. Fast twitch muscle fibers are engaged from explosive and heavy low rep sets while slow twitch muscle fibers are engaged from higher rep sets where the muscle is contracting over and over again. The chest is 60% fast twitch and 40% slow twitch. Therefore to achieve the most hypertrophy in the pectoral muscles you have to perform heavy low repetition sets. This source was very helpful because it shows scientific information about the most optimal way to build muscle.


6. Nation, Nate Miyaki T. "The Best Damn Cardio Article - Period." T NATION. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/the-best-damn-cardio-article-period

This source provides information about cardio and it’s relation to building muscle. Cardio is not important for building muscle but can be very helpful with fat loss. Running is one of the best ways to burn calories, when trying to build muscle burning calories is not the goal. You want to be in a small caloric surplus when trying to gain weight. This source aslo explains how different types of cardio do different things. High intensity interval training is one of the best tools to shed fat, boost your metabolism, and increase testosterone. The site lists the different ways cardio and lifting affects the body like what increases cortisol, what increases testosterone, and what burns the most fat. This was very helpful for training the members that wanted to lose fat.


7. Burns, Steve P., PhD, and MIchael H. Thomas. "Increasing Lean Mass and Strength: A Comparison of High Frequency Strength Training to Lower Frequency Strength Training." US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. N.p., 21 Apr. 2016. Web.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4836564/

This source provides information about high frequency vs low frequency training. The studies show that low frequency is better for a beginner lifter. When starting a lifting program as a beginner your central nervous system and muscles are not used to high frequency training. It is proven that low frequency full body workouts are optimal for beginner lifters. High frequency training is optimal for an advanced lifter because their central nervous system and body can handle more work. A muscles ability to grow decreases as it grows. A muscle with a lot of muscle maturity takes more to break down than a beginner lifters muscle. Therefore a higher frequency training program is optimal for an advanced lifter because muscles need to be moreso broken down.


8. Mangan, P. D. "Science-Based Weight Training – The Mission." The Mission. The Mission, 23 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 May 2017.

https://themission.co/science-based-weight-training-360379d8272c

This source provides information about the importance of strength training and it’s health benefits.. Mangan says, “Training for strength is the most important and effective exercise that you can do, and virtually everyone, from teenagers to the elderly, can and should engage in it regularly.” The article lists the health benefits of weight training for all ages. Such as, “maintains insulin sensitivity, prevents heart disease and cancer, and keeps older people from losing muscle mass (sarcopenia) and descending into frailty and dependence.” This information is helpful because I’m learning about the science and health benefits of weightlifting. I can use this information to educate my clients about weightlifting and encourage people to get into weightlifting.


9.  Eddy, Walter. "The Best Way To Train For Size." UW Staff Web Server. University of Washington , n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.

http://staff.washington.edu/griffin/muscle_growth.txt

This source provides information about the different factors that play a role in muscle hypertrophy and how to use them to get the most size. Studies show that strength and muscle size will increase when training for either goal. Although strength training won't give you the best results for size it will increase your muscle size and vice versa. The source has different studies that show the optimal set and rep ranges for muscular growth, the optimal work speed for muscular growth, the importance of the eccentric part of a movement for muscle growth, and the best frequency for muscle growth. All of this information is helpful because I can educate others with it and apply it to my training programs.


10. Schoenfeld, Brad Schoenfeld PhD T, PhD. "The New Science of Time Under Tension." T NATION. T NATION, n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/new-science-of-time-under-tension

This source provides information on time under tension training. The studies in the article prove how crucial time under tension training is for muscular hypertrophy. Muscle fibers break down when training against resistance, the more time under tension the more the muscle fibers break down. Therefor having more time under tension when training against resistance will allow you to build the most muscle. This information is useful because I can apply it to the clients I train and make sure they are training for time under tension if their goal is to build muscle.


Ibrahim Aldakhil's Capstone

Posted by Ibrahim Aldakhil in Capstone · Herman · Wed on
​

Abstract:

For my Capstone project, I wanted to expand and share my knowledge on a topic that has changed my life; cancer. My only sister was diagnosed with Lymphoma 11 years ago and passed away after a two and a half year battle with the disease. Losing her had a tremendous impact on me and the time spent trying to cure her taught me valuable lessons that I want to share. My goal for this project is to make people aware of what cancer really is, how doctors treat it, and the impact it has on families and individuals. To meet those goals, I wanted to share a very personal story of moving to a new country to cure my sister’s cancer. Aside from the personal aspect, it includes detailed scientific information about the disease.


