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Zeshawn Rahman Capstone

Posted by Zeshawn Rahman in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 10:17 pm

​This capstone focused on the creation of the Rough Cut ILP. The Rough Cut ILP is a dedicated class during ILP hours. It was held every Wednesday of the school year from 1:30 - 3:30 PM. Students have had the opportunity to learn skills independently, but there has largely been no class, or environment for these students to expand knowledge in unison. Thus, the ILP was born; a group of students looking to further their knowledge in new, obscure or otherwise interesting techniques in photography, and video. The overall scope of the ILP class shifted from video editing to video production, and a more professional workflow. Students were taught the benefits of prime lenses, professional cameras, and color profiles. With the unique opportunity to film and speak with Madeleine Albright and Steven Hadley at the Franklin Institute, students expressed desire to learn professional Multi-Camera filming and editing. The next classes held a live demonstration of filming with three cameras, reviewing the footage, and using the free DaVinci Resolve editing suite to process and export the footage. Considering the lack of film photography instruction, and resources nationwide, it became necessary to introduce the students to the photography one may call a lost art. Students learned to shoot on film, and noted it's creative effect on their photography. After shooting, the class shifted to developing and scanning their film, in which both the sciences, engineering, media production, and visual arts were combined in a month of instruction.

This capstone focused on the creation of the Rough Cut ILP. The Rough Cut ILP is a dedicated class during ILP hours. It was held every Wednesday of the school year from 1:30 - 3:30 PM. Students have had the opportunity to learn skills independently, but there has largely been no class, or environment for these students to expand knowledge in unison. Thus, the ILP was born; a group of students looking to further their knowledge in new, obscure or otherwise interesting techniques in photography, and video. The overall scope of the ILP class shifted from video editing to video production, and a more professional workflow. Students were taught the benefits of prime lenses, professional cameras, and color profiles. With the unique opportunity to film and speak with Madeleine Albright and Steven Hadley at the Franklin Institute, students expressed desire to learn professional Multi-Camera filming and editing. The next classes held a live demonstration of filming with three cameras, reviewing the footage, and using the free DaVinci Resolve editing suite to process and export the footage. Considering the lack of film photography instruction, and resources nationwide, it became necessary to introduce the students to the photography one may call a lost art. Students learned to shoot on film, and noted it's creative effect on their photography. After shooting, the class shifted to developing and scanning their film, in which both the sciences, engineering, media production, and visual arts were combined in a month of instruction.

The two videos below show both a lesson in film development, as well as the students’ results after scanning their film.

Bibliography

Zeshawn Rahman


Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 1985.

* This source will be used to further an understanding of teaching in a more professional level going toward the future. It was recommended by Mr. Herman, who commented that it shaped his understanding and views on teaching. Though Freire analyzes teaching through a lens which focuses on 'oppression' and the need for an individual to be 'liberated', this can be easily adapted to teaching. When critical awareness and thinking are brought out via teaching, the students are, in effect, liberated. He brings up 'Problem-Solving' education as a method to combat this oppression, in which the teacher and student begin a dialogue, and learn from each other. Simple techniques from this text are beneficial; students focus more, have increased levels of motivation and happiness when they are accompanied by the teacher in various activities.

"Lectures Aren't Just Boring, They're Ineffective, Too, Study Finds." Science | AAAS. January 12, 2016. Accessed February 02, 2017. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/05/lectures-arent-just-boring-theyre-ineffective-too-study-finds.

* As with 'The Pedagogy of The Oppressed', this source outlines why teaching with a firm hand, and mainly lecture-based is proven to fail. Although Freire embraces the problem-solving method of education, in a technical and often detailed workflow such as filmmaking, often times definitions and such are required. As this basis is often taught at the beginning of such courses via lecture-based format, it is evident that many students forget, or are unable to recall even the simplest terms and nomenclature after being in the program for three or more years. As a teacher for a course in which students are already enrolled in their respective media-coursework, many are already fluent in these terms. Adding review material toward the end and beginning of lessons in an engaging format will cement this knowledge in students.

Lehmann, Chris, and Zac Chase. Building School 2.0: How to Create the Schools We Need. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2015.

* Building School: 2.0 will be essential to leading a course in which many are accustomed to the lesson plans and general teaching direction as outlined by Mr. Lehmann. Even though SLA is a school that follows this form, some details may be hard to understand. For a teacher to fully deliver lesson in accordance at SLA, it seems imperative to read Building School 2.0. In essence, a class for an ILP would be an environment as it's own school, where the sole teacher is in control. With a combination of Freire's teachings and Lehmann's book, experience gained would not only be refined but applicable to modern environment.

"Multi-camera Editing Workflow." Create and Edit a Multi-camera Sequence in Premiere Pro. Accessed February 02, 2017. https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/create-multi-camera-source-sequence.html.

* This source by Adobe will be critical in upcoming lessons which are focused on multi-camera editing workflow. As this is the official method of editing recommended by Adobe, students learning will be greatly benefited early on. When moving on to senior year, CTE students will be Adobe certified, and required to have a working knowledge of all functions in Premiere.  Reviewing this source, it's easy to follow, especially for students who are learning it for the first time. A lesson set will be based on editing footage that was recorded during Educon.

"Prime Vs. Zoom Lenses » Expert Photography." Expert Photography. October 17, 2016. Accessed February 02, 2017. https://expertphotography.com/prime-vs-zoom-lenses/.

* A critical workflow that students will be introduced to as they progress further is the almost religious usage of prime lenses. Prime lenses are lenses that are fixed focal length, and 'do not zoom'. Examples of prime lenses are the 35, 50, and 85mm focal lengths. Benefits of prime lenses are that they usually offer very fast apertures, often exceeding f/2.0, with some 'super primes' even reaching the impeccable f/1.0 aperture. The benefits of fast (large max. Aperture) lenses are their ability to lower the sensitivity required by a camera. For example, in a dimly lit classroom, average exposure would read 1/30 second, f/3.5, at an ISO of 800. If a prime lens was used with aperture of 1.4, the equivalent exposure would read 1/30 second, f/1.4 at ISO 125. This would allow the photographer to have clear image quality, with almost no 'noise', that would be very evident in the ISO 800 shot.

Richardson, Will. From Master Teacher to Master Learner. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press, 2015.

* This source is yet another on the fundamentals of teaching, and process to become an influential teacher. In Chapter 2, Richardson states "Students should "productive learners", learners who have their passion, their own purpose.", which resonates with the concepts of the ILP and the Capstone project. From personal research and experience, one can find himself in a position to teach, yet this was formed through a passion, and desire of giving back to those who have taught him. Richardson's method of teaching is critical in evaluating this relationship between teaching and learning as the fundamental basis for a cycle of learning.

TEDxTalks. "Learning Styles & the Importance of Critical Self-reflection | Tesia Marshik | TEDxUWLaCrosse." YouTube. April 02, 2015. Accessed February 02, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=855Now8h5Rs.

* Though many agree that learning styles are a concept that lead to students learning differently, and lessons have to cater to various students' learning styles, it is not truly required. This source is critical in dismissing the myth of 'Learning Styles' and unify toward a universal teaching method: an inquiry based, teacher-student relationship. As a student, learning styles have often been discussed, with largely no benefits. However,  in an attempt to cater to all, maintaining interest while simultaneously teaching and assessing performance is difficult, if not impossible to accomplish without inquiry based learning and teaching, in which both parties are involved. Personal goals of teaching are to combine Freire, Richardson & Marshik to create vivid, engaging lesson plans, and this source cements one section of teaching.

