For my capstone I mentored young girls at my old middle school every Wednesday for eight weeks. Each week we discussed different topics such as, Social Media, Family and Friends, Violence, School, Society Views, and Self- Respect. As we had our discussion there was also assignments that the girl had to work on, which were all based on the topic of discussion. The goal of this capstone was to understand how young girls think, how the react, and what influence their actions. Each of the young girls had a journal which they wrote in just about every week about how they was feeling and I responded back to them each week. Through the course of the program I learned so much about these girls. I went in expecting them to be distanced and unwilling to work but they were open and allowed me to get personal. I learned that some young girls only need for someone to take the time out of their day and just listen, listen to their feelings and thoughts, knowing that they wouldn’t be judge. They made me realize that no matter what age you are, you’re still vulnerable and want people to be there for you, no matter how strong you are. This was a learning experience for not only the girls but for me.

Blog and Pictures

Here are a few pictures of my blog and some of the girls I mentored 

Blog

Link to my blog, where all of my work lives: HipstaShakur

Kay/Hirschfield Advisory

Class of 2014

During my sophomore year of high school, I suffered from a very bad concussion.  This led me to missing 7 months of school, going to countless doctors appointments, and finally completely recovering about 10 months after I first got the concussion.  During this time, I realized that a lot of the education related to concussions was either wrong, or incomplete.  Another issue was that these uneducated people were usually in the occupations of nurses, coaches, or the peers of the concussed.  I went out to rectify this situation, and made a website aimed at the audience of the concussed.  I wanted to pass on my knowledge of dealing with the symptoms of a concussion, and the people who don’t understand much about concussions.  This website is supposed to help all of the people who aren’t sure on how to continue with their concussion recovery, and show them how to proceed with the situation.

http://wwillson4.wix.com/concussionsbywilliam

Bibliography:

"League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/league-of-denial/

This is a frontline documentary about concussions in football, “The Concussion Crisis”.  It highlights some of the key points about concussions, the risks of repeat injuries, and the lack of concern and education regarding them.

"Concussion." Definition. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/basics/definition/con-20019272

This website gives a summary of what a concussion is, what the symptoms are, and has a detailed index of additional information about concussions.  This information will be useful as a general summary of concussions, and can be used to refer to in certain cases.  Even though I’m trying to keep this project as universal as possible, some information is necessary to get an understanding of the subject.

"Concussion - WebMD: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention."WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.

http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview

This is a webmd entrance about concussions, it gives a collection of general information about concussions.  This gives another view at concussions and their symptoms.  Since the information regarding concussions varies so much, it is important to have multiple sources to cross reference them.

"Concussion - Symptoms ." Concussion. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/concussion/pages/symptoms.aspx

This is a website which has a very detailed list of the symptoms that people experience when they have a concussion.  It is very thorough and readable, and allows for another site to compare symptoms with.  The symptoms of a concussion are one part of it that will always remain the same, so I needed to have a complete list of the symptoms.

"Concussion Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What Is the Treatment for Concussion? - MedicineNet." MedicineNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

http://www.medicinenet.com/brain_concussion/page4.htm

This source tells some of the treatment for concussions and includes information about concussion prevention and the risk of future concussions.  This is necessary because part of my project is how to prevent future concussions from happening, and this is a valuable source for that information.

Dr. Ginsburg, K. (2014, May 26). Telephone interview.

This is an interview with a pediatrician Dr. Ginsburg.  He offered some up to date medical information which gives me a useful source for backup knowledge, as well as an extra perspective as an on the scene doctor with real life experience.

"Post-concussion Syndrome." Definition. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-concussion-syndrome/basics/definition/con-20032705>.

One of the most challenging parts of recovering from a concussion is suffering from post concussion syndrome.  This source on post concussion syndrome will help me define it in my project, which will be incredibly useful.

"How to Know If You Really Have a Concussion." N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com/2012/09/13/do-you-have-a-concussion/

This source shows the reader how to tell if they have a concussion or not, it gives an interesting view at a problem which usually has to be diagnosed by an outside source.  One of the sections of my website is on how to identify concussions, so this source will be useful.

"Concussion Facts | Sports Concussion Institute." Concussion Facts | Sports Concussion Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014

.http://www.concussiontreatment.com/concussionfacts.html

This source is about concussions in sports, which is where most concussions occur today.  It has some pertinent information that has to be accounted for in any piece of work about concussions.

Ramirez, Ph.D. Ainissa G. "Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Concussions?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ainissa-g-ramirez-phd/why-dont-woodpeckers-get-concussions_b_4312701.html

This is a post about why some animals who experience large amounts of blunt force trauma to the head don’t get concussions, which can help say why humans do get them.