I decided to have my story put on a website so that anyone, no matter where they are, can access it and hopefully learn new things from my childhood experience. I also hope to inspire others to learn from their tragic experiences and become stronger individuals rather than giving in to depression. Writing this story was not easy; there were times when I re-lived my painful memories and felt emotionally uncomfortable to continue writing, but I was able to overcome that by reminding myself of my goal to support others. I sincerely hope that this story will help and inspire those who are struggling with life tragedies such as mine.


Story:

My Sister's Cancer: A Climacteric Experience

Public Defenders Case Overload

Posted by Payton McQuilkin in English 1 · Giknis · E Band on

Public Defenders Overloaded

I have recently realized the public defender system first hand. Realizing how big of an issue it is, I decided to inform the people of how big of problem it is with this project. I found out that the problem is affective to the people who can’t afford an expensive attorney. I was stunned to find out the average time a person talks with their public defender before appearing in front of the judge is 7 minutes. This information is listed in a document, you can read here.

Throughout a year a public defender is recommend to get 150 felony cases, but they are getting way more.  Even if they had enough time to get the cases done, they don’t have the same resources the private attorneys do. People don’t realize how public defenders are deprived of resources such as time for working as hard as they could and witnesses. The public defender system is never the same in different states. Each state is entitled to write their own criminal codes. This could also hurt the person under precaution.

I interviewed a public defender, Michael Arthus. He happens to be a very experienced public defender who gave meaningful first hand information, letting me in on a closer look for the system. There are public defenders who handle the trails and public defenders who are handling appeals. Those who handle the trails will normally be in the courtroom everyday appearing in front of the judge with their clients. Those who do the appeals are mostly sent for research. In Brooklyn, which in every state is different, are given 75-100 cases at a time to juggle. Mr. Arthus says that throughout all his odds he still fights his hardest for the justice for his clients.  

This is a picture of a Brooklyn Defender System Logo...

I also interviewed Taylor Rogers. Taylor, who is my sister, had her case in the hands of a public defender recently. She said that she didn’t even know who her public defender was until day of the court date. Her public defender talked to her 20 minutes before appearing in front of the judge. She does feel as though her public defender did her more justice then she could’ve done. The public defender was “kind” just very busy and rushing when you are having conversations. She feels as though he put forth his best effort and did everything he could.

This picture is a public defender. He is working hard to get his many cases done.

Throughout this project I realized how different each state’s public defender offices are. As I read this article, “I’m a public defender. It’s impossible for me to do a good job representing my clients.”, I found that in New Orleans to avoid layoffs because of the budget cut the entire staff will go 4 weeks in a year without being paid. They’re asked to do way more then an attorney with less material and less everything compared to an attorney. The author of this site says that their clients who can’t pay their bail are focused to sit in jail for 60 days until the district attorney decides to arraign them. During this project we have a part where we need to be an agent of change in our issue we choose. Iḿ thinking about making a website for informing people on how overly overworked the public defenders are. This will be first hand information and give people more notice to the issue and hopefully get the ball rolling on the issue.

This problem among the public defender hasn’t seemed to get any better, it just seems to worsen. What will come next??? Public defenders are going to not be able to deal with the impact of the case overloads as time continues. This research has helped my understanding of public defender so much further than what I thought. I really hope so see some justice among the system, even baby steps help!! I’ve learned that in the justice system money can take you a long way..

Visit my annotated bibliography here!


Kareem Davis Capstone

Posted by Kareem Davis in Capstone · Herman · Wed on

My name is Kareem Davis. I am a SLA senior and for my capstone I created a photo gallery. Within it contains pictures that were guiding by this prompt, "the world around me." I used that to inspire what I created and what I explored. I mostly stayed within the city of Philadelphia, because that really is the world that I'm most interactive with. For my capstone, I went around capturing moments that spoke to me the most, and now I wanted to share what I did with you all. This is my world, and now I'm sharing it with you for my capstone.