TEDxTalks. "What Do Top Students Do Differently? | Douglas Barton | TEDxYouth@Tallinn." YouTube. March 26, 2015. Accessed February 02, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na8m4GPqA30.

* This source will be presented in the form of a presentation during the first ILP of the third quarter. Though this is may not be directly related to media, it will serve as a primer for the further lessons which are more technically based, with occasional tests and grade-based system. Furthermore, as students progress to higher education, and are removed from the ILP program in senior year, there will be more test-based and standardized workflow. As an ending portion of every lesson, a quiz or similar format of review (5 minutes timing) will be delivered in a subject matter of what the class wants to learn.

"Try Basic Editing Techniques in Premiere Pro | Adobe Premiere Pro CC Tutorials." Try Basic Editing Techniques in Premiere Pro | Adobe Premiere Pro CC Tutorials. Accessed February 02, 2017. https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/how-to/edit-videos.html.

* Although a teacher has to be advanced in the subject before they are capable to teach, there are often small errors one will make. In the position of a teacher, if  this mistake isn't caught, students may follow unknowingly, leading to a larger issue. This source will be simplified, and printed out to give to all students as a refresher and guide as the lesson is in progress. Also, this is the certified Adobe method of editing using their program, and is industry standard. The significance is that students taught via the Adobe method will have an easier experience testing for the Adobe certification, rather than following along a roughly structured lesson.

Richardson, Will, and Bruce Dixon. "10 Principles For Schools Of Modern Learning." Modern Learners. 2017. Accessed February 2, 2017. https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/modernlearners/Modern Learners 10 Principles for Schools of Modern Learning whitepaper.pdf.

*  While the Pedagogy of The Oppressed is from the 1970's, and even Richardson's own book is from 2015, it's hard to find source material that is applicable in the present area. Of course, the terms and practices are everlasting in general application, however this is an article that was released just this month. With the new administration in power, this article provides valuable insight that "an “education” is what we create for ourselves rather than something someone else creates and delivers to us.", and the educational shift is " And let us be clear: it is the modern learner’s newfound capability to take full control of his or her learning that is THE educational shift of our times." A modern interpretation of Friere, this is a teaching method that will be applied in the ILP class. As it is an individual learning plan, students will experiment and learn various techniques themselves, through experimentation and self-direction, thus taking control of their learning and creating an education for themselves.


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Joaquin Thomas Capstone

Posted by Joaquin Thomas in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 10:01 pm

For my Capstone I decided to go out to a middle school near SLA to help with tutoring kids in math. The main purpose behind doing this was to help struggling kids bump their grades up and to help them be prepared for the PSSAs. In the very beginning I was clueless as to what I was going to work on but, then my mentor, Jonathan Tyler, helped to guide me to something I was interested in. He did so by noting my interest in math along with my daily tutoring of my little brother. Every Wednesday I went down to the middles school, Robert Morris, to teach 7th graders. In the beginning it was difficult to find ways to reach the students but, after receiving assistance from my mentor and the principal of the school I was able to improve on my teaching skills and I began to make real progress with the kids. I learned a lot with how to be patient with students along with understanding that every student needs their own special attention. I also learned of the importance of teaching kids in need.

Capstone Bibliography



Source #1: One of my out of school mentors, Mr. Kay, Elder. Mr. Kay’s Dad.


When we were first talking about the development of this project a lot of the conversation was about him telling me what to do which I had a problem with. I didn’t like that very much because I like being worked with to develop my own ideas in some way. Also in an interesting way he taught me an interesting lesson about teaching just from making a mistake. Then I expressed my distress with him and once we set a mutual line of respect for the both of us our meetings went a lot smoother from then on. So I chose this source for inadvertently teaching me a lesson and the good affects positive change brought to our relationship.



Source #2: My second source was, Mr. Jonathan Tyler. A grandfather to an alumni at SLA.


Mr. Tyler came off very harsh from the first moment we started conversation in what seemed to be an aggressive attempt to making me submit to his orders. The way he approached setting up an atmosphere with me was very unsettling and it didn’t make me very comfortable with having him help me. However some of his stern talking was very helpful in some situations because of the fact that it allowed me to focus a lot on my work when I would normal be distracted. At the same time I wasn’t that inspired to do my best because I felt under pressure a lot of the time. I felt persecuted instead of sympathised with sometimes.



Source #3: My third source was my mom, Marielle Thomas.


I chose my Mom as one of my sources because of the fact that she is used to teaching kids from all ages. She’s taught kids in Pre-K and she once worked in High Schools in philly. While talking to her she helped me understand the importance of setting up an initial atmosphere with your tutee because it can be a deciding factor in whether or not the student learns, then falls off, or learns, and continues to grow and flourish. Along with that she talked about understanding that every student is different and you need to focus on different areas for each.



Source #4: My fourth source was, Ms. Burrell, a teacher at Robert Morris middle school.


I chose this source because she was the head teacher of the school that I was going to be doing the tutoring at. She helped me with understanding how to keep students calm especially when there is more than one of them you are helping at once. Also the fact that when one student doesn’t understand and gets frustrated it’s more likely for more of them to get frustrated easier even if they would’ve understood originally. Along with asserting myself without making them feel disrespected. So far this has helped with having them open up better to what they don’t personally understand.



Source #5: " Tutor Training." General Tips & Techniques | Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Chandler Gilbert Community College, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.


This source was very useful from the start solely because of the fact that it was written in a list format. This helped me really understand the content being provided to me. It talked about setting up a layer of respect about everything.


Source #6: "Benefits of Tutoring." Benefits of Tutoring. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1quLQtL-Y-SMq3f5bZj6dctv3c3PmqHbfcO2ZAT8ASsY/edit


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Michael Thayres Capstone

Posted by Michael Thayres in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 9:59 pm

​My capstone was about the participation levels of CAD in SLA's engineering department. I went on a school year long personal seminar for teaching myself CAD (computer aided drafting) relevant to machinery in the engineering room. My hope is that this might be used to give those who are interested a boost when they start. I quit several times due to how much there was to learn and how unguided the process felt. My goal is to lower the chances of that happening with students in the future by offering the methods and outlooks I used as I learned. I try to do this in a way that is inviting and accessible as possible.  

http://mthayrescap.weebly.com 

Bibliography
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Benjamin Simon Capstone

Posted by Benjamin Simon in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 9:46 pm

Capstone: http://www.theempireofphilacollegebball.com/


For my capstone, I expanded upon my website called The Empire, which covers college basketball in Philadelphia. When I first started The Empire with my co-founder William Derry, who graduated from SLA one year ago, we had to design a website and create a domain. We also had to find a way to create a following. That started with contacting media representatives at each college to secure press credentials. This way we could interview players and coaches, attend games as media, participate in press conferences, and seize all of the opportunities regular media members have. As a result, we were able to better compete with other sites covering college basketball. 

