For my capstone project, I wanted to create something that would directly impact my community. As someone who walks around the city, whether to hang out with friends, to get out of my house, or to get to and from places, something that I and many others have noticed is Philly’s trash issue. It’s become such an enormous issue in the city, where streets are unwalkable and unsanitary.

Being a young student, I wanted to do something to tackle this issue. By creating a multi-day clean-up event throughout the city, I helped tackle this issue in any way a young person could. The majority of volunteers that were involved had been to the places we cleaned up in. As I planned these events, I tried to think of locations that I am frequently and familiar with. This led me to plan events at FDR Park, South Philly, Temple University, and here at SLA!

Although not all of the dates went as planned, being involved and connecting with people was something that will forever stick with me. Creating this project not only showed me that a “regular” student can do something for a change but also helped many other young volunteers to do their own thing for their communities as well. In the end, there are several different issues that go into the Trash Issue in Philly, but as long as we are being proactive and wanting change, that change can happen. I am happy that I could do something with my power for others.

Final Product:

• A Google Drive Folder holding multiple pictures that captured the process of the clean-ups

• A [Photo Essay] (https://docs.google.com/document/d/12-O9rI608bHDpuN7FcTP8t3kIpPqmZQawRQ72evOKYg/edit?usp=sharing) visualizing The PHILLY: Clean-Up

• The Annotated Bibliography

Movies have been a big part of my life just like millions of others. Some movies have made me hopeful and happy about the world, while some did the opposite. Here is a link to my Slide Deck of the Top 5 Movies that are currently on my favorites list. My list changes every day, but I wanted to have 5 solid pieces for this project.

Welcome to the Third and Last Episode of the TimeSkippers Podcast!

In this episode, hosts Luccas, Abi, Kaitlyn, and Diana go deep into explaining what was the author’s intent in writing the book, Homegoing. They explore different topics mentioned in the book and their significance in the book. Come join them for their last episode!

https://youtu.be/dARDU4Nif6Y

Welcome to our 2nd Episode of Time Skippers!

In this episode, we are introduced to two characters’ stories which will be revised through the feminist lenses. Stay tuned as Diana, Abi, Katelyn, and Luccas discuss their opinions on religion, class, race, and feminism.

https://youtu.be/7ia4Zxp4mOw

Katelyn

“Popular Peasant Feminism: We Have a New World to Build in Our Hands.” Popular Peasant Feminism: We Have a New World to Build in Our Hands, 17 Mar. 2022, capiremov.org/en/analysis/popular-peasant-feminism.

Popular peasant feminism is a proposition that changes the reality of inequality in which we live. For rural women, this relationship with nature and Mother Earth is fundamental. Plays a major role in building food sovereignty through agroecology. In La Via Campesina, they are comprehending our history and realizing how it contributes to changing the reality of women in rural areas. They are working to fight violence, because in the rural world, day after day, violence escalates against women. This relates to our book because our book ties gender stereotypes and racism together in a village that they live in while they try to find their identity.

Abi

“Objectification towards Female Characters in Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing.” Repository.unair.ac.id,

This article was an analysis of the Patriarchy that is present in the book and the tragedies that result from it. It provides additional insight into the book through the analysis of the patriarchy and how it affected the characters of the book. For example, Effia was objectified because of her beauty, and because of such objectification is sold (like a commodity) to the white man that she is forced into marrying. The insight that this source provides in the feminist lens also relates to their breakdown of the patriarchy like in this quote: “Meanwhile, in the story, male characters are seemingly being demanded not to be weak. Male characters in this story are portrayed as great if they involved in women slavery, rape, and even polygamous marriage.” This quote shows the conditions of the society that they live in that make life hard for the women.

Diana

Saungweme, Furaha Joy Sekai. A Critique of Africa’s Post-Colonial Freedoms Through a Feminist Lens: Challenging Patriarchy and Assessing the Gains, 7 July 2021.

While looking for articles to discuss in our book club, I stumbled upon a website that publishes articles. Specifically, the organization is in Africa, which ties in perfectly with the book we are reading. In their ‘About Us’, they state “supported and promoted the consolidation of democracy, human rights, gender justice, ecological justice and constructive dialogue in the Southern African region.” The article, it focuses on how colonization in Africa has affected and created the power struggles that currently affect several African women today. The article focuses on a specific lens that critics and also use a way to analyze the historic importance.

Luccas

Miller, Laura. “A Sprawling Epic of Africa and America.” The New Yorker, 23 May 2016, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/30/yaa-gyasis-homegoing.

This article explained some parts of the book telling the reader how the book is a collection of stories from different family members and time periods as opposed to traditional stories which feature a main character and a time period. Through the feminist lens, the article says that “Unlike the Biblical transgression, however, the source of the curse that dogs an Asante woman’s descendants through seven generations defies pinpointing and straightforward assessments of blame; you might as well shun your own hand.” which suggests that women are to blame for everything that happened with the family which is not true. Things happened because of colonialism and corrupt leadership.

Welcome to the first episode of The Time Skippers Podcast!

In this episode, hosts Kaitlyn, Abby, and Diana dive into the figurative and literal aspects of the book, Homegoing. Topics discussed in the episode are the motifs of certain events in the book and also how it correlates to current issues in society today. The book covers a large number of topics regarding slavery, colonization, and its effects on trauma.

Please enjoy our first episode of the Time Skippers Podcast and we hope you stay tuned for more.

https://youtu.be/pxMRAYwnoyQ