Sherell Messing Capstone

Posted by Sherell Messing in Capstone · Sessa · Wed on
​Abstract

For my capstone I wanted to create an ILP that was different from all I have encountered and heard about from my peers. This ILP would not only further a group of individuals way of thinking but way of communicating. No other learning topic can express SLA’s core values in complete silence than American Sign Language (ASL). As a community we are strongly opinionated and often forget to focus on a voice, or idea, other than our own. By learning ASL you use your eyes to listen, a talent many have concurred. A language as beautiful as this can truly make you see the world from a different view. There is history that is not taught in schools and a community that is separated due to lack of communication.
To inform our community and make a change I held multiple bake sales to bring the SLA community together in a creative way. During this time I also deeply searched for an instructor to teach ASL classes next year. Sadly, I was not successful due to the classes being too expensive or unavailable. At the moment I am waiting for a response from my final contact, which is Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. If they are able to provide their services then I will communicate with Jeremy to get a list of 10 students who are interested. I will finalize the process by organizing a schedule and providing welcoming bags filled with notebooks and stationery.
Digital Piece https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/18w0Ovg1W9H3PB-6ykBrYKpxWyAO26jo4i47uwtb3IzU/edit?usp=sharing
Bibliography https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CbkH6gEfY319HBIBeUYpuMdpGsGA39_NjK5ftI0ZpJs/edit

Autistic people are different but not less

Posted by Amira Gouri in English 1 · Giknis · A Band on
Hi, My name is Amira Gouri. And my topic is about ASD. In other words autistic spectrum disorder. According to the interview, and my last post. Symptoms of autism can be noticed on children on early age, generally between two and three years old. It’s when the child has trouble of communicating with others and/or difficulty of learning. The disorder has many symptoms. Scientists till now, still don’t know the causes of autism.

For my impact of change, I am planning to raise awareness and donate to schools that have autistic support classes. This way more people will learn about autism and actually try to help people with the disorder. Autistic support classes should have few students, so the teacher can her/his assistants can control, teach and take care of the students. Because their aren’t that many schools that have autistic support classes and the percentage of autistic children is increasing, so those classes may have a lot of students which can affect their learning negatively. So spreading awareness and seek help from the government and people as well can be beneficial and make a difference.  

I learned that the improvement of progress is based on many different factors together. For example, school helps with his education, spending more time with him helps with social skills, therapist helps with his communication, the supplements and gluten free diet help with his health. Which can be really effective to some, and can be less effective to others. I also learned that most autistic people are good at memorizing, and playing sports. I still wonder about the exact cause of autism, and will researches find a medicine that will cure autism, or at least decrease autism from spreading.
This is an image of some of the supplements that can be used by autistic children and the description of them and how they are helpful.
This is an image of gluten free bread.


After interviewing a mother of an autistic child. She shared some of her experience, struggle in her journey with her autistic son. I was able to know a lot of information from her. That started 13 years ago and still didn’t end yet. When her son was 2 she started noticing that he had some interaction issues, wasn’t able to control his emotions, poor eye contact, and when she talks to him he never answers. Just like the symptoms I researched. After she noticed all that she shared her concerns with her son's pediatrician who recommended her a psychologist. After testing and observing him while he is playing and acting they discover that he has autism. Now her son is 16, and he in a high school and that he improved but his improvement is limited, he still isn’t independent as she wishes him to be, he still has social skill issues. Since then she tries her best so that her son will be better such as supplements, gluten free diet, speech, play, and occupation therapy, school, after-school activities and spending more time with him. Like most parents she is fully concerned about his safety and getting a job.

This is an image of a paper of the free after school programs that have been offered by the Penn University to help people with autism.
Annotated Bibliography


Kayla Cassumba Capstone

Posted by Kayla Cassumba in Capstone · Reddy · Wed on
Abstract

Every year the senior class of SLA creates a variety of senior projects, also known as the Capstone. Capstones are meant to inspire, ignite, and bring about change within our community.  My capstone involved a business proposal to create Science Leadership Academy’s Child Care Center (SLACC).  I identified a problem that needed to be solved and determined the steps to see this idea come to fruition. The program requires the cooperation of students, teachers, and children to operate successfully.


Link to Proposal:

https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/1Kf0kxfcA6NJkFS4iaKLZzgiGZFXzdXpMeTKJmDSuYzA/edit?usp=sharing

Link to Annotated Bibliography:

https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/1BqWlsf4ahUkV7053M6Kj-DFkqLcSURdxp2DrBot1RjM/edit?usp=sharing

Isabella D'Angelo Capstone

Posted by Isabella D'Angelo in Capstone · Todd · Wed on
https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/presentation/d/1AOaZoF3uqLi2CxDOyV5hiivhgeHMh_etq_4P_rsVD4M/edit?usp=sharing

I have been rowing at Philadelphia City Rowing for the past 4 years. It’s team’s mission is and has always been to empower local public school students through the sport of rowing. That is exactly what it did for me. The sport of rowing teaches discipline, perseverance and teamwork, reinforcing invaluable lessons that extend into all areas of life. By increasing access, affordability, and diversity, we can promote the sport of rowing in the United States and add depth to the athletic pool. My capstone is starting a Philadelphia City Rowing club at Science Leadership Academy. My goal for this capstone is to inform students about the benefits of becoming a student athlete and the opportunity it brings (scholarships). It also provides a safe and fun place for the students that row for PCR that go to SLA to socialize, collaborate, and really get to know their teammates off the water. In the club, the members and I think of creative ways to advertise and promote PCR by making flyers and brochures to hang around the school, explaining what rowing is and how it could help you physically and mentally. Because PCR is a free organization, my club members and I have been raising money by having bake sales. Rowing has taught me so much and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to row for PCR. I am so glad I get to promote and offer my advice and knowledge to students that never heard of the team or even the sport itself.

