Japanese Cherry Blossom

The last unit in my Radio-rithmetic class I learned about pitch, how sound travels, and then looked into how sound can be put together with other sounds. I also learned about frequency and different kinds of effects. My personal favorite effect is the Delay. That effect's name is exactly how it sounds, it delays the original sound making sound similar to an echo. On one of the Field Experiences we went to Chicago Recording Company. They showed us some cool equipment they had, and gave us some information and advice when it came to recording and editing music. For the last Action Project we were asked to take the basics of sound and recordings and make that into music. What I struggled with was making my original piece of sound because that was kinda difficult. How I overcame that struggle was looking at my surroundings. I ended up tapping glass with my fingertips, to create my original sound. What I am proud of is how my song came out. I enjoyed taking this class, I learned a lot about music, and I enjoyed the Field Experiences we went on, they were some of the best so far this school year. My song, images, and explanation are down below; hope you enjoy. 

To start this project off I spent some time thinking about the music I like. The songs I mixed together are a few of my favorite songs. I enjoy listening to indie pop music because of how calm it makes me, and also gives me good vibes. I wanted my song to be an indie version and also upbeat. The program I used to edit my song is called Soundtrap. This was my first time using this program, and it was super easy and helped me breeze through my editing. My song has a lot going on, there are many effects and fade ins and outs. The two effects I used were Chorus and Delay. I used Chorus on my first track to add some more sounds, since Chorus sounds like multiple instruments playing at once. I used delay because it gives that echoey sound.

Once I uploaded the basic tracks I made a beat using Soundtrap's beat kit:

 Beat Notation (JV) 2016

For the interval I played F# and A on a piano. That interval is a major third. I added a fade in and out so that way the sound blends in well with the rest of the song:

Interval (JV) 2016 

Down below is my sound file labeled. It shows what effects I used in each track. In the beginning and middle of the song there's tension, the sound goes up and there are many mixes and effects. It slowly starts fading down and releases towards the end. I love how my song came out, it had a beat drop and fades out smoothly.

                                               Sound File (JV) 2016. 

Citations:

ODESZA. BLOOM. Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 11 Sept 2014. Web. 11 Dec 2016.

ODESZA. Say My Name . Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube 18 August 2014. Web. 11 Dec 2016.

Flume. Never Be Like You.feat Kia. Online video. Youtube. Youtube 15 Jan 2016. Web 11 Dec 2016.

Never Be Like You

This unit was called Rhythm, I learned how music keeps time and how beats are notated, and compared common rhythms. I also learned about analyzing the forms of music, and studying patterns such as the Fibonacci Series and Golden Ratio. I am proud of how fast I learned about music. It is interesting studying music and learning how it is formed. For this Action Project I had to pick a piece of music and analyze it. The piece had to have two different beats or sounds to it. I chose one of my favorite songs right now, and I did a voice over explaining everything more in depth. What I struggled with was picking a song, there are so many songs I could've chosen. How I overcame that struggle was by picking a song that I've been listening to a lot lately. I hope you enjoy. 

                                                      
                 
                          

A Milli

For the the last Action Project for my senior STEAM course, Economics: Risking Value, I was given a scenario where I was gifted an amount of money that was growing in an saving account for 18 years. In this scenario, my guardian angel left me $49128.87. With that money, I had to invest in companies I believed in, and hopefully make a good amount of money off of them. I’ve learned a lot during this course that I will carry on with me in my lifetime. I learned about investing, compounding money, and how to save money and time more effectively. What I struggled with was finding companies to invest in. How I overcame that problem was researching, and thinking about companies I like; and use on a daily basis. I enjoyed this term and can’t wait for the other Senior STEAM courses. I hope you enjoy my project:

My guardian angel gifted me with $49128.87. With that money I’m going to invest companies I believe will benefit me within 25 years. My plan is down below:

1-year goal: I want to reach $5,000 in my savings. That money can go towards college. I want to save more than I spend. 

5-year goal: I’ll be 23 years old. Hopefully I’ll be done with college. I want to have $30,000 in savings and that will go towards paying off college debt. 

25-year goal: I’ll be 43 years old I would want $100,000 in savings hopefully a little more saved. My college debt would be paid off, I will be living happily, and I can go traveling.

I value profit-driven companies, but I also like companies that are passionate. They set goals and try their hardest to meet that goal. I also value environment-friendly companies that want to improve the world and really make an effort to do that. I want to invest in companies that have a constant flow of money coming in. If I invest in companies that are stable, there is a higher change I can make a lot of money because the same amount of money would keep coming in, and not make a huge drop. Disney and Apple have a huge amount of money, and hopefully that will keep happening. 

The first company I chose to invest in is Walt Disney Corporation. Disney is a Entertainment stock. They bring quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. I’ve been watching Disney since I was a little girl. They have some of my favorite cartoons and TV shows. It would be great to invest in a company that I love. I think Disney is going to make a great amount of money with the Star Wars series and all the other movies that they will be releasing at the end of this year and next year.

Disney Stock Price. 2016. Via Google.