I had always been interest in the environment and especially the different ecosystems that the world has. I was later more intrigued when I learned that scientist had created different ecosystems in different places. This meant that you can have a desert ecosystem in a dome, where it was too cold for anything that lives in a desert to live. It was very interesting to see where my capstone ended considering where it began in my head. At the very start of this capstone process, my capstone idea was to create a seven feet tall ecosystem set-up that would be in SLA for the rest of the years. It did not hit me that it would cost nearly $2,000 and that I simply did have the time and or space to house the supplies. I then began to think of alternative ways to produce my capstone.  A way that was cheaper and that anyone could do. I went to my capstone mentor, Ms.Dunda, and she asked our capstone group what they thought. Eventually I was given the idea to make my ecosystem set-up a kit that anyone could make. 

I created a couple of mock ecosystems and learned what worked best and what really did not. Through this experience I gained valuable like skills, like time management and collaboration. Without the constant advice and help form my mentor and capstone group, I feel as though I would not be here with such a concrete final product. I hope that by making this kit, it will intrigue future generations to think about earth’s ecosystem and help protect them. 

The picture above displays my kit. 

Annotated Bibliography. 

1. 

Citation - 

Nelson, P.. N.p.. Web. 27 Jan 2014. <http://aquaponics.com/>.

This website mainly inspired me to do my capstone idea. The website’s information about aquaponics. It tell the viewer how aquaponics are used and give examples of some systems. The website also allows the viewer to buy some supplies to build their own aquaponic system. The Nelson Pade website also gives chances for the viewer to sign up for classes in aquaponics. The website taught me that depending on the size of the system, depends on what kind of plants and fish you should use. 

2.

Citation - 

. N.p.. Web. 27 Jan 2014. <http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/>.

This website brought the homestyle feeling to my capstone. The most helpful thing about this website is it’s information on the different fish you use in a aquaponics. This information is useful because until now, I thought that any fish could be used but with the website’s specific information about each fish and what each needs, I now know what type of fish I need to invest time into. Lastly, the design tab on the websites is very useful. The website explains the different designs for a aquaponic set up. With this information I would recommend this website for anyone wanting to find more information on aquaponics and or start their own. 

3. 

Citation - 

Leineriza, L.. N.p.. Web. 27 Jan 2014. <http://agverra.com/blog/soil-types/>.

The information that the website contains is useful for understanding the different types of soil. The description of the soil is not as detailed as it could be but if a person wanted to just get a general idea of what each type of soil was then the website is a good source. The website could have also included diagrams and pictures to show how the different types of soil look. From a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate this website a 6 because it’s information is not as informative as it could be but still is useful. The design of the website is simple and that was refreshing because it wa not difficult to find certain information. 

4.

Citation - 

Davis, M.. N.p.. Web. 27 Jan 2014. 

<http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Worm-Compost-System>.

This wiki on how to create a worm compost bucket is useful. Even though the instruction are not for creating a aquaponics system with worms but the information that is in the wiki can be used in a aquaponic set up. The information on the website is useful for knowing what kind of environment is needed in order for worms to grow. The design of the website is a simple scroll flow and its information  is simple for anyone to understand. What I like best about the website is that the author gives reason behind many of the things that are explained in the directions. To me that is something that some websites miss and that makes them less informative. 

5.

Citation - 

Bernstein, Sylvia. n. page. <http://theaquaponicsource.com/2010/08/09/aquaponics-how-to-guide-part-1-why-aquaponics-and-what-type-of system/>.

This webpage was extremely useful in understanding the flow of a aquaponic set up. It has a diagram that clearly shows how each component of the set up and how it feeds into another component. The information in the articles is very useful because it gives the factor about why aquaponic gardening is much better than the regular method of gardening. Even though some of the reasons are very environmentally impactful , some of the reasons are more for comfort. for example since aquaponic gardening is done at waist level, there is no bending down. As for design, the information is mostly just in one big paragraph s it is not really organized well but is good for a general read about aquaponics. 

6. 

Citation - 

Diver, Steve. Aquaponics-Integration of hydroponics with aquaculture. Attra, 2000.

This publication offers the reader an insight on aquaponics and the history behind the actual aquaponic. Even though the publication does contain information on aquaponics and how it works, the publication focuses more on sharing stories about aquaponic set up that have already been done. this gives the reader a feeling that expresses aquaponics is not a myth but an actual process that has been done. the publications hold some information about the types of plants and fish used in an aquaponic but does not go in depth about how each specific plant and fish work in an aquaponic system. 

7.