Ian Fay Capstone

Posted by Ian Fay in Capstone · Todd · Wed on
​

When I thought about what I wanted to do for my capstone, I thought about tackling something that I never really talked about or addressed in my life. It was something that I have lived with all of my life and something that has affected the way I have lived my life tremendously. I am talking about the ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) called Asperger’s Syndrome. For a large part of my life, I never really talked about it because it was normal to me and I did not think it was too much of a big deal. As I went on through life however, I realized how much different it made me from the average person.

For my capstone, I decided to take an opportunity to show people what it is like to live with Asperger’s Syndrome, issues I deal with in regards to my disorder, and me learning how to accept myself despite the fact that I have this disorder. I also submitted them to a couple literary magazines as well as performed them at poetry slams throughout the past year. The project overall was a really reflective experience for me and it allowed me to see all the ways in which I was affected by my disorder and how I struggle with things that come easily to most people.

One of the poems in my collection:
https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/1acqKFKt9afDuTcTpG7C53VrtkZL0D902902u1dSVeDo/edit?usp=sharing

Bibliography:
https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/1MPtZkR0GJiqS4v9y6KMdfcDHjFMfk2jinSpyVipJ5Qs/edit?usp=sharing

Arianna Haven Capstone - Gender Representation in STEM

Posted by Arianna Haven in Capstone · Todd · Wed on
Here is the link to the final website: https://ahaven0.wixsite.com/capstone

For my capstone project, I investigated what it was like to be a woman in an underrepresented field of work. Since I want to go into engineering, and STEM is one of the fields that has a small percentage of women compared to men, I felt that this was a very relevant topic for me to learn about. Ella Petersen, another female senior here at Science Leadership Academy, wants to go into business. Business is another field where women are underrepresented in the workplace, so we felt that it was appropriate to team up and learn about women in underrepresented industries together. I focussed on women in STEM, Ella focussed on women in business, and together we were able to learn a lot more about both fields and reach a much bigger audience. 

We had both heard horror stories about women in a workplace where they are outnumbered by men, so we were very prepared to face the harsh reality of what our future could look like. However, after interviewing many women in STEM and business jobs, we realized that these industries are slowly becoming much more welcoming to women. We decided that wanted to help the improvement of these fields in whatever way we could because they were our future. Because of this, we held a panel with five women in underrepresented fields for the underclassmen at our school. Four classes came and got to talk to these women and ask them questions about what it is like to be a woman in an underrepresented field. I loved getting the opportunity to explore a topic that affects me so much.
Bibliography_AriHaven (1)

Kevin Bowser’s Capstone: “A Campaign 4 Hygienic Practices”

Posted by Kevin Bowser in Capstone · Todd · Wed on
​Since the conclusion of my junior year I sought to create a project that reflected my enthusiasm as well as my identity, which led to the development of a rather hygienic capstone! Over the last 9 months I have strived to improve hygienic awareness and application within my community, Science Leadership Academy (SLA). However, before I could enlighten my peers on how to improve their health I first had to pinpoint specific areas of hygiene that needed to be reviewed and emphasized which led to my health surveys.
Around the month of January, I began reaching out to some of the health coordinators at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to get advice on how to refine my overall message. In the end, I sent out a 5 question survey to SLA which featured questions ranging from time spent washing hands to whether antibacterial soap was superior to hand sanitizer. After reviewing the results of the poll, I saw that questions relating to hand hygiene were not as accurate as others. So I decided to focus my future health seminars on studies related to hand health. 
Towards the spring, I began the presentation phase of my project. This included multiple educational seminars about issues within SLA pertaining to health emphasis, a severe lack of resources, and how to make the best out of environments with poor health codes. In addition, I presented the findings of my initial health survey and emphasized the significance of an individual’s health to other people. I decided to present to the underclassmen, primarily the freshman, in the hopes that they would be able to take up my vision of a cleaner and more hygienic SLA as they continue their academic careers!