The second company I picked is Apple. Apple is an innovative stock. Apple has historically been a growth stock meaning it was constantly on the rise. Apple hit its all time high at 134.54 in May of 2015. It is now a safe assumption to say Apple is a value stock. I picked Apple because their price number has been stable. They’re changing the world with brilliant ideas. I think both companies can continue to grow and come up with even better ideas and projects to give to the world.

Apple Stock Price. 2016. Via Google.

My first year, I will invest in Disney 50% and Apple 50%. The ROI for Disney is 12.5%, and Apple’s ROI is 24%. My ROI for investing in both companies for the first year is 18.25% Working towards my 1 year goal, I will invest $4, 228. 

Created by JV Pie Chart, 2016. 

For my 5 year plan, I want to invest in Disney 75% and 25% for Apple. My ROI would be 15.375% The 5 year in investing I will spend $14,676. 

Created by JV Pie Chart, 2016. 

For my 25 year goal I will invest the same proportions as I did in my five year goal. 75% for Disney, 25% for Apple. The amount I invested would be $26,753.87. If my plans play out right, all my money will get compounded. I will end up with $955,380.689 in return. That is a great amount of money! Both companies I picked are investment vehicles. They bring in huge amounts of money and, lucky for me, I think I choose the right companies. My money will be compounding over the years that’s why I will end up with a little under a million dollars. The amount seed money I was given, turned into a huge of amount of money and that shows what investing can do. 

Created by JV Pie Chart, 2016. 

 I know my plan sounds a little risky, but according to the Rutgers University’s Risk Tolerance Quiz, I have average/moderate tolerance risk. I’m willing to take these chances. 

Created by JV, 2016. 

Overall I enjoyed doing this project, and seeing how much money I would make in investments. I think my plan worked out really well!

Citations:

"Walt Disney." csimarket.com. N.P. N.D. Web. 27 Oct, 2016.

"Apple."csimarket.com.N.P. N.D. Web. 27 Oct, 2016.

"Investment Risk Tolerance Quiz."njaes.rutgers.edu. Grable, J. E., & Lytton, R. H. 1999. Web. 14 Oct, 2016. 

Blast From The Past

The second Action Project in my Journalism class, was to produce a podcast to tell a story of a voice important to the 20th century. We also had to interview someone and ask them why they think that person/ band was important to them. I chose to New Kids On The Block, and I interviewed my mom. This Action Project was very time consuming. It took me 3 days to complete this Action Project. What I enjoyed was interviewing my mom and her telling me why she liked the band so much. What I struggled with was editing and managing my time. I over came those challenges by pushing myself and getting my work done. Overall I enjoyed completing this project. I Hope you enjoy!

Past, Future & Life

My first Humanities course for Senior year is called Journalism. The first unit we focused on photojournalism and how that can help us see the world. We took on the role of a photojournalist, practicing both the essential skills of photography and the critical thinking. On the first Field Experience, we went to a photo gallery. We meet the photojournalist, and her series is called “#Killing Season Chicago. She documented shootings that happened during the summer of 2010. The exhibit was amazing it catalogued where people got killed. Not one photo had a person in it. Each photo was a memorial for the people who died that summer. That exhibit guided us to our Action Project. The purpose of the first Action Project was to take on the role of a photojournalist and capture, through a photo the point of view of someone that I believed had an important/interesting/unique view on the meaning of life. I interviewed my younger sister Jiselle. I chose my sister because she’s really unique and wise. I love hearing her speak and her telling me all her ideas. She has a very different way of thinking and I loved to hearing what her meaning of life was. What was most challenging during this Action Project was taking the perfect picture of my sister. I didn’t just want to take a picture, I wanted to take one picture that really captured my sister's personality. That picture is below, I hope you enjoy!

Photo taken by JV. Past, Future & Life. 2016

The interview was taken in my kitchen on September 25, 2016. It was around 10:00 am. The house had an aroma of Cafe Bustelo, my sister and I favorite coffee. We sat at the kitchen island table. I began to ask her some questions.


What is the meaning of life to you?
The meaning of life to me is the way you live it. You can’t have regrets, you can’t hate, and judge yourself. You have to accept the mistakes you have made and move on. The meaning of life is you, you’re the one who is living, you only have one chance at life, might as well make it everything you want it to be.

Has life always meant the same for you, or did this meaning change to you?
The meaning of life to me has definitely changed. I use to think life was everything my parents told me. I use to listen to everything they said, and believed everything they said. I still listen to my parents, I still value their meaning, their thoughts. As I got older I realized that I had my own meaning of life, my own thoughts, and I starting seeing life in a totally different way. I realized that I was my own person and I could make my own decisions.

What are your values in life?
My values in life is to stay true to myself, I want to be the best vision of me and I’m still working on that. I want to reach all my goals, I want to have a good future, and I want our family to be proud.

We were eating french toast during the interview, my sister’s favorite breakfast meal. My keyboard was getting sticky from the syrup; I’m kinda a messy eater-I must admit. I was trying to type every exact word she was saying while eating, but I’m not so great at multitasking. My little brother, on the other hand, was also sitting at the table, eating french toast, watching I Love Lucy on his tablet, and also listening to what we were talking about. He’s 10 years old, and in my opinion a great multitasker. We took a little break and finished up breakfast. We had to move locations because, our Mami kicked us out of the kitchen to clean up. We relocation in our bedroom that we share together. For those that don’t share a room with a sibling I am truly jealous.