Citation - 

Jones, Scott. "Evolution of aquaponics." Aquaponics J 6 (2002): 14-17.

This publication is very organized with its information and i very detailed. This publication focuses less on the actual construction of an aquaponic but more on the history and the cost of the aquaponics. The history of aquaponics section is very informative when it talks about how aquaponics got started and its implications on the rest of the world. The publication also does an average job at relating the information back to present day. As for the cost section, the publication does not give exact numbers but does display a diagram that represents what the person would be spending their own money on and what will the person get out of the aquaponics set up. In a nutshell, the publication is good for information about the history about aquaponics but not good for information about specific aquaponic set ups. 

8.

Citation - 

Wolford, Ron, and Greg Stack, eds. "Worm Facts." . urbanex. Web. 28 Jan 2014. <http://urbanext.illinois.edu/worms/facts/>.

The website is very informative about facts that include worms. Even though the facts are very useful there are many things about the website that could help improve it. One thing is that the information could be organized and grouped so that it just appears to be more organized. Also, including the anatomy of the worm would help the website a lot. Just having some facts about worms can not really be that useful. As a whole I rate this website a 4 out of 10 because the information on the site is useful but not presented well. If a person is just looking for some random facts about worms,then this website is very useful and could be a big help. 

9. 

Citation - 

Perlman, Howard. "The Water Cycle." ga.water.usgs. N.p., 05 11 2013. Web. 28 Jan 2014. <http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html>.

The main thing I can say about this source is that it has a great diagram that illustrates the water cycle to its fullest. The information is portrayed on the diagram and with the diagram make it very easy to understand the water cycle. The other thing about the website is that the diagram that shows earth’s water and how it is distribution. The website is useful when a person wants to understand the water cycle but that is simple it. The information on the website is useful for understanding how water travels through a system but not specifically in the aquaponic set up. The information on the site can be implemented and used in a aquaponic set up.  

10.  

Citation - 

. N.p.. Web. 28 Jan 2014. <http://aquaponics.com/page/recommended-plants-and-fish-in-aquaponics>.

The websites information is useful and simple for any to know what kind of plants and fish go in to a aquaponic system. That is the only information that is on the specific page of the website. The design is not so pretty but it is organized and that is something that some websites lack. Even though the information on each fish and plant is not as detailed as it could be, 

Digitalized Capstone: https://humansofsla.weebly.com 

Mentor: Meenoo Rami

Summary: My capstone is a blog inspired by the famous Humans of New York. I took pictures of SLA students and asked them questions to gather different stories.

Abstract:  I was inspired by the Humans of New York to do a Humans of SLA. Humans of New York is by Brandon Stanton. He walks around the streets of New York and has a conversation with strangers that catch his eye. I went around and asked students certain questions and then took their picture. I put all my pictures with their captions on a blog. I came up with some questions, and also took some questions from Brandon Stanton. By doing this, SLA's diversity and amazing community will be shown.

Bibliography:

1. Stanton, Brandon. "Humans of New York." Humans of New York. Brandon Stanton, 2010. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://www.humansofnewyork.com/>. 

This is probably the most helpful website for me overall. This is where I got my idea to do my capstone. I’m taking inspiration from the guy who shoots hundreds of people a day in New York. His pictures allow me to see interesting ways to take pictures of people, not everyone had to smile. To start my chat with people, I needed to decide what types of questions to ask them. From this blog, I could get an idea of what kinds of questions he gets. It really depends on the person. For mine, I decided to do some more school related questions.

2. Whitaker, Lenyon. "Brandon Stanton: Getting to Know the Man behind Humans of New York." Metro, 14 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://www.metro.us/newyork/entertainment/books/2013/10/14/getting-to-know-brandon-stanton-the-man-behind-humans-of-new-york/>.

This website is an interview on Brandon, and it’s really helpful to hear what he has to say about his big project. This was useful to me because I could see certain answers to questions that can guide me in the right direction. I question whether or not I’ll get good stories out of people, but he is almost a pro at it. Brandon approaches people in a comfortable matter. He talks about getting rejection from many people, and I don’t think I’ll have that problem as much because the people in my school aren’t that much of strangers.

3.

Gibson, Andrew. "How To Take Photos of People Like a Professional." Envato. Tutsplus, 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-take-photos-of-people-like-a-professional--photo-860>.

Even though I understand the basics of photography, I really wanted to look farther into how to shoot portraits. This source was helpful to me because it gave me some tips on certain detail to pay attention to. I need to think about different angles, along with how close I should be to their face, and etc. I can’t just have everyone in the same position, or same camera setting. Everyone should have their own individual story along with a unique picture. I am going to keep these tips in mind so I think about different ways to take each portrait.