Over the past year, I’ve continued working on the site and using our press credentials to attend events as media, which were expanded this year. While in our first year we could only go to Penn and St. Joe’s games, this year we secured press credentials at Drexel, La Salle, and Temple. We created a YouTube channel and additionally established a GoFundMe page to help increase resources for the site in the future. Throughout the maturation of the site, I’ve learned about writing, professionalism, and the in’s and out’s of being a true sports journalist. Creating and editing content on near weekly basis has given me constant practice. I’ve also had to learn how to write professional emails and act properly in media events. I’m excited to continue building The Empire as the city's go-to college basketball sites. 

Bibliography: 

Anderson, Monica, and Andrea Caumont. "How social media is reshaping news." Pew Research Center. N.p., 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. <http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/24/how-social-media-is-reshaping-news/>.

The article is used to understand the ways in which social media is redefining news circulation. The article displays the modern day use of social media in multiple different formats, providing clear infographics, data, and words. It is clearly labeled and touches on a couple topics, including the comparison between varying social media sites, the use of news in social media, and how social media affects the news. The article provides details when to post articles, where to post articles, and how to post articles in order to get the best circulation on social media. The Pew Research Center is a highly regarded group that consistently completes fantastic research. 

Barca, Jerry. "Benjamin Simon Interview with Jerry Barca." Telephone interview. 15 Feb. 2016.

Jerry Barca, a sports journalist for Forbes, completed an interview with me where he spoke about what is expected of journalists who cover college athletics. What are they allowed to do? What aren’t they allowed to do? Where is the line drawn? He has been around the business for awhile and was able to share a lot of his experiences in the interview. Barca is a highly regarded journalist who has written multiple books about sports, including one about the Notre Dame football team in the 1980s. He is an expert on college athletics and has dealt with them since he was in college himself. 

BBC Academy. YouTube. YouTube, 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHUn6zSGEJ8>.

The video gives multiple vantage points for the listener to learn about interview techniques. Throughout the video, a narrator explains the skills that he uses as an interview and he then shows examples from his own interviews. The video flashes from the narrator speaking about the techniques he equips with actual interviews to scenes from BBC’s newsroom, where the journalists are having a meeting. The source gives an opinion of interviewing  principles. Instead of reading a source, it was interesting to actually listen to someone’s opinions and hear them put those skills to work in an interview. It helped to visualize and understand how professional journalists navigate through interviews. The video was created by BBC, one of the world’s leading news outlets. They are very successful and it is a result of strong interviews. Their opinion is credible. 

Crichton Danny, Ben Christel, Aaditya Shidham, Alex Valderrama, and Jeremy Karmel. Journalism in the Digital Age. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. <https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/2010-11/Journalism/index.html>.

The site focuses on how journalism was once widely recognized as the “fourth estate” of government and how it has changed over the past centuries. It provides an idea of how media needs to progress with the new landscape while also giving background on media’s history over the past century. Where is journalism headed? How can new websites be designed to match that? It is important to understand the trend of journalism before diving head first into it. Written in a scholarly tone, the site was created by students at Stanford and is full of fantastic information that shows its trustworthiness and well researched aspects.

DeMers, Jayson. "50 Free Ways To Increase Your Twitter Followers." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 17 June 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. <http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2015/06/17/50-free-ways-to-increase-your-twitter-followers/2/&refURL=&referrer=#4f2aa24c6560>.

One of the most important aspects of running a website is having a strong social media following. Twitter is especially significant in the journalism world. In order to build a website in today’s world, a social media presence is imperative. The site was used to help brainstorm ways to better The Empire’s reach on social media. The more followers that a website has on their Twitter page, the more circulation that their articles can receive. The cited article was released by Forbes, one of the most well known business magazines in the world. The author, Jayson DeMers, is a former CEO and founder of a marketing firm. Reliability was not in question when reading the aritcle as it was clear that DeMers had a clear sense of how to build a Twitter brand. 

Feinstein, John. The Legends Club: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry. N.p.: Penguin Random House, n.d. Print. 

One of John Feinstein’s most recent books, The Legend’s Club, documents the story behind the historic rivalry between North Carolina coach Dean Smith, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, and North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano. The book gave an in-depth view into college basketball and how it operates. It also displayed how good research has to be done and how to craft a well researched story. The book was written by John Feinstein, who is highly regarded sportswriter, and has written 35 books with two New York Times best sellers. He was also a student at Duke and writer for the school newspaper when Smith, Krzyzewski, and Valvano were coaching. He is very knowledgeable on college athletics and has been around the game for multiple decades. 

Gelb, Zach. "Benjamin Simon Interview with Zach Gelb." Telephone interview. 25 Mar. 2016.

Zach Gelb completed an interview with myself. Gelb is a former WHIP radio host and student journalist for the Temple media outlets, During the conversation, Gelb provided ideas about how to deal with being a journalist covering college athletics. Different than Barca, Gelb is younger and at the time of the interview, he was just finishing his work with the Temple athletics. Temple is one of the teams that The Empire covers, so he was able to specifically reference how to handle working with the Temple athletics department. He also knew how to navigate the newly changing landscape of journalism because of his youth. He provided ideas of how to attract followers, connect with sports information directors, and create connections with other journalists. Gelb is definitely a reliable source which is backed up by his large following and extensive experience journalism experience.

"How to Write a Profile Feature Article." Student Voices. New York Times, 1999. Web. 2 Feb. 2017. <http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/writing/voices.html>.

Writing a feature article is a great way to capture someone or something’s story. In this article, the New York Times captures different ways journalists should go about writing basic feature articles. It gives 14 bullet point tips, along with a longer explanation in paragraph form at the end of the post. The article gives a really clear set up about how journalists should go about writing feature story. The New York Times is one of the world’s most trusted media outlets. They are well respected and have a long track record of success. Although the article was created in 1999 and journalism has since changed, the basics of how to write a feature story is still the same. This source is clear cut, easy to understand, and one of the most direct teachings on feature articles available online. 

Mencher, Melvin. News Reporting and Writing. 8th ed. N.p.: Mcgraw-Hill College, 1999. Print.

The book’s chapter on interview principles provided clear information about how to do a strong interview. It starts with a fictional story about man who is trying to quotes for a good article from a poor interviewee. Throughout the chapter, the author explains the rules interviewers are expected to abide by. The book is used to gather tips about how to create the best article from an interview. It also explains the distinction between interviews for feature articles and news articles. The book is full of great information and is referenced on many sites, including Columbia’s School of Journalism, as a source for learning about journalism techniques. The author of the book, Melvin Mencher, is a Nieman Fellow at Harvard and was teacher at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism for 28 years.  

"Social Media." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2017. <http://ethics.npr.org/tag/social-media/>.

One of the most important aspects of journalism today is social media use. This cited source specifically documents the different guidelines that NPR staff members are expected to follow for social media. It is important to read and understand the NPR social media ethics handbook as an aspiring journalist because it gives clear instructions as to how to handle social media. Although not everyone is a staff worker for NPR, it is helpful to view the expectations that they hold their writers to. This site gives great insight to the do’s and dont’s for their journalists on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or other networks. NPR is one of the country’s most trusted media outlets. It’s legitimacy and track record is a product of how they compile guidelines like the one here.
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Kai Burton Capstone

Posted by Kai Burton in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 9:45 pm

​

My capstone project is a natural website complete with video testimonials of natural haired beauties, and a lovely photo gallery showcasing the beauty and diversity of natural hair that people of color process. Originally I planned to record a podcast and take a photo shoot for every person I interviewed, but a quarter of the way through the process someone suggested camera interviews and I realized that an on screen interview would demonstrate an even deeper message. I set up a room in SLA that would be used for both interviewing and the photoshoot. I used a black backdrop and asked every person the same questions. I began with basic questions about how different people did their hair and then I transitioned into asking question about how different people interact with their hair. Since I have never taken a digital video or digital photography class at SLA Isabella D’Angelo and Hanna Dunakin assisted me throughout the majority of the process. During the project not only was I able to learn about how people treat and feel about their natural hair, I was also able to learn about how to use recording and editing equipment. Learning about video and photography equipment was not apart of my learning plan for my capstone, but picking up those skills made my capstone even more fulfilling.