The interview began again,

What do you want most out of your life? I want to be happy; I want to travel to all the places I have in mind, so that way later in life when I’m older, I won’t be saying, “ I wish I went here or there” because I’ve already went to all of those places.

What do you like most about yourself? I like how I think, and how I handle situations. I like how stronger and independent I am as well. I like how im very outgoing, and spontaneous, I also like how I make people laugh.

What are your strengths? My strengths are school, work, and being independent. I like going to school, and getting good grades. I like to study and make sure all my work is done on time. I also like working and making money, so that way I can get all the things that I need. I also like how im independent. I look up to you, and sometimes wonder how you handle school and work at the same time, because I’m still getting use to it.

What are your weaknesses? Mmh, weaknesses would be my shyness. Staying quiet, being a little awkward at times. I’m working on my weaknesses, and I have gotten better but everything takes time, and growth is very important. Like I said before realizing your mistakes, and making them better. I would say the meaning of life would be myself. I am a living, I am breathing. I value my life so much I am very grateful that I am living.

This interview went well. I did have to force my sister a little bit with staying on topic, and yell at her to stop being on her phone and to talk to me!

The photo was taken after the interview, around 1 o’clock pm. The location was Wilson Park. The park is really close to our house. I took this picture when my sister was off guard, and I think those are the best pictures. She is a very sassy 17 year old and that kind of shows in the photo. I love her pose and the lighting of the photo. The shadowing is what stands out the most. The brightness can represent future and the darkness can represent the past.

She reminds me of myself sometimes. She is very independent like myself. Even though I’m the oldest and we are only one year apart; I look up to her sometimes. She’s amazing and I love her very much, people always thought we were twins when we were younger, and I remember we use to hate it LOL. I remember her always telling “hold my hand” when we were little. Although we are both young adults, Jiselle will always be my little sissy Selle.

After High School

My first STEAM course for senior year is called Economics. The first unit is called Utility and Value; this unit taught us how to make our own decisions when it comes to money and our future. We learned the meaning of utility as a way of modeling choices, and we also learned about economic and mathematical concepts like supply and demand, calculating with a matrix, continuously compounding, and simple compounding, and continuously compounding interest. On our first Field Experience, we went to the Federal Bank of Chicago. This FE was interesting;I learned a lot about the market, deflation, how much money Illinois shreds everyday, and how much money the FED bank carries. I can’t wait to see what the other FE’s are going to be like for this class. The purpose of this Action Project is to look at a reality that I will consider to be my future profession. I choose to pick two different paths for my future and see which one will benefit me the most. I calculated the real cost of college based on the two colleges I picked. What I found challenging was the calculations, but I overcame that struggle by meeting with my teacher and asking questions. What I enjoyed about this project was seeing what path is better for my future.

Day Care Shenanigans.

Over the summer I completed my community services hours. I volunteered at my best friends, aunts day care. It was an amazing experience, I got to bond with beautiful kids and learned how to have so much patience for them. I love working with little kids, they're so much fun and silly. The owner of the day care lives in Jefferson Park, which was awesome because I live in that neighborhood as well and all I had to do was walk to her house which was awesome. I started volunteering in August and would volunteer on weekdays. I did 8 hours each day. There were two main kids at the daycare that I took care of. A girl named Samara who is 2 years old, she was born in Haiti and just recently moved to America. She is the sweetest little girl I’ve ever meet, she’s so patient and quiet. She will listen to you and wants you to play with her. Even though she’s only 2 years old she is so driven and wants to know everything that’s going on. She also picked up English and Spanish really fast, which was really surprising to me. She is a very bright little girl. Sebastian is the other kid I took care off. He is 4 years old, and such a silly little boy. He loved jumping around and voicing his opinion. He is very adventurous and loved to play with me and Samara. Getting to know these two kids was such a blessing. I got to teach them how to read, write the ABC’s, write their names. and how to count to 10. I also looked after them as they played taught them how to be nice to one another and got to feed them, and cleaned up after them.

Playground. Taken by JV. 2016. 

My last date at the daycare was September 18, 2016. It was really hard for me to say goodbye to the kids. I actually went over my community service hours because I enjoyed being with them so much. Ely is the owner of the day care, and I want to thank her for letting me join her and helping her out. Ely is so sweet and I can tell she really enjoys her job, and she loves the kids she looks after. I would definitely go back and volunteer there again. I loved the experience and I loved meeting the kids.

Toy Area. Taken by JV. 2016.

1857

Policy was my last humanities class as a Junior at GCE Lab School. The last unit was called Judge, in which we learned about the purpose and powers of the judicial branch, and how those powers have been executed throughout history. I learned so much throughout this course; the concepts I learned really changed my view on how society works. Learning about the different branches, of ablement American politics works made me feel like our country is still a very racist country. America needs to change; we need to stop electing people who have racist mindsets, and start electing those who that truly want to change America to become a better place for all people. The last Action Project in the course was to document a historical Supreme Court or international tribunal ruling and analyze how it has affected society since. The case I chose was Dred Scott vs Sanford (1857), I chose this case because it’s very important in US history in terms of race relations and citizenship. I’m glad I picked this case; I learned a lot from it. What I’m proud of is how I’m developing as a writer and researcher, and I’m excited to see myself continue to grow.