4.This Is The Human Behind 'Humans Of New York' Mashable. YouTube, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Bcm6kwWv09o>.

This youtube video helped my visual understanding of what he does. The story doesn’t always have to be happy. The story can be from fear, or a tragedy. I like the way he explains how he doesn’t try to make a quote fit with a certain picture. It ends up being a conversation with the person. Throughout my whole picture taking process, it’s really going to be about having a genuine conversation with the student or teacher. A limitation to this source is that the video is pretty short, and it’s pretty interesting to listen to so I wish I could be longer and explain Branden’s full background. I also want to know how he approaches people, does he just say can I take your picture? I feel as though New Yorkers could get pretty upset.

5. Wendler, Daniel. "Invitation: The Art of Good Questions." Improve Your Social Skills. Daniel Wendler, 2014. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://www.improveyoursocialskills.com/conversation/invitation>.  

Taking away from the actual Humans of New York, this website helped me with some tips on talking to people. I was never that shy of a person, but from the pictures I’ve taken so far, I feel as though I needed to research how to get people to share with you. There were a few times where I would talk to some people, and they didn’t give me much, it was mainly one word answers. Some people just don’t like to talk to people at all, but others can share with you if you talk to them in the correct manner. After reading this site, I got some more ideas on what to ask people, because some of my starter questions were yes or no, and that doesn’t take you very far in conversation.

6. Gammage, Jeff. "Blog Celebrates Humans of Philadelphia." Philly.com. Philadelphia Media Network, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://articles.philly.com/2013-09-30/news/42505112_1_south-philadelphia-humans-hony>.

This source provides me with information about a guy in Philadelphia who does the same thing as the guy in New York. I think it’s interesting how different it is from the New York blog, even though they are the same concept. It has to do with each photographer and the kinds of people they choose to interview. His project is a imitation of Humans of New York. In the article, it tells me what Brandon Stanton does in New York in comparison to Chuck Putman. Chuck explains that it broadens the perspective and diversity of the city in ways that outsiders may not see at first.

7.

Bosman, Julie. "A Fisherman in New York’s Sea of Faces." Business Day: Media and Advertising. New York Times, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/business/media/humans-of-new-york-by-brandon-stanton.html?_r=1&>.

This source is helpful to me because it gives another perspective and detail on Humans of New York. I need as much information as possible about what Brandon does, so I can follow in his successful footsteps. He explains how he makes himself as nonthreatening as possible. I found it interesting that the first person he ever shot was a guy who caught Brandon’s eye. He allowed him to take the picture right off the bat, and I think that really sparked Brandon into wanting to take more pictures. There are many interesting people in SLA that will catch my eye and will make my project really amazing in the end.

8. Cauterucci, Christina. "How Photos Can Make Strangers A Little Less Strange." NPR. NPR, 1 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/11/01/241822706/how-photos-can-make-strangers-a-little-less-strange>.

I chose this source because NPR is very reliable, and I also found this article to be interesting. Each article I read about Humans of New York, or Brandon, it gives me new information. They’re all written differently so I am able to capture a different perspective and new facts from each. This written piece was helpful to me because it explained where Brandon goes to take his pictures. He explains that he tries to stay away from the busy places where people won’t stop and talk to him. If the parks are the best for him, kids sitting in the hallway will be good for me. Getting a glimpse of almost all of the students at SLA will leave a great memory for me when I leave the school.

9.

Matarese, Jennifer. "Author Explains New Book 'Humans of New York'" Lifestyle & Fun. WABC-TV/DT, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/lifestyle&id=9288389>.

I found this ABC website helpful because they provided a video with an interview with Brandon and he talks about how he tries to get a story out of people that is much different from his other ones, if he gets the same one, he needs to keep talking. His fans are really excited to see him walk around New York, and he has a certain voice that draws people in. I agree with him when he says that all New Yorkers aren’t rude, the crowds are rude. I don’t think anyone in SLA is rude, but there are many students who could be shy to talk to me and I hope I give off a good vibe so I can have a good project.

10.

Ehrenfeld, Temma. "How to Grow Close By Asking the Right Questions." Open Gentley. Psychology Today, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/open-gently/201310/how-grow-close-asking-the-right-questions>.

This source provides me with information on how to talk to people in an effective and proper manner. I think overall I am a social person, but for this specific project I really need to be able to grasp people’s attention and make sure they understand they can share anything with me. In this article, it provides sample questions for conversation starters. They are formatted in a way where it builds “intimacy” and connection. The questions help the person answer comfortably, but also give a lot of detail. Each question I ask is very crucial because if I ask it the right way I could potentially get a really great quote from them.