Website Link: kburton9.wixsite.com/naturalhair


Link to my bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wCIKCuE7FVG92dz-7yBPp-jLAMQ5EZ89ZqcxNVEwZl8/edit


Annotated Bibliography

Byrd, Ayana. "If Big, Natural Hair is in, Why Don't We See it On Television?" NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group, 27 Jan. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/if-big-natural-hair-why-dont-we-see-it-television-n294016

This source explores the recent movement of natural hair, coming from famous women on screen. The recent increase in celebrities deciding to sport their natural has led to more regular women gaining the confidence to sport their natural hair as well. However, women of color are still not wearing their natural hair on screen. Thi source explores the lack of diversity on screen that leads o a confusion within the movement. Women are asking how they are expected to look up to other black women for their color, if they don’t see the same thing expressed on the big screen.


Byrd, Ayanna and Tharps, Lori. “Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America.” St. Martin’s. 2001, 2014.

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=KERWAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=black+hair&ots=hsUTWNTEmn&sig=epnVycx-Mmd_75J3fm4MNSvj5MY#v=onepage&q=black%20hair&f=false

The stigma of natural hair on black women has been a long fought battle, starting as early as the 1600’s. The issue, however was not prominent until the 1920’s. This novel by Tharps and Byrd tells the struggle of black hair, when black women were first assimilated into the American Society. This source is crucial because it shows the initial struggle of black hair and the movements and waves that black hair has gone through, including the call for a more “uniform” look. I will use this book as a history book of sorts to frame the foundations of this capstone.


Hargro, Brina, "Hair Matters: African American Women and the Natural Hair Aesthetic." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2011.

http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1095&context=art_design_theses

What this source uniquely addresses is the push back from white America to try and rid the country of the uniqueness of black people. The idea of eurocentric beauty comes from the idea of making African American people feel out of place in this world, white world. In an effort to assimilate black people they tried to get rid of of black culture specifically black features, and that is what this article illustrates. The idea of whitewashing America was to make black people feel uncomfortable, because they knew it was not possible for them to completely assimilate to the community.


Johnson, T.A. and Bankhead, T. (2014) Hair It Is: Examining the Experiences of Black Women with Natural Hair. Open Journal of Social Sciences.

http://file.scirp.org/pdf/JSS_2014010814473478.pdf

This source gives information on black hair outside of the context of a prejudice white America. Instead it gives the stylistic timeline of black women who did not succumb to the attempted assimilations of white America. As well as the meaning and story for black hair. In other words it indicates why natural hair is so crucial to the development of black women in this country. The last biggest thing from this source are the prejudices that are present within the community of black women. It answers questions like, why is there a such thing as good and bad hair?


King, Vanessa and Niabaly, Dieynaba (2013) "The Politics of Black Womens' Hair," Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato: Vol. 13, Article 4.

http://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=jur

This journal takes a more personal approach, asking black women how they feel about relaxing their hair or leaving it natural. Taking into account the research behind how actual women feel about their actual hair, takes a more personal approach to the project. It illustrates how effective the idea of euro centricity is getting through to the masses. It also addresses the judgment that some women receive for choosing to relax their hair. It helped me to understand that and empathize with women that I don’t share the same experiences as. Which ultimately adds to the authenticity and reality of my project.


Koff, Stephen. "U.S. military changes rules on women's hairstyles after Rep. Marcia Fudge and Congressional Black Caucus say they show racial bias." Cleveland.com. Cleveland, 13 Aug. 2014. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2014/08/us_military_changes_rules_on_w.html

A popular hairstyle that many women of color chose to wear are dreadlocks. Up until recently the US government did not allow officers of the military to wear this style. Because it was such a prominent part of black culture, I used this source to understand how the government condoned such a blatant racial bias. It shows how not just society but the government accepted the exclusion of black people and turned a blind eye. The government  realized how they were institutionalizing racial bias and got rid of the ban. But it is interesting to see how the ban was conducted.  


Myers, Meghann. "New Army regulations OK dreadlocks for female soldiers." Army Times. Armytimes.com, 5 Jan. 2017. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.

https://www.armytimes.com/articles/new-army-regulations-ok-dreadlocks-for-female-soldiers

This source also explores the ban that the military imposes on natural hair. And dives into how black women felt forced into wearing wigs and relaxing their hair. However this goes more into specifics with other fashions of protective styling that black women tend to sport, such as cornrows and twists. The enforced regulations illustrate how big and how far apart your braids and or twists can be. The army wanted to enforce uniformity, on the other hand, some people saw this as another method of controlling black women. This article addresses how the army regulates all types of hair despite the race of the person.


Sutton, Tajh. "5 Things to Ask the Next Person Who Calls Your Natural Hair 'Unprofessional'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Apr. 2016. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tajh-sutton/next-person-who-calls-hair-unprofessional_b_9661216.html

This article also gives a more personal account of black women interacting with their natural hair in today’s world.  Because natural hair was stigmatized, today the more women who wear their hair naturally the more questions they get asked. The questions get frustrating because natural hair should not be a novelty, but the sad truth is that it is. Some inquiry’s are harmless, but some go as far as to say that natural hair is unclean, dirty, and unprofessional. This article explores the fact that in today’s world, black women are still dealing with critics about their hair from other races.


Thrasher, Steven. "A Personal And Political History Of The Afro." BuzzFeed. Buzzfeed, 5 Nov. 2013. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/steventhrasher/a-personal-and-political-history-of-the-afro?utm_term=.dudvMLJbw#.xi2MX9JpE

This source is amazing because it gives the history of the power and message behind the afro. The afro meant more than taking back black natural hair, but it was also a message to the government that black people were not disappearing. This source is unique because although natural hair is back and better than ever there are still negative stigmas attached to having an afro. The issues attached with afro’s also deal with colorism and issues of hair pattern that can be attached to wearing your hair naturally. Great strides have been made but, there are still aways to go, is the point of this article. It is important to recognize the piece of the battle that we still have to fight.


"Natural hair movement drives sales of styling products in US black haircare market." Natural hair movement drives sales of styling products in US black haircare market | Mintel.com. Mintel , 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.

http://www.mintel.com/press-centre/beauty-and-personal-care/natural-hair-movement-drives-sales-of-styling-products-in-us-black-haircare-market

A big part of black pride is supporting black owned businesses. This article deals with the booming industry that now is the natural hair business. Women are in need of products to support their newly natural hair and are now flocking to companies like shea moisture and jane carter. The companies are supporting black women and black women support them back. The system is making black business boom which is great for all black people. The increase in black business was an unforeseen benefit of women claiming their manes. The new natural hair craze benefits everyone.