  

The New Damen Silos

The third unit in Urban Planning was called Flow, the title of this unit is really about everything we learned throughout this term. We learned about different cities, their history, and where they came from. We also dived deeper into urban planning and learned about how we can change a city to make it better. The last Action Project asked us to pick a city and use everything we have learned about urban planning to improve a space that we have chosen. What I struggled with was building my 3D model. It was a challenge but I pushed myself to get it done. What I’m proud of is how my project came together. I think my idea is cool, I really liked working on this project, even though it was really stressful at times. I enjoyed taking this course, I learned a lot about my city, and about Urban Planning.

3D Model of Redesigned Damen Silos Created by JV, 2016*

Chinatown is an area in Chicago that shows the culture of Chinese people. The area has many shops and restaurants that are Chinese. This area is very touristy, has venues that host many concerts, has pretty good transportation, many buses in this area, two redline stops, the highway, and the river is nearby. I would say this area in Chicago makes a good amount of money, but where is it all going? The strengths this area are the culture, and the architectural design is very nice. The shops and restaurants in Chinatown are another big strength, whereas some weaknesses are segregation, and it has lots of abandoned buildings that could be used for something useful. Lots of factories are around that area, not many parks are nearby, and the area has a lot of pollution. The space needs more parks, it also needs something new and exciting that really stands out but also incorporates Chinese culture.

2D model Before Created JV, 2016*

The High Line Park in New York City inspired me, because they transformed an area that contained industrial and toxic waste, infrastructure no longer in use, into an elevated park that has lots of greenery. Gas Works Park in Seattle Washington is another project that inspired me and was built on the location of a former coal gasification plant in 1965. The abandoned plant was converted into a picnic shelter complete with tables and fire grills, while a former exhauster-compressor building was turned into an open-air play barn that houses a maze. This inspired me to change the Damen Silos into an indoor park. The changes that I will make to the Damen silos will really improve the Chinatown area. I will leave the original structure of the building, but I will repaint it, adding more colors, like red, gold, and bronze, to bring life to the building. There is so much graffiti all over the Damen Silos but I will leave some of it to represent Chicago street art. There are underground tunnels in the building, and these will become an underground slide park. I will add some Chinese art designs into the building so that way the indoor park mixes into the culture of Chinatown. I will also add a huge stage almost like a theater on the first floor so that way concerts can be held there, bringing in money for the area and city.

2D model After Created by JV, 2016.

I calculated the area of two rectangular prisms put together, and a cylinder. The height of a silo which is the cylinder is 87 ft. The base of the triangle the main building is 693 ft and the height is 722 ft. The equation for the area of the whole space was ½ x 693 x 722= 250,173 ft^2. The equation for the volume of a cylinder is 𝝿 x radius2 x height which was 3.14 X 10^2 x 87= 27,331.85 cubic ft. Since its diameter is 20, its radius would be 10. To find the volume of an irregularly shaped building, I multiplied the length, width and height of the rectangular prisms which was 28 x 28 x 25=19,600 and 75 x 50 x 25= 93, 750. Then I added both measurements and got 113,350 cubic ft. Over all I did enjoy working on this project, it was really stressful and I feel like the timing was a bit rushed. What I would do differently is really take my time with the prep work, so that way towards the end of the project everything would go much smoother.

                                             3D Model of Redesigned Damen Silos Created by JV, 2016*

 

UNFAIR

The second unit in my Policy class was called Execute, and we learned about the purpose and powers the executive branch has and how those powers have been executed throughout history. The second Action Project asked us to pick a war and take a position on whether the U.S. involvement in that war was justified or not. What I struggled with was timing with this project. I felt like this essay was really rushed, and required a lot of research. I struggled with the research; it was hard finding certain information about World War II, but I pushed myself not to give up. What I am most proud of is my writing and how I’m developing as a writer. Overall, I enjoyed writing this essay because it pushed me a lot. I just wish I had more time to complete it. I found out more information about World War II that was really interesting to learn about. Hope you guys enjoy! 

Rosenthal, Joe. Flag raising on Iwo Jima. 1945. Web. May 2016. 

World War II took place across the globe with most of the combat occurring in Europe, East Asia, islands in the Pacific Ocean, Madagascar, and the Aleutian Islands. Countries such as Poland, China, Russia, and Germany were the main countries that suffered the most during this war. World War II began September 1, 1939 with the rise of Adolf Hitler and his followers in Germany. Adolf Hitler had two main goals, which was the forcible acquisition of Lebensraum, for the German people, the second was the Final Solution . The United States did not join the war, however, until after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The immediate causes of World War II for America were Japan’s attacks and more calls for this country to help end the holocaust. The underlying causes were defeating the dictatorship of Hitler, his growing empire, and the power of Nazism (the U.S. is pro-democracy) The U.S., finally helped intervene in the holocaust. The first concentration camp the U.S. freed was on April 4, 1945 but was slow to act; it took the U.S. years to help Jews and other victims. Hitler had taken over large parts of Europe and was advancing, had even bombed England! The U.S. had to act to protect itself and allies from his onward march and the U.S. joined WWII on December 7, 1941 after President Franklin Roosevelt persuaded Congress that the nation needed to fight. President Roosevelt worked hard to prepare Americans for the conflict. In November 1939, he persuaded Congress to repeal the arms and trade provisions of the Neutrality Law so that arms could be sold to France and Britain, U.S. allies After the fall of France to the Nazis in the spring of June 1940, President Roosevelt pushed for a major military buildup and began providing aid in the form of Lend-Lease to Britain. America, he declared, became "the great arsenal of democracy" by helping his allies fight back against Hitler.