Below are links to pictures taken from my hygienic presentation, my seminars, and a link to my bibliography.  

Photos & Bibliography:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JG9LclOsLkalQ9J7-lCsobusvxiCfP4IxkyfIYBKnPU/edit

Hygienic Presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1USZfLgWzTV3YvF_11oJ32xq1kEpwYJg8OyBE0oPta3g/edit#slide=id.p

Tianna McNair Capstone

Posted by Tianna McNair in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on
​For my capstone I decided to focus on mental health in the black community. I found that it has been statistically proven that African Americans have more exposure to crime, violence, and poverty. Being in hostile environments all the time activates to fight or flight response and can trigger different mental illnesses. On top of that black people have historically been exposed to hostile things like Jim Crow, slavery, civil rights movement,etc. and trauma affects your biological makeup which can then be passed down to your kids. This information inspired me to get African Americans exposed to this information with the hopes that we can change the how we view the topic and maybe one day end the stigmas around mental health and mental illness. I then held an event for people to come out and talk. I also created an audio piece with a few interviews that I’ve conducted. 

Link to audio piece here.

Bibliography

"Black & African American Communities and Mental Health." Mental Health America. Accessed February 02, 2017. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/african-american-mental-health.
Mental Health in America is nonprofit organization that focuses on bringing awareness to and preventing mental health through education, advocacy, and research services. I found a page on the website the specifically addresses mental health in black and African American communities. It talks about how although black people make up a small portion of the population the rate in which people are reported with a mental issues is disproportionated. This is because there are many environmental factors the historically and currently affect this community. And a lot of times black people are misdiagnosed with mental disorders. In my project I used the infographic. I used the infographic because people retain information better with visuals, also because I wanted to show that we are a minority however there is a big percent of people who have a mental illness. 

"Got Your ACE Score?" ACEs Too High. July 25, 2015. Accessed February 03, 2017. https://acestoohigh.com/got-your-ace-score/.
ACE stands for adverse childhood experiences. The ACE test is a series of questions about a bunch of different events and the person answers yes or no. For every yes that a person has they receive a point. This test is used to measure a person person childhood trauma. The reason why this is important to my project is because exposure to a childhood trauma affects a person's physical health on a biological level. If a person who has a score of four a more is at risk for problems with their hormonal and immune system, the brain’s function and development, and the way the their DNA is read and transcribe. I thought that having this in my project would be a more interesting lens to talk about my project through.  Most people talk about the social issues that a person may face but no one really talks about the biological effects. 

Hairston, Tahirah. "'Being Mary Jane' Gracefully Tackles a Touchy Subject Black People Often Avoid." Fusion. Accessed February 03, 2017. http://fusion.net/story/222956/being-mary-jane-suicide-mental-health/.
This is an article that is giving a recap of an episode from the television series Being Mary Jane. The show is about a woman who is a successful television host on a major network. This show follows the up and downs of her work life along with family and social life. What makes this show interesting is how they address many related issues for black woman in the corporate world. On this one particular episode a character committed suicide after a long and hard struggle with depression. The reason why I wanted to incorporate this into my project is because of the many signs that this character showed and all her attempts to get her loved ones attention and how no one noticed. I am using this episode for a blog post about the many ways that people reach out for help in ways that may not be that obvious. I think that this a source to reference because it’s a pretty current and popular show that could make my audience interested. 

"NAMI." NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness | African Americans. Accessed February 02, 2017. http://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Diverse-Communities/African-Americans.
National Alliance on Mental Illness has a similar mission as Mental Health in America. I found more information about the prevalence of mental in the black community and it’s causes. The one thing that this source did differently was that they included resources so that people can get help. They bring up an interesting point about how as a patient it is important to make sure that your health care provider has cultural competence. On website I quote some of their stats about misdiagnosis of african american people about of lack of cultural competence. 
Siawale Vesslee in discussion with the author Tianna McNair, January 2017 
I interviewed Siawale who is an apart of the African diaspora to get a unique point of view on how families who aren’t from America are similar to the ones who are. I found that there were a lot a similarities with the culture and how we both deal with mental health. Some of the interview questions are: How does you, your family and friends talk about mental people with mental illnesses? Has your family ever talked about or taught you self care? What are some common misconceptions that exist within the black community? What do you think needs to be changed about how we view mental health as a collective? And how can we reach out to people living with these conditions without being overbearing? I then used her response in a podcast that shows how mental health is not often talked about in black families. 