Tags: 2017, SisKay, capstone
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Yasmeen Collins Capstone

Posted by Yasmeen Collins in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 9:02 pm

Throughout this year I have been working with Wordsworth to complete my capstone. The community umbrella agency changes the lives of families and guarantees that they will have a safe and healthy life. Wordsworth has the ability to help children conquer different behavioral problems, emotional, physical abuse, homelessness, and more. They provide homes for children and a safe environment for parents to come to when they need to see their children. My capstone consists of me working side by side with one of the directors to host an event for children who are traveling from home to home and need the basic toiletries to carry with them (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) I had hoped that I would be able to have the gift bags set up on a table and as the families came in for a visit I could hand them out. However, after having a meeting with my mentor I found out that I was unable to take pictures of the families and personally give them the gift bags due to restrictions around confidentiality. Therefore, I left them at the agency and throughout the course of the week case managers brought a gift bag to each of the children. After completing this capstone project I have given a deeper thought into “it’s the little things that matter” because after coming back to see how everything went the families were grateful and the children were happy to have something of their own. In the end that made me feel good because I was able to be a catalyst for change.


Bibliography:



  • "Turning Points for Children Community Umbrella Agency Services | Philadelphia, PA, Child Abuse Prevention, Foster Care Services." Turning Points for Children Community Umbrella Agency Services | Philadelphia, PA, Child Abuse Prevention, Foster Care Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.


I included this source because it directly relates to my capstone. I am working with this agency and giving the baskets filled with toiletries to the case managers. They will hand them out to the families during “supervision” which is the time that a parent has to spend time with their child. This agency finds placement for children and offers opportunities for children to live better lives. As we know, these children are experiencing lot’s of different changes that aren’t necessarily positive, but having the necessities they need will be helpful and make them feel more comfortable when going to a new place.


  • Statement:


This statement explains how the Community Umbrella Agency is helpful and this event will be beneficial to the children. It also gives a brief overview of some positions people have at the job and how they support the children. I am working side by side with the director to grasp an understanding of how things work, what days will be good to host the event, etc. Also, this statement written by my outside menor gives some insight on how my capstone is personally useful and puts them at an advantage. I selected this source because I thought this was interesting a different type of source to include into my bibliography.


  • "ACF Family Room Blog: New Data will Benefit Foster Children and Adoptive Families." Child Welfare Information Gateway. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.


This source provides information about child welfare and foster care among children in America. I selected this source because it gives a better explanation of what the agency's purpose is and how my capstone can be applied. It explains the process and how things work within the organization. Lot’s of resources are incorporated into this source and it allows you to view the different types of data and statistics. This source is helpful if you are trying to understand the procedure. This source isn’t directly related to my project, but it gives some background of the overall point of this source.


  • Article: CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.


This source provides information about how foster children have little to no support and resources in their lives. Often foster children are moved from home to home until they reach 18 and they aren’t given anything. My capstone provides small toiletries (soap bars, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) so that they have some things to travel with. This will ensure that they are more comfortable and have some things for themselves. I found this source useful because children aren’t always comforted properly when going through these different changes in their lives so they need all the help that can be given to them.


  • University, Princeton. "The Future of Children, Princeton - Brookings: Providing research and analysis to promote effective policies and programs for children."  - The Future of Children -. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.


Children who are in foster care are more at risk when it comes to behavior problems and expressing their emotions. Often they travel from home to home and have nothing of their own. My capstone gives them a chance to have somethings with them and make their stay at different places more pleasant. This source also fits into my interests and life goals because I want to reach out to the community and be able to perform outstanding works of community service. I feel like I could improve the community service and this project would be a great way to get involved.


  • "For reasons of poverty: a critical analysis of the public child welfare system in the United States." Choice Reviews Online 27.10 (1990): n. pag. Web.


This source is in a form of a book and it explains the safety permanency and well being of children in the Philadelphia county child welfare system. This book includes different fields pertaining to social work, psychology, sociology etc. I selected this source because it helps to clarify several different concepts related to my topic. Having sources that aren’t directly related, but still apply are important because they give an overview of everything. This will provide the audience with some evidence of the job description and how children are put into place for different things. Also, books give a deeper understanding of things and make you view things from a different perspective.


  • Kortenkamp, Katherine, and Jennifer Ehrle Macomber. "The Well-Being of Children Involved with the Child Welfare System: A National Overview." Katherine Kortenkamp. The Urban Institute, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.



I selected this source because the children experience a lot of trials and tribulations throughout their life. They are forced to leave their homes and move from place to place without any of their belongings sometimes. Having my capstone at this place will help the children to feel more secure and like they have something of their own. Children in the welfare system don’t usually feel at home and experience a lot of emotional issues. Creating baskets filled with toiletries and taking time to focus on them individually will mean a lot and be very useful. These children should be put first.




  • "Minority Children and the Child Welfare System: An ..." N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2017.


Even when children are put into the system they aren’t always treated the best. If they have some type of support then they can feel like they can depend on someone. I selected this source because it has some statistics, research studies, and more. It provides information about foster children in general and how the process works and what happens. My senior capstone is for all children and on this website it talks about discrimination that occurs between the children and other negative things. This article makes good points about children in the welfare system and examines many different things.       



  • Robertson, Marjorie J. "Homeless Youth: Research, Intervention, and Policy." N.p., n.d. Web.


Children who are apart of the system have experienced some type of abandonment and have to learn to cope with that. These children experience different types of abuse, go through intellectual problems, and more. Although my capstone won’t fix these issues it will assist them when it comes to needing something and having that feeling of knowing someone cares. This policy that I read talks about mental health, different studies, and homelessness among children. This isn’t exactly a source that would usually be used for my topic, but it does have a few points that talk about problems, changes, history, etc.



  • "Homeless Children and Youth." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.


I selected this source because unlike the source above it is in a form of a book so it’s more personal. It identifies the youth; struggle and more. Many people overlook the type of baskets I’m going to prepare for the children, but in reality they are much needed. The agency I’m working with is open and focused on the well being of children and making sure they are first. The agency is involved with the families and interacts with them often so that everyone that comes in feels like they have a place. Working side by side with this agency is beneficial to them and also helps me.




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Aaron Watson-Sharer Capstone

Posted by Aaron Watson-Sharer in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 8:32 pm

​For my senior year capstone project, I continued to follow my passion and completed a historical website about the history of Nicaraguan Baseball and the game's life today. For me, I love the game and my heritage for the most part is strongly rooted in Nicaragua, so I wanted to make the first legitimate website on Nicaraguan Baseball in history. It can be a very useful source to anyone with similar interests. I covered active Major League players from Nicaragua, the game's origin and local legends, one who happens to be a late relative of my cousins, Stanley Cayasso. I conducted interviews when I had the privilege to go to Nicaragua, which were very enriching and helped construct a more honest website.