One major tactic during World War II was technology and advanced military weapons. America began to produce hundreds of thousands of tanks, airplanes, and ships for itself and its allies to have Allied success. The U.S. was dominating the skies with planes like the P-51 Mustang fighter and the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. At the same time, the Nazis were experimenting with jet aircraft, while the Japanese were working on intercontinental bombers. Many policies were made during this war, President Roosevelt proposed the Good Neighbor Policy, and it went through. The Good Neighbor policy was the foreign policy of the administration of United States towards Latin America. The policy's main principle, was motivated by economics. By 1933, the world was in the depths of the worst economic depression in history, known as the Great Depression. The Good Neighbor Policy allowed the U.S. to revise trade relations with major Latin American nations. The Good Neighbor Policy would not only help the U.S. replace its Axis-Power economic trade with that of the largest and wealthiest Latin American countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, but it would also bring those countries into a military alliance with the United States. This policy did not have consequences during this war but later on in other wars it did. World War II was definitely a unfair war, millions of innocent lives were taken. The U.S. could've acted quicker, but it took years because of equipment issues. I hope America has learned from all War mistakes and realizes that war isn't the answer. 

Citations: 

Franklin D. Roosevelt: Domestic Affairs. millercenter.org. William E. Leuchtenburg. Web. 14 May, 2016. 

WWII Military tactics. www.quora.com. N.P.2014. Web. 12 May, 2016. 

World War II. history.com. N.P. N.D. Web 11 May, 2016. 

Better Ways To Save $

The second unit in Urban Planning was called Power, in this unit I learned about the fundamentals of magnets, static electricity, and current electricity. I also learned about circuits, voltage, amps, and resistance. For the second Action Project we were paired up again and were asked to design our own efficient electrical plan. We had to design an energy-efficient house, by creating a model circuit using two switches, at least 5 resistors, and at least one parallel branch. What I am most proud of is how easy and smooth this project went. I had a great partner to work with, we worked really well together. 

2016 Bathroom's

Policy is the 3rd Humanities course in the Global Government series, after Rhetoric and Argument. The first unit was called Legislative, I learned about the three branches of U.S. government, learning about its structure and purpose, researching its role in historical policy-making, and evaluating those decisions that have affected people that live in the United States. For our first Action Project we were ask to write a letter to a legislator that address an important issue that has to do with policy. What I struggled with was the whole project in general. I couldn't find a topic to write about that connected to me. This caused me to have writers block. I do like the topic that I picked, but I think if I really took the time to pick a better topic my Action Project would have came out a lot better.

nymag.com. 2016

Jacinda Vargas

GCE Lab School

1525 N. Dayton

Chicago, IL 60642

April 23, 2016

The Honorable President Obama
The President.
The White House.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500.

Dear President Obama: 

Out of all the important issues that are happening all over the world, people want to fight about bathrooms. Bathrooms are considered a private area, and people tend to get really uncomfortable when LGBTQ get put in the mix. LGBTQ deserve to feel equal just like every human being does. Nobody should be denied their right to view themselves how they want to be viewed. Conversations have came up all over the country that the LGBTQ community want to be able to walk into any bathroom that they identity themselves as. “North Carolina became the first state to require transgender people to use restrooms assigned to the sex on their birth certificate.” I think this is unfair because people don’t agree with the sex that they were born with. North Carolina, and Mississippi have opposite views on this topic, and I believe that you are able to change that. 

My name is Jacinda Vargas and I am a Junior at GCE Lab School located in Chicago, IL. I write to ask you to fully support this topic. I hope to see some improvements about this issue before you leave office. I believe that you can do great things before your term ends, because the ones who are running now, might push America back. “Most people take reasonable access to restroom facilities for granted. However, transgender people often face the burden of being confronted or questioned about which gender's restroom they should use.” I find it funny how people don't know that transgender do use the wash room without anyone knowing their transgender. But once someone knows a transgender is in the washroom they become uncomfortable. Some issues have sparked in North Carolina about anti-LGBTQ bathroom laws. "A male police officer enters the ladies' rest room to demand identification from a woman wearing jeans, a baggy shirt, and a baseball cap." The girl was yelled at and forced out of the bathroom because she didn't have ID to identify herself with, and because of her appearance.