"Suicide Statistics — AFSP." AFSP. Accessed February 02, 2017. https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/.
This source is the American Foundation for suicide prevention. This source has a lot of statistics about suicide in America and it gets as specific as the rates by gender and race. I used this source to compare the rates I found about black people to other races here. I used some stats on my webpage. 

"Suicide Rates among Young Black Boys on the Rise." CNN. Accessed February 02, 2017. http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/19/health/suicide-youth/.
I found this article on CNN that talks about how the suicide rates for black boys are on a rise. It talks about how the rate has been on a constant incline for the past two decades. And how suicide is one of the third leading causes for deaths of young black boys in America. I plan on using this article in my blog as another way to show the prevalence of mental health issues. It talks about how deaths from suicide has always been something that was common and consistent among white males. I found that interesting because it was only recently that suicide deaths have become common in black boys and I wanted to explore why that may be. I assumed that it was because of more direct effects on us like mass incarceration, adverse childhood experiences, police brutality, the school to prison pipeline, and strict gender norms. 

Vaughn Matthews in discussion with the author Tianna McNair, January 2017 
I interviewed Vaughn with the same interview questions that I asked Siawale. He had a unique response. He talked about how he and his family actually talked about self care. He told me about the many different ways that he and his siblings carry out their self care regimens. This was different from all the other interviews that I recorded. 

"Welcome to WISQARS™." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 12, 2017. Accessed February 02, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention holds a lot of reliable statistics about deaths in the united states and their causes. I wanted to use this source to find unbiased statistics to either prove or disprove the CNN article. This link wasn’t really helpful in that sense. However, was able to see how many deaths there were and do calculations using the information from other sources to find the percentage of the amount of those deaths were suicides. 

Writer, HealthyPlace.com Staff. "Mental Health Hotline Numbers and Referral Resources." HealthyPlace. Accessed February 03, 2017. http://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/resources/mental-health-hotline-numbers-and-referral-resources/.
Although this source is would not be considered scholarly, this sources was really helpful for creating my website. My modeled my website to be similar to this source. On this website they have a blog, resource tab, forum, about page, etc. I copied some of the resource numbers on my website. I chose the hotline numbers that were geared more towards mental health. For example numbers for victims of child abuse, learning disabilities, sexual assault, and suicide and self harm.

Shane Durkin Capstone

Posted by Shane Durkin in Capstone · Sessa · Wed on
​What I did for my capstone project this year is it was on Minecraft and how it can be used as an education tool. My final product was a video explaining the ways Minecraft could be used as an education tool. The beginning part of the process for my capstone was first, I had to do lots of research on the topic itself and how some people actually use Minecraft for an education tool. Then, I also had to play a lot of Minecraft to understand, and figure out other ways Minecraft could be used as a learning tool. After that, I had to write the script for my video and pick which methods of how it can used as an education I wanted to talk about in the video, Then, I recorded some Minecraft gameplay in the background showing some Minecraft basics. Lastly, I combined the voice over and game play to make my final product.
VIDEO ENDS AT 2:49
Youtube Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K_ZTnfNtyc
Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17tYTN3C9rhrcbssrOhW5meVYv1h1jucxh7AsX5aPuCs/edit

Crystal Taylor Capstone

Posted by Crystal Taylor in Capstone · Todd · Wed on
Throughout the 2016-2017 school year I have worked closely with young, middle school girls and not only did they have a major impact on me, but I also left my mark on them. I wanted to focus my Capstone on creating and building relationships within the youth, simply because the world we live in isn't always easy and everyone needs someone at a point in time. With the help of my mentor, who is the site director of the 4-H afterschool program, and numerous hours of lesson planning preparation, one Wednesday a month from January to April I traveled to Delaware to Kirk Middle School and did a handful of fun and engaging activities. We would do things from having "girl talk", to going out to 'Painting with a Twist'. 



Each month for the program, there is a certain theme for the month. So, I decided to work the themes into my own lesson plans that I created. The overall product of my capstone project are the relationships that were built during these last few months. It makes me feel good to know that each month, the girls were looking forward to seeing me and having fun. I learned that this "big sister, little sister" idea is honestly beneficial. Having someone to look up to for advice, guidance, and just having someone to talk to is a good feeling, and that is what I wanted for those girls.

A link to the pictures and my bibliography can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vVjB70MS5-05LRr5MT6yowQK4xxMErQ5Vich8It06HQ/edit?usp=sharing​ 

Jared Trusty Capstone

Posted by Jared Trusty in Capstone · Todd · Wed on

The process that i followed was in line with our school's core curriculum, Research, Inquiry, Collaboration, Presentation and reflection. I Inquired on a way to help the school in a way and manner that could be continued even after I have left SLA. After doing a little bit of research into the different problems into the school   I found that the school while in poor condition most things could not be worked on or fixed. I then realized the most obvious answer was right in front of me, all of the tables,  furniture and chairs in the school are either broken or non accessible.