I struggled on finding a concrete capstone project idea. I flirted with a handful of ideas, including one where I go camping and use no technology for a week. That would've been hard to pull off. I had to get realistic and I chose to do something I mostly enjoy to do. Talk and write baseball. The process at first was simple. I'd say in March it really picked up because I had pages on my website to fill and that's not easy. I learned a lot about what I like, and that baseball still is my favorite topic in the world. Always something new in baseball, even in a historical Nicaraguan website.

http://nicabaseball.weebly.com
Tags: capstone, Siskay17, 2017
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Pedro Castillo Capstone

Posted by Pedro Castillo in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 8:30 pm

T-shirt Front
T-shirt Front
T-shirt Back
T-shirt Back
My name is Pedro Castillo and for my Capstone, I worked with two friends to start/begin a small company that creates clothing with a meaning. Our main goal is to enlighten the youth by making clothes that makes us all feel like one people. For this capstone, we launched and released our first drop, the staple “pill logo t-shirt”. It is supposed to represent the idea of revival after hardships in one’s life. When starting our company, Yùmèn, we had an idea for a project all about sunflowers, the meaning of them, and how it impacts us as humans. We moved forward with it and later saw that the project was much too expensive and we had multiple problems with the “business” that was doing printing on the t-shirts. We decided as partners that we would change our plan to creating a staple shirt that represented us a company. That is when I personally decided to do more research on the way people think, act, and feel about clothes and eventually, with the help of my partners, I was able to create the pill logo t-shirt. After the creation, we spent multiple weeks trying to plan out how the release would work; we also spent that time trying to polish our site. We launched on May 5th and the t-shirts are now sold out online. Yùmèn is more than just a Capstone for us and that is why we still have much more work ahead of us.

Capstone Bibliography


  • Catarinella, Alex. "Our 5 Favorite Emerging Designers We Saw At Berlin Fashion Week."Grailed: Dry Clean Only. Grailed, 24 Jan. 2017. Web. 29 Jan. 2017. <https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/berlin-fashion-week-fw17>.

    • This source is important for me specifically because of the fact that I am the creative director for our upcoming brand. The main goal for a creative director is to ensure that designs that are going to be showcased are ahead of current trends. They have to be ahead of multiple trends and this list from one of the most trusted menswear catalogues and sale site explains why these new designers are so great. This can be used to base multiple future designs on what clothing connoisseurs look for in order to gain attention the most attention.  


  • Ginsberg, Allen . "Sunflower Sutra by Allen Ginsberg | Poetry Foundation." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, 1955. Web. 31 Jan. 2017. <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/49304>.

    • Our first project is dubbed, “The Sunflower Project”. There is an untold energy and art that the sunflower gives off that not everyone realizes. This is the piece in which our first release is based off of. Without this poem and the insight from Nigo, the sunflower project would have not sprouted.


  • Haywood, Emma. “Painting on Textile Fabrics.” The Decorator and Furnisher, vol. 11, no. 5, 1888, pp. 180–180. www.jstor.org/stable/25585466.

    • This source was extremely helpful even though it was about painting on furniture. Emma Haywood describes how to paint on fabric with oil paint. She states the dos and the don’ts very clearly. This was sourced because we plan on doing hand-painted merchandise as a promotional release before the first official release.


  • Kiper, Anna. Fashion portfolio: design and presentation. London: Batsford, 2014. Print.

    • Anna Kiper does a great job of covering the main components and concepts of designing apparel and a fashion portfolio. Most of the research conducted was about how to make a quality garment that will end up being successful in the real world. It is not as easy as it looks but Anna Kiper does a great job making it seem less difficult than it is.  


  • Lengwiler, Guido. A History of Screen Printing. Cincinnati, Ohio: Cincinnati, Ohio : ST Media Group International, 2013.

    • After multiple meetings, me and my partners have come to the conclusion that we want screen printing done on our shirts for the first couple of releases (no more than 3). There are many different ways to to screen print though and it is completely different from regularly printing a graphic on a shirt, one difference being that it is done by hand. Screen printing is much higher quality and that is what we want. This book explains the history of screen printing and covers multiple different techniques. This is essential for finding the best way to screen print since we only want to release high quality products.


  • Mcquarrie, Edward F., and David Glen Mick. “Visual Rhetoric in Advertising: Text‐Interpretive, Experimental, and Reader‐Response Analyses.” Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 26, no. 1, 1999, pp. 37–54. www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/209549.

    • Edward Mcquarrie covers the same topic that the Small Business Administration does except this looks at the art of advertisement through a more conceptual lens. This provides a more artistic view on what advertisement is and how do it successfully. This allows me to creatively grasp the concept of advertising in order to start creating more simple but original and creative ads.


  • NIGO. Atorie bai nigo. N.p.: Magajinhausu., n.d. Print.

    • Like Sunflower Sutra, this is another piece of writing that was an influence for me specifically. Nigo is the reason why the sunflower came into my mind in the first place. Atelier gives readers a peek into Nigo’s vast collection of, well… collectables. They are what influences him and draw out the genius that is Nigo. This book is also essential because it was another huge factor to starting The Sunflower Project.

  • Sartain, William. “Thoughts on Art and the Art Collector.” The Art World, vol. 1, no. 4, 1917, pp. 276–278. www.jstor.org/stable/25587749.

    • The art collector section is one that contains the most importance to me. Reason being that me and my colleagues want to, in the future, have many of our pieces be considered art. Why do collectors collect and why are collectors important? This source explains it. It talks about why collecting art is important and the type of art that typical collectors go for. This is very useful to me specifically because, like the Grailed article, I can base certain designs off of what collectors look for in art. Mixing fine art and great design with a great business plan ensures sales.


  • U.S. Small Business Administration Editors. "Advertising: The Basics | The U.S. Small Business Administration." Advertising: The Basics | The U.S. Small Business Administration | SBA.gov. U.S. Small Business Administration , 2017. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. <https://www.sba.gov/managing-business/running-business/marketing/advertising-basics>.

    • This source is important because it covers the basics of advertising. Whether it be food, a device, or clothes, advertising is crucial to getting the world to know about your products. Me and my partners have had no prior experience in marketing so being able to get tips from a trustworthy network is extremely helpful. We have not used all of the advice that this site provided but we have begun to implement multiple tips into our own advertisements.


  • Wagner, Eric T. "10 Rules To Build A Wildly Successful Business." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 07 July 2014. Web. 31 Jan. 2017. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericwagner/2014/01/14/10-rules-to-build-a-wildly-successful-business/#42671bfde287>.

    • This Forbes article contains a lot of valuable information for me and my partner. Although this is from a tea company owner’s perspective, this can be very useful because it touches on the business world in general. Applying some of these rules is essential in order for keeping a healthy business whether it be tea or anything else. Art and business are already a great mix, it is just a matter of being original and these business rules do not interfere with creativity and or originality.