My sister is lesbian, she has a tomboy style and some even mistake her for a boy at times. My sister can walk in to either bathroom and not once has she be discriminated for it. My sister is lucky enough to live in an area where she feels accepted, I want other LGBTQ members to feel accepted all over the world just like my sister does. What is mind blowing to me is that different parts of the United States have very different view points. Being LGBTQ is wrong to some people, and that causes people to be treated badly. I don't know how America is going to be great again, if some people can't accept the fact that all humans are different. I want the anti-bathrooms policy to stop, I want people no matter what sex be able to use any bathroom as they please, I want them to feel safe, especially safe when entering a bathroom. President Obama you can make true change to the United States, as you have already. Let this last term be the best one, lets change the way American has been thinking, lets make America great.

Sincerely,

Jacinda Vargas.

Citations: 

"Watch Cops Drag Lesbian out of Bathroom for “Not Looking Like A Woman” usuncut.co-bathroom.  Nathan Willman. 27, April 2016. Web 29, April 2016. 

"North Carolina Passes Sweeping Anti-LGBT Law Over Transgender Bathroom Fears." nymag.com. Margaret Hartmann. 24 March, 2016. Web. 29 April 2016. 

Weak Bridge

The first unit is called Load. In this unit I learned about about weight, load, and the forces that act around us. I also learned about Newton's laws, and how his laws relate to everyday life. I also learned about bridges. On our first FE, we went downtown to see good urban planning, and bad urban planning in Chicago. We also looked at some bridges that are downtown as well. For our first Action Project we were paired up in partners, and asked to create our own version of a Truss Bridge out of popsicle sticks that could hold 10 pounds. What I struggled with was building the bridge as it was very frustrating because our planned design didn’t come out the way we expected it to. We also struggled with figuring out our design. What I am most proud of is completing the project.

Coffee Clock

The last unit in Light, Sound, and Time was called “Time.” In this unit we learned about sundials, trigonometry, and how pendulums can tell time. We also learned about geographic coordinates and how they structure time around the globe. The last Action Project for LST asked us to design our own prototype of a time-telling device. We had to show our model, prove the principles and explain how it works. What I struggled with was coming up with a time-telling device. What I enjoyed about this project was making the video. The Coffee clock does already exist I just tweaked it a little to make it better. 

                 


My time telling device dates back to 1787. The ancestor to my clock was found in Germany in the 15th century. But the first alarm clock that kicked it off was invented by Levi Hutchins, who live in New Hampshire. He made his alarm clock that only went off at 4 am to wake him up to go to work. That one alarm clock turned into millions around the world helping people with daily tasks. I was inspired to create an device that will help people get up in the morning, since I am one who struggles to get up each morning. The people who will use my device the most is works, students and coffee drinkers, because my unique time telling device not only wakes you up but brews your coffee too!

My device is a coffee clock, it uses sound when the alarm clock is going off. My device has a set time that makes coffee and also makes a beeping noise. My time telling device goes by every hour. I choose these units because I think it will be helpful to know what hour it is. It beeps every hour to let you know what time it is. You can also set it up to where it makes coffee at any hour you want, and gives the the option to add your favorite cream and sugar while it’s brewing.

My coffee clock is medium sized, it has a glass pot that carries the coffee, and it has multiple settings so that way you can add the time you want the alarm to go off. The Coffee Clock has  buttons to add cream, and sugar. The shape is rectangle, the length of the Coffee Clock is 14 inches, and the height is 9 inches. To find the hypotenuse I used pythagorean theorem, which is 14^2+ 9^2=277,  than I square rooted that number and got 16.6inches. 16.6inches is my hypotenuse. 

From my research I found out that "many interesting alarm clocks have been made over the years."  My device falls in that category because one side carries the the coffee and the other side is a manual clock that shows you the time. The coffee will instantly start brewing once the alarm goes off. When the alarm goes off it starting beeping, and won't shut off until you manually shut it off. The coffee will continue to brew. The purpose of my clock is to wake people up on time and give them a fresh cup of coffee. 

My device is meaningful way to tell time because it wakes you up in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee, and an annoying beeping noise which you have to physically get up and turn off. Both of these factors can help you get out of bed and ready to start your day. It solves common problems like people waking up late, and running late for school, or work.


Citations: 
“Alarm Clock History.”clockhistory.com. Jeffery Wood, 2014. Web. 17 March, 2017.

BARE IT ALL

The last unit in my Argument class is called 1964. In this unit we learned about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and how this law changed our nation. We learned how America was trying to change for the better and along with that we learned the arguments America had with racism. The last Action Project asked us to take a position on a controversial topic and write a thesis, than identify and try to understand someone’s position on the topic and write antithesis. From that, we were challenged to create a resolution, in other words, map out the synthesis. What I struggled with was coming up with a topic to argue. What I enjoyed about this project was writing my synthesis. I love the topic I picked because it relates to me in a personal way. Overall, the Argument class was one of my favorite classes that I’ve taken at GCE. I learned so much, and teacher my Jamie did an amazing job at teaching it! Hope you guys enjoy!

     

Body shaming is an important issue to me, and in this era it's really relevant to talk about. I say this era because the world is changing, yet some people are still conservative. The 21st century is such an important time in history, and I feel like people need to began to open up their minds more in order to make the world a better place. Models can show their skinny bodies and be praised and called beautiful. They aren’t called sluts, whores, or attention-seekers. When it comes to the topic of perceptions of women and our bodies, my position is that we should not be body shamed for showing off our bodies which we love.