What I wanted to do was create a way for other students to make furniture to improve their school environment. This Capstone not only has a physical representation of all the work but a guide to help future students.  What I hope to accomplish is to complete 2 Benches for the 3rd floor Hallway. (Adjacent to Hull’s Room) I will also complete a table for the ballroom on the 3rd floor. 1 Benches will accompany the table this will fully furnish the 3rd floor area. I will also complete a detailed guide on how to create each of these things on your own so that future students can repair or replace the old furniture.

I believe that this will help students improve their school and understand the work needed to create the different mechanisms that they often destroy, giving purpose and reason to the object. Below is a link to all of my pictures, Bibliography and the process behind how to make every different design.


Pics

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B47e4baNeo1ATjBzN1VpdWVNbEk?usp=sharing


Guide

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IF3kq9qL-kzq6K3GXjn-dJyjoKS2EgIrJTmYmUhVSkc/edit#



Michaela Peterson Capstone

Posted by Michaela Peterson in Capstone · Giknis · Wed on

For my capstone, I created a website for the Hyrtl Skull Exhibit at the Mutter Museum. There are one-hundred-thirty-nine skulls in the collection, and Hyrtl took very detailed notes on all of them, beyond occupation or age or cause of death. He looked at where the skulls were from and the shape of them. This collection was amassed to disprove the theory of phrenology, which is the idea that you can determine a person’s intelligence based on the size and shape of their cranium. This idea was used to support slavery and white supremacy. I first did research on Dr. Hyrtl and then I started to catalogue the data that I was given. This is what took my the longest, as there are one-hundred-thirty-nine skulls and the data was not organized in a way that you could draw conclusions from it. I created a 20 page table with nine columns that summarized all of the data. From there I found statistics like average age, sex ratio, and causes of death. Once that was done, I took all of my data and put it into my website. I also shared this chart with the Mutter, so they have a better idea of what their collection looks like.



My bibliography:

Bank, Andrew. "Of 'Native Skulls' and 'Noble Caucasians'™: Phrenology in Colonial South Africa." Journal of Southern African Studies 22.3 (1996): 387-403. Web. 3 Feb. 2017. This article talks about one of the most common uses for phrenology. Because phrenology came to rise around the same time as mass colonialism and nationalism did, it became common to justify the colonialism and mistreatment of native peoples and their land using phrenology. It is common to see terms used like “alien race” or “inferior race” when colonizers were talking about the people they colonized. These terms are a result of phrenology saying that Causians are the superior race, and all others are less advanced. This source looks a South Africa specifically, as the results phrenology and colonialism there still have lasting effects on the population.

Dhody, Anna, comp. Hyrtl Skull Exhibit. 1874. Exhibit at the Mutter Museum. The Mutter Museum at the College of Physcians, Phildadelphia. This source is my raw data for the project. These 139 skulls were collected by Dr. Josef Hyrtl throughout the course of his life. In 1874, they were bought by the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians. On each of the skulls is a short description of the person to whom the skull belonged, which may include a name, occupation, sex, age, religion, place of origin, cause of death, and a description of the skull, among other things. One downside to this source is the fact that I am working with translations, as the original descriptions were written in German. However, they were translated by a professional, and there are not many words that could get confused in translation.

Ilacqua, Joan, comp. Talking Heads. N.d. Exhibit. The Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Boston. This collection is about Phrenology and the history of studying skulls. It discusses four men, Franz Gall, Johann Gaspar Spurzheim, and the Flower brothers, who contributed to the concepts and ideas of phrenology. This source also provides a very good definition for phrenology and why it was so popular. It also expands on what phrenology is involved with now, as it has been separated from the science that it was originally associated with. While Keckeisen addressed the root of phrenology, this source expanded on what was already given. It also explained what happened to phrenology after Gall created and shared his ideas about the shape of the skull and brain and how they relate to different attributes of different people.

Jahoda, Gustav. "Intra-€European Racism in Nineteenth‐Century Anthropology." History and Anthropology 20.1 (2009): 37-56. Web. This source talks about how phrenology and craniology, a precursor to phrenology, were used by early anthropologists to create different sub-groups within various races, especially causians. This practice was mostly used to prove that northern, WASP (white, anglo-saxon, protestant) Europeans were superior to all other. That would mean a German or Frenchman would be superior to a Greek or Italian, but all of them were superior to the rest of the people from the world. This source gives a lot of context for the information that is on the skulls, especially in concern to why religion was only noted sometimes and where each person was said to have come from.