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Harry Freed Capstone

Posted by Harrison Freed in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 7:32 pm

Art is expensive. To attempt to record an album, one must either have the funds to buy or rent the necessary gear or have the funds to buy or rent a recording studio. High school students are an often artistically-interested group of people who don’t have the funds to bring their sonic dreams to life. For my capstone project, I have provided these resources to students. I know many music-makers within our high-school and within the school district of Philadelphia who didn’t have a place to start with getting their music into the world, and I became that bridge for them. The basement studio that my dad and I (mostly my dad) have put together is much higher fidelity than what most kids have access to. Even with minimal production, live takes recorded in my basement sound relatively good compared to garage band in a bed room. Over the course of the year, I have invited youth artists into my basement to record releases for them. Then, I send them the files, mix the tracks (poorly, because I don't know how to mix) if they want me to, and leave them with their music. Through this, I have learned a lot about organization, sound engineering, collaboration, music composition, music production, and musicianship. This capstone has no single, culminating product, for it is an ongoing process. Here, though, are some samples from what we've all recorded, for your listening pleasure: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0T3TfgbUkpEbjhDX3R6UG4zZ2c Annotated Bibliography: Morgan, Scott. "The Differences Between Music Producers & Engineers." The Differences Between Music Producers & Engineers | Chron.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. This is a very simple website with some more jargon that isn’t necessarily covered in the “Jargonbuster” source. This source discusses the differences between producers and recording engineers as well as the similarities between producers and recording engineers. It gives thought to what producing and what record engineering entail, and what producers and recording engineers have to do in their jobs. The source even talks about how one becomes a producer or a recording engineer. For my capstone, I have to balance the involvement of a producer with the technicality of a recording engineer. Being the only third-party voice while I work with artists means that I have to carefully curate what I bring to the table. Baca, Ricardo. "As albums fade away, music industry looks to shorter records." Timesfreepress.com. N.p., 4 Jan. 2010. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. This is a look at what consumers want, or at least at what executives think they want. Though I’m not taking the capitalist angle in my capstone, I think it is valuable to see every angle of the industry in which my capstone dwells. I think this contrast between the record industry at large and the often unprofitable DIY artists I see in Philadelphia is very interesting. Many of the DIY accts in Philly seem comparably marketable to big-label bands. Basement shows feature tunes that are at least as catchy as radio rock tunes, yet they remain relatively fringe. I think part of the reason is the difficulty they have in recording all that they want to at a high enough quality. My service allows these bands to enter that pantheon. Bryan-Kinns, Nick. "Mutual Engagement in Social Music Making." Research Gate. University of London, May 2011. Web. This source describes design features intended to increase mutual engagement in social music and presents a set of techniques for identifying mutual engagement in music making. Though this source focuses on digital platforms for music creation, the philosophy that they apply to such platforms is informative for the philosophy regarding my capstone. It believes that overbearing edits can hurt collaboration, which is useful knowledge in songwriting and studio work, and it has the data to back it up. It also suggests that sharing space, virtually or physically, can improve musical output. Above all else, it considers “mutual engagement,” an academic term for “teamwork,” to be the high water mark of collaborative music making. In my project, I have to be committed to being involved with what artists want to see in their music. This source’s message of collaboration will inform how I work in the studio. Byrne, David. How music works. Edinburgh: Canongate, 2012. Print. Who would know how music works better than David Byrne? It is autobiographical in its mentions of the history of Talking Heads and its history of Byrne’s influences, but it really does address the titular concept. David Byrne’s fixation on musical spaces (like African plains or like cramped New York clubs) is very informative. Given that the bands I record all play shows in basements and record their music in basements, this awareness of space is important. It changes how the music should be recorded, and perhaps how it should be appreciated. It moves me to consider what I’m missing out in in this experience: how different would my capstone be were I recording affluent, popular arena artists? It would likely be a lot less freeing and a lot less fun. Morton, David L. Sound recording: the life story of a technology. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins U Press, 2006. Print. This source is now ten years old, but many of the technologies in recorded sound relevant then are relevant now, the difference being that we stream rather than download and our music is on our phones rather than our .mp3 players. The important technology that unites this era with that era is the relatively recent portability and accessibility music. This book’s account of the rise of portability in music sets the scene very well for the bandcamp era that my capstone finds itself in. The most important thing I glean from this is how special my recording setup is. It would barely have been conceivable 20 years ago to have an affordable recording studio in one’s home; accessible music recording was rare at the time of this book’s publication and even today. This source really reaffirms my belief that my access to this technology is special and that I am doing a special good for those who record with me. Stearns, Matthew. N.p.: Bloomsbury Academic, 2007. Print. 33 1/3. The record that this book deals with has a sound simultaneously harsh and lush. It very rarely features instrumentation beyond the standard guitar, bass, and drum combination. The studio is used in this album to help the many layers of guitars find different tones and different sorts of interplay. This book thoroughly examines the impact of the music, the image of the band, and the process of recording it. All of these angles are informative for my capstone. The reasons for the album’s success are applicable because they may be the reason that anything I record is found to be successful. "Stories from a Pro: Butch Vig." Butch Vig: 20 Years After Nevermind. Izotope, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. In this interview with Butch Vig, Vig, among other things, compares the process of recording Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and Garbage. For “roomy, trashy” stuff with Garbage, he used lots of ambient miking, whereas for Smashing Pumpkins’ “Siamese Dream,” he close mic'd amps for a direct, “in-your-face” sound. This source is most definitely trying to sell something, but if the parts where references to the website’s product are shoehorned, this is a pretty good interview. Ambient vs direct miking is a constant consideration in recording, especially in my capstone. Knowledge about how organization in the studio affects overall sound is important, as is knowledge about the phase shift that may come with it. Interviews with great recording engineers helps me to make my own decisions. Taylor, Gregory. "History of the Oblique Strategies." History of the Oblique Strategies. N.p., 1995. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. This source is a history of Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies, including all of the Strategies. They exist to inspire people in the studio to try new things when old things don’t work, in very abstract ways. Considering Eno’s success in the studio and his reliance on the cards, I’d guess that they’re working. The cards make me long for free time I can spend soundscaping with artists in the basement, finding tones that fit moods. My role as an engineer/producer should be inspiring musicians when something doesn’t sound the way they’d hoped, or worse, when something sounds the way they’d hoped and they realize they don’t like it. These alternate angles will assist me in that. Tingen, Paul. "Steve Albini." Sound on Sound. N.p., Sept. 2005. Web. Steve Albini is a god among record engineers. His philosophies about what an engineer should do, what a producer should do, and what musicians should do in studio inform my philosophies on the same topic. In this interview, he actually talks about the logistics of recording, which is fascinating. I obviously don’t have access to the breadth of gear that he does, but with what I have, I can try to emulate his setup. Regarding vocal compression, which I always find tremendously difficult to get right, Albini says “I normally compress the vocals about 4-6 dB or something like that — generally, at the quietest passages the compressor is not doing anything, and at the loudest passages it's doing 4-6 dB." I’ll think of that whenever I’m in the basement. Wilkie, Godric. The Studio Musician's Jargonbuster A Glossary of Music Technology and Recording. N.p.: Musonix.co.uk - J Robertson, 1993. Print. This source is exactly what it sounds like it is, a glossary of terms related to the art of recording. These terms are useful in songwriting and in studio work. They are are a language unique to musicians of all sorts. Terms like “mode” are used by songwriters and music theorists, but for an engineer, understanding the language of those that they record is invaluable. It all relates back to collaboration (which happens to be a core value of the Science Leadership Academy) and communication. Also, definitions of words I’ve taken for granted, such as “amplifier,” are interesting to see. Everything in music engineering seems to be less like a single thing and more like a parameter that lots of technology fills.