The overall opposing argument against body shaming is that people think it’s a bad look for women, specifically, to show their bodies on social media or in real life. Opponents believe that when a girl is showing off her body she is sending a certain message, she is called an “attention seeker," even an “attention whore” (because we all know- the worst thing a woman can do in the world is seek attention). No one likes a woman who wants to be seen. Kim Kardashian-West recently posted a nude selfie on her social media accounts. Mrs. Kardashian-West gave birth just a few months ago; she was just trying to make herself feel better, because society tends to make women feel like crap if they don’t look a certain way, and this “rule” is only harsher if you are a celebrity. The picture was a throwback that Kardashian-West posted to be a motivating picture of herself, which, in my opinion that is pretty impressive. Along with the image, she included the caption: “I wanna get back to Me a year ago!” It didn’t take long at all for other celebrities and many people all over the world to start adding their two cents about her photo, including posting negative comments on her photo. Even veteran actress and entertainer, Bette Midler had a few words for Kardashian’s nude selfie. The older actress tweeted: “Kim Kardashian tweeted a nude selfie today. If Kim wants us to see a part of her we've never seen, she's gonna have to swallow the camera.” I wholeheartedly disagree! Bette, the point of the picture is Kardashian-West is showing us exactly what she wants us to see; she has the control over her own body and representations of it online. She blocked out certain parts, when she could’ve showed it all. And yes, Kim has taken nude pictures before, and has a sex tape but look at where that got her today, she is a successful fashion designer, model, entrepreneur.

So why did Midler feel the need to jab at this one? And why did Midler feel the need to add “she's gonna have to swallow the camera?” Midler’s offensive response is a prime example of body shaming. Celebrity actress, Chloe Grace Moretz, also added to the fire, stating “@KimKardashian I truly hope you realize how important setting goals are for young women, teaching them we have so much more to offer than-just our bodies.” But that’s the thing, Kim Kardashian is setting her own goals for young women. She wants to set an example that shows women they can be comfortable in their own bodies. After so much unwanted, negative feedback Kim Kardashian-West ended up writing a letter, slamming all her body shamers. She stated that: 

"As individual women, we may or may not choose to use our bodies or our sexuality as a mode of empowerment. As individual women, we may not even understand how another woman could ever even see it that way, and so it’s easier to look at a naked woman and write her off as ‘feeding into the male gaze.’ But if feminism is about every woman having the choice to move freely through the world and designing her own life free from gender-based bias, then we have to respect other women’s choices, even if we don’t agree with them, as long as those choices don’t interfere with another’s right to choose."

I do agree with Mrs. Kim Kardashian-West that as individual women, we all have the right to choose what we want to do with our bodies, and yes people have the right to their opinions, but verbal abuse is plain wrong. I’m not saying that Kim Kardashian-West is the only one who’s getting body shamed, millions of girls around the world do, including myself. I love my body; it’s a piece of art to me and it's so valuable. People get so upset when I post certain pictures or the way I dress, and they feel the need to call me names. Body shaming needs to stop!

Where can my opposition and I agree on? Is that people have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies. Men and women have the right to show off their bodies as they please; they can do whatever they want because they own their own body. Both sides have to respect that.

Questions I Have for the Opposition: 

    1. Why are you upset that I don’t hate my body? 

    2. Why does my body upset you?

    3. What gives you the right to call me names?

    4. Why are you trying to bring my self esteem down?

Questions the Oppositions Might Have for Me:

     
     1.Why do girls have to show their bodies off?

     2.What kind of message are you sending young girls?

     3. Are you trying to get attention?

The synthesis that would allow both sides to come together means both have to respect each other’s opinions. We were all born naked, and human bodies are natural. Clothes are “man made,” we all know what a human body looks like, and what parts each gender has. If someone chooses to show their body without clothes, it shouldn’t matter. We have a body, too; it’s normal. If people have something to say, just keep it in. We all learned this technique as we were growing up. People should apply it to their real lives. When people start to judge others, they start hate, and later spread war. If the world wants to change, we all have to respect each other, not judge, and not call names.

Works Cited:

“Kim Kardashian’s Open Letter on International Women’s Day Shuts Down The Body Shamers.” www.romper.com. Jen McGuire. 9 March, 2016. Web 15 March, 2016. 

“Send Nudes: Kim Kardashian, Feminism, and The Right To Bare All.” Themarysue.com. Teresa Jusino. 9 March, 2016. Web. 15 March, 2016.

Pictures: 

"Bare it all.” JV. 2016.

"Body Shaming 101." Hercampus.com. 8 May, 2015. (2 pictures)

18+

In the second unit in my Argument class, I learned about logical flaws, fallacies, and the strength of an argument. I learned about the Scott vs Sandford Supreme Court case of 1857. The case centered on Dred Scott, who was a former slave who sued his master for keeping him a slave in a free state. We analyzed this case and learned that the 14th amendment was crafted partly because of it. The purpose of my second Action Project was to form my own amendment based on my school’s Code of Conduct. I had to pick a part of my school’s Code of Conduct and defend a change I’d make to it. I enjoyed creating my own amendment, but what I struggled with was choosing a topic from the Code of Conduct because there was so many that I wanted to revise. The image below represents my amendment and you will soon find out why.

     Gograph.com 2012.

                                                      

Attendance Procedures:

GCE’s Code of Conduct states that “a parent or guardian is expected to communicate an absence with GCE Lab School as soon as possible when a student is going to be absent. Students are expected to contact their teachers as soon as they are able to address next steps for makeup work.”

I think the absence policy in the Code of Conduct is currently unjust. An 18 year old should have the right to call their school and inform the school of why they will not be attending I don’t think my parents should have to do that, especially since at 18 you are legally considered an adult in the US. Eightteen year olds can sign contracts on their own, sign up for the military, and vote. The Code of Conduct states that parents should contact the school as soon as possible when a student is going to be absent. In my experiences attending GCE, my parents will call the school and let them know why I will be absent, or send an email. A flaw my school has when it comes to the attendance procedures is that staff will keep contacting my parents even after my parents informed them that I won’t be attending school that day. I think this is a flaw because my parents shouldn’t be getting multiple calls from my school in a day about the same information that was already given. I think this is really unprofessional because multiple calls is unnecessary. I understand that education is really important at my school and they want to know where I am when I’m supposed to be in class, but if my parents are contacting them and letting them know I won’t be coming, then there shouldn’t be a problem and should not turn into five missed calls in my parents’ phones.

Students aren’t just students; they have lives besides going to school. I am very independent and like doing things on my own. It’s not my parents responsibility anymore that I go to school, it’s mine. Since I am eighteen, I should be able to determine whether I want to go to school or not, and to notify staff myself in the case of my absence. I think my school’s Code of Conduct for absences should be changed to state that students who are eighteen years or older can call the school themselves to inform them why they won’t be attending school. GCE is a school where students learn about the real world, how to grow as an individual, and learn how to be responsible and just as we practice these skills in our classes, we should also apply them when it comes to procedures like the attendance policy. My proposed amendment to the Code of Conduct is written as a formal argument below:

P1: Students should be responsible.
P2: Students 18 years or older can make their own decisions and are legally no longer minors.
C: Students 18 years or older can call the school themselves and state why they aren’t attending school.

This amendment will help students who are 18 years old have more responsibility for themselves, and it will teach them to not skip school because they will have to call themselves and state why they’re not going to school. GCE is a school where we learn about the real world and ways to grow as an individual and practice a true citizenship, it’s a place where students learn how to be responsible and thrive in the real world. GCE should let students who are 18 years or older make their own decisions and respect student’s decisions without a parent's consent. Student MS agrees with my proposal and states: “I believe that students 18 and older should have the ability and right to contact the school and explain the reason for their absence. The student must show responsibility at school and not abuse the right. If it becomes excessive parents will be contacted and informed of their students actions.” MS

The amendment I propose is related to the U.S Constitution. According to Amendment 26
Section. 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

This amendment argues that a US citizen who is eighteen years of age or older has the right to vote. That person has the right to elect a president for our country, which is important this year in America. This amendment connects to the change that I want to make in GCE’s Code of Conduct about absences; if eighteen year olds have the right to vote in America, then they should have the right to make their own decisions about their education. Voting is a right, but an 18 year old cannot call her school to inform staff of her absence? This flawed rule relates to Anna who is 18 years. Anna rents out an apartment in Wicker Park with her best friend Millie. When Anna isn't feeling well her Mother has to call Anna's school to inform them Anna won't be coming. Anna dislikes this rule because she is responsible enough to call her school herself. Anna owns an apartment but can't call her school for her own absences. This flaw needs to be fixed. 

Diddley Bowie

The second Action Project in Light, Sound, and Time asked us to build a guitar that we could play. My guitar is made out of wood, a tin can, one guitar string, an allen wrench as the nut and nails to hold the guitar together. We learned about sound, how it travels, how fast it is, and where it comes from. We learned about frequency, the pitch of sound, wavelength, and the Doppler effect. I am proud of how my guitar came out. It was really easy to build. If I could do it over again, I would get a thicker piece of wood so that way the screws wouldn’t go through the wood. I would make my string a little tighter, so the pitch would be higher. Overall I enjoyed creating my Diddley bow and below is a sketch of my Bowie, and a real picture of it.

Created by JV Bowie, 2016.

Created by Diddley Bow, 2016.

The wood is the neck of the guitar, the tin can is the sound hole. My tin can is medium sized so it produces a good amount of sound. I have a guitar string, and an allen wrench that acts like the nut. When I pluck the guitar string the vibration goes through the tin can, making sound waves. When I use a slide on my string, the vibrations shorten changing the pitch. The wavelength is the distance from one peak to the next peak. It can also be thought of as of one complete wave cycle. My Diddley bow creates waves every time I play it. My harmonics and wavelength calculations are down below, it also shows the frequency.

                                                                Created by JV Harmonics, 2016.

My guitar string is 13 inches long, and the thickness of the string is 0.042inches. My open note is E. The formula used for the volume of a cylinder was πRxR x H. The approximate frequency of 82.28 Hz, a wavelength of 418.65 cm, and the volume of my can is 47.12cm^3.