Jenkins, Bill. "Phrenology, Heredity and Progress in George Combe's Constitution of Man." The British Journal for the History of Science 48.03 (2015): 455-73. Web. This source focuses more on the scientific ideas of phrenology and on one of the most important books on phrenology ever written, George Combe’s Constitution of Man. This book was published in 1828 and maintained its relevance and importance throughout the second half of the century. I was concerned that this source would not provide me enough information about the ideas of phrenology itself, but it explained the ideas of phrenology very well, as well as explaining why this book was so important. This source did focus solely on George Combe’s research, but because of the time period in which he lived, his research would have been very influential on Hyrtl’s own research and what data he collected while he was studying his skull collection.

Keckeisen, Sara K. "The Grinning Wall: History, Exhibition, and Application of the Hyrtl Skull Collection at the Mutter Museum." Thesis. Thesis / Dissertation ETD, 2012. Theses. Senton Hall University. Web. 2 Feb. 2017. This source is an analysis of the Hyrtl Skull Exhibit at the Mutter Museum and the ethics and methods of displaying an exhibit such as this. I was concerned that this source would focus too much on how the exhibit was displayed and whether or not displaying an exhibit like this is ethical, especially because the Museum did not obtain consent from the decedent. However, it provided very good information about the history of studying the skull, phrenology, and why Hyrtl collected the skulls on pages four through thirteen. Overall, the majority of the source was somewhat useful, however the pages noted above gave clearer answers to my questions about the history of phrenology than any of my other sources.

Lewis, Jason E., David Degusta, Marc R. Meyer, Janet M. Monge, Alan E. Mann, and Ralph L. Holloway. "The Mismeasure of Science: Stephen Jay Gould versus Samuel George Morton on Skulls and Bias." PLoS Biology 9.6 (2011): n. pag. Web. 3 Feb. 2017. This source focuses on one of the many obvious scientific problems with Phrenology, which is the fact that much of the data used to uphold this “science” was manipulated, misreported, and selected to fit the researcher's’ preconceived notions about humanity and where they stood in regards to other races. This source looks at Stephen Gould’s work about Samuel George Morton’s work. Gould took Morton’s work as a case study for the manipulation of evidence and data to support your own conclusions in the scientific community. It would have been better to look at Gould’s work first hand, but there was no easy or free way to access that in the time period I had.

Morton, Samuel George. "The Debate Over Slavery." Exploring U.S. History | the Debate over Slavery. Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. This source is a series of excerpts from Samuel George Morton’s book Crania Americana. Morton lived around the same time as Hyrtl and collected a similar number of skulls. However, Morton collected his skulls to try to prove phrenology, or, as he called it, craniology. Morton’s collection is currently on display at the Penn Museum and is often compared to Hyrtl’s collection. These excerpts described his ranking of the different human races and their intelligence in regards to skull capacity. The one downside to this source is that the excerpts have been edited from the original text. However, Morton’s meaning and intention are still clear.

Wells, Samuel R. How to Read Character: A New Illustrated Hand-book of Phrenology and Physiognomy for Students and Examiners; with a Descriptive Chart. New York: Samuel R. Wells, 1870. Print. This source is a book on phrenology from 1869. It was designed to be a how-to guide for phrenology, including descriptions of the different races, what the average skull for each race looked like and how it measured, and what each of the those measurements “meant” in terms of intelligence, character, and attitude. It also talked about which parts of the brain, and therefore the skull, affect different parts of people’s characters. I was unable to read the entire book, so I am most likely missing some information, but I read all of the sections that addressed the questions I had. They site I was reading the book did not have the highest quality scans, so I did not completely understand everything that was written.

Wiest, Gerald, and Robert W. Baloh. "The Personal and Scientific Feud Between Ernst Brücke and Josef Hyrtl." Otology & Neurotology 27.4 (2006): 570-75. Web. 3 Feb. 2017. This sources focuses more on the personal life of Hyrtl and his research and work outside of his skull collection. It focuses mostly on Hyrtl’s personal and scientific feud with one of his contemporaries, which made me sceptical of its usefulness as a source. This source gave me more information about who Hyrtl was and why he was so important then any other source I have found. It speaks in depth about Hyrtl’s work as an anatomist and his work in understanding how the human body works. It also spoke to his personal beliefs about how scientific research should be approached. You can see how that might affect the his views on phrenology and how it was used to justify slavery of Africans and the mistreatment of other races.