Earthboy in studio
Earthboy in studio
Grant Pavol in studio
Grant Pavol in studio
​Art is expensive. To attempt to record an album, one must either have the funds to buy or rent the necessary gear or have the funds to buy or rent a recording studio. High school students are an often artistically-interested group of people who don’t have the funds to bring their sonic dreams to life. For my capstone project, I have provided these resources to students. I know many music-makers within our high-school and within the school district of Philadelphia who didn’t have a place to start with getting their music into the world, and I became that bridge for them. The basement studio that my dad and I (mostly my dad) have put together is much higher fidelity than what most kids have access to. Even with minimal production, live takes recorded in my basement sound relatively good compared to garage band in a bed room.
Over the course of the year, I have invited youth artists into my basement to record releases for them. Then, I send them the files, mix the tracks (poorly, because I don't know how to mix) if they want me to, and leave them with their music. Through this, I have learned a lot about organization, sound engineering, collaboration, music composition, music production, and musicianship. This capstone has no single, culminating product, for it is an ongoing process. Here, though, are some samples from what we've all recorded, for your listening pleasure:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0T3TfgbUkpEbjhDX3R6UG4zZ2c

Annotated Bibliography:
Morgan, Scott. "The Differences Between Music Producers & Engineers." The Differences Between Music Producers & Engineers | Chron.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. This is a very simple website with some more jargon that isn’t necessarily covered in the “Jargonbuster” source. This source discusses the differences between producers and recording engineers as well as the similarities between producers and recording engineers. It gives thought to what producing and what record engineering entail, and what producers and recording engineers have to do in their jobs. The source even talks about how one becomes a producer or a recording engineer. For my capstone, I have to balance the involvement of a producer with the technicality of a recording engineer. Being the only third-party voice while I work with artists means that I have to carefully curate what I bring to the table.
Baca, Ricardo. "As albums fade away, music industry looks to shorter records." Timesfreepress.com. N.p., 4 Jan. 2010. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. This is a look at what consumers want, or at least at what executives think they want. Though I’m not taking the capitalist angle in my capstone, I think it is valuable to see every angle of the industry in which my capstone dwells. I think this contrast between the record industry at large and the often unprofitable DIY artists I see in Philadelphia is very interesting. Many of the DIY accts in Philly seem comparably marketable to big-label bands. Basement shows feature tunes that are at least as catchy as radio rock tunes, yet they remain relatively fringe. I think part of the reason is the difficulty they have in recording all that they want to at a high enough quality. My service allows these bands to enter that pantheon.
Bryan-Kinns, Nick. "Mutual Engagement in Social Music Making." Research Gate. University of London, May 2011. Web. This source describes design features intended to increase mutual engagement in social music and presents a set of techniques for identifying mutual engagement in music making. Though this source focuses on digital platforms for music creation, the philosophy that they apply to such platforms is informative for the philosophy regarding my capstone. It believes that overbearing edits can hurt collaboration, which is useful knowledge in songwriting and studio work, and it has the data to back it up. It also suggests that sharing space, virtually or physically, can improve musical output. Above all else, it considers “mutual engagement,” an academic term for “teamwork,” to be the high water mark of collaborative music making. In my project, I have to be committed to being involved with what artists want to see in their music. This source’s message of collaboration will inform how I work in the studio.
Byrne, David. How music works. Edinburgh: Canongate, 2012. Print. Who would know how music works better than David Byrne? It is autobiographical in its mentions of the history of Talking Heads and its history of Byrne’s influences, but it really does address the titular concept. David Byrne’s fixation on musical spaces (like African plains or like cramped New York clubs) is very informative. Given that the bands I record all play shows in basements and record their music in basements, this awareness of space is important. It changes how the music should be recorded, and perhaps how it should be appreciated. It moves me to consider what I’m missing out in in this experience: how different would my capstone be were I recording affluent, popular arena artists? It would likely be a lot less freeing and a lot less fun.
Morton, David L. Sound recording: the life story of a technology. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins U Press, 2006. Print. This source is now ten years old, but many of the technologies in recorded sound relevant then are relevant now, the difference being that we stream rather than download and our music is on our phones rather than our .mp3 players. The important technology that unites this era with that era is the relatively recent portability and accessibility music. This book’s account of the rise of portability in music sets the scene very well for the bandcamp era that my capstone finds itself in. The most important thing I glean from this is how special my recording setup is. It would barely have been conceivable 20 years ago to have an affordable recording studio in one’s home; accessible music recording was rare at the time of this book’s publication and even today. This source really reaffirms my belief that my access to this technology is special and that I am doing a special good for those who record with me.
Stearns, Matthew. N.p.: Bloomsbury Academic, 2007. Print. 33 1/3. The record that this book deals with has a sound simultaneously harsh and lush. It very rarely features instrumentation beyond the standard guitar, bass, and drum combination. The studio is used in this album to help the many layers of guitars find different tones and different sorts of interplay. This book thoroughly examines the impact of the music, the image of the band, and the process of recording it. All of these angles are informative for my capstone. The reasons for the album’s success are applicable because they may be the reason that anything I record is found to be successful.
"Stories from a Pro: Butch Vig." Butch Vig: 20 Years After Nevermind. Izotope, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. In this interview with Butch Vig, Vig, among other things, compares the process of recording Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and Garbage. For “roomy, trashy” stuff with Garbage, he used lots of ambient miking, whereas for Smashing Pumpkins’ “Siamese Dream,” he close mic'd amps for a direct, “in-your-face” sound. This source is most definitely trying to sell something, but if the parts where references to the website’s product are shoehorned, this is a pretty good interview. Ambient vs direct miking is a constant consideration in recording, especially in my capstone. Knowledge about how organization in the studio affects overall sound is important, as is knowledge about the phase shift that may come with it. Interviews with great recording engineers helps me to make my own decisions.
Taylor, Gregory. "History of the Oblique Strategies." History of the Oblique Strategies. N.p., 1995. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. This source is a history of Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies, including all of the Strategies. They exist to inspire people in the studio to try new things when old things don’t work, in very abstract ways. Considering Eno’s success in the studio and his reliance on the cards, I’d guess that they’re working. The cards make me long for free time I can spend soundscaping with artists in the basement, finding tones that fit moods. My role as an engineer/producer should be inspiring musicians when something doesn’t sound the way they’d hoped, or worse, when something sounds the way they’d hoped and they realize they don’t like it. These alternate angles will assist me in that.
Tingen, Paul. "Steve Albini." Sound on Sound. N.p., Sept. 2005. Web. Steve Albini is a god among record engineers. His philosophies about what an engineer should do, what a producer should do, and what musicians should do in studio inform my philosophies on the same topic. In this interview, he actually talks about the logistics of recording, which is fascinating. I obviously don’t have access to the breadth of gear that he does, but with what I have, I can try to emulate his setup. Regarding vocal compression, which I always find tremendously difficult to get right, Albini says “I normally compress the vocals about 4-6 dB or something like that — generally, at the quietest passages the compressor is not doing anything, and at the loudest passages it's doing 4-6 dB." I’ll think of that whenever I’m in the basement.
Wilkie, Godric. The Studio Musician's Jargonbuster A Glossary of Music Technology and Recording. N.p.: Musonix.co.uk - J Robertson, 1993. Print. This source is exactly what it sounds like it is, a glossary of terms related to the art of recording. These terms are useful in songwriting and in studio work. They are are a language unique to musicians of all sorts. Terms like “mode” are used by songwriters and music theorists, but for an engineer, understanding the language of those that they record is invaluable. It all relates back to collaboration (which happens to be a core value of the Science Leadership Academy) and communication. Also, definitions of words I’ve taken for granted, such as “amplifier,” are interesting to see. Everything in music engineering seems to be less like a single thing and more like a parameter that lots of technology fills.
Tags: capstone, SisKay, 2017
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Tianna McNair Capstone

Posted by Tianna McNair in Capstone · Siswick/Kay · Wed on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 10:54 am

​